Tournament bass fishing is an emotional roller coaster to say the least! It’s very similar to golf in that it will humble you in a heartbeat. No matter how good you think you are, the fishing gods, as I refer to them, will bring you back down to earth in a matter of minutes. There are days that you will think you’re the greatest bass fisherman of all time, those days when you totally figure them out and no bass is safe while you’re in the zone! Every decision you make is the right one! Every decision you make results in catching not just a lot of fish, but quality as well! You are the king, the master of all bass in the lake! You might be the greatest angler of all time! Not even Kevin Van Dam, who is the GOAT, would stand a chance against you!
Then the day comes that you question why you even fish. Why am I out here on this body of water wasting my time and money? Your mind, which is the greatest tool an angler can have, starts to question what you’re doing. You begin to doubt yourself and your ability to catch those little green fish we call bass. I mean how can catching fish become such a difficult task? After all, I am the best to ever hold a rod!
Then we look for excuses…like maybe a cold front came through and shut down the fish. Maybe the full moon has them messed up. Maybe the rising water has made them hard to catch. Maybe the lake is falling and has put the fish in a funk or maybe there’re just too many anglers on the water and the fishing pressure has caused them to either move or just not bite. That’s it! Too many anglers on the water! I knew there was a reason… because it couldn’t be me!
Then you get to the weigh-in and realize other anglers figured them out and had a great day as they weigh-in their 20-pound sacks, while you are standing in the weigh-in line with your small 10-pound bag wondering what the heck was I doing wrong. You hope no one sees what you’re weighing in that day. The embarrassment and shame of it all…I mean those guys are not as good as me! How did they catch those big fish today and I did not?
This is the humbling part of the sport of tournament bass fishing. Just when you think you know everything about those little green fish, they let you know that you know nothing! Then two weeks later, you go out and snatch everything in the lake that bites. You are the king once again! It’s just like golf…the gods allow you to hit a great shot occasionally, just so you’ll come back and play again. You think you’re Tiger Woods, and no one is better. Bass fishing is no different, it will humble you and bring you back to reality. Till next time good luck, good fishing and make sure to say an occasional prayer to the fishing gods…maybe they’ll reward you or maybe they won’t.
Steve Graf
Angler’s Perspective
