Lessons learned in 2015


Looking back across the just-concluded year has a way of putting the calendar in perspective.

The paper calendar shows days, weeks and months, all inanimate, differentiated only by a number and their position relative to each other. But my fishing calendar, that’s another story.

As I look back on 2015, I see months of inactivity, preparation and participation. I see weeks of waiting and weeks of action. I see dog days, banner days, sunshine and rainy days, satisfaction and disappointment.

Those are my fishing days. Unpredictable, lots of fun and always an adventure.

My look-back reveals two supreme moments – one a noteworthy success and the other an epic fail.

First, the success. It was on the Ohio River’s New Cumberland Pool, near East Liverpool, in June. The river was a bit swollen due to the frequent rains that fell during spring and early summer.

Normally, I like the Ohio to be running high with a bit of stain in the water. That is the perfect setup for activating the river’s smallmouth bass population. But 2015 was a year of difficult fishing on the big river. The numbers seemed to be down.

I did not set the bar high that day. My expectations were tempered by knowing the number of catchable smallies was low. But I was somewhat buoyed by the knowledge that any fish in the vicinity of my lures would be in attack mode thanks to the favorable conditions.

I started with aggressive tactics, and the initial results were gratifying. I got bites early on a buzzbait, but they were sub-keepers. I did lose two keepers before finally landing one that measured up. But the lost fish clued me in on that they weren’t totally committed to eating the buzzer.

I switched to a popper, which also produced short bass and another keeper that escaped after freeing itself from the single treble tine it had managed to get into its mouth.

The popper was getting attention, but it apparently was not convincing enough, so I changed baits again. I rigged up a Zoom Super Fluke that dipped and darted a foot under the surface.

Fluke-style baits are soft plastic creations that mimic wounded baitfish. As they flutter under the surface, predators mistake them for vulnerable prey. Strikes are typically pretty decisive, thanks to the “kill” instinct of bass and other game fish.

The switch proved to be a good move, and I filled out a tournament limit on a day when most struggled to boat even one keeper. I’d solved the day’s challenge and learned another valuable lesson that will serve well in 2016 and beyond.

My worst “fail” in ’15 interestingly was not my worst day in terms of numbers. But it was far and away my most feeble display of bad decision-making.

The fail occurred on one of my favorite lakes, Shenango Reservoir north of Sharon, Pa. I lost several nice quality fish due to bad luck and poor execution. Worse, I also made ill-timed pitches that missed their marks.

There’s no room for sloppiness in competitive fishing. Four critical errors cost me a chance to win. Had any one of the four boo-boos not happened, I would have taken first place.

I am playing those mistakes forward so I don’t repeat them in ’16. I may print them, laminate the card and stick it on the BassCat’s windscreen as a reminder each fishing day.

Lessons learned. Happy New Year!

jack@innismaggiore.com

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