Tennesee’s Wild Side Weekly Article

Some Old Tricks For The New Year

By Joey Monteleone

Everyone is always looking for an edge when hunting, fishing or in any outdoor pursuit. In many instances people are looking for the easy answer, I wish there was one but there’s not. There are a few time-tested techniques that re-surface every year, those things that have been done for years and somehow are forgotten, let’s take a trip down memory lane and salvage a few fishing trips with some of the old faithful adages and a few old angles for a new year.

The Magic Bait - Sorry there is not a new lure that will replace everything in your tackle box. Every year some enterprising company comes out with something that may be “outlawed” in several states because it catches so many fish. In most cases if they spent more money on research than they did telemarketing you would have a good addition to your list of lures. The public is hungry for a can’t miss bait, the lure usually catches the buyer and not the bass. My stance is, wait a year if it’s still out there it will be cheaper, if not it probably was a waste of money and fishing time. Arm yourself with some “go to” lures, a natural colored minnow imitator; fish always have access to baitfish. Small baits like soft plastic curly tail grubs in pearl or smoke/glitter on a 1/8 oz. lead head catch everything that swims, spinners, jigs and crankbaits should have a space in your tacklebox.

Fish Go Deep In Summer And Winter - This sounds good when you can’t catch fish, they’re deep, they’re “on bed,” the barometer is rising / falling, the moon is wrong and with a few more excuses you’ve covered every possible reason why fish can’t be caught. Cold water ( low 40’s) and hot water (high 80’s) will make fish slow down because of the change in their metabolism but fish still eat and they aren’t all affected the same way at the same time. Actually suspended fish are the toughest to catch, cold water slow’s ’em up but repeated casts and lifelike presentations will trigger bites, the same holds true for warm water situations. Another quick cure is live bait. Most game fish move to find comfort and food sources, bass, bluegill, crappie, catfish and others will invade areas that serve their needs and return to places that provide shelter and quick escape routes. In spite of fish fables, most of our sub-surface friends spend a great deal of time in water ranging from 5 to 8 feet.

A Bunch Of Baits A Good Fisherman Makes - I don’t think so! While being well equipped does add a certain degree of confidence, too many lures, sizes and colors confuse the fisherman. Learn to use all the lures you can and figure out which you like the most and work best in the places you fish, a smaller tackle box is easier to manage and afford. Remember my one year rule, you can have as many lures as you want, if you don’t catch a fish on it or even tie it on, after a year it has to come out, I promise if you do this in a couple of years you’ll have a box full of lures that work. Imagine what your bait is doing at all times, any time you sense something that “just feels different” sock ’em. An angler with a handful of well chosen baits and the ability to employ different techniques, tilts the odds in their favor, confidence and competence go a long way to loading the livewell.

The Guy With Fastest Boat Wins The Tournament - I’m not sure how you catch fish going 75 miles an hour. Generally you’ve run over more fish on the 2 hour race to the alleged “secret spot” than you could catch in a month. Almost always a close to home, slow down mentality is rewarded with a good string of fish. For the fishermen who really know how to fish precious time spent with the lure in the water is rewarded with a tournament limit or a trophy. Many boaters who run from place to place are just trying to cover water with a shotgun approach. Like life fishing is about being in the right place at the right time. To paraphrase, “the water always looks fishier on the other side of the lake.” Slow down. Don’t let the “hole shot” mentality cause you miss out on a “honey hole.”

The Perfect Day To Go Fishing - For me the best days to go fishing are the days ending in “Y”. Every day is a good day to go fishing, perfect weather seldom equates to perfect fishing. Time you spend on the water will always teach you a lesson, it may just reaffirm something you already knew or you may learn a new wrinkle, but you can’t catch fish on the couch.

Get up and go. Fishing under difficult conditions is like driving under tough conditions, the only way to learn is to try. Watch the weather; learn to use it to your advantage, in most cases external conditions affect the fishermen more than the fish. Fish the windy side of the waters, use the breeze to gently, quietly move your boat, if you can work with sun in your face as opposed to your back you won’t cast a shadow on spooky fish, rain has little affect on fish ( they’re always wet!)

The Smallest Details Make The Biggest Difference - Rarely does anyone who catches bunches of fish and trophy size fish leave anything to chance. Boat, tackle, rods, reels - all are considered prior to launch ramp arrival. While fishing knots are tied and re-tied, drags checked, line inspected, everything is organized from boat to baits.

Hooks have been sharpened, game plans formulated and while it might sound like a lot of work when you square off against the prepared angler it may prove to be part of the frustration you feel while battling more with stuff than with fish. Any edge you can get on the fish or other fisherman gives you a better chance to be hometown hero. Think about what you do to increase the odds, as the carpenter’s logic goes “measure twice and cut once.” Get it right the first time you may not get another chance.

Open Up Your Senses - Keen observation skills will serve you well in the outdoors, looking, listening and getting a feel for what goes on around you puts you in position to succeed. Outdoor awareness is a gift that takes time to develop but in most cases there is no substitute for it. Opening your senses will make you a better hunter, fisherman and outdoorsman. There are ton of applications but suffice to say you will less like to get lost, get skunked and get frustrated if you just use your natural skills. Look carefully, close your eyes and listen, there are clues subtle as they may be, you have to be the fish detective.

You Can’t Beat Mother Nature And You Can’t Cheat Father Time - A battle against the forces of nature is a second place finish for you. The wind, rain and other natural influences aren't your foe, nor are they always your friend. You must learn to work with the limitations they present, working with nature gives you a higher probability of success, fighting nature is frustrating and can be dangerous. Know your physical limits is also critical, safety and satisfaction in the outdoors depends on knowing what you can and can’t do, that list changes as you endure season after season of challenging the creatures, climate and diverse activities available to the aging outdoorsman.

There’s no limit to the outdoor wisdom that will lead you along the path of success. Use your experience to guide you to a great year. I’ll be Tennessean ya’.

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