Here we are in late January. Outdoor activity in Indiana is pretty much at a stand-still. Today it's nine degrees and there is a Polar Vortex on the way with wind chill temps projecting to be -35. So the cold is getting colder. Dangerously colder. Fishing is out of the question. So for those of us who are less fortunate and do not live in the southern states where fishing is an option all year long, what do you do? That definitely depends on the person. For me personally, I study fishing. I read about fishing. I watch fishing. I soak up anything and all things fishing so that when the ice melts, I can go out and get better.
I recently asked a friend: "At what moment did you realize that you were a true fisherman? When did it click for you that you could catch fish anytime you were on the water?" His answer: "That's a hard one. I've been fishing since I was born. I live it, breathe it and study it everyday." He never really answered the question, and that's exactly the answer I was looking for. He's on his game because of his passion and dedication to the sport. But before there's success, there's mountains to climb, valleys to cross and hurdles to jump. A lesson that's applicable to any task in life. This man is fishing even when he's not on the water. He's perfecting his craft morning, noon and night.
We live in a busy world. I don't know a lot of people who can literally fish whenever they want. So time management is a big thing. Balancing family, work and other priorities and still making time to fish is tricky. Below is a list of a few things I like to do when time allows.
-Organizing Tackle: If you're serious about the sport, you've learned by now that having tackle can be a chore. Baits, hooks, line, rods and reels can stack up in a hurry. I like to make time to go through and organize tackle to where everything has its place. I recently made a tackle wall in my garage to hang a lot of my packaged soft plastics on. Peg board and metal hangers are all you need. Everyone has there own system. Do what works best for you.
-YouTube: A world of fishing knowledge is at your fingertips. Any question you may have about fishing can almost certainly be found in a video on YouTube. A lot of my own fishing knowledge came from watching videos. For example: How to tie knots, how to rig soft plastics, how to spool a reel, how to store tackle and the list goes on.
-Watch the Pros: Chances are any trick or technique you've learned about fishing has been passed down to you by someone with experience. Knowledge is power and the professionals have a lot of knowledge. I love to watch how the pros in Major League Fishing and Fishing League Worldwide compete with one another. So I watch as many tournaments as I can. I may not have a 98 thousand dollar boat with top of the line electronics, but if I can pick up a tip or technique every now and then, who really needs a boat!
-Books: I know I'm getting older because reading books is starting to become appealing to me. I recently picked up a book called "Fishing Basics" As I started to read it, I found a lot of the book was stuff I already knew about fishing. However a lot of it covers stuff I've never even thought about trying. We don't always have the luxury of following around an experienced angler. Having a book loaded with information is far more realistic.
-Maintenance: Ever been super pumped to fish and you knowingly skip or neglect things you know you should do before getting on the water? The outcome almost always results in a bad day. Take the extra time during your preparation to perform routine maintenance on your equipment. Grease your reels, adjust your drags, re-tie new knots, make sure your hooks are sharp. These little details can no doubt prevent heartbreak when you hook into a big one. Trust me I know. I remember losing four fish in a row one day simply because my knots were weak and kept breaking. Those fish aren't going anywhere. Take your time.
I would venture to guess that we all have an area in our lives that we are passionate about. So passionate that our behaviors towards it become obsessive at times. The truth of the matter is our passions come from Jesus himself. He's blessed us beyond belief and has blessed us with the ability to learn and practice the things we love. Let's not overlook this truth. He is the foundation. Our relationship with him should come second to no other passion.
2 Corinthians 9:8 - And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work.
