How many times have you been bass fishing and not get a single bite? How many times have you just wrote it off and called it a bad day on the lake? It seems that most folks always see the bad of things instead of the good things that happen during this time. There’s an old saying that: “Often, a Rainbow will follow a severe Storm”. Some people will see the Rainbow & appreciate it. While others will only think about how bad the storms was and not even see the Rainbow at all because all they see is the bad and not the good. One of the great secrets to a happy life is being able to see and understand the promise of the rainbow regardless of how bad the storm has been, whether it’s a no fish day or a bad event in your life.
If you take a minute and think of all the good things that bass fishing has bought to you over the years, I bet that it out-weights the bad fifty to one. Just think of all those beautify sunrises you have seen and all the unique things that Nature has shared with us while we were on the water. A pair of Ducks taking flight, a huge largemouth bass busting the surface after our top water bait, a pair of deer watching us as we pass by their feeding area and the list could go on for ever if we only stop and take the time to see & appreciate these small wonders of life.
Another great thing about bass fishing is the fellowship of others who are seeking the same goal in life as we are and that’s to land that special trophy bass. As bass fishermen we come from all walks of life and life styles but as soon as we hit the water we all become one group of folks. I know for a fact that some of my highlights in life have come from my bassin friends & partners thought the years. During some of those no fish days we shared many cups of coffee and told lots of old fishing stories that even today we laugh about. I really never thought of it being a bad day just because we didn’t put any fish in the boat, but a good day of fun and fellowship with an old or new friend who enjoys the same thing in life as I do. There’s a great commercial done by Busch Beer that ask “What makes a man get up at 6:00 am Monday thur Friday to go to work and then on Saturday morning get up at 4:00 am to go Bass fishing? It must be something in the water!” Yes indeed, it’s something in the water for sure that makes us go back time after time, like that big bass we hope to land. I also believe that it’s the fellowship of bass friends and being on the water with them that puts us on the lake on Saturday morning at 4:00 am ready for another wonderful day of fishing.
I think that was what Mr. Ray Scott had on his mind when his greatest idea became reality and he formed what we know as BASS. Ray’s new club, The “Bass Anglers Sportsman Society” was a brain storm that would join both friends & strangers together for one main reason, the fellowship of sharing each others love of the sport of bass fishing. Before long there were clubs popping up all over the country and fellow bass members were sharing all kinds of good info with each other & like they say, the rest is history. This goes to show that not one person knows it all about bass fishing, while there are a chosen few who stand out more than others, it’s thought sharing idea’s and dreams that help our sport out so much. It’s also great to know that the gifted ones have the Willingness to open up and share with us what makes them so much better and how they use their strategies to catch more fish.
Bass fishing is not only a game of catching bass, but a game of wits. It will test your learning skills and also your memory. That’s why it is so importance to keep a good log book and files on all your fishing trips. A log book can be used to flip back thought the pages and check on lakes and events that happen long ago where your memory just might fail you. Oh yes, trust me on this one, the mind & memory bank in your head can be a bad thing to lose and slowly over the years it seems to fade away leaving us with just the high lights of our fishing days gone by. While we are talking about log books and clubs and partners, try to fish with as many friends and partners as you can. This will not only teach you a few new spots to fish but will help you in the learning process because each time you fish with someone new you have the opportunity to learn a new and different style of fishing. This also gives you some new learning material to enter into your log book for future use on that lake you are having a hard time with. Always remember to never stop learning and taking notes for your log books because one day it will be a very valuable tool for yourself and maybe that special person you try to help get started into bass fishing. I sure wish someone would have handed down a log book to me when I started fishing.
One last thought before we close the log book today and that is to remember to look for the good in things while we are enjoying our sport. Please take the time to notice the finer things in life and nature that we sometimes let escape by us. Maybe if we are looking hard enough we will be able to see that great light show that God has prepared for us called the “Rainbow!”
Remember to take a Kid fishing when you can, it just might be his pro start in life and his first page of his fishing log book. Also please Pray for our Troops, for without them, we would not have this great freedom of ours!
Tight lines & Happy Fishing!
Ricky Ingram
ricky.ingram@ultimatebass.com
ricky.ingram@ultimatebass.com
