Throw’em What They Want
I was reminded once again, on a recent fishing trip with a young impressionable angler, about the importance of “throwing what they want” instead of “what I want them to want.”
Let me explain by telling the story. The wind had shifted from SE to SW the evening before, there was a nice chop on the water and all signs pointed to a fast and furious bite. We were fishing a tannic acid stained lake with lots of shallow – water, aquatic vegetation and boat docks for cover. I just knew we were going to get a lot of bites on top water, buzz baits, frogs and plugs. The wind chop also had me thinking I could reel a spinner bait high and fast, covering lots of water, just really catching them. I was wrong. After 45 minutes of chunkin’ and windin’, only one half-hearted blow-up was all we had to show for our efforts. I have often wondered in this situation, am I in the wrong area or just throwing the wrong bait/using the wrong technique?
About that time I saw a nice fish bust about 75 yards up the bank. As I approached the spot I flipped a texas-rigged worm where the ripples had dissipated. I never felt a tap, but the line just started moving off to the side. I set the hook and landed a nice keeper. It wasn’t long before I was right back at it, throwing moving baits, still thinking I was going to catch them quickly, but not so. I slowed down again with a weightless soft plastic stick bait and caught several fish. The last cove we fished normally produces a nice fish on one particular spot. After throwing multiple baits to the sweet spot to no avail, I pitched the worm and instantly caught the largest fish of the evening.
The moral of this story is to let the bite dictate what you should be throwing and how you should be fishing on a particular day. Had I followed this advice, my outing would have surely resulted in more fish in the boat.
Good luck!
Capt. Mike Lanier
SENC Guide Service
910-253-8115 • www.laniermnl@atmc.net