Fishing tip of the week

Fishing Tip of the Week

Tuesday, 25 April 2023 10:12

Fishing has changed
It’s no secret that bass fishing on just about every lake in the country has changed drastically over the last five years. It’s certainly not easy anymore, as you are forced to be much more versatile, and your investment in becoming a good angler is nearly out of sight from a cost standpoint. Ask any angler who has worked hard at bass fishing in the past several years, and I believe you would be amazed at the change most anglers have seen.

From a cost standpoint alone, in the past five years, the cost of a boat and the proper set-up to keep it rigged with the latest technology as needed has probably gone up 25%, with technology on boats averaging nearly $20,000 between graphs and trolling motors. The boat cost alone has increased somewhere around 20%, with fully rigged boats ranging somewhere near $100,000, adding to that, a truck that will keep up with the times and pull today’s boats, the increase is out of control.

Fishing, getting on the water and having a good day, is as tough as it’s ever been. The bass are pressured beyond imagination, they are constantly moving because of the pressure, and finding an area on any lake that easy is impossible. The weather alone has changed so much over the past five years, and it seems to affect the bite even worse than ever before. There are so many different weather fronts that move from one part of the country to the other, and it changes where the bass locate daily. Ramps are packed, spots are covered up with anglers, and the world that was once easy, is not!

We as anglers must be diligent; bass fishing is not easy, but it is as much fun as ever – maybe more, because when you get into the fish, the reward, the feeling, is as great as ever. The best advice I can give is for you to give yourself a break in expectations, and maybe you will exceed them. This will lead you to better self reward and ease the mental pressure you put on yourself. Be happy, make it fun, and enjoy your time on the water. I can tell you, as you get older, it will help you mentally and make it more fun.

-Captain Mike Gerry