When Less = More (Taking the Time to Develop Your Fishing Skills)
by Pete Riedesel
Originally published in
Outdoor Notebook 3/2001
It’s been a while, but you
knew it would be back. A real Midwest winter is here. El Nino and La Nina
provided milder than usual winters for a while, for which I for one was
grateful. Last year, I fished the Illinois River on New Year’s Day. Balmy 40
degree temperatures and cooperative Sauger made it a memorable trip. Winter
passed quickly with few bitter cold stretches.
This year, with the holidays just past, my boat has been put away for more than
a month and the river has been frozen over for more than two weeks. At least the
ice fishing crowd is happy! This situation has left me with plenty of time to
reflect on last season’s fishing. Overall, the year 2000 was tough for me. I
didn’t land the numbers or size of fish that I am used to catching. But even
though I struggled, I had many wonderful days on the water. Tough as it was due
to weather and water conditions, I believe I did as well, if not better, than
most of the guys who fished where I fished. I attribute my success to how I
approach my time on the water.
Before I explain my approach, at least a little more information is necessary. I
stated earlier that I had an unsuccessful season last year. Here I am speaking
strictly in terms of fish caught. Overall, my time on the water is an integral
part of my well being - I am always better for having spent time angling
regardless of whether or not I have caught fish. I know most of you feel the
same way. However, the obvious objective of fishing is to catch fish, which I
attempt to do with all my ability from the time I reach the water until the time
I leave. I am not a professional, rather I am just an avid fisherman like many
of you. Because I am not a pro, I know the method I suggest is something anyone
can do. It will improve your fish catching abilities as it has mine.
My approach is simple: let’s call it the less = more approach. So what does
learning this approach involve? The first thing you need to do is stop thinking
you can learn every fishing method or technique that you read about in a fishing
publication or see on a TV fishing program. They provide so much wonderful
information on methods and techniques, however most of us have a limited amount
of time to fish. The only way to develop real skills is to spend the time
necessary to learn the subtleties of each approach.
I, like you, will be out at the shows this winter where vendors will be hawking
all the must-have items to make your upcoming season a success. So what should
you do? Remember, less =more. Buy items that will
further develop your expertise with your best method.
Think about this. When David Fritts is making television shows what is he
usually doing? That’s right, he’s throwing crank baits. Rick Clunn is the
same. Gary Kline is winning the big money when he can find jig & pig fish
and so on and so on. I say this not to start an argument; of course these pros
are versatile. I want to make a point. These experts didn’t develop their
special skills with their #1 method by switching constantly. They take what they
know well and figure out how to make it work in any given situation.
My dad taught me to golf using the less = more approach. He gave me a four wood,
a five iron, and a putter. I saw his bag filled with fourteen clubs and asked
him why I couldn’t have a set like his. He told me I could, as soon as I
mastered how to use the three that I had. With so few choices, I was forced to
learn how to hit these clubs not only hard, but soft as well. When high or low
shots were required, I learned how to make adjustments for my clubs, and in
time, as my skill level improved - they did work! I got more clubs, one at a
time, until I had a full set. Not only did I become a pretty good golfer, it
turned out tough conditions only made me better. I could adjust and use my clubs
with skill in ways that those I competed against had tried on occasion but had
never mastered. So many fishermen I see have this same problem. They try many
techniques and have specialized gear for each method, but they don’t really
spend the time necessary to
master the subtleties which would greatly improve their success.
So, are crank baits something you are successful with? Perhaps instead of a
particular lure type, it’s a method, say trolling, that you prefer. How well
do you know your best bait or best method? Do you fish this bait well shallow,
at medium depths, and in deep water? Do you know which colors work best and
under what conditions? Do you know when size makes a difference? Do you know how
and when you can catch different species using them? Or, more likely, when
fishing gets tough, do you change baits and methods over and over hoping to hit
on something that works? The only way to develop real skill and expertise is to
spend the time necessary to learn as many subtleties as you can about a method
or a family of lures.
Another element to my approach is to limit the amount of time you spend
traveling to fish. The logic here is simple: the more time you spend with your
line in the water the more opportunity you will have to catch fish. The time is
past when fishermen have to travel hundreds of miles to experience great
fishing. Improvements in water quality, improved fisheries management, and
anglers’ acceptance of “catch and release” practices have all contributed
to fantastic local angling opportunities. I have talked often with anglers who
relate how their trips to far off destinations often produce only ordinary
catches or worse. Again, I don’t say this to start an argument but to make a
point. Too many fisherman travel because they don’t feel good fishing is
available to them locally. They try around home every once in a while, and when
things don’t work out they don’t stick with it.
During this season of wandering the sport shows’ aisles of fishing
destinations, keep in mind there are many local opportunities which can rival
almost anything they have to offer. Shabbona Lake regularly produces muskies
over 40 inches. The Kankakee River gives up walleyes in the 6 to 9 pound range.
I had six outings last year where I caught multiple 31/2 to 4 pound smallmouths
on La Salle Lake in less than half a day of fishing! Having said this, I will
also say anyone making quality catches locally is spending the time necessary to
learn the local water and is paying close attention to subtle details which
spell the difference between success and failure.
You would think that limiting your travel time would lock you in to just a few
fishing opportunities, but whether you’re in northern Wisconsin or in the
Chicagoland area this simply isn’t the case. Even when I limit my travel time
locally to under one hour I still have many choices. I can fish the Fox,
Kankakee, and Illinois Rivers, La Salle, Shabbona, Heidecke, and Braidwood
Lakes, and many local farm ponds and wadeable creeks.
Having read this far I figure you know what I’m going to say next. That’s
right, limit where you fish. Make a game plan at the beginning of the season to
fish one place, maybe two, most of the time. More specifically, on the body of
water you choose, fish only one or two key areas until you know them inside out.
Do this because quality spots will hold a good population of fish most of the
year. How will you know when you’ve fished them enough? When the locals start
asking you for advice! Seriously, it will take time and patience.
What this approach forces you to do is learn the subtleties of your preferred
methods and to learn the spots on the spot that we have all read about but few
have mastered. It takes time to experiment with lure colors, line size, types of
retrieve, and depth adjustments - just a few of the many variables that might
trigger the fish on any particular spot to strike. When you find the exact
combination of variables that works, you’re in business. The satisfaction you
will feel will make all the time and effort worthwhile. Besides that, the
fishing you experience will be fantastic. Once you make this breakthrough you
should begin to add additional spots. Do this slowly. As your skills improve,
each spot will take somewhat less time to learn thoroughly. What you learn will
begin to snowball as refinements learned on one spot are applied to others and
vise versa. Then you can begin adding new bodies of water to conquer and the
process starts all over again.
I stated earlier that my less = more approach saved my 2000 fishing season. Let
me give you two quick examples. First, after pulling many tough-to-catch fish
from LaSalle Lake and the Illinois River, I decided it was time to add Heidecke
Lake to the short list of places I fish. Using the techniques I had refined on
the other bodies of water, I quickly found and caught good numbers of hybrid
striped bass and smallmouth. Later in the summer, I applied an adjustment in
technique I learned on the Illinois River to an area I fished regularly on
LaSalle Lake. The results were spectacular. For three weeks I caught a mixed bag
of yellow bass, white bass, catfish, and smallmouths on artificals. Dale Bowman,
outdoor writer for the Chicago Sun-Times, fished LaSalle with me one morning
during this stretch. He wrote up our trip as the best smallmouth fishing he had
experienced in Illinois during 2000. This was during a tough season!
Once your skills begin to develop, tough seasons will be the exceptions. The two
seasons prior to last year I had fantastic years both in numbers of fish caught
and in the quality of their size. This great fishing included my personal best
walleye, smallmouth, hybrid striper, and white bass. The walleye and smallmouth
were taken in northern Wisconsin while on vacation using this same approach. I
bring this up because limiting where you fish and how you fish will improve your
results everywhere. In fishing meccas like Wisconsin and Canada it might be even
more important. So often I see fisherman towing boats all over the area in a
search for the hot lake. I hear how they threw every lure in their tackle box at
them. More often than not they come off the water hearing how they should have
been there last week! The truth is, if they would stick with their best method,
while paying close attention to the small details, on a key area in a quality
lake, good fishing would happen.
Make no mistake; what I suggest won’t be easy. It is not a quick fix. As you
begin, it will work best if you leave a bunch of your gear at home. Let’s face
it, we all have too much gear! Do this and you will be forced to figure out how
to make better use of the equipment you have brought. If good results don’t
happen right away be patient. Continue to experiment while paying close
attention to the little details of your preferred method. It will develop your
skill at determining what combination of variables you need to use to make the
fish respond. And believe me, if you hang in there, fish will respond.
So let’s review. How do you get started doing less? Begin by picking one or
two bodies of water which will be your focus most of the time you fish next
season. On these bodies of water, pick one or two key areas and concentrate your
efforts there. On these specific spots, focus on a limited number of methods and
lure types. Pay attention to details. Finally, learn how to take fish from these
spots using your preferred method under all the different conditions you will
encounter over the course of the season. Do this and you will be on your way to
developing the type of skills which will allow you to consistently catch more
fish than you ever thought was possible. Remember, sometimes less = more!
© Pete Riedesel - All Rights Reserved. Duplication and/or distribution without permission is prohibited.