Fishing in Ohio is tough. The lakes are very high pressure with multiple tournaments and heavy recreational usage. To say you have a “secret” anything is pretentious. Whether it is a spot, a lure, a way of retrieving, or a scent, someone in Ohio has tried it and caught fish with it. So when I say “Top Secret”, I mean it very light-heartedly. But, to win tournaments or catch quality fish consistently, it takes a “top secret” SOMETHING to give you that edge.
Do you have a “go to” lure? One you catch fish on every time? Well, my husband has a “big fish lure”. Every time he picks it up, a big fish follows or swallows it. Big bass just LOVE to smash on it. Its a 5″ jointed hard swimbait in a shad pattern he has had for a couple years. After watching his success with it, I wanted to play, too!
Well, I tied one on my line and reeled it exactly the same way he was. Didn’t get a sniff. Threw the dang thing for hours, following him around. HE still got the bites. He is still VERY excited about this lure and feels it to be a key player in his arsenal this year. Me? Not so much. After a couple hours of casting with it, I switched back to my trusty spinner bait and promptly caught two fish.
So what is the difference? Could confidence in the lure be a factor? Does your fish quality and quantity go up when you are using something you believe to be a “top secret” for you? YOUR spot, YOUR favorite lure, YOUR personal style of retrieve. Does your belief catch more bass?
I am not sure anyone has ever done any studies on beliefs for fishing performance, but the moment Mike Iaconelli yelled “Never Give Up” as he pulled the Bassmaster Classic winning fish out of the water, it certainly was brought into the spotlight. Maybe its a big bass lure to him because he BELIEVES it to be. Maybe I catch fish all day on spinner baits because I call it my “go to” bait and have confidence and experience catching fish with them.
So, my advice to you is to find YOUR personal “top secret” lure and make it catch big bass, walleye or whatever species of fish you seek. When fishing conditions are tough, confidence may be exactly what you need to pull out of your tackle box to get the edge. Maybe fish like the way you present it and chomp on your lure, too!