ESOX HUNTER
CAN YOU BUY FISHING SUCCESS?
By Gordy Johnson   August 21, 2006

Most fishermen fall into an area somewhere in between those two previous extremes.  We try to make wise investments and give ourselves every advantage given our limited budgets.  Lets take a look at where we put our resources (money) and really what we get for it.  We'll limit the discussion to location (where you fish), a boat, rod and reel, and of course fishing lures.

                        I bought it! Picking the right spot to fish is one of the keys to a successful fisherman.  The old adage "You can't catch'em if they aren't there" is very, very true.  While it would be great to go in on an exotic fly-in trip to the far reaches of Canada or Alaska, the fact of the matter is few of us can afford it.  If we are really lucky we make that once in a life time trip, but that will not make you a consistent successful fisherman.  So are there alternatives?   The answer is "YES".  Ok, you can't go on a fly-in all the time; Maybe not even once, but you make the best of what you have available to you.  First I would determine what is available to you?  That statement on the face sounds really stupid, but is it really?  I can't begin to tell you how many people think I am rich because I go to Canada every year.   If it were only true!  The people that think I am rich have never researched going to Canada or any other place for that matter.  They have a preconceived notion that it has to be expensive.  Canada does not necessarily mean a fly-in, nor some luxurious lodge, there are some fabulous lakes that can reached by car such as Lake of the Woods and Eagle Lake just to name a couple.   You can also stay in a motel or a housekeeping cabin for about what it costs in the States or less.   I remember once when we were planning a hunting trip to Montana and it wasn't going to be cheap.  Something happened where it was falling through and I told my buddy, to hell with it!  Lets go to Africa on a hunting trip.  He thought I was crazy!  I mean it will cost many times more than the trip we had planned for Montana.  The reality was it did not and we made the Africa trip, which was one of the best things I ever did.   The point is don't limit yourself with preconceived notions without investigating the facts.

                              Room in your boat? Once you know where you can go, then pick lakes that contain a good population of the fish you are seeking.  This information is available at your DNR (Department of Natural Resources), record books, chamber of commerces, resorts and bait shops etc., but you have to ask about it.  Eliminate the lakes automatically that don't offer what you are looking for in your fishing trip.  Example: If you are looking to catch fish constantly, there are lakes that offer numbers, but not necessarily record book fish, this would be the choice for you.  Of course the opposite can be true as well, there is a chance for a world record, but they are not as plentiful as in other lakes.  The point is research where you want to go so you know you are making the best investment (capital versus return) for your money.

                            2 to 3 times capacity! Now lets look at the need for a boat.  Every fisherman, myself included, wants to have his own boat.   Whether the need is real or imaginary, every fisherman wants one.  I won't get into whether you need one as everyone has to make that decision for themselves, but you should look at a several things when buying a boat.  The size of the boat and engine is one consideration which generally goes hand-in-hand with expense.  I know people that live on a 200 hundred acre lake that have an 18' boat with a 200 horsepower engine on it.  When they start the boat they are already on the other side of the lake.   Point being is that you don't need an aircraft carrier if you only go on small bodies of water.  The opposite is also true, I live on the shores of Lake Michigan and I see guys in 12' or 14' boats out several miles in the lake.  This is dangerous; You have to have the right boat for the water you are fishing.  While having a great boat may make you feel good, it really doesn't add a lot as to whether you catch fish.  Many of the best fishermen I know caught their biggest and best fish from rented or furnished boats.

Rods and reels is another area where fishermen tend to own many more than they need or will use.  When I say this, I am talking about for a given specie.  Yes, you will have various rods for panfish versus musky, but I am not referring to that.   Many times fishermen will start out with cheap equipment and then will get progressively better equipment, accumulating a lot in between.  They will also see advantages to having multiple rods with them rigged with different lure types or weights of line.   Depending on your pocket book and your intended commitment to the sport, I would strongly recommend getting good quality equipment.   That doesn't mean you have to spend the most money to get it, but again do research and ask people who know.  Having a good rod and reel doesn't guarantee you success, but it will make the experience potentially easier for you (throwing heavier lures for example), and will increase your chances of landing a good fish.   Between the rod, reel, line, and terminal equipment such as leaders, this is where you should make a good investment as it pays the biggest return on your investment.  If you can afford multiple rods and reels, make them all of good quality, but at least have one good combination.

                                   Often used Lures The last area is undoubtably the worst area for all fishermen, myself included.  The area I am talking about is LURES!  Lures, I was told, are designed to catch two types of creatures: Fish and the suckers that buy them!  Before anybody gets upset, there are some great lures but the essence of the comment is true.  If a fisherman doesn't like the looks of a bait, he isn't going to buy it.  Furthermore, just because the fisherman buys it, doesn't mean the fish will like it!   I said that this area was the worst for fishermen and it is for several reasons.  First, lures as compared to other expenses in fishing are cheaper, but far from inexpensive.  This is especially true in musky fishing where I have seen lures selling up to $395.00 dollars, with the average bait probably going about $20.00.   Even better spinnerbaits go for $12.00 - $16.00 a piece.  Given this lesser amount, fishermen tend to buy and buy and buy them.  There is always a new model, new color, new size that fishermen are convinced will make the difference for them.  In essence, they are trying to buy success!   As I stated, I am an extreme offender in this area as I buy new baits all of the time.  I buy them in the off season as it makes fishing seem closer, and maybe just maybe this bait will work.   My head tells me, and accurately so, that there are very few types and styles of baits and the next one I would buy would easily fit into one of groups I already have covered with multiple lures.  As I become older, and more frugal (cheap), I have been buying less and less.  I have probably 10 baits that I use on a consistent basis, in a few colors; however I have 100's and 100's of fishing lures.   I have something like six (6) musky tackle boxes alone.  Do you want to talk about a classic case of over-kill.   If I ever had the guts to calculate the money that I have shoved into fishing lures, but I am better off not knowing (at least I tell myself that).   The point being is that you don't need a ton of tackle to catch fish.   There is no such thing as the magic lure and you definitely can't buy success with them.   Mark Windels a famous maker of musky spinner baits wrote that one season he only fished with one colored spinnerbait.  He chose a chartruese colored lure, but said he thought any color would have worked as well.   He fished this one lure on Lake of the Woods and compared his total catch that year against other years where he used everything.   He stated that he did as well with that one bait as he had using all of his tackleboxes.

In summary, do I think you can buy consistent fishing success?   My answer would be "No", within practical limits.    A fisherman making wise investments can be just as successful as the guy that spends thousands and thousands.  This is especially true when it comes to equipment.   Think, research, throw out preconceived notions and you can make the best use of your resources (time and money) to become a better fisherman!

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Last updated on ... October 14, 2006