That being said, we both entered this past weekend's Dewey Mullins Memorial Bass Classic, hoping we could find a productive pattern. Day 1 dawned with high, good-colored water and a sky filled with clouds and morning mist. Given those conditions and the time of year, topwater baits were the No. 1 consideration. Identical conditions set the stage for Day 2, and so topwater baits again was the logical pick for Rob and me.
There was just one problem: While Rob consistently was knocking fish down from the start of Day 1, through the conclusion of Day 2, with topwaters, I was struggling to find any kind of lure that would help me contribute to the cause. My total support for the two days amounted to just a couple of small bass--and only one of them was a 2nd-day keeper.
I realize I'm not the first, nor will I be the last, angler who at least occasionally has a bad day on the water. Even the pros have a bummer day once in a while. The results are all the same: We start fishing too fast, we don't fish the water thoroughly, and we miss bass we should have caught. The trick is realizing our mistakes early enough to salvage our day. Here are the thoughts of one seasoned pro on this subject:
"I have learned that the most important thing you can do when you are having a bad day on the water is to stop, think about what is going on, decide what you need to do, slow down your fishing, and attempt to get back into the rhythm that you need to have when you catch bass. There's a natural tendency among anglers, myself included, to fish faster when we are not catching bass or when we have very little time to catch bass. However, I've learned over the years that when you are not catching bass, you need to slow down your fishing, instead of speeding up.
"Fish the cover more thoroughly and try to catch each and every bass that takes your bait. Treat every bass that is big enough to measure as though he's a 10-pounder. Use your angling skills, not brute force and speed, to get the bass in the boat. Many times, if I can fish the opposite way from the way my brain is telling me to fish, I can overcome a disaster and find and catch more bass. When you're having a bad day on the water, the bass are not biting, or you only have a few more minutes to fish, slowing down, instead of speeding up, is the prescription you need to help catch the bass you want."
These comments echoed exactly what Rob had been saying to me last weekend as he watched my frustration growing by the minute. It wasn't until Sunday, though, that I really started listening to him, but even then, he had to keep reminding me to "slow down." Given the slower bite we encountered Sunday, it was absolutely necessary that I keep my lead foot off the trolling motor a lot more so Rob could maintain his rhythm. It he hadn't been on the back seat, keeping me under control, there's little doubt in my mind that our final tally would have been considerably less.
It really does pay to fish with a partner, and I look forward to next year and a chance to make it up to Rob for such a dismal showing in this past weekend's Classic. He carried the entire load, in more ways than one. I'm just happy to know he doesn't seem inclined to run the other way, looking for a different partner. He evidently genuinely believes in that "Team Testorff" concept he keeps espousing, and for that, I'm indeed grateful. Reckon I'd better be working on some new ways to keep him laughing this next year while we're on the water. There's nothing worse than "stale" jokes and funnies.
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