Nutrition coach Scott Herkes thus recommends that anglers eat more regularly. "Eat breakfast, a mid-morning snack, lunch, a mid-afternoon snack, dinner, and then something right at bedtime (something like cottage cheese). Eat protein and carbs with each snack, and stop the sugary sweets and soda."
Herkes further encourages anglers to make sure the following foods are part of their normal diet: lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, and nuts. He also suggests trying to reduce simple sugars.
Anglers, particularly those waiting for a tournament to start, often are observed grabbing a bottle of juice to drink. While the juice admittedly has some good vitamin and phytonutrient content, it's almost 100 percent sugar. "You would be better off to eat the raw fruit than to drink the juice," explains Herkes.
Not eating healthy can result in poor performance or even worse. Some experts equate the effects on your body as resembling what happens when you don't charge your batteries or fill the gas/oil tanks on your boat. If you're dehydrated or haven't taken in enough calories, mental acuity is reduced, and, physically, your body will fatigue, leading to physical and mental mistakes. As a minimum, you may miss bites and execute poorly. In severe cases, you even may become dizzy, light-headed, and unstable in the boat.
Healthy eating is only one piece of the puzzle. Exercising is another. Adding some form of daily exercise and a stretching program to your lifestyle is extremely valuable when it comes to improving your ability to fish hard all day long. The most important thing is to do something physical to help your cardiovascular system and overall physical well-being. Just don't get carried away and do more than your body is ready for.
As FLW Tour pro Tom Redington explained, "You don't need to bench press 350 lbs. to cast a 1-lb. rod and reel or set the hook on a 2-lb. fish, but building up your core muscles really helps prevent injuries and fatigue. Most guys concentrate on big arms and chests to look good in the mirror, but abs, back and leg muscles really help the bass fisherman a ton.
"We have to balance in choppy water on one foot, while running the trolling motor, all the time making crazy-angle sidearm and backhand casts to get into the honey hole or bending down to pick up a different rod," Redington continued. "Four-day tourneys, with several days of practice are a grind, especially in the heat. Having a strong core, plus good cardio conditioning, really pay off after a few days.
"You have the extra energy to keep pushing late in the day, plus you keep a better mental outlook because you feel fresher and stronger. Pros in fishing have also caught on to proper nutrition for fishing. With the competition at the pro level being stiffer than ever, guys are looking for every possible edge, and fitness and nutrition are an aspect that most are pursuing."
In conclusion, Redington noted that "you don't have to be ripped like a UFC fighter to be a bass angler, but the better your physical health, the better your body will perform, both on and off the water."
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