Are you the guy who buys bullet weights in 1/2 oz. and 8/16 oz. because the fall rate is different? The guy who switches from a 7'0" rod to a 7'2" rod because having a rod that is 2 inches longer makes you feel less inadequate? The guy who colors his faded braided line with magic marker because black is less noticeable than "off" green in stained water? The guy who runs out and buys the bait that won the Classic? The guy who has a 5.8:1 gear-ratio reel for spinnerbaits and a 5.9:1 for cranks?
And are you the guy who beats the same banks and same docks weekend after weekend, wondering why you don't catch fish? Or don't catch quality fish? The guy who is dumbfounded why some guys in your club consistently weigh in bigger bags than others? The guy who travels cross country to fish Guntersville or Okeechobee because the guys on TV catch really, really, really big fish there, and then wonders why he gets skunked?
I'm willing to bet all of us were, or perhaps still are "that guy" to some degree or another.
So, the operative question here becomes, "What changed you from being 'that guy' to the bass fisherman you are today? Was it age? Experience? Maturity? A specific event that made you open your eyes? Knowledge of the species? A little bit of everything?"
Hopefully, we've all learned to simplify things, including baits, colors, tactics, and our thought process. Ideally, we've come to understand that 90 percent of the fish are in 10 percent of the water, that a well-placed bait usually trumps color or action, that a bass has no self-control over its instincts, and that all animals are creatures of habit, including humans.
As one guy noted during my online research, "Experience, age and history have all helped change me from being 'that guy.' I tend to keep my worms simple, cranks in a handful of colors that cover the waters I fish, and although I do have a bunch of tackle (how else do we find what works best for us, other than trial and error), some baits get used more than others.
"I still am that guy who colors my braid with a marker about 18 inches up when flipping, who sticks with a few rod-and-reel brands that work best for me and my way of fishing, and who shares my experiences with others, so they, too, can learn.
"It's funny how I spent years learning to understand the meaning of KISS: keep it simple, stupid. Once I arrived at that point, everything just suddenly became gin clear."
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