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There was a time...years ago...when I at least felt like I could hold my own with the "average Joe" crowd, but those days slipped by long ago, leaving me wishing for another day in which I might again excel...if only for an hour or two. For that reason, I had to stop last evening and watch a short video I came across on the Internet. Narrated by Randy Blaukat, it was titled "why you start to suck at bass fishing as you grow older." In case you're interested in hearing his take on this subject, here's the link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKUDjelrKVY.
I caution you, however, if you're age 90 or older, you may not want to take a peek at this particular video. I say that because Randy only references people up through their 80s in his diatribe. Perhaps that merely was an oversight on his part, or maybe he was just trying to be gentle with us ol' codgers and let us know...in a quiet way...that we are flat through with fishing...period...by the time we hit our 90s. 😃Only joking!
That said, I'm going to leave you with something else I found in an online fishing forum, which piqued my interest. Here's what the angler had to say:
"Fishing has been a big part of my life. There were times when catching fish was more important to me than eating or sleeping. It dominated my dreams at night and consumed a lot of my daytime, too. Tournaments, travel, having the latest gadget, boats, even moving my family so I could be closer to water. I have no complaints and would do it all over again.
"I have seen many changes to the sport of bass fishing over the years. When I started fishing, an old wooden rental boat was what most people fished from. I bought my first cartop Jon boat in 1966. Also owned a series of bass boats, as well as a number of saltwater boats...up to a 40-foot sportfish. When it comes to fishing boats, I learned simpler is better.
"These days, I fish strictly for enjoyment. Even though I still find myself carrying six to eight rods, I rarely use more than two. I would rather catch one fish my way than fill the boat, using something I don't enjoy doing. Modern electronics are great, but I choose not to use them. My fun is hunting fish without having a machine tell me where to fish. I have no problem with others using whatever they want. If I was still fishing competitively, I would have whatever it takes.
"Today, I prefer to fish small water. The Eustis Harris Chain boat ramp is two blocks from my home. I drive 6 miles to fish small lakes nearer to the forest where I don't have to fight for a parking spot at the ramp. I like quiet fishing, without radios, jet skis, pontoon-boat tours, and tourists.
"The water is clear in these lakes, and the bass are not so picky. I catch most of my fish on topwater, and it's just me and the fish. Luckily, there are at least a dozen lakes like that in the surrounding area. While others are beating the big lakes, I'm having a nice quiet time on the water. It takes me back to a simpler time when bass fishing was what we did before TV, money tournaments, and sponsors. The cool thing about bass fishing is you can make it as simple or as complicated as you want.
"I'm slower now, and I tire easily. I don't fish if it's raining, too hot, or too cold. My Ranger is two years old, but it's still new. My wife says I should sell it, but I can't bear the idea of not owning a boat. So many great memories. I once had a large lure collection. I sold most of it when lure prices went crazy a few years back. I kept a few with special meaning for me. I still have a couple nearly 100 years old. They aren't perfect; they've been fished.
"I often think about all the fishing days these lures have seen and what it was like back then. My greatest memories of fishing are about the people I have met along the way. Most are gone now. Some were and still are famous fishermen and women. They were all characters of one kind or another, and I enjoyed them all. Fishing memories are forever."
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