You see, I was one of those unlucky dudes who started losing his hair while still only in my early 20s, debunking one of the great myths, I might add, that my dear ol' dad used to share with people during my childhood. He always was telling someone that his premature baldness was due to the fact he had had to wear a combat helmet so much in hot climates during World War II. For the record, I've never had to wear a combat helmet a day in my whole life, and yet I've been able to count the number of hairs on my head for the better part of 60 years.
Believe me, I was "crushed" when I had to give up my much prized DA (or "duck's ass" hairstyle for those who may not be old enough to have heard the term) at such a young age.
All that aside, though, I was reading an item the other day by Magers, who was talking about how, when she first began fishing tournaments, she always panicked anytime the wind forecast was more than 10 mph.
"I hated the wind because it made boat control challenging, drained trolling-motor batteries, caused constant backlashes, and left me with some 'punk' hairdos before they were in style," she said. "I detested the wind...it blew my mind and gave me a bad attitude. I was defeated before I ever made my first cast."
Then came a day, though, when Magers happened to read an article about the wind being a fisherman's friend. It said success would improve for those who quit fighting it and instead worked with it.
"So I studied that article in depth and began readjusting my attitude," she explained. "I learned the wind stirs the food chain and activates it so every level of life, from algae to baitfish, begin to move around, and the bite turns on. I also learned it's much harder to catch fish from slick water on still days.
"When others would complain, 'Oh, no--it's going to be a miserable windy day tomorrow,' they were subconsciously defeating themselves by worrying about it. Meanwhile, I thought, 'Oh great! The fish will be active. If I just throw the right lures and fish the best banks, I might load the boat.' It's incredible how attitude can make such a difference."
Magers further found that following a few common-sense rules prepared her well to handle the windy day. For example, instead of trolling with her bow into the wind and letting it eat up her batteries, she put the wind to her back and only used the trolling motor for occasional course corrections. In addition, she bought a wind sock (a cone-shaped canvas bag) and towed it behind her boat to slow the drift rate.
By listening to the weather forecast, Magers knew what wind velocity and direction to expect and prepared for it. Using a lake map, she marked fishable, wind-protected areas in case her open areas became vulnerable and dangerous. She knew calmer waters were warmer and attracted heavy female bass during the spring spawn, so she marked the most fishable of her practice waters. She omitted windy shorelines on days when winds were high and saved them for a calmer day.
"For safety's sake," she said, "I learned that launching near my best fishing areas eliminated the need to run and gun all over the lake, fighting heavy waves and whitecaps. I drove the boat slower in rough water, even coming off plane once the waves became too far apart to keep from falling in between them. Other boaters would come in breathless, telling horror stories of losing trolling motors and windshields in the rough water. It was apparent they simply had driven too fast in water that was too rough.
"Using heavier lures and tightening cast-control knobs lessened the number of backlashes I got," she continued. "I tried not to cast into the wind and kept it at my back when possible. Using line conditioners also helped. Fast-moving noisy lures like spinnerbaits and crankbaits produced more from windy banks because the wind activated those fish into a chasing mood. But the spawners stayed in warmer, protected waters."
Meanwhile, Magers always ensured the boat had plenty of gas and fully charged batteries. And while life vests were required by tournament rules when the big engine was running, she usually kept hers on when fishing rough water, just in case she fell overboard. She had fallen over once during a rainy, cold-weather tournament while wearing a heavy cold-weather suit and snow boots.
"I watched the surface light above grow dark as I sank, fearing my clothes would soak up water and pull me under," she explained. "Fortunately, the trapped air in my clothes popped me back to the surface instead.
"I always had heard that getting back into a boat is much more complicated than you think when wet, slippery, and wearing heavy, soaked clothing. Frightened beyond my wildest imagination, I remembered hearing about using the engine's lower unit for a step. I grabbed the engine in a bear hug and asked my partner to hit the trim switch. Sure enough, it worked, lifting me right up out of the water. Getting from the engine onto the back deck was still a challenge, but it was much easier than trying to climb up over the side of the boat. I promised to always file a 'float plan' or 'fishing plan' with someone any time I fished alone because had I been alone that day, I probably wouldn't have been around to write this column. Accidents do happen."
In concluding her article, Magers urged readers never to let their attitude defeat them if the weatherman predicts a windy fishing day.
"Instead, take heart," she said. "Try using these windy-day fishing trips to build self-confidence and put you in the winner's circle. Of course, there are limits. When small-craft warnings are posted, heed them. No one's life is worth losing over a fish. Be safe, good fishing, and remember: What matters most isn't the size or number of fish you catch but the memories you make. Don't forget the camera. And, by all means, wear your hat, so you can protect your hairdo."
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