Secrets? What Secrets?

article by Kenny Covington

Fishermen like secrets. Having them to tell, having them to hide or just believing information they think others don’t know. In reality, when it comes to fishing, nothing is sacred or secret, any more. There is so much knowledge to be learned and so many outlets from which to learn it, there aren’t very many fishing secrets left, and if there were, there is just no way to hide them.

I recently looked at a map of Lake D’Arbonne from the 1970s, and while deciphering the sketches and notes that were written on the map, I noticed the “secrets” that were on this lake’s treasure map were now community holes that have been passed down through the years. What took this particular fisherman years to learn and make notes of can be located in a matter of a few minutes due to modern technology.

From social media, Google, fishing sites, magazines and the other sources that are readily available everything is now at your fingertips. Technique, lure, map study, nothing is hidden and easily accessible. So this brings us back to the original question, “When it comes to fishing, are there any secrets?” The answer, while not trying to complicate things, is both yes and no.

Here is a good example of what I am talking about… Earlier this year, a friend of mine did well in a few tournaments and quite a few of his competitors were trying to figure out what he was doing to catch fish when they struggled. After the fever over his catches had calmed down, I saw him and asked, “So what were you doing to catch those fish a few months back?” He looked at me, smiled and said, “I was catching them on a Yamamoto Senko. You know I like throwing one, so I am surprised you asked me.” I then followed up with, “Yes, I know what you were throwing. What I want to know what you were doing with it. What’s the secret?”

He wasn’t using a secret lure, but what he was doing with it was. He was simply adding a small spinnerbait blade attached to a small swivel to the end of the Senko, so that it would give it a different look as it fell vertically by the trees he was flipping. The movement of the blade gave the fish a look they hadn’t seen, thus, it became his secret lure. It is our lack of thinking outside the box that keeps us from seeing these types of possibilities. A lure or a technique is only a secret, when other fishermen don’t know or think about it.

Everyone knows that chartreuse/black is a great color crappie jig in our area and a popular choice of crankbait, but how many of you have ever tried that color spinnerbait? Or maybe taking a shad colored 200 Series Bandit crankbait and throwing it in a couple of feet of water, stirring up the bottom to catch bass feeding on crawfish? Tell me, when was the last time you Texas rigged a Zoom lizard and fished it around boat docks during the summer? These are ways to catch fish that I know have worked in the past several years. Secrets? Not hardly, but since no one else was doing these things, it sure seemed like it.

Let me say again, when it comes to bass fishing, there are no secret lures or fishing spots. It usually comes down to being open minded and not being afraid to experiment with what you may already know. Maybe you have caught several fish from an area on a spinnerbait and they quit biting, why not try a Chatterbait? Or maybe you have an area where you can catch a small limit of fish on a worm, why not throw a jig to try for a bigger bite? These simple adjustments can make your success on the water. And there is nothing secret about them.

All of the good fishermen I know are good about tweaking lures or techniques to fit the areas they are fishing. It is what makes them as good as they are and also tough to beat in competitive situations. They catch fish behind other fishermen, because they do things differently, maybe throwing something lure wise that those fishing ahead of them haven’t tried. Chances are the other boats have the same lures but they don’t recognize the opportunity to use them.

Years ago in the middle of our five consecutive Angler of the Year run I was asked, “What do you attribute your and Glynn’s success to? What’s the secret?” Without missing a beat I answered, “We prepare to fish better than everyone else. Believe it or not, that’s our secret.” As he turned away, I could tell from his body language and facial expression that he didn’t believe me. I knew our “secret” was safe.

If color really mattered, then how come at the end of a tournament you can ask the other fishermen their color of choice and you will usually get a half dozen answers. I have never bought into the “this is the only color we could make them bite” theory. Chances are the color they had the most confidence in was their fish catcher. When you have confidence you create the secrets to your success; when you lack confidence you wish you knew everyone’s secrets to theirs. Pretty simple when you think about it.
So how do you go about finding or creating your own fishing secrets? It’s really quite easy, and here is what you need to do…..fish the noted “community holes” but fish them with fresh eyes. Change out your hooks. Add some color to your lures. Try lures that shouldn’t work. Fish areas that don’t look very good. Go to the back of the creeks. Fish nasty looking water. The opportunities are only limited to what you allow yourself to think, and that is no secret!

Well, it looks like we have run out of space again for another month. I do hope you will take advantage of the cooler temperatures and enjoy some time on the water this fall. To all of my hunting friends, please be careful, while you are in the woods. I promise, as I am throwing my favorite “secret” spinnerbait going down the bank, I will be thinking of you. Take care, and we will see you next month!