Fishing With Kenny | There is No Negativity in Fishing

article by  KENNY COVINGTON

All the successful people I know, no matter if it is business or fishing, are particularly good at dealing with adversity. In this month’s article, I want to share with you some thoughts and ideas on how to better control your emotions, your thoughts and how to take negative instances on the water and turn them into positive results.  

I first began to study the mental aspect of fishing when I read the book “Bass Wars” many years ago.  The basis of the book was Rick Clunn and his approach to tournament fishing.  I remember checking the book out of the library and keeping it for weeks, trying to absorb its contents.  Later, Clunn himself would produce a series of seasonal based books based on his mental outlook on the sport and how to incorporate his beliefs and seasonal patterns into becoming a better angler.

This research allowed me to create my own system on how to deal with negativity on and off the water and keep a positive mindset while I am on the water.  I am not saying my system is foolproof and it works 100% of the time, but once you learn to better control the things you can control, and prepare for the things you can’t, you will become a better angler.  If you are just someone who likes to fish on occasion, what I am going to explain will still help you, even if you aren’t a competitive angler.

My first rule is this…someone always catches them, why can’t that someone be me?  My goal every time I put my boat in the water is to catch bass.  If I am in a tournament, my goal is to catch a five-bass-limit to take to the weigh-in.  I have yet to compete in a tournament where there wasn’t a first-place angler, so why not believe I can’t be that person?  I always keep that mindset, no matter where I am fishing or against whom I am fishing.  To some that may seem like arrogance, but to me if you don’t have confidence in your own abilities, then you may as well not launch your boat.

My second rule is this…don’t allow luck, either good or bad, to determine your fate.  I have commented on this several times, but it bears repeating, while I don’t believe in luck per se, I do believe you create your own luck.  I have noticed the more I prepare (correct hooks, choice of line, lure choices) the luckier I get.  This is not a coincidence.  I have often said my angling success is due to being over prepared and leaving no stone unturned. If you want to be successful, you must successfully prepare.

My third rule and the one I see broken most often…don’t pay attention to dock talk or solicit specific information.  Anglers love to talk, brag, embellish, and recreate to their own mindsets, what happens on the water.  We all lose fish, but it’s what happens when you lose a fish that will determine your day.  Do you take the information you gained from getting the fish to bite and expand on that, potentially making your day an even better one, or do you allow the image of a lost fish to kill your competitive spirit.  More times than not, it is the latter.

Instead of talking about specific locations or lures, ask general questions.  These questions, when asked correctly, will give you more reliable and important information.  Were the fish shallow or deep?  What was the water’s color?  Did you have to slow down to catch them?  Was it an early bite or more up in the day?  With these four basic questions, I can get a good idea of how the fish were caught and usually most anglers have no problem answering them.

The most important rule of all…bad things happen, will happen, and no one is immune to it.  You will lose fish, you will get hung up, you will lose lures, and you will go for hours without a bite.  You will deal with weather changes, different lake personalities, equipment failures, and everything else you can or can’t imagine.  As an angler, you accept these things are just part of the sport and deal with them the best way you can.  Here is the best example I can give you.

A few years ago, I was competing in a tournament on Lake D’Arbonne.  As we left the launch that morning, I knew there as a strong line of storms heading our way, so I planned accordingly.  I picked an area close by where I could get more time to fish before the storms hit and catch a few fish, making the rest of my day a bit easier.  Having caught three nice fish quickly, my plan worked perfectly.  

What happened over the next few hours I will never forget.  Not realizing the power of the weather system, the rage of the storm destroyed the boat I was in, sinking it, while I was still inside of the boat house, I had taken cover in.  It ripped seats out and tore the lids off the livewells, causing me to lose my early catch.  I lost several rods and reels, and I would find my ice chest weeks later, on a hill over 300 yards away.  It was the worse weather I have ever seen while on a body of water.  After the chaos was over, while the damage was being assessed and the destroyed boat was back on the trailer, my only thought was, “I still have time to get back on the water.”  With the help of my friend, Greg Terzia, who was kind enough to allow me to fish with him, I did just that.

Well, it looks like we have run out of space and time again!  I hope we were able to share some thoughts and ideas that will help make you a better angler.  The summer months are here, and the waters are more crowded than ever so please be extra careful on your summer outings.

Catch one for me and I will see you next month!