Fishing With Kenny | Control What You Can, Prepare for What You Can’t

Article by  KENNY COVINGTON

I started fishing tournaments in 1983.  I was sixteen years old and all I knew was I wanted to catch as many fish as I could and try to figure out how to compete and win against my much older more experienced competitors.  The learning curve was a steep one but the one thing I had then, and it still burns just as passionately, was a desire to get better and make better on the water decisions.

While my fishing mentors were numerous: my father, my uncle Lannie Dortch, Mr. C.P. George, Poochie Young, the late Glynn Blankenship just to name a few, while I was picking their brains on the right way to do things on the water, it was through my own trial and error that I figured out what I needed to do equipment wise, while off of it.  This process hasn’t changed over the years as I still try to talk to as many anglers as possible to learn tweaks and tricks, not just about fishing but about everything else that surrounds the sport.  Knowledge is power.

My dad used to call me a “tackle junkie” because of the time I would spend making sure everything was the way I thought it should be lines rods, reels, baits, leaving little room for error while on the water.  I have been called “obsessive” when it comes to my preparation for a tournament but this attitude that has allowed me to be as successful as I am. There are no shortcuts to sustained success and luck can’t be your determining factor.  In order to become better at this sport, you have to control the variables you can control and prepare for the ones you can’t.  But this isn’t just limited to lines, lures, rods, and reels.  It goes much deeper than that.

Here is an example of what I am talking about.  In all the years I have fished tournaments, the only time I have ever had to stop fishing was due to my trolling motor shaft shattering due to hitting a stump in high winds, but you know what I learned from that?  I started keeping a spare trolling motor in my boat.  An uncontrolled variable became a controlled one with a simple decision.  Call it a lesson learned.

What are some other variables about which I am talking?  What about having the proper clothing for fishing during the seasons of the year?  I keep a large amount of clothes in my truck during the winter season because I learned early on, the more comfortable I am, the easier it is to stay on the water.  Extra socks, gloves, rain suits, hand warmers, and a complete set of clothes can usually be found in my boat during the wintertime.  All of this preparation is only important whenever the time comes, and you really need it.  Control what you can, prepare for the rest.

When you are comfortable while on the water, the better you can focus and fish properly.  If your feet are wet, or your hands are numb because you didn’t bring hand warmers or gloves, these are things you should be in control of.  Do you have the necessary tools to change out a trolling motor or big engine prop?  Do you have a spare for each one?  It has always amazed me when I see my competitors scrambling to find the needed tools and equipment in order to fix something that shouldn’t require that much time and attention.

Do you have a spare plug for the hull of your boat?  Do you have the tools needed to do wiring maintenance on your livewells, graphs or trolling motor?  Do you have an extra life jacket?  Rainsuit?  What about heavy duty weigh-in bag in case you need a way to fill up your livewells if your pumps stop working or if you have to bail water from your boat?  All these things are actual items I have been asked for over the years when I would stop and try to help someone.

As you can see, and many people fail to realize this, there are more variables that can be controlled with just a little bit of thought and preparation, but the same ideology can be used when handling the uncontrolled ones.  I can’t control if it is going to rain or not, but I can control if I am prepared if it does.  I can’t control if I am going to run further up a creek arm than I planned but I can make sure I have enough gas to do so if the day calls for it.  There is no excuse for running out of gas in your boat.  None.

Are your trailer tires in good condition?  Do the lights work on your boat trailer?  Does your boat meet all the state requirements to be considered legal while on the water?  Fire extinguisher?  Float cushion?  Do you have spare keys for your big motor? All these things anglers can control but often overlook.

So, as you can see, there is a lot more to the sport of bass fishing than choosing the right lure, line, or fishing area.  In order to be successful on the water, you have to consider, maintain, and work on the things you can control off of the water.  Someone once said, “it’s the little things that lead to the big things but by taking care of the little things, they usually don’t become big problems.”  Oh, how right they are.

Well, it looks like we have run out of time and space for another month!  I hope this new year is full of memories and good vibes as well as great fishing for all.  Be careful out on the water and enjoy the offerings Mother Nature continues to give unselfishly to us.  Catch one for me and I will see you next month!