Fishing with Kenny: The Thirst for Knowledge

article by Kenny Covington

I won my first bass tournament, when I was sixteen years old. It was 1983, and I was fishing out of an aluminum boat equipped with only a foot controlled 12-volt trolling motor. My father put an old spare tire in the very back section of my boat to keep the wind from pushing the back end around. I had four rods and reels, one large tackle box and I was out to conquer the fishing world called Cheniere Lake that day.

I didn’t have a big fancy boat. My tackle was pretty basic. My rod and reels were my dad’s hand-me-downs, but none of that mattered. I was competing and was cautiously confident, because I had been catching bass, and a lot of them, for almost a month. I was nervous, because I kept asking myself, “Could I catch them one more time?”

I knew the trees to throw by and the ones to bypass. I knew where to get a bite and when to slow down and simply fish. I had them figured out in a way that I could basically “call my shot.” It’s bass fishing at its finest. My time on the water had prepared me for that particular day, and I easily won the tournament.

This was the start of a fishing research process that continues to grow to this day. Even at an early age I had a thirst for knowledge and a strong desire to learn to better catch fish that still exists. I have always believed that regardless of the activity, you get out of it what you put into it. Golf, chess, baseball, volleyball or even bass fishing, if you want to be good at it, you have to put in the time. I believed it then, just as I do now.

Besides time on the water, there are many ways a person can become a better fisherman. Many things can be learned before you ever launch your boat. Research off of the water often leads to success on it. YouTube, the Internet, articles and tournament results; the amount of resources available is staggering but can be overwhelming. Here are a few ideas that I believe can help you become better at this great sport.

During a tournament, if I find myself sharing an area with another competitor, I take into consideration what technique or lure they may be using. Paying attention to this simple detail allows me to throw something the fish aren’t seeing, possibly showing me a way to catch a few extra fish. For example, if I see they are throwing a topwater of some sort, I know they are covering the top of the water column. Maybe I can come behind them with a spinnerbait or a shallow crankbait and catch fish they may have fished over the top of. The way an area is being fished can make all the difference in the world.

I have kept tournament records for almost thirty years. Lures, weather conditions, time of year, water temperature, types of cover, as much information as I can write down is valuable, especially several years later. Even tournament results from other bodies of water can give you some ideas on things to try on our area lakes. Maybe it is a lure, maybe a section of the lake or maybe some form of cover, such as cypress trees or boat docks. All these things are good clues to successful days on the water. I have always believed that as long as the information is good, you can never have too much of it.

I constantly research new and different techniques and try to think of how I can incorporate them into my way of doing things. I can remember first reading about the drop shot technique. While I did believe it would be a fish catcher, I also knew it was too slow for my way of fishing. When I researched the effectiveness of wake baits, such as a Buzz Jet, I immediately saw the potential and now I use those lures quite often, because I don’t have to slow down to fish them.

I watch fishing videos from all over the world, especially from Japan. The Japanese fisheries have more pressure than our lakes and fishermen could ever imagine. If they develop something, a lure or a technique that works in their country, I take a close look at it. They are the very best, when it comes to tweaking old ideas or introducing new ones to the bass fishing world.

Probably one of my favorite things to do is to work on my own tackle. I like to replace hooks, try new rod/reel combinations for particular baits or maybe try a different style of hook for a particular soft plastic. I can sit in my boat for hours and build my own jigs, spinnerbaits or buzzbaits. I like to contact other fishermen I know and pick their brains about the particular ways they do things. I’m always learning, and I feel that is the most important thing in becoming a better fisherman.

By now, you may be thinking all of this is overkill, and to the casual observer I can see where it would be. I have seen hunters go to the ends of the earth to find where the biggest deer are bedded up or to find the hidden sweet spot for ducks. Or what about the golfer trying to knock a few strokes off of his game before his club championship? If you are passionate about it, there is no such thing as being over prepared.

Well, it looks like we have run out of space again for another month. I do hope we have been able to give you some good information that will help you on your next trip to the water. Please be careful out there, and catch one for me! See you next month!