The Luck Factor, Control Your Variables

article by Kenny Covington

I have never liked the word “luck.” I rarely use it, and my fishing partners will back me up on that. I do, however, believe the people who have the best luck and even the worse luck put themselves in position to be the benefactor or the receiving end of either one. It was once stated that luck is simply “preparedness meeting opportunity.”

Rick Clunn once said, “If you are ever going to seriously get into bass fishing seriously, you have to forget one thing; that is luck, which has very little, if anything to do with it. Fishing is an art and a science. It can be learned. The level you achieve in it is up to you.” In fishing, regardless of the kind you do, no more prophetic statement has ever been made.

My preparation to spend a day on the water, to some, is overkill. My preparation for tournament competition, even for single day events, takes hours to complete. I get that many people don’t want to go to the extreme that I do in being prepared, but it is that mindset that helps me become successful on the water. If I correctly do my job in preparing for a tournament day then a lot of the variables that come into play in determining the outcome of an event are taken out of the equation.

What many anglers equate to bad luck is many times a variable, had they taken time to address, wouldn’t have caused a negative effect on a fishing day. I hear examples of this all the time. Things like “well my batteries died on me at lunch, and I wasn’t able to fish in the wind.” My first thought is how long has it been since you checked your batteries life and were they charged properly. Another one I hear is, “I must have had ten bites, but I only caught two of them.” My thought goes to what kind of hook were you using, did you have the correct rod and reel setup for the technique you were using. Like I said before, to some my thinking is overkill. But if you want to be successful or have more successful days on the water, it’s not.

There are two types of variables in bass fishing, controlled and uncontrolled. The controlled variable are things you can do that prevent a lot of the bad luck other fishermen always like to blame their fates on. Check your line, your hooks, your rod and reels and the list goes on and on. Just make sure you have everything in place to be successful. Give yourself the opportunity to benefit when good fortune comes your way.

Uncontrolled variables are things such as fishing pressure, weather, water fluctuations or conditions. These things you can’t control you should still prepare for, so when they do happen they will not have as adverse effect is if you weren’t prepared. Things like having back up spots when fishing a tournament on a crowded weekend. Or having the proper clothing to deal with changing weather conditions. These controlled variables are very important to fishing success but they are often overlooked.

Lake conditions are a good example of an uncontrolled variable. Until I see the body of water I am fishing, I can’t be totally certain about the conditions. However, by doing some research, I can get a general idea of the opportunities a lake will present and I can prepare accordingly. What is the lake level? Has it rained in the past week or so? What is the time of year? Is it a body of water that tends to be clear or does it get muddy? All of these things play a role in addressing something that is completely out of my control. But by doing so it allows me to prepare for whatever lake conditions I may encounter.

By now you are probably saying, “Is all this really needed? I just want to go fishing?” I get and understand that. My way of doing things is not set in stone; it’s just what works for me. Here are a few suggestions that will help you become a better fisherman and enjoy your time on the water without making a cast……

Learn your equipment. This may seem kind of odd but get a basic understanding of how your boat and motor work. Learn how to replace a trolling motor or even your big engines prop. Have the correct tools on board in case something happens and you need a quick fix. Nothing ruins a fishing day quite like being towed in by another angler.

Learn your rod/reels and actual fishing equipment. What rod is good for a particular technique? What reel is not in working order keeping it from being used properly? How long has it been since I changed the line? Do I have the right hooks? By paying attention to a few small details you will increase your chances of being successful on the water.

Don’t overlook the obvious. Often times the things that happen to us on the water are things, once they happen, irk us because we knew to look for them in the first place. Such as putting the plug in the boat, making sure you have the boat keys or having your life jacket. Is there enough gas in the boat? If it is summertime, do I have enough water to drink? These things, while seemingly simple, can be trip killers, so make sure you address them.

Well, it looks like we have run out of space again for another month! Time sure flies when you are having fun, and this article was no exception. I hope we were able to share some tips and information that will help you enjoy the sport of fishing even more. As always, please be careful in the outdoors, and for those of you on the water, catch one for me! Happy New Year everyone! See you next month!