The Next Level
The Next Level
The experiences that come along, are not always the way you would like them. They are however, sometimes better. Several situations have presented themselves this spring and I got lucky enough to realize what to do with them. The trip to Kentucky, selling my boat and taking a trip to visit family in Vermont were the catalysts that helped to put it all together. I started out trying to figure out what to take for baits to Kentucky. I picked lures that I was comfortable with and the ones that I didn’t throw very often were staying home. I unloaded my old boat and stacked all the boxes of baits in the garage. I was overwhelmed with how much stuff I had in the boat. I was beginning to understand that most of those baits would never be used by me. You will fish what you believe in to the point of error. Sorting out what baits to cast and when is what gets you to that next level. When you can take less tackle and still do well is the answer to some of the questions that all tournament fishermen deal with. My Wife and I spent our 30th Wedding anniversary at her sister’s place on Lake Champlain. The sisters had planned on doing some shopping. I got lucky and could spend some time fishing off the dock and some riprap shoreline. I took some plastic baits along for my Nephews. I fished for a while and we caught some small smallies. I was getting a little frustrated that I couldn’t be on a boat. I knew some really good spots on the North end of the lake that I really would have loved to try. I ended up taking advantage of the situation and putting my head into what it would take to catch fish with what I had. A new bridge had been built and the old road way was still in place. The rocks on the edges dropped off and went to a flat bottom with no structure. My nephew Patrick and I fished around for a while and didn’t do much. I was fishing out and then changed to fishing just the rip rap. I couldn’t get a bite unless I shook the bait. I would start pulling on the 5” Case Plastic Big Stik and then on slack line just shake it, very aggressively. When the smallies would hit it, it was just before you let it fall again. You would be at the end of your pull and have to reel up to set the hook.
Back on the dock the fish didn’t want the shake. We were just dragging the baits. The shore by the dock was just gravel and small rocks. George and Tracey have lived on the lake since 1992. They can’t remember ever catching largemouth off the dock. I adjusted the color and after hours of casting I found the concentrated spots of rocks that were just a little bigger. We ended up bringing in some 2 and 3lb largemouth, to the dock. One of those fish came off the only crankbait that was available. It was a jointed floating Rapala. I reminded my nephew about using it like a top water. You can do a lot with a lure if you try. Patrick did the snap and drag method I had taught him several years before. Snapping the lure will make it splash or just dive under the water and then pop back up. Both smallies and largemouth have times that they can’t resist it. One of the interesting things about this technique, is that snapping the line will put a little slack in the line. It actually is just enough, so you don’t have to pause before you set the hook. A great method for somebody learning how to use a top water.
All of the above mentioned scenarios added to being able to pick apart what I will put in my next boat. This probably has been done by most of you already. Having a tackle business lets me try too much stuff. New colors, new designs and specialty items will always add to the weight of the boat. I think however that it will be a lot less from now on.
I did find that Brush Puppies can be used as top water also. A very interesting water displacement and noise presentation. The most important point of all this is to don’t let conventional methods keep you from using whatever you have in a different way. Skake, drag, pop, snap, or float it, practice what you can do with it.
I don’t think that I have broken my rule more than 10 times since I started fishing tournaments. Those 10 times usually cost me. Never try a new bait during a tournament. The numbers of things that can make it a mistake are numerous. The wrong line, rod or hook can ruin your day.
The next level has accomplished two things for me. The first is that I will spend less time thinking about all the different options available to me. The second and most important is that it will remind me that I have confidence in what is in my boat.
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Peter Kjenstad
