Fishing with Grandpa, that's how Erik and I got our start in fishing. Like so many other people, those early days of fishing are some of the best memories. Early mornings on the water, learning to bait a hook, and watching the bobber go down are some of the best memories we all share as fishermen. These joy filled memories came in the days before jobs and the stresses of life.
For some of us, we had different start in fishing. We didn't start until we were older. Maybe it was a friend who got us hooked (pun intended). We learned how to fish by asking our buddies questions and watching Youtube videos. Maybe, it was watching BASS 5\tournaments on TV. There are many different thing that can catch your interest about fishing.
Whatever your start was, those early days will forever shape the fisherman we are. We all have home waters that will place a special place in our heart. Places where we would run up and down the bank and catch anything that would bite. For Erik and I, our home waters are a place called Wildwood. Wildwood is basically a redneck's paradise. There are ten lakes, ATV trails, a pool, a clubhouse, and plenty of places to hang out. This is where we learned to fish with our grandpa. The biggest lake is called Canyon Lake. It is 49.5 acres and full of standing timber, with a max depth of 38 feet. Wood is the primary cover for the bass, crappie, bluegill, and sunfish that live there. One unique fish that is stocked in Canyon Lake is paddlefish. Canyon Lake was created by damming Lost Canyon Creek, which is located near Fulton, Missouri.
This lake set the foundation of the fishing that Erik and I most commonly do. We grew up primarily power fishing Canyon Lake because that's what worked best. Canyon Lake created the kind of anglers Erik and I are now. We are better suited to power fishing lakes because of our past history. Crankbaits, spinnerbaits, topwater, you name it, we throw it.
This got me thinking about how we all have different strengths as anglers. Some of us are great deep water fisherman, some of us are great shallow water fisherman. Some of us are great at throwing bottom baits, while others are better at moving baits. As anglers, our strengths are often determined by the waters we fish the most. Just look at Mike Iaconelli at the Delaware River in 2014. He won that BASS event because he quite literally grew up there, and it suited his strengths as an angler. This was a prime example of home waters shaping an angler.
The waters we fish the most are naturally going to cause us to get good at the techniques that work best on those bodies of water. Foe example, any lake that power fishing is the main way to catch em, Erik and I will usually do alright. That doesn't mean we can't catch them other ways, we just might not do as well as we could. These techniques are always transferrable to other bodies of water. Cranking rock on Kentucky Lake is very similar to cranking rock on Toledo Bend.
I invite you to think about your strengths as an angler this year. Really think about what bodies of water shaped you. This is a good way to take inventory of what techniques you're good at, and what techniques you need to work on. I challenge you to dive deeper into those baits or tactics you don't normally throw. There is still plenty of time this year for you grow as an angler and catch more bass.
- Paul Hoffman