AND HOW TO FIX THEM
“ YOU LACK FOCUS .”
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Perennial Angler of the Year contender Ott DeFoe is quick to admit that his many hours on the water have made him especially adept at picking up the clues nature offers . He sees more , hears more and connects the dots better than weekend anglers who lack his experience . That ’ s why it ’ s critical for us to make the extra effort and to be more aware .
“ I try to tune everything else out when I ’ m on the water ,” DeFoe says . “ I want to focus on each cast and to make the most of my minutes on the water each day .”
Though it can be tough to forget about job hassles or personal issues when out fishing , it can certainly help our catch rates . DeFoe has another recommendation , too .
“ When you feel like your attention is waning , stop , take a break , move to another spot , have something to eat or drink and reassess your situation . When you start fishing again , you ’ ll be recharged and more focused .”
PHOTO BY JESSE SCHULTZ
“ YOU DON ’ T SPEND ENOUGH TIME LEARNING
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YOUR FISHERY .”
We ’ ve all fallen victim to this one . We head to our local lake , put the boat in the water , fish for a few hours and put it back on the trailer without having learned much about the fishery itself . Sure , we can tell you where there ’ s a brush pile on a main-lake point , but do we really know where the water changes color or when the thermocline sets up ? That lake is a living thing that ’ s constantly evolving . Are we keeping up with it ?
“ A basketball court is always the same ,” says Jacob Wheeler . “ Your lake is not . It changes from week to week or month to month . A river can change from day to day . Most weekend anglers never take the time to run the fishery , watching the water and their electronics to see what it has to offer .”
When he has the opportunity , Wheeler will often idle for hours on a body of water , watching his electronics and establishing waypoints . He considers it time well spent because it will pay dividends in bass .
“ A BASKETBALL COURT IS ALWAYS THE SAME . YOUR LAKE IS NOT .”
And while most of us have a few dozen waypoints on our favorite fisheries , Wheeler admits to having more than 10,000 on Lake Chickamauga alone . Of course , he hasn ’ t fished them all , but they ’ re there — saved on his electronics for when the time may be right .
PHOTO BY GARRICK DIXON
“ YOU IGNORE LITTLE THINGS UNTIL THEY
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BECOME BIG PROBLEMS .”
Over the course of a day on the water , a million little things can pop up to affect your experience and your fishing . Being aware of them can help you have a better time and catch more bass .
“ A lot of casual anglers won ’ t retie after catching a good bass . Then their line breaks on a big fish . Or they get a loop in the spool of their baitcaster and don ' t take care of it right away . Then , when they need to make a long cast to a feeding fish , they can ’ t get the extra distance they need , or they backlash the reel . These are tiny little things , but they become a much bigger problem if you don ’ t fix them immediately .”
Those are the words of inaugural MLF REDCREST champion Edwin Evers , who is also quick to point out that the devil in these details extends beyond the water . It goes to every factor you can control but choose not to , from lubing the hubs on your trailer to checking your prop for tangled fishing line .
“ If you manage the factors you can control , those little things don ’ t become big problems , and you ’ ll fish a lot better ,” Evers says .
DECEMBER-JANUARY 2021 | MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | FLWFISHING . COM 53