BFM_OctNov_2024 | Page 28

COLUMN : THE TINKERER inside the mind of a tinkerer

That annoying kid who never stopped asking questions ? That ’ s me .
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
If it ’ s creative , national award-winning writer Sean Ostruszka is all about it . He combines mad ingenuity with 20 years of knowledge and experience in the fishing business to design lures for professional anglers and top brands in the bass industry .
“ Sean , you might ask more questions than anyone I ’ ve ever met .”
When you ’ re 13 years old , a statement like this coming from an adult could easily be taken as a hint that you ’ re being annoying . For me , it was ( and still is ) a description I received with pride .
The originator of the statement was a fishing guide who would later become a friend . At the time , though , it was our first day on the water together . And being a curious budding lure builder , I saw it as a prime opportunity to learn . “ What does this lure do ?” “ How does it work like that ?” “ What would happen if the lip was angled like this ?”
One question after another after ANOTHER . Looking back , had the guide opted to leave me on shore and drive away laughing maniacally in frustration and relief , I wouldn ’ t have blamed him . Fortunately , he didn ’ t .
When I was asked to write a column on the mindset of a tinkerer and lure designer , I thought this was a fitting story because it gets to the true heart of it .
To be a tinkerer is to ask questions . To be a tinkerer is to be curious .
Actually , being curious doesn ’ t even do it justice . A tinkerer ’ s mindset is one of insatiable inquisitiveness . We are driven by the desire to know how things work , why they function the way they do and how they can be improved .
26 MAJORLEAGUEFISHING . COM | OCTOBER-NOVEMBER 2024