Realistic Christmas Presents for Fishermen

Often they take a certain amount of care to buy, find, or make presents that take into account our needs or desires. I have to be honest though. I have a small fortune in quality rods and reels, and a cheap Wally World combo isn't likely to get used very often except when that person goes fishing with me. The same goes for some of the boxes of misc tackle. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate very much that my friends and family take into account my passion. It shows they notice and care. That is worth more than anything they could give me.

So think about it. Realistically what would you like Santa to put under the tree?

For me I think a cool thing that would not be too expensive might be a guided trip by a local (local in your area) professional angler. Not too expensive, and it could create a memory that would last a lifetime. Certainly the knowledge gained could be integrated into what I already know and built upon to increase my skills and experiences for many years to come. I'm not suggesting this to promote my friend Dave who is a professional guide and my personal friend, but rather to get people thinking about different ideas and get more in touch with those we care about and their passions.

My wife always asks me what I want for my birthday, Christmas, father's day, etc. She is serious. She really wants to get stuff for me that I will use and appreciate. When your close familiy members ask you it isn't because they don't know you or care about your interests. It is because they hope to more closely align themselves with something that will be truly used and cared about by you.

Happy Holidays All,

Warren

Warren

After examining his temper and his tournament goals, Reese continued his era of introspection and this time, he turned to his bait box.

"When you do something long enough, you learn what works and what doesn't," he said. "I used to be the typical weekend-warrior bass fisherman who tried to absorb every new lure and technique. I used to think, 'This crank has to have this certain dot and this color on the back to get a bite. This jig must have this many strands of a certain color to get a bite."

But as he looked back over his successes, he realized he already knew how to catch fish and sometimes, the baits got in his way.

"Too many people get caught up in their baits, just like I did," he said. "But then they get their butts kicked by somebody flipping a black-and-blue jig or throwing a white spinnerbait with two willow-leaf blades. That's when you realize the basics always work. That's when you realize it's not the bait, it's the angler.

"After I looked at it I understood that I already knew the techniques. And each time I did well it was because I stuck with the gameplan - I used just one or two baits that I'd used for years. I also realized that the industry did a great job to get me to buy all this stuff. It got me excited to try new things, which is a positive. There's a time and place for everything, but for me, I had to simplify."

He said that now he knows he needs just a few baits to be consistent. "In practice I may have six or eight rods on the deck that are my confidence baits. I'll have little variations for water color or forage, but I've really simplified my tackle selection."