Fishing Ideas for 2001

It's the Year 2001! At this time of year, anglers and ordinary people oftentimes make resolutions about the things they're going to try to do or not try to do in the upcoming year. I don't make resolutions, but there are a few things, some related to fishing, some not, that I am going to try pretty hard to do or not do. Some of those things follow.

In the Year 2001 I'm going to chase more panfish. Sometimes we get so hung up on one particular species of fish that we forget about the others. Panfish are fun to catch and are abundant in many bodies of water in the Midwest. However, I need to re-think my philosophy on keeping panfish. On some bodies of water the panfish have been beat up really bad. I might keep a few of the smaller ones for the table, but I won't keep any big ones, or even the medium sized. They're the ones we need to let go if we want quality panfish action.

In the year 2001 and all years afterward, I'm not going to eat any Cajun chicken strips at 11:00 at night at the greasy restaurant connected to any motel I stay at. I found out this past year that they will wake you up at 4:00 in the morning and not let you go back to sleep. Enough said.

In the year 2001, I will continue to be very good about wearing my life-jacket whenever the outboard is running faster than a trolling speed.

In the year 2001, I will continue to try to be a good steward of the environment, and will also try very hard to clean up the litter and messes that other people have left. I will also try very hard to be patient with people that I see treating our environment in a disrespectful manner.

In the year 2001, I will attempt to become more proficient at new fishing techniques. Sometimes we become too comfortable with a particular technique and don't try different ones. Sometime this next spring, I am going to go bass fishing without my spinnerbaits and try tube-baits instead. If I take the spinnerbaits along, I know I will eventually revert back to them, as they are my favorite bait for springtime bass. Leaving the spinnerbaits at home will force me to become a better tube-bait fisherman.

In 2001, I am going to try very hard to continue to eat oatmeal for breakfast on days when I will be on the water. I don't like oatmeal, but it seems to stick with me better than the cokes and chocolate donuts I used to eat for breakfast. Enough said again.

I'm changing my mind about leaving the spinnerbaits at home in the spring when I'm going bass fishing. I'll take just a few along, and I won't get them out unless the tube-bait thing isn't working out. Giving up the cokes and donuts for breakfast was bad enough; I don't want to give up spinnerbaits too. Besides, I like using them, and when you go fishing, you should do what you enjoy as long as it won't get you in trouble.

In 2001, I'm going to try really hard to help more people enjoy their fishing and other outdoor endeavors, as well as their lives in general, even more. I hope you do too.

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