 No
one wants to be considered as a Klutz, Rookie, Beginner,
Schmuck, or even termed a novice. When you go bass fishing
and you want to be seen by your peers as a knowledgeable
fisher person - read on- this article will help you to
disguise yourself as a bass fishing professional.
Shoes- does not sound important. The shoes a person puts
on their feet prior to entering a bass boat can be a big
clue. Combat boots, hunting boots, any footwear that will
hold dirt, sand, mud, and rocks in the soles is taboo.
These parts of the earth that cling to the bottom of land
footwear do amazing things in a boat. First if you step
on the painted parts of a boat with these shoes you scratch
the paint. If you step on the carpet some of the stuff
comes off and when the boat accelerates the stuff gets
in your eyes and smarts as it hits your skin. So, the
kind of footwear to wear is usually deck shoes or tennis
shoes.
Bass boats are built with painted areas and carpeted areas.
Some boats have step pads on the painted areas indicating
where it is safe to step. Keeping your feet where the
feet go is important. A bass pro takes care of his boat.
So part of your disguise is to keep your feet on the carpet
or step pads. Seats are for sitting. The best way to ruin
seats is to use them as steps. Remember you would not
step on the couch in your living room.
Pants, not really a big deal here. Pants or shorts are
worn with the idea of the environment. Comfortable and
mobile. Office pants like suit pants are probably not
appropriate.
Shirt, much goes into this. A bass pro has patches on
his shirt that he is paid to display. If no one paid him
those patches would not be on there. Again, the shirt
needs to be comfortable and suitable for the environment.
Facial covering, some pros, in fact a bunch, have beards.
This is for protection from the sun. ALL bass pros wear
a good pair of polarized glasses. ALWAYS, rain, shine,
or freezing cold the good polarized glasses are on. Glasses
provide protection from the sun and allow the pro to see
important fishing information like targets in the water,
line movement and much, much more. All pros started with
Roland Martin or Bill Dance signature polarized glasses
and graduated to some really good pairs. To disguise yourself
as a bass pro the wearing of some sort of polarized glasses
is extremely important.
Hat, the purpose of a hat is to protect the top of the
head and the eyes from the sun. Some hats extend coverage
to the ears and back of the neck. The important factor
here is to disguise yourself as a bass pro the hat should
be covering your head and have a firm bill in the front
to protect your eyes from the sun. For a bass pro the
front of the hat is an opportunity to sell advertising.
Never ever does a bass pro wear hat with a stuffed fish
on the top of it.
Skin coverings are important. Clothes we have discussed.
Now it is important to note that sunscreen is extremely
important. A bass pro is in the sun for many hours and
many days at a time. Skin protection is essential. Sunscreen
is essential. An SPF of 45 is the best way to disguise
yourself as a bass pro.
Lips, extremely important to cover up the novice lips
with sunscreen lip covering. The sun beating on your lower
lip for several hours will do damage. Sunscreen lip covering
will disguise even the most obvious novice as a bass pro.
There have been lots said and advertised about rods and
reels. The type or brand of rods and reels is not extremely
important. There are some important factors regarding
rods and reels that will help the novice disguise himself
as a bass pro.
When the rod and reel is carried it should be carried
by an area near the reel, not by the tip. When the lure
is attached to the rod it should be attached to a bar
on the reel, a hook holder or a bar on a guide. Not on
the guide ring. AND give away number one that the angler
is a novice is that the rod is bent when the lure is stored.
The rod should be straight.
When fishing or landing fish the rod has places where
the hands are supposed to go. Trying to land fish by grabbing
the rod in any other place is a big time give away of
a novice. These things will improve your disguise 100
percent.
Rod guides are made of two kinds of materials. There is
a metal brace that holds the eye of the guide off the
rod and holds the eye on the rod. The eye is smooth and
designed to allow line to flow. Putting a hook on the
eye is liable to scratch the eye. Putting a lure, a sinker,
or a hook all the way into the rod tip is liable to ruin
the most important guide on the rod. Always keep the at
least one inch of line between the rod tip and what ever
is attached to the end of the line. Practicing this will
improve your disguise immensely.
Once you have this disguise perfected you will find that
you are one step closer to being at the skill level of
a bass pro. You, with you disguise, are more than ready
for any Pro-Am tournament or guide trip. Lots of luck
to you.
God Bless You,
Hugh Crumpler III.
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