Brought the Sizzle, Left the Steak at Home

I have more tackle than anyone has a right to own – and likely more than I’ll use in this lifetime, although I keep on acquiring more. Whether it’s fear of running out, fear of having something I love discontinued, or fear that I’ll miss out on the latest and greatest thing, I am the best and worst form of crass consumerism.

I’m not apologizing for it. Tackle truly makes me happy and I don’t do drugs, gamble or cheat on my wife, so I am entitled to one vice (beyond consuming way too much Diet Dr. Pepper). But I am starting to get a little disappointed that I don’t stray too far from the proven winners.

I have several rituals when I fish by myself, which is most of the time. When I get to the ramp, I take a picture of the boat and send it to my wife Hanna to show her that I made it there alive. And when I catch my first fish – no matter what the size (although trash fish don’t count) I take a selfie with it and send it to her to show her that I am enjoying myself. If she doesn’t get that pic in a few hours, she can probably infer that I’m a little grumpy and it’s not a good idea to call.

So as I scrolled through my pictures the other day, I noticed that in 75 percent of the shots between May and August, the fish was caught on the same vibrating jig. I don’t just mean the same brand or size or color – I mean the exact same jig. I’m guessing I’ve retied a handful of times, but that same scruffy, flat-rubber-skirted bait has been on non-stop. I’d guess that the other 25 percent of the time my first fish has come on a discontinued (see?) Yamamoto Sugoi Splash topwater with the paint worn off.

Those are just first fish. Those two lures, plus a swim jig, a buzzbait and of course a Senko, have probably accounted for 90-plus percent of my bass in that time frame. And yet I keep on dragging the same unused lures up and down the highway, across the river, and then leave them in peace. Some of them, like jerkbaits and football jigs, should probably be in the garage for another couple of months, while others – squarebills and the like – could still ride along, but I don’t need the floating tackle shop. In fact, just throw in a few hundred green pumpkin and black with blue flake 5-inch Senkos at the beginning of the year and that would cover the vast majority of my river soft plastic needs. 

I’m not competing anymore. When I go, it’s for me and me alone. I don’t need to prove anything to anyone, and while I know that my tackle buying isn’t going to slow down anytime soon, I live in peace that I’ve found the tools to make me happy.