• Take a young person fishing: While you might not agree on hairstyles, clothing, or music; you’ll both enjoy reeling in fish. And what young folks lack in fishing experience, they make up for in exuberance and curiosity. Watching a kid catch a big fish is exciting for all parties involved and reminds me of when I fell in love with the sport. Plus, a young person’s lack of knowledge of the bass fishing “rules” often leads to the discovery of hidden patterns on a fishing trip. Leave it to a newbie to rescue a slow trip with acts of fishing heresy such as topwaters on a sunny day, casting out to the middle of the lake, or pink spinnerbaits.
• Try new places: We want to catch bass during our trips, so most of our time is spent fishing our favorite spots on our favorite lakes. While that often fills our livewells, it does little to increase our understanding as anglers and gives us limited options if they won’t bite in the same old honey holes. If you have access to a variety of lakes in your area, go try a new one. You’ll be forced to read the conditions and react to the fish on that given day. Although the fishing may be tough at first, nothing is more rewarding than figuring out a pattern and solving the fishing puzzle for that given day. Or if you are on a familiar lake, force yourself to fish new areas. Not only will you learn from figuring out the pattern in the new places, but you’ll also have extra honey holes for future fishing trips.
• Experiment with new lures: Fish become conditioned to lures, especially when you cast the same baits in the same colors and the same sizes to the same spots all the time. Fishing on a daily basis, I see firsthand how quickly fish stop responding to familiar lures and I am constantly searching for that little edge. Often, by simply changing your bait slightly or by changing colors, a seemingly dead area will start producing more fish again. Whether I try new colors like Bama Bug or Hot Motor Oil in my favorite old lures like Flippers and Fork Craws; or try innovative new lures like Lake Fork Trophy Lures’ Live Magic Shads, Hyper Worms, Hyper Freaks, and Hyper Finesse Worms; I’m often amazed how a small change can make the difference between a big limit and no bites.
• Do some research in the off season: Pro athletes work out all offseason to prepare to win. When conditions are too nasty to fish or if you don’t have enough time for a day on the lake, take a few minutes to increase your knowledge of the sport. The tools available now are almost infinite—TV shows, books, magazines, videos, fishing forums, and websites. At no time in the history of fishing has it been easier to learn quicker or easier.

I wish you and your families the very best in 2009. With a little bit of work and good fortune, it’ll be your best fishing year ever. Here’s hoping you catch the lunker of your dreams. If I can be of assistance, please contact me at 214-683-9572 (days) or 972-635-6027 (evenings) or e-mail me through my website, www.LakeForkGuideTrips.com.