Post Something You Learned From The Pro's Last Week

[merc1997 Bo]

i am glad that glenl mentioned boat control. this is another area that over the years that i have observed where most bassers could really improve their catching, and that is better boat control with the trolling motor. you can not catch the first bass if the boat is never where it needs to be. you have to be able to fish, run the troller, watch electronics, know what your lure is doing at all times, carry on a conversation, and set the hook all at the same time. you can not be running the troller and then fishing. you have to do both at the same time. variable speed trollers make it pretty easy to dial in the right speed and never take your foot off the troller. if you do get on and off the troller button, make sure you make a whole lot of little adjustments instead of long great big ones. when you drive a car, it is a lot of little adjustments, not a great big one every once in a while. there are only two people that i fish with that are proficient at keeping the boat where it needs to be, and i taught both of them how to fish. those two anglers are mike sowders and kelly williamson. it is hard to get them on the troller when we go though because they are like me, and it is fun to just have to concentrate on your fishing because the boat is always where it needs to be.

we all can get better with out trolling motor skills, but we have to practice at it. if anyone thinks that they can catch all the bass they should be when the boat is yo-yoing, meaning going like hell and then blowing all over, they are crazy. especially with worms and jigs, you can not be flying at your bait on instant and then dragging it the next because the boat is blowing everywhere because you are no longer running the troller.

i am sure that bill can chime in on how important boat control is to help in the process of catching bass or any fish for that matter.

bo