Guide Lines: Fishing Superstitions
After being a full-time guide for 21 years, I’ve had the good fortune of being able to spend thousands and thousands of hours with fish—and fishing, of course. And after all of those intense guide seasons, one thing that I know for certain is that there is nothing more corrosive to the fishing spirit than superstition. Most fishing superstitions, or rules, were passed from one generation to the next with absolutely no legitimacy. For instance: a long time ago, a disgruntled angler couldn’t get a bite one day when the wind came from the east, which just happened to rhyme with the word “least” so the idea that fishermen should be suspicious about east winds became a “known rule.” Wow! But superstitions like this one still exist and they still inhibit a fisherman’s confidence. I know this because nearly every day I’m reminded by my fishing guests that those ideas are still a living part the contemporary fishing school of thought.
Last season a gentleman I had on board watched as I applied sunscreen on my ears and arms. A moment later I started baiting up the lines. In a very concerned voice he asked why I didn’t wash the sunscreen off my hands before I baited the lines – apparently, just the night before he read an article about how fish can smell foreign matter etc. I took his worm in my greasy fingers and took my sunscreen and applied a generous dosage to his bait and had him fish with it. He didn’t fish for more than two or three minutes before he caught his first keeper walleye of the day! This man was very misinformed. We’ve all been clobbered with these “rules” at one time or another–is fishing really that simple that such stark conclusions can be made? (And, for the record, yes, fish can smell sunscreen – but it doesn’t mean they won’t like the taste!)
Now, what about all the rules regarding the weather? Do fish really bite the least when the wind’s from the east? What about those cold fronts or falling barometers? Sure they change the fish’s behavior, but how badly? First of all, you have to actually get out there and fish for yourself to find out. You won’t know until you try–sounds more like a work ethic line doesn’t it?
When I approach a cold front day, I plan on moving a lot. I keep my boat in constant motion and try not to make the fish feed. if the fish don’t want to bite that’s alright – I just move to the next fish or the next spot. I make long moves. Instead of looking for active fish in a mid-sized zone on a lake, I’ll cover larger quadrants trying to find areas that aren’t as severely affected (in addition to this, I try to find the largest schools I can to increase my percentages). Cold front days are fast paced for me and my guests–I try not to waste a single second because I know that every second counts! I know there are fish on the lake willing to bite and if I am more efficient with my time, I’ll find them.
Another myth I hear a lot is, “When it gets hot walleyes go deep to find cold water.” For those of you taking a summer vacation in Otter Tail Lakes Country this season and plan on doing some walleye fishing, please cancel that “rule” out right away. If, and when, walleyes are instinctively drawn to deep water they do so because of their perpetual need to feed--it’s about food not comfort. This morning we caught walleyes in 29 feet, were those fish trying to cool off? If so, why were they eating our bait? Walleye aren’t aware of what a boat is there for, and therefore are not afraid of the boats. Engine noise, what’s that? Sure they hear and feel it but it doesn’t represent a natural threat like the presence and feel of a large predator like a northern, musky, otter, or cormorant. They may, however, be influenced by the pressure the boat causes, much like natural changes in barometric pressure. In addition to this – people need to remember that Walleye also do not know what fish hooks are! These fish are not born with an instinctive understanding that hooks are there to get caught in their upper lip – so we don’t need to disguise them!. Another false rule is that Larger walleyes live solely in deep waters. In fact, I catch my largest walleyes of the season in water under 10 feet.
People have done a great job over the years personifying walleyes. The one idea I want you to take from all of this is that walleyes are fish and not people. They are an animal driven completely and utterly by instinct. When they do something, whatever it may be, they do it in response to many variables in their environment that tell them to in order to survive. Walleye do not base their decisions and behavior on a cognitive or emotional battle. They just simply do. Grasping the very idea that fish are non-thinkers will help you to discover easier fishing. However, this doesn’t mean it’s OK to be a sloppy fisherman – it just means that you should become more confident in your abilities and skills as a fisherman on the lake.
Ross Hagemeister, meisterguideservice.com
