Guide Lines – Fishing Concepts: Fishing and Finding Your Own Style

I’ve had the good fortune to know some very good anglers over the years. Many of them share the waters around Otter Tail County, MN. It’s interesting that each of those anglers does their own fishing. Like good artists, authors, and star athletes, they have their own style, their own voice. Some fishermen are “tech” guys. They have conquered electronics and have formulated productive fishing methods that compliment their use of auto-piloted trollers and side-imagery graphing, and it works for them. And then there are fishermen who are more “old-school.” They fish instinctively, and understand fish and lakes and Mother Nature’s cues and won’t let the boat drive them – they drive the boat. No matter the style, they all do well. They do their own thing. They bring in good catches and they win tournaments and guide groups on tough days, successfully. Thankfully, there are more than one way to catch a fish.

Where to begin? Research the craft (fishing is a craft). Reading fishing journals, attending seminars, and fishing with professionals like guides and pro tournament fishermen are all good places to begin. There is a point, however, when it’s up to you. It’s time to be your own fishermen. There will be a point, if you really want to know fishing, when you’ll have to break away from those other fishing styles and create your own.

I remember the very day that I struck out on my own – leaving behind those perfect fishing models and scenarios that I used to read about and study day in and day out when I was growing up. When I decided to be a fishing guide, I soon became very concerned that I needed to be successful. In those beginning years, it seemed that every fish that I missed might be a big deal (sounds stressful). I needed solutions and there weren’t guidelines for my new chosen vocation so I had to figure it out for myself. The day I had my revelation, I was learning how to fish bottom bouncers and spinners with a nightcrawler harness (two hooks). I kept getting bites and I remember missing fish. The walleye were just missing the second hook – they were just snipping off my long crawlers. An idea struck me. My crawlers were getting bites, but I wasn’t hooking the walleye so I put the next night crawler across the two hook spinner harness and pinched the crawler off 1 inch behind the second hook. I figured that if I got a bite from any walleye of keepable size, that the fish would get hooked when it bit because I was only giving it an inch of bait rather than 4 or 5 inches. That was 21 years ago. That was one day before my first walleye guide trip – I was practicing and trying to figure things out.

It was a breakthrough for me. For the past 21 years I’ve just kept building and refining my systems on my own. It seemed easier than following someone else’s rules. The greatest achievement in my fishing tenure, is what I have gained from learning how to fish on my own. I honestly don’t think that what I’ve gained from playing my own game is about fish productivity; although it’s been a fringe benefit. I believe that, ultimately, I have gained solitude and freedom. I don’t feel bound by rules. Creating your own fishing persona absolutely encapsulates what fishing should be; to get on a lake and feel the freedom to do your own fishing and the confidence in your own fishing know-how that allows you to find a quiet spot and fish peacefully.

By Ross Hagemeister, Meister Guide Service