That's My Story

My wife, Jilly, keeps telling me I’m an “acknowledged expert” on Baja fishing.

 

Frankly, I love the compliment, but it still makes me a tad uncomfortable.  I’m not an expert on anything!

 

I used to tell people that I’m only an “expert” for  about 5-minutes at a time at  a cocktail party.  That’s as good as I get.

 

Nuclear physics?  Sure!

Move to the next group.

 

World economics? Sure!

Excuse me, gotta get more of that yummy spinach dip.

 

Babylonian architecture?  Sure?

I’ll be right back!

 

Czechoslavakian cuisine? 

OK…but only for 3 minutes.

 

I move from cocktail group to cocktail group!

 

But for Baja fishing?  I’d say I’m “above average.”   Better than a lot.  Not as good as I’d like to be.  Not as good as a lot of others.

 

But, I do get a lot of fishing questions directed my way. We own a fishing operation.  I get it.  I do my best to answer and educate.  There’s no bad questions!

 

The hardest questions, however, are the ones about tackle and gear.

 

I get them especially about this time of year.  The fishing season is going to kick ramp-up as waters get warmer.  Anglers have been shopping or about to go out shopping.

Also, a lot of fishermen have been to the fishing and hunting shows buying the “latest and greatest.”  Tackle boxes are bulging!

 

There’s so much technology out there.  “Made by fishermen for fishermen!” Help me if I ever hear or see that again.

 

If God ever made a more ingenious and inventive group of guys always willing to build, invent or conjure the “better way to catch a fish”  it was fishermen.

 

Sometimes, I think that’s why Jesus grabbed a bunch of fishermen as his Apostles.  Never a dull moment figuring out ways to increase the catch whether He was speaking about fish or souls!

 

I have no doubt they had some “unofficial” time drinking wine or beer and telling a tall tale or two (although outright lying was a no-no given that Jesus could tell you were lying!)

 

I’ve been victim to it as well.  My garage workshop has, at times, been covered with my tinkerings to build a better lure; develop a new color;  a more comfortable tuna harness…etc. etc.

 

But, I get e-mails and phone calls asking me what I think about the newest so-and-so-lure.  Or some new-fangled reel or about whether some new scientific aerospace-atomic fishing line will work?

 

And I have to show my hand…”I just don’t know!”

 

The reality of it is, even if I fished 365-days-a-year,  I would still never have all the time to personally test out every new piece of equipment under optimal conditions.  Nor would I be able to test them out under same or similar conditions so that I could give an honest assessment between products.

 

There’s that old saying, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.”

 

After almost 50 years in or around the fishing industry, I would have to speculate that most guys who make a living in the industry know what works because our livelihood depends on it.  We only grudgingly adopt new things.

 

We have to make livings.  We have to catch fish.

 

Change comes slowly.

 

If something works, we’re reluctant to just go out and gamble the money on something new that might be nothing more than a gimmick.  Nor would we take a chance on a day we earn our livings on something that’s not proven.

 

I know a lot of my friends in the tackle industry will hate this, but having worked in a tackle store, a lot of stuff out there is honestly meant to catch fishermen.  Not fish.

 

Some of my best gear is the most beat-up; scratched; and dilapidated shameful looking equipment you would ever want to see.  It’s almost embarrassing.

 

But it catches fish. It’s blue-collar gear that’s functional, not pretty.  Give me a lure with lots of teeth marks on it and a rod and reel that have dried blood and fish scales on it any day of the week!  I don’t need pretty.

 

Don’t get me wrong. There’s A LOT of incredible gear out there and I only wish I could keep up with the technology because it’s cutting edge.

 

But, as I write this, I look into one of my tackle closets. I have a ½ dozen rooms like this.   This one has about about 70 rods and maybe 100 reels in there.  Several hundred lures, gadgets, rigs and other accessories are cluttered in there.

 

The truth of it is, God gave me two hands.  I can only fish with one rod at a time.  And one reel.  I don’t really need 30 colors of each casting jig.  I don’t need 60 different kinds of trolling feathers or 20 different types of colored lines.  But, I have them!

 

And… I keep adding to the collection! Like many of you,  I’m not immune to bright and shiny new-and-improved things! My wife feels the same way about shoes or shopping at Target!

 

But, like I said before, I can’t try everything. I’ve only used about 10% of the gear I have.  If that.  And truthfully, I haven’t had time to try out lots of the new stuff.

 

My best answer to someone who asks about new stuff is “it looks good,” but you might want to let it “season” for a bit.  Let it get out in the industry and the public  and get battle-tested by others before you drop your coins on it.

 

Check out reviews.  I made it a habit of NEVER purchasing something the first year it’s out.  Especially if it’s mechanical.

 

Let them work the bugs out first.  Let other people spend THEIR money before you spend yours.

 

Get it into the hands of the public, not just the dealer selling it as the “next hottest thing.”  Maybe next time, I”ll be asking you “What do YOU think?”

 

I’m never above learning.  Bring it down and try it out and we’ll both count your fish at the end of the day!

That’s my story!

Jonathan