As of today I’m at Toledo Bend fishing with Fishidy, one of my sponsors. It’s an annual thing we do just to make sure we’re in contact with each other. And, it gives us a chance to swap ideas about things we can do to make the service better and more productive for our anglers.
When I’m done here I’ll be heading out to fish another event. After that I’ll head home for most of the winter. I have a few short trips but nothing that’ll interfere with my enjoying the family and fishing with my friends in the Winter Leagues.
The Winter Leagues are really special.
We fish all winter up here unless the ice forms and keeps us from launching. It did that for much of last year. That was a bummer. By the time the Classic rolled around I had a serious case of cabin fever. Hopefully, this year will be better.
The Winter Leagues serve a couple of purposes. First they keep us in the game of fishing. It’s cold, and sometimes downright miserable, but at least we’re out there trying to make a bass bite. That’s what’s behind most of it, although it’s also a chance to try new cold weather baits and techniques.
They also allow me to keep in touch with my old friends and fishing buddies. That’s a big thing with me. We’ve been at this from back when I was 20-years-old. That’s a while. Some of the guys are new — at least new to me — but for the most part I know everyone. The fellowship is maybe the best part of it all.
I know some pros don’t like to fish locally. They feel it’s a negative either way. If they don’t win, everyone wonders why. If they do win, everyone complains that they are pros and are taking the local anglers money.
We don’t have that problem up here. I always feel welcome. That could be because I lose at least 80 percent of the time. Ha! No really, I do lose 80 percent of the time — at least. No one cares that I fish the Elite Series. I’m just one of the guys battling the elements and the fish.
We’ve got a big one coming up on the Delaware River this year. Becky asked me the other day what would happen if I lost. I told her nothing. I usually lose. The guys I fish with might earn their living outside of bass fishing but no one should ever underestimate their skill. They are good anglers who know how to compete. It’s easy enough to get a butt whipping from them, and nothing to be embarrassed about.
Some of you might want to think about forming your own Winter League, especially if you live where it gets cold but where the water doesn’t always freeze. You can schedule the tournaments for just a few hours during the warmest part of the day. It’s a fun thing. Keep the entry fees low and make sure you wear a life jacket.
Mike Iaconelli’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on Facebookand Twitteror visit his website, mikeiaconelli.com.
