Fish With Your Mind....

Let's get into the mind of a competitive angler for a while....let's get into the mind of....me.
A human mind is a powerful tool, especially in fishing, it catches fish, it loses fish, it wins Bassmaster Classics, it makes you zero. I learn this more and more every season, and still can't control it at times. Blame it on the "youthfullness" I assume. Although, the more I watch fishing shows and the pro's on tour, most of them can't control it at times. You "see" this in the way they look, their persona on the water, and also by the way they talk on camera. When you hear a guy talking about "I can't believe its the last day, I am in the lead, and can't catch a fish, I know they've caught fish by now" its a sure sign of not controlling the mind. It causes him to fish faster than he has all week, and he may zero and if he's lucky finish in the top 10. When he was around the fish he just let the mental game get a hold on him.


This year has been the most difficult year I have ever had for the sole fact I am fishing as a co-angler. I didn't want to fish as a co-angler but had to because of school. I have a serious "control" issue and hate not running the boat. All year, every tournament, I have went into it already beat unfortunately. Now that I look back at the previous tournament's I never had a chance. I went into them thinking "I can't believe I am fishing out of the back, I hate this" ect...My mind has killed me this year. Even though I have succeeded in beating every guy I have been with, from the back of the boat, my confidence to win was not to be found. I didn't fish my strengths, I threw a spinning reel with a shaky head, I didn't crankbait fish, I tried to catch a limit, I didn't try to catch big fish like I have always done, because I just wanted that limit, I honestly don't even know if I ever thought about winning. I beat myself every single tournament!


I noticed this several days ago and my thinking on the situation changed. I fished the BFL this year as a boater, went in to it with extremely high confidence and got a nice check at the days end. This week, as a go back to the back of the boat, I have confidence, it is back...thankfully. I fully feel that the mind causes us to do stupid stuff on the water when we aren't thinking right. I feel like you can be around the fish to win, throwing the right bait, and still not catch them because your mind is "gone". I see this when guys fish extremely fast, instead of "slow rolling" a spinnerbait they fish it fast because they either worry about the competition is doing, or don't think they can catch fish in that area.


If I have learned anything this year, it was that the mind causes you to win and lose. I feel like I am very much capable of holding my own in some of the bigger tournament's now. I have known how to fish for years to compete with these guy's now this year...I learned to control my mind better. I am very excited about this weekend, I am going to go fish like I know how, and try to win. No more trying to catch a limit, its time to try and redeem my season and win. If I catch fish that will be great, if I don't then I got beat on my own terms and fished to my strength and can go back home with my head held high at what I have learned this year.

I hope this post helps some of you not go through what I have been through this year. Its been pretty ugly haha but as I said, keep your mind while your on the water. "Dock Talk" helps lose tournaments. Don't pay attention to what guy's are catching fish on, where they say their fishing, ect...always fish with YOUR mind not the guy in the boat next to you mind....YOUR mind. It is your mind that will win tournament's, keep your confidence built up, and hopefully put fish in your boat. If all else fails, you get beat on your own terms, and go back home with the assurance that you didn't do something stupid.
Bass Wishes,
Dustin King
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