Preparing mentally for the bass season

RIGHT NOW, ACROSS THE province, bass season is open or on the verge of opening. This is a very special time of year for bass anglers and, as you would expect for any major religious holiday, there is much to do before we can celebrate.

Most new anglers think that preparation for a new bass season is about getting tackle boxes organized and sneaking in new gear, such as a bass boat, into the house or garage.

Certainly, that’s part of it.

The more important part is mental preparation, however.

If you do not prepare yourself mentally for any eventuality, you won’t be able to control your tears when the new angler you take out catches a 5-pounder on a lure that you just insisted would not work.

Mental preparation for bass fishing is what makes the difference between a good day and a bad one. For instance, when I go out on opening day, the first thing I say to my buddy is “It doesn’t matter if I catch any fish at all; it’s just great being out here.”

And while everyone knows I am lying, that

statement is still better than the alternative: “It doesn’t matter if I catch any fish at all, so long as you don’t too.”

Part of the psychological regimen I’d recommend is preparing for the eventuality, nay certainty, that the person I’m with will catch a bigger fish.

To desensitize myself to this scenario, I have spent hours prior to the season looking at Facebook postings from previous opening days that show my buddies holding a big bass while I am doing my best to look happy for them – which is no small feat from a fetal position. I do this until there’s no more tears to give.

Conversely, I also prepare for the off chance that I will catch the biggest fish of the day. The idea here is to do it in a nonchalant, heck, almost noble manner. I have been working on this a lot of late, as the jig I did three years ago was a little too undignified. Plus, it almost tipped the canoe – which, again, would not have been so bad had it not been already tied to the roof of the SUV.

Another bit of mental preparation important to the bass angler is the ability to walk calmly out of the lake, back up the boat launch, and through the crowds with your head held high, as you advance towards your truck to get the plug you forgot to put in your boat.

If you do not prepare for this and have a witty statement like, “Now that I have washed out the inside of my boat, it’s time to go fishing,” you will probably lose the respect of your fellow anglers.

Also you need to react rationally when your fishing buddy uses a fishing net to dislodge the hook from the biggest bass you have ever caught. If you do not prepare mentally, your initial impulse will be to wrap that net around his neck.

I don’t think I need to say how wrong this is. For goodness sake, you are going to need that net.

With a little foresight and thought given to the incident, however, you’ll understand that you need to do the right thing – which is to smile, remain calm and ask your fishing buddy to leave the boat and walk to shore.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have a net to repair.