Sharing the Wealth

Contributed by: Murf

I’d say I’ve learned 90% of what I know about bass fishing from my dad.  When you consider the vast foundation of knowledge it takes just to be a decent bass angler - setups, proper knots, reading water clarity, temperature, and current, understanding the bass’ life cycle and putting together a game plan to target them - that foundational knowledge makes up the largest chunk of what we all already know about our favorite pastime.  My familiarity with different lure types and information about our local lakes and the Delta came from my Dad, as well.  Growing up, and to this day, bass fishing has been, and is, our thing.  It’s what we spend time together doing, and so there has been plenty of time for that 90% of my current knowledge to be absorbed.  Of the remaining 10 or so percent of what I know, some came from friends and some came from my own intuition and experimentation, but that sliver of knowledge that has come over the years from total strangers is probably what has surprised me the most.  Those individuals with the desire to help out, pass along, and inform those with a bit less fishing experience do a great service to the sport and to the people they educate and inspire.

Now, I’m not talking about the tournament anglers whose income and reputation depend on their performance on the water.  Obviously they have some incentive to keep a few secrets.  Nor am I talking about club anglers who want to best their buddies, being tight-lipped about where they hooked the 9-lber yesterday.  But for most of us, the 98.5% who do this primarily for fun, sharing the wealth through passing on some knowledge that helps someone just getting in to bass fishing land their first bass or a new PB can be just as rewarding as sticking that fish yourself.

I first consciously recognized the type of stranger who was willing to share the wealth after a chance meeting on the Delta.  I was 18 at the time, fishing out of the first float tube I ever owned.   This guy was in his 40’s, fishing off an expensive bass boat, and was obviously a very good stick, as I’d watched him hook a number of quality fish on a topwater lure in about an hour’s time.

He soon quietly toed his way up to me and asked how I’d been doing.  I was having a tough time that day.  He flipped over his confidence bait, explained what it was and how to work it, and suggested I get a few.  The bait was the Fenwick Spittin’ Minnow, and he told me about how successful he had been with it.  I bought one the following day, and I still use it.  In fact, it’s tied on one of my rods right now.  Fenwick no longer makes this bait, but I still catch fish on it regularly using the technique that guy explained to me.  I never asked him his name, nor did he ask mine.  But the fact that he enjoyed sharing his knowledge with me stuck as a pretty admirable quality, and now that I’m that older, more experienced guy in the expensive boat makes me want to share what I can with younger fishermen… and continue to learn from all of you guys.

To me, that is really what this sport and this website is all about.

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