Anglers are quick to stereotype and make fun of each other; I believe part of it is the competitive nature in us and part of it is just making fun of something we do not completely understand. We are all familiar with redneck bass fishermen. Riding around the lake with their rocket boats screaming from one spot to the next makes them an easy target for us to poke fun at. In reality, everything they do is about efficiency and covering water quickly to locate fish. I spent some time fishing with some die-hard bass fishermen inshore on saltwater and I have said many times I learned quite a bit about fishing from these guys. One tip I picked up was a really simple thing that really made good sense. When we fished, he always brought 3 rods each one rigged and ready to go. On one rod he would have a top-water plug, on the second rod he would have soft plastic bait and on the third he would vary depending on the time of year. Most of the time he kept some type of spinner bait or middle of the water column type bait. He was always ready for just about any situation without having to stop and re-rig. Many times we would be working a bank and he would see a fish chasing bait and would reach down and pick up the top-water plug and cast quickly to the fish. Other times we would be working a stretch of bank and he would fan cast with a weighted twister tail grub and if he saw redfish in the grass he would pick up the spinner bait and throw it into the grass. He maximized his opportunities to target fish by not wasting time and being able to react quickly when he needed to. While this seems like a no-brainer it was not something I did growing up. We kept a few rods rigged with different things, but most of the time if it was heavier tackle if we ran across a cobia or jack cravelle and not different set ups for the same types of fish. Keeping an open mind to different types of fishing styles can really help you learn a thing or two and may help you the next time you are having a less than banner day on the water.
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