Remember the days when you had babies, and you needed to bring so much stuff when you headed out to visit family or go on vacation? Then the day came when the kids were grown and the days of packing the entire house were over.
Anglers might be the worst group when it comes to needing something they forgot to pack. Which then means, they must find a local tackle store or place an internet order and have it drop shipped directly to their tournament site…. no matter the cost.
It never fails that whatever soft plastic bait you start catching fish on, you never have enough to get you through the tournament. But back home in your fishing man cave, you have several bags hanging on the peg board screaming, “Why did you leave me!” But, if you ever want to see a mini-Walmart on wheels, check out the back end of a tournament angler’s truck.
There you will find extra rods and reels, box after box of different types of crankbaits, tubs full of soft plastics organized by different brand types, baggies full of special baits, and other tackle like spool after spool of fishing line in all sizes.
You might also find a spare prop for the outboard motor, extension cords, a boat cover, spare life jackets and probably a spotlight for doing pre-rigging around the boat after dark.
It's no different than taking a baby on the road. You need everything you can possibly pack because whatever you left at the house is exactly what you’ll need for the tournament.
This is why it’s important for anglers to make a checklist for every tournament before hitting the road. Most of the time they already have a preconceived idea as to what they might need for a particular event based on the time of year and the weather. But the checklist is crucial to bringing the right gear for the event. Without it, something will be forgotten!
While life on the road can be a joy, it can also be stressful especially when you forget to bring something that you know is critical to your success for the next tournament. But with today’s great product distribution from Tackle Warehouse, Tackle Attic, Amazon and other distributers, the product you need is only a click away.
So many times, I have seen anglers drop ship product to the address of the house they are staying at during the tournament. I’ve also seen tournament anglers drive for over an hour to the nearest tackle store just for a bag of worms in a specific color.
So, the next time you’re packing the house and loading everything into the car for your newborn child, remember, bass fishermen will do the same thing; they will leave NOTHING behind!
Till next time, good luck, good fishing, and make sure you have a checklist the next time you hit the road for a fishing adventure. Hopefully you won’t need the kitchen sink, as this will cost a fortune to ship!
Contact Steve at sgraf26@yahoo.com
