By wes lewIs
Story
To Banana or noT
…that is the question
Just as there are things they can’t do without, they are also VerY serious about the things they will never have on their boats. Whether from their own experiences or from seeing something happen to another angler, if certain things are in some pros boats, they feel they the day is over. They start concentrating on the why and how and what if of that “thing” and begin to lose sight of the target of the day…the bass. i asked a few pros what their always have/never have list might include and some of the answers may surprise you.
Bassmasters Elite pro Nate Wellman, from Newaygo, MI , takes a sentimental approach with his “must have”. Wellman never leaves the dock without a sticker of a mermaid reaching for the stars on his boat. The aBt lures/ Phoenix Boats pro says this is for his kids to show they can always nate Wellman reach for the stars.
S
uperstitions have become a part of ev- eryday life in some form or fashion, but in sports, it is very noticeable. Many a baseball player will be sure to step over the foul lines and not on them or make sure they go through just the right amount of warm up swings before step- ping up to bat. Football players have been known to wrap their ankles with tape in the same direction and same numbers of wraps so nothing is ever different. even hockey players make sure to put their gear on in just the right order. it seems that no sport is im- mune to superstitions and fishing is no exception. Bass anglers tend to be superstitious, or at the very least, we tend to be creatures of habit. We are especially mindful of this when we find a fishing groove that feels good or a lure that seems to be a bass magnet on our lines. When something works we keep doing it, after all, if it’s not broken…well, you know the rest. We wear our lucky hats or shirts. We eat the same Vienna sausages we had just before we got “the big one” and in reality, these superstitions and beliefs don’t go away when amateur bass anglers turn pro. These anglers at the top of their game still look for that “magic mojo” and consistency in action and deed. They also look for the things they carry with them all the time. When it comes to this stuff, bassers tend to always have on hand those things that seem to bring them luck, or comfort, for a day on the water.
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