The Follow Thru

     This is the follow up to my whining last week about electronics and the technology, and the whole thing of being a consumer in the throw away world. To catch folks up who did not read last week it was a mild rant about the fact that technology moves so fast and folks want the latest and greatest, then turn their collective backs on what was once the cats meow.  Well companies now have the ability to make a choice when you upgrade or update your device.  This is done when companies just quit supporting a device or write quirky updates to the products we use.  A good example is Windows quit supporting Windows XP.  There were a lot of folks just happy as clams to not need new software, devices and the like, just fine running along knowing a program, probably using excel programs to track items.  I am not saying I want a rotary phone or a party line again, but when it works leave it alone and let us use it until I/we wish to move forward. 

         What I would like to see are a few models or products that are base units and are supported for an extended period of time.  I may seem old and/or scared to move on.  I am not scared, although we preach this green society and the recycle/reuse when in reality it seems to be more a use and toss society.  Think about it, how many sonars and gps units have you cycled through in the past 10 years?  All the while thinking this will be the time or items that will put you on your game and catch lots more fish.  Ok, now I am gonna call a few fisherman out.  How many of you run your sonars off auto settings, probably not many as with all technology it takes time to learn this stuff and it is hard to fish, drive the boat and be on a screen or reading a help prompt to learn more.  We use so very little of the awesome devices, many of us are really only using 20% of what a unit can do for us any way. 

     Ok no more whining, but how do we find ways to improve our fishing organically? Well, I think it is in our minds and how we simplify our approach, here are a few very important things to do to improve how we fish:

1  First cleanse your mind, leave your day-to-day life at the dock or truck while ice fishing. (We are out side to relax and enjoy the nature.)

2  Think about fishing from a realistic point of view.  If I have not been present in the environment, I am going to have to learn to use technology to watch or get a history of the weather, lake levels and catches lately or forgo this and just fish. 

3  Pre-rig for your first thought or technique of how to catch fish, have a plan. (Always be willing to abort it needed.)

4  Sharpen a hook instead of replacing it. 

5  Save the lead for the friend yours that pours jigs. (Fishermen are some of the first recyclers “uh catch and release” for another to catch some day. Novel concept kinda like paying forward.) 

6  Carpool to the Fishing Hole (Oh wait most of us do!)

7  Enjoy your time with your friend.  I have noticed fishing most folks don’t look at their phone while fishing, like we do when we are at a restaurant or eating with our families.

8  There are many more ways a fisherman and his practices are what is so in vogue today.  So hold your head high, you pay it forward, recycle and re-use many things in fishing.  It is just inherent in our culture and practices.  Heck we even carpool. 

     A friend and mentor from Texas, Jimmy P. once said to me this, “ These new depth finders mean changing from a flasher to a LCD display, now everybody is gonna be able to catch fish.”  Well over the years he is glad he was wrong, as most don’t read the instructions or believe that the device is the end all to getting them fish in da boat. I wonder how the new lake map tutorials will be.  I question how many will read the instructions. 

     In closing, I have had to teach myself to look up away from those LCD screens too. Fish well folks, Keep carpooling!!!!!!