As we approach another fall season, ask yourself if you are prepared to catch that elusive cow bass of your dreams, or at the very least, break your personal best. You’ve waited all year for this time, so your instincts tell you to start packing your favorite lures, change hooks, check the guides on your rods, and make sure reel drags are properly tuned and reels are spooled with fresh line. You’ve also made sure your waders and dry-top are leak free, flashlight (with extra batteries) packed, gloves, belt and the list goes on and on. Needless to say, the checklist is long but it needs to be done because you want to be prepared and not miss a chance at scoring that trophy striper when the opportunity presents itself.

It’s a time of year when it is difficult to get anything done at work because you are easily distracted by the fishing that lies ahead. Anticipation runs high and you expect that this year’s run will be better than the last. In fact, you’ve even planned your vacation days around the optimum tides and moon, and should the fishing get really stupid and warrant extra time off, not too worry. You have taken extra precautions and have all the excuses required to convince the boss, along with a note from your sympathetic doctor.

Although many surfcasters suffer through this common illness, what does all this have to do with catching big fish? Have you really sat down and given some thought to preparations for your next trophy hunt? Do you really know what it takes to become a proficient trophy hunter and understand what goes into the mind of every successful trophy cow hunter? Allow me to share a few thoughts on the topic and once you are done with this article, you will understand what I mean.

POSITIVE THINKING

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve watched good fishermen change their fresh-out-of-the-box lures repeatedly after a few casts, only to realize that the best part of the tide has slipped away before them. This is one of the most common mistakes many surfcasters make. For some ungodly reason, they have this notion that they need to cast everything in their bag and if they haven’t, they feel they haven’t been fishing. Although many folks have gone through this lure-changing phase, a seasoned caster has a good idea as to what works in the area and under what conditions. As a result, they carry a minimal selection which allows them to maximize the prime stages of the tide to the fullest.

How do you get to this point? It is called building lure confidence and “positive thinking.” The obvious solution to this problem is to test your lures beforehand. This allows you to observe the action and adjust your presentation so that when the time is right, you have complete confidence in your offering. This may sound silly to some, but have you ever heard of someone going on a safari hunt without sighting in his gun? Well, testing your lures prior to prime tides is no different. More importantly, you must know exactly what your lure is doing below the water before you can believe in that lure! Once you have that all worked out, you can now apply that positive thinking. I am not just talking about trusting, I am talking about mentally believing that it will catch on every cast. It’s building that positive intuition in you and applying the necessary perseverance that will guide you to that trophy fish on a consistent basis.