One More For The Road

Time brings me to the end of my fishing day, but I always make one last cast before I head home. I reposition and firm my grip. My eyes reflex-squint and scan for the perfect spot. Ah, there it is. Like taking a breath, I hit the thumb-bar, load the rod, thrust the tip forward, and release my lure in one perfectly timed motion. Suddenly I can sense the urgency, intensity, and anticipation of this final moment—my last chance to get one more strike.

During the retrieve, I’ll often conjure up a little prayer: “Last cast of the day, fishies. I’ll release ya once I catch ya, and if you’re a good one, I’ll tell my buddies about you in the morning. Come on fish, treat me to a strike, that millisecond in time just after you bite that sends an overdose of adrenaline to my heart and mind and makes me want to cast again. Come on fish, give it to me. I can almost feel you behind my bait. I’m ready.”

The last cast is how every cast should be, full of intensity and anticipation, free from other thoughts—it’s strictly between you and the fish. But few anglers can naturally make every attempt as if it’s their last. Oh, I do know a few gifted anglers who can maintain that level of intensity and anticipation while they fish—In-Fisherman founder Al Lindner and Kevin VanDam are two examples. It’s one reason why they catch more fish than other anglers, but it’s not something they think about; they’re just made that way.

Most anglers tend to experience highs and lows of intensity and enthusiasm that are often dictated by whether or not the fish are biting. Consecutive hours of fishing can cause fatigue, especially if you don’t eat some food or stay hydrated, and you may lose your fishing edge. Fishing guides and pro anglers who, day after day, spend 8 to 12 hours on the water are prone to misplacing their fishing enthusiasm. Extreme weather conditions, whether cold, wet, and windy, or hot and muggy, often put a strain on an angler’s brain, especially when the bite is slow.

The list goes on—why we’re not always capable of doing our best every time our lure re-enters the water. But you can try to teach (or at least fool) yourself into making every cast count like it’s the last cast of the day.

The thought of only one more cast should cause your senses to peak, while the image of catching a fish solely occupies your thoughts. You instantly focus on making the best cast you’ve made all day. Think about the things you want to do right, and the things you don’t want to do wrong. Elbows down; eyes sharp. Try to imagine it’s only a matter of seconds before the fish behind your lure takes the bait. Try to anticipate and be ready for that fish to strike, but don’t retrieve the bait too slowly or quickly. Now just patiently wait for the strike and be ready to set the hook.

Keep repeating the process. Ideally, over time, you may do such a bang-up job of teaching yourself to make every cast count that it becomes part of your subconscious. Now you’re fishing like the best of the best. But don’t worry if it never becomes a part of your subconscious. After all, only a select few anglers can naturally maintain such a level of intensity.

With a little practice, you can teach yourself to fish harder. And fishing hard can be a critical component to catching more and bigger bass. Try it the next time you go fishing. It just may help you increase the total number of fish you catch—a number that can be tallied after you make the last cast of the day.