With this winter being particularly cold and unfriendly to my fishing schedule, I have gone to the basketball gym a few times to get some exercise. Recently, while watching a group of five on five go at it in a pickup game, I recognized some parallels between bass fishing and basketball.
For some context, at this gym it was mostly older guys whose athleticism, speed, and explosiveness are long gone. But for the most part they can play. Like bass fishing, the game of basketball has nuances that can separate the average angler (player) from a really good angler (player) in tournament competition.
Level of Play
Anyone who has played many pickup games with older, out of shape, and slower players knows one thing. These guys can shoot! Almost everyone can fill it up in a rec game, and the older you are and still playing, the more likely that you light it up from three. In fishing, experience counts. More time on the water and time spent fishing makes you more productive and have a higher success rate. In tournament fishing, these guys can shoot, so you really need to hone your skills.
Know Your Intensity
Are you bass fishing for fun? For competition? For both? Especially in tournaments, identify your goals and tailor your approach accordingly. In pickup basketball, you can kind of tell where everyone is at. There are the guys who defend like it is the NBA Finals. There are also the two guys who seem to have a tacit agreement they won’t defend each other hardly at all – and they usually pair up on D. Mr. Stand in the Corner and shoot it but don’t move otherwise guy knows his game and isn’t going to strain too much. Set your own pace, get out and enjoy the day and have fun. Or, be that guy who never stops running and make 1,000 casts a day and cover water like a madman. (looking at you, Dwain)
Fundamentals
These old guys didn’t become three-point snipers or pinpoint passers without any practice. There are fundamentals in any sport, and fishing is no different. Learning different casts and making them with accuracy can really help. How about understanding the weather and how it will affect the fish that day? Do you know how to really work all of the baits you use to present them properly? Sometimes if a tourney is coming up where I think a technique is going to be a big player, pre-fishing is more about shaking off the rust on that technique than it is anything else. What fundamentals do you need to improve on for tournament competition?
Know How You Can Score
The main objective in pickup basketball is to score, put the ball in the hoop. Same thing for fishing, get hooked up on a bass. What’s your go-to move to score? For some it is rebounding and stick-backs, others is long range camping out and shooting threes, for Mr. Energy guy it is just running around after loose balls. How can you score when things are tough in bass fishing? When times are tough, go to what you are confident you can do. Shakey-head, drop shot, Ned rig, etc. If you are spun out on the water, narrow your game to a confidence bait and get on the scoreboard.
Get In the Game
I’m not sure if there are serious parallels between pickup basketball and bass fishing – or it’s just been a long winter off the water. Either way, it’s time to get ready for the season, shake off the rust, and find your game for Spring!