Momentum – By Dan Kaggelis
The old saying rolling stones never gather moss is one that perfectly sums up the power of momentum. When you are on the water fishing regularly, it’s not hard to maintain and build momentum, especially if you are catching plenty of fish. Lose that momentum and all of a sudden the thought of wetting a line seems too hard and excuses to not fish are very easy to find. I’ve seen my fair share of this and unfortunately I have even been there myself, especially when it comes to fishing offshore. Every time I miss a weather window the thought of dragging out the big glass boat becomes that little more difficult and the metaphorical rolling stone continues to gather more moss. In fact, there are times when I started considering putting the for the for sale post up and parting ways with it entirely. Not surprisingly, when I do get off my arse get it out and find myself skipping across a glassed-out sea, hooked up and bent over by a big red fish circling all the excuses seem to melt away and I quickly remember why I bought the boat in the first place.
Finding and restoring that momentum is not an easy task, especially when things like work, time, and health gets in the way. If this sounds like your situation here are a few tips to get that stone rolling again.
That trophy fingermark I had searched for so long.
There is no better way to find momentum than getting yourself a good crew. That one person who will drag your arse out of bed or tell you to harden up when you make an excuse not go fishing. These guys will be your momentum and drive when you really need it. They are the ones that are looking at the long-range forecasts, tides, and even historical catches and sending those vital text messages to get you keen. It’s even better when they have their own boats. Alternating boats from trip to trip can make it a little easier to find that effort when the energy levels are low. I’ve been lucky to fish with some awesome guys who fit the description above and have even got me fishing when my health was at rock bottom.
The next strategy to consider is prioritising your time. It’s a simple one to understand – If you can’t find the time to do something then it isn’t important to you. If you are reading this then I’m 100 percent sure that fishing has some value to you so finding the time must never be an issue. Prioritising doesn’t mean you have to set aside hours and hours of time. Instead, it could be as simple as casting a few lures land based for half an hour when you can. One of the best ways to do this is to keep a rod and reel and some lures in the car at all times. That way it’s constantly in your face and when an opportunity arrives you are ready to go. I even bring one to work to remind me I live to fish not to work. If you are too far from the water, then just have a few casts at home. I’m a bit of tragic for this and I have even trained my dog to chase down a casted hookless lure. It’s like playing fetch whilst fishing and when he does get a hold of it I get to play him out and at 40kg he can really pull some drag.
Next, keep a few brag fishing photos around the place. Whilst I’m not a huge fan of social media, Facebook will often put up a reminder of a fish pic you posted up several years ago. These are always huge motivators as they remind you of those epic catches and how you felt that day when you caught it.
Fishing surface for 6 months means you miss plenty of fish but the ones you do get are very satisfying.
The next one is a personal favourite and that is having your boat ready to go with little notice and little effort. For example, I have set up my tinny so when I want to use it, all I have to do is hook it on and I’m ready to go. Batteries are charged, tanks are full, and gear is all stored. The last part is the most important. One of the best things I ever did was to get rid of my tackle box. Instead, I have installed tray styled storage compartments in the boat which holds everything I need to fish in just about every scenario. The boat is the tackle box. It may seem like a small thing but it’s one less reason to stop you from going.
The next one is probably my second favourite one and that is to consider downsizing your boat. I’m fortunate that I own both a reef boat and a creek tinny so I can choose which one I want to fish with. Not surprisingly I will fish 10 times in the tinny to once in the reef boat. It’s not because I don’t like fishing out the reef, it’s because the tinny is just easier to organise, launch, fish from and clean. One of the truest sayings I have ever heard in fishing is “the bigger the boat, the less it gets used” so having an easier option will at least get you on the water and not on the couch watching fishing shows. In some cases, when anglers have only a select amount of fishing experience in certain areas it can mean a whole new learning experience. I’ve met plenty of expert reef fishermen who have made the transition to creek fishing and have absolutely loved the journey. This could also relate to moving from saltwater systems to impoundments or even putting down the conventional gear and start fishing with a fly rod. One easy way I have done this in the past is to only fish surface lures in the creeks. I fished only surface for 6 months one year and it was a simple but refreshing change up.
My first 10 kegger nanny was something I will never forget and every time I see this pic it reminds me why the effort to get the big boat out of the shed is worth it.
Changing fishing spots is also a great way to get some momentum and motivation. One of the things I have loved about my move to Far North Queensland is the diversity of fishing spots on offer. I have a choice of so many different creeks, rivers, inshore and offshore spots, that I don’t get bored fishing the same banks and snags. It also provides a challenge to fish new areas which, like above, brings a fresh change to the norm. The same can be said about taking people fishing who are new to the sport. Whilst it can be frustrating taking green horns fishing, when you watch them hook their first decent fish and see the excitement and addiction kick in, it reminds us of where all this started for ourselves in the first place.
Another motivator is to challenge yourself to target challenging fish species. I have spent countless hours and many a fish less trip chasing triple tail. They can be very challenging and finding them is only half the battle. When you do find them, getting them to bite is a whole different story. However eventually catching one of these grey ghosts was incredible, but the journey to that moment was far sweeter. Right now, I’m on the hunt for a permit on fly. I know where they are but my fly-fishing skills are so bad I might as well be casting a handline at them. In this situation the drive comes from not only landing the fish but building my fishing ability as well.
Chasing trophy fish is also an excellent motivator. The thrill of catching a metre barra has driven many a fishermen to get out on the water but rarely lying on the couch. I recently had a chat to a fellow angler about a trip where we landed a 112cm saltwater barra. He was not content with this catch and has been back to that spot many times catching two more 112s but never one larger. Most anglers would be pretty chuffed with this result but not him and it’s driving him to fish even harder. Moving from being a kill and grill fishermen to a sports fishermen is also another option. Changing up your reasons for fishing can remind you that there are other reasons then filling the freezer to get out on the water.
Fishing can take us to some of the most beautiful places in the world and not taking advantage of this is a crime.
For me, since moving to Cairns catching big finger-mark was my first challenge. I had seen plenty of posts on the old Aus fish Forum titled ‘Cairns Wind’ by Mark Gwynne holding some of the biggest fingers I had ever seen. So, when I moved to Cairns I put in a year of searching until I finally had a trophy golden in the boat. At just under a metre, it was my PB and whilst I’d love a metre fish, 95cm is plenty enough for me. Fishing wonkys came next as I had never seen one yet fished one when living in Bowen. Not only was it a challenge to find them but pulling a big red out of 20 metres of water was a challenge itself. Eventually I got my 10kg plus nanny which was pretty satisfying.
Another excellent way to build momentum is to pay a visit to your local tackle shop. Have a yarn to the guys that work there about what’s been caught. Check out some new lures or rods and reels and just surround yourself with fishing. I love heading down to my local and browsing around, especially scouting out new lures because it gives me the motivation to get out and get them wet. This is the main reason why it is essential we keep our local tackle shops in business as the only thing better than fishing is talking fishing.
Finally, what you are doing right now is the greatest motivator. Reading the Fish and Boat magazine allows you to take the time out to read articles and stir ideas whilst browsing over some great fishing pics which remind your why fishing is the greatest past time of all.
So next time you are feeling too tired to wet a line, have a think about some of the ideas outlined above and get that stone rolling again.
Sometimes an unusual catch reminds us why fishing can bring us some great surprises.
