Fishing doesn't need to be fancy

It’s true, you don’t have to spend much money to catch fish.  The reality is, ninety nine percent of the time, we make everything in life more expensive than it needs to be.  I know this isn’t popular among sports shops and the industry in general, but we’re currently experiencing the most expensive time to live that I’ve ever seen.  The daily grind of just being able to provide for your family is a real thing.  It would be nice to escape this craziness and just go fishing.  Too often we create this idea in our own mind that we can’t do something because the conditions aren’t perfect.  We don’t have a new boat, we don’t have a nice rod, we can’t afford that newest lure.  It’s easy to get sucked into that depressing state of mind when you see EVERYONE, literally EVERYONE, on social media with the newest of everything.  And of course they’re the only ones who can catch fish.  Wrong!

The only thing you don't currently own is the right mindset.  Save yourself from the “poor me” attitude.  Instead, ask yourself what you can do that these guys in $100,000 boats can’t.  If you’re reading this, I guarantee you’re the type of person who knows the local river or stream better than anyone.  You probably know all the local lakes and every piece of structure that exists within them.  You’ve forgotten the basics; you’ve forgotten how much fun it is just to catch a fish.  You’ve built this perfect picture in your head about everything you need to do it how you want, not how you currently can.  This is a call-to-action article.  Grab whatever gear you have, call a friend, get your kids out of bed, go out back and find some crawlers under a log, just go fishing!

Here are the details of my most recent low-cost trip.  I have a full-time job, a wife who works full time, and four kids who are in every sport that our area offers.  I don’t get a lot of free time to fish (although my friends tell me more than my situation should allow).  My upcoming schedule suggested there might be a gap in activities early on a Saturday morning – rare for our house.  I chose a lake that’s near to my home in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.  Local restrictions allow for non-motorized watercraft only.  I enjoy selecting areas such as this.  It always seems that there are less people to deal with and more nature to enjoy.  My two oldest boys have really learned to enjoy fishing and expressed interest in coming along.  The decision was made to load our kayaks (very basic units, purchased from a large box store, less than $300 each) and gear the night before.  We’d be up the next morning by 5:00am and at the lake ready to launch by 5:30.

It seems whenever you’re searching for some free time to fish, the weather will be historically terrible.  Not this day.  Ideal conditions were on the horizon. 

It was late May, the sun was coming up with a few clouds in the sky, but not many.  It was 48 degrees when we launched, predicted to be 59 by 11:00am, which was the time we needed to be off the water to catch our afternoon sports commitments.  There was also a slight North breeze, blowing 5-8mph, a perfect walleye chop.  My plan was simple, one rod (a steelhead rod, not ideal for this application, but it’s what was readily available), a couple hand tied crawler harnesses (Cost me under $8 for 4 rigs), a few old garage sale bottom bouncers and the crawlers I found in the yard from the night before.  I would paddle up to the North side of the lake, just beyond a point that stuck out from the West, deploy my tackle, and drift to the South – directly across the front of the point. 

To describe my boys’ plan would be more difficult and time consuming.  They don’t yet subscribe to my “less is more” methodology.  As seen in the photo, they had several minutes of set up.  Ratchet strapping some sort of trolling motor rig onboard, loading multiple rods, crates of lures, extra clothes, and snacks for days.  They were prepared to land anything from perch to great white sharks and could have comfortably stayed out for multiple weeks.  I’d be lying if I said it didn't remind me of myself at their age, but I don’t tell them that, and I try to let them learn on their own whenever possible.  It’s been great fun watching them learn and decide that this life is enjoyable.  Before departing the shore, I completed my fatherly duties.  Made sure everyone had what they needed, checked life jackets, confirmed our safety plan and gave final instruction on where they could and could not venture to.  I also collected the $5 entry fee for our largest walleye of the day tournament.  We’re a very competitive family. 

I paddled about a ½ mile to where I wanted to start my drift.  I positioned my kayak sideways so the wind would catch my vessel just right, carefully hooked a crawler on the double hooked crawler harness, and slowly lowered my bottom bouncer down until I felt the bottom.  When drifting in a boat, I generally use lighter weights than I would if I was trolling with a motor, when drifting from a kayak, you can go even lighter yet.  On this day, I was using a ½ oz. bottom bouncer.  Holding the rod in my hand, I would slowly and gently pick the rod tip up, causing the bottom bouncer to lift off the bottom, then slowly lower it back down until I felt bottom again.  This process was continually repeated over the course of the ¾ mile drift.  My first pass did not produce a fish.  Rather disappointing because I stayed awake all night thinking about how to properly tie off the stringer full of walleye that I’d catch right away.

I paddled back up to the North end of the lake.  This time, I placed my kayak a little further to the West.  This would cause me to drift closer to the point, and into shallower water.  This proved to be the recipe for success.  As I got closer to the point, maybe 12’ of water, while I was lifting the rod tip up in my cadence of bouncing, I felt my first strike of the day.  A nice, healthy looking, 18” walleye.  Turns out I'd need my stringer properly tied off after all.  I went on to repeat this drift pattern 14 more times over the course of the next five hours, landing several more fish.

This story is supposed to remind you about the fun you can have fishing, even if you don't have the most expensive gear on the market.  These opportunities exist everywhere, I promise.  Do your research, spend some time looking around for good deals.  Even when you’re not fishing, you can think and strategize about it.  Sometimes the preparation and anticipation are just as fun as actually fishing.  Learn to enjoy what you have, make the most if it.  If you do that, your kids and anyone you surround yourself with, will be better off with those lessons. 

For those wondering, I did win the tournament that day. 

Chris Schroeder

Unpopular Outdoors