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Pro Tips: July 2010
Miss Lola showing off a really nice trout. Lola is a really good angler as well as an accomplished longbow whitetail deer record holder.
During the past few weeks I have been bombarded with e-mails and calls from guys interested in teaching their significant others to fish. I first want to say I know a lot of really good women anglers, some are guides you likely have heard about but most are not; they are women that were introduced to fishing in younger years by a family member or a friend.
I have to be honest here; until I met and married Renee I was not interested in having my wife or girlfriend fish with me and fishing a tournament together would have been totally out of the question. I guess as I mellowed with age I became a bit more intelligent. I also think I got a taste of how great it is to be able to share my passion for fishing with someone that actually appreciates what I have chosen to do for the past 32 years.
I love Renee and love all the qualities she possesses. Renee seems to honestly want to become a good fisherman, not for me, for her. She realizes that being good at just about anything you chose to do in life makes it that much more enjoyable.
Quick question; does it bother women that I refer to them as fishermen? I just don't like the fisher-person reference although I'm OK with fisherwoman if it makes any of you feel better. Renee does not care one way or the other. She knows I am fully aware of her gender and she has always seemed comfortable with the fisherman thing.
I am blessed to have a lot of couples that fish with me and all of the women are very good anglers. None balk at donning waders in winter or baggy wading pants and Ray Guards in summer. I hope I have provided good lessons teaching them to fish with lures as well as showing that simple and easy steps are more often that not the best approach to learning. The less we have to digest at one time is the better approach in my opinion.
I had the opportunity to speak to the Women in the Wild group here in Rockport a few weeks back and I got to fish three of my favorite girls in the Babes on the Bay tournament again this year. Gosh, this tournament has grown to proportions that very few ever imagined. My hat is off to all the ladies on the board that spend countless hours preparing for the event and then being able to actually pull it off without a hitch. I am told that 1058 women entered the tournament this year. WOW! That has to a world record for a single day women-only fishing tournament. I also had the privilege to speak to the New Braunfels CCA chapter a few weeks back and it was packed with women who fish. Women have definitely found their place in the fishing world and I for one am glad to have you. Not only are many of you excellent anglers, you bring sophistication and class to the sport.
Early on, I had a problem making the transition from husband to coach teaching Renee to fish. You see, a coach can say and do things a husband can't get away with. A mere look or a sigh from the husband can land him in the doghouse and bring the learning process to an abrupt halt.
The directions I give Renee are given for a reason. I want her to follow them, knowing that it is the right path for her. Hey girls I know guys are the absolute worst at reading directions, much less following them but we are pretty good at giving them when we actually have some knowledge of the subject at hand.
With that said it should not be hard for you to see that there is a major difference between husband and coach. A good coach wants his player to do well come game time. A good coach stands proud when hard work and practice are rewarded with the completion of a good play. Every play is by design supposed to produce a score but everyone must do his or her job. Fishing is no different, learn how to do it right, practice, and then execute what you have learned and you'll score big.
A plus for me with Renee was her athletic background and her willingness to compete. Not just against others on the boat but with herself. By no means am I suggesting that your lady needs an athletic background but it does help. Of this I am certain.
To wade and cast or drift in a boat with waves rocking requires coordination. Many need to get their muscles toned and trained before basic techniques can be taught. Practice is absolutely the only way to accomplish this portion of the learning. Most weeks I fish about 5 to 6 days and Sundays are reserved for church and the recharging the spiritual battery. I pray God does not hold it against me for taking Renee on Sundays once in while. Many times we go after attending Sunday school and I have been known to get into the skipping church mode when calm mornings greet us during our early morning cup of coffee.
An extremely important aspect of learning is proper equipment selection. Come on guys; get your girl the right stuff, the stuff you use. If it is a baitcaster or spinning reel that you have mastered, you need to teach her to fish with that. It would be very hard, I would think, to show her to use a piece of equipment that you have no confidence in or never use yourself. When I started teaching Renee I gave her one of my rods and one of my Daiwa reels.
Learning to hold the rod and reel properly and then cast and retrieve is the foundation for everything that will follow. Lure presentation was taught by having her mimic my actions. Showing seems to work better than explaining and it is important to remember that everyone must find their own rhythm. Rhythm allows the bait to react to your rod motion and also allows you to stay in contact with your bait. You can't catch what you can't feel.
To help Renee learn her baitcast reel I increased the line diameter and removed about 20 yards from the spool. This helped reduce the number of backlashes and also made them easier to clear. I prefer keeping the casting brake set rather loosely, a setting of "2" is enough. To me, setting it higher is like driving the car with the emergency brake on. They have to learn to throw far enough to reach fish that are still unaware of their presence, right? Renee can flat chunk, not necessarily with the form I would have preferred, but her muscle development from years of competitive softball allows her to do things with one arm that requires two arms for many. We are currently working on the two hand accuracy casting technique. The one hand cast, slightly side arm, reduces her accuracy but she is getting there.
Don't load your lady angler down with unnecessary equipment at first. Rod and reel and a few lures in the pocket of her Simms clothing is enough. The less we have them thinking about in the beginning the better. Just let them concentrate on chunking and retrieve rhythm.
As an aside, Simms has the best-looking women's outdoor wear that you have ever seen. (Credit card time again guys, sorry.) Comfortable waders, wading pants and wading shoes are a must. Women do not find waders flattering. But hey; we think you're beautiful no matter what you're wearing and the fact that you are spending quality time with us is awesome. I have seen myself in photos wearing waders where I look three feet tall and 200 pounds. Short, fat, and green not at all flattering.
One thing we need to remember is that once the attention span is gone it is time to take a break and get something to eat or drink and maybe even take a boat ride to cool off. An early morning fishing trip and then lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants and a cold margarita can sure put you in the catbird seat for the coming week.
Finally, never make your wife or girlfriend clean the boat or the fish. Treat her special, even if she did kick your butt on the water. Ladies, I believe you still want us to treat you like ladies no matter what society may want us to believe. I love taking Renee fishing and I hope she knows how special she has made this old fishing guide feel by showing such interest in what I have spent my life doing.
May your fishing always be catching. - Guide Jay Watkins
I have to be honest here; until I met and married Renee I was not interested in having my wife or girlfriend fish with me and fishing a tournament together would have been totally out of the question. I guess as I mellowed with age I became a bit more intelligent. I also think I got a taste of how great it is to be able to share my passion for fishing with someone that actually appreciates what I have chosen to do for the past 32 years.
I love Renee and love all the qualities she possesses. Renee seems to honestly want to become a good fisherman, not for me, for her. She realizes that being good at just about anything you chose to do in life makes it that much more enjoyable.
Quick question; does it bother women that I refer to them as fishermen? I just don't like the fisher-person reference although I'm OK with fisherwoman if it makes any of you feel better. Renee does not care one way or the other. She knows I am fully aware of her gender and she has always seemed comfortable with the fisherman thing.
I am blessed to have a lot of couples that fish with me and all of the women are very good anglers. None balk at donning waders in winter or baggy wading pants and Ray Guards in summer. I hope I have provided good lessons teaching them to fish with lures as well as showing that simple and easy steps are more often that not the best approach to learning. The less we have to digest at one time is the better approach in my opinion.
I had the opportunity to speak to the Women in the Wild group here in Rockport a few weeks back and I got to fish three of my favorite girls in the Babes on the Bay tournament again this year. Gosh, this tournament has grown to proportions that very few ever imagined. My hat is off to all the ladies on the board that spend countless hours preparing for the event and then being able to actually pull it off without a hitch. I am told that 1058 women entered the tournament this year. WOW! That has to a world record for a single day women-only fishing tournament. I also had the privilege to speak to the New Braunfels CCA chapter a few weeks back and it was packed with women who fish. Women have definitely found their place in the fishing world and I for one am glad to have you. Not only are many of you excellent anglers, you bring sophistication and class to the sport.
Early on, I had a problem making the transition from husband to coach teaching Renee to fish. You see, a coach can say and do things a husband can't get away with. A mere look or a sigh from the husband can land him in the doghouse and bring the learning process to an abrupt halt.
The directions I give Renee are given for a reason. I want her to follow them, knowing that it is the right path for her. Hey girls I know guys are the absolute worst at reading directions, much less following them but we are pretty good at giving them when we actually have some knowledge of the subject at hand.
With that said it should not be hard for you to see that there is a major difference between husband and coach. A good coach wants his player to do well come game time. A good coach stands proud when hard work and practice are rewarded with the completion of a good play. Every play is by design supposed to produce a score but everyone must do his or her job. Fishing is no different, learn how to do it right, practice, and then execute what you have learned and you'll score big.
A plus for me with Renee was her athletic background and her willingness to compete. Not just against others on the boat but with herself. By no means am I suggesting that your lady needs an athletic background but it does help. Of this I am certain.
To wade and cast or drift in a boat with waves rocking requires coordination. Many need to get their muscles toned and trained before basic techniques can be taught. Practice is absolutely the only way to accomplish this portion of the learning. Most weeks I fish about 5 to 6 days and Sundays are reserved for church and the recharging the spiritual battery. I pray God does not hold it against me for taking Renee on Sundays once in while. Many times we go after attending Sunday school and I have been known to get into the skipping church mode when calm mornings greet us during our early morning cup of coffee.
An extremely important aspect of learning is proper equipment selection. Come on guys; get your girl the right stuff, the stuff you use. If it is a baitcaster or spinning reel that you have mastered, you need to teach her to fish with that. It would be very hard, I would think, to show her to use a piece of equipment that you have no confidence in or never use yourself. When I started teaching Renee I gave her one of my rods and one of my Daiwa reels.
Learning to hold the rod and reel properly and then cast and retrieve is the foundation for everything that will follow. Lure presentation was taught by having her mimic my actions. Showing seems to work better than explaining and it is important to remember that everyone must find their own rhythm. Rhythm allows the bait to react to your rod motion and also allows you to stay in contact with your bait. You can't catch what you can't feel.
To help Renee learn her baitcast reel I increased the line diameter and removed about 20 yards from the spool. This helped reduce the number of backlashes and also made them easier to clear. I prefer keeping the casting brake set rather loosely, a setting of "2" is enough. To me, setting it higher is like driving the car with the emergency brake on. They have to learn to throw far enough to reach fish that are still unaware of their presence, right? Renee can flat chunk, not necessarily with the form I would have preferred, but her muscle development from years of competitive softball allows her to do things with one arm that requires two arms for many. We are currently working on the two hand accuracy casting technique. The one hand cast, slightly side arm, reduces her accuracy but she is getting there.
Don't load your lady angler down with unnecessary equipment at first. Rod and reel and a few lures in the pocket of her Simms clothing is enough. The less we have them thinking about in the beginning the better. Just let them concentrate on chunking and retrieve rhythm.
As an aside, Simms has the best-looking women's outdoor wear that you have ever seen. (Credit card time again guys, sorry.) Comfortable waders, wading pants and wading shoes are a must. Women do not find waders flattering. But hey; we think you're beautiful no matter what you're wearing and the fact that you are spending quality time with us is awesome. I have seen myself in photos wearing waders where I look three feet tall and 200 pounds. Short, fat, and green not at all flattering.
One thing we need to remember is that once the attention span is gone it is time to take a break and get something to eat or drink and maybe even take a boat ride to cool off. An early morning fishing trip and then lunch at one of the many waterfront restaurants and a cold margarita can sure put you in the catbird seat for the coming week.
Finally, never make your wife or girlfriend clean the boat or the fish. Treat her special, even if she did kick your butt on the water. Ladies, I believe you still want us to treat you like ladies no matter what society may want us to believe. I love taking Renee fishing and I hope she knows how special she has made this old fishing guide feel by showing such interest in what I have spent my life doing.
May your fishing always be catching. - Guide Jay Watkins