What getting "skunked" teaches us about bass fishing and ourselves

Have you ever had one of THOSE days?  Well guess what, Bass do too.  Getting skunked for the fishing uninitiated means “catching no Fish”.  

What about one of THESE days:

You're out on the water or beating the bank.  The Bass are there, you can see evidence of them, you've downsized, you've changed from top-water to mid to bottom.  You've gone from flash to subtle, from power to finesse, changed colors multiple times and they're not taking anything.  

What do you do?  Well I'm going to tell you… sometimes Bass for whatever reason are just off.  It's hard to find a guide or tutorial that will tell you anything but, wrong location, wrong presentation, wrong time, wrong color or any combination thereof.  I have learned in this weird-weather spring of 2020 that sometimes they are just full, wind-shocked, off during that time or for whatever reason, not feeding.

It happens.  When it does, just remember, we have days like that too.  I have gone through an insanely rough time lately in my personal life and I know many of you probably have too.  The situation that we are currently in Globally is truly unprecedented and sometimes fish and especially Bass have a season like that too.  At least to me, in the northern midwest here in the US it seems the Bass share this in common with us.  It has been a weird spring to say the least.

I have seen Bass this spring making beds, schooling and holding both deep and shallow all at the same time in relatively small areas.  Water temperatures and levels have varied wildly from sometimes one end of a body of water to the other.

During rough times, sometimes Bass just suspend, or hang out in one spot.  Much like what many of us have been doing.

I guess for me, the lesson is this:  we all go through rough times.  Man, fish and everything between.  Getting skunked can teach us just as much and sometimes more than having one of those every-other-cast days.  Pay attention to what's going on in the environment around you, try your hardest and don't forget to appreciate the time you get to spend doing what you love.  Even if the fish aren't being cooperative, don't get frustrated and go home feeling worse than you did when you came.  I've made that mistake too many times.

Tight lines and even if there's no fish on, fish on!