Story by Justin Brouillard | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Everyone that fishes for bass has heard about the usual fishing superstitions — bananas in the boat are bad luck, same for catching a fish on the first cast. Plenty of anglers believe in lucky lures or that they need to kiss each bass they catch. As a tournament angler for 40 years now, I have a few superstitions of my own.
Bananas: Did you know that the banana in the boat superstition came from way back in the sailing days because bananas were known to spoil other fruits and attract pests? Who knew?! I did because I’ve been in pest control for 20 years.
First Cast: I always make my initial presentation away from my target so I don’t catch a fish on the first cast. Many years ago, I was leading a tournament going into the second day. When I got to my first spot I caught a four pounder on a buzzbait … on the first cast. I only caught four fish that day and ended up in second place. That event scarred me, and I’ll never do that again!
Hats: Everyone has a lucky hat, and last year on the second day of our first NPFL event at Pickwick, I wore a Pulse Fish Lures hat. I caught 17 pounds that day and ended up 10th in the tournament. I went on to wear that hat every competition day for the rest of the season, and I’ll always believe it had a role in me winning the AOY title. Call me crazy, maybe it’s a mindset, maybe it helped to keep me calm, but something about it worked. It was Linus with his blanket, and Neil Paul — the executive director of Visit Anderson, our host at Lake Hartwell — has that sun-faded hat in his office now as a keepsake.
Lucky Lure: I won a tournament years ago on a Bagley DB3 in the gray ghost color. I still have that lure but haven’t thrown it since that day. I have several go-to lures when I need a bite, but the ones that have won big events for me end up on the shelf.
Neatness Counts: I’m usually not an OCD person, but when I’m fishing, I like everything to be in its place. I feel the more organized I am during the day, the more efficient I’ll be, which might lead to one or two extra fish catches that make a difference. I see buddies with piles of baits in the floor at the end of the day, and that would really mess with my mindset.
Last Day of Practice: At the end of the final day of practice, I’ll sit in the boat and change line on the reels that need it, retie everything, and give the boat a final going through before heading to the ramp. Most of the time we have an off day before the event starts, and while most everyone likes to sit in their boat working on tackle that day, I like to relax and take it easy, play golf if possible, and think about decisions for the tournament. I believe it helps me get ready for the task at hand.
I’d love to hear about some of your superstitions … but not if one of them is wearing the same underwear three days in a row!
Tight Lines.
Todd Goade – Angler Profile
