OUTDOOR TRUTHS: Remembering Early Days of Bass Fishing

By Gary Miller

When I first began bass fishing as a young adult, I didn’t have the luxury of a bass boat

and all its frills. I fished with a friend who had a “V” hull aluminum boat. The trolling

motor was small, and the outboard was even smaller. He owned a small cabin on the

lake, so our fishing always started from the same location. Because of the limited

horsepower we rarely traveled very far away. We always fished in the same places and

seldom went home empty-handed. It seems as I got older and better equipped, I

traveled farther up and down the lake to find those illusive bass, only to have pretty

much the same results. You see now I spend more of my time moving than I do fishing

and while I can see what’s below now with all the sonar, I once knew what was below by

experience. I had fished Straight Creek Hollow so many times, under so many

situations, that I knew where the bass were probably hiding. I was simply forced to

bloom where I was planted. Oh, there were times that I wished I were up in the river or

down beside the bridge; but I was forced to learn to succeed where I was at the time.

I think about this same scenario when I deer hunt. I know that I will be better off if I will

just come to know the 50 acres I’ve been given instead of trying to hunt 400 acres.

I can remember taking a picture of a young pine tree. It was growing from the

middle of a huge rock, and it was thriving. What it couldn’t go around, above, or under, it

just went through. I knew it was not supposed to grow there but it didn’t. I knew it was

out of place but it didn’t. I could have explained to it every reason why it would never

become a fruitful tree, but the only thing that would have been unfruitful were my words.

Because, you see, it bloomed where it was planted.

Don’t let anyone tell you that you will never succeed where you are. Don’t let

anyone add you to the average or make you fit into a certain research demographic.

When God is with you, what you can’t go around, above, or under, He will take you

through.

Gary Miller has written Outdoor Truths articles for 23 years. He has also written five books which include compilations of his articles and a father/son devotional. He also speaks at wild-game

dinners and men’s events for churches and associations. Stay updated on Outdoor Truths each week by subscribing at Outdoortruths.org. Miller can be reached via email at gary@outdoortruths.org.