Over the past four decades I've run into fishermen who would fall under a category like "Give me good old monotony."
They rarely, if ever, change. They fish the same places with the same type of equipment and the same lures or bait.
Granted every trip should offer a learning experience, but it also is nice to have a little variety, too.
That was always the allure of taking trips to Canada when fishing in the Kawartha Lakes chain. You could target a number of species. While many Americans were hooked on getting as much "meat" as they could while catching one panfish after another, some of us relished the idea of fishing in waters that offered us numerous species in the same lake.
Thus, after catching panfish in the mornings, or for only a couple of days, we would try for walleyes, smallmouth, largemouth bass and muskie. The challenge of trying to catch muskie enticed a number of us. None of us had any muskie waters in our backyard as the saying goes.
The thing about muskie fishing is that you might catch a walleye or a bass while fishing for these toothy creatures. We spent months looking forward to fishing for a species we didn't fish for back home.
A couple of buddies and this angler have taken to targeting bluegills and crappies early in the year with a variety of techniques and then once they've spawned moving on to bass or flathead catfishing. Lately, fishing upground reservoirs has become another target.
Even when fishing for one species, be versatile. Instead of specifically casting top waters, spinnerbait, crankbait, worm, tube or jig and pig combo for bass, try them all. Learn to fish a variety of baits. It can be a lot of fun. And quite rewarding.
Add in some other tricks such as flipping or pitching for bass. You can haul out some dandy fish from places that are difficult or impossible to reach by merely casting.
For the best fun in bass fishing go light. Try either a flyrod or an ultralight spinning outfit.
A 10-inch bass can give you quite a fight on these outfits and larger fish can feel like a real brute on four- or six-pound test line or on a flyrod. Casting minibaits or flies is an excellent way to pass a summer evening. Bass won't be the only thing you catch. You can get a real mixed bag at times, which adds to your trip.
If you are strictly a bass fisherman, try panfish, walleyes or catfish.
If you like to fish with live bait, try artificial lures. If you like to fish with artificials, try some live bait fishing.
Sometimes we could use a change in our style. It sure beats monotony.
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If you think you are seeing more fishermen at your favorite lake, stream or river, you probably are correct.
The American Sportfishing Association (ASA) says fishing license sales are up 11 percent in the first quarter of this year (January-March) compared with the first quarter of 2008, according to a sample survey of state fish and wildlife agencies. It says there are indications the sales in the second quarter will be stronger in 2009 than in 2008 with some state agencies reporting increases which continued through the Memorial Day weekend.
Some interesting statistics from the ASA indicate that nearly half of all fishermen are between 35-54 and that 25 percent of anglers are women.
(Al Smith is outdoor editor of The Crescent-News. Contact him at outdoor@crescent-news.com)