Many a fishermen have debated amongst themselves as to who the better fisherman really is. Many will say, "I don't fish tournaments, by I am a better fishermen than my buddy .... ". The minute we compare our fishing abilities to someone else, be it out loud or under our breath, we are competing. Most of us are competitive by nature, and fishermen in particular have no problem pushing aside a little vanity to get a photo of their latest catch under the nose of a fishing buddy. Yes my fishing friends, we are all guilty of this, and we are ALL competitors and there is nothing wrong with that. It shows passion!
Being competitive means we need to know who is best. We desire to know where we reside on the competition ladder. For some this ladder is international, for others it may be at a state or province, and for many, it's only has you and your buddy on it. Whatever your drive or goal, your ladder exists somewhere, and you are either climbing it or falling off it. The question is, how do you evaluate yourself?
Some anglers consider the ability to snag the largest fish possible as the true test of a fisherman. This would imply that a marlin fisherman, by default is better than a largemouth bass angler, due to the size the respective species can grow to. Of course a marlin mounted above the fireplace, will overshadow the nine pound bass on the opposite wall. Is this a fair assessment of the ability of each angler, or does the depth of the wallet prelude the title of ultimate angler? Others think the more fish you catch the better an angler you are. Then it comes down to how often you can afford to go fishing or how much water time your significant other permits.
So let's examine first, some of the popular methods used in formal tournaments to establish a winner. Some of the most popular, like the FLW Tour, are based on the most fish caught. This may be by weight or by length. At the end of the given time period, the person who has accrued the most pounds or inches is crowned with the title. Other tournaments might look simply for the single biggest fish caught. Many tournaments will have categories for both and some will have a formula for scoring combined fish numbers and size. There are of course many more variations, but in all these the attempt is being made to establish who is truly the best fisherman.
What about luck? No matter how you slice and dice this topic, luck is a factor that cannot be ignored. It dos exist. It is by no means an overriding factor, when comparing anglers. Certainly a skillful angler with in-depth knowledge of where the big ones lurk, can use this to his/her advantage in establishing their rightful place on the throne. With that said, two equally skilled anglers fishing in the same spot may have to turn to lady luck for that lunker to take a bite, or to take the lead by half an inch of fish length. Fishermen who consistently catch bigger fish and more than their opponents start to exhibit a trend that pushes them up the ladder of ultimate angler. This is where luck is clearly being replaced by skill.
How does this relate to the recreational angler who doesn't have a level playing field established by time lines and rules? We look at each other and compare similar factors as are used in the tournaments. We look to see if our friends are catching anything at all, when we are being skunked. We compare length/weight and we certainly always ask "how many did you get?". So in many ways, recreational anglers are not much different from the tournament fishermen.
How do the above criteria relate to different species. Mike is a professional bass fishermen, but can't catch trout to save his ugly stick. Does this make him less of an angler? What about the plumber, Joe, who can fish any new body of water, salt or fresh, and catch hal decent fish? Which of these two is the better angler. In my opinion it is Joe, who's knowledge of so many species of fish, can adapt to catch whatever is available at the time.
The GEOREC Challenge was established to
try and level the playing field a little. In this challenge, it is the ability to catch as many different species as possible, followed by the longest of each. So it is the angler who knowledge of fish behavior and conditions, for all species, that will make him the ultimate angler. understanding the fish and their behavior usually translates into knowing where the big ones lurk and what they're eating.
So, if you're uncertain about your angling abilities and would like to quantify your abilities, give the GEOREC Challenge a shot.
