You would be hard pressed to find an accomplished tournament angler who claims to be self-taught. The high level of fishing skill required to consistently finish well in Operation Bass events is invariably learned from other anglers. In many instances, one person paves the way for another by playing the role of trusted guide, tutor, and coach. In other words, it takes a mentor to put an angler on the road to fishing success.
The initial fishing knowledge, and the passion for this sport, typically passes down from parents to siblings. That usually means from father to son or daughter. But the mentor may just as easily be a mother, a relative, a more experience fishing friend, or someone who volunteers to be a big brother or sister to a youngster.
Do you know someone who needs a fishing mentor? Are you thinking of taking on that worthy role? If so, you may benefit from insights on how things were done in the Hibdon and Brauer households.
Guido Hibdon and Denny Brauer are two of the most renowned and respected anglers in the realm of competitive angling. Both are also devoted parents who have been mentors to their sons in the art and science of bass fishing. By any measurable standard, they’ve been wonderful teachers. Both Dion Hibdon and Chad Brauer have won major bass tournaments and appear destined to enjoy long, lucrative careers.
START EASY
You may be tempted to wait until children are old enough to make a diligent effort at fishing before bringing them along. But the goal of the first outings should be to simply introduce kids to the outdoors. For the Hibdons and Brauers, the motto is: never too young.
“My wife Shirley, and I had Chad in the boat when he was still in diapers,” said Denny. “He was holding a fishing rod by the time he was two years old.”
“The first time I took Dion fishing,” said Guido, “he ran around so much I had to tie him in the boat. I was scared to death I was going to lose him.”
Because bass can be so elusive, they are not the best species on which to start kids. Panfish, such as bluegills, crappies, and white bass, are more easily caught. They’re just the thing to whet a young anglers appetite for fishing. Casting bobbers from the bank into a well-stocked bluegill pond is ideal.
“There are days when I go out and don’t catch any bass,” said Denny. “A youngster needs to get something pulling on his line as soon as possible. Kids won’t go for hours without getting a bite. I also think you need to make shorter trips and go when the weather’s good. Don’t drag kids through all the hardships we endure while fishing tournaments.”
ALLOW FOR DIVERSIONS
Always bear in mind that youngsters have short attention spans and that few of them can fish for extended periods. Most children lose interest after a hour or two, even those who later develop into champion bass anglers. Fishing patience and perseverance develops over time.
When youngsters would rather hunt frogs or skip stones than fish, give them that opportunity. Force them to continue fishing and you may quell the very love of the sport you hope to instill. The best thing you can do at this point is to let them enjoy being outdoors and explore whatever they find new and exciting.
Dion now has three sons of his own, Payden, 6, and 3-year-old twins, Lawson and Conner. Payden is a frequent fishing partner and is already slinging a bait-casting outfit. When Payden tires of fishing, Dion lets him frolic on the bank, just as Guido did with him.
“Payden will fish with me for a few hours,” said Dion. “When he gets bored, I let him out on the bank with our Chesapeake retriever. I’ll fish while he explores and plays fetch with the dog.”
DON’T PUSH TOO HARD
No matter how passionate you may be about fishing or how badly you want a youngster to become hooked on it, you simply can’t force the issue. By all means invite the child along at every opportunity. If they fail to accept, however, don’t get discouraged or bully them into going.
“Fishing is one thing my dad never pushed me to do,” said Dion. “I think kids can get burned out pretty easily. If I wanted to go with him, I was welcome to come along. I remember many Saturday mornings when I would be laying on the living room floor watching cartoons. Dad would ask me one time if I wanted to go fishing and that was it. If I didn’t get up and get ready, he would leave, and I’d sit around all day long wishing I’d gone.”
SUPPORT THE FISHING HABIT
While growing up, both Dion and Chad regularly fished with their fathers. Since they both lived near lakes, they also could go fishing about any time they desired, even when their fathers were away at tournaments.
In Dion’s case, several relatives lived nearby who where happy to take him fishing whenever he wanted to go. The Brauers’ house overlooks Lake of the Ozarks and Chad had only to walk to the shoreline and cast. When Chad was 12 years old, his parents bought him a 14-foot aluminum bass boat. It was tethered to the family dock, ready to go on a moment’s notice. The boat rarely sat idle for long.
“I fished from that boat almost every day,” said Chad, “before and after school.”
If you don’t live close to fishing water, the next best thing you can do is make every effort to take kids fishing when they ask to go. If you can’t take them, try to arrange for them to fish with a friend or relative.
AVOID LECTURES
Of course, the big advantage for Dion and Chad is that their fathers are walking tomes of bass fishing know-how. Though the sons have obviously learned a great deal, Guido and Denny claim they never made a concerted effort to pass along their vast knowledge. They simply took their kids fishing and let them learn mainly by watching and emulating.
“If I wanted to learn I had to pay attention,” said Dion. “Dad was always teaching me things, but he never lectured me. I think I learned better because of that.”
Dion and Chad also received invaluable fishing experience by traveling to tournaments with their fathers, which they did during summer vacations and occasionally during the school year.
“Whenever dad and I went to tournaments, I pretty much fished with him every practice day,” Chad said. “I remember one tournament on Kentucky Lake where I actually helped him. He had me throwing a buzzbait out of the back of the boat, and I started getting quite a few bites on it. That convinced him to fish a buzzbait in the tournament, and he finished in second place with it.”
Being around the excitement of tournaments and participating in them during practice rounds helped Dion and Chad get a feel for bass competitions and to grow at ease with the whole process. It bolstered their enthusiasm to fish tournaments, while at the same time alleviating anxieties and teaching them to focus on the job at hand.
You don’t need to be a big wheel on the professional bass trail to offer this advantage. A youngster will benefit as much by fishing practice days at Red Man events as they will during Wal-Mart FLW tournaments. The key is to make the effort it requires to bring a fledgling angler with you. Who knows, he or she may even put you on a hot pattern, as Chad did for Denny.
REAP WHAT YOU SOW
The Hibdons and Brauers claim they never experienced the tumultuous phase that many parents endure when their children are teenagers. They credit the time they spend sharing what they love, the outdoors.
Chad said, “We get along so well because we have fishing and hunting in common. Whatever the season, we’re always out doing something together.”
These days the Brauers work as a team when fishing tournaments, just as the Hibdons have done for years. They plot strategies together, share fishing information, and encourage each other to hang tough and perform at the highest level possible.
“I have a great personal and working relationship with Chad,” said Denny. “Having fishing in common is a real asset. It’s something we both truly enjoy. Watching Chad win his first major professional tournament was the highlight of my career. That meant more to me than any tournament I’ve ever won.”
The Hibdons enjoy the same closeness. Life gets even better when Dion’s wife, Jill, comes to a tournament and brings the three boys to be with their father and grandparents, Guido and Stella. The best moment of all for Guido was the day Dion emerged as the winner of a major championship event.
“I could have won that tournament 20 times, and it wouldn’t have tickled me half as much as when he won it,” Guido said.