I have been fishing all of my life and I have been fortunate to have had some very good days on the water, but I have never had anything like what recently happened.
On March 6th 2004 I received a 1652sc camo jon-boat from G3 Boats® in the new Mossy Oak Break-Up® pattern. This boat is a 2005 proto type and I was doing some commercial photography on the boat. Fortunately for me, I was able to keep the boat for about a month to do the photos along with some evaluation and testing. I spend a lot of days on the water each year and of course I’m always going to be fishing.
This no non-sense boat has a record at the moment that is beyond anything I could have expected in a lifetime of fishing. The darn craft is just simply undefeated! I spent 20 out of the last 23 days on the water and the boat, which has been renamed “Mr. Lucky”, as it has boated 612 fish to date!
Although this might seem like another fish story, I promise you it is true and I have several witnesses, plus numerous photos to verify the events. Here is the break-down.
White Bass = 520
Crappie = 59
Black Bass = 13
Bluegill = 12
Walleye = 4
Rainbow Trout = 3
Hybrid Bass = 1
This recent experience started me to thinking about how and what fish see from under the water and more importantly what spooks them. Everyone already knows that fish see and determine color in lures, this is a fact and it’s not much in debate. If fish couldn’t determine color and contrast then a lot of tackle companies would have to close their doors overnight. Many people will tell you that there are certain things that just plain spook the fish, especially in clear water. Heavy line, motor noise, boat noise, bright lights and so on. I have talked to anglers who refuse to buy a white, yellow or shiny aluminum boat. I also once fished with a guy who would yell at me every time I would show up wearing any bright clothing and then he would say, “here put this on”. A camouflage boat probably looks like just another floating bunch of twigs and moss from a fishes point of view, but a yellow or white boat surely looks like something they might want to stay clear of.
I really have no idea if camo fishes better, but I can not argue with the results of the last months fishing successes. Like I said before; “I have certainly been blessed with my share of nice days on the water, but they never lasted the entire month of March before.
Perhaps I’m crazy, but just as a way to generate some conversation; I thought I would ask this question. Has anyone else out there noticed an increase in fishing productivity after switching to a camo boat? If so please let me know, as more research is certainly needed on this subject. My email address is [email protected].
People have asked me lately “what the heck pattern are you fishing”? I just smile and say G3/Mossy Oak Break Up®. Why? What pattern are you fishing?By: Stephen Matt
