I know last week I said we’d talk a little about Guntersville and preparations for the Classic but we’re going to push that off for a week. There are a couple of things that I haven’t had the time to check out just yet. And I want to give you a little information about the Alabama Bass Trail.
The Guntersville Wildcats won their playoff games. The big one — the Super Bowl — will be this Saturday. They play the Etowah Blue Devils. We practiced Monday and will do it again on Thursday to get ready. I’m guessing it’ll be a pretty good game. Everyone’s getting into it, that’s for sure.
It’s nice to see youngsters and their families doing the right thing regardless of whether it’s about sports or about the outdoors. It makes me feel good about our community and our country. More importantly, it teaches kids the right values and it helps to keep them out of trouble. It’s about wholesome activities.
Speaking of wholesome activities — gun season opens here in about a week. As soon as the big game is over, it’ll be time to sight in our guns and get ready to head for the woods. I absolutely love it out there.
Someone asked me if we’re trophy hunters or meat hunters. The answer is both. We hunt for what we can find. It’s about the outdoors experience with us. Heck, we’ll even look around for a turkey or a hog.
There’s something about fishing and hunting that go together. I guess that sounds obvious but it really isn’t. They’re two very different sports and they have two very different sets of skills. The only thing they have in common, besides being in the outdoors, is that you have to know your prey to be successful.
Those of you who know me are probably laughing a little at my talking about hunting. You hunt when it gets cold, or at least cold by Alabama standards. And it’s no secret that I’m not a fan of cold weather. All I can say is that I can man up when it’s necessary. It’s necessary during hunting season.
When I’m not out hunting this winter, I’ll be fishing Guntersville getting ready for the Classic in February. I know the lake but when you’re fishing against half a hundred of the best anglers in the country you need to know more, no matter how much you think you know. Things can change in an hour or two. It’s almost impossible to adapt unless you know the lake. It’s really that simple.
The last thing I want to mention is Thanksgiving. It’s coming up at the end of this month, you know. We all need to think about what a great country we have, despite some obvious problems, and how much tougher our lives could be under different circumstances.
The Lane family will take a few minutes out of our family festivities to do that, and we’ll do something to help the less fortunate. That’s important. I hope all of you feel the same way.
Chris Lane’s column appears weekly on Bassmaster.com. You can also find him on www.twitter.com/ChrisLaneFish and www.facebook.com/chrislanefishing or visit his website, www.chrislanefishing.com.