Bill Dance - Bill Dances Fishing Wisdom: 101 Secrets to Catching More and Bigger Fish

B ill Dance has been fishing since he was a little boy growing up near Lynchburg, Tennessee, in the 1940s and 50s. Back then, he used to fish nearby Mulberry Creek with his grandfather. As he grew into a teenager, he at first thought he wanted to be a doctor. Then he had a change of heart, realizing that fishing was his true love (well, actually his second, behind Dianne, his wife of almost fifty years). He has, in the years since, turned his love of fishing into his career, and has been one of the leading, most well-known anglers in this country for a little more than forty years, first building his reputation as a tournament bass angler starting in the late 1960s. Since 1968, his television show Bill Dance Outdoors has entertained angling viewers every weekend, first in the Memphis, Tennessee, area, but now nationwide, reaching twenty million viewers with each airing.

Known not only for his personable, self-deprecating humor but also for his ability to connect with his audience, Dance is, above all else, a serious fishermanthe kind who takes the time to figure things out on his own, who isnt content to read what someone else has to say about fishing tactics and simply go with it. Credited with developing the popular Carolina rig, Dance has fished his way to twenty-three national bass titles. He is an eight-time Bass Master Classic qualifier, was named B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year in 1969, 1974, and 1977, and in 1986 was elected to the National Freshwater Fishing Hall of Fame. In 2006, he was inducted into the IGFA (International Game Fish Association) Hall of Fame.

Aside from his television show (he actually has a second, Bill Dance Saltwater), Dance also gives fishing seminars across the country, does tackle endorsements, has his own magazine, plus has done a series of fishing blooper videos that are, in a word, hilarious.

Dance has also authored seven books. In this book of tips and tactics, youll find a valuable array of insights, from how to effectively fish a dock to how to tie super-strong knots. Dance knows of what he speaks, having personally tested and retested every tip and tactic covered in this handy book.

When I asked him why he wrote Bill Dances Fishing Wisdom, Dance replied that he likes to share what he has learned over the years with other anglers.

I used to think that a fishermans stature was measured by the amount of fish he could throw up on the dock, he said, but what gives me more pleasure is being able to let others know what Ive learned about this great sport of fishing. The format doesnt really matter, eitherit could be in print, like this book, or on the radio or television. So long as its some form of education, so long as I can help people become better fishermen with hints and tips, thats what its all about.

If youre a beginning fisherman or an older fisherman wanting to improve your game, Dance has some solid advice.

Try to learn just one new thing on every outing, he advised. Dont try to learn too much at any one time. Keep it simple. Thats the key. Dont try to overdo it.

Also, if you can, try to go fishing with an experienced fisherman; observe, and ask questions. We can learn from each other; experience is the greatest teacher in the world.

For example, if I want to know how to do something, like fishing spinnerbaits, then Im going to get with someone who knows the subject, and Im going to ask lots of questions about it. I can read about a topic, and learn a lot that way, but if I have the opportunity to get with someone with experience, Im going to do that too. And again, ask questions: How do you work a topwater bait? When do you work a top-water bait? What about water clarity? What about water temperature? Why did you select that size? Why did you select that color? Why did you select one with blades on it? Why did you select one with a mouth on it? Why did you select one without a mouth on it? Why do you fish a spinnerbait with a Colorado blade? Why do you fish one with an Indiana blade? Why are you fishing that shallow. Why are you fishing that deep? Where do you fish it in summer, fall, winter, spring, cold water, hot water, muddy water, clear water? If you want to be a good spinnerbait fisherman, ask questions, and youll learn! Theres nothing like a good teacher. Plus, you can never stop learning, which is why fishing is such a great sport.

When asked about what intrigues him so much about fishing, Dance didnt hesitate. Its the challenge, he said. It always has been, ever since I was an itty bitty boy wading creeks like Mulberry Creek in middle Tennessee.

I dont care how much you know, how experienced you are, how good you are, or how determined you are, Dance continued. When you compete against Mother Nature and her creatures, you are not going to be successful 100 percent of the time. And thats where that word challenge comes in. You are challenged when you compete against Mother Nature. Youre competing against another living creature. Its not like golf or baseball or football, where youre competing against something that you control. If you dont hit that golf ball just right, its not the golf balls fault. Its your fault. If you dont throw the football just right, its not the footballs fault, its your fault. But you can make the perfect cast, with the perfect lure, have the perfect retrieve, the perfect presentation, the perfect locationeverything is perfect. But youre competing against something thats alive out there. Youre trying to lure a fish out of its world, into your world, and thats a huge challenge. To compete against another living creature with something thats a phony, a fake, an artificial, something made out of plastic, wood, metal, rubber, and to throw it out there and to make it come alive, to challenge that creature, to strike it and to catch it now thats a