The next time that sun is beating you down and an empty live well is driving you crazy, remember that staying focused may improve upon an enjoyable outing for you and your child, or it may mean the difference between the winner's circle and a long drive home.

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/tournament-mentality.html

Anyone who has spent any time on the water, knows there are those ninety degree days which are much worse on the water than on land.

I've experienced several in my lobstering days. A wall of humidity limiting visibility to a mile or less. A glassy surface, and you are in an oven. The sun, the glare, and the non-evaporating sweat which leaves you as wet as if you'd fallen overboard.

How to help stay focused?

Here's what I did.

Take that new, now sweat stained hat from your head. Dip it in the pond, lake, ocean. Fill it with water. Place on your head. Repeat as necessary.

Cooling your head is the quickest way to cool your body, short of taking the plunge.

I'll never forget one of those miserable days. We were catching plenty of lobsters. But even that did not alleviate the misery. It was that oppressive.

My deckhand, Spencer, asked me to keep one of the six compartments of the holding tank empty. No problem since each compartment could hold over 300 pounds of lobster.

Spencer was periodically dousing himself with the deck hose for relief. I was stuck in the sheltered hauling area with the exhaust of an 8/71 Jimmy diesel adding to the heat.

When we were finished hauling, and the boat had been cleaned, Spencer removed the cover of the tank, and every stitch of clothing on his body, and clambered into the compartment that held only water.

He squatted in the tank until he was jaw deep in 70 degree sea water. And there he stayed, with a satisfied grin on his face, for most of the trip home.

You have to know Spencer, to appreciate how the heat affected him.

He is a guy that never gets cold. He'll be outdoors in a tee shirt while everyone else is bundled up like eskimos.

great article. i just find it hard to stay focused when not getting any fish or even any bites, but i guess thats where practice comes in.

Man, i have been there before! After a few hours with no bites i struggle even staying out there. Then if i do get a bite i am so distracted that i usually miss it, LOL! Guess that's why i don;t tournament fish!

Great article Glenn. Thanks.

I don't tourney fish but have had days out there where I'm baked out on the lake. I take the time to sit back, drink a cold bottle of water and try to figure out where the fish are.

They sell hats with different cooling crystals in them similar to this brand.

http://www.chillfactorclothing.com/about.html

I have a fishing cap that has the crystals in it (got it from a previous employer) but rarely wear it. I prefer my Bilibong hat out there.

Thanks, Glenn.