By Dustin Wilks
Special to BassFan

(Editor's note: "Catching Bass with Dustin Wilks" airs four times per week on the World Fishing Network – 6:30 p.m. ET Monday, 3:30 a.m. Tuesday, 3:30 p.m. Saturday and 9:30 a.m. Sunday. The six-time Bassmaster Classic qualifier writes about various aspects of the sport in these periodic submissions.)

Bass fishing is the best.

Bass are the most understood, most studied and mostly widely dispersed of all game fish in the U.S. No matter where you live, if there is a body of water nearby – even a tiny creek or 1/4-acre pond – there are likely bass there.

I think back to when I was a kid. I hopped on my bike in Raleigh, N.C. with a fishing rod or two across the handlebars and a pocket full of lures and off I went, often with my friend Ricky, who lived down the street. Any water nearby for a kid like me was fair game. I was even fascinated at peering into the smallest of creeks, the ones you could hop across in hopes of seeing a bass, which I often did.

There was no Google Earth, no fancy maps, so I just followed creeks and ditches downstream until I found a pond or lake. People were friendly and times were simpler.

I couldn’t wait for each issue of In-Fisherman and Bassmaster to come in so I could read them cover to cover. With In-Fisherman, I would quickly flip to the bass feature that was in every magazine. Sunday night, it was TNN for the big-time fishing show lineup of Bill Dance, Orlando Wilson, Jimmy Huston, Roland Martin and of course the grand finale – the Bassmasters with Bob Cobb. And you can’t forget Al Lindner, a guy who truly loves fishing. I don’t know him, but still love to watch him on TV. The enthusiasm is off the charts.

All of those shows where heavy advertisements for fishing gear, but I didn’t care and still don’t today. I learned – and still learn – so much, but never as much as from actually fishing. And boy, did I fish, nearly every day for years. Weather didn’t matter.

Our lakes and ponds rarely froze, but even if they did, my buddies and I would head to the lake, throwing big rocks in to break holes in the ice so we could drop jigs down through them – now that’s North Carolina ice fishing at its finest! Never caught one doing that, but it was fun.

Bass fishing being the best is easy to explain to BassFans, but hard to get across to anyone who doesn’t bass-fish. The pursuit is a true blend of art, feel and athletic ability.

There is something about the way a bass strikes a lure that I can’t get enough of — the surprise, the look and feel of the attack. I love everything about it, from the unique feel of each different lure to the feel and action of the perfect rod for each bait. Trying new lures and techniques is another thing I love. There are so many ways to catch bass that none is right or wrong. You can play the sport alone or with friends. In no other sport does the playing field change so much, sometimes by the second.

Yes, luck plays a big part, but persistence and time on the water brings most of the luck. Figuring out the best pattern for the day, or even the hour, is part of the fun.

When I hear somebody claim that fishing isn't a sport, I only smile and think they have never done it. There are fewer professional bass fishermen than there are baseball, football or basketball players. The time and the prep work required for fishing is far beyond any mainstream sport. Put a fishing rod into the denier's hands and you will get a good chuckle.

Casting is an art and the result of years of practice and muscle memory. The focus and dedication it takes to be at the top of the game is incredible. My hat's off to all the professionals who have stayed in the game so long – Rick Clunn especially. Clunn is one of those guys who loves it. If there is a pond in the campground where he's staying, no fish is safe

My favorite fisherman who loves the sport more than anyone (except maybe me) is Charlie Hartley. He still giggles like a kid on every fish. Charlie and I would often fish a pond, creek or lake near the tournament waters the day before official practice would start. Both of us would be on the water somewhere soon after the event, too.

Which brings me to my final point: The people in fishing are the greatest, as well. Guy Eaker comes to mind, as well as many others, as examples of just good people in fishing. I got to share a boat with Guy for filming and the fishing was secondary – which is almost never the case for me.

We BassFans love bass fishing for so many different reasons. You don’t have to be a tournament fisherman or even own a boat to absolutely love bass fishing. For me, the way a bass bites never gets old.

Why is bass fishing the best for you?