By Miles Burghoff
Special to BassFan
(Editor's note: BassFan will suspend feature publication during the holidays as it does each year, although important breaking news will still be reported. We wish everyone a joyous holiday and we'll be back after New Year's.)
Before this year’s offseason, my longest hiatus from getting on the water regularly was probably a couple of weeks. Fishing is not only my profession, but also my passion, so I generally like to get out as much, or even more, than during the heat of the tournament schedule.
Due to the fact that there are generally no national events in late fall and early winter, fishing during the months of October and November serve primarily as a way to keep my mind engaged in the act of finding and catching fish, rather than figuring out seasonal patterns that can give me an edge during competition.
This year, I’ve found myself busy with new projects, including the development of a new property, as well as my first experiences with hunting.
Dream Property
I’ve always desired to live out in the country and have a large piece of property to care for and enjoy in relative solitude. This year, my dreams of being a landowner came to fruition when we bought a 17-acre lot in the fishing-friendly town of Dayton, Tennessee.
The property, which features a beautiful mix of cleared fields and dense wooded land, is certainly everything I’ve ever wanted – although it has also proven to be a lot of work.
The biggest project in our efforts to develop it as our full-time residence has been the building of my shop. So far the structure is finished, concrete is set, but we still are waiting on utilities to be established on the property, which has been a full-time job tracking down materials like conduit. Since the shop was erected, I’ve spent hundreds of hours building storage shelving and organizing my gear.
Additionally, I’ve spent a great deal of time tending to some basic landscaping projects, including bush-hogging areas of overgrowth with our tractor.
Overall, it’s been a true labor of love, but it has certainly served as an effective disconnect from fishing, which I constantly debate whether or not is a good thing.
Another Hobby
It seems like the vast majority of people I know who fish also have some background in hunting.
To my knowledge, nobody in my family – for the last few generations, at least – have been hunters, so I was never introduced to the sport. Also, I also found it difficult to pull myself away from the lake to explore the woods. However, the thought of having a deeper connection with the meat I put on the table has long been a somewhat romantic concept to me, and I’ve been wanting to try my hand at it for a long time.
Since this offseason has been relatively disconnected from fishing due to the new property, I figured it might be the best time to try my hand at this reportedly all-consuming endeavor.
With a little good fortune, and help from some good friends, I’ve now had two very different and successful hunting experiences.
On my first hunting trip, with help from my friend Rob Jordan, I was able to take my first deer – a small whitetail buck.
For those of you who have never been hunting, the feelings you get, and the shakes you are consumed by after your first kill, are extraordinary. The flood of a mixture of contrasting emotions was overwhelming, and I knew from that moment I first pulled the trigger on my Winchester lever-action that hunting, as a way to feed my family, will be a part of my life forever.
Shortly after my first hunt, I was invited by another friend to go on a duck hunt. It turned out to be a very different experience in terms of the setting, but similar in how rewarding it was.
Though I only look to hunt as much as I’ll need meat for the table, I can tell it is a sport I will thoroughly enjoy learning more about for years to come.
Changing Priorities
I think at this point I can classify this offseason as a first when it comes to the lack of time and energy put into fishing. However, I don’t believe these distractions have been a bad thing; in fact, I tend to believe just the opposite.
Usually by this time during an offseason, I’ve been fishing non-stop, battling the cold weather, and so the prospects of getting back out on the tournament trail is met with a little less feverish anticipation. However, this year, as we approach the beginning of a new year, I feel rejuvenated and excited to get back on the water to a degree that I usually don’t feel.
Not only has this offseason recharged my figurative batteries, but it has allowed me to connect to a property that my wife and I will call home for many years, as well as allow for the genesis of a new chapter in my life with a newfound love of hunting.
All that being said, I’m ready to park the tractor, pack up the hunting gear and start getting into my zone for the fast approaching 2022 season!
(Miles "Sonar" Burghoff is an MLF Pro Circuit competitor and the co-host of the TV series "Sweetwater." To visit his website, click here. You can also visit him on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (SonarFishing) and Instagram (@sonarfishing).
