Tactics in fishing come and go in phases. For a while, big flutter spoons were all the rage for summer ledge fishing and then the pressure seemed to diminish its effectiveness. The Whopper Plopper was exposed on a national scale and the fish were conditioned to it rather quickly. The A-Rig lost its magical powers after the masses started lobbing it all over every puddle in the country. All of these baits still work, but they become tools better utilized by skilled anglers who are able to modify the technique and apply it skillfully and a bit differently to still trick fish that are slightly less educated, conditioned and pressured.

The same can be said for punching. The golden era of punching seemed to come along when guys like Randall Tharp and Brandon McMillan were duking it out in sunny south Florida while the rest of us had nothing to do but watch. We were holed up with cabin fever trying to make our way through the winter, all the while watching guys flip over into a pile of Shrek ears and haul out monster bass. I’m referring to hyacinth, which has always reminded me of Shrek’s ears for some reason.

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