Wow……. I leave the forum for a week and this thread’s still burnin’!
I don’t care where ya fish…… people without any muskie angling skills have caught them. I don’t usually hear them toot their own horn though. They seem to recognize that it’s a fluke……. a very HAPPY fluke! So, compared to the people that target them? Not every passionate golfer is going to hit a hole in one. Not every pro will hit a hole in one on every course. But some newby will step up and drive a onezy out of the blue. Does this mean that we discard all buzzer baskets, grand slam game winners, or below par performances to being only luck?
I don’t think so.
We all know that being in the right place at the right time is key to any successful flavor. But if casting a cowgirl guarantees success for a boat load of beer swillin’ lackies, why isn’t everyone doing it? Why not take up drinking more beers and completely abandon our knowledge and techniques?
Because we know the truth.
Preparation and determination produce far better and more consistently than just a bunch of “hail-mary” attempted casts, each one believed to be a lotto that must go to someone……… so why not me!
What I still feel is more important than anything else is confidence. If a beer sponge and his buddies are confident that fishing a cowgirl will get them a big fish, well……. apparantly that’s all they need, if I’m comprehending my reading correctly. If this doesn’t inspire confidence with you, it’s probably not worth your effort and your results will likely differ.
Finding muskies can be hard sometimes. Making them bite can be even harder. But, the right thing at the right time is what we’re trying to master so why be unprepared and approach the day’s game plan as one of pure circumstance?
Bottomline…. I can’t see what all the fuss is about. If something is challenging you, embrace it. Will it make you worse? I doubt it. We sharpen our skills by lessons learned in both success and defeat. When defeat persists, we must examine our game and improve on whatever the weakness is. Baits to fish, speed to fish them, boat control, time of day, moon phases, frontal changes, temporary weather patterns, etc., etc………….. Remember, every lake CAN be different so what’s golden on one pond may not be the winning answer on another. There are times to throw out the data sheets and focus on something new and/or different.
Don’t fuss……. just go fish and have fun discussing whatever happens with those who share your interest. 
By the way, went out last Thursday night (dark) and shared the lake with 5 other boaters. I had 2 attempts by “something” but boated nothing. Maybe it doesn’t bode well for bragging rights but it’s more than I experienced watching any of the other guys who came through the area. So, as far as I can tell, I’m no worse. But I had a good time and for me, that’s more important. Life’s too short to get so wound up. 
Thats gotta hurt 
, because I think this site is for people to enjoy, learn, and hopefully meet new friends. Not to constantly b**** and complain about things and cut other people down. 
