You're Better Than A Fish

Bass fishing is awesome.

I love early mornings and late evenings on a lake or pond, chasing bass. I live in big bass country, and it’s a big deal around here… even high schools have bass fishing teams. I’m not that into it, and honestly I’m not even that good at it, but it’s hard to beat when a largemouth smashes your lure (even though it’s usually the softest and most gentle bite ever).

One of my all-time favorite fishing lures is a Kastmaster.

It’s simple and effective. It’s basically just a chunk of metal with holes drilled into each end (one for an eyelet, one for the hook). They are highly polished to a bright shiny finish, and have an asymmetrical design that makes them wobble through the water when being retrieved. It makes them look like a semi-injured bait fish.

Legend has it that Kastmaster was started from a failed earring design.

The earrings represented some poor soul’s hopes and dreams – they had a vision to create the next fashion sensation, and instead couldn’t sell them at all. Demand was nearly zero.

Desperate for a glimmer of success, they tried them as a fishing lure.

It became a hit.

I have caught so many different species of fish on Kastmasters… largemouth bass, rainbow trout, catfish, white bass, drum, crappie, striped bass – it’s the one lure I always have on me no matter what I’m fishing for.

But you can learn a lesson from those fish: don’t fall prey to Shiny Object Syndrome.

As investors, we tend to have an excitability about us. We get excited about new ideas, and big pivots. Chasing the shiny new object.

Sometimes a pivot can be a win (see: Kastmaster). But it’s really easy for a pivot to be a distraction. And distractions cost money.

Stick to the plan, and don’t chase shiny objects.

You’re better than a bass.

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