Iatrogenics and Carp Fishing

Iatrogenic is a medical term meaning caused by the healer. With more and more carp fishing experience, I am learning that many of my fishing failures are self-induced.

For example, during the early 1970s, the government got a bright idea to help farmers struggling to earn a respectable living due to depressed corn prices. If you are a farmer and the price of a bushel of corn decreases by $1 because there is oversupply in the corn markets, and you have 1,000 acres producing 200 bushels an acre, your gross income reduces by $200,000.

So the administration in charge at the time developed a way to offset those losses using a subsidy payment - a corn bailout for corn farmers. It's had many unintended consequences for farming in general and the general public's health. The government subsidy increased production and high fructose corn syrup usage in drinks and food as new uses for corn was needed. 

Liquid fructose is cheaper than natural sugar, so there is a profit motive. Researchers confirmed that it is addictive like cocaine and shows up in surprising places (i.e., lists of seemingly unrelated foods), creating higher sales and profits for food processors.

Researchers have correlated that increase in consumption of corn by-products to increased occurrence of diabetes, which has drastic consequences for many. Too much sugar creates an imbalance, weight gain in most people, excessive snacking, binging or over-eating, and on and on.

Now the government has run up colossal deficit spending balances, and the political consequences of fixing the issues "correctly" are too significant to cut back on bailouts. 

Corn farmers have grown used to the corn pricing assistance, and, meanwhile, our health care costs have risen to the point of being unaffordable.

(And don't get me started on tax incentives for the wealthy who don't need them.)

While carp fishing, we create our own unintended (i.e., iatrogenic) consequences:

• We often fish in the exact location, so fish become timid to our baits.
• We use too many freebies, and the few fish around fill up on free stuff and leave the area before finding our hooks.
• We spend a lot of money on expensive and unnecessary equipment. 
• We blame our lack of catching on the fish, not biting when our skills are lacking.
• We tell everyone else (including bow fishers).
• We fish in bad weather (example: right after a cold front runs through).
• We use too much flavor for our ground bait.
• We use rigs too complicated to tie consistently to work correctly.
• Trying to save money, we use dull hooks instead of replacing them.
• We over sharpen hooks causing metal fatigue and bent or broken hooks.
• Rather than fishing another several hours, we get discouraged and give up.
• We fish close to home when a long drive to a better location has better potential.

 I think you get the idea.

 If you are going through a fishing dry spell and landing a fish has become difficult, try going back to basics. Simple is better sometimes.