Gary Miller ~ outdoortruths.org

Fish like structure. Anyone who has been fishing long enough realizes this. That structure can be buried far from the bank or it can be in the shallow water, in full view for every fisherman to see. It comes in the form of trees, bushes, rocks, or just a different type of terrain. But it holds fish. No matter what bait a person wants to throw, he’ll always find himself tossing it into one of these areas. Sometimes the fish hold tight to these places. In these times it takes pin point casting accuracy. You can’t just throw it close. It has to be deep within the tree or bush. Other times the fish seem to linger out a little farther. It’s almost always easier to catch more fish when this happens. And it doesn’t take a brain surgeon to figure out why.
When fish are around structure they are safer. They have many avenues of escape and they are hid from many dangers. This is especially true in the shallowest water. It’s in these waters that you’ll find the smallest of any species. Their fear is not of fisherman, but it’s of other fish that might be bigger and hungry. It’s here they can let their guard down knowing they are out of harms way. Some of the biggest fish are also found around these places as well, but for different reasons. The big fish not only find safety and comfort, but they can also ambush the little ones that come by. This is where the fisherman comes in.
When we throw that small bait into the lair of the big bass, it is likely to strike it without thought, and end up on someone’s wall. It happened because it became too comfortable and never expected danger from above. It was holding tight to the cover, had plenty of avenues of escape, and thought it was out of harms way. But danger came from a new and different place, one that was not expected.
This is also a tactic of Satan. He’s the master of patience. He waits until we are so comfortable that we let our guard down.  Then he tosses in a lure that’s hard to resist. Those who are expecting him and his tactics will not get caught and will grow bigger and stronger, to fight another day.