MacJig

I think part of the problem (at least for me) is if I don't get a fish within a certain amount of time I give up on that lure and go to one that is a proven winner for me. So, I kind of create my own failure. To really test a lure you need to invest the time necessary to truly measure it's usefulness. Yup, I need patience in that area. Me too, for sure.

Excellent thread. Thx.

Yeah, I know what you're saying about the paddle tail. I've done okay with them but not great. This year I've made a decision that in 2022 I'm going to really try them again. I did buy a Megabass Levante rod just for the paddle tails and jigs. If I fail this time, oh well ... time to put them on the shelf!

Well put ! ?

So, I'm interested in hearing from my fellow anglers about a topic we don't hear much about: fishing lures that we refuse to use or will never use again. There are many threads that hype up lures we love to use or have had success using but virtually none (that I know of) that give the ? to lures that just disappoint us time after time. For me it's the jig! I just never get bit. But if I take the jig off and just fish the trailer Texas rigged, I get bit. So I think ... what's the point. I'll just fish the plastic and leave the jig at home. Yours?

Another one of the "unfortunates" of our online, detached way of life today. The old brick and mortar, face to face interactions are gone and in its place are the wizards behind the curtain that you never see, never really interact with. This is an open invitation for the scoundrels and scam artists of the world to crawl in and work their dastardly deeds. Sadly, we all get victimized.

Wow, what a great story. One of the great privileges of being an angler is the right to become a kid again. We can laugh we can scream we can jump we can act like silly kids and that's okay! Fishing is such a nostalgic thing for me because it was so important in my childhood. I can never go back! But I can take rod and reel and tackle in hand and pretend.

Yeah. That's one of my greatest fears, being 67, that the day will come when "the spirit is willing but the flesh is weak". Wanting to fish but knowing you can't (or can't do much of anything) ... ? Oh, that's painful. I need to fish just to get out. I mean I would drop a line in a mud puddle if I had to. ? Well put! I added three new ponds to fish from this year that helps provide more variety to my fishing experience. I have maybe 6 that are pretty productive. Fishing the same place all the time can get ? as well.

Yup. Exactly right.

The key, especially in retirement, is to always have something to look forward to. Living In perpetual boredom is so damaging to one's mental well-being. If I'm going fishing in a few days it just excites me and gives me something to look forward to. Everybody needs something to look forward to in life other than the same old mundane tick of the clock.

No doubt about it ! Life is tough with many unhappy heartbreaks. Under the weight of it all, fishing is like a calm hand that says "come with me and find some quiet time away from it all". Fishing is not only a great sport. It's a good friend that is always there when you need him. Well, maybe not in the winter. ?

I hear you. I'm also retired. I don't know what I would do without fishing.

That's why I like bank fishing. No fuss and no muss! I just put my gear in the car and go.

So, I will just get to the point. Has there ever been a time when you grew tired and/or bored with fishing? I usually go out 2 to 3 times a week when fishing permits in the northeast. I've often wondered if I went out 5 to 6 times a week would I grow tired and weary of it. Is there a time when fishing becomes so commonplace that it loses its appeal and excitement? Is there a point where you can fish too much and fishing loses it's novelty and attraction? I'm just curious how other anglers feel about that. Have you ever reached that point where you hung up your fishing rods and shut the door?

I appreciate all the comments. I currently have about 39 rods in my collection and it's a very diverse group. My most expensive is a Fenwick world class rod that at the time retailed for about $300 (I paid far less for it ?). At the other end I have a Shakespeare that retails for about $30 that I paid around $9 for! ?. I'm not prejudice! I'll use them all. But let's face it, as we watch those YouTube channels and see the gear that's used, you have to wonder how much of it all is genuine zing and how much is just bling.

Well put!

Yup. That is truly the wonder of fishing. You can be a kid all over again and no one is going to call you childish.

This is kind off an "off the road" way of answering your question but I find that if I catch a fish on a particular lure and keep throwing the same lure in the same spot, the bite often stops. Rarely do I catch fish on the same lure Immediately after or soon after I've caught one on that lure. Now that either means ... 1. Fish know it's fake and know not to take it. 2. The other fish disburse after they see the commotion of the fish I caught or 3. It's just my imagination. ?‍♂️

Well put.

I also think weather an angler is more of a shore angler or a boat angler comes into play as well. Does a very expensive rod help out the shore angler more than the boat angler or vice versa?

Okay, here is a topic that I would love to get your collective opinions on. Let me start with a question. At what price point does a fishing rod provide diminishing returns to the angler? In other words, is there really much difference between a $500 rod and a $300 rod, or $300 rod and a $200 rod? At what price point do you stop getting more bang for the buck? Like many anglers I like trying new fishing gear including new rods. But, would buying a $300 rod be ultra beneficial when I could get the same quality from a $150 rod? What about fishing reels? Is there more value comparatively with a higher end fishing reel? And if there is more benefit in buying the higher end rod, what manufacturers provide that kind of quality? Just curious what others think!

There's a point when "thought" becomes over thought and thinking becomes counterproductive. I know the pain! My biggest challenge in that regard is learning how to turn the brain off and just turn my life on. Be more of a doer than a thinker!

I keep a spreadsheet of every fishing journey I take. The spreadsheet gives the date, the time I go, where I go, the conditions (like weather conditions), a brief write-up of what happened (ie. Gear used, lures, peculiar experiences), the number of fish I caught and a cumulative total. It really helps me down the road to see how well I've done in a certain place and at a certain time using whatever gear I used. It's been very beneficial for me! I've done it for about 3 years now.

And quite often that gesture of kindness feels a whole lot better than catching that fish! Thank you for doing that.

Looking forward to a day of fishing and having a final tally of ... 0 fish caught. 5 crankbaits lost! Cha-ching. $$$, bye bye.