Why Is My Partner Catching All The Fish?

[FLcentral]

Tell your story. We've all been there, you or your partner are catching all the fish and the other guy can't get a bite. Not really talking about being front ended by the guy on the bow hitting all the choice cover but one of those days when one guy on the boat had all the luck/skill?. Did you ever figure out what made the difference between success and failure.

 

Here's one of my stories.

 

Spring time in Florida and I'm fishing with my regular buddy working some shoreline vegitation. The bite was fair and we both caught several bass. As mid mourning passed the wind and clouds began to build so we ran to a narrow channel to escape the wind. At this point I was up on my partner 2 or 3 fish with the best one pushing 4lbs.

The channel narrowed with overhanging trees which minimized the weed growth so we began throwing unweighted 7" T-rigg plastic worms at the bank that dropped off into 3 to 6 feet of water. Thats when the beat down began. He could not fish more than about 5 min without catching a 12 to 15" bass. He was fishing a Watermelon red flake and I was fishing a black worm, so I switched to watermelon/with chartruse tail, still no bites. By about my buddies tenth fish I switched to the identical worm he is fishing. Eventualy I get one twelve incher that nails my worm when I pull it into the water after casting it on top of some isolated floating vegitation. That was the last fish for me while my buddy continued to catch them. He was still getting them after we turned the boat around and fished back out of the channel thru the water we already covered.

 

So what happened? Well I'm not sure but he was fishing Mono line and I was fishing Braid with a 2 foot 17lb floro leader. That was the main difference although we both used different hooks for our T-rigs, I was even useing a worm out of his bag with no success. The fish in general were not tight to cover but seemed to be randomly scattered on both sides of the channel. Wish I new the answer to this one, could have been the sink rate of the different riggs but I'll never really know.

The Devils in the details.

[LgMouthGambler]

Too many variables. Line, lure color, presentation differences, etc.

[Teal]

IIt could be something as simple as how hard your lure was hitting the water.

[PABASS]

Based on your story it’s clear the fish liked what he had, the why to this could be;

Cadence, his retrieve could have been slower or faster, did he pop it, drag it on the bottom, you get the point and so did his fish, lol..

Sinking rate, mono sinks slower but braid typically floats, and with a shorter FC  leader it may have made the action different and slower/faster fall rate.   What size and or type weight was he using?

Accuracy, was he on target, spooked less fish, quieter entrance into the water with his worm?

That is all that comes to my mind but I am sure there are other factors as well.

 

I typically fish alone..

[FLcentral]

Here's a "magic" bait story although not about bass.

As a teenager we went to Sarrasota FL to Snook fish on the intercostal for a weeks vacation. Our first two days of fishing produced zero fish although one of the regulars at the motel brought in his 4 Snook limit each mourning and evening. My dad and I were frustrated but the old timer gave us a tip and suggested we try a red and white Mirrolure. To our suprise where the tried and true lures had struck out the red and white plug caught fish every day the rest of the week. Not sure why the red and white plug was the ticket but it far out fished the other lures that had always worked so well in the same area. The water conditions were clear as they normaly were and we noticed nothing else unuseual about the weather or the general area we were fishing.

It's all just part of the challenge just trying to figure the fish out.

[jignfule]

I know many times when someone outfishes me it is because they are a better fisherman.

[jhoffman]

It doesnt happen too often among friends where I am the one getting the short end of the stick but its because I do my homework and all they do is show up to fish and want me to tell them what to do. Sometimes it works out for them and sometimes not. If I have a fly rod in my hands I have made people just stand back as if someone had reached over and cracked them up side the head. Its not that I am that much better than them, I simply focus on what exactly is going on and in the trout world at one point in time I had to quit for 3 months because I deadsticked nymphs for a week strait from daylight to dark and got tennis elbow. I used to fish for trout on the low side 150 days a year. There were days I would step on the water, fish one 30 yard stretch and go home cause I knew it wasnt going to be good. People would think I was nuts, they would fish all evening and do terrible.

 

We will never know why someone did better. I know in current one split shot more or less can turn your day into record book numbers or the worst day of your life.

[Hyrule Bass]

some days you got it, some days you dont

[Silas]

I had this same issue when I was young.  I always was at the front of the boat while he was in the back.  After outcatching me several times with the same bait, he told me that we both fished differently.  For instance, in those days a white spinnerbait was what we threw most and caught the most fish on.

 

   He commented that I cast AROUND cover, but not close enough to hang up, while he cast INTO cover and pulled the fish out of it. 

 

I observed what he was talking about and had to agree he was right.

 

   Now with a worm, it was a "technique."  He would pull it over grass and "POP" it loose from the grass and that's when they would hit.  I didn't pop it and caught far fewer fish.

 

In the end we had a great fishing partnership:  I could FIND the fish while he could LOAD the boat!! 

 

    Also another difference is that he was more FOCUSED than I was.   I had to learn to be consistently focused, and I did.

[retiredbosn]

When I was little my uncle routinely out fished me. I asked what I was doing wrong to which he replied that I was not holding my mouth right. He showed me how to squish up my face and what angle to tilt my head, after some coaching he finally said that's it don't move. I diligently kept that expression at the end of the day all I had to show for it was sore facial muscles and a stiff neck while he laughed all the way home! Never took fishing advice from him again lol.

[Deleted account]

I know many times when someone outfishes me it is because they are a better fisherman.

This ^

[FLcentral]

Good stories guys. Keep them comeing and share a little of your fishing frustrations.

[Raul]

Why Is My Partner Catching All The Fish?

 

A quick answer: he´s fishing right and you are fishing wrong.

 

The solution: watch closely what he´s is doing and imitate him, it´s obvious he´s doing something you are not.

[WRB]

To resolve the tackle issue swap outfits if your partner is agreeable to sharing.

A lot of bass anglers love to kick their partners arse and rub it in, like a right of passage. If that is the partnership you have it will be your turn someday, what comes around goes around.

In the opening thread the two outfits were very diffident, only the worm was the same. Braid with a very short FC leader verses mono, different hooks and more than likely different hook placement, size or weight.

When the bass are active, the.details may not be a big deal, however when they are less active details become extremely important. That is why partners should share and try to help each other, you both benefit.

Tom

[SirSnookalot]

Our first two days of fishing produced zero fish although one of the regulars at the motel brought in his 4 Snook limit each mourning and evening. 

When was this, must have been a long time ago?  For quite a few years the limit on snook is 1, prior to 2002 I think the limit was 2.

 

I fish with a guy who can't fish to save his life, I even tie his hooks on for him.  We will be out drifting using the same bait, weight etc, he almost always catches the first and the biggest of the day, needless to say he thinks of himself as a world class fisherman.  He pulls in a 40# amberjack and I catch trigger fish, lol.

[FLcentral]

When was this, must have been a long time ago?  For quite a few years the limit on snook is 1, prior to 2002 I think the limit was 2.

 

I fish with a guy who can't fish to save his life, I even tie his hooks on for him.  We will be out drifting using the same bait, weight etc, he almost always catches the first and the biggest of the day, needless to say he thinks of himself as a world class fisherman.  He pulls in a 40# amberjack and I catch trigger fish, lol.

 

 

Yep the snook fishing was back in the late 70's when I was a kid. Midnight pass where we fished doesn't even exist any more, the pass filled in and closed.

 

My wife has got the best fish of the day several times.....I say it's because I'm busy takeing care of her tackle and bait.

[CoBass]

To resolve the tackle issue swap outfits if your partner is agreeable to sharing.

A lot of bass anglers love to kick their partners arse and rub it in, like a right of passage. If that is the partnership you have it will be your turn someday, what comes around goes around.

In the opening thread the two outfits were very diffident, only the worm was the same. Braid with a very short FC leader verses mono, different hooks and more than likely different hook placement, size or weight.

When the bass are active, the.details may not be a big deal, however when they are less active details become extremely important. That is why partners should share and try to help each other, you both benefit.

Tom

I agree with this 100% The best days of fishing are when everybody is catching fish and having a good time. Me and my fishing buddies all take the open tackle box approach to fishing. If one of us is doing well with a particular bait everybody is welcome to share what is working. Nobody worries about losing baits or using the last plastic of a particular color because we all know that it will pretty much even itself out by the end of the season. The only exceptions are for higher priced baits and even with those you are welcome to them but it's with the understanding that you will replace it if you lose it.    

[Sam]

FLcentral - GREAT! question!!!

 

We all can add stories about our partners nailing them as we stand there in a daze or pitching a fit.

 

You can use the same baits; copy the same tactics; copy the rod positon and retrieve; throw in the same vacinity; wear the same clothes; use the same scents; eat the same lunch; and your partner crushes your fanny.

 

Go figure?

 

I have no idea why this happens.

 

Is his lure is a little different from yours either via the manufacturer or it was secretly modified?

 

Does he luck out and manage to place his bait where the fish are holding and you are missing the target by a foot?

 

Is he using JJ's Magic or MegaStrike and you are using another brand?

 

Who knows?

 

I can give you countless stories where I caught the fish and my buddy did not and a lot of stories where my buddy is catching the bass and I am just standing there like the Statue of Liberty going nuts.

 

When you figure it out please write a book so we can learn what to do and you can retire early on the royalties.

 

 

[WRB]

I can give one answer that may help; knowledge of how a specific lure works to trigger strikes. Some anglers never try to figure out how the lure actually triggers bass to react and strike it. The angler that never watches how the lure swims, stops and goes or doesn't have a clue when a bass has the lure in it's mouth until the bass turns and swims away with the lure will struggle. The anglers that takes the time to study all these factors catches the most bass often, the other anglers thinks they don't have the right lure, line, rod, reel, lure, cadence, attractant ..........fill in the blank.

Tom

[FLcentral]

Yea guys this is what I'm talking about. Some days your a hero some days a zero. With out a dout the details of what were doing or not doing makes a difference to the fish even if we can not precieve what it is.

 

Sam: never thought about trying to match my partners wardrobe   but some days I've tried to copy just about everything else.

 

WRB: I agree, I've taken several guys out that wanted to learn to fish some piticular location or type of fish and most could not get past what the choice of lure would be. They were told by the tackle shop guy that a certian bait was great for what they wanted to catch and thats where the thought process stopped for many. I would try to point out water and weather conditions and how that should dictate our lure choice and how and where we should fish but for many it went right over there heads I'm afraid. 

[shanksmare]

One memorable story comes to mind. It was the fall of 1968 and I was home on leave from the service. The quarry was schoolie stripers from a beach bordering an inlet in Cape Cod Bay. My friend Tiny was expounding to my younger brother (he was 12 at the time) how lucky he was to be fishing with two experienced fishermen such as he and I. As darkness fell some fish moved in to the beach. When the evenings fishing was over the final tally was me 2 fish, Tiny 1 fish, my brother 9 fish. We couldn’t figure out what he was doing differently. We were using pretty much the same tackle and the same lure (a 5 ½” Rebel). Later we asked him what he was doing. He replied: “I was doing what you said. I was retrieving it very slowly and every once in a while I’d give it a little twitch.” I guess it was the little twitch that did it!

 

[Knightiac]

Too many variables. Line, lure color, presentation differences, etc.

Agreed. My buddy and I fish all the time, we will even communicate and try to fish the same way sometimes if one is on the bite; doesnt always make a difference. It can be as little as the cast, a weight being pegged or the tip of the rod.

Central Florida has the best fishing around!

[K_Mac]

I know many times when someone outfishes me it is because they are a better fisherman.

 

There is often some truth in that, esp when it comes to specific techniques and waters.

 

   ... Also another difference is that he was more FOCUSED than I was.   I had to learn to be consistently focused, and I did.

 

I fish often with a guy who has great skills, but his biggest strength is his ability to focus on the job at hand. Watching him has made me better.

 

And yes, in answer to the OP, my fishing partners sometimes outfish me. I will whine and snivel-while paying very close attention...

[Bluebasser86]

I fished some buddy tournaments with a friend of mine several years ago when I had one of those days, and not in the good way. We were fishing for smallmouth and both catching fish, but he was the only one catching keepers. Then about mid day he was the only one catching fish. It wasn't for lack of bites, I was getting plenty of bites on my shakyhead and hula grub, but I could not hook a fish to save my life! I had several casts in a row that my line would take off racing down the rocks and I wouldn't even get a piece of them on the hookset. I went so far as to change to an football head without a weed guard and continued to miss fish while he was culling. Of course there was always some good humored ribbing going on and it was getting pretty heavy on his end of the boat. He was telling me I was setting the hook on rocks so the next bite I got I told him to watch my line while I tightened up on it. The line was scooting down the bank and he even confirmed it was a fish before I set the hook and missed yet again. We traded rods, he caught fish on my bait and I continued missing fish on his. I'm sure by the end of the day it was just a huge mental block but I was baffled at how I could miss so many fish. At the time we both worked in the fishing department at Cabela's in KC, the next few days at work were pretty rough with all the jokes and trash talking going around 

More often than not it works the other way around for me, but that was one of those days I got my hind end handed to me. 

[Lil'skeeter]

I've been out-fished by the guy in the back of the boat a few times and I've beaten the guy in the front. When you're both throwing the same thing and only one seems to be catching all the fish I  think it's because the fish have become inactive and if you don't put the bait within a foot of them they're not going to hit it.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it!