Superstitious ?

[Topwaterspook]

Are any of you superstitious about catching a bass on the first cast?  I am.   When this happens, the fishing is usually very slow for me.

[Darren.]

Nope. Never even thought about it.

[OkeechobeeAngler]

Same as Darren. Don't even give it a second thought.

[mnbassman23]

Same here I don't get caught up in superstitions. 

[draggin]

yes, and with a new rod too

[TNBassin']

Nope.Even bought a *** *** rod.

[clayton86]

If I catch one on the first cast I usually have a hell of a day(in a good way not bad) I do wear a lucky shirt from time to time though I wore it when I caught both my PB bass and I had it on Sunday and Tuesday just to test my lucky theory both days were awesome Monday I didn't wear it and didn't even get a hit.

[Paul Roberts]

No. I've worked hard at removing superstitions from my world view. Simply counterproductive.

[J Francho]

No. I've worked hard at removing superstitions from my world view. Simply counterproductive.

 

You're wrong here.

 

[Paul Roberts]

I knew there would be someone to prove me wrong. Rats!

 

John, go to bed.

[mjseverson24]

I am very supersticious, if I dont catch a fish in the first 8 hours of a tournament I have a feeling I wont do very well...

 

Mitch

[The Rooster]

I sort of observe the first cast, first fish thing. Seems if one hits on the first cast then the rest of the day sucks. Lucky shirts or rods I don't get into, but I do make sure I'm not wearing bright red to fish in. Spooks fish, or so I think. I try to wear blues and grays if on the boat and browns, greens, or camo if on shore. My avatar shows a gray shirt from shore but we were fishing a spillway with lots of rip rap up the bank behind us.

[JellyMan]

Nope. I am a believer that the science of what I am doing, where I am fishing, what lure and color I am using, and the weather are much more legitimate than a superstition.

 

But when I go surfing, I always have a little "talk" with the sharks as I paddle out for the first time. I say "I am here to enjoy your ocean. Leave me be and I will leave you be." Reason I do this is because I have been accosted twice. Sharks deserve the utmost respect. On that note of superstition, I refuse to shark fish now. I use to love it but after being accosted twice, I will not do it out of respect. I would rather keep my good karma going with the men in the grey suits.

 

Life threatening experiences do weird things to the human psyche and bring spirituality and superstition into play as being legitimate. 

[rockchalk06]

As long as I don't break my PB on it. I did that 6 years ago and still haven't landed anything close to that weight again

[Sam]

Yes. Believe it 100%

 

Actually happened to me once. 

 

Being from south Louisiana and having half my family Cajuns I am very superstitious.

 

When watching LSU is doing well in a sports contest on TV I will not change my position in the chair until something goes bad.

 

No bananas on the boat.

 

Always avoid black cats.

 

In high school we always got dressed and undressed for the games in a specific manner.

 

Don't like houses with death cooties in them.

 

I know I should know better but once the beliefs are taken as gospel they are hard to break.

[Sam]

Nope. I am a believer that the science of what I am doing, where I am fishing, what lure and color I am using, and the weather are much more legitimate than a superstition.

 

But when I go surfing, I always have a little "talk" with the sharks as I paddle out for the first time. I say "I am here to enjoy your ocean. Leave me be and I will leave you be." Reason I do this is because I have been accosted twice. Sharks deserve the utmost respect. On that note of superstition, I refuse to shark fish now. I use to love it but after being accosted twice, I will not do it out of respect. I would rather keep my good karma going with the men in the grey suits.

 

Life threatening experiences do weird things to the human psyche and bring spirituality and superstition into play as being legitimate. 

 

JellyMan, I speak to the ducks and geese while fishing.

 

I always ask them were the bass are.

 

So far they have never told me.

 

I was in the Viet Cong's sites three times in Nam. They either missed me with their shots or let us pass by. So I know about life threatening experiences. Sometimes while fishing I wonder why they missed me and not the other guys. It is spooky to thinking about it.

[clayton86]

I don't get the first cast hit/catch thing. Sunday I caught a pike on my first cast and only fished for an hour caught 4 pike not one was a dink. Does it only work with bass? Maybe cuz I was out a few hours earlier it wasn't first cast of the day but just first cast in that water. I was wearing my lucky shirt though.

[Koofy Smacker]

I always make a short, bad cast with a bait i know wont work as the first cast. Ive had too many days go the way of catching a keeper first cast, then literally nothing all day. Never again. Also, bananas freak me out on a boat. Dont come near my boat with one unless you want to get tossed in. My cousin broat 3 one day, stuck them in the cooler without me knowing and it was a horrendous day. I didnt know until we trailered when I was emptying the boat when I kind of freaked. We got back to a family gathering and he immediately looked at my dad and said "whats up with him and bananas" He looked at him and said "didnt catch much did you?" and laughed

[TrapperJ]

It's bad luck not to be superstitious.

[mjseverson24]

I think superstitions are just fishermen blaming there own bad decision making on something other than themselves. I learned a while back it is better to understand that i did a poor job finding and catching fish and try not to repeat it the next time out. this will probably serve you better than chocking it up to catching a fish on the first cast. JMO

 

Mitch

[Paul Roberts]

Nope. I am a believer that the science of what I am doing, where I am fishing, what lure and color I am using, and the weather are much more legitimate than a superstition.

 

But when I go surfing, I always have a little "talk" with the sharks as I paddle out for the first time. I say "I am here to enjoy your ocean. Leave me be and I will leave you be." Reason I do this is because I have been accosted twice. Sharks deserve the utmost respect. On that note of superstition, I refuse to shark fish now. I use to love it but after being accosted twice, I will not do it out of respect. I would rather keep my good karma going with the men in the grey suits.

 

Life threatening experiences do weird things to the human psyche and bring spirituality and superstition into play as being legitimate. 

Good post. Interesting. I can definitely see that. I am certainly not in a life threatening situation when fishing. When we are, it pays to be completely open to all possibilities, real or just in the psyche. Reminds me a bit of how native indigenous hunters talk about hunting. I'm a hunter too and understand the effort required, esp in big country, and the role teh psyche takes. Bill Murphy has a section in his Catching Big Bass on the psyche. He says something like, "It doesn't matter whether it's factually right or wrong, only that it works."

 

My blunt response in my first post above is my effort to get insecurity/underconfidence under control, which can get in my way. We may have to be "open" and "creative", but not silly. Where those begin and end is different for everyone.

[senile1]

I'm superstitious.  I always put my lucky stopper in my boat.  Anytime I fail to do that is a bad day. 

[Texfisherman]

Not surprised to see it mentioned here more than once, bananas on a boat seem to be a big superstition among fisherman.

I've never experimented with this, but I think next time my friend and I go fishing, I'm going to pack my boat with bananas and not tell him until the end of the day.

Of course, if we don't catch anything, I'm not saying a word...

[Mike L]

D**M right I am...

After tieing on my CAN'T MISS FAVORITE LURE,

While wearing my LUCKY HAT,

I SPIT on the bait,

Before casting out on the RIGHT SIDE of the boat,

Taking great care not to CROSS LINES with the boater,

As I duck low to keep from casting my SHADOW ON THE WATER....

 

All the while hoping for...

Wind out of the SOUTH blows bait in fishes mouth..

Or out of the WEST, because thats when fishing is the best..

Stay home when blowing from the NORTH as a fisherman should never go forth..

Worse yet if the wind blows from the EAST, as fish will bite the least..

 

I don't even want to think about BANANAS!!

 

 

 

Mike

[ClackerBuzz]

oh yea. being superstitious is actually healthy as long as its not causing you anxiety.

 

Foxman says there is a positive placebo effect -- if you think something will help you, it may do just that. "There is a tremendous amount of power in belief," he says. If the outcome is a matter of pure luck, beliefs don't really have any impact, however, when your performance is a key factor in an outcome, superstitious thinking might give you an extra boost.

"There can be a real psychological effect of superstitious thoughts," says Vyse. If you've done well before when you had a particular shirt on, for example, it might prove wise to wear the shirt again, if it helps to relieve anxiety and promotes positive thoughts. But this way of thinking can also hinder your performance, if say, you lose your lucky object.

http://www.webmd.com/mental-health/features/psychology-of-superstition?page=2