It's All About The Math

[Sam]

For you guys and gals in high school it's all about the math.

 

For you guys and gals in college it is all about the math.

 

For you guys and gals in the working world it is all about the math.

 

Bass fishing is all about the math.

 

If you give bass fishing some thought you will realize that you use algebra, geometry, calculus and physics with your line test, rod parameters, how the bait performs in water, light penetration, your casting, moving the bait, setting the hook, fighting the fish, landing the fish, and if your scale is somewhat correct, weighing the fish.

 

Angles. Boat speed. How the bait acts in the water. Knot strength. Type of line. Rod strength. Effect of wind and tide on your boat and any bank fishing you do. Power to set the hook. Power to fight the fish. The right line test strength for your applications. The size of your boat. The power of your motor. How slow to go to set the Power Pole. How accurate are you with your casts. How do you skip a bait properly. What speed of the reel causes a backlash. Current. And the list goes on.

 

I know many of us did not appreciate geometry or algebra and those of us who could not get out of calculus or physics had to put up with formulas that we never thought we would use other then playing pool.  But when you think of what we do and how we do it while fishing you can see the parallels of what you learned in your math classes as it applies to bass fishing.

 

If we had the fun of going bass fishing with our high school math classmates and teachers I am sure we all would have aced those math courses by actually seeing what the books and profs were telling us and how to use the data to our fishing advantage.

 

We needed English so we could post on the Forum and not look like we dropped out of middle school and so we can articulate properly with friends and fellow bass anglers. English is very important if you move up the ladder into the Elite bracket and you have to represent the bass fishing nation to the public.

 

But it is the math. It is all about the math.

 

The next time you go fishing and you start to cast think about the math involved with that cast and the hundreds that will follow. It is really interesting to note how we use algebra, geometry, calculus and physics in our sport.

 

Feedback???

 

 

[jignfule]

Such is life.

[JustinJ54]

I feel that if my teachers in high school and college would had combined fishing and math, that I would had excelled much better in my math classes.

[flyfisher]

knowing why it is math related and not just that holding your rod while bottom fishing at 10:00 gives you a better feel is the real challenge  

[flyfisher]

I feel that if my teachers in high school and college would had combined fishing and math, that I would had excelled much better in my math classes.

and judging by your grammar, your English teachers too    

[JustinJ54]

and judging by your grammar, your English teachers too    

Ha! You got me. It's hard to type stuff out on my phone! This website does not want to function on my phone. So I can't even see what I'm typing!

[flyfisher]

Ha! You got me. It's hard to type stuff out on my phone! This website does not want to function on my phone. So I can't even see what I'm typing!

I couldn't resist......i have had many phone induced errors in my day as well lol

[tomustang]

Without mathematics there is nothing, it's the glue that holds the universe together. Angling and math is one small chapter but can hold many outcomes when fishing.

I enjoy fishing and don't make it more complicated by calculating formulas, I just fish for fun.

[Long Mike]

Why is it that the old phrase "The angle of the dangle is inversely proportional to the mass of the lass" come to mind?  I guess it has something to do with the rhyming of bass and lass. 

[ClackerBuzz]

i agree and at the same time know some good ole red neck boys that didn't go passed the 8th grade. they can out multi-species fish most of the people i know.  sometimes common sense, quick learning curves and a keen sense of observation go a long way

[flyfisher]

i agree and at the same time know some good ole red neck boys that didn't go passed the 8th grade. they can out multi-species fish most of the people i know.  sometimes common sense, quick learning curves and a keen sense of observation go a long way

And live bait....lol   yes i know i am stereotyping here but it seemed like it fit.

[ClackerBuzz]

And live bait....lol   yes i know i am stereotyping here but it seemed like it fit.

7 generations of live bait using!   

i totally agree sam, being a great angler definitely takes higher brain function.

[senile1]

Very nice thread, Sam.  Everything operates and functions based on mathematical principles.  However, I suspect that the set of FLW and Bassmaster Elite Anglers will reflect the normal bell curve of intelligence that is found in the average population.  Higher level math explains everything, but that doesn't mean that those involved in the activity know how it is applied and how to explain it.  Math and physics apply in football, baseball, basketball, and every sport you can think of.  I am sure no one really believes all of the people involved in these sports are mathematical wizards.  But somehow, the human mind has an amazing ability to make basketball shots, hit baseballs, judge where a football is thrown, and catch fish without knowing the principles behind it all. 

[George Welcome]

I jus lernt why i cant ketch no feesh/

[slonezp]

You forgot #1 which is only achievable with the rest of the items on your list. Time on the water. Our odds of the "trophy" or "stellar" day(s)  increase each day we are out.

 

Here's how I do the math

 

http://youtu.be/cUusX1Js6R0