Do You Catch A Lot Or 1-2

[WIGuide]

I'd say my average is about 1 ever 20-30 minutes in the summer months. Time of year and lake will effect that though. In the early spring and late fall/winter numbers in my area drop significantly and then drop again when the lakes freeze over. I can cast all day long and I just can't get those darn bass to come up and bust through the ice to get it haha. Numbers will change based on what lake your fishing though and population numbers. For example, there's two lakes close to my house that are roughly 1/2 mile apart. One of the lakes I tried fishing last year and went for about 3 1/2 - 4 hours and caught 48 bass. On a slow day there you can expect to catch a fish every 10-15 minutes. The lake that's 1/2 mile away from it you'd be having a really good day if you caught 5 in an 8 hour day. A lot of times if you're fishing there, you're fishing for 2 or 3 fish.

[Felix77]

I'm just happy to be out fishing.  Even on days when I am not getting bit I try to learn something or experiment.  Sometimes that approach pleasantly surprises me.

[McAlpine]

A good day for me means I'm on the boat.  That's good enough.

 

Now, you want to categorize success with numbers, that depends upon the fishery.  We have large, 8-10,000 acre impoundments around here that you can go all day without a bite or get on a mess of them.  A couple fish a day is fine, a limit of legal fish is really really good especially with 15" size limits.

 

We also have a couple managed lakes with limited access.  On these a buddy and I will hit them a couple times a year and our mark for a good day is around 100 bass.

 

So, it depends but as long as I'm casting it's a good day.

[TorqueConverter]

I usually can break 10 or get close to it in a 6 hour time frame.  I enjoy recreational junk fishing with crankbaits and is where my numbers come from.  If I'm after big fish then I'll fart around all day to get one bite if that bite is going to be a PB.     

[Alpha Male]

1-3 bass a day is good if there all over 4lbs for me. 20-50 fish days are pretty common around here on many lakes. I'm still happy catching 5-10 a day but I fish lakes known for quality and not quantity.

 

Where abouts do you fish? I fish a couple of smaller lakes around lake mille lacs and I also usually get 15-20 with 7-10 keepers. Although I can say that late last year I spent 13 hours on the water with 4 fish and had a great day.

[Mainebass1984]

▲▲ i weighed a 27 lb bag in daramiscata (spelling?) In 2004 at a club tourny had a 7lb largemouth and two 5lb smallies in that bag...plus two five lb largemouths.

Led after day one...didnt do crap in day two lol i think i had like 8lbs on a five limit lol

 

 

Shhhh

 

No bass in Maine only trout and salmon

 

That's a pretty awesome five fish bag in a tourney.

[Sam]

Double Secret Pond - A disaster if I did not catch at least 30.

 

Other Ponds - At least 5.

 

Rivers and Lakes - At least 5 to 10.

[Bassintheweeds]

Lolyou are crazy lol

I caught my PB smalie and largemouth in Maine

not only that i had my best ever day on the water on China.

I had 50+fish day up there...also blanked on the same lake lol

I loved the bass up there especially those androscoggin smallies!

Shhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh just trout and salmon like Mainebass said.

[Raul]

It used to matter a lot, now catching or not catching doesn´t matter at all, and as I think about it more in depth, I think I catch a lot more now that I don´t care than before when it cared.

[daiwaguy]

I would call a day of only 1-2 bass a disappointing day. I usually say I got stumped in that situation. I like to catch atleast 10 If I am fishing major reservoir. If I am fishing a pond or lake I grew up fishing, nothing over 25 acres I hope to catch 20-30 with several 3+ pounders.

[Raul]

There are bass in China ?

 

 

 

Yes there are, China in the State of Nuevo León is home to Lake "El Cuchillo", one of Mexico´s hottest big bass lakes.

[coreyprashaw]

I think it is realistically time to slow down. I don't think it matters as much as what you throw, whether it be the drop shot, shaky head, jig, or even jerk bait. But as a principle I like to start fast and speed up after I've got onto a pattern. The first step in catching more fish is knowing where they are. You could be throwing what they ordered for lunch, but if they are literally not there, you'll never get bit. Try a wacky or texas rigged senko, 5 inch in a green pumpkin color. leave it non weighted and throw it around. Cast and watch your line. Just remember, slow is the key. Don't move the bait until it's sat there for 10 seconds. It may drive you crazy but you will see your catching rates go up substantially.

[Oregon Native]

I like to go fishing for the action to be sure. Have had some onezy...twozy days and their not fun. Have had some hundred fish days and their awesome (no brainers ya might say) But to go out and catch a limit or two makes me feel like I done good. To do this in a large tourney is awesome...especially if I consistant.

[bartdude186]

depends on what lake, but usually 1-2 is not great and i leave unsatisfied unless it was under bad conditions. 3-5 is not bad and im happy. on a good day my goal is around 20 for a full day.hoping that most of the 20 are 2.5+lbs. happens a few times a year usually.

[bigbill]

As I got better with bass fishing from shore being my time is limited I think I do good in some heavy pressured areas. I was up to between 7 to 9 bass per outing for 1 to 3 hours on average. I don't stay past 9am by that time there in there deeper haunts. I do follow them out with a carolina rig with senkos and brushogs. This year I'll use mikes jigs more. I think I spend too much time with cranks and topwater lures. It's time to get down and dirty with the bottom lures more.

I regret my time is limited because of my health but I think I do good for what time I'm there. Right now I'll just enjoy throwing lures and being alive and out there. Everyday is a gift. On slow days I hone my skills practicing mainly my presentations and varying my speeds. Since I'm fishing from an elevated man made dam I get to see all the action first hand.

I'm very pleased to have these places to fish at. But remember what we learned at our favorite haunts applied to every body of water and situation. Don't limit yourself to one place.

Use the polarized glasses and watch behind your lures for short strikes. Adjust your speed, go slower or add a pause. Or change colors. Your the baseball picher calling the shots. Make gentleg casts don't cast like your throwing rocks. Get in the zone. Forget about everything and just focus on fishing. Stay motivated.

That's my words of wisdom for today, God bless, bill

Btw, I'm going to put off any back operations so I can go bass fishing.

[Ratherbfishing]

It depends on the lake and the conditions.  I've had days (usually after a cold front) where even on a good lake the fish are few and far between.  And there have been days where every bass in the lake wants to jump in my boat.  One or two fish in a hard day of fishing is pretty disappointing but I remember in my earlier days-especially from the bank-when that wasn't at all uncommon.  You needn't discard the crank baits.  There is definitely a time (and place) for those.  Lipless crankbaits are especially good in the pre-spawn period.  But soft plastics will expand your repertoire and, if you are fishing too fast, perhaps slow you down.  It's difficult to know what kind of advice to give since I don't know the lake and I've never witnessed your approach.  But I'll say this: Bass like to be near cover and they like vegetation.  Concentrate on the EDGES of vegetation and I'll bank on your catches increasing considerably.   HANG IN THERE!!!

[AQUA VELVA]

Gotta be vers-a-tile! When I discovered spinnerbaits I thought I'd hit the bass jackpot. I found out real quick that just throwing SB's all day doesn't always work. Its to easy to get in a rut with lures. In the last few years I have been trying different things and have been very pleased with the results. Just remember, fishing is fun but catching fish is even more fun.

[NEjitterbugger]

Gotta love low pressure lakes. There have been more than a few days where one can put a limit of 2.5 pound smallies in the boat in 15 minutes. An average day is about 8+ fish. But there are no bass in Maine, so no one plan a vacation

 

Yeah there's no fish up here in NE... 

[Lucas Li]

When I used to fish the local park lakes, catching 1 bass was my goal. I would be consider 2 bass a great day and 3 would be completely mindblowing. Now I mostly fish a private community lake and consider 10 to be pretty standard. The ones I catch are mostly in the 1lb range but as long as I'm catching then its all good.

 

Even now, as long as I catch 1 fish then I feel good about fishing that day. Getting skunked sucks...

[RipSomeLips]

Gotta love low pressure lakes. There have been more than a few days where one can put a limit of 2.5 pound smallies in the boat in 15 minutes. An average day is about 8+ fish. But there are no bass in Maine, so no one plan a vacation

I read a study done in the 1990s that was published in the In-fisherman book, where they had teams of editors use the same techniques, for the same period of time on two very similar lakes. The only difference between the lakes was that one was open to the public and fished heavily, and the other was a private lake and fished very lightly.

The lake that was heavily pressured produced 3 fish over 3 hours of fishing, and the low pressured lake produced and average of 3 fish per hour. So basically the effect of having low pressured fishing areas are huge! Even if it is catch and release, thie book went on to say that fish get smarter for everytime they are hooked an thrown back. There are ever studies that have shows bass pass these tendancies on to their offspring...which is one reason bass fishing can be much tougher than 200 year ago.

 

Just some food for thought.

[AQUA VELVA]

What RipSomeLips says has some validity. I belive bass become leery of lures that have given them a bad feeding experience. I remember when Slug- O's came on the scene. For about three years those things worked like magic and then the magic wore off or the bass got smarter. I still use them but they don't produce like they used to.

[starcraft1]

Average for my "home" lake would be 25 to 30 fish - winter & summer, 45 to 60+ spring & fall. We're lucky to have year round fishing.

Lake Oroville, N. Ca.