Super User .ghoti. Posted February 20, 2015 Super User Posted February 20, 2015 plumworm, I have somuch gear, and have been fishing for so long that not only do I not know anything; I don't suspect much. 1
einscodek Posted February 20, 2015 Posted February 20, 2015 As I sit here tonight, in the warm comfort of my man cave ( it's -5 outside with a - 25 wind chill) and a little bit of sippin whiskey left in my glass, I am starting to realize how little I know about bass fishing. I've only been on this hallowed website for three years. ( I'm retired ) Slowly, I have began to realize that the bass fishing I knew 20, even 10 years ago has gone way over my head. I have a 15 year old bass boat, a 10 year old truck and the last rod and reel I bought was the year I retired. My graphs are 10+ years old. I have spent the winter going through the many $1000's of dollars of tackle I have stupidly purchased of the years. 300+ cranks, 100+ spinnerbaits, 1000's of hooks and sinkers, God only knows how many lbs. of plastics and up until this year, every " new and improved" lure they thrust upon us. I read what all of my fellow BR members post and I realize that I just enjoy fishing and will continue to chuck my #200 Bandits, my Zoom u-tails, my Terminator spinnerbaits, Gitzit tubes, and Chugbugs. All of my BC reel are Shimano "greenys" over 10 years old and my spinning reels are Shimano Stradics that are the same age. They work as well as my 69 year old body does. I'm not done though, I'm leaving on March 18th for a 2+ week trip to Guntersville. I just can't keep up with all the "new and improved" I really did catch a bass one though. How little you HAVE is not how little you KNOW.. but you KNOW that already My sweetest fish werent the biggest monsters, .. theyre the near lunkers I fought and caught off either my standby rods or gear or aged gear or my kids gear using lures and line barely qualified to be called that by mega $$$ corporations.. satisfaction
bassindon Posted February 22, 2015 Posted February 22, 2015 To me the newest and greatest has been just that to me, now up to 52 over 10. I still have all my old dusty gear at stand by though. It just comes down to .... If you're Happy and you know it, Clap your hands.
thomas15 Posted February 23, 2015 Posted February 23, 2015 Compared to some I'm a piker with respect to the amount of tackle and gear I own. But still, I have a bunch and I'm always adding to the mess. I seem to have this fear of losing lures or forgetting which lure I used to catch a particular fish or which brand/action a particular lure is. So I save all the packaging! So I've decided this year will be different. I'm gonna use my tackle and try everything. I'm gonna fish the crap out of my stuff and if I lose half of my tackle so be it. Time to take off the gloves and start fishing. 1
hawgenvy Posted February 24, 2015 Posted February 24, 2015 I know I know nothing. When the guy in the front or the back of the boat is throwing a blue thingamajig and gets three bites to my none I later buy a bunch of those thingamajigs; and when eventually I cast them myself a half dozen times without a bite I'm convinced they're useless and I go back to senkos and my standby frogs and swimbaits. Now, I forget where I stashed those cursed thingamajigs. Oh, Devil, how is it the milfoil is always greener on the other side? Some jerk may fish the same exact jerkbait the exact same way for a hundred years without catching a fish and won't even consider changing tactics. That's a very happy man, jerk or not. I am the opposite kind of jerk, the kind that's always driven to try something else. That's why I have two dozen unopened skirted jigs and old boxes of plastic worms and swimbaits that I think wont catch fish this week or next. Well, at least I am a loveable idiot -- loveable to those who market and sell new fishing equipment.
SENKOSAM Posted February 26, 2015 Posted February 26, 2015 Good post Plumworm (and good response Sam). I noticed you didn't mention competition fishing and though I have nothing against it, at age 65 I like more leisurely fishing without the expense and pressure. I'm like you - a 1986 Ranger Bass boat with a good Merc 90hp motor;a jon boat and an aluminum V bottom for trolling motor-only and smaller lakes. (The 15' canoe is a pain!) I own probably more tackle than you but who's counting? I make most of my own soft plastic lures and prefer to catch fish on them (just in case they seem to have more magic than the store bought). I guess when you get to our age, the challenges and questions are somewhat different. It's not just about beating someone and winning something, but more about discovery, especially something new only we happened upon. (How About That!? Who would a thought...! Redefines being and feeling lucky!) Like you, we have good and bad days, catch decent fish or a limit or few decent bass. If bass fishing is slow, I hit panfish areas going after the largest of each species.( Did well this year!) If I get another 7 lb bass in my boat, so be, it but the thrill is gone and I like to fish for numbers regardless of size or species. (Of course the emphasis will always be catching bass in a good bass waters.) There will always be more to bass fishing for the majority of anglers than BASS tournaments and buying new & improved gear gurarenteed to get the big ones. Heck, some of my best fish of all species were caught on a closed face reel and light line and most on lures over a deacade old!
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 26, 2015 Super User Posted February 26, 2015 Hmm... SENKOSAM, Too young to stop now, splurge a little. Go buy whatever you consider the hottest rod & reel, a spool of Tatsu and three or four of this year's "MAGIC" lures. I think you might be surprised at how much more fun that would be. -Kent
Super User J Francho Posted February 27, 2015 Super User Posted February 27, 2015 "The thrill is gone…" Frank, we're afflicted with a passion. Fishing is the cure.
plumworm Posted February 27, 2015 Author Posted February 27, 2015 Senkosam, No tourneys, no challenge, even with myself. I just enjoy the act of fishing. I enjoy making a good cast to a specific spot, I enjoy being able to be in complete control of the boat so I can cast where I want to. I enjoy fishing with my 10-15 year old equipment that still works today like it did when I bought it. I enjoy using 15-20+ year old lures. My favorite way to fish is T-rigged plastics. Waiting for the thump or the tick or watching for my line swimming away is why I fish. You may have a whole lot more tackle than I have but I'm sure I have way more than I will ever use. The old " guy who dies with the most toys wins" concept just (in the last 2-3 years) passed me by. At 69 I have slowly began to accept my age. The pathetic thing is, My boys don't bass fish. Oh, they fish, My oldest fished the MWC (walleye) for years before his kids were born and my youngest is a big time primitive area/backpack fly fisherman. I have no place to unload $1000's of dollars of bass fishing "junk" I sure ain't quitting yet. 2 weeks on Guntersville coming up in March. As I said, I enjoy the act of fishing.
plumworm Posted February 27, 2015 Author Posted February 27, 2015 Roadwarrior, you are the ultimate tackle salesman. You keep trying to get those of us who have decided that we have more tackle than we need (because of our age) to " keep on keeping on" Good for you. Just to let you know, I haven't quit buying, I have had 2 orders this spring from Siebert Outdoors and a little tackle shop in Michigan that had the Xcaliber Xr50 that I needed. I still have 1 more order from TW that I have to send for my trip to Guntersville in three weeks. But, I still have soooo much more tackle than I will ever use. Bear with us "old farts" We ain't done yet, were just slowing down a little. 2
SENKOSAM Posted February 27, 2015 Posted February 27, 2015 "The thrill is gone…" Frank, we're afflicted with a passion. Fishing is the cure. Guess you left out the other points in the reply. In other words, the thrill is where you find it. As for passion, there's not a day that goes by that I don't think about fishing and the feel of the sun on my skin or the total relaxation of cadence-working a structure that has high potential, only interrupted by the strike that signals a mystery of what is at the end of my line. Not much different for tourney anglers, I'd say. You may be confusing passion with obsession, which should never have a place in fishing if it causes stress, a sense of loss, disappointment or letdown. Just the idea of us being against the fish is the kind of juvenile sales pitch that's been used to get people to watch more or buy more that I've come to reject whole heartedly. Of course, I don't carry on like some of the good ol boy yahoos on ESPN, as the thrill I experience is more subdued, especially at my age where just knowing I did something right produces the same satisfied feeling as when I was a teen fishing from shore. Fish aren't there for the glory of man, but rather the object of our respect and admiration (though not exactly as demonstrated by Jimmie Houston kissing a bass, but along the same lines). RW, The only difference in the Rapalas and other classic lures I own are the prices that are 3x as much as I paid years ago. As long as I keep the hooks sharp, they still keep catching. New is rarely a substitute for the utility of good-but-used.
Super User roadwarrior Posted February 27, 2015 Super User Posted February 27, 2015 We "mature" anglers have a huge advantage over most of the younger guys. Most of the stuff we "need" we already have and probably way more than we will ever use. So for us picking up the new magic lure, rod or reel is about our only tackle expense other than replacing line.
Super User J Francho Posted February 27, 2015 Super User Posted February 27, 2015 Some guys will always be more worried about what everyone else has, proclaiming it's too much, over the top, or use some other big word to deem it unhealthy. I say fish, share the knowledge and stop trying to cause trouble.
SENKOSAM Posted February 28, 2015 Posted February 28, 2015 Most of the stuff we "need" we already have and probably way more than wewill ever use Continuing that line of thought, Il bet you would do better than I using even a part of my collection, seeing as your greater experience would find better uses of lures I rarely use such as my many crankbaits. My forte is using jigs, soft plastics, topwater lures and jerkbaits - hard and soft. So even though I always carry a dozen crankbaits, I rarely use them. But as important is knowing a body of water like the back of your hand, which automatically limits what is truly needed to get the job done. And I guess the point of knowing what works and when to use it doesn't require taking 60lbs of tackle on one's boat as many of the pros have suggested when it comes to having the right color selection along just in case. (In my experience, a few will do.) The fishing writer I have most respect for, Rich Zaleski, pointed this out at a seminar he gave, showing us his small tackle box containing even fewer lures than I carry; and I know for a fact the man can catch decent fish most any time he puts his mind to it. He's pretty much disproved the idea that bass get tired of or oversensitzed to the same lures used year after year and therefore the need to constantly buy new stuff. Like some anglers, bass aren't sophisticated thinkers much less think. But again it's time to continue posting elsewhere because I wouldn't want to cause "trouble".
Patrick Morrow Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 To be honest, most of the time anglers who think they know the most actually know the least. I`m sure the guys who really are on top of their game understand that there is so much more to learn.
FrogFreak Posted March 2, 2015 Posted March 2, 2015 To be honest, most of the time anglers who think they know the most actually know the least. I`m sure the guys who really are on top of their game understand that there is so much more to learn. The more I know the more I know I don't know! I do agree with an earlier poster when they said they liked the sport but dislike the hype. I get that these companies are trying to sell lures but the act of throwing a lure on a private lake during the spawn to show me how great it works gets old. Thank goodness for this site and honest TW reviews. I work for a living and I want to spend my hard earned money wisely. I use Cavitron Buzz baits, War Eagle Spinners, Strike King Sexy Dawgs, Duo Realis Poppers, Seibert Jigs and I buy lipless cranks and square bills from Academy (H2O brand). Why, because they all work, are reasonably priced and are durable. I also recently got into the Elaztech line of plastics because they are very durable. Oh and I love the Rage Tail products because I've caught a ton of bass using them.
Super User J Francho Posted March 2, 2015 Super User Posted March 2, 2015 Like some anglers, bass aren't sophisticated thinkers much less think. But again it's time to continue posting elsewhere because I wouldn't want to cause "trouble". Coming here and insulting other anglers is probably not going to win you any respect on this forum.
BassResource.com Administrator Glenn Posted March 2, 2015 BassResource.com Administrator Posted March 2, 2015 Looks like Sam has once again paid his annual visit to cause an argument, and ultimately get in a huff and insult others when they don't agree with him. And then he runs back to a dark corner of the Internet to complain about how awful we are. LOL! Well folks, you won't be seeing that again. I've permanently banned him. Drama over. And scene.... 3
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