Why I am a better ________ angler than you are!

[bigbill]

The best tool to use from shore is a hummingbird cast out fish finder. I use it to learn the bottom layout of what's in front of you. Knowing the depth is one clue to know how to fish it. The other good tool is between your shoulders.

Funny when I was fishing in the evenings at a crowded place they see me catching bass after bass but there's more to the approach than a CRANKBAIT sprayed with a scent.. if the man who talked to me would slow up his spinnerbait and let if fall below the sight line he'd be catching fish too.

It's which bait. Size, color, depth, presentation.

[burrows]

I am the better fisherman because I'm just gonna walk away from this thread. 

[WRB]

Those who take the time to share their best bass fishing skill with others are better for doing it. There are no secrets, being tight lipped and unwilling to share knowledge is counter productive and doesn't help anyone.

I am a better bass angler becuase I have shared knowledge and learned from others who have shared their know how.

Tom

[Catt]

Glen May founded Bass Resource with two goals in mind; 

To share his love for this sport and to give others a place to share their love for this sport!

[Bass_Fanatic]

Over got a few things that I think set me apart from many bass fisherman. On the other hand, I've got plenty that kick my butt. But, just for fun...

 

Why I'm a better tournament angler than you. This one is simple, I work harder. Just this past weekend as I was prefishing for basschamps I fished daylight to dark thirty. There were hundreds of boats on Rayburn all day, but when a storm rolled through at 4 pm, everyone left, except me. I had the lake to myself and figured something out while everyone else was back at the hotels. I caught 2 over 5 during the storm. I also fish for 5 bites. I have two patterns going on right now on Rayburn. I caught 7 all day Friday, but had a few big ones, and caught 25 Saturday but most where smaller. Most people will go catch their 5 on pattern 2 then look for a kicker with pattern 1. I plan on staying with pattern 1 looking for 5 bites. Why catch 5 fish I need to cull anyway?

 

Why I am a better Arig fisherman than you. I throw it and I throw it often.  There are many days hat I will not get many bites on the rig, but when I do, it's a giant. Other days I may catch over 100 on it. But I throw it because I know its potential.  I'm also not scared to hang it up. If I'm fishing brushpiles in 35 ft, I'll let it hit the bottom and drag I through the pile. I'll get hunt plenty, but I also catch some studs doing this. 

 

Why im a better deep water fisherman than you. Like Catt, I understand structure much better than most. Cover is an added bonus, but structure is the first thing I look for. Channel swings, humps, ridges, ect are what I key on. Then after finding the right structure I will begin to look for key cover on said structure.  Also, when I find this sweet spot, I will fish it hard. Many people go down a break line for 100's of yards fishing. I fish specific spots on these structures that hold fish.  I try to maximize my time by fishing high opportunity spots rather than cover an entire ridge.  

 

Now my weakness, no doubt, is when the fish hit the banks...at that point, I'm screwed lol.

[paangler13]

This is why I am a better frog fisherman than you.

I throw it a lot. I mean a whole bunch, probably more than I should.  I love that it can go from open water to the bank, and catch fish the whole way. But, why I am better has to do with where you put it. I catch more fish fishing behind guys cause I put it right on the bank. It is amazing how shallow bass will be in thick slop. Also stick it where the sun doesn't shine, Literally!  Shade, and shade lines, up into bushes, over limbs, as deep as you can get it.  There is a reason for that 65# braid!  

If YOU want to be a better frog fisherman than ME, than my advice is to practice casting......

 Jim

[mnbassman23]

Why I'm a better jig fisherman than you.

Because most people tend to fish their jig to fast and don't put it in the areas they should to catch big bass. Skip it under that dock/overhang, pitch it into the heart of a big laydown, and crawl it through that rock point that eats lures like it's going out of style. Once you get it in a prime area let it sit and move it slow. People tend to pitch their jig in, shake it quick, and pull it right back out. You get the point, fish slower. After I bought a GoPro I realized how fast I actually fished my jigs and it was a real eye opener. I've since slowed down with my retrieve. Next time your retrieving your jig count how long it takes you from cast/pitch to getting it back to the boat. Probably much faster then you expect and much faster than you should. Another good option is to anchor up, power pole/talon down, and methodically work a high percentage area. I didn't start doing this until 3 years ago and the amount of big fish I caught after doing so went up dramatically. Most people do not work an area thoroughly enough by a long shot. Getting that proper boat position, maintaining it, and working the area slowly is key to those bigger bites. 

I also make my own jigs so I have colors specific to the bodies of water I fish. If you don't think color matters that's fine (not here to argue)  but I can tell you on the lakes I fish you will get out fished if you don't have specific colors at certain times of the year. I can also dial in the ROF I get with my jig based on head weight and strand count which is another important factor. 

There are plenty of guys on here that would whip my arse when it comes to jig fishing but over the past 7 years of focusing on jig fishing I have made a lot of improvements that I wish someone had told me years ago. 

[FrogFreak]

I love this site! What a bunch of awesome information!

Why I'm a better popper fisherman than you:

I throw a popper when others don't, where others don't and work it with a level of creativity that many won't.

When:

I believe that regardless of the fish's mood, a popper can catch them. I throw a popper when I think bass are in a negative mood because i think I can fool them into biting. I throw it when they are neutral because I think they see a popper as a meal that they can't pass up and I throw it when bass are aggressive because the strikes are so darn much fun! I throw a popper when the sun is high in the sky and in the middle of the day. These times and conditions aren't typical but I have had success during these times and in these conditions on many occasions. I also throw a popper from pre-spawn until the lakes up here freeze with success. Before you cry foul, please read on.

Where:

I throw a popper in your traditional ambush spots but i also throw it over deep structure, pinch points, and open water in transitional areas. When I see any type of surface activity, I have confidence that pinch points, transitional areas and even open water areas with no characteristics will produce. But here's the weird part, I have had success with a popper when there was zero surface activity in the middle of a lake where most wouldn't throw a popper.

How I work it:

This can get a bit zen but I truly try to become the bass when I work a popper, especially around ambush spots. I always always assume that a bass is looking at my popper and considering it from the time it hits the water (or maybe even before it hits) until the time it gets back in the boat. Some of my retrieves can take as long as 20 minutes with pauses up to 2 minutes at a time and sometimes I pop it so violently and continually that my angling partners laugh...until I catch fish doing it that way. I suppose we all feel like this when we have confidence in what we are throwing but for me, this is the number one key to popper success, confidence. My buddy throws a popper when he sees me catching fish with one but he has zero confidence in it and therefore he doesn't work it with any patience. I believe that i can entice negative fish to bite with a popper, I just have to figure out what type of retrieve and action they want.

Color and brand:

Doesn't matter too much. I like any popper with a white or black belly and I do use translucent plastic poppers if the water is very clear. I have tried many popper brands but prefer to make my own. I always dress the back treble with buck-tail for a bit of extra enticing. I do like to put a split shot on the lure and tie directly to that. This seems to positively  affect the action especially if I feel that walking the popper is needed.

Set up:

I keep this pretty simple. I use a medium rod with a moderate tip. The moderate tip helps load up the rod when the fish strikes. I usually use a 6'6" rod only because I split time between my kayak and my boat and the shorter rod is a bit easier from the yak. I use mono exclusively. I did try braid for a bit but I missed the stretch of mono when it came to hooking up the fish. I prefer the Daiwa Lexa 100H (6:3:1 I believe) but most any quality reel will work. I don't feel that a fast gear ratio is necessary here and can hinder my zen like approach. One other note, it's very important to wait until you feel the weight of the fish on the strike and simply start reeling (this is where the moderate bend of the rod helps). This works better if you keep your hooks sharp!

Why does popper fishing work for me? I think we tend to forget that the surface is another "edge" that fish use to ambush prey. If you think about it, it's the only edge that exists all over the lake. Yes, there are times that other techniques may work better but tell me it's not a kick in the pants to watch a bass hit a popper?

[Ersteman]

Frog Freak, I'm going to challenge you (playfully of course).  I feel like I'm also a decent topwater popper fisherman,

While I still have a lot to learn, I have learned from my mistakes and that has lead to me developing successful techniques that I have confidence in when Topwater Popper Fishing.

LOOP KNOT:  I've learned how to accurately tie a loop knot which is the best knot for me in throwing poppers.  The loop knot gives the bait free motion when popping the bait which helps with the action of the bait.

MONO LINE: I found mono to the be best line for me due to stretch on the hook sets(prevents me from ripping it out of their mouths) and toughness when bass take the popper around logs and stumps.   I tend to use lighter line than the pros.  6lb and 8lb mono line.  It helps reduce the visibility to the fish and allows me to cast it a country mile.

ROD:  I like a parabolic, medium action rod that is not stiff.  The softer tip allows me to walk the bait when necessary, but also just enough give to mesh with how I work the bait. A medium rod also aids me in my hook sets and does not allow me to set too hard of a hook set.

WORKING THE BAIT:  To me, a popper is the definition of a finesse bait.  I found that fast subtle rod twitches get the bait to dart and twitch a way that mimics a wounded bait fish.  Also, the quick subtle twitches when worked at the right cadence, have the "swish, swish" sound the rattle chambers makes that emulates an erratic wounded bait fish.

CASTING ACCURACY: The structure in the lake I fish challenge me to have pin point casts by trees.  I found out I have a 4-6 inch target and if I miss that target, I don't get bit.  Hitting the center of a pocket, hitting a few inches away from a structure, and following the shore with a cast are all casts I use when topwater popper fishing.

LURE SIZE: I also found that the larger size poppers get bit as much as the smaller ones, and the larger ones are easier to throw, so I use the larger ones predominately.  

LURE COLOR:  Find out what bait you are emulating and find the color that best represents the forage.  Also, use trial and error to see what works best.  Then get a few confidence colors.  

HOOKS:  I learned the hard way about the importance of quality hooks.  There's a huge difference between Owner/Gamakatsu hooks vs stock hooks on Rebel Pop R's.  Even Bass that swipe at a good quality sharp hook will get hooked most of the time.  When you use weak, dull hooks, you can lose a lot of fish and it can take your confidence away.  

HOOK SETS: To me the key in hooking a topwater popper bass is to wait 1.5-2 seconds before setting the hook.  I have a very quick reaction to the strike and I had to train myself to wait before setting the hook.  The time you wait to set the hook allows the bass to fully mouth the bait and to head in a direction to allow a good hook set.  Also, a very hard hook set has not proven to have good success.  I set a quick hook set, but it's not really hard.  It's not a jig hook set, it's milder in power, but still quick. 

TOPWATER TECHNIQUES:  I found a twitch twitch popper technique is my go-to technique, but sometimes dead-sticking, walking the dog or a single twitch is what works.  

PATIENCE: My topwater techniques do not cover water quickly.  They identify a target location and then effectively fish that particular location thoroughly.  Patience has served me well.  Don't overwork the bait by jerking it around and by hard pops.  I found that does not work best.  Finesse actions and fewer twitches have netted me most of my fish.  Also, when the bait first hits the water, wait 5, 6, 7 seconds to let the ripples disperse.  This creates a target ring for bass to locate the bait.  A lot of times you throw the bait close to the bass, but bass can come from further distances, when you give them time to locate the lure from the ripples.

Topwater Popper fishing is my favorite and the sight of your lure being sucked under is second to none.  Also, the bass that go airborne is a great sight to see.  I'll take one topwater fish to 3 fish caught any other way.  And when you get a big fish on a topwater, it can make your year! 

-Mike 

[RCCA]

Great info. Thanks. My strength is humility, honesty,  and patience and as soon as I get back surgery, endurance will be back in action!

Shallow with a senko, spinner bait, and brush hog is where I survive.

Still working in the abyss....

[bonzai22]

Why I am a better swim jig fisherman than you. I have fished the swim jig a lot and have many patterns with it for different times of the year. Just like anything else it doesn't always catch them but I have figured out enough patterns to keep it tied on all year. 

First off a usually throw it on a 6' 10" medium heavy action rod. I like this rod because the rod being a little shorter makes it easier to cast in hard to reach places. I use a 7 to 1 gear ratio reel because sometimes burning the bait can cause reaction strikes. Also sometimes the fish eat the bait and runs towards you so its easier to catch up and set the hook. I usually throw it on 15lb fluorocarbon line since its sort of a finesse technique. If the water is a little more stained you can get away with throwing it on 15lb braid.

Some of the seasonal patterns and colors I use. Usually the swim jig bite picks up when the water gets around 60 in the spring. That time of year I throw a crawdad colored swim jig since the craws are usually out and about. Then around spawn and especially post spawn I match it to a bluegill color. The fry guarders go crazy for it and it seems to get the bigger bites even when the females are still lethargic from the spawn. Then in the summer this year I started experimenting with deeper swim jigs like a 3/4 ounce. Around that time I change to a shad color and also throw the shad color in the fall but switch to a lighter jig. The swim jig bite usually goes pretty far into the fall.

Usually I throw a rage craw as a trailer but sometimes throw a bigger craw and rip off some of the back of it. Sometimes the bigger profile with more vibration works but usually the rage craw is the ticket since its very subtle and natural looking. In the summer and fall I sometimes switch to a 5 inch white swimbait for a trailer as well. 

For retrieves usually you just reel at a moderate speed and fish it like you would fish a spinnerbait. Sometimes burning it can be good and sometimes letting it fall by cover gets a lot of bites. Just like anything else experiment with retrieves until you find what the fish want. Just hold on because some of the strikes are very violent.

I hope some of this helps I think the swim jig is overlooked a lot and fish dont see them as much as a spinnerbait or chatterbait. It has helped me catch a lot of fish even on tough bites when it seems like they wont hit anything else.

 

[deep]

Why I *was* a better swimbait angler than you are!

Because I was dumb enough to throw big baits all day long, from sunrise to sunset, day after day, week after week, and not catch ****- while everyone around me were catching fish left and right.

I kid you not, I went five weeks in late March to early May in 2012 without catching a single d**n fish, and I fished a lot back then, three or four days a week, depending on work. Every single hour I was not working or sleeping I was on the water.

I did catch a new PB on the 9th of May though, another that was 3 ozs off on the 11th, and a third nice one on the 12th.

P.S. Understanding structure and all that deal helps, too.

[RCCA]

On January 13, 2016 at 0:34 PM, Bass_Fanatic said:

Over got a few things that I think set me apart from many bass fisherman. On the other hand, I've got plenty that kick my butt. But, just for fun...

 

Why I'm a better tournament angler than you. This one is simple, I work harder. Just this past weekend as I was prefishing for basschamps I fished daylight to dark thirty. There were hundreds of boats on Rayburn all day, but when a storm rolled through at 4 pm, everyone left, except me. I had the lake to myself and figured something out while everyone else was back at the hotels. I caught 2 over 5 during the storm. I also fish for 5 bites. I have two patterns going on right now on Rayburn. I caught 7 all day Friday, but had a few big ones, and caught 25 Saturday but most where smaller. Most people will go catch their 5 on pattern 2 then look for a kicker with pattern 1. I plan on staying with pattern 1 looking for 5 bites. Why catch 5 fish I need to cull anyway?

 

Why I am a better Arig fisherman than you. I throw it and I throw it often.  There are many days hat I will not get many bites on the rig, but when I do, it's a giant. Other days I may catch over 100 on it. But I throw it because I know its potential.  I'm also not scared to hang it up. If I'm fishing brushpiles in 35 ft, I'll let it hit the bottom and drag I through the pile. I'll get hunt plenty, but I also catch some studs doing this. 

 

Why im a better deep water fisherman than you. Like Catt, I understand structure much better than most. Cover is an added bonus, but structure is the first thing I look for. Channel swings, humps, ridges, ect are what I key on. Then after finding the right structure I will begin to look for key cover on said structure.  Also, when I find this sweet spot, I will fish it hard. Many people go down a break line for 100's of yards fishing. I fish specific spots on these structures that hold fish.  I try to maximize my time by fishing high opportunity spots rather than cover an entire ridge.  

 

Now my weakness, no doubt, is when the fish hit the banks...at that point, I'm screwed lol.

It payed off!  Congrats! 

[Bass_Fanatic]

28 minutes ago, Little Fish.... said:

It payed off!  Congrats! 

Thanks man! I actually caught all my weight off of that spot I found in the storm last week. Just goes to show you that hard work does pay off!

[Choporoz]

TTT.....just because there's so much goodness about so many different things in this one thread. 

 

I may be a better wood fisherman than some of you.  I love fishing wood....doesn't matter if it is a two week old lay down, or a tree that has been standing in 50 FOW since they flooded the reservoir 70 years ago.  It isn't unusual for me to spend a couple hours on a single tree or brush pile.  Even if it isn't real productive today, I learn more about branches and trunks and angles so next time I hit that spot, I'm that much farther ahead.  I rpobe with a variety of lures, weights and jig heads.  I generally feel that the actual  bait is the least important of variables.   Angles, ROF, horizontal speed....are all more important than bait shape or color.....usually.   I approach a laydown, log or brushpile with spinnerbaits, crankbaits, chatterbaits, dropshot, shakeyhead, jig, t-rigs (multiple weights)....oftentimes all of the above in one visit.  Sometimes the 'best' angles need to be skipped because of wind or current.   I prefer 3 bites that I can confidently set the hook on to 5 bites that don't hook up.   I really try to visualize every branch and exactly what my bait is doing in relation to branch and trunk.   I fully expect there to be bass on every brushpile or laydown that I encounter.   Any one day, the difference between 1/16 oz T-rig and 1/4 oz T-rig moving through the brush can be huge.   I feel the need to try a range of ROF every time out.  

  However, I do have a weakness when it comes to lipless in wood.  Lack of experience and trying too hard not to hang up prevents me from being effective.  I knew a guy years ago that effectively worked his traps through brush and I was always in awe.  Even cranks, to some extent,  are a weak spot for me, since I feel I hang too often and can kill a spit for a short time.

[TnRiver46]

I was raised not to make such statements 

[J Francho]

1 minute ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was raised not to make such statements 

Me either.  I will also say, it doesn't even interest me in things like fishing, music, art, etc.  I do fish tournaments, but in my head it's me against the lake, not somehow proving I am better than someone else.

[king fisher]

I am better at BS.  Does that count?

[TnRiver46]

2 minutes ago, king fisher said:

I am better at BS.  Does that count?

Absolutely 

 

in fact I just scrolled back through as I didn’t recall this thread, had to make sure I wasn’t full of BS and hadn’t posted here already haha. Funny, the first reply said he didn’t think this thread would fly. I think the thread outlasted him/her

[Tennessee Boy]

"Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility regard others as better than yourselves." Phil 3:2

 

Words to live by... not always easy.

[Choporoz]

33 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I was raised not to make such statements 

 

31 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Me either.  I will also say, it doesn't even interest me in things like fishing, music, art, etc. 

@WRBexplained (more than once) that this was about sharing....not boasting....you may have to get past the title

[BassNJake]

28 minutes ago, J Francho said:

Me either.  I will also say, it doesn't even interest me in things like fishing, music, art, etc.  I do fish tournaments, but in my head it's me against the lake, not somehow proving I am better than someone else.

I always look at it as me VS the fish

Sometimes I'm out there feeling like the Washington Generals

[Bass_Fanatic]

On 1/13/2016 at 12:34 PM, Bass_Fanatic said:

Over got a few things that I think set me apart from many bass fisherman. On the other hand, I've got plenty that kick my butt. But, just for fun...

 

Why I'm a better tournament angler than you. This one is simple, I work harder. Just this past weekend as I was prefishing for basschamps I fished daylight to dark thirty. There were hundreds of boats on Rayburn all day, but when a storm rolled through at 4 pm, everyone left, except me. I had the lake to myself and figured something out while everyone else was back at the hotels. I caught 2 over 5 during the storm. I also fish for 5 bites. I have two patterns going on right now on Rayburn. I caught 7 all day Friday, but had a few big ones, and caught 25 Saturday but most where smaller. Most people will go catch their 5 on pattern 2 then look for a kicker with pattern 1. I plan on staying with pattern 1 looking for 5 bites. Why catch 5 fish I need to cull anyway?

 

Why I am a better Arig fisherman than you. I throw it and I throw it often.  There are many days hat I will not get many bites on the rig, but when I do, it's a giant. Other days I may catch over 100 on it. But I throw it because I know its potential.  I'm also not scared to hang it up. If I'm fishing brushpiles in 35 ft, I'll let it hit the bottom and drag I through the pile. I'll get hunt plenty, but I also catch some studs doing this. 

 

Why im a better deep water fisherman than you. Like Catt, I understand structure much better than most. Cover is an added bonus, but structure is the first thing I look for. Channel swings, humps, ridges, ect are what I key on. Then after finding the right structure I will begin to look for key cover on said structure.  Also, when I find this sweet spot, I will fish it hard. Many people go down a break line for 100's of yards fishing. I fish specific spots on these structures that hold fish.  I try to maximize my time by fishing high opportunity spots rather than cover an entire ridge.  

 

Now my weakness, no doubt, is when the fish hit the banks...at that point, I'm screwed lol.

Since the thread got bumped, figured I update on the tournament I talked about 5 years ago lol.  I stuck with pattern 1.  Had 25.82lbs, came in 1st, and won $22,200 that day.  

[J Francho]

8 minutes ago, BassNJake said:

I always look at it as me VS the fish

Sometimes I'm out there feeling like the Washington Generals

I think we're thinking the same way. The lake has to give up the fish in my head though. Sometimes I have to donate a lure or two to satisfy the lake. 

11 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

 

@WRBexplained (more than once) that this was about sharing....not boasting....you may have to get past the title

No, I got it right. Doesn't change my mentality. 

[TnRiver46]

20 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

 

@WRBexplained (more than once) that this was about sharing....not boasting....you may have to get past the title

My bad . In that case I have nothing to

share