Overcomplicating things

[Paul Roberts]

18 minutes ago, ww2farmer said:

If my name was Wayne, I'd answer. 

Sorry bout that, ww2farmer. Mixed you up with Speedbead for a moment there. You changed your avatar on me.

[ward131]

3 hours ago, Jaderose said:

I was jonesin pretty bad for one of those Livetarget sunfish until I actually saw one the other day.  It's a frog with no legs.  I put my wallet away

And I have some *** frogs with out legs that still catch fish!

 

[yugrac]

gundog, you said a mouthfull. I dont smoke, drink, play golf, chase women, [wife would not approve] I sold all my hot rods and collector cars, and I am going to sell my goldwing this spring, I dont watch any sports,  a guy has to have something to do, and when the water is frozen, and it does not get ice thick enough to suit me in the area I live in, so no ice fishing, you spend money on fishing gear during the off season.  I spent over $1,500 this winter, and did not make any single really big purchase, allot of the things were upgrades.

[Dwight Hottle]

6 hours ago, S. Sass said:

Maybe amusing was the wrong term. Try interesting? I didn't really think of the "addiction" angle so much I was thinking of it from the perspective of the guy who always had to out do everyone. You know the kid that when you got something new he would show up a day later with a bigger better one of the same thing. As if it somehow made him better because of it.

Sort of like fishing from a expensive bass boat vs just a good solid bass boat. The fish have no clue the year model of the boat so whats the purpose other than status. $15 to $20 for a single bait is just ludicrous and I don't care how someone tries to justify it it just makes them look more like "that guy". And dont even start with me on the crazy bait prices above that. If that is what someone is willing to pay that is their choice but the only reason they are screwing you into paying that price is because you are paying it. There is no way the mass produced baits are costing that much to make. 

Not to single you out but I take it you are not a swimbait fisherman. 

[gulfcaptain]

10 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Not to single you out but I take it you are not a swimbait fisherman. 

Hey, that's a different guy......lol   Swimbait guys are a bread unto their own.  

[slonezp]

Just now, gulfcaptain said:

Hey, that's a different guy......lol   Swimbait guys are a bread unto their own.  

They are closet musky fishermen

[gulfcaptain]

18 minutes ago, slonezp said:

They are closet musky fishermen

I'd fish for them fish of a thousand casts if we had them in CA.  But we don't so I fish swimbaits for bass instead.

[S. Sass]

2 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Not to single you out but I take it you are not a swimbait fisherman. 

You are correct. But I did say, "mass produced baits" and my point still stands. What materials exactly are the swimbaits made of that make any of them become so valuable? Gold? Silver? How much does a 8",10", or 12" piece of wood or plastic cost? 

[Fishinthefish]

Getting married. She spends it faster than I can make it and uses all of our storage space.

[Catt]

Ole Catt = Ole School!

I don't walk around with my phone attached to my ear, heck most days I don't even carry a phone.

I don't do selfies with every bass I catch; when I typed this on my computer I had to add "selfie" to the dictionary.

My two favorite Calcuttas are 30 plus years old, don't see a reason to change, may upgrade bearings this year.

I've got Stanley spinner baits that are several years old, hooks still sharp, changed skirts a couple times & they still catch fine.

I've thrown the same cinnamon pepper neon junebug laminated ring worms for 25+ years.

I'm a Texas Rig freak; straight shank hook, non-pegged weight, on Big Game.

I still cast with one hand; overhead 

I still use a hand controlled trolling motor

I still catch Hawgs on the same structure I fished 45 years ago.

I still wear Wrangler boot cut jeans, Cowboys boots, & a ball cap with the bill facing forward!

[gulfcaptain]

1 hour ago, S. Sass said:

How much does a 8",10", or 12" piece of wood or plastic cost? 

Well the Triple Trout only set you back somewhere between $75 and $120 depending on the size you want.  Now that Deps 250, yeah go ahead and double that, and a Roman, well a lot more.

[Bluebasser86]

59 minutes ago, gulfcaptain said:

Well the Triple Trout only set you back somewhere between $75 and $120 depending on the size you want.  Now that Deps 250, yeah go ahead and double that, and a Roman, well a lot more.

As you and I well know though, you're not just paying for that "8-12 inch piece of wood/plastic". R&D, patents, superior parts and materials, meticulous attention to details, they all have to count for something.

I know there's people out there who think it's crazy to spend more than $10 on a bait (my dad about died when I told him how much each of the Deps 175s I own cost), but I enjoy fishing them so I'll continue buying the big baits. The way I see it, I'm not going to poke fun at someone who loves fishing an Ugly Stick, that's what they enjoy then good for them, doesn't make it wrong because it's not for me. The fish don't care how you spend your money, so spend it on what makes you happy and don't worry about what others are doing. 

[EvanT123]

I have overcomplicated so much; I have promised myself I will take different baits out every trip. I just haven't made up my mind if that is a problem or solution. 

[WI_Angler1989]

11 hours ago, slonezp said:

The boat and technology argument holds some merit, but these tools are worthless without knowledge 

Ahhh, but you see, there's the catch. The tools are useless without the knowldge. Perfectly logical. But the knowledge is useless without the tools. Knowledge for the sake of knowledge is one thing, but to learn to use something and actually KNOW how to do it with it, you NEED the tools. It's a circle. I could read all day about swimming but drown the second I jump in the deep end. Maybe not the best metaphor, but the idea stands.

Im jealous of those of you with those tools because you can and HAVE learned to use them by using them. Me, I don't have the boat or the sonar and honestly don't think I will for a long time. I just beat my banks and lug my passion in a bag on my shoulders, dreaming of the next step. 

[Fishes in trees]

Reading this thread has been interesting  I am one of those guys who carries many different rigs in my fishing truck and most of those make it into the boat when I go fishing.  I generally carry 18 to 22 different rigs in my boat.   Part of this is a tendency toward junk fishing, i.e  here's a point, what happens when I drag a jika rig across the point, what happens when I pull a deep diving crank over the point, what happens when I . . . . .   you get the idea.  My approach is to try to carry enough appropriate gear that I can decently fish any scenario without wasting a lot of time retying baits.   I don't mind retying because I got a bait stuck and lost it, but it is absolutely irksome to have to retie simply because I didn't start out the day with a correct bait tied on.

Being a tackle collector plays into this as well.   For instance, I don't go bank fishing for catfish all that much, however, when I do go, I got 6 rigs that I can put a spread of baits out with.   I don't trout fish all that much - but when I do go ( generally at Taneycomo )  I've got rigs appropriate for drift fishing as well as casting various sized baits, and if we're going to go trolling skinny shad rap style baits around close to the dam, I got separate rigs  to suit that style of fishing.

You hear about guys who are the "jack of all trades, but master of none"   One of the things that I aspire to be is not necessarily be master of all fishing styles, but master of many, and you need the tools to learn how to do that.   So I spend money and collect gear.   It could be worse.   If I had a nose candy habit, all I'd have to show for it at the end of the day would be a runny nose.

 

[0119]

5 hours ago, Catt said:

I've thrown the same cinnamon pepper neon junebug laminated ring worms for 25+ years.

Rebel Ring Worms?  Do they still make those? I'd kill to find them.......

[Catt]

1 hour ago, 0119 said:

Rebel Ring Worms?  Do they still make those? I'd kill to find them.......

Started with Rebel.then Gene Larew, & now I get them from Ann's Tackle in Jasper, Tx.

[slonezp]

5 hours ago, EvanT123 said:

I have overcomplicated so much; I have promised myself I will take different baits out every trip. I just haven't made up my mind if that is a problem or solution. 

Yes. Lol

[scaleface]

I am not that guy .  I dont care what everyone else is using .   Half the time on this forum I dont know what lures you guys are talking about . When I first got serious into Bass fishing I was that guy for a couple of years . Then I discovered the T-Rig worm and it changed my approach to bass fishing .  So now, before buying a   lure,  I imagine where that lure is going to be used .

[RMcDuffee726]

First year of fishing I was "that guy". Now, I just chill and keep it simple.  Works incredibly well.

[Team9nine]

Glad we've figured out that most of us aren't "that" guy. Of course, that doesn't explain why there are now over 500,000 posts in the general and equipment forum sections if everything is so simple and uncomplicated

-T9

[WI_Angler1989]

Just now, Team9nine said:

Glad we've figured out that most of us aren't "that" guy. Of course, that doesn't explain why there are now over 500,000 posts in the general and equipment forum sections if everything is so simple and uncomplicated

-T9

Oh yes, assuming most aren't "That Guy" then I say I confess that I'm guilty of winter. It's winter and I'm BORED! I lean more towards that guy, minus actually spending the $1748593 on tackle and just knowing what I WOULD buy if I did hahaha. I'm blessed enough to get what I need, a few that I want, and to research what I should do. Self control?

[soflabasser]

23 hours ago, Fishin Ethan said:

It's not the gear it's the fisher.

I agree with you 100%! People spend way too much time on buying gear and not enough time spent on learning how to catch what they are after. Nothing replaces the time spent while learning on the water!

[Bladesmith,]

I have certainly been some parts of "that guy" at times. I've been fishing for more than 50 years. By this time, I have accumulated more lures than I will live long enough to actually use. I have old battle scarred Bagleys and Rebels that I will never tie on again, Old pistol grip rods that I no longer use, reels that are collectors items (I still use some of them) and several tough boxes (the big ones) full of spinner baits, crank baits, and soft plastics. When I go to the lake, I take one small box with what I'll use that day. Usually carry 3 rods with lures already tied on and rarely change them. I guess it is evolution. When I was younger I thought it was equipment that made the difference. It is not. It is attitude, experience, and time on the water that makes the difference.

[Scott F]

20 minutes ago, Bladesmith, said:

........When I was younger I thought it was equipment that made the difference. It is not. It is attitude, experience, and time on the water that makes the difference.

Judging by the amount of posts concerning equipment that are on these forums, there are still a lot of fisherman who have not yet come to the same conclusion.

  The great thing about bass fishing is you can be "that guy" or not and still get enjoyment out of the sport. I still enjoy the simple approach with light rods, light line, no leaders and a basic assortment of baits.  Be the enthusiast, with every piece of gear that was ever made if that's what makes it fun for you or fish with a cane pole, a hook and a worm, it doesn't matter. It's the tug at the end of the line that's the common denominator for all of us.