Understanding bass fishing terms

[papajoe222]

I'm seeing a lot of novice anglers on the forums and I think a thread that defines some terms that most of us use would help take eliminate some of the confusion that goes hand in hand with starting out. Please add one or two, or ask about one that you find confusing.

Structure refers to changes in the bottom, or it's composition. Examples would be a point, drop off, bluff or hump

Cover refers to things that fish can either hide in, or use to ambush their prey. Examples would be weeds, wood, boulders, or man made cover such as docks or brush piles

T-rig- C-rig- Mojo rig- etc. These are different ways to rig soft plastic baits.

[Glenn]

I give you, the BassResource Glossary of Fishing Terms:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing_lures/bass_fishing.html

 

[roadwarrior]

[DubyaDee]

I'm confused about the term "no stretch fluorocarbon" that all the pros feel the need to use. If it was no stretch you wouldn't need to reiterate it any chance you get. 

[RAMBLER]

How many times have you heard, when someone gets a big bass, man, that's a "TOAD"?  That's a term I have never understood.  It looks like a fish to me.

[Catt]

Due to Political Correctness older translations of many words have come under revisionism, revisionism is an aspect of cultural dissemination of misinformation.

[MIbassyaker]

Lol. I am endlessly amused at how politically correct it has become to complain about political correctness...

[scaleface]

I remember in the 80's even the pros in Bassmaster magazine referred to cover as structure . 

[Molay1292]

Action and Power are two of the terms that I often notice being used incorrectly.   I think it is important to understand the difference.

Rod Power: 

The “power” of a rod refers to how much pressure it takes to flex the rod. Different rod powers are engineered to efficiently handle a certain range of lure weights and line sizes. To select a rod power that will perform best for you, simply narrow your choices to rods designed to cast the weight of lures – and sizes of lines – you’ll fish with most often.

Rod Action:

The “action” of a rod is determined by where a rod flexes along the blank. Faster action rods flex mostly near the tip. Moderate action rods flex more near the middle of the blank. Slower action rods flex down into the butt section.

Borrowed from the St.Croix website.

[BiteFiend]

Moss: Grows on trees. Not in water. 

[WRB]

33 minutes ago, BiteFiend said:

Moss: Grows on trees. Not in water. 

Algae is sometimes called moss or snot grass, aquatic vegetation is lumped under grass or weeds and sometimes referred to as slop. Ever region has it's own terminology or slang, it's no different than variations of the English/American language.

Tom

[soflabasser]

All I know is that I catch lots of big bass on what many like to call "structure on structure". 

[MikeWright]

What is a "POWER" fisher...I hope my skills aren't "weak" 

[Gundog]

36 minutes ago, MikeWright said:

What is a "POWER" fisher...I hope my skills aren't "weak" 

Imagine this guy with a fishing rod. That is a "Power" fisher.

 

[MikeWright]

I could picture him pulling a 100# cat out of a hole, it getting away...and him saying....I'll be back

[Hot Rod Johnson]

[BiteFiend]

3 hours ago, WRB said:

Algae is sometimes called moss or snot grass, aquatic vegetation is lumped under grass or weeds and sometimes referred to as slop. Ever region has it's own terminology or slang, it's no different than variations of the English/American language.

Tom

True, however when one refers to algae as moss, it is not actual moss.

 

 

[Bluebasser86]

Just now, BiteFiend said:

I respectfully disagree. While used as slang, when one refers to algae as moss, it is not actual moss. 

 

 

Most everyone around here calls algae "moss", including myself. It's not moss, just like a bluegill isn't a perch but a lot of people call them that and it's generally understood by others from that region. It's fisherman terminology, whether technically correct or not, which is the point of the thread. I don't WRB was saying that it actually does grow in the water, just stating why we often hear that term even though it's not technically correct. 

[Catt]

8 hours ago, WRB said:

Algae is sometimes called moss or snot grass, aquatic vegetation is lumped under grass or weeds and sometimes referred to as slop. Ever region has it's own terminology or slang, it's no different than variations of the English/American language.

Tom

 

4 hours ago, BiteFiend said:

True, however when one refers to algae as moss, it is not actual moss.

 

 

 

4 hours ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Most everyone around here calls algae "moss", including myself. It's not moss, just like a bluegill isn't a perch but a lot of people call them that and it's generally understood by others from that region. It's fisherman terminology, whether technically correct or not, which is the point of the thread. I don't WRB was saying that it actually does grow in the water, just stating why we often hear that term even though it's not technically correct. 

Y'all seeing the problem yet?

It only grows from here!

[Bluebasser86]

4 minutes ago, Catt said:

 

 

Y'all seeing the problem yet?

It only grows from here!

Exactly, then get into local fish names and it really gets crazy. Here, a white perch is a white perch. Elsewhere if someone says that, they're talking about a crappie, or a crappy. Whereas others call them a "speck" (which is also another term for a speckled trout), and folks around @Catt probably call them a sac-a-lait. Us fishermen are a confusing bunch  

[Catt]

@Bluebasser86

Give a man a fish & you'll feed him for a day

Teach a man to fish & you'll confuse him for a lifetime!

[Sam]

And to add to this thread's confusion we have the use of bass fishing jargon that can get us into trouble with outsiders in a New York minute.

We all can provide examples of what we can say that can be misinterpreted and thought to be offensive to the uninformed and our terms are actually funny outside of bass fishing.

So I ask everyone to view Glenn's list of fishing terms and their meanings and then make up a number of funny examples that make sense to us but not to non-fishing people. But keep them to yourself or start a separate thread asking for the things we say that could get us into trouble.

I think I will check my favorite worm, now.

[MIbassyaker]

When I moved to Michigan, it took awhile to figure out what people meant by "dogfish", and why I would get momentary looks of confusion if I ever said "bowfin". And then I discovered a choupique, or shoepick in the south is also the same thing. But definitely not the same as an eelpout, or bourbot, which my father in law visiting from Minnesota thought it kinda looked like,

But I knew "speck" and "slab" already, so I could at least talk about crappie.

[Hog Basser]

1 hour ago, MIbassyaker said:

When I moved to Michigan, it took awhile to figure out what people meant by "dogfish", and why I would get momentary looks of confusion if I ever said "bowfin". And then I discovered a choupique, or shoepick in the south is also the same thing. But definitely not the same as an eelpout, or bourbot, which my father in law visiting from Minnesota thought it kinda looked like,

But I knew "speck" and "slab" already, so I could at least talk about crappie.

Ha, Bowfin are called Grinnell here in Arkansas.  

[J Francho]

So, this very debate is why the binomial classification system was put in place - to end debates using common names, or colloquialisms when referring to living things.  A 'pike" can mean several different things, depending on where the person is from.  Up here, it always refers to "northern pike," Esox lucius. But elsewhere, it could mean a walleye, or one a the few species of pickerel.

So, if someone calls algae "moss," I'm okay with it, even though up here, we call coontail (Ceratophyllum demersum), "moss."  Others might call it "hornwort."

As long as we know what we're both talking about...