Bass or Multispecies?

[Alan Reed]

Are you totally focused on Bass and have no interest with any other species or do you spend some of you days fishing focused on other species? And why?

[pawpaw]

I have no interest in anything other than bass fishing. Never have, never will. I guess I'm just into the ever changing puzzle that is patterning bass. I'm pretty sure this holds true for other fish species too, I just have zero interest in it.

[bigbassin']

I just about exclusively fish for bass, but I'll definitely switch it up on occasion and go for catfish and spec, or saltwater fishing. Something about how you fish for bass is just more enjoyable than other species in my opinion.

[Jar11591]

I am definitely a bass fisherman first and foremost. I do sometimes fish for bluegill, crappie and perch when I am going to have a fish fry, and I also fish small streams and creeks for trout in the mountains on occasion. I also catch a ton of pike and pickerel while bass fishing, and if they're of decent size I enjoy catching them as well. 

[soflabasser]

33 minutes ago, Alan Reed said:

Are you totally focused on Bass and have no interest with any other species or do you spend some of you days fishing focused on other species? And why?

I am very fond of bass fishing, but I spend most of my fishing time targeting other species of fish.I have a open mind as a fisherman,and feel that every type of fishing has something to offer for everyone.

[MassYak85]

If there were more Pike in my neck of the woods I would definitely target them as well but right now it's pretty much just bass. 

[Bluebasser86]

If it will bite and grows large enough to provide any sort of decent fight, I'll fish for it.

[davecon]

Was dyed in the wool bass fisherman for over 25 years. Then I found snook ! I fish for them in almost the same fashion as I would for bass, same rods and reels, same lures for the most part, same boat, same style, and in many cases the same waters.

Catch one really nice snook on bass tackle and you will understand.

Still enjoy bass fishing but do so now only December thru April.

Still go for panfish with ultralight on occasion and also play with the tarpon once in a while.

Life is good.

[Chowderhead]

53 minutes ago, pawpaw said:

I have no interest in anything other than bass fishing. Never have, never will. I'm guess I'm just into the ever changing puzzle that is patterning bass. I'm pretty sure this holds true for other fish species too, I just have zero interest in it.

Ditto!

[TriCityBassin']

95% bass.  first time I hooked a redfish I was hooked though! I am a bass guy buy fish for crappie and saltwater species too.  kayak...bass boat. ...Jon boat. ..belly boat. ..on foot.  not enough time in the year to catch them all.

[.ghoti.]

I regard any fish that can be caught with rod and reel a worthy opponent. 

Different fish, different tackle, different baits, different strategies, different challenges. 

Its all good. Why limit yourself to one species?

[WRB]

I spent my entire life fishing for all types of fresh and salt water fish from off shore big game fish like Marlin and tuna to back packing in for High Sierra Golden trout. Bass fishing is a different type of challenge that appeals to my competitiveness, problem solving and love of being outdoors enjoying nature. I can bass fish year around without traveling and use unlimited number of lures and presentations.

Tom

[BradGinKC]

While I typically target bass, I'll fish for anything that swims. I usually keep a crappie rig handy. If I'm not catching bass, or a nice school of crappie shows up on the screen, I like dropping a jig right on their nose. Several of the state fishing lakes I frequent also have a decent population of saugeye. They're fun to catch, and for me that's what it's all about: having fun.

[MIbassyaker]

I grew up fishing for anything that would bite in the river back home, which were channel cats, bullheads, pike, walleye, sauger, rock bass, drum, suckers, goldeye, and probably a few I forgot. At the occasional lake retreat, I was sometimes able to catch perch, crappie, bluegill, sunfish. Once I caught my first bass, though -- a pound and a halfer smallie that somehow found its way into our stretch of the river (we didn't know there were any in there) -- that was it: I found a fish I really wanted to catch to the exclusion of the others. The good news is, I discovered, fishing for bass is so diverse, you can catch almost anything by targeting bass. So now I can target bass almost exclusively in the new area I live, but still occasionally haul in a pike, walleye, perch, crappie, bluegill, catfish, bowfin here and there as a bonus, which is exactly how I like it.

[bchase44]

I Bass fish the most but I am interested in catching anything that swims.

I actually have a giant state map (Arkansas) in my office and want to pin each species from each body of water in the state.

I have a long ways to go!

[Yakalong]

I will normally fish for bass but I'm willing to to reel in anything I hook 

i will in the winter months fish for crappie off some docks.

[Brayberry]

I enjoy almost every species of fish.  Matter of fact, if I'm bass fishing and get into some pickeral, bowfin, or whatever, I'm happy.  They fight well and I enjoy fishing, no matter the species.  Typically in the winter when bass fishing slow, I fish for pickeral a lot more.  It's more fun to me as I don't have to slow down to catch them.  

[A-Jay]

My local waters are home to a good number of large predatory gamefish besides bass.   They are often holding right alongside or at least in close proximity to the bass I'm often targeting.  They are going strike at my baits at some point.  There's no way around it.  Might as well roll with it.   Here's a few from this season.

A-Jay

[Dwight Hottle]

I consider myself a bass fisherman but love catching other species as well. Here is some proof. 

 

[slonezp]

I've come full circle. When I was young, from the time I began to fish until about 25 years old I multi species fished. Spent the next 20 years almost exclusively targeting bass. After a shoulder injury in 2012 that has left me permanently disabled, I spend most of my days on the water fishing with live bait. 3 surgeries later I'm hoping to get back into buddy tournaments next spring. The days of hardcore bass fishing are pretty much a thing of the past for me. I'd like to spend less time multi species fishing because there is no more room in my freezer.  

["hamma"]

I fish therefore I am,..

 I find my bass fishing challenging, and like it like that, a challenge. The variables and nuances of this sport is enough to keep any angler busy. Thats why I'm so passoinate about it, and have been for the majority of my life. BUT,.....

 I do fish for salty fish, as flounder, striper, bluefish, and cod, haddock, and cusk for groundfish, and even the bait in salt water, such as mackeral, eel, pogie, squid, herring when it was allowed here, and anything else in the harbor stripers are keying in on. Its alot of fun, can be more relaxing at times, and striper and flounder i will eat.,... I will sometimes be found on a pier, jetty, or beach, or on someones boat trolling, or casting away, in the salt. And I find this as a distraction from bass fishing as sometimes I need a break from casting a lure all day when I'm targeting bass.,,, it can be like a tiring job if you bass fish 5-6 days a week. And will eventually aggrevate my injury's

 As for "other" freshwater species? I do fish for trout, off shorelines bottom fishing, and casting, as well as trolling from the boats, I bought a downrigger a few years ago and have headed up north from here for some salmon with it, which,.. I caught some, and lakers, which have evaded me as of yet. I also will have fun on a light or ultra light rod with the yellow and white perch, bluegills and their other panfish cousins, white bass, rock bass etc,...

So I do fish for other species,..just not as consistently or as dedicated, compared to my love of bass fishing. The other species offer different fishing experiences, and some more "laid back" techniques, which have their place. But bass fishing is where its at for me, the others are just on the backburner for now.

 I always figured that when I retire I'd take up flyfishing, but we'll see as its a totally different world, and I cant see me ever forsaking my bass fishing.

[N Florida Mike]

If I had to keep one kind of fishing and give up the rest I would keep bass fishing.

That being said, I enjoy most kinds of fishing.In freshwater,I fish for bream and catfish,and rarely, speckled perch.

I also do some saltwater inshore fishing,Mostly targeting Redfish, flounder and sheep heads.Also love surf fishing for whatever's biting.

Also love offshore bottom fishing,but don't do that much.

And I've tried trout fishing in the Smoky mts with little success.

Like I said,I love bass fishing best.But I have never caught a small mouth.Its definitely on my wish list.

 

[Scott F]

Over the years, I've travelled all over North America targeting at some point, almost every freshwater species. These days, I spend most of my time on the  water chasing river smallmouth.

[Raul]

Not a real monster but a worthy oponent specially if caught with a ML rod and 6 lb test 

Caught here

[IndianaFinesse]

I am first and foremost a bass fisherman, however I always fish for whatever is biting best, I don't care if it's crappie, bass, white bass, catfish, trout, pike, walleye, big bluegill, or even carp (they're actually one of my favorites because of their size), anything as long as it keeps my rod bent.  There's a little less options for us hoosiers than the guys up north, but we've still got quite a few.  If you always fish for the best bite going, you can usually switch from species to species and keep on o hot bite, especially during the spring.  In the spring my fishing schedule during the spring usually looks like:  35-45 degrees mostly bass fishing, but also some white bass and bluegill.  45-55 degrees most of my time is spent fishing for white bass as they feed up for the spawn and spawn in steep dropping rip-rap and in inlet creeks, but I also spend a fair amount of time bass fishing because this the temperature range that I usually catch my biggest bass of the year in.  55-65 degrees is primarily focused on bass fishing, with the exception of the two week period when the crappie spawn.  65-75 degrees is a little of everything, a little crappie, some bass, bluegill, and channel catfish.  75-85 degrees is spent entirely on catfishing and carp fishing. 

It really comes down to personal preference, but I think everyone should try at least one season of multi-species fishing.  I think many more people would see the virtues of fishing for the best bite going if they gave it a chance.