Conflicting info in the fishing world

[Dinky]

Chris Lane weighed in 5 fish, including one very nice spotted bass. All using the same lure.

 

On 2/7/2017 at 3:43 PM, scaleface said:

I've often heard post spawn is tough fishing . I think its  the most predictable time of the year .

Actually I view post spawn as one of the most predictable also. But not necessarily the easiest time to catch a lot if quality fish easily.

[Dinky]

24 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Let me give you my attitude as a guide.  I looked at every day I put my boat in the water as a 500 piece puzzle.  I was paid to put clients on fish.......every time I launched the boat.  The more pieces of that puzzle I could put together, the better chances I had for a successful outing.  I'll admit some days the fish win.  I took in to account everything that has been said plus a lot more.  

As a guide you have the most difficult task of all actually. You don't have the luxury of gathering information and then going out to fish a tournament with only your self to satisfy. You have clients every day who are expecting you to put them on fish, no matter what the situation. 

That is a combination of multitasking, constant adjustments and pressure all at one time. 

Hard work for sure.

[TOXIC]

Add to that the majority of my clients were tournament fishermen getting a leg up on an upcoming tournament.  For other clients factor in the fact that even if I took them to the fish, they still have to catch them.  Many times I picked up a rod and caught a fish just to prove they were there.  Or how about the client that wants a trophy fish? They don't hang with the schoolies and your odds go down dramatically.  I had to instantly evaluate the skill level of my clients and what they wanted to accomplish........more pieces to the puzzle.  I took my job seriously and was usually both mentally and physically exhausted after a trip.  But the joy of watching someone catch their first bass, or biggest bass, or most bass, was well worth the effort.  

[UPSmallie]

In fishing, yes, falling barometric pressure and 'matching the hatch' are good things.  If fishing for bass specifically, I don't think either of those variables has much significance on catching them compared to other gamefish species.  I'm sure you can break it down into specific details, but if you're fishing for bass I don't think you have to worry about those things as much as you would normally.

[hoosierbass07]

I've noticed a lot of contradictory information since I started fishing five or six years ago.  I'm at the point now to simply ignore most of it and base things on my own fishing experience but still keep ideas from others in the back of my head.  

[scaleface]

On 2/11/2017 at 4:38 PM, Dinky said:

Chris Lane weighed in 5 fish, including one very nice spotted bass. All using the same lure.

 

Actually I view post spawn as one of the most predictable also. But not necessarily the easiest time to catch a lot if quality fish easily.

 

Its been the best time for me to catch  a big stringer . 

[TOXIC]

Let's not forget, a bass has a brain the size of a pea.  They are a 99% instinctual creature.  We tend to give them more credit than they deserve.  I tend to put more weight on the things that trigger instinctive behavior.  Bass slurp a lure for 3 reasons 1. They are hungry.  2. They are annoyed (protecting a bed or fry, etc.).  3. They have a reaction strike.    I try to define what bite they are on and match my presentation to that.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, TOXIC said:

Let's not forget, a bass has a brain the size of a pea.  They are a 99% instinctual creature.  We tend to give them more credit than they deserve.  I tend to put more weight on the things that trigger instinctive behavior.  Bass slurp a lure for 3 reasons 1. They are hungry.  2. They are annoyed (protecting a bed or fry, etc.).  3. They have a reaction strike.    I try to define what bite they are on and match my presentation to that.

 

I can relate to most all of this and although my own personal grey matter may have greater mass, I might not be using as much of it as I would like.

Sort of evens the playing field if you know what I mean.

A-Jay

[Oklahoma Mike]

10 hours ago, hoosierbass07 said:

I've noticed a lot of contradictory information since I started fishing five or six years ago.  I'm at the point now to simply ignore most of it and base things on my own fishing experience but still keep ideas from others in the back of my head.  

 

Very good line of thinking there. Things that may work for one angler, in one body of water, under a variety of conditions, may not work for another angler, in another body of water, under a different variety of conditions. The same can be said by changing any single component in that list.

 

While it can certainly be helpful to study and learn from the successes and experiences of others, you really have to apply those lessons and learn from them yourself through personal experience to really begin to understand why certain things work, and when and under what circumstances, and with what types of adjustments, etc. 

 

It really is a sport of trial and error and learning the little nuances through countless hours on the water, and there is is never an end to that - there is always more to learn through experience. If it were simply a matter of taking and applying the things that made another angler successful, we would all be tied for first place in the Bassmaster Elite every year.

 

 

[Dinky]

I'm not sure why BR turned these pics sideways.

But here are two of Chris' five. 

 

 

[sully420]

All I can add is don't worry about things you can't control like weather as long as it's safe, if you have the time to fish go fish and start working on the puzzle that is bass fishing. We give bass too much credit sometimes, it's just a fish with a big mouth and big appetite that works on instinct.

[stratosjoe]

I have learned that if you don't go you won't catchem....

[Deleted account]

On February 13, 2017 at 9:30 AM, TOXIC said:

Let's not forget, a bass has a brain the size of a pea.  They are a 99% instinctual creature.  We tend to give them more credit than they deserve.  I tend to put more weight on the things that trigger instinctive behavior.  Bass slurp a lure for 3 reasons 1. They are hungry.  2. They are annoyed (protecting a bed or fry, etc.).  3. They have a reaction strike.    I try to define what bite they are on and match my presentation to that.

 

Toxic in 2020!

 

[david in va]

 Well, it is like this. When I go fishing I always take a can of worms, just in case they aint biting, I always get bites on worms

 

[paul.]

let the rest of the fishing world debate.  I'll just re-bait.

 

seriously though.  that's really what it's all about for me, feedback gleaned from the experience at hand.  and when all else fails, i just try to put the rod down and be still and quiet for several minutes.  once i'm no longer distracted, i try pay attention to what is (or isn't) going on around me and soak up any clues.  

 

every trip is a completely new experience.  sometimes you can't formulate a solid gameplan based on what you did yesterday fishing the same lake, let alone what someone else did a month ago on a completely different type of lake.  

 

to me, the only ones that have any say in where, when, and how i fish are the fish themselves.

[RoLo]

I get a kick out of that empty old saw: "Let the fish tell you what they want".

Quite naturally, if you're getting feedback from the fish you don't need anyone's help.

On the other hand, when you cannot buy a bite, the fish are telling you NOTHING!

 

Roger

[WTnPuddleJumper]

I understand the match the hatch to a degree.  But I could see where some fish would see that the hatch would be the perfect size meal.  Where some of the other fish would rather dine on the hatches momma!!!!  A old man I know said it best " Shut up and Fish"