Quitting on bass if other species can readily be caught

[gim]

I would drop whatever I was fishing for, even if I was catching a lot of big bass, to get into muskies.  They are the top of the food chain and extremely difficult to catch.  Pike, not so much.  I catch those slimy things by the dozen sometimes when I'm bass fishing and I could do without them.

[moguy1973]

I like trout fishing but since my mom passed away 11 years ago I haven't been trout fishing but a handful of times.  She was an avid trout fisherwoman and I learned everything I know about trout fishing from her.  Since then I've gotten more interested in bass fishing.  Bass are just that much more exciting of a fish to catch.  While its awesome to have a 3lb trout to come up and take a dry off the surface and put up a fight on a 5wt flyrod with 2lb test line, I'd rather have a 3lb bass blow up on a top water lure any day over that.  Any other fishing is kind of boring to me.  It's fun to catch a big catfish but typically with them you throw your line in, sit down, and wait for them to bite.  Same with bluegill.  I really don't enjoy sitting too long while fishing.  Crappie taste good but they don't put up a fight so it's kind of boring and me being a C&R fisherman primarily I don't like keeping them.

 

One fish I'd like to target someday is walleye but unless you know what you are doing and have the patience trying to find them out in open water they seem to be a tough fish to catch.

[Looch]

walleye fishing is fun. If you fish a river where both smallmouth and walleye  exist you can target one or the other and normally catch both. They hang out in same type of areas, depth they are holding is different usually if it's a deeper area and food spots the smallies will be there morning/afternoon and walleye in evening/night. 

 

Little 16" walleye I caught tonight and released. He hit it like a bass a few feet from me.

 

 

Lake fishing is a different ballgame but it's not too difficult if you read the daily reports you can find out how many FOW they are holding and you can come up with a plan. Can be a lot of different equipment fishing on lakes, especially trolling and getting your bait dialed into the sweet spot/"thermocline" where they often are. A lot of walleye guys use live bait  because they do it to fill their freezer. It's a tasty fish. 

 

 

[Russ E]

if I am after largemouth or Smallmouth bass, I usually do not deviate much.

with that being said, if the water starts boiling from wipers or white bass, I will switch pretty fast.

[Dorado]

Fly fishing for Gold Water quality bows and browns. 

 

Walleye, big catfish, and slab Crappie get my attention over the bucket mouth 

[AC870]

White bass are a ton of fun. 

The wife likes bluegill fishing so we do a lot of that. 

I enjoy getting my line stretched but I find largemouth to be challenging, at least on Guntersville where they get hammered pretty good. 

[Bankbeater]

I have no problem fishing for other species while out on the water. 

[everythingthatswims]

I like throwing baits that match the forage really well so I can catch a bunch of different species, particularly if the fish in a body of water are chasing schools of baitfish, because then there will be a lot of species in one area that can be caught on similar baits.

 

Blade baits in the wintertime are really fun because you catch all sorts of fish on them. I also tend to catch multiple species on jerkbaits in clear water.

 

On an Alabama rig when fish are chasing bait, I have caught largemouth, pickerel, crappie, walleye, white perch, stripers, and almost a lake trout on one occasion.

 

A small keitech on a jighead is also a deadly multi species bait when they are keyed in on baitfish.

[lonnie g]

I just love to fish! bass first  Alabama slab crappie  2nd  what else bites third. just fish! beats working!!

[Further North]

I'd drop largemouth (and do) in a heartbeat if any of my priority species are biting.

 

My priority list looks something like this:

 

1. Pike
2. Smallies
3. Musky
4. Largemouth
5. Trout
6.  
7.  
8.  
9. Walleyes
10.  
11.  
12.  
13.  
14.  
15.  
16.  
17.  
18.  
19.  
20. Trolling for anything

 

 

 

 

Pike/Muskies being what they are, and the availability of good largemouth lakes nearby means I wind up fishing for them a lot more...but every lake and/or new spot gets a cast or three for toothy fish before I throw bass lures if there is event he slightest chance I'll get a hit.

[Further North]

On 7/14/2017 at 8:27 PM, gimruis said:

I would drop whatever I was fishing for, even if I was catching a lot of big bass, to get into muskies.  They are the top of the food chain and extremely difficult to catch.  Pike, not so much.  I catch those slimy things by the dozen sometimes when I'm bass fishing and I could do without them.

Pike and musky occupy the same place on the food chain.

 

...since pike eat a ton of hatchling muskies every spring and big pike are both more rare and harder to catch than muskies a pretty good argument can be made for them being higher on the food chain and trophy list.

[MassBass]

2 hours ago, Further North said:

I'd drop largemouth (and do) in a heartbeat if any of my priority species are biting.

 

My priority list looks something like this:

 

1. Pike
2. Smallies
3. Musky
4. Largemouth
5. Trout
6.  
7.  
8.  
9. Walleyes

Pike Muskies being what they are, and the availability of good largemouth lakes nearby means I wind up fishing for them a lot more...but every lake and/or new spot gets a cast or three for toothy fish before I throw bass lures if there is event he slightest chance I'll get a hit.

what about chain pickerel do you target them. Considering toothy fish are your favorite. 

[Further North]

6 minutes ago, MassBass said:

what about chain pickerel do you target them. Considering toothy fish are your favorite. 

We don't have chain pickeral here that I am aware of.

[UPSmallie]

I'll be honest.  95% of all my bass catches are by-catches of when I am targeting different kinds of gamefish species.  Usually it's "I want to catch a walleye... 7 smallmouth catch and released later I realize that's not going to happen.

[NYWayfarer]

I like multi-species fishing for anything with rod in hand. I was never a fan of trolling even though I do it occasionally for Lakers.

[Ratherbfishing]

I suppose by switching species, I do not force myself to be a better bass angler but sometimes it's just nice to catch something else, regardless.  My only issue with Musky and big pike is how much work it is to land them and then release them safely-not that I have THAT much experience on the subject.  ALL of my muskies have been "accidental."

 

It sure would be nice if getting TOO the lake(s) wasn't so much work.  I'm not averse from some traveling but especially in the summer when the heat becomes nearly unbearable, I hate to drive a long distance to turn around a few hours later OR to pay for it with heatstroke or sunstroke.  Half of my kingdom for lakefront property on a good Nornern U.S. Lake. But I digress.  That's another topic for another thread.