Understanding bass fishing

[Mobasser]

 When you started fishing, how long did it take you to understand bass behavior?  It took me quite a while. Did you read articles? Study ? Get tips from more experienced anglers?Now, there is a huge amount of info out there. I read a lot. Still learning things all the time

[Ksam1234]

On 3/15/2018 at 6:05 PM, Mobasser said:

 When you started fishing, how long did it take you to understand bass behavior?  It took me quite a while. Did you read articles? Study ? Get tips from more experienced anglers?Now, there is a huge amount of info out there. I read a lot. Still learning things all the time

This isn't my second year of bass fishing or fishing in general so I'm still learning ALOT. BUUT. I learned from time and time on the water, I loved this sport since day one so I would spend 3-5 days a week fishing.  Plus YouTube videos like tactical bassin or bassresource, read lots online and family members who fished since they were born 

[A-Jay]

I've been at it a while.

Still learning.

That's part of the appeal.

Let's us know when you figure it all out.

A-Jay

 

[Mobasser]

A-Jay, do you ever learn it all? I don't think so. But yes, I like to learn new things too - even after all these years

[A-Jay]

3 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

A-Jay, do you ever learn it all? I don't think so. But yes, I like to learn new things too - even after all these years

I certainly hope not.

However time on the water with an open mind can allow an angler to put two & two together enough times to have a heck of good time.

 I've heard stories about a select few who do 'know it all' - I don't fish with any though . . . .

A-Jay

 

[scaleface]

I've been an avid bass angler since the late 70's and last year was one of my most   educational on bass behavior .

[Mobasser]

I don't know or have ever met a guy who does " know it all". I've known a few who thought they did though. But like you I don't run with that crowd

[Catt]

60+ years & still trying ?

[senile1]

I think experienced bass anglers understand the theory and rules of thumb for bass behavior.  That's a far cry from being able to predict with a high degree of accuracy what they are doing in real time under the water.  I, for one, will never stop learning something new about how to apply that theory of behavior because the darn critters always make a fool out of me a handful of times every year.  Maybe two handfuls?   

[Bluebasser86]

I've been seriously chasing them for 20+ years now and I still feel like I'm just scratching the surface most days. I think if you don't take something new away from most every day you spend on the water, you're not doing it right. 

[Todd2]

Yeah, it's more like a journey than a destination. Like someone said on here the other day... Two top 5 finishers often give completely oppposite answers for their success. It's like chess, it's easy to get better, but hard to master.

[Troy85]

I inshore salt water fished almost exclusively until about 3 years ago(I'm 33).  Then I got into bass fishing, it has a different appeal to it and it is definitely more challenging.  I read a lot of articles, watch a lot of videos and participate on this forum.  Most of my friends are into salt water fishing, so my "talking to other anglers" about bass fishing only really happens here.  

[the reel ess]

When I started fishing (late 70's & early 80's), I learned from my dad and his fishing buddy first. I did everything they did to be successful. Then I read magazines all the time. I subscribed to F&S & SC Fish & Game. I watched Bill Dance & Virgil Ward, LOL. I thought they spoke the Gospel about fishing. Only later did I realize they sold equipment, tackle & boats. I still read Interwebs articles and watch YouTube all the time. There's always something to learn. I really love to get an MLF show on the tube on Sunday afternoon. I usually kayak fish smaller waters, but that doesn't mean I can't learn something by watching pros. There's no substitute for time on the water if you want to improve.

 

My wife commented a few years ago how much better I've gotten at fishing than I was when we met. The skunk was my regular fishing buddy back then. I did two things that greatly improved my "luck". I started fishing from the back seat of a knowledgeable fisherman's boat. This is a guy who probably fishes 4X a week on average. And I started fishing smaller bodies of water when I'm in the kayak. At least I know I'll drag a lure by a fish when I can paddle the whole place in 3 hours.

 

Even so, every year, just when i think I have a grasp on the fish and what they're doing, they show me there's more to learn. Stay humble and keep digging for knowledge.

[Troy85]

8 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

 

 

Even so, every year, just when i think I have a grasp on the fish and what they're doing, they show me there's more to learn. Stay humble and keep digging for knowledge.

That's the truth, Bass fishing has to be the only sport in world where you can go from feeling like a pro, to feeling like you have no clue what you're doing about 52 times a year.

[scaleface]

56 minutes ago, the reel ess said:

Virgil Ward

Virgil is one of my biggest influences . After every show he showed how he worked his lures in an aquarium and he invariably would hop it off the bottom .  So thats what I learned to do .

[RPreeb]

From a newby to the modern forms of bass fishing, part of the difficulty in understanding the sport, or at least beginning to get a handle on it, is in its complexity and in the way it can vary from region to region.  Ask a question here on the forum and get a dozen different answers from a dozen knowledgeable anglers, then realize that they are all right.  This creates the dilemma of "Where do I begin?"  Much of the advice here involves some knowledge of structure and cover, advice which is made more difficult to follow when a beginner is fishing without benefit of electronics.  A lot of the tips are only practical if one is in a well equipped boat.  

 

Then too, trying to "think like a bass" is often futile, because bass don't really think.  Their reactions to stimuli are based mostly on instinct.  Unless you can pin down all of the variables in play on a given day, and understand how the bass in that particular lake are affected by them, you have to rely on a lot of guesswork. 

 

This point is driven home by what I see watching MLF tournaments.  These guys are pretty good fishermen, yet while some competitors are catching 20-30 pounds, another can be getting skunked, or nearly so.  Not that he doesn't know what to do, only that for whatever reason, he hasn't found the "thing" that day.  It gives me encouragement on those days when I'm not getting bit.

 

[Deleted account]

It doesn't take long to understand bass behavior. On the other hand, figuring out how it influences fishing success (or the lack of it) and catch them without fail in the most efficient manner? , I'm thinking about 3 life times...

[Ratherbfishing]

Still learning.  Every trip out offers its own challenges and I'm FAR from understanding it all.  I do read (and learn) some but MOST of my real learning comes from time out on the water.

[shovelmouth83]

i read a lot of articles. such as bass behavior in the seasons and water temps. there are things such as types of cover how to fish current and colors. i think what helped me the most is take 1 type of lure and fish it till you are comfortable  

[shovelmouth83]

i use to hate plastics. then i was fishing jigs and tried a trailer and i was hooked on them. so i thought i would try senkos. i tried t rig and then i tried them c rigged and i also tried drop shot. i have thrown them any way you can almost. i have even tried them as a trailer and bingo. you can even do a high low rig.