The Natural Progression of a Basshead ~ One Man’s Point of View

[A-Jay]

13 minutes ago, MN Fisher said:

Well, you have to have some redeeming qualities if she's kept you around this long.

 

 - Hey, Nora (my wife) still wants me around after over 30 years, so I must be doing something right.

After all this time, Lynn's finally got me trained (mostly).

My only hope is that she doesn't trade me in for a new model.

A-Jay

[Way north bass guy]

Another good read A-Jay ??
I’d say that I bounce around a bit. Some days I want to just catch the heck out of em and don’t care what size they are ( usually when I’m with the kid ). Some days I only want to get the biggest fish I can find, even if it means a skunk. Some days I just want to get a fish on a certain type of bait. Often, it’s one of those deals where I just want to use a certain bait as much as I can, to see if I can figure out the finer details of how to use it properly for the situation, or it may be a bait that I haven’t used much and want to “buckle down” and get some time on the water with it to gain some more confidence, and it’s a real treat when I can put together something that really works the way I want it too.
Some days I just get pigheaded and stick with a lure, even though I know there’s better options, but I just want to use what I want and that’s just the way it is. 
I did the whole tournament thing for about 5 years or so, then jumped into guiding for several years. I still follow the tournament scene a bit, but I’m done with actually doing them any more. Now that my son is interested in fishing, I spend way more time in stage 5, trying to teach him how to get the most out of the experience. 

[A-Jay]

1 minute ago, Way north bass guy said:

Another good read A-Jay ??
I’d say that I bounce around a bit. Some days I want to just catch the heck out of em and don’t care what size they are ( usually when I’m with the kid ). Some days I only want to get the biggest fish I can find, even if it means a skunk. Some days I just want to get a fish on a certain type of bait. Often, it’s one of those deals where I just want to use a certain bait as much as I can, to see if I can figure out the finer details of how to use it properly for the situation, or it may be a bait that I haven’t used much and want to “buckle down” and get some time on the water with it to gain some more confidence, and it’s a real treat when I can put together something that really works the way I want it too.
Some days I just get pigheaded and stick with a lure, even though I know there’s better options, but I just want to use what I want and that’s just the way it is. 
I did the whole tournament thing for about 5 years or so, then jumped into guiding for several years. I still follow the tournament scene a bit, but I’m done with actually doing them any more. Now that my son is interested in fishing, I spend way more time in stage 5, trying to teach him how to get the most out of the experience. 

 Thank You ~ 

Love your response here and I think you know I can relate to much of it, except the competitive fishing part.

Your son's a Lucky Boy. 

I am fresh out of my daily allotment of Likes & Thanks btw. 

But I can still hang that little smiley face right here . . . 

A-Jay

 

[NYWayfarer]

4 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Stage 1 ~ I want to catch Bass – any Bass.

 Stage 2 ~ I want to catch as many Bass as I can.

 Stage 3 ~ I want to catch a Big Bass

 Stage 4 ~ I want to catch bass the way I want to catch Bass.

 Stage 5 ~ I want to help other folks catch Bass.

Good read A-Jay.
 

A day of Bass fishing for me typically starts with my mind in stage 3 and 4. 
 

If I am not catching anything on my preferred method my mind shifts to stage 1 as I change lures to see what works. 
 

When they start biting my mind changes to stage 2 

 

If I see a young angler struggling or my own son is with me my mind goes immediately to stage 5

 

And last but not least if the Bass are not biting on any given day my mind goes to “stage zero” I will fish for Sunfish or anything else that bites instead to avoid going home skunked.

[Junk Fisherman]

Great read Ajay.

 

I jump between 2 and 3.  I like what Teamnine9 said about catching enough fish and some are bound to be big.  That sums up my smallmouth fishing most of the year EXCEPT during the spawn when I target bigger fish prespawn rather than fish on beds.  But I have gravitated to stage 3 more with largemouth by fishing deep water structure rather than the shallows.  However, I will go to stage 2 after a couple hours if I am not catching fish deep.  In terms of stage 4, I generally have my preferred ways to catch fish but I am not picky as to what I am using to catch fish.  I do have presentations I am constantly working on but I am not stubborn as to not use the most productive bait of the day since I want to catch fish a certain way.  Quite frankly, most of the water I fish is so pressured that I can't get real cute in the boat.  Stage 5 will come to me as soon as my kids are a little older and hopefully enjoy fishing as much as I do.  

[NorcalBassin]

7 hours ago, A-Jay said:

 

 Stage 1 ~ I want to catch Bass – any Bass.

 Stage 2 ~ I want to catch as many Bass as I can.

 Stage 3 ~ I want to catch a Big Bass

 Stage 4 ~ I want to catch bass the way I want to catch Bass.

 Stage 5 ~ I want to help other folks catch Bass.

 So this is where I ask “Where do you did sit and how did you get there ? “

That was a great read about your journey and it's awesome you had such a passion early on. I enjoyed fishing as a kid, but it wasn't something I yearned for until my dad's best friend (RIP ?) basically gave me his "beater" bass boat when he upgraded around 15 years ago. Bass fishing has since become the perfect destressor for me and it's even better when I get to take out my dad (even mom sometimes!), daughters, wife, or a buddy.

 

Growing up we usually trolled for trout in the mountain lakes, trolled for stripers in the Delta, or catfished from the bank at night, and whenever we caught a bass it was referred to as a green carp. Right before I got my boat a buddy from work took me out to bass fish (first time intentionally chasing bass) and I was immediately hooked. I couldn't believe how much more action there was compared to trolling for trout all day.

 

I was in stage 2 for the better part of that first decade of bass fishing and now bounce around from a stage 3 emphasis in late winter/spring, stage 4 in summer (topwater), and a blended stage 2/3 in fall/winter since bites are tougher to come by and sometimes you just need to feel a tug on the end of your line. I'm always in stage 5 when I take someone with me and when it's my girls my mindset for them is all about stage 2.

[Bluebasser86]

I think I switched stage 3 and 5. Once I learned how to catch lots of bass, I wanted to show other people how to do it.

 

I still enjoy teaching and showing others almost as much as I enjoy catching them myself, and I'll go back to the "I want to catch lots of bass", stage once in awhile. For the most part these days, It's big ones how I want to catch them.

[TnRiver46]

14 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I think I switched stage 3 and 5. Once I learned how to catch lots of bass, I wanted to show other people how to do it.

 

I still enjoy teaching and showing others almost as much as I enjoy catching them myself, and I'll go back to the "I want to catch lots of bass", stage once in awhile. For the most part these days, It's big ones how I want to catch them.

Team @Bluebasser86has enough fish slayers in the household to where you could just let the boys and the wife haul em in all day! 

[Sphynx]

Well, after finally getting a chance to read through this, I have to say that it's applicable to fishermen in general, my story isn't horrifyingly different, switch bass out for trout as a kid, the bike out for my good old Chevrolegs, the coast guard out for the Army (No, bass fishing prospects generally aren't much better for ground pounders either) and your story might have been about me, I think that each phase might be better be represented laterally, you don't necessarily pass through 1 to get to 2, 2 to 3 etc, for me it really depends, by winter's end, I'm in the first stage, just gotta get my string pulled and get my first fix of the year, after that really just depends where I am, got a trip planned for prespawn yo my buddy in Alabama's place, legit opportunities for 10-15 lb largemouth, so you can count that as a stage 3 emergency, any time we spend fishing I will be exclusively targeting the largest prespawn females I can find, other places I am either in stage 2, or occasionally I get that stage 4 bug, I think you'd rather scratch a bears butt with a barbed wire glove and get away clean than take a frog rod out of my hands when the fit is on me, but all of those pale in comparison to stage 5 for me, give me the opportunity to take one of my nieces or nephews out and I'd drop everything else where it lies, d**n the consequences, any opportunity to feed anything that keeps those kids away from political extremism, drugs, or bad life choices in general is an obligatory requirement the way I see the world, enough bad influences on them will come that each opportunity to be the opposite is important...plus I truly enjoy spending time with the lions share of my family.

[A-Jay]

58 minutes ago, Sphynx said:

Well, after finally getting a chance to read through this, I have to say that it's applicable to fishermen in general, my story isn't horrifyingly different, switch bass out for trout as a kid, the bike out for my good old Chevrolegs, the coast guard out for the Army (No, bass fishing prospects generally aren't much better for ground pounders either) and your story might have been about me, I think that each phase might be better be represented laterally, you don't necessarily pass through 1 to get to 2, 2 to 3 etc, for me it really depends, by winter's end, I'm in the first stage, just gotta get my string pulled and get my first fix of the year, after that really just depends where I am, got a trip planned for prespawn yo my buddy in Alabama's place, legit opportunities for 10-15 lb largemouth, so you can count that as a stage 3 emergency, any time we spend fishing I will be exclusively targeting the largest prespawn females I can find, other places I am either in stage 2, or occasionally I get that stage 4 bug, I think you'd rather scratch a bears butt with a barbed wire glove and get away clean than take a frog rod out of my hands when the fit is on me, but all of those pale in comparison to stage 5 for me, give me the opportunity to take one of my nieces or nephews out and I'd drop everything else where it lies, d**n the consequences, any opportunity to feed anything that keeps those kids away from political extremism, drugs, or bad life choices in general is an obligatory requirement the way I see the world, enough bad influences on them will come that each opportunity to be the opposite is important...plus I truly enjoy spending time with the lions share of my family.

Really enjoyed that Sir.

Made me smile right out loud a few times.

Nicely done.

A-Jay

[Sphynx]

5 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Really enjoyed that Sir.

Made me smile right out loud a few times.

Nicely done.

A-Jay

Least I can do, many of your posts have had similar effects on me, and many others have changed the way I see our sport. 

[LrgmouthShad]

Great post, thank you A-jay! I’m stage 3! After the big ones. Someday I want to be in stage 5 but I often feel I ain’t qualified enough to do it. When others have wanted to go fishing with me, I have done my best to teach them while still fishing myself. In retrospect, every so often I should have just put down the rod and paid full attention to them. Early happy New Years!

[NoShoes]

Usually alternate between stages 2 and 3 until I don’t get jack and then I’m back to stage 1. I’m always in stage 4 and go to stage 5 if my wife’s in the boat lol ? 

[N Florida Mike]

That was an insightful post A.J . I relate to every stage, and also am familiar with rusty de - liars! My pb was weighed on one!

I got over stage 1 in the first year or two as a teen.

The other stages I frequently experience.

Stage 2: Ive always leaned more towards numbers, mainly because the more numbers I catch, the more big fish I catch. I know this is debatable, and I wouldnt argue it, but Im happy with the occasional big fish mixed in with the numbers. but...

Stage 3 : Sometimes you dont catch bigger fish while numbers fishing, so that leads me to getting outside the box  and fishing baits more conducive to larger fish. I will fish live bait when I really just need to catch,hold , admire, and release a larger fish if it’s been awhile. But what usually happens is I don’t usually find success in new, big bass baits( like big swimbaits) , so I go back to tried and true methods ( Like T rigged plastics), and have success again. 

Stage 4: I have been on it for most of my bass fishing life for NUMBERS. Im not there for dd fish no matter how hard I try with any method.

Stage 5: I actually got to this stage around the late teens and began helping  friends, family , kids , how to bass fish. I even did a speech in junior college on bass fishing ( Got an A , I might add.)

I might add a stage 6 . Just fishing for pure satisfaction, and fun, without much of an agenda. Oh sure, I have a plan that day, but the main object for me is fun, rest, enjoying creation and the Creator, and the fellowship I have when I take others. Not doing it just so I can brag or put a new picture on bass resource, although that’s part of the fun.

 

 

[Catt]

I'm a Cajun that grew up in the 50s & 60s, hunting, fishing, & trapping weren't sports. They were a way of life, a source of food, & a means of income. If it walked, swam, or flew we were chasing it.

Somewhere in the early 60s after reading every article I could find on this mysterious creature known as bucket mouth I set out to catch em.

Armed with a Shakespeare closed face reel, a 5' rod, & a couple H&H spinnerbaits I walked every marsh, river, swamp, bayou, rice canal in southwest Louisiana.

Then I discovered sex, drugs, & rock-and-roll, things went down hill from there.

1970 I hit the reset button & soon after that I discovered Toledo Bend Resivour. The bass fishing industry was starting to explode & I was smack dab in the middle of it.

I've had some 100+ days, I've caught some double digits, I've been around some legends in the sport.

I love the hunt as much as the kill, if I stick big momma & miss her, I satisfied knowing I was at the right place at the right time doing the right things.

The last 20-30 years I've really enjoyed teaching others.

What phase am I in...IDK ?

Edited December 31, 2020 by Catt
Operator Error

[roadwarrior]

[12poundbass]

Good write up sir, I really enjoyed that! 
 

As for me I’m a mess of 2-4. I’ve been at it enough years that just catching a bunch of little bass doesn’t seem to do it, but I’m not consistently  catching bass every trip out so I don’t feel I’ve ‘earned’ the right of passage to stage three.

 

Stage four, I do a ton of reading on here and learn new tips, tricks, and techniques and I go out and say “I’m going to catch them this way today” and I mostly stick to that technique for that day which I’m sure isn’t the best idea. As I’ve mentioned quite often on here I’m trying so hard to get off shore and fish structure but when the skunk starts creeping towards my boat I quick head for the bank (which I want to quit that habit) so it’s not necessarily stage four but a modified stage 4, it’s a ‘I want to catch them the way I know how’. This is my biggest hurdle. I won the Senko battle, I’ll win the bank beating battle too. 
 

I intentionally left stage five out of the beginning. I’m a father of a ten year old son so of course I’m at stage five as well. I enjoy teaching him about fishing and I enjoy watching him catch bass. He loves learning from Jacob Wheeler on YouTube and a couple others. It’s a cool moment when we’re fishing along and he’s points out a lay down and he lets me know that we need to pitch the deepest part of the lay down first then work shallower. I do a double take like “where did that come from?” Things like that makes my lost progress well worth it. I didn’t hunt this year because I took him out and he harvested his very first deer and we don’t need anymore meat than that. I was perfectly fine with that because I enjoyed seeing him get his first deer and the reaction and look after pulling the trigger and seeing the deer go down is a helluva lot better than me doing it. 
 

I’m not fully satisfied with my progression through this bass fishing venture but that’s just me. I guess it’s a good thing because it keeps pushing me to learn more, follow through, and figure this thing out! This venture over the decades has been fun, heartbreaking (the one that got away), maddening, expensive, and very rewarding! 
 

I’m glad I caught the bug at such a young age. 

[TnRiver46]

9 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Really enjoyed that Sir.

Made me smile right out loud a few times.

Nicely done.

A-Jay

 

4 hours ago, Sphynx said:

Least I can do, many of your posts have had similar effects on me, and many others have changed the way I see our sport. 

The part about the bear’s butt got me !!

2 hours ago, N Florida Mike said:

That was an insightful post A.J . I relate to every stage, and also am familiar with rusty de - liars! My pb was weighed on one!

I got over stage 1 in the first year or two as a teen.

The other stages I frequently experience.

Stage 2: Ive always leaned more towards numbers, mainly because the more numbers I catch, the more big fish I catch. I know this is debatable, and I wouldnt argue it, but Im happy with the occasional big fish mixed in with the numbers. but...

Stage 3 : Sometimes you dont catch bigger fish while numbers fishing, so that leads me to getting outside the box  and fishing baits more conducive to larger fish. I will fish live bait when I really just need to catch,hold , admire, and release a larger fish if it’s been awhile. But what usually happens is I don’t usually find success in new, big bass baits( like big swimbaits) , so I go back to tried and true methods ( Like T rigged plastics), and have success again. 

Stage 4: I have been on it for most of my bass fishing life for NUMBERS. Im not there for dd fish no matter how hard I try with any method.

Stage 5: I actually got to this stage around the late teens and began helping  friends, family , kids , how to bass fish. I even did a speech in junior college on bass fishing ( Got an A , I might add.)

I might add a stage 6 . Just fishing for pure satisfaction, and fun, without much of an agenda. Oh sure, I have a plan that day, but the main object for me is fun, rest, enjoying creation and the Creator, and the fellowship I have when I take others. Not doing it just so I can brag or put a new picture on bass resource, although that’s part of the fun.

 

 

Stage 6 is awesome! 

[N Florida Mike]

Wish I could acheive it each time. 

I tend to get mad and talk to myself if I lose a big fish or too many fish . 

[Koz]

Good read.

 

Glad to see there's other chuck and wind guys here. I can't fish slow for long as I get impatient. I mean, if I'm going to fish slow I might as well throw some live bait under a bobber so I can grab another rod and throw a chatterbait or other moving bait.

Good read.

 

[ajschn06]

I caught my first bass when I was 11- on a purple tube.  It was only about a pound and a half but we kept it in our freezer for years planning on mounting it.  Never did- but I remember going down to look at it often.  I skipped stage 2 and have spend most of my life in a combination of 3/4.  I still catch fish the way I want to, and am fishing with my son now so stage 5 is where I am.  He started out last year with a bobber and worm, and by midsummer he just wanted to cast.  His first was a 27" northern on a crankbait, and finally got his first casting bass throwing a finesse swimbait.  He would catch 6 or 7 more as the season wore down, and found one that hit 2 pounds even on our last outing of the year...he's asked for a baitcaster for his birthday...

[roadwarrior]

11 minutes ago, ajschn06 said:

...he's asked for a baitcaster for his birthday...

 

[Trox]

Great post and a fun read!!

 

I find myself in stage 3&4 primarily, but this crazy year has had me spending a ton of time in stage 5 as well...

 

#3 - I fish multiple tournament trails a year and small fish don't cash checks. If I'm around too many aggresive smaller fish, I'm likely leaving the area or throwing something that will target the bigger fish if I'm sure they are there.

 

#4 - I often find myself trying to "perfect" new presentations and techniques, which forces me to keep them in my hands for a majority of the day. For example, I know I can whack 'em on the jig, chatterbait, swimbait, senko, etc, but today I'm going to fish my weaknesses and fish nothing but a jerkbait or deep crank, and be stubborn with 'em

 

#5 - With the quarantines and isolation going on with covid, I've found myself inviting neighbors and their kids, family members that don't really fish, etc on my boat and have been finding an extreme amount of pleasure in seeing the smile of others when they catch their first bass. I've been spending a majority of this off-season doing that, and has led to lifelong memories for myself and the people I have invited. Will definately be continuing this going forward!

[Columbia Craw]

A-Jay,  your post is no surprise knowing you as well as I do.  I started fishing in trout country and just liked to go fishing for anything that would bite.  In my teens other sports rolled in including bird hunting.

 

I stumbled into motorcycles and my hobby life was centered around moto- cross, which I miss even at my age.  Family growth and a broken back led to my MC retirement.  A move to SW Washington opened up an opportunity to fish but not for bass initially.  I was bit by the steelhead bug and bad.  I don’t dabble.  I jump all in.  I had a drift boat, started building my own custom rods and added fly fishing to the bucket.  The progression  was normal,  tie flies, build fly rods, raft rivers.

 

I met Big John and was invited to a bass club meeting.  I met some very good anglers and two fished Classics by way of the Federation route.  I liked the guys and joined. It was several years before I chose to let the cold water fishing go.  It was too “predictable” and access had become a problem.

 

I went all in with bass fishing. I tried to golf so my boys and I had a common interest.  Golf and I don’t get along.  My bass fishing became my priority of hobbies.  I also like “the stuff.”  Now I fell into the progression.  Catch fish, catch lots of fish, catch big fish (5) and catch lots of big fish.  Of course the desire to fish other bodies of water fell in line.

 

But this is where it got fragile.  My Dad was diagnosed with cancer, I lost my job and sold almost all my tackle and small boat.  My Dad died three years later and I had started a new career that allowed me to rebuild.  My wife was then diagnosed with ovarian  cancer.  I could not bring myself to fish at all.  I fished three small tournaments in a four year span and that was it.  
 

A couple years later I got another boat and things took a turn for the positive.  I could breath again.  It was at this point that I got a real taste of what good smallmouth fishing was.  That was juice for me.  Then my wife was diagnosed with breast cancer.  I didn’t fish for three years or so.

 

The last several years have been hit and miss. I’m retired now.  COVID dumped most of this season.  Now I just hope to fish.  I signed up to be a coach for my club’s student anglers and help those kids out.  My grand children are approaching the age to get out with me.

 

I honestly don’t care about fishing competitions.  I do like fishing certain techniques and will target smallmouth over largemouth.  Oh, and I still like the stuff!

[schplurg]

I'm the 10 year old fishing any local water he can find, except I'm 53. People who fish with me say I act like a kid though when I fish. I get excited and I'm pumped.

 

I'm about catching any bass / numbers right now. I'm learning the hunt, and I love that part. Love to explore creeks and water. It's so satisfying when I succeed.

 

Once I get my yak back out (or a small boat) I am going to alternate between numbers and big fish. I love big fish of course, but I don't target them. Hard to do from shore I think. And hard to find where I live.

 

Tom/WRB has inspired me to hunt for biggies. He may not know that, but he has  

 

I always love to teach people what I know. I'll give advice, if I feel I can, to anyone who is friendly to me.

 

I love fishing. I was hooked on bass fishing with my first catch - topwater. Until then I'd targeted stripers on the Delta. "What's was so great about bass fishing?" After that catch, I knew