Ever feel like a bad angler?

[Bankc]

A few months ago I was out on a lake that I had only visited once before.  The first time I was there, I did pretty well.  This time, however, I got skunked.  I thought it was just the wrong day to be out on the water.  On my way out at the dock, I talked to this guy with a sponsored boat and asked him how he did.  He said he was getting bites left and right, maybe 50 in total, but wasn't setting the hook because he was prefishing the lake for a tournament, so he didn't know how big they were.  I asked him for any pointers since I was new to the lake, and he basically told me to fish all of the places I was just at, and try all of the techniques that I had just used.  He seemed like a really nice guy.  But I decided to go ahead and label him a compulsive liar in my mind anyway, since I probably wouldn't ever see him again and I would have to reconcile with my severely damaged ego sooner or later.  

[Bankbeater]

There have been quite a few fishing trips when I have been the only person not catching. It's dang frustrating, and when it happens I put the rod down and go take a nap. 

[Koz]

Nah. No one likes getting skunked but it’s not the end of the world.

 

I think that in the past year we’ve all learned there are more important things in life.

[Sphynx]

Bad angler? Not really, do I ever feel like I got temporary amnesia and can't figure them out and seemingly forget everything I know about how to fit the pieces together? Every d**n time I get skunked, just a part of the game man, I bet you big money that even the pro's making big money would tell you they get a skunk every now and then, and those guys fish a LOT

[DitchPanda]

I want to make another point here...something I read once that Doug Stange said in an In Fisherman article that makes alot of sense. He said its one thing to go out and be hopeful and excited but to keep from being let down a guy has to be realistic about what he expects to catch...not verbatim but you get the point. This is a tough time of year...pretty much the coldest water we will have all year everywhere in the country. Ice out for me is when I lean on that idea Mr Stange presented...I can often times go numerous trips getting skunked...its just hard to catch bass at ice out especially largemouth. Instead of focusing on that I just enjoy the fact that I'm out and the ice is finally gone...if I catch some that's a bonus.

[InfantryMP]

Yea just the other day actually. 

 

It was 25* outside, and my local creak is still flowing freely. I decided to suit up and try to catch a couple smallmouth. My 2nd cast, I snagged a bush behind me. Backlashed the hell out of the my SLX DC, to the point I had to cut it out...I have fished that creak so much, I didn't even think about it. That day in the freezing cold, I asked myself what the hell, and am I really that bad? Or did I just have moment of bad luck?

[Darth-Baiter]

I feel like a crappy angler 90% of the time.  10%?  I’m friggen Roland Martin. 
 

it’s like chasing a ghost.  Which is hugely entertaining and highly addictive. 
 

even Greg Blanchard gets skunked on occasion.  The goal?  Get to 60/40!

[KCFinesse]

Winter fishing might be the best equalizer... and there might be a certain Zen associated with winter fishing.

 

Most of the time it's brutal tough. There is a lot of time to contemplate birds, enjoy being the only person on the lake, or really really appreciate a thermos of coffee between occasional twitches of jerkbait.

 

I can usually deal with getting my head beat-in during the winter. Missing a suicide topwater bite because I'm too busy scratching and clawing with a ned rig is the tough part.

[BigAngus752]

I used to get ten kinds of bent when I skunked. Then one evening my wife and I were having drinks and talking and she asked me why I like fishing so much. She said she sees how it makes me almost a different person because I love it so. I thought a long time before answering and I realized that it’s the skunk days that make me love it. It’s the failure to catch fish that makes the catching worthwhile. It’s the hunt. The chess game. A good friend of mine is a huge crappie fisherman and he loves his live sonar. THAT is not my kind of fishing. No interest. Yes, I get a pit in my stomach when I drive 300 miles and pay for a cabin so I can fish a strange lake for 3 days and I know I might not catch a single bass. But that’s the point. I don’t want it to be easy. I’m here for fight. 

[bowhunter63]

No I don’t like to Zero but sometimes it happens. Those bass will humble a person for sure. If you learn something new each time you go out it’s a win .

[jimmyjoe]

   Too high a set of expectations has ruined many a day. That applies to everything in human endeavor, not just fishing. Sometimes we need to learn that reality is not our enemy.   jj

[TimTheGearNerd]

I think the skunk I have seen plenty. It’s when your buddy crushes it when you skunk, that’s the stinger. I can’t even feel happy for ‘em haha. 
 

There is a long road to being good at fishing. Even KVD will lose tournaments. Now if I can only learn to be at least half as good as KVD, that would be a great success. 

[Log Catcher]

The way fishing went for me last year I thought I was the worst angler on the planet. I couldn't get anything to work no matter what I tried. At least I got to end the year on my last trip out catching two on a spinnerbait

[throttleplate]

bad angler no, though i do say out loud to myself on occasion what an idiot i am.

[Fred Allen]

From my photographs I take I judge that I got skunk every time I went fishing after November 13th. So I was skunked 12 days until I had to give up from water frozen. Plus 3 skunks on the Hudson/Mohawk rivers.

 

The biggest fish I got since I started fishing in august was November I got 5 SM that were 3-5 pounds.  Those times it was 5-8 hours fishing to get 1 or 2 fish. 

 

In the summer I catch a lot of fish but they are smaller fish usually. 

 

Those 15 times being skunked did not bother me as I always practice something and just like being out there. This staying home because of the ice SUCKS. I dont care if I feel like a bad angler or not I just want to fish.

[schplurg]

I had serious doubts when I skunked almost all spring in 2020. And I mean zero bass. One day my Mom said, "Maybe fishing isn't for you?" That was crushing. Gee thanks, Mom! My confidence was nowhere to be found. It is a tough area to fish, but still.

 

Like someone above said though, it makes it that much sweeter. And man was I happy when I finally started catching, and I hardly skunked most of that summer too after that.

 

I think I reached a new level. When I was skunking I wasn't trying anything new. I was going to the hotspots at my ponds and lakes to no avail. I learned so much in 2020.

 

 

 

 

[Jonas Staggs]

Could it also be. When you fished that spot, maybe no fish were there and 10 minutes later one was. Maybe it wasn't active 10 minutes ago, now it is. Maybe you're cast landed 2 feet from him, the next guys landed 2 inches. Even if your the best in the world, I think there's still quite a bit of just random luck involved. That's how I look at It.....matching all 3 things together right lure right time right place is hard...in the case you mentioned, the right time was 10 minutes after you left lol. Ain't much you could do about that. 

[Bluebasser86]

Worked HARD for 4 little fish Tuesday. 1 would have fit in nicely with the swimbaits in my swimbait binders. None of the others were over 3lbs. Broke off another one and lost another. Wished I'd just stayed home.

[NYWayfarer]

[scaleface]

I learned how to fish by emulating the pros . I was not very good at it but still enjoyed fishing no matter haw many fishless hours I spent chasing little green fish . I eventually developed my own style and dont worry how the pros or Bass Resource members are catching bass .I still absorb all the info and if the situation arises to try something then I'll do it . My last trip in Dec I was getting skunked then I ran into a guy I know who was catching them . I felt like a bad angler that day but this guy clued me in on how to catch them  and so I avoided the skunk .Like I said before , I'm not the greatest caster but have been working hard on it the last couple of years .After watching the pros this past weekend making bad cast and having backlashes maybe I'm not as bad as I thought .

[MN Fisher]

I get skunked plenty of times. This past year was particularly bad as I didn't get out much...6 canoe trips, 4 shore trips...and on only three of those did I catch 'scoreable' bass - none over 2#.

 

It's kind of disheartening, but just to be on the water sometimes is enough.

[Spankey]

1 hour ago, MN Fisher said:

I get skunked plenty of times. This past year was particularly bad as I didn't get out much...6 canoe trips, 4 shore trips...and on only three of those did I catch 'scoreable' bass - none over 2#.

 

It's kind of disheartening, but just to be on the water sometimes is enough.

I believe you have the right attitude. 
 

I sometimes find myself these day just wanting to go out and just fish for panfish or catfish. At least a few days each season. I find it helps with bass fishing. I think it breaks that rhythm that is needed in my case. Helps me focus better. 

[king fisher]

You are not a poor angler, simply a good friend.  Sure was nice of you not to sore mouth those fish so your friend could catch them.  You really went the extra mile by going back and blanking on the Ned Rig.  You should be proud for helping you friend, who obviously is an inferior angler, gain some confidence.  Hope he returns the favor sometime. 

[skekoam]

I think sometimes of why I get skunked so much.  My issue is I hate slow fines techniques like drop shot and ned rig.  I've caught maybe 2 fish on the drop shot and 0 on the ned although anglers I speak to swear by them. 

[928JLH]

Happens a lot with my brother and I when we'd fish. Sometimes I kick his butt other times it's me getting the @$$ kicking. He's a Marine so you can only imagine the trash talk back and forth ? all in good fun. I'm sure there'll be another time when you guys go out that you will be doing the catching.