Junk Fisherman

[Mobasser]

I've heard the term " junk fisherman", a few times before here on BR.                                                   What does this actually mean? What is a junk fisherman?

[PaulVE64]

To me it means throwing everything and anything in the tacklebox.

 

I normally junk fish when i start out the day and im trying to establish a pattern.

[Mike L]

To me it’s throwing everything you got without any thought about what and where with no rhyme or reason to get a hit. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Tennessee Boy]

It can obviously be done anytime but it’s what you do in a tournament when you get back to the ramp 15 minutes before weight in.  You throw whatever you’ve got tied on at any targets that are present.

[flatcreek]

Throw everything but the kitchen sink

[Cgolf]

1 hour ago, Mike L said:

To me it’s throwing everything you got without any thought about what and where with no rhyme or reason to get a hit. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

 

I throw everything but the kitchen sink many days to get a bite and possibly learn some new tactics and baits, but the where is always an educated guess, but definitely could be new water to me.

 

Junk fishing is when I learn the most about what the fish want, it puts me outside my comfort zone which is why I try to do it a lot.

[Mike L]

1 hour ago, cgolf said:

Junk fishing is when I learn the most about what the fish want, it puts me outside my comfort zone which is why I try to do it a lot.

Exactly Right!

The phrase “junk fishing” has always had a stigma attached to it especially around here. 
 

To most it seems like it’s the worst thing you can do.
It’s like those who do it consistently don’t have clue about what to do with a rod in their hands and should go and learn how to fish all over again.

 

But when we get on any body of water what does the most educated and experienced anglers do?

They look around for what they think is the most advantageous spot and start fan casting around. 
After a while they change baits, techniques, colors, weights, locations..everything to get a hit. 
 

That my friends is the very definition of “junk fishing” but we tell ourselves we’re just trying to find a pattern. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

[Team9nine]

Interesting replies, and maybe something is getting lost in the translation, but throwing everything, everywhere with no reason isn’t “junk fishing” - it’s stupid. Historically, “junk fishing” has been when you don’t have a specific pattern dialed in, so you just fish all the options present, especially cover based ones, with high percentage techniques, hoping to either eventually stumble upon a pattern, or to put together a good bag of fish by catching a keeper or two off each individual piece of cover you fish.

[Fishingmickey]

To me the definition of "junk fishing" is fishing whatever is in front of you with whatever you think will get you bit. Mostly related to running the bank and changing techniques to fit what's in front of you. Timber, grass, lily pads, rock, brush pile, riprap, points, dropoffs and back again. I don't consider it a derogatory term. Your fishing the junk in front of you the best way you see fit!

Fishingmickey

[Catt]

58 minutes ago, Mike L said:

But when we get on any body of water what does the most educated and experienced anglers do?

They look around for what they think is the most advantageous spot and start fan casting around. 

 

47 minutes ago, Team9nine said:

when you don’t have a specific pattern dialed in, so you just fish all the options present, especially cover based ones, with high percentage techniques,

 

About the time I think I have them figured out they prove to me I don't!

 

At this point I pull the brim of my hat down over my sunglasses, kick the trolling motor to medium high & start hitting every target of opportunity.

[DitchPanda]

I'm with @Team9nine on this. I feel like junk fishing is about not having a specific pattern...docks, rip rap, brush..and just fishing everything in front of you. Roll up to a dock skip a jig under it..come up to a brush pile and work a spinner bait thru it..hit a stretch of rip rap and grind a square bill down it.

[A-Jay]

2 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Interesting replies, and maybe something is getting lost in the translation, but throwing everything, everywhere with no reason isn’t “junk fishing” - it’s stupid. Historically, “junk fishing” has been when you don’t have a specific pattern dialed in, so you just fish all the options present, especially cover based ones, with high percentage techniques, hoping to either eventually stumble upon a pattern, or to put together a good bag of fish by catching a keeper or two off each individual piece of cover you fish.

Perfectly succinct ~

And with the advent of forward looking sonar, I can see this 'style of bass fishing',

hanging around and perhaps even growing a little. 

A-Jay

[Swampdonkeyfishing]

I do it a lot that just because i don't know if the water is down feet,or the water color so I just have enough to get by i have my back pack full with all options availiable ,but ice fishing stuff of course.

[Cgolf]

3 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Interesting replies, and maybe something is getting lost in the translation, but throwing everything, everywhere with no reason isn’t “junk fishing” - it’s stupid. Historically, “junk fishing” has been when you don’t have a specific pattern dialed in, so you just fish all the options present, especially cover based ones, with high percentage techniques, hoping to either eventually stumble upon a pattern, or to put together a good bag of fish by catching a keeper or two off each individual piece of cover you fish.

 

When on the local lake which best case happens every other weekend, but realistically once a month this is exactly what I need to do for the 2-3 hours I am out there. A lot changes in two weeks and you are essentially trying to find them A and what they will hit B. I do mix new baits and techniques in there too so that I can eventually expand my confidence lures. The lake in particular I fish is really difficult, it is a flat mostly featureless, and really ugly looking water. The couple of pieces of structure along with docks just get pounded so those fish are a touch bit picky.

 

When I am on a fishing vacation I have 4 days to a week to pattern them and includes spending 10+ hours a day on the water. It can be tough to consistently catch fish when you fish a highly pressured body of water only once a month. 

 

So I think I follow the junk fishing definition. Maybe someday I will be able to pattern the local lake, which would be fun. especially the big toothy critters.

[Tennessee Boy]

Bass fishing success requires a combination of the ability to find fish and the ability to catch the fish you've found.  When you come up short finding that great spot you have to make up for it by catching the few that you have found.  Anyone who has ever fished tournaments has spent some time junk fishing.  At some point you have to stop looking and start catching.

 

I would say that the MLF Cup events and the old B.A.S.S. Megabucks tournaments were basically "Junk Fishing" tournaments.   The MLF Cup events limit the angler's time they can spend looking for fish.   The Megabucks tournaments made them fish in a certain location.  A few anglers excelled at this.  Larry Nixon is one that comes to mind.  Of course,  Larry excelled at a lot of things.

[WRB]

Back in the day will called junk fishing as pitching into floating  debris blown into pockets creating a mat of junk.

Then came Ike on the scene and got out all his rods on the deck with a wide variety of lures tied on and said he was junk fishing trying to establish a pattern when 2 bass or more could be caught using the same lures in the type of place.

We use to call this running & gunning, now it’s junk fishing.

Tom

[GReb]

I fish a river system reservoir and it changes overnight. Even more if you only get out a couple times a month. You have to “junk fish” to a certain degree. Typically you know that one or more of 4 or 5 areas will produce but the baits that work change. You’d be handicapping yourself to just take one or two baits to figure them out. Last weekend I was on about bait #10 before it clicked and caught several 3-4 pounders. Had I not been “junk fishing” I may have gotten skunked. 

[Bankbeater]

Around here you have to junk fish since the bite may change hourly.  Rarely this year have I had a trip where the bass bite the same bait all day long.

[OldManLure]

22 hours ago, Mike L said:

To me it’s throwing everything you got without any thought about what and where with no rhyme or reason to get a hit. 
 

 

 

 

Mike

This was indeed the original definition and was undoubtedly derogatory.  The term seems to have evolved to now mean an accepted strategy to determine a pattern.  It now implies a little thoughtfulness, and appears it is no longer derogatory.

[The Bassman]

22 hours ago, flatcreek said:

Throw everything but the kitchen sink

 

[Mike L]

34 minutes ago, OldManLure said:

This was indeed the original definition and was undoubtedly derogatory.  The term seems to have evolved to now mean an accepted strategy to determine a pattern.  It now implies a little thoughtfulness, and appears it is no longer derogatory.

Totally Agree

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[scaleface]

I'm in agreement with @Team9nine . When I fish a elec motor only lake I fish my way from spot to spot ,   not throwing a lot of different  lures , sometimes just one .  If you're a kayaker you're probably doing a lot of junk fishing .