"Subtle Changes "

[uglyasheck]

  My fishing partner and I was fishing the other day and we both was fishing a light Texas rig. We were in his boat so he is in the front and I the back. he was using a 1/16 oz weight and I decided to just use a 1/32 weight. He caught 8 and I caught 20 . Both of us using the same hook , worm, worm color, line, line weight and brand line. He is in the front of the boat and should have caught more than I which normally is the case. The only difference being the weight. I learn something that small changes sometimes do make a difference which I always thought was a little over kill.

[Deleted account]

I don't see that as subtle, you are doubling the weight.

[roadwarrior]

Really? Another feather in the nest?

[Choporoz]

30 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

I don't see that as subtle, you are doubling the weight.

Only if you don't count the weight of the hook and bait.  My public school math suggests there was only about a 16th of an ounce difference. 

 

Of course, there's so many other variables at work here...but the data does suggest that lighter was probably better.  Well done, OP.  It can be hard to work really light lures from the back

[Deleted account]

28 minutes ago, Choporoz said:

Only if you don't count the weight of the hook and bait. 

Which I don't. I don't add more bait or hook when I want a faster ROF or vise versa.

[Choporoz]

9 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Which I don't. I don't add more bait or hook when I want a faster ROF or vise versa.

No.  Probably not.  But I overstated the difference....public schools and all that.  I'm ok with calling 1/32 oz difference in total weight as subtle....subjective as it may be

[FryDog62]

Assuming you used the same braided line and/or leader material. I have seen that make a huge difference...

[Tennessee Boy]

I like to overthink things so I'll add a couple of points.  

 

28 fish were caught.  All things being equal you should each have caught 14 fish and any deviation from that would be purely the result of chance.  Like flipping a coin 28 times.  How may times would it be heads?   According to my calculations (which I haven't double checked) there was about 1 in 56 chance that it was purely by chance that you caught 20 of the 28 fish.   That's very low but if you fish often those kinds of unlikely results WILL happen.   So it could be chance but probably is not.

 

So did the weight make the difference?   I personally think the weight on a Texas rig is very important.  It affects the rate of fall which is huge and also how fast you can retrieve the bait.   I think the biggest difference between the two presentations which no one has mentioned would be the angler.  No two angler's fish the same way.  Maybe you let the bait sit on the bottom longer before starting the retrieve.  The difference may help him on some days and you on others.  Mix in the roll that pure luck played and I wouldn't put too much faith in any lessons you might learn from that one day concerning how important 1/32 of an ounce was in your success.

[WRB]

If you traded outfits and your partner out fished you then it was the slightly slower ROF. Otherwise it was your target skills and strike detection difference, not 1/32 oz weight.

Tom

[Mike L]

Just because he was in the front of the boat certainly doesn’t automatically mean he should have caught more.

In my opinion it’s more likely the difference was in entry, cast angle, presentation and bite detection. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

[BrianMDTX]

A 1/64 oz. weight would have told the tale! ?

[Deleted account]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

....public schools and all that.  

I'm just mad that Loudon and Fairfax keep stealing the PG and Charles teachers....  

[uglyasheck]

1 hour ago, Tennessee Boy said:

Its true what your saying other factors can make a difference but everything was pretty much the same except the weight and the way we work the bait. The boat we were using is a panfish type and we about 6 foot apart so we cast extremly close to each other and i did through in the exact spot at times as he and noticed i would catch the fish. How you work a bait does make a difference. I tend to let mine fall to the bottom then work my worm by dragging, stop, shaking, and hopping  . He like to let his fall but not always to the bottom then  hops it back more a less. The next day he put on a 1/32 and caught more than I did.Recently the weight does not seeem to matter as much.

[NavyToad]

If you had both started out throwing 1/16 and after 3 hours you had each caught 4 fish, and then you had switched to 1/32 and caught 16 to his 4 over the next 3 hours it could be considered convincing evidence. 

All fishermen are not created equal. I know that my older brother could outfish me using a safety pin and a rubber band. And not because I suck, he’s just always been that way.

[GetFishorDieTryin]

Theres alot of variables that need to be accounted for and I definitely think that him having the optimal angle and first shot at choice targets is an advantage.  I would also imagine the OP and his buddy have fished together more then couple times, so they're familiar with one another.  I'm guessing it's not a typical occurence to catch 2.5x the fish his buddy caught.  Either the OP doesnt give himself enough credit skill wise, the fish wanted a slower fall, some other unmentioned variable(s) had an effect (which is likley) or a combination of all 3.  My money would be on all 3.

[fin]

It’s not the size of the boat, it's the motion in the ocean.

[LrgmouthShad]

One of the biggest things I’ve learned fishing this summer: weight can be incredibly important to get right on t-rigs and jigs. Huge difference between an 1/8 and 3/16 bullet weight 

[Mbirdsley]

I think too that each person natural rhythm/ action is different.   Meaning everything the same skill set, lures, line, poles, and retrieve. one person will out fish the other person.  

meaning we each impart differnt natural actions in our retrieves.  We may not know that we are doing it but, we are.  just our natural cadence when retrieving a lure. it’s not big change like jerking or pausing the  but, something that will naturally get strikes.  
 

kinda like a picture.  No 2 pictures throw a fast ball the same.  Some pictures natural impart movement on the pitch.  While, others throw it straight as can be. 

 

[Catt]

On 6/30/2022 at 12:28 AM, GetFishorDieTryin said:

I definitely think that him having the optimal angle and first shot at choice targets is an advantage. 

 

While I agree in part one must ask what structure is being fished?

 

What cover is located on said structure?

 

How are the fish setup on the structure & in the cover?

 

Did the angler setup the boat properly?

 

To many variables to say for certain why one angler out preformed the other.

[RDB]

On 6/29/2022 at 7:56 AM, uglyasheck said:

We were in his boat so he is in the front and I the back.

Sounds to me like a case of not knowing how to properly front end a co-angler ?.

 

[GetFishorDieTryin]

On 7/1/2022 at 6:18 AM, Catt said:

 

While I agree in part one must ask what structure is being fished?

 

What cover is located on said structure?

 

How are the fish setup on the structure & in the cover?

 

Did the angler setup the boat properly?

 

To many variables to say for certain why one angler out preformed the other.

Right, like I said other variables are at play.