Your worst fishing habit

[Deephaven]

On 8/5/2022 at 6:25 PM, gimruis said:

That's essentially what 95% of the ice anglers here do in the winter.  They literally park on a spot, wait, drink a beer, and then wait some more.

Exactly why I don't have the bad habit of ice fishing.  Can't stand to wait.  Doesn't mean I won't cast through the same water too many times.

[detroit1]

Don't beat yourself up for going back to the same areas that you had success at. There is a reason why they were there. I have about 10 spots on "my" 500 acre lake that i want to fish every time out. Might only hit half of them during an outing though. Maybe 1/4 of the day i fish areas i usually don't.  Too many times the pleasure boaters/pwc's will dictate where i can or cannot fish. I try not to let it bother me...

[Jma1087]

Eating a huge/nasty meal the night before I plan on waking up at 4am. I want to get out on the water asap but can't because I get the case of the morning bubble guts.
I'm sure a lot of you guys can relate?!

[Swamp Girl]

I rarely fish plastics and nearly never fish jigs, even though I read again and again how effective they are. They intimidate me. I often wonder if I'm doing it right and I hate hooking the bottom and having to retie with my old eyes. 

[roadwarrior]

Soft plastics

 

Jigs

https://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-videos/summer-jig-fishing-video.html

[Choporoz]

On 8/5/2022 at 10:07 AM, Darth-Baiter said:

headed to my garage right now to tighten down my drag!!

 

I just loosen it to peel off the old line.  I never free-spool it anymore.  I always forget to tighten it down!!

I am not good about loosening drags during prolonged non-use.  But I'm worse about not checking the drag before each use.  A few outings every season, I miss day's first bite because drag is too loose.

On 8/5/2022 at 7:26 PM, Koz said:

Mine is being stubborn with baits and techniques when the bite is slow.

 

This is probably the ideal time to try something new or that I rarely use.

I feel the same way.  But then I tell myself that it's the worst time to try something new because the bite is off, I won't catch anything and I'll never try that lure again.   I suppose a hot bite is best time to try something new....but I will be the last one to stop throwing something that is working....no good answers once I start over thinking

[lynxcat]

A couple that come to mind:

- Too hard of hook sets. I’ve broken the line on some big fish by laying onto them too much. I’m a large guy and the reality is I don’t have to set the hook hard to get proper hook penetration. 
- I don’t think is this is a bad habit per we but it probably limits my catch output: I like to tinker…I can have spots where I know what baits are working but instead I want to evaluate a new technique so I switch it up. This likely makes me a better fisherman long term but it sub optimizes my actual fishing productivity. 

[Darth-Baiter]

not many responses that say, " i buy too much S___".

 

i own more than i should, and honestly, i keep using the same old stuff and could really take a bunch of bait boxes and dump them.  i gravitate to the same 6 rods.  i move the other six around just so my wife thinks they are being used more than they are.  

 

my honest to heavens answer is that i buy too much crap.  if i got the chance, i would poison-dart that insidious monkey.

[gim]

When I started this thread, I didn't think it would reach 4 pages.  I think its good that we can all identify our weaknesses in the bass fishing realm.

 

I thought for sure someone would have posted that they "don't have a weakness" too by now!

[The Baron]

I think my greatest weakness is probably believing the lure/presentation that worked well last trip will work just as well on the next trip… even if it’s a different lake.  Then spending too much time not listening to what the fish are telling me. 

[fishwizzard]

I am bad about fishing what I want to fish that day, not what I necessarily think would be best for the conditions.  

[roadwarrior]

I like jigs. Sometimes I fish a jig even when I think something else would be a 

better option.

[Texas Flood]

Giving up when I cant catch anything with a swimjig. Im better about it now but I still wanna call it a day sometimes. 

[schplurg]

On 8/9/2022 at 6:03 AM, Jma1087 said:

Eating a huge/nasty meal the night before I plan on waking up at 4am. I want to get out on the water asap but can't because I get the case of the morning bubble guts.
I'm sure a lot of you guys can relate?!

 

One of my golden rules:

Never ever, EVER experiment with your diet while fishing

 

If one doesn't eat hot links and fiery hot burritos normally, the boat is the worst place to give 'er a shot!

[Texas Flood]

Buying tackle after getting skunked for the day.  Happens more than I like to admit.

[coachfozz]

It's easy for me, I throw a moving bait 4-5 times, then I will go directly to my ned rig if I don't get a bite.

[MoeBass]

On 8/9/2022 at 8:03 AM, Jma1087 said:

Eating a huge/nasty meal the night before I plan on waking up at 4am. I want to get out on the water asap but can't because I get the case of the morning bubble guts.
I'm sure a lot of you guys can relate?!

I can relate with that more so when it comes to Duck hunting... ohhhhh boy

[Spankey]

I was out this morning real early. Had the whole river to myself. I spent a lot of time in an area that is productive and has always been a good section. I’m catching fish but not the ones I want (size). Really feel respectable smallies have regressed out of the area. The area is not dead but you feel like your beating a dead horse. Got two on a topwater and got one to bite a tube. I’ll be out again in the am. I’m not gonna hit it. Gonna lay off of it for awhile. 
 

Got up into another section of river today. Never fished it. Scouted it out. Found a few section that look promising for that big one. Boat docks, wood structure that drops off to 10+ feet of water quickly and more rock structure. Change will do me good. 

[Cyclones]

On 8/3/2022 at 1:13 PM, Mobasser said:

My worst habit is throwing the same old stuff at the same old places. I really need to branch out more. But, I want to catch fish when I go fishing, so I use what works.

I do the same.  I weekly fish probably the most pressured lake in my state.  I want to try new/different lures and locations on the lake but I don’t.  Stupid little 3” Gulp minnows always catch good size bass and drum out there so I always throw it. Gets mundane, I want to throw cranks or frogs.   
 

Some times I’ll start with  a t-rigged worm and get one fish in an hour.  How long do better than me fisherman (that’s most fisherman) wait before switching presentations when it’s not working?

[Koz]

On 8/5/2022 at 7:26 PM, Koz said:

Mine is being stubborn with baits and techniques when the bite is slow.

 

This is probably the ideal time to try something new or that I rarely use.

OK - I’m planning to change that up today if the rain holds off. I’ve never fished a drop shot before, but I bought the gear this week and I will give it a go today.

[IcatchDinks]

Oh, I've got a lot of bad habits. Fishing the same spot WAY too long even if there's no evidence of fish is one of my biggest. Also not switching baits that aren't working. Probably the one that's the worst as far as costliness is buying gear I don't need. Whether I'm in Walmart or any of the big sporting stores, or browsing the web, the temptation to buy more lures or tackle or what have you is nearly irresistible. I have to bring my wife along to help steer me away from the fishing department every time we go shopping. 

[Darth-Baiter]

my latest new habit apparently is to put a hook into a finger.  last three outings I got myself in my excitement

 

typing on my keyboard on a Monday with fresh wounds is a good time!!  ouch.

[BustedSwimbait]

1 - Impulse buying hard baits, never caught a fish on one but have a whole box full of cranks/jerk baits

2 - Fishing a single spot for too long because it looks too good

3 - Blowing by a juicy spot because its been a rough day and just wanna get back to the launch

[Bluebasser86]

Overthinking things and missing the obvious details that are right in front of me. 

[Junk Fisherman]

On 8/3/2022 at 6:39 PM, Log Catcher said:

When it is tough to get a bite I usually go through the same series of bait changes hoping something will work. I don't try new baits or techniques like I should try to get bit. I always try to stay with what has worked in the past.

 

I don't think this is a bad habit at all.  When the bite is tough, I stick to what I have confidence in.  I'll go to Neds or some other type of finesse plastic that I know works.  If I'm in a tournament during a tough bite, I'll grind it out with a few confidence baits.  A tough bite is not the time to try new lures IMO.  That is a great way NOT to build confidence in a presentation.  If I'm not catching them I will try something completely different in terms of structure or cover or wind blown areas or different temps of water but I'm going to stick with something I have confidence in fishing.  When I'm on a good bite, that is when I try new presentations in order to catch fish on them.  Just a thought.