ever had just a delightful hour fishing ---- even tho you don't catch a thing?

[fishhugger]

i assume many have... my lake is 2 1/2 miles from my home, and i often just carry my blue gill rod in my car. took a break today fishing for an hour.

it was just so pleasant today. going for bluegill, wonderful day, although i usually do not fish in mid day. a newbie, i got my little spinning rod, and a mepps 1. i get a couple bites ---- i think --- pretty sure --- they felt like tugs, but i guess it could be... wood or something. but i thought they were bites. just no pressure at all, just casting, watching that line sail into the air, and then bringing the spinner in. talking to a few people, including a lady who was new to the lake, and asked where was the swimming area. kids jogging by. a guy asking when they stock the lake. (summers they stock catfish; the water gets too hot in the bay area for trout, at least in summer.), people walking their dogs. one dog was very cute, and i was going to ask what kind he was, but he was doing his biz, and i decided not to.

almost like - hey, it's nice NOT to be bothered by those pesky blue gill....i mean, you gotta unhook 'em...etc.

 

apologies guys - my original post sounded like no fish for a "day" of fishing, a whole or much of a day is how it was read. i agree, a large part or all of a day getting skunked would be awful. this was just a break from my errands... no expectations, and my spot is right by my house...that's what i meant... original post was  poorly worded... 

[roadwarrior]

I enjoy the outdoors, but I come to catch fish, hopefully big'uns!

So, my answer is no...No fish is NOT a good day for me.

[casts_by_fly]

12 minutes ago, roadwarrior said:

I enjoy the outdoors, but I come to catch fish, hopefully big'uns!

So, my answer is no...No fish is NOT a good day for me.

 

Yeah, I'm with RW on this one.  If I'm out to fish, I want to catch fish.  It's nice when you're out, the weather's great, and the birds are chirping.  Sometimes after catching a half dozen I'll just take a break and sit back to take it all in.  We have a lot of bald eagles, deer, and water mammals here, so I'll usually stop what I'm doing for a minute to observe them (I'm not fishing tournaments).  But at the end of the day I am out to catch fish and if I don't catch them I'm disappointed that I couldn't figure them out.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Catching fish is the icing on the cake. Cake without icing is disappointing , but it’s still cake. 

[bulldog1935]

honestly can't imagine a shut-out, but can find something good in the worst of days,

even if it's riding your drift sock down a squall gale

(this is only 3' deep, but without the sock back there, it's an instant flip and turtle)

[fishhugger]

yeah, i re-edited my op, which was worded poorly - i just have been going out lately to get bluegill - no kayak, no anything really. i keep my rod in my car, and i'm going out semi-bright and early now to do the same - wet a line. for an hour or so. then just back to the car, back home...right there. 

few expectations, although i'm working on my spinner technique. yesterday it all just 'aligned' - yeah, live in california --- dunno, like it wasn't a big deal to fish, and not a big deal that i didn't catch any.... other days are different.

[casts_by_fly]

23 minutes ago, fishhugger said:

yeah, i re-edited my op, which was worded poorly - i just have been going out lately to get bluegill - no kayak, no anything really. i keep my rod in my car, and i'm going out semi-bright and early now to do the same - wet a line. for an hour or so. then just back to the car, back home...right there. 

few expectations, although i'm working on my spinner technique. my most fun technique, with a spinning rod, at least. wish i had a yak....tho. i'm older, need to stay on the bank...

 

Yeah, I'm with my original post.  Regardless of the fish or the place, I've gone to catch fish.  I've gone because I think I have a reasonable chance of catching them there at that time.  If I don't catch fish, then either I picked a poor time and place or I just didn't know enough to catch them there/then.  Sure, you might decide to take a flyer and fish a blown out river just to see if the fish have moved in.  You might go in with low expectations and that eases the sting of not catching something.  I did that last week when I went to the lake that is 15' low.  Mostly I just wanted to ride around and see what was exposed and mentally note it for when the water is higher.  But I still thought I'd catch one or two and I was disappointed when I didn't.  I saw a ton of deer, a bald eagle, and found a field of stumps that I didn't know was there (will be perfect for prespawn next april).  Still sucks to not catch anything.

[Choporoz]

MAYBE.....just maybe....if you replace  'lady... kids...guy...people...dog' with 'egret...deer...eagle...beaver...fox'.... then just maybe I could have a good couple hours without catching

wildlife > people....almost always....

I'm not even sure I need the 'almost'

[gim]

There are more factors to me than just catching fish when I'm out there.  It allows me time away from my house, my job, my wife, my annoying kid, and other duties.  The ultimate goal is catching fish, but my day is not ruined if it results in a poor outing.  I honestly just like riding in my own boat too.  Throttling down and cruising up the lake is enjoyable.  I feel kinda the same way about hunting too.  There are times when I'm hunting and don't bag (or even see) the target I'm after.  Its just nice to be out there getting fresh air and avoiding the rigors of daily life sometimes.  That and vitamin D from the natural sunlight is essential for your health.

[casts_by_fly]

1 hour ago, Choporoz said:

wildlife > people....almost always....

I'm not even sure I need the 'almost'

 

I mean, a sunbathing competition with hot ladies of my preferred visuals might make me miss a bite and be better than watching otters.  

[fishhugger]

1 hour ago, gimruis said:

There are more factors to me than just catching fish when I'm out there.  It allows me time away from my house, my job, my wife, my annoying kid, and other duties.  The ultimate goal is catching fish, but my day is not ruined if it results in a poor outing.  I honestly just like riding in my own boat too.  Throttling down and cruising up the lake is enjoyable.  I feel kinda the same way about hunting too.  There are times when I'm hunting and don't bag (or even see) the target I'm after.  Its just nice to be out there getting fresh air and avoiding the rigors of daily life sometimes.  That and vitamin D from the natural sunlight is essential for your health.

i'd think hunting - altho i've never done that - could be enjoyable even if you didn't get nothin'. depends on how much you want to get something - that particular day? but i'd guess that a nice, sunny, maybe brisk, but nice outdoor day - maybe less necessary to get that animal. especially if it's not a hassle getting all your gear and travel and stuff.. 

if i'm pretty relaxed, i like just watching my line flying out in the wind, how it settles on the water, the scenery... but then if i kind of want a fish, like for dinner,  i'd be disappointed and probably frustrated. but if i don't really care that day and am just enjoying everything, i'm good. 

[gim]

1 minute ago, fishhugger said:

i'd think hunting - altho i've never done that - could be enjoyable even if you didn't get nothin'. depends on how much you want to get something - that particular day? but i'd guess that a nice, sunny, maybe brisk, but nice outdoor day - maybe less necessary to get that animal. especially if it's not a hassle getting all your gear and travel and stuff.. 

if i'm pretty relaxed, i like just watching my line flying out in the wind, how it settles on the water, the scenery... but then if i kind of want a fish, like for dinner,  i'd be disappointed and probably frustrated. but if i don't really care that day and am just enjoying everything, i'm good. 

Some people measure success based on what they come home with to fill their belly or freezer.  That's not why I fish OR hunt.

[Darth-Baiter]

6 hours ago, roadwarrior said:

I enjoy the outdoors, but I come to catch fish, hopefully big'uns!

So, my answer is no...No fish is NOT a good day for me.

X whatever we are up to at this point. 

[fishhugger]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

X whatever we are up to at this point. 

i'm just kind of asking about - times you're not out to just do serious fishing. i'm talking panfish, near my house, i just drop by.................... no expectation. it was just so pleasant..  if i go up to the delta loaded for lmb or stripers - no... that would not be that pleasant... or if i had my kayak loaded up, going fishing. that might not be so great either, to go fishless....

[Skunkmaster-k]

I know what you mean. Piddling around at the lake is relaxing every once in a while. 

[Bankbeater]

If the bass aren't biting when I go out, I will usually start hunting for lures and tackle.  Finding a $15 lure is almost as good as catching a bass.

[bulldog1935]

On 8/24/2022 at 1:47 PM, fishhugger said:

i'd think hunting - altho i've never done that - could be enjoyable even if you didn't get nothin'. depends on how much you want to get something - that particular day? but i'd guess that a nice, sunny, maybe brisk, but nice outdoor day - maybe less necessary to get that animal. especially if it's not a hassle getting all your gear and travel and stuff.. 

if i'm pretty relaxed, i like just watching my line flying out in the wind, how it settles on the water, the scenery... but then if i kind of want a fish, like for dinner,  i'd be disappointed and probably frustrated. but if i don't really care that day and am just enjoying everything, i'm good. 

I have a friend who's a long-range shooter with antiques, keeps a deer lease, and is very active in maintaining it, shot quite a few rats when they were a plague on the deer corn stock, shoots a few hogs to give away (he actually gives them away on craigslist before he shoots them). 

He never shoots a deer, and goes out for the sunrise and watching the life. 

It's kind of the same thing in a kayak morning on the flats - the fish are all gravy. 

Being close to the life is why you're there. 

[flyfisher]

On 8/24/2022 at 1:42 PM, casts_by_fly said:

 

I mean, a sunbathing competition with hot ladies of my preferred visuals might make me miss a bite and be better than watching otters.  

we call that the bikini hatch around here and there are certain areas where even the bikini is optional and the hatch is in full swing right now

 

As far as having a delightful hour or whatever and not catching, nah.  I mean it is better than a lot of the alternatives that I could be doing but I am not a go out and enjoy nature and catching fish is a bonus guy.  I go out to catch fish and if I don't, I am irritated.

[roadwarrior]

23 hours ago, flyfisher said:

we call that the bikini hatch around here and there are certain areas where even the bikini is optional and the hatch is in full swing right now

 

Pickwick on holiday weekends.  You can still fish early, the Wild Things have been up

partying all night and don't crawl out until 10:00 or 11:00.

[Further North]

No fish is fine, particularly if I'm drifting a river.

Last Thursday's drift produced no fish, but we saw otters, a bear cub in a tree, deer, eagles, an osprey, green herons, a muskrat, a pileated woodpecker, geese...and lots more.

Good conversation with a good friend, and a day out doors casting flies and getting fresh air.

Can't beat that.