What Are Your Thoughts

[Mobasser]

I know many anglers target trophy bass on every trip. There are others who are content with catching numbers of bass, regardless of size.                                               If someone has been fishing for many years, and has never caught a really big bass, would you consider them to be less skilled? Would you wonder why they've never caught a really big bass, a fish that would be considered a true trophy bass for the area they fish?          I'm speaking from my own experience. My own PB was was an 8lb fish I caught over twenty years ago. It's been very hard to beat this fish.      I'll keep trying.                                             Have you ever thought that an angler who puts in plenty of time fishing, but has never caught a trophy bass is not a very skilled fisherman?                            What's your opinion on this topic?                               

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Unless somebody is fishing in a derby, I don't judge another angler's abilities.   

 

Some dudes are out there throwing a huge swimbait for 1-2 bites a week

 

Some dudes are out there throwing dropshots and neds, getting hundreds of bites a week 

 

Then other dudes are simply getting away from their job/wife/etc., and they don't care if they catch a single thing. 

 

Hard to judge another person's ability without knowing their goals. 

[the reel ess]

People see my social media and ask how to catch bigger bass. I tell them they have to fish where bigger bass live. Location matters more than presentation, though that matters too. You can't catch a big bass that isn't there. That said, I'm about to lose access to that spot and I doubt I'll ever reach a double digit unless I move or go on vacation In Central FL, TX or CA.

 

I fished for 40 plus years in a major lake and never caught a bass over 5 lbs. There simply weren't many there.

[Choporoz]

1 minute ago, Mobasser said:

 Have you ever thought that an angler who puts in plenty of time fishing, but has never caught a trophy bass is not a very skilled fisherman?                        

That thought would never cross my mind.  I bet there are just as many 'trophy bass' caught by folks on the more casual side of the scale (as opposed to those of us on on the serious end)....probably far more.  So, to me, having a singular catch of a particular size tells me little about whether I would consider the person a skilled or serious angler.

  That said, I might be more inclined to make some judgements based on 'routine' or 'regular' catches of a certain size (location dependent).  That is, if you pull 4 and 5 pounders monthly out of a lake where it generally takes 13# to win a local club tourney.....well, you might get mad props from me 

[Bird]

Quality fish due to volume of casts.

 

I've only caught 2 citation Largemouth bass in MANY years of fishing but since I've retired those 5-6-7lb Bass have increased simply due to time on the water.

 

I don't specifically target big fish but it's a blast when it happens.

I wouldn't necessarily say that a person who never catches a good fish is a subpar fisherman.

[MIbassyaker]

Two anglers in front of me.

 

One reliably catches "pretty good" bass in a variety of waters, under a variety of conditions -- but has never caught a true trophy.  The other has a few DDs to his credit, but doesn't catch much very often. 

 

If I know nothing else about these anglers, and you tell me, "One of these anglers is more skilled than the other -- who is it?", I'm going to guess it is the first one.

[you]

I wouldn't judge a baseball player for their lack of touchdowns.

 

If you're playing a different game or playing it on a different field, the results will be different, too.

[Pat Brown]

I don't judge people who fish....fishing is for fun and we all have different waters and goals.

 

I am even learning to be more tolerant of people who catch and keep fish.  It's all just part of what makes fishing special and it's all fun.

 

I enjoy days where I catch nothing.  I enjoy days where I catch numbers.  I enjoy days where I catch a giant or two.  Seems like there's more important things to judge.

[Dwight Hottle]

I think you can judge an anglers skill level by both trophy fish caught & frequency of catching fish. You can have all the fishing skill available but your not going to catch a trophy bass unless your fishing a trophy water. Time on the water contributes to your skill levels. If you fish with a guy who always out fishes you under equal circumstances then he has a higher skill level no matter how you define it. I also think there are a lot of fisherman who don't explore why they are not successful. If you want to improve you need to consider what you can do to improve your chances and start exploring new waters & methods that are proven winners.  

[Swamp Girl]

I agree with the guys who observed that where you fish matters as much as the size and number of fish you catch. I doubt that I'll ever hook a DD, but an 8-pounder would feel like a DD to me. 

[A-Jay]

18 hours ago, Mobasser said:

  If someone has been fishing for many years, and has never caught a really big bass, would you consider them to be less skilled? Would you wonder why they've never caught a really big bass, a fish that would be considered a true trophy bass for the area they fish?                                                    Have you ever thought that an angler who puts in plenty of time fishing, but has never caught a trophy bass is not a very skilled fisherman?                            What's your opinion on this topic?                               

I do not fish competitively, so I'm fishing against the environment & the bass, not other anglers.

So if a basshead is catching giants, I say good for them.

If they are not, I am hopeful that they will, if that's what they are looking to do.

But in the the end, I understand what it takes for me, what I am willing to do,

and how that can increase my chances of getting bigger bites. 

Sometimes it works out, sometimes it does not.

No real secrets, just a level of commitment and attention to detail that works for me. 

YMMV

A-Jay

 

[Big Hands]

2 hours ago, Mobasser said:

If someone has been fishing for many years, and has never caught a really big bass, would you consider them to be less skilled?

 

Not at all. They could be really skilled at catching small bass, LOL.

 

Just kidding.

 

Well, sort of. Allow me to explain.

 

A couple years ago I was talking to an angler whose name is widely known (understatement of the century) for catching numbers of 10+ bass. For the record, he is not a member here that I am aware of. 

 

The subject of others anglers kind of following him around came up and I let him know that I make an effort to stay away from him while he's doing his thing. He said he wasn't too concerned about me fishing near him because we weren't fishing for the same fish. 

 

TBH, I had mixed feelings about that, LOL. After thinking about it. . . in detail. . . . in numerous therapy session and curled up for hours in a fetal tuck lying in my own bathtub (OK, not the last two parts), he was absolutely correct especially from his perspective. He's only ever seen me throw the usual 'regular' stuff like Carolina rigs with 4" plastics, drop shot, Senkos. . . finesse stuff. I think the probability of me catching smaller fish than he would if we fished right next to each other is very likely rather than the other way around. It would still be likely even if we were fishing the same big bass baits, but that's another discussion.

 

When I caught my first ten plus bass, I had never caught a five pounder. I just happened to live and fish at one of the hottest big bass factories in the world at that time. 

 

The more you target bigger bass IF THEY LIVE THERE, the more likely you are to hook one. Just know that if you want to concentrate on big bass you need to be prepared to have your resolve and confidence tested often. 

[Kirtley Howe]

Just my opinion, but I would usually rate the fisherman/woman (person?) who can go out and catch bass on a regular basis in an area that most people struggle to catch one or two on a good day as a more skilled angler than someone who can catch a 10lb bass in a lake that is known for big bass. Of course, I may feel that way because I am much closer (please note I said "closer") to the first type than the second type.  But really, I think it takes totally different skill sets and mental attitude, so you can't compare the two in any meaningful way.

[bp_fowler]

I think it’s all relative.  I rarely get skunked and I catch fish that are decent size for the part of the country that I’m in.  

 

Am I a skilled angler?  

 

No.

 

I’m able to catch quantity and quality because I fish the same bodies of water multiple times a week. So I’ve learned a lot through trial and error.  I’m pretty sure that most of you on this forum could fish circles around me even on my home waters.
 

I believe that a truly skilled angler is able to break down a body of water they’ve never seen before and catch numbers but also have a better than average chance at catching the biggest fish in there.

[scaleface]

I target places where  think big bass may be at . I dont necessarily target them though.  I lost a giant yesterday on a small crankbait .Got   caught up in a tree. Second time thats happened this year.  I might try again tomorrow.

[Team9nine]

3 hours ago, Mobasser said:

Have you ever thought that an angler who puts in plenty of time fishing, but has never caught a trophy bass is not a very skilled fisherman?

Nope, but I also don’t believe the reverse either; that someone with a single trophy/giant to their credit IS a very skilled angler. Let me see numbers either way (relatively speaking)…consistent multiple big fish over time, or lots of fish consistently.

[Bird]

42 minutes ago, scaleface said:

I target places where  think big bass may be at . I dont necessarily target them though.  I lost a giant yesterday on a small crankbait .Got   caught up in a tree. Second time thats happened this year.  I might try again tomorrow.

Ha Ha lost a heavy fish yesterday on a Brush hog, casted to a single standing tree in 20ft of water and wrapped.

Am I skilled ? 

Most definitely at losing a few big fish.

[WRB]

So many factors must come together to catch the top 1% of bass in any ecosystem. 

Don’t over look luck like the blind squirrel finding the acorn,

It helps astronomically if the squirrel is under an oak tree!

My very 1st big bass was 7 lbs and named it Mosses. First found this big bass next to a neighbors dock, I was 9 years.

It took me 2 years to catch Mosses and unknown hours trying.

This bass changed my life for a few reasons. I took the bass home and my grandmother made me clean it for dinner. It was like eating a good friend and change me to be catch and release decades before it was acceptable. Mosses also taught me to study bass in their habituate and continued to do that most of my life. I was curious about bass behavior and tried to learn everything about behavior I could.

So you can say my passion to focus on big bass was a lifetime experience.

Tom

[thediscochef]

7 hours ago, Mobasser said:

I know many anglers target trophy bass on every trip. There are others who are content with catching numbers of bass, regardless of size.                                               If someone has been fishing for many years, and has never caught a really big bass, would you consider them to be less skilled? Would you wonder why they've never caught a really big bass, a fish that would be considered a true trophy bass for the area they fish?          I'm speaking from my own experience. My own PB was was an 8lb fish I caught over twenty years ago. It's been very hard to beat this fish.      I'll keep trying.                                             Have you ever thought that an angler who puts in plenty of time fishing, but has never caught a trophy bass is not a very skilled fisherman?                            What's your opinion on this topic?                               

I think that the fisherperson who finds their peace and calm the fastest probably has us all beat in the skill department. In terms of catching fish though...it's about consistency to one thing or another. But the only real measure to me is consistency.

[Bluebasser86]

6 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Nope, but I also don’t believe the reverse either; that someone with a single trophy/giant to their credit IS a very skilled angler. Let me see numbers either way (relatively speaking)…consistent multiple big fish over time, or lots of fish consistently.

This is my feelings on it. I've never caught what I'd consider a giant bass in Kansas. I've caught several over the 7lb mark, but I've never broke 8lbs. However, I know some people that I consider much less skilled that have stumbled into a monster like that but otherwise, they rarely catch fish I'd even consider to be big ones over 5lbs. 

[GRiver]

Took my Sister’s husband out fishing a while back. He fishes maybe once a year, maybe 18 months. Not only did he catch more fish, but bigger too. And all on a $24.98 Sheakspeare from Walmart, that he gave to a kid fishing at the marina when I dropped him off. Go figure. 

[Captain Phil]

Hooking a trophy bass is being in the right place at the right time.  Getting it to the boat is not guaranteed.  "The one that got away" is as old as the first human who ever fished.  Doing things right one time is not rocket science. I once saw a 12 pound bass caught on a crappie jig. 

 

Tournament fishing is not the same as fishing for fun and relaxation.   To better your PB only takes one fish.  Winning tournaments consistently is hard work.  When you see someone with a winning bag at the weigh-in, you don't see what they had to do to make that happen.  Tournament fishing is a mental as well as a physical game.  It's not for everyone.

[Dwight Hottle]

13 hours ago, Team9nine said:

Nope, but I also don’t believe the reverse either; that someone with a single trophy/giant to their credit IS a very skilled angler. Let me see numbers either way (relatively speaking)…consistent multiple big fish over time, or lots of fish consistently.

X2. An angler with one 10lb bass to his credit might just be lucky rather than skillful. But an angler with two 10lb bass to his credit has demonstrated to me a higher level of skill. 

 

[TnRiver46]

I don’t judge what others are catching unless I’m watching a tournament. As for me, I always judge myself very highly when I’m frying freshly caught fish with some frothy beverages. Friends and family also seem to thoroughly enjoy that

 

 

[gim]

21 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

Seems like there's more important things to judge.

Sure is.  Like if they need a haircut, if they are rocking ripped up jeans, or they're posting photos of rock bass.

 

Sincerely,

 

The Haircut, Fashion, and Photo Police