A man's got to know his limitations. What are yours?

[Columbia Craw]

I just don’t embrace simplicity.  If the boat is cluttered the mind will follow.  I pack my boat like a Kardasian going on an overnighter. 

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, AlabamaSpothunter said:

Continuing to pursue a hobby/sport where luck plays such a huge role in both your successes and failures.    I got big into poker in the early 2000s, but eventually quit because regardless of how good your technical ability was, luck always accounts for a huge percentage of the outcomes.    

 

 

 

My limitations are luck and access, I can control or learn everything else.....so can everybody else in this thread.    

 

 

Well that’s the beauty of it!!! Wouldn’t be much fun if it was totally predictable 

[GRiver]

6 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

"A man's got to know his limitations.

Well, let me tell ya…. I’m not a master at any of it. I can hold my own at some of it, maybe better than a few, not as good as most.
I’m not very good a skipping baits , spinning rig.  ….ehhhh. Bait caster I’ll wad one of those up in a hurry. It has to be brought home and cut out. 
I’m absolutely terrible at casting left handed. NO ONE is safe, not man or beast alike are safe. Turtles dive off, birds fly away, all creatures hide when I try to cast left handed. 
But…..: I really love to fish…. just getting out there, sitting there, watching the daylight peaking out. Drinking my coffee, eating a egg and cheese biscuit. I could not catch a fish ( I hope an try too) and I’ve still had a good day. 

[r83srock]

I struggle with: 

Drop shots (rather throw a Ned or grub)

whopper ploppers ( buzz baits are better)

carolina rigs (I don’t crank much but I’d prefer it over a c rig)

bladded jigs (spinnerbaits or swim jigs all day)

 

My strengths:

Jigs

T rigs

Frogs

spinnerbait

[N Florida Mike]

“Offshore” fishing. And jig fishing.

 

I’m best with soft plastics. Skipping is my favorite skill. I cast more accurately with spinning, but Im not bad with casting.

[crypt]

Jigs.......love em.....but just can't seem to be 100% confident when I got one tied on....don't know why but it is what it is.

oh yeah.....chatterbaits..........I just hate them.

[Darth-Baiter]

I’m not a strong swimmer.  I know it, and I respect the waters accordingly. I don’t risk much.  

[TnRiver46]

1 hour ago, Darth-Baiter said:

I’m not a strong swimmer.  I know it, and I respect the waters accordingly. I don’t risk much.  

Swimming around where I fish with a snorkel and diving mask is one of my favorite things to do! I bet it would be even more fun in the clear water of cali 

[Catt]

7 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

Except that mega hawg on the ole ratt L trap in Toledo gold right???? ???

 

Or do you mean lipped specifically?

 

Red Chrome ?

 

Specifically lipped 

 

 

[Susky River Rat]

I wouldn’t say I have anything I’m good at. I am just less bad at them then other things. Rattle traps and chatter baits elude me. I do not really push myself to be better. It needs to be fun. If you ask anyone the bite was where you weren’t fishing on baits you never throw. 
 

 I have got a lot better at keeping my cool on the water. I don’t scream at kayakers for paddling over where I am fishing. I do not get frustrated anymore over not catching fish. Even as much as I’d like to. I just fish and try to do my best that day. Fishing is my release. If I want to get mad and frustrated I’ll go to work. 

[Catt]

A man's got to know his limitations.

 

I've known mine for 58 yrs!

 

 

[bp_fowler]

Jigs, specifically casting jigs.  I do alright on swim jigs and football jigs.

 

Drop shot.  Not only have I never caught a fish I’ve never even gotten bit.

 

Topwaters, all varieties.  I keep throwing them though because I want so desperately for them to work because they seem like a lot of fun.

 

Strengths?  I guess I would say it’s my willingness to go places that other shore based anglers fear to tread.  I believe it has put onto fish that that I wouldn’t have caught otherwise.

[Mike L]

Standing at the end of a boat,

staring down at a screen all day,

holding a lightweight spinning rod,

spooled with 6# line,

bouncing a 3” piece of plastic,

hoping a 1 lb fish comes swimming by…

 

Sorry, I’d rather go bowling!

 

 

 

Mike

[Bankbeater]

My biggest limitation of fishing is time.  There are a half dozen or so small lakes and ponds that I would love to fish, but they are a 2 to 2-1/2 hour drive away.  Getting off work is tough, and I usually have a job or two to do around the house on the weekends.

[Zcoker]

Pitching or flipping or just plain punching from a kayak….I just can’t get it right, no matter what I do. I know I could probably learn techniques and so forth but I just don’t like it. Just not in the cards for me. I told myself that the other day. I’d have to force myself to like it. 

 

 

[Bankc]

Pitching.  
 

I can technically do it.  And I've practiced more hours than I care to think about in my backyard.  I've watched a million and a half how to videos.  But there's still something I'm not getting.  Maybe it's because I'm in a kayak.  I don't know.  But I've seen tons of people pitch lures really far out and I can't, for the life of me, pitch something more than maybe 15 feet.  It's frustrating.

 

Also hard jerkbaits and rattle traps.  I just can't seem to get a bite on either of those.  Maybe it's the stained water without much vegetation that I fish.  But they just don't produce for me, and I don't really know why. 

[Kirtley Howe]

While I am far from an expert at any technique, I am passable in most. My biggest limitation these days is physical. Having been run over by a truck (NOT a figure of speech), being a cancer survivor, and having pretty much abused my body with work and recreational activities (motorcycle racing being the biggest culprit), and of course being 74 years old, I just can't do everything I used to, or would like to. And some of the things I can still do I can't do as well, or for as long as I would like. I am just glad I am still here and can do anything at all.

[gim]

6 hours ago, Darnold335 said:

I have got a lot better at keeping my cool on the water. I don’t scream at kayakers for paddling over where I am fishing. I do not get frustrated anymore over not catching fish.

I used to have a much shorter fuse when I was younger too, especially at the ramp.  Waiting around for unprepared boaters that took way too long infuriated me.  As I got older, I've just learned to accept it.  It still annoys me, but I just wait patiently now instead.  I haven't really encountered any noticeably obvious situations like this all season.  There is less activity on the lakes here now too being that "summer" is kinda over.

[Captain Phil]

56 minutes ago, Kirtley Howe said:

My biggest limitation these days is physical. Having been run over by a truck (NOT a figure of speech), being a cancer survivor, and having pretty much abused my body with work and recreational activities (motorcycle racing being the biggest culprit), and of course being 74 years old, I just can't do everything I used to, or would like to. And some of the things I can still do I can't do as well, or for as long as I would like. I am just glad I am still here and can do anything at all.

 

I'm with you brother.  My biggest challenge these days is motivation.  When I was younger, nothing would stop me from going fishing.   It was never too cold or hot to fish.  It didn't matter if the fish were biting.  I could fish for days without a bite and cast until my arm ached.  Today, it's all I can do to launch my boat without some drama.  I should consider selling my boat, but I can't stand the idea of not owning one.  

[Fishing_Rod]

Greetings All,
Bait cast reels, (looking downward and turning head from side to side in frustration) I am doing what I can to learn how to better use them. Very different from my comfort zone of ultra lite spinning gear. I am making progress, I think... It has been a learning experience for me that continues.

 

Funny moment to share, mainly cause I've been there and had a similar experience. I was working the opposite shoreline on a sizable cove from a fella who made a spectacular cast with a moment of thumb indiscretion at the conclusion and it resulted in a massive backlash. I heard both the reel and him when it happened. He was so frustrated with it all, he simply tossed the rig down on the ground and had to have a moment to sort it all out. Just then his buddy noticed the rod sliding down towards the water and raised the alert. He gathered it up just before it got wet. He was still fixated on the reel not being function and then loss tension on the line. He thought he had lost the fish. He was still struggling with the reel when the line tightened up and almost yanked the rig out of his hand. He didn't seem to want to change his focus as he kept fussing with the backlash.

 

I suggested he either walk backwards and or hand line the fish in. He did a bit of both and managed to find a nice 2 pound bass causing all the excitement. Yup, I have been there and done that! 

 

I suppose that could be considered a virtue of bait casting reels compelling you to slow down and let the bait settle before imparting any action. It is because you've got to clear out the line, right? Be well and cheers!

[Bigassbass]

Jigs, I hate them so I'm not good at using them, crank baits ehh, and huge baits not into them.  Everything else I know how to throw or use.  I spent a year practicing how to throw a bait caster, and I think it's like riding a bike, you never forget if it's burned into your brain but, I still don't like fishing with bait casters much.  I can do everything with a spinning reel a bait caster can do and more.

[Bird]

I can easily get on the water before daylight but go to bed before dark.

 

Can't fish from anything other than a bass boat, spoiled.

 

Swim baits hardly ever get thrown from my boat ?.

 

Strength ?

Fish 3 days a week and never get burned out and can tolerate moody fishing partners.

 

 

[LrgmouthShad]

Weaknesses: 
Generally not great with topwater. 
 

I think I could get a lot better at just fishing the conditions that I’m given. 

 

I stink with jerkbaits and flukes

Strengths: 

I am proficient with the basics. I really like tossing a Texas rig, a jig, and a spinnerbait. I probably feel most comfortable with a spinnerbait on my rod, since it’s all I used to fish in NY for like 8-9 hours in a day and just wreck the heck out of pond bass and small lake bass.
 

I also have a good idea of what I am doing with my electronics and what I am looking for

[papajoe222]

MIne is definately time on the water.  I'm down to around four hours max. If I'm doing mostly soft plastics, I can maybe go five, but that's pushing it.  Taking steps to increase my energy and stamina, I should say laps, not steps as swimming is my answer to working out. 

As far as limitations on my fishing skills, the only ones I have are mental and only because I allow it.

[The Baron]

I could write a very long list of weaknesses, and brag on a much shorter list of strengths.  But I think my most recent lesson on my personal limitations is all day fishing.  I was on the water 6:30am-5pm on Sunday and came home exhausted and not much good to my family for spending any quality time.  Fishing was not that good, and in hindsight I did not have much fun trying to push a rope that long.  I'm going to start capping myself at 4-5 hour half days.