What do you suspect you're doing wrong that other BR anglers are doing right?

[Buzzbaiter]

What others do right? Fish more often, and catch fish.

 

What do I do right? Managing my finances (i.e. exercising temperance while browsing Tackle Warehouse)

[Mike L]

I wouldn’t say it’s wrong, I guess just different especially to most folks on this particular site. 
 

I absolutely hate finesse fishing with the light rod, light line and the small plastic’s you guys talk about so much. 
I can’t stand standing there jiggling or shaking a 3” piece of plastic to stick a 2 lb fish and be happy about it. 
 

Are there days that if I did it more I would have better numbers?….Yeah probably

Does it make me wrong and everyone else right As I’ve told?
 

Maybe, probably, but that’s ok I’ve been wrong before. 

😌

 

 

 

Mike

[LrgmouthShad]

I actually just told a couple of people that I’m considering fishing only spinnerbaits and jigs this year to keep things simple for me and to save time. So on that front, yeah we are pretty different. 
 

What do I think I’m doing wrong that other anglers are doing right? Knowing how to use a rotation of baits offshore waiting for fish to bite/triggering them to bite is something that I am not good at, but others are. I am decent at throwing 1-3 baits on offshore structure and to stay moving, though. 
 

 

[Swamp Girl]

52 minutes ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I actually just told a couple of people that I’m considering fishing only spinnerbaits and jigs this year to keep things simple for me and to save time.

 

Then I should go fishing with you! Rather, you fish and I'll watch. 

[Jweller]

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I actually just told a couple of people that I’m considering fishing only spinnerbaits and jigs this year to keep things simple for me and to save time. So on that front, yeah we are pretty different. 
 

 

 

I don't know how serious you are about doing this, but man it sounds awesome.  I've been thinking of doing something similar to be honest....I have too much clutter on the water and in my head haha.

[T-Billy]

Laydowns: All are not created equal. The structure they're laying on is a big deal. Some will produce consistently, some will produce seasonally, some will never produce, even though they may look good to our eye. Remember which ones produce, and when. 

 

Spinnerbaits: Seasonal baits for me. Pre-spawn mostly, and only if I have some wind.

 

Jigs: I mostly just use them to fish rock structure anymore. I've caught lot's of quality fish on 'em, including my PB LM, but I just get more bites with a flippin rig, and it comes through wood and weeds cleaner than any jig.

 

1 hour ago, LrgmouthShad said:

I actually just told a couple of people that I’m considering fishing only spinnerbaits and jigs this year to keep things simple for me and to save time.

I'm pretty much to this point with the flippin rig and chatterbait, at least with the green fish. Add a tube, a ned, and a grub, and I'm pretty well set for brown bass too.

[LrgmouthShad]

29 minutes ago, Jweller said:

I don't know how serious you are about doing this, but man it sounds awesome.  I've been thinking of doing something similar to be honest....I have too much clutter on the water and in my head haha.

I only said considering, so far. The more practical side of me wants to add a skunk-buster and one topwater into the mix. Particularly for when it hits August and September. 
 

I could absolutely put out a good showing with only those two baits, though. Still considering. It would definitely save time.

[IcatchDinks]

@LrgmouthShad You gotta throw a topwater in there. The idea of going through a whole fishing season without the joy of a topwater blowup has me horrified. 

[Swamp Girl]

15 minutes ago, IcatchDinks said:

@LrgmouthShad You gotta throw a topwater in there. The idea of going through a whole fishing season without the joy of a topwater blowup has me horrified. 

 

Me too! When I fished muskies, I would happily settle for one topwater musky instead of two crankbait/spinnerbait/spinner muskies. 

[J Francho]

If skipping a Carolina is wrong, I don't want to be right. 

[gim]

54 minutes ago, IcatchDinks said:

@LrgmouthShad You gotta throw a topwater in there. The idea of going through a whole fishing season without the joy of a topwater blowup has me horrified. 

I never threw a topwater all season last year. Not once.

 

Its not because I didn’t want to, because I love a topwater bite. It’s because it just doesn’t work here anymore. Hasn’t for years. I don’t waste time and energy on something that doesn’t work.

 

My hunch is that the pressure of so many topwater lures finally got to them.

[IcatchDinks]

11 minutes ago, gimruis said:

 

My hunch is that the pressure of so many topwater lures finally got to them.

 

That's too bad, but I guess ya gotta throw what the fish are biting. 

[gim]

1 minute ago, IcatchDinks said:

 

That's too bad, but I guess ya gotta throw what the fish are biting. 

It used to work, regularly. Mostly with frogs in the slop and buzz baits in the fall. Been at least 5 years since I was on a decent topwater bite.

[Swamp Girl]

24 minutes ago, gimruis said:

It used to work, regularly. Mostly with frogs in the slop and buzz baits in the fall. Been at least 5 years since I was on a decent topwater bite.

 

Still, given what you caught last year, you're making do times 3,000. 

[Big Hands]

These days, I am willing to be "wrong" much more often. A few years ago, I fished over 50 days (fished all year through), caught bass every trip. Every last one of 'em was caught either on soft plastic: a dropshot, a weightless wacky Senko, a Texas rig worm, or a Carolina rig.

 

In the years since then, I am more into trying lots of different things. Not because I think I should. Mostly because I just wanna fish how I wanna fish.

 

There was a time I would not have taken seriously hearing that there is a frog bite at Castaic (upper lake). I'd like to think I have evolved. . . in a good way.

[gim]

40 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

 

Still, given what you caught last year, you're making do times 3,000. 

 

I definitely miss catching fish regularly on topwater though.  It's an exciting way to fish.

 

Sometimes these things come and go.  Maybe anglers will abandon this approach for a while like I have, and the next generation of bass will not be so pressured by them.  I'm not going to get rid of my topwater lures just yet.

[MIbassyaker]

16 hours ago, gimruis said:

 

I definitely miss catching fish regularly on topwater though.  It's an exciting way to fish.

 

Sometimes these things come and go.  Maybe anglers will abandon this approach for a while like I have, and the next generation of bass will not be so pressured by them.  I'm not going to get rid of my topwater lures just yet.

 

It seems odd to think that in Minnesota, of all places, bass would be so pressured by topwater they would just stop striking.  You have more fishable water, your topwater season is shorter, and you have a smaller percentage of anglers actually targeting bass than most other places.

 

Does the average MN bass really see more topwater lures per year than the average bass in other states?

[LrgmouthShad]

On 4/16/2024 at 1:53 PM, Jweller said:

I don't know how serious you are about doing this, but man it sounds awesome

-Moved to another thread-

[Woody B]

I do NOT beat myself up but I suppose I can point out my weaknesses without beating myself up.

 

First I create a "plan" before every trip.  My plans are usually pretty good.   The problem is, Mike Tyson said "everyone has a plan until they get punched in the mouth".   When the Bass punch me in the mouth, by not cooperating with my plan I'm too slow to adapt.  If I don't catch a Bass pretty quickly I'll tend to struggle most of the day before formulating another "plan".  

 

 

I will leave Bass to find Bass, but I don't think that's a bad thing.   I do this for multiple reasons.  The waters I fish have decent populations of both Spotted and Largemouth Bass.   Spots are really fun when they're grown, but catching a bunch of 10 inch Spots isn't what I'm looking to do.  If I catching "micro" Bass every couple casts I'll leave that area in a heartbeat.  Another reason I occasionally "leave Bass" is I try to to overfish an area.  I'm not in a contest so if I catch 2 or 3 decent Bass I'll leave without "bleeding" that area dry.   I also won't fish the same spot 2 days in a row.  

 

Another thing I do whenever possible I catch a Bass on my last cast.   I don't get to go as often as I'd like but most trips my timeline is fluid.   At some point I'll decide how long I'm going to fish.  I usually decide something like "first Bass after 11AM" or something like that.  If it's 11:01 and I catch a Bass I'll leave.  If I don't catch one for a while I keep fishing until I do.  Catching a Bass on the last cast keeps me excited for the next trip.   I'm sure many people around here think that's crazy.  

 

Probably the worst thing I do, compared to others around here.  I'm hard on gear.   I occasionally break a rod, most of the time doing something stupid.   In the last year I've probably broke 6 or 8 rods at no fault of the rod.  I've also lost a couple overboard.  

[Bluebasser86]

I'm too fast to switch to finesse tactics and target bites instead of big fish, hoping that I will catch enough fish that eventually some will be bigger.

 

As far as what everyone else is doing, I have stopped worrying about that, it's out of my control and only effects me if I let it.

[LrgmouthShad]

18 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

I'm too fast to switch to finesse tactics and target bites instead of big fish, hoping that I will catch enough fish that eventually some will be bigger.

 

As far as what everyone else is doing, I have stopped worrying about that, it's out of my control and only affects me if I let it.

As a tournament angler you need bites. You are one of the best on this site, maybe the best. If you are wrong, the rest of us are gravely wrong.

[12poundbass]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:47 AM, gimruis said:

But sometimes, I am guilty of trying to force it for too long.  I need to be more willing to alter my presentation when past experiences aren't working

That’s me to a tee! Then again I can be the exact opposite. I can abandon a presentation too quickly. I’m a Jekel and Hyde some days and stubborn as a mule other days. 😬

 

 

[gim]

9 hours ago, MIbassyaker said:

 

It seems odd to think that in Minnesota, of all places, bass would be so pressured by topwater they would just stop striking.  You have more fishable water, your topwater season is shorter, and you have a smaller percentage of anglers actually targeting bass than most other places.

 

Does the average MN bass really see more topwater lures per year than the average bass in other states?

Great question.

 

Its only a theory on why topwater is ineffective anymore. Obviously I don’t fish all 10,000 lakes here so I my sample size is limited to about a dozen of them on a regular basis.

 

The thing is, I used to catch fish regularly on topwater lures here for many years. Then, it gradually dissipated. Eventually it was none. Like trying to pull teeth. So now I don’t even really attempt it.

 

There’s certainly been an uptick in pressure. Not just pandemic driven either. Bass fishing has taken off like a rocket as a high school sport. Trap shooting has too. Plus many lakes have also seen clearing water recently. And we’ve had drought for a few years. So maybe it’s a combination of all

these that have contributed to it.

[Aaron_H]

On 4/16/2024 at 11:56 AM, A-Jay said:

Interesting question ~

I'll say that the list of whatever I might be doing right,

is longer than what I'm doing wrong.

Not sure what other bassheads are doing. 

😉

A-Jay

 

I saw your latest video testing out your new weigh bag. You know you're doing something right when you say "it's just a small one but I want to test the new scale setup" and pull up a 4lb smallie. 😂

[txchaser]

I'll stop using a bait that is working almost immediately when I get a pattern. I'm more interested in seeing what else works than I am in running a pattern.