What's your best bassin' skill? And your worst?

[Swamp Girl]

Another possible best attribute of Woody's: Fishing and fishing and fishing.

 

Woody B. doth decree that everyday is the day to go fishing!

[r83srock]

Best: Anything that involves putting a jig or soft plastic into cover. Having the accuracy and equipment to place a lure and extract the bass is most important for this. The accuracy part is just practice.

 

Worst: decision making. I get these “gut” feelings I need to move when I know the fish are where I’m already at.

[Mike L]

4 hours ago, ironbjorn said:

Being able to read the water. That's the one thing I've always felt was completely natural and didn't have to be developed.

I think this is one of the most important and critical aspects of doing what we do. 

In my opinion eliminating water in most cases is key to a successful outing 

I mention it every once in awhile when a question comes up about needing help in locating the right areas or finding the “spot within the spot”

 

Anyone can junk fish and get lucky blind casting, but if you take the time to develop that sight picture and truly understand what you’re seeing then tailor your bait choice, your presentations angle of entry, using all the clues you see, your efficiency can’t help but to increase. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

[Swamp Girl]

2 minutes ago, Mike L said:

I think this is one of the most important and critical aspects of doing what we do. 

In my opinion eliminating water in most cases is key to a successful outing 

I mention it every once in awhile when a question comes up about needing help in locating the right areas or finding the “spot within the spot”

 

Anyone can junk fish and get lucky blind casting, but if you take the time to develop that sight picture and truly understand what you’re seeing then tailor your bait choice, your presentations angle of entry, using all the clues you see, your efficiency can’t help but to increase. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike

 

 

Agreed. For a primitive angler like me, with no Garmin or sonar, all I've got is what the water tells me. I've paddled thousands of miles on rivers, where I had to watch the water...or else. Watching river currents attuned me to pond, bog, and lake currents. The water's surface tells us a bit about what's beneath. I'm always looking for something that affects current, like a rock, reef, weed bed, saddle, etc., any place where bass will park because bass are like gunslingers who, in a saloon, always want a wall at their backs. 

[Functional]

Best: Always willing to try a new bait or technique (even drop shot...i hate drop shot). 

 

Worst: Fishing a lure I like way too long even when its not working....then trying something new and changing it ever 5 minutes if I get no nibbles. Just to end up right back into my favorite lure(s). This is why I need dedicated days to try a new lure or 2.

[Pat Brown]

I thought of another good one: I can make any technique my own and fun.  I hear a lot of people say 'i hate fishing this way or that way' and personally, if something isn't feeling 'right' doing it how it's 'supposed to be done' I am fast to do it how I think it should be done and it catches me a fish.

 

I think as bass anglers 'rules' cost us tons and tons of fish but more importantly - costs us lots of enjoyment and pleasure each time we go out!

[Swamp Girl]

1 minute ago, Pat Brown said:

I thought of another good one: I can make any technique my own and fun.  I hear a lot of people say 'i hate fishing this way or that way' and personally, if something isn't feeling 'right' doing it how it's 'supposed to be done' I am fast to do it how I think it should be done and it catches me a fish.

 

I think as bass anglers 'rules' cost us tons and tons of fish but more importantly - costs us lots of enjoyment and pleasure each time we go out!

 

You are the King of Joy, Pat. I see all your smiles when you hold up your bass, big and small.

[DaubsNU1]

12 hours ago, gimruis said:

My worst “skill” is probably that I constantly get stuck on what has worked in the past. I think back to where and how I caught fish last time, and continue to do that for too long, even if it’s not working. I need to be more willing to adapt quicker.

 

Worst skill: I'm in the same boat as @gimruis, for sure!

 

"I caught fish off that tree last week...he's for sure going to be on that same tree...let's throw the same lure...why don't he bite???"

 

Best skill: casting a spinnerbait. I can get it within a few inches of my target most casts.

 

 

[Swamp Girl]

11 minutes ago, DaubsNU1 said:

I can get it within a few inches of my target most casts.

 

Impressive.

[Bluebasser86]

Best-Versatility- I can catch them doing about anything. 
 

Worst-versatility- I have a hard time deciding which technique at times and bring too much gear and over complicate it.

[Swamp Girl]

5 minutes ago, Bluebasser86 said:

Best-Versatility- I can catch them doing about anything. 
 

Worst-versatility- I have a hard time deciding which technique at times and bring too much gear and over complicate it.

 

It's not just fishing where a strength can also be a weakness. 

[king fisher]

Best - removing a backlash

Worst.- having to remove a backlash

[TnRiver46]

Best: passion and persistence, ability to withstand heat 

 

worst: spinnerbait 

[Bankc]

Best:  Setting the hook

Worst:  Setting the hook on fish

[Zcoker]

I'm best at night solo, prowling way out in places that no one would even dream of going. 

 

I'm the worst on myself when things don't go right, like when losing a giant bass, I beat myself up trying to figure out exactly why it happened and then I go to extremes to make the necessary corrections, whatever they may be. 

[gim]

14 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

worst: spinnerbait 

 

I don't understand why there is such a struggle with this lol.  You just chuck and wind.  Pike love it too.

[TnRiver46]

I’ve chucked and winded it for at least 25 or so yrs haha

[Swamp Girl]

28 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

I’ve chucked and winded it for at least 25 or so yrs haha

 

My extensive testing on Tennessee River bass has reached the conclusion that these bass see this whenever a spinnerbait passes them:

 

[MN Fisher]

7 minutes ago, ol'crickety said:

these bass see this whenever a spinnerbait passes them:

I would think it'd be more like this

[king fisher]

Best. Detecting a bite.

Worst.  Getting bit.

[JackstrawIII]

Best: focus. I'm convinced this is why I tend to catch more fish than others I fish with. I get in the zone and make a lot of casts into every high percentage place I can find. 

 

Worst: focus. I get way too stuck in the plan I created before getting to the lake. Sometimes the fish are on a different page than I thought they would be and it is very hard for me to innovate/change once I get out on the water. 

2 hours ago, ol'crickety said:

It's not just fishing where a strength can also be a weakness. 

 

I've heard it said that a strength over-extended always becomes a weakness. 

[Sethshaun]

Best-flipping brush for numbers and finding them on deep weed lines with a neko rig. 
 

worse-keeping a Chatterbait tied on long enough to get big bites.

 
Way worser- deciding THAT is the best spot and making an idiot cast that ruins the spot for an hour 

[WRB]

Best; Going bass fishing 

Worst; Not not going bass fishing

Generally have an intuition where bass are located and catching them. I like using everything after trying jigs 1st.
Fishing fast with crank baits is a last minute choice and kick myself for not trying sooner.

Tom

[GRiver]

Oh ….. just remembered another “ what I’m worst at”

Frogs, love to fish them, get absolutely picture perfect blow ups, can’t hook them. I’ve turn up hook ends, paused and counted until I’m blue in the face. Just come up empty.

  I’ve gotten pretty good at cussing though. Hahaha 

[Swamp Girl]

@GRiver: Me too, Buddy. I am soooo cool when fishing every other surface lure. I never react until I feel their weight. However, when a bass hits my frog, I want to scream and throw my rod overboard.

 

@MN Fisher: I stand corrected. You clearly have a better research team than me. My research team is, well, me. Measly me. 

 

23 minutes ago, JackstrawIII said:

I've heard it said that a strength over-extended always becomes a weakness. 

 

I like ^this.^