If you don't fish tournaments, why do you fish for bass?

[Mobasser]

There are a lot of guys who love to catch fish, but never eat any species. I like the challenge of catching bass on artificial lures. I catch crappie to.eat.

[river-rat]

 

I have been primarily bass fishing for the past 60 years not only because it's fun but because of the challenge to be good at it. To go out each trip and try to figure out what works best that day is what keeps me going after all these years.

 

[Spankey]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

I never said it couldn't. For people who feel that way, the question is why bass instead of another species? Same reason I would ask someone why the choose to play golf instead of rec league softball or cornhole. Something about the sport must make it better to them than the others- something about bass must make them better than others.

 

All of this makes perfect sense. I suspect if I didn't grow up on the salt, I would've gotten into bass fishing sooner and maybe never dabbled with everything else. I suspected location would play a big role for many folks. Thanks for taking the time to give a well thought out and articulated response.

I suspect if I lived closer to the ocean I’d  never be fishing for bass. When vacationing I’m surf fishing ever chance I get. Peace and solitude at its best. Have caught a variety over the years. Like catching King Fish, flounder and Weakfish. Kids enjoy eating them. 

[SC53]

Because;

they’re green but they’re brown

they're everywhere but they’re nowhere 

they’re shallow but they’re deep

they're in open water but they’re in thick cover

they strike a lure hard but the strike softly 

they’re where they should be but where they shouldn’t be

🙂

 

[DogBone_384]

3 hours ago, TnRiver46 said:

Cuz it’s fun 

 

^^^^^^^

[Tennessee Boy]

I didn’t choose bass fishing.  Bass fishing chose me.

[DogBone_384]

12 minutes ago, Spankey said:

I suspect if I lived closer to the ocean I’d  never be fishing for bass.

 

I live about 300 yards from the ocean.  I do more green/brown bass fishing than for stripers.  It's more work for less return in the salt for me.

[Spankey]

6 minutes ago, Mobasser said:

There are a lot of guys who love to catch fish, but never eat any species. I like the challenge of catching bass on artificial lures. I catch crappie to.eat.

My bass fish for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass is all with artificial lures also. Not sure if live bait is an edge or not. 
I’ve never lost my passion to trout fish. Go at it spinning and fly fishing. I had a good mentor at a young age, a farmer, old retired guy who worked for Philly Electric way back in the day. I worked on his place as a kid. He was alway ready to fish early in the am and work on the farm mid-day on. I can fish stocked, wild and native trout here without it being much of a trip. I like trout fishing off the beaten path. 

[Scott F]

Turning a pastime that I’ve enjoyed since  the early 60s into a competition is the last thing I’d ever do. It goes against everything I value in fishing. I don’t want someone else to tell me where and when I can fish. Before retiring, I used fishing to escape the pressure and stress of my job. I can’t imagine going fishing just to put more stress and pressure in my life. Being out with friends and sharing our knowledge is a big benefit. Who in tournaments would ever share information that would cost them money? 
  Where I live, smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting fish and I can fish for them on light tackle. My question is why does fishing have to be a competitive event? 

[rboat]

Let me flip the script on you. Why are most all major tournaments for bass? You said yourself they are not the best fighters and you are not keeeping them. Why not national tournaments for Pike, Gar, Snakeheads, Muskies, etc.

Bass are at most times hard to figure out. They move on daily and seasonal patterns. Some school, some are loners. Some go deep, others do not. They can be found throughout the entire country. They will at times hit every lure ever made, if it fits in their mouth. ---What's not to like?

I believe the big draw is trying to solve the puzzle.

Personally, I do not like bass tournaments. I have seen first hand the damage done to some of the finest fisheries in the country, and I am not alone.

You are very close minded if you think only tournament guys should fish for bass. The entire bass fishing market would collapse without the weekend warriors. Bass boat companies would not survive if they could only sell to tournament guys. Johnny Morris, TW, and many others would go broke.

I find your question kind of silly, and when you start by saying not trying to offend anyone, whatever follows is usually offensive.

[JHoss]

Too many responses to touch on all so I'll hit a few that jump out.

 

2 hours ago, Jigfishn10 said:

Nah...truth be told I fish way more saltwater than I do freshwater. My free time is limited so whatever enjoyment I get, it's out fishing for something....anything for that matter...Sorry, not trying to be argumentative, just telling it like it is.

Not argumentative at all. It honestly sounds like your an opportunist which I get more than someone who largely dedicates themselves to one species, bass. 

 

1 hour ago, J._Bricker said:

One word @JHoss sums up my answer to your question- “solitude”. 

I reckon you could get that view no matter what species you're targeting? There's gotta be something that makes bass special?

 

1 hour ago, A-Jay said:

You find it odd ?

How the other half thinks ?

Like you came out of the womb and fished a tournament the next day right ?

Good Luck with your quest for the answer this this most "complicated" question.

I didn't fish a tournament the day I was born nor did I fish at all that day. I actually didn't fish a bass tournament until I was in my late 20s. I had caught plenty of bass by that point, and there was nothing about them that made me more obsessed with them than other species. In fact, if given the chance to chase tuna, wahoo, rockfish, red drum, cobia, etc I would've chosen them over bass every time. But as someone who has always been extremely competitive, being able to combine that component with an activity I love created a perfect storm of obsession. I didn't ask a ridiculous question like "why do you like to fish?" I asked something that seems reasonable. Why do you like to fish FOR BASS? There must be something about this fish that causes so many to become obsessed. 

 

1 hour ago, Spankey said:

I got hooked on Smallmouth Bass back in the spring of ‘75 as a young guy while trout fishing with some buds. We were all spread along the creek but I stayed close to where I had the truck parked because I didn’t want to be parked illegally, didn’t think I was. I would have moved it if I would have to. Trout fished that lower section as many times before. Creek in that area has very little or any slack water. Full of rock steps and riffles. Was within short walking distance from the bigger river. Had all but my limit of trout, 7/8 in a short time using Velvita cheese and flathead minnows. I switched over to some Panther Martins and CP Swings figuring that the trout bite would slow down and I’d catch and release until the other guys came back to the truck. It wasn’t but a couple of cast with the inline spinners and I started picking off the smallies. Was a pretty steady bite of them. Until that time catching the occasional never got any interest. Within days I had bought some small Rapalas floater divers and Rebels and fished that creek section down to the river. Needless to say was hooked on bass fishing from there on out. Bought an aluminum boat w/ 10 hp motor a couple of year later after graduation HS and made the bigger river home. Still hooked to this day. I fish a lot differently for them these days and have been working at catching lake smallies also over the years. 

I can understand something like this. A specific instance that's forever etched in your mind and creates a lifelong love. Thanks for sharing this. 

 

49 minutes ago, riverat said:

To go out each trip and try to figure out what works best that day is what keeps me going after all these years.

I get this. Besides the competition of tournaments, my favorite part of bass fishing is figuring out the puzzle. It's not like saltwater where I can convince myself the fish left the bay for the year or the slack tide has them not feeding, I know there's the same population of fish I've been successful with before, I just have to figure out how to put the puzzle together today.

 

36 minutes ago, DogBone_384 said:

I live about 300 yards from the ocean.  I do more green/brown bass fishing than for stripers.  It's more work for less return in the salt for me.

Is the return you're seeking about numbers or something else? Do you only fish salt from the shore?

 

30 minutes ago, Spankey said:

My bass fish for Smallmouth and Largemouth Bass is all with artificial lures also. Not sure if live bait is an edge or not. 

I think the widespread use of artificials is one of the keys that makes bass fishing so popular. I've largely lost my desire to soak a chunk of bait on the bottom for hours on end anymore. Bass fishing has certainly influenced my saltwater fishing as well- I'm using more artificials than ever, using mapping and technology I learned from bass fishing, using techniques and patterns from bass fishing for saltwater species, etc. 

 

8 minutes ago, Scott F said:

Turning a pastime that I’ve enjoyed since  the early 60s into a competition is the last thing I’d ever do. It goes against everything I value in fishing. I don’t want someone else to tell me where and when I can fish. Before retiring, I used fishing to escape the pressure and stress of my job. I can’t imagine going fishing just to put more stress and pressure in my life. Being out with friends and sharing our knowledge is a big benefit. Who in tournaments would ever share information that would cost them money? 
  Where I live, smallmouth bass are the hardest fighting fish and I can fish for them on light tackle. My question is why does fishing have to be a competitive event? 

It doesn't have to be. I shared what I find so great about the sport- that I can combine a past time I love (fishing) with competition, which is a big part of who I am. I wanted to know what people who don't tournament fish are attracted to. Since yours seems to be relaxation, what is it about bass fishing that makes it more relaxing than crappie or musky? And I will add, I've learned far more from tournament fishing than I ever did just fun fishing. I fish local trails and have built friendships with other guys in the league. We may not tell each other each specific detail, but there's plenty of intel passed around at a weigh in. 

[Texas Flood]

Only started fishing because I heard its a great way to meet women.

[TheSwearingAngler]

A. Bass are in fact the biggest/strongest fish I can easily access.

 

B. I could saltwater fish but 

B1. I’m afraid of the ocean, I grew up

          on it and faced death a few times.      

B2. I spend about 3-5k a year bass    fishing, if I took up salt it would be triple that.. at least. I would need a 2nd job, then I’d have no time to fish.

B3. Even if I wanted to approach saltwater casually, which I’m not programmed to do, traveling although not actually far, would cut into my time on the water too much.. my 5 favorite bass ponds are 5-10 minutes from my house and/or job. Literally go on lunch break almost every everyday.

 

[JHoss]

9 minutes ago, rboat said:

Let me flip the script on you. Why are most all major tournaments for bass? You said yourself they are not the best fighters and you are not keeeping them. Why not national tournaments for Pike, Gar, Snakeheads, Muskies, etc.

Bass are at most times hard to figure out. They move on daily and seasonal patterns. Some school, some are loners. Some go deep, others do not. They can be found throughout the entire country. They will at times hit every lure ever made, if it fits in their mouth. ---What's not to like?

I believe the big draw is trying to solve the puzzle.

Personally, I do not like bass tournaments. I have seen first hand the damage done to some of the finest fisheries in the country, and I am not alone.

You are very close minded if you think only tournament guys should fish for bass. The entire bass fishing market would collapse without the weekend warriors. Bass boat companies would not survive if they could only sell to tournament guys. Johnny Morris, TW, and many others would go broke.

I find your question kind of silly, and when you start by saying not trying to offend anyone, whatever follows is usually offensive.

I would say there are more bass tournaments per year than other species, but it depends on your definition of major. Do you think the guys who pay $200,000 to enter a marlin tournament where the winning purse is in the millions consider 100 bass anglers paying $5,000 to enter for a chance at $100,000 major? Its all about perspective.

I think the widespread nature of bass tournaments is likely due to their geographic range being greater than just about every other species you listed. Hard to do a national snakehead trail when they inhabit 25% of the country. Where I live speckled trout tournaments are somewhat popular, but only in the fall when the bulk of the population migrates through our waters. In the summer we have flounder, drum, and cobia tournaments. None of those species are here long enough to have consistent angling opportunities or tournaments throughout the year. There aren't many species who fit the bill of being available in most of the country throughout most of the year, so bass have leg (or fin) up over most species in that regard.

But I agree the puzzle is a huge draw to those who enter tournaments, those who watch tournaments, and those who fish for fun. Figuring out the puzzle each day on the water is a close second to the competition in terms of my favorite aspects of bass fishing. 

I NEVER said that only tournament anglers should fish for bass. I never even said that there was anything lesser about being a casual angler than a tournament angler nor do I believe that. I'm not the kind of tournament angler who would encroach on someone who was fun fishing- they have just as much right to the water and the fish as I do. I'm just bored at work and curious what others find so obsessing.

It seems like the caveat that I didn't mean to offend anyone was justified considering so many people got offended by me simply wondering why they favor bass fishing over one of the other 100 species of game fish in North America. 

Some folks took time to explain that its a certain aspect of the chase, or a singular experience, or limited opportunity that makes them focus on bass... others got offended and replied in such a manner. I'm just glad to be able to have a chat about bass fishing when I should be working.

[DogBone_384]

18 minutes ago, JHoss said:

Is the return you're seeking about numbers or something else?

 

I'd say it's the monotony or lack of diversity with my salt water fishing.  I live on a peninsula south of Boston, just outside a shipping channel.  Outside the shipping channel it's flat and shallow.  I'll spend a few hours pedaling my kayak for maybe one or two schoolies if I catch the tide right.  I avoid fishing my neighborhood on weekends because of the boat/jet ski traffic. 

 

I use many techniques when fishing freshwater, which is more interesting to me.

 

[JHoss]

12 minutes ago, TheSwearingAngler said:

A. Bass are in fact the biggest/strongest fish I can easily access.

 

B. I could saltwater fish but 

B1. I’m afraid of the ocean, I grew up

          on it and faced death a few times.      

B2. I spend about 3-5k a year bass    fishing, if I took up salt it would be triple that.. at least. I would need a 2nd job, then I’d have no time to fish.

B3. Even if I wanted to approach saltwater casually, which I’m not programmed to do, traveling although not actually far, would cut into my time on the water too much.. my 5 favorite bass ponds are 5-10 minutes from my house and/or job. Literally go on lunch break almost every everyday.

 

Can't argue with a fear of the ocean keeping you from fishing saltwater. I still won't eggs to this day because of an allergic reaction and anaphylactic shock when I was 3. But now that you mention it, it is odd that the numerous brushes with death in the saltwater never had the same affect.

I get the expense side of things, but personally find myself spending way more on bass tackle than saltwater. Perhaps its simply because I bass fish more these days, but I feel confident going saltwater fishing with a tray or two of lures whereas I feel hopeless without 70 lbs of tackle for bass. 

[Gera]

4 hours ago, JHoss said:

If you don't fish bass tournaments and don't ever plan to, why do you target bass?

Because its cheaper than the psychiatrist (not by much)

 

[Jigfishn10]

31 minutes ago, JHoss said:

Not argumentative at all. It honestly sounds like your an opportunist which I get more than someone who largely dedicates themselves to one species, bass. 

To be fair, it is being an opportunist, but it's also a way to spend time with my son who has picked up the sport more seriously the last couple of years.

[Fried Lemons]

IMO taking a hobby and making it about money is the quickest way to suck all the fun out of it. 

[woolleyfooley]

Because it makes me happy.

[JHoss]

3 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

To be fair, it is being an opportunist, but it's also a way to spend time with my son who has picked up the sport more seriously the last couple of years.

Heck yeah, I get this! I fish and hunt because my dad took me when I was young and those are some of my fondest memories. I have a 4 year old daughter who has the attention span and interest to fish for about 20 minutes, but I'm so hopeful that she'll be my fishing buddy sooner or later. 

 

2 minutes ago, Fried Lemons said:

IMO taking a hobby and making it about money is the quickest way to suck all the fun out of it. 

I can see that. I imagine if I was fishing for a living, it would suck a lot of the fun out of it. You hear a lot of the pro guys talk about that. But spending $40-50 every other weekend to fish a local tournament doesn't put that kind of pressure on it. If I win, I cover my costs for the next couple events. If I lose, I'm out an hour's wage in exchange for an exciting 8 hrs on the water and hopefully a few new lessons learned. 

[Jigfishn10]

I'm really hoping that happens for you @JHoss! 🤞

[Motoboss]

First fish I ever caught 65 years ago on a cane pole. Haven’t stopped chasing them yet.

[rboat]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

I would say there are more bass tournaments per year than other species, but it depends on your definition of major. Do you think the guys who pay $200,000 to enter a marlin tournament where the winning purse is in the millions consider 100 bass anglers paying $5,000 to enter for a chance at $100,000 major? Its all about perspective.

I think the widespread nature of bass tournaments is likely due to their geographic range being greater than just about every other species you listed. Hard to do a national snakehead trail when they inhabit 25% of the country. Where I live speckled trout tournaments are somewhat popular, but only in the fall when the bulk of the population migrates through our waters. In the summer we have flounder, drum, and cobia tournaments. None of those species are here long enough to have consistent angling opportunities or tournaments throughout the year. There aren't many species who fit the bill of being available in most of the country throughout most of the year, so bass have leg (or fin) up over most species in that regard.

But I agree the puzzle is a huge draw to those who enter tournaments, those who watch tournaments, and those who fish for fun. Figuring out the puzzle each day on the water is a close second to the competition in terms of my favorite aspects of bass fishing. 

I NEVER said that only tournament anglers should fish for bass. I never even said that there was anything lesser about being a casual angler than a tournament angler nor do I believe that. I'm not the kind of tournament angler who would encroach on someone who was fun fishing- they have just as much right to the water and the fish as I do. I'm just bored at work and curious what others find so obsessing.

It seems like the caveat that I didn't mean to offend anyone was justified considering so many people got offended by me simply wondering why they favor bass fishing over one of the other 100 species of game fish in North America. 

Some folks took time to explain that its a certain aspect of the chase, or a singular experience, or limited opportunity that makes them focus on bass... others got offended and replied in such a manner. I'm just glad to be able to have a chat about bass fishing when I should be working.

I get being bored at work, done that myself. You can't really compare saltwater tournaments to bass, totally different animal in my opinion. Sorry if I  came across defensive, but bass fishing is my big thing. I have fished for other species, but it does not have the same appeal. When you ask a question like that on the best bass fishing forum ever, you will get some hard core answers. Especially when these guys spend most of their disposable income on this hobby. There are some really good sticks everywhere who do not fish tournaments, but could clean up quit well I believe.

It looks like you have gotten some really good and varied answers, and that's what this space is all about. Tight Lines.

[Swamp Girl]

15 hours ago, rboat said:

I find your question kind of silly, and when you start by saying not trying to offend anyone, whatever follows is usually offensive.

 

I disagree. I like the question and didn't find it a whit of a bit offensive. 

 

And I like how @JHoss has fielded the wide range of responses with calm and grace.

 

I wrote an essay a couple years ago for Gray's Sporting Journal called "Why Trout?" I won't write an essay for "Why Bass?" but I will outline why:

 

They are the nearest, biggest fish.

 

Sure, there are stripers and other saltwater fish near me, but like @padlin, I am a canoeist as much as an angler and only a fool would paddle the North Atlantic here, as the Gulf of Maine has tides that could take me to my cold, pathetic death. 

 

As others have noted, they're shifty fish...literally. I caught them under bushes this year, beneath shadowing trees, from open water wolf packs, in reeds, out of lily pads, in the deepest and shallowest water, in little and larger rivers, and on and on. They hang in so many different places that it feels like you're fishing for different species. Viva la difference!

 

Speaking of difference, their shapes and colors change. See below. So, when you look into the net, you're seeing so many different colors and shapes.

 

They love surface lures and so do I.

 

They jump!

 

I like to cast. If I fished for landlocked salmon or lake trout, I wouldn't be casting.

 

My two best skills are paddling and casting. I'm a consistent bass catcher because these two skills catch bass.

 

See how the colors and shapes change? The first is Ann Margaret chesty. The second is Cro-magnon. The third is a streamlined black beauty. The last is big-headed, which is why it's big-bodied. That big head can swallow pert near everything!

 

 

 

 

14 hours ago, JHoss said:

I have a 4 year old daughter who has the attention span and interest to fish for about 20 minutes, but I'm so hopeful that she'll be my fishing buddy sooner or later. 

 

You had me at taking your daughter fishing. 20 minutes is pretty good for a 4-year old, btw, and child development is my wheelhouse.