Fishing Superstitions

[TheBaitMonkey]

I’ll ditto the fish on a first cast is bad luck so I always start with a tiny pitch, about 10 ft, then reel in like hell to not catch anything.

 

My other superstition is getting the net wet immediately upon leaving the ramp. Gotta do it.

 

I feel like superstitions in fishing came natural from playing baseball all my life, where touching the chalk line between innings was a mortal sin

[Smokinal]

7 minutes ago, TheBaitMonkey said:

 

I feel like superstitions in fishing came natural from playing baseball all my life, where touching the chalk line between innings was a mortal sin

Baseball players gotta have the most OCD rituals of any sport! 😂🤣

Just watch Nomar

[IYAOYAS]

9 hours ago, Mobasser said:

The wind.                                                           " Wind from the east, the fish bite the least. Wind from the west, the fishings the best. Wind from the south, blows the hook into the fishes mouth".          Heard this as kid. Thought it was dumb back then, and still do. I'm not a superstitious person.

For me it was always

 

"Wind from the west they bite the best, wind from the east they bite the least"

[king fisher]

My two are not really superstitions because I do believe them to be universal facts.

 

1.  The more expensive a lure is the quicker it will be lost.

2.  Toilet paper will only be needed if it is not on the boat.

[padlin]

18 hours ago, Pat Brown said:

Okay okay - to be fair I'm a solunar guy.  I'm a moon dude.  I believe in moon stuff.  Is that superstitious or scientific?  Who knows?  😎

This is the only thing I can think of, I consider it science, more followed in striper fishing then bass when tied in with the tide.

[Pat Brown]

14 minutes ago, padlin said:

This is the only thing I can think of, I consider it science, more followed in striper fishing then bass when tied in with the tide.

 

 

Bass eat:  Herring/Gizzard Shad/Threadfin Shad/Perch/Sunfish/Crappie/Shiners/crayfish/mayflies/worms/water bugs/frogs/tadpoles/carp/catfish and all other manner of things that seem to be pretty well in tune to the position of the moon and how dark or bright it is.  Big bass like to be efficient.  Big bass like lots of food in one place that has no choice but to stay put.

 

One might say I'm a LUNA-tic seeing as how my superstition has resulted in fairly close to all of my exceptional fish including this 9 lb 14 oz fish that I caught last week - 2 days before a full moon in March.  (I'm a firm believer in the days leading up to full and new moons *generally* being the big key days to hit em hard and of course the solunar peaks 😉😉😉)

 

 

I'm a Moon Guy.  🌑🌒🌓🌔🌕🌖🌗🌘🌑

 

 

[IYAOYAS]

I have a buddy who NEVER brings the soft plastics he needs to fish with as my co-angler. I am always giving him flukes or worms or whatever. Last year I took a shiny new bag of flukes and cut up a banana into slices and put about 3 slices of fresh banana in the bag with the flukes(You know for scent) My buddy got the bag from me it was dark. After the sun comes up we are fishing and I hear "YOU SON OF A BISCUIT EATER! IS THAT screwing BANANAS IN THESE FLUKES?" I confirmed his nightmare and he didn't catch a fish the rest of the day BUT he NEVER EVER asked me for plastics again.

[JHoss]

I wouldn't say I'm superstitious, but I'm definitely a little stitious. (bonus points to anyone who gets the reference) 

 

I'll definitely keep wearing a piece of clothing that gets some luck on it- usually without washing it between trips. It's much preferred when it's a hat than underwear. There was one rec league softball season in college where I found "lucky socks" in the first game, so of course, I couldn't wash them all season while I was on that streak. Wound up batting .800 for the year but those socks could stand up on their own by the halfway point. Guess I'd have to agree with @TheBaitMonkey about ball players being overly superstitious. 

 

On the same note, I'll repeat a meal or something if I have an epic day "because" of it. 

 

I believe in the one where you won't catch another fish all day if you catch one on the first cast. Fortunately, I cast a lot and don't catch many fish so the odds are in my favor here. 

 

No bananas on my boat. I won't even tolerate Banana Boat sunscreen. 

 

On a really slow day, cracking a beer is like ringing the dinner bell for the fish. 

 

I'm sure there's many more. 

[greentrout]

Believe there is science that a falling barometer is good news for bass fishing and I'll take West and South winds everyday over the other two. Lunar forecasts work, too. 

Good Fishing 

 

 

[Jar11591]

1 hour ago, JHoss said:

I wouldn't say I'm superstitious, but I'm definitely a little stitious.

[Steveo-1969]

17 hours ago, hunterPRO1 said:

50-dollar bills lead to disaster

Whew! Thank goodness I’ll never have to worry about this one! 😁

 

Count me in the “lucky fishing hat” crowd.

[TOXIC]

On 3/16/2025 at 7:50 AM, Mike L said:

There are so many I heard over the years.

Some are just silly while others…..

 

*If bringing a woman on board she must always start fishing from the bow

*Throwing a penny in the water before the first cast will bring good luck

*Fish on the first cast, you won’t catch another 

*If you see a cow eating on shore the fish will also

*If you see a cow laying down fish won’t bite 

*Fish will start biting if you relieve yourself over the side 

*A bass won’t hit a frog if the sun rises above the top of a tree line 

*Never fill the live well before you catch a fish

* 80/20 Rule..20% of the water holds 80% of the fish

*Absolutely positively no bananas!!

 

Mine..

Always the same hat 

Fish on the first cast thing..

(I always just toss my bait in the water first, then bring it up and go)

And of course NO bananas 

 

 

 

 

Mike

Get outta my head! 😂. The only thing I would add is never fill the livewells or take the net out before you catch a fish. My old tournament partner had a hilarious one.  He would drive to my house and we would ride to the lake together and he had to stop at the same gas station EVERY time and destroy the bathroom. 😂🤣