Whose type of fishing might be hardest for you?

[Swamp Girl]

You all know I fish from canoes and I consider my paddling skills to be as important to my success as my fishing skills, which makes for a very different type of fishing than bass boat fishing with FFS or tournament fishing with competitors within sight or bank fishing in pressured ponds or river fishing for smallies and on and on. So, think of one of the Bass Resource guys and where and how they fish. If you were dropped into someone's shoes, whose shoes would be the hardest to fill?

 

I pick three:

 

@Pat Brown: Fishing city ponds from the shore means casting to bass that have seen lures beyond counting. Savvy bass. Wary bass. And yet he catches DDs. I couldn't.

 

@AlabamaSpothunter: Alex also fishes pounded water. It also has developed shorelines. I see house/house/house/condo/apartments/house/etc. on the shores of the lake he fishes. Still, like Pat, he catches big bass after big bass. Again, I couldn't.

 

@WRB: I've read about Castaic when Tom caught his 17, 18, and 19-pound bass. Rising in the dark to wait in line with others watching you with binoculars. I'd buckle from the pressure within the first hour. 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Why thank you Katie, and right back at you!

 

I've always been amazed at the number of calories that must be burnt fishing your style.    Everything you do is human powered, which just illustrates how much you truly love Bass fishing.    

 

I also think anglers who live in the middle of this country like the Midwest have the most difficult fishing in the country.   You gotta really love Bass fishing to fish in those states.   It's easy being a Bass angler in the South.  

[A-Jay]

Probably have to be the way @Zcoker fishes the everglades at night.

From a kayak no less. 

Just the polar opposite of what I'm usually doing at the top of the country.

Plenty of giants to his credit too ~ Impressive. 

I'd get lost for several days & nights or be eaten by something bigger than me,

I'm pretty sure. 

 

A-Jay

[king fisher]

I would have to say A-Jay, because I wouldn't be able to find Lake Menderchuck.

[IcatchDinks]

Anyone one of you guys who launch and fish from proper bass boats. I discovered that while I'm an old hand with paddles or oars, trying to steer with an outboard has me literally going in circles. 

[Kirtley Howe]

Katie  for me at my age, the way you fish would be the most difficult due to physical limitations. However, a few years ago that would have been my favorite way though I doubt I would have ever reached your success level.

From a technical standpoint, A-Jays way would be the most challenging for me. His ability to find and catch the "big 'uns" is truly amazing.

[Columbia Craw]

Yours. Unless you wear an 11 wide.

[Glaucus]

Deep clear water SMB fishing. Those lakes just look like an endless empty ocean to me and I wouldn't know where to begin. I fish rivers/streams for SMB. But primarily I fish the nasty stuff for LMB.

[Jar11591]

Anybody who fishes primarily muddy water. I’m much more confident fishing ultra clear water. 

[MIbassyaker]

Every smallmouth I catch from still water (e.g., a lake) seems like an accident.  On rivers I mostly know what I'm doing for SMB.   On lakes, I'm pretty confident about largemouth, as long as they are in there.  But smallmouth in lakes -- both manmade and natural-- elude me persistently. 

[GRiver]

I would have a hard time filling somebody’s shoes that fish open water. I mean with all the area, then to just start chucking a jerk bait or crank bait. Some of the pics with @A-Jay holding fish with open water in the back ground, I wouldn’t even know where to start.  

[Pat Brown]

Let me just preface this by making it abundantly clear that I'd be bad at doing anything that isn't my thing.  Okay.  Now that we have gotten that key piece of wisdom taken care of - the fun part of the thread!

 

@Swamp Girl back at you!  I wouldn't know what to do with myself trying to find an off the grid backwoods bog by myself dragging canoes around in the dark.  You're a unique and truly passionate angler and you're proof that Maine has lots of big bass lurking in the backwaters - if you're brave enough to look.

 

@A-Jay I am deeply envious of your deal.  You seem to really be in tune with the water and the fish you chase and you do it all in a manner that feels like it might as well be from Mars or Jupiter.  Fishing a heavy bladed jig deep for 7+ lb smallmouth?  Weighted Jerkbaits in super deep clear water in perch patterns?  Yo yoing giant lipless baits tiny bits off the bottom for huge bronze bass?  Yeah you're on a another level and I wouldn't know where to even start with your fish OR your waters so hats off.

 

@WRB I fish stained shallow reservoirs with gizzard shad and crappie mostly being the preferred food of the LMB and the big ones are usually found in ~0-3 ft of water most of the year.  I am in awe of the California clear water bass fisherman who hunt trout and crayfish eaters in deep rocky waters.  Toms techniques are so different from what I consider my bag of tricks and I'm always wondering what would happen if I try Toms deal on my fish and then I remember - his deal - his fish.  I wouldn't know where to start out west and Tom is one of the greatest to ever do it out there!

[Lottabass]

@Swamp Girl  I would pick the same as you.  If there are people around or if it seems like I'm fishing in the city I'm not having any fun.  I'm blessed to have lakes to fish where all you hear are the birds singing and cows bawling in the distance.

[Skunkmaster-k]

Glenn . For me, fishing on camera would be uncomfortable. He makes it look easy. I love you Glenn. 

[Swamp Girl]

  On 3/27/2025 at 1:26 PM, Skunkmaster-k said:

Glenn . For me, fishing on camera would be uncomfortable. He makes it look easy. I love you Glenn. 

Expand  

 

All his screen magic originates in his mustache. 

[Susky River Rat]

I would have to say @Bluebasser86 being competitive on big lakes in kayak tournaments is mind blowing. 

[Swamp Girl]

  On 3/27/2025 at 3:05 PM, Susky River Rat said:

I would have to say @Bluebasser86 being competitive on big lakes in kayak tournaments is mind blowing. 

Expand  

 

No doubt. Do I think I could launch my canoe in Texas and proceed to catch seven and eight-pounders? 

 

 

Clayton has more tricks up his sleeves than a children's magician. 

[BrianMDTX]

I’m going to make it easy and just say “anyone who fishes when it’s below 45°”. As much as I hunted in sub-freezing weather, I loathe being bundled up against the cold, on the water, trying to cast accurately. Hell, just staying warm lol. 
 

For you guys and gals that brave iced-up guides, bless you. That ain’t me! 🫣

[TnRiver46]

Randy blaukat, no way I could be that negative every day. I ain’t got it in me to fill those shoes

[Darth-Baiter]

That guy that lives in AZ. 

[Skunkmaster-k]

  On 3/27/2025 at 1:46 PM, Swamp Girl said:

 

All his screen magic originates in his mustache. 

Expand  

He does have a trustworthy mustache. 

[TnRiver46]

You beat me to it!!!

[Bankbeater]

Anyone that fishes out of a kayak.   I'd capsize the second I stepped on board.

[papajoe222]

  On 3/27/2025 at 1:28 AM, Swamp Girl said:

 So, think of one of the Bass Resource guys and where and how they fish. If you were dropped into someone's shoes, whose shoes would be the hardest to fill?

Expand  

If you were only asking about filling their shoes, I'd say Glenn. To take an idea and not only turn it into a site like this, but to maintain it and come up with ways to make it better, I don't have those kind of smarts. 

As far as fishing goes, there are a couple of old time members that come to mind, but anyone that not only has knowledge and experience, but the ability to apply it day after day. I have to work at remembering lessons learned, let alone applying them.

[Mike L]

When I won the BFL Florida State Div Championship the regional competition was held at Lake Lanier. 
For 2 days we fished 20ft from a shear rock wall sitting in 60 fow bouncing jigs down its face and drop shotting. 
 

I was completely out of my element and couldn’t wait to head south 

 

 

 

 

 

Mike