Are really becoming a better fisherman....

[kbj3579]

O.K. guys heres the question.  

Are you really becoming a better fisherman or should I say are you a really good fisherman if you fish the same lake and you put out brush piles on that lake?  Could someone that fishes that lake all the time and catches 5 five fish limit weighing 20+ lbs. go to other lakes and compete in tournaments, when they don't have their baited brush piles?  

As you probably can tell from the way I worded the questions, I don't feel that you are becoming a better OVERALL angler by, what I consider baiting fish.  Now don't get me wrong, I know you still have to catch the fish even if you know where they are and that's not easy.  I understand that.  I guess it's just a question I've been mulling over in my head and would love to get your all's opinion.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Sounds like a bunch of questions in one.

I fish the same lake primarily now and yes I know where all the humps and bumps are even though I didn't put them there but the question is can I find them in another lake.

COuld I adapt to other waters?

Can I notice the water clarity, forage base and weather conditions?

Personally I can buit not till I fished lots of other places.  Fishing one lake is a great place to start because you have a control to compare to.  You can notice changes in the lake and adapt.  But once you have that lake down, go find another one and do the same.

[Shad_Master]

I have fished as a non-boater for my club tournaments for three years now and that has probably helped me become a better fisherman, because I have to adapt not only to the lake (most of which I did not know when I started) but also to fishing a style that may not be my natural way to fish.

However, I do have a "test pond" where I try out different lures and techniques.  I know I can catch fish there so I concentrate on how they can be caught so that when I am in a situation that is similar I have confidence in what I am doing.

I think I'm becomming a better fisherman (if fact I know I am), but it is a combination of things that I am doing that makes the difference.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

yea, that's what I meant!!

[roadwarrior]

I'll answer in two parts:

I. Like Shad_Master, I fish a test pond, or in fact several similar ponds. My main body of big water is the Tennessee River. What the ponds have allowed me to do is develope my skills using every technique I'm aware of and consistantly catch fish. On the big water I know where to fish and really don't use any new techniques but have, at least to some degree, perfected my big fish technique.

II. On the otherhand, according to Rick Clunn and many members of this forum, the real test of becoming a better fisherman is not only technique, but more importantly, the ability to find fish. I readily admit this is a failing in my bass fishing.

When I'm put on fish, I usually catch 'em. Sometimes with whatever the guide or my buddies suggest, but often using lures they might not be familiar with or confident in. At some point this year I have caught bass on every category of lure, including jigs which I'm still working hard on. But that isn't what I'm trying to address.

I have read virtually every article in the BassResource library, most threads and follow-up posts, many books and a host of magazines to become a better fisherman. There are occasions when I am able to pick locations on big water that prove fruitful, but I'm not sure how much of that is luck or how much is a function of what I have learned. If this is where we seperate the men from the boys, I don't feel like I cut the mustard.

So, maybe in some respects I have become a better fisherman. Certainly from a technical standpoint I am more proficient and aware. But finding the fish is still the challenge and I think it is for everyone, including Rick Clunn.

[playmaker47]

i like roadwarrior use ponds to practice things i dont use much or havent used before.

on most lakes, even if you dont have brush piles planted, just using your fishing knowledge you should be able to find fish. depending on the season and weather you should know where they might be. example would be now in the late summer. fish will be on main lake points and secondary points in coves. you dont need to have brushpiles like that to find fish.

also even if you do have piles planted your fishing skills can still get better, because you can improve your catching skills instead of your fish finding skills. you can master different techniques and lures and that improves you being a fisherman

[kbj3579]

playmaker I agree with you.  I don't have the brush piles planted, and I know I have become a better fisherman, especially this year.  That is my point, I don't have those special places that I can go to and catch fish,  I try and find the patterns.  But don't you think that fishing on one lake all the time (and I am talking about tournaments) and you have brush piles out that gives you a huge advantage that you wouldn't have on another lake?  

[DDbasser]

I know guys like that. They have brush piles all over the one lake that they fish all the time. And they are hard to beat on that lake, but when they go to other lakes, which isn't very often, I don't see their names on the leader board.

I don't place brush piles and I try to fish a different lake every weekend I haven't started fishing tournaments yet.

I haven't had time with the hours I've been working, but the overtime is going to slow down after this month so this fall I'm going to fish several tournaments.