What determines what you do most?

[bobo]

This is mostly about personal awareness, preference. Not exactly what's best. But still would love to hear the pros and cons of each of yours and maybe why we should or shouldn't let one thing be such a factor.  I know everything plays a role, which do you think affects you the most? Or what do you think of first before anything else?

For me, I think it's wind. I think wind plays more of a role than anything when it comes how, where and what I fish with. Since I mainly fish plastic worms, I think maybe letting wind dictate alot of what I do isn't so bad. Though, there have been many times which I couldn't do exactly what I wanted because of the wind. And I would prefer, there was never any wind so I could work or present the lure exactly like I wanted....  But the fact is, sometimes it's gonna be windy, so I try to use it to my best advantage.

I do prefer to throw into the wind so it's easier to keep contact with my lure. But for all the determining factors, is seems for me, it's always, wind + whatever? It's the first thing I consider no matter what...

[basspro48]

The first thing I look at is the water temperature. I believe the water temp will dictate where the fish are located, at what depth they are located, and the mood the fish will be in. And I try to adjust and adapt to different water conditions, although sometimes it doesnt exactly work out the way I planned

[roadwarrior]

1. Current

2. Structure

3. Water temperature

4.  Water clarity

5. Depth/ relative depth

6.  Time of year (season)

7.  Predominate baitfish

8.  Weather: fronts, wind, amount of light

9. Targeted species/ alternatives

10. Who I am with, how we generally fish together (live bait vs. artificial)

[Peter E.]

The FLP Formula.

F+L+P=Success

F-Fish: I take what I know about the fish, and how the water temp., barometric pressure, light conditions, water clarity, and time of year affect their behavior.

L-Location: I take how the location I am fishing is affected by, current, shelter from sunlight and wind, depth and structure. And the forage found most easily in that area.

P-Presentation: I take what I know about the fish and the location and determine what presentation will best fit the situation. Not just one presentation, but at least three, so that I am most easily able to target all of the fish in the water collumn, and the most fish with each level of activity.

Now I know that doesn't seem like just one thing but it is, the FLP formula. When you start to apply it with every situation you are faced with it becomes second nature.

F+L+P=Success

Peter

[bobo]

roadwarrior (list of 10???) heh, cool i guess Since you listed current first, i'm hoping that is the thing you notice about yourself that seems to hit you first.....  My dad sees it like that also. He wants to feel the current, and i'm like huh, I don't feel it! Think even when we fish the bank, he wants to at a part that's getting current or pretty close.... He's always wanting to be near current.

Peter, no big deal if there is no one thing for you personally that stands out..... just something that develops over time, not something you choose to notice first, but realize one day it's the dominating factor in your style of fishing? Not sure if I asked it right.... I guess your response meant, no, there is not a 1 single thing that steers my style.

And no, you can't list a bunch of things and call it one heh

[roadwarrior]

I guess I misread your question if you were looking for only one answer or "The Most Important".

But it's not one "thing", it's a combination of elements that effect fishing."Current" on a sterile bank means nothing. It is never just one factor that determines when or where fish will strike.  

[Zel]

I agree with bobo, wind blows!

[Peter E.]

I agree with Road Warrior, there is no one thing. To me the FLP formula is that  one thing, it is hat I judge my conditions and fishing presentation by. Like RoadWarrior said there is no one condition for every setting, it is a combination of factors, and the FLP formula is what helps me judge that combination of factors. No i got the question, i wanted to show how I used one method to understand all of the factors I am faced with. And once you understand and begin to apply the FLP it becomes second nature, just like judgeing the wind, or the current, or even the structure around you.  With the FLP all of that comes into play. The boys at In-Fisherman had a dynamite idea when the gave fisherman this formula to fish by.

PETER

[bobo]

Maybe I'm not asking it right road heh. I think I should have worded it, What "most" determines what you do, instead of how I put it.

Like for instance, I can't tell ya how much I take into consider when I go fishing, temp, depth, basically everything, but I don't start considering everything else till I figure out exactly what the wind is doing.

basspro seems to get what i'm asking, he goes temp, and then basically everything else he feels is dictated by temp. Not that temp or wind or anything else is the main thing, just something you seem to always look at first, to get your a sense. May not even factor at all in the fish you catch... see what i'm asking?

edit, for peter. yah i understand there is no on thing that catches fish, I realize people use a formula of anykind, whether is be flp or whatever. It's not about all the things you look at, it's about if you feel like there is one thing that comes first personally.

[senko_77]

the two things that i take into consideration immediatly is sky and wind.  i dont care about the temp, water clarity, etc.  that is the most important thing to me.  if it is bluebird skies with no wind, i know that i have to fish a soft plastic.  becasuse those fish arent lookin up.  if its cloudy and windy, they will suspend or come up shallow

[Nick_Barr]

I agree with Senko on the Sky additions, But I also  Pay close attention to Water Temp. Because in WA a 2 degree difference can really get you on some active fish.     Also adding on to Senko77, when it is cloudy I fish faster and cover more water, and when it is sunny I fish a tad slower and focus a little more on subtle structure.

[RoLo]

I believe that the single-most critical element is "Water Temperature TREND",

even more important than the current temperature level. In my opinion, temperature trends

(up, down or sideways) exert the greatest influence on the disposition of cold-blooded animals.

With regard to fishing, I feel that the current temperature trend plays a key role

in the "depth" and "speed" of lure presentation.

Granted, there's a Whole Lot More, but I'm adhering to the confines of your question.

Roger

[Captain Cali]

For me it's the body of water. What I mean is if I'm on a body of water which is known for having big bass, I'm don't mess around trying to catch the little guys. That is a waste of my time. But when I'm on a lake not known for big bass it's usually a waste of my time throwing the bigger stuff. So I adjust my mindset and what baits I'm going to throw accordingly. I then look at everything else like water temp & clarity, wind, sky, night or day, etc.  

[Raul]

I start with the water temperature.

[Peter E.]

OK bobo here it is the one thing that is the first factor that goes through my head: Sunlight and it's diretion. Senko77 put it that if there is a blue bird sky and so on that he knows to go with a vertical presentation. The amount of sunlight determines the strike zone of the fish. But like i said the whole FLP formula is second nature so, I guess I just end up thinking like the fish  . RoLo had a killer point in how the temp trend affected the fish, but if i go to a new boody of water and i am not up on that sort of thing i go on the sunlight factor.

Peter

[Raul]

The more you dig into it the more complicates it becomes, in a multifactorial situation where several elements interact with each other and when one affects with the others you really can 't say THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. But since we were only given the choice of selecting one........ :

[bobo]

yah, I know. But I think we all have sometihng we look for. Kinda like everyone knows how complicated a day in life can be, some us get up and put our pants on, some get drink a cup of coffee, some use the bathroom. And after awhile it gets to more of habit than importance of how we do it. I was trying to stay away from best, important, but more of personally important.

Like my cousin, he is going to some kind of big structure first, no matter what anything else is doing...

[Peter E.]

The more you dig into it the more complicates it becomes, in a multifactorial situation where several elements interact with each other and when one affects with the others you really can 't say THIS IS THE MOST IMPORTANT. But since we were only given the choice of selecting one........ :

Ditto!

[Raul]

Well Bobo if : some us get up and put our pants on, some get drink a cup of coffee, some use the bathroom is what you meant when you asked the first thing I do when I get at the lake and steping out of the vehicle I just stand there and take a good look at the whole scenario......... most of the guys will understand what I mean.  

[Guest avid]

My answer is really simple.  

It all depends on the mood I'm in.

Seriously.  My secondary goal on the water can vary.  Sometimes it will be to catch alot of fish, sometimes to catch a biggun, sometimes to catch em on a new lure or presentation etc.

But my primary goal is always the same.  

I want to have an enjoyable day.

[bobo]

I didn't want to get that detailed though, tried to make it plain, and relate to fishing So, when you look at the whole scenario, what grabs your eye first, or what are you looking at first , heh ..... tough crowd here....

Kinda surprised about the water temp responses. May try to start to factor it sooner in my mind for awhile and see if helps.

[CJ]

                                                            SEASON

[Raul]

Kinda surprised about the water temp responses.

That 's because you are a mammalian with a relatively constant body temperature thoughout not only the day but through your entire life, it 's cold oustide, no problem your body temperature will remain the same you just burn fat and begin to shiver to warm up; it 's hot outside no problem either, you sweat and your body temperature will remain the same.

For us it 's easy, for them it is not, their body temperature and consequently their methabolism depends on the temperature of their surroundings. Water temperature is a critical point, that will tell you if you can expect the fish to be active or not to start with.

In order to be consistent you need to know your prey.

[j-bass]

Whenever I can get my girlfreind off my back usually works.

[bobo]

Thanks Raul dang good explanation! But it wasn't my reason heh And yup knowledge is king.

I tried to make the question a no wrong answer question, but one way or the other question.....as far as, are you aware if there is something you key on on first, or do you generally key in on different things first each time ya go.... It wasn't about constraints, either you're aware, not aware of it, or have no key thing lol

heh guess i'll give up on trying to clarify this question and just go back to lurker status, some of the responses were real good though, but i'm not positive they understood what i was asking, and i'm sure some didn't get what i asked at all, sorry thanks anyway though.

p.s. debating hitting the lake in the morning, just realized, would be the first time in probably 5 years i've went out on the boat alone, think i'll do it!