Will people ever learn ???

[Fish Chris]

Okay now, before I get onto this rant, let me just say, I fully understand that most people are not as fanatically whacked out over fish photos, fish weights, and just big fish in general, as I am (although I suspect that the average guy reading this, is a lot more fish headed, than just the average guy you might see walking down the street......)

Anyway, newbies can use the excuse.... "Well I just didn't know.... I just never really thought about.... I just didn't expect..... But then it happened ! I caught this monsterous fish, but I couldn't find anyone with a camera or a scale" !

But here's the ones that really kill me;

I even have a good long time fishing buddy who doesn't carry a camera, or a scale ! His excuse ??? "Well, I'm a touney guy... So I never catch big fish anyway" ! What ?!?! I don't care who you are ! If you are putting a line in the water ANYTHING is possible ! My buddy could stick the next WRB !!! Heck, he might catch the first Blue Marlin out of Lk. Berryessa ! Well.... you get my point :-)

Okay, so what spurred this post ? I have a good bass fishing aquaintence who, although he is mostly a tournament guy, has actually stuck a couple double digit bass in the past, at least one of which, I have posted on my site..... because he was "finally able to track somebody down with a camera and a scale". So now, several years later you might think the guy had learned his lesson, huh ?

Wrong ! I just found out that the guy caught an "estimated" 14 to 15 lb'er last week from the Ca Delta, "BUT HE HAD NO CAMERA OR SCALE" !!!! Doh !!!! Their is this one alternative song by the Basement Jacks, that immediately comes to mind..... "Where's your head at" ?!?!  

Now one could say, "Yea.... well maybe he just doesn't care about big fish as much as you do"..... Okay. They could say that, but the guy has spent 40K on a high per bass boat. He fishes quite a darn bit. And he was pretty darn stoked about the 10 and change bass, he sent me the photo of, a few years ago..... So what's his excuse ?

I just don't get it.

Be prepared with a camera and scale AT ALL TIMES, and if you are not, don't cry to us later. That, and understand that their are a lot of BS'ers out there. So when you tell someone, "I got a big one, but I didn't have a camera or scale", you need to understand why they will often just roll there eyes and have this "whatever" type of attitude. Show these same people a good photo, and watch them get all googly eyed ! In fact, that's almost a game for me; I like to tell people about a few big fish first (and they are like, "Yea, yea... whatever". Then tell them, oh BTW, I have these photos..... And suddenly they are flat flipping the heck out ! :-) LOL It's like a Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde thing :-)

Anyway.... I said it was going to be a rant, right ? So you can't say I didn't warn ya' ! :-)

Peace,

Fish

....oh, and did I mention, it's a good thing to be prepared at all times ? :-)

[WhiteMike1018]

Yeh i agree fish, I always bring the camera on the boat with me at all times. My dad swares it "jinxes" the fish and sometimes when we dont bring the camera we have better days lol. But its just a joke really.

As far as a scale i need to perchase one soon. Christmas is coming around the corner so maybe ill just wait for that.   Anyway good post and good point. Keep catchen them pigs.  -WM

[bassrogue]

I agree as well. I am a newbe to the sport of bass fishing. So I never expected to reel in anything close to 10lbs.

For those that saw my post; My BP!!!, I did just that! But I will never know how close to 10lbs it was. So the Weight calculator

says 9.2, I couldn't weight it myself so I don't know.

Well after that experience I now see why a scale is just as important as any other piece of tackle. (That is unless you fish by yourself,

don't care, or will never tell anyone what you have done. But hey it is a sport so we do tell. ;D ) After my experience and reading your

posts, the next payday rolled around and, hey! hey! new scales!

I can't wait to weight that hawg next time I catch her  

[Fish Chris]

And hey Bassrogue, like I said, it's an excusable thing for a guy who is new to the sport, but for guys who fish pretty hard-core for years and years, then one day they stick a monster... no camera, no scale, and then whine about it.......... Their is just no part of that which makes since to me.

Peace,

Fish

[cart7t]

......

Now one could say, "Yea.... well maybe he just doesn't care about big fish as much as you do"..... Okay. They could say that, but the guy has spent 40K on a high per bass boat. He fishes quite a darn bit. And he was pretty darn stoked about the 10 and change bass, he sent me the photo of, a few years ago..... So what's his excuse ?

I just don't get it.

........

So when you tell someone, "I got a big one, but I didn't have a camera or scale", you need to understand why they will often just roll there eyes and have this "whatever" type of attitude. Show these same people a good photo, and watch them get all googly eyed ! In fact, that's almost a game for me; I like to tell people about a few big fish first (and they are like, "Yea, yea... whatever". Then tell them, oh BTW, I have these photos..... And suddenly they are flat flipping the heck out !

Maybe he doesn't have the same kind of personal need to show off what he's caught like you do.

Maybe he's quite content with himself in this regard.  I've caught quite a few big fish over the years, I used to make a more concerted effort to have a scale and camera around to capture the moment. I've got a couple of those Photo collage frames with quite a few pictures from over the years but the last 10 years it has become less of a need. Heck, sometimes I've had a camera in the boat and never bothered to get it out. That includes my PB a couple years ago of over 8lbs.  

I know what I've caught.  A few skeptics that have come along and fished with me and then seen me catch a large fish right in front of them figured out I wasn't full of BS.  I imagine he's quite comfortable with himself in his bass fishing.  BTW, I don't see in your post anything about him whining about this fish he caught and not having a camera or scale, I do hear you whining about the fact that he had no scale or camera to Prove to you that he caught it though.  

[Guest avid]

I have always carried a scale, going back to the zebco de-liar.

But as for cameras, not untill recently. If it weren't for the camera cell phone, and BassResource.com I probably still wouldn't carry one.

Over the years I have fished with a number of guys like Keithscatch and others, who are really into taking photo's and video's.  I respect the fact that this adds to the enjoyment for them and pitch in out of fellowship but It' not really my thing.

I think it goes back to when cam corders were really catching on....80"s i guess.

Anyway I was at this party having a romantic dance with my wife. There was a video camera standing in the corner recording the party. No biggie, untill this drunken moron, shoves me out of the way because another friend who just got back with his wife was dancing and I was "blocking" the camera from videoing this event.

I thought about that, and realized that "living" an experience, and "videoing" an experience, are two entirelly differnet experiences. In Science this is called the "observer effect" and means

(wikpedia) "the observer effect refers to changes that the act of observing has on the phenomenon being observed."

To oversimply and applythis concept  to bass fishing means basically, that videoing a person fishing for bass changes to some subtle degree how the person "actually" fishes for bass. The phenonema of being photgraphed and "observed" changes the way the act is performed when the subject is not under observation.

It is one reason I often fish alone. I want to fish. The other of course is that it is very hard for men to fish together without it becoming competitive. Posts of recreational outings often contain "scores" > I caught 5 nice basss, my partner got skunked> This turns the act of fishing into a game or sport that implies a "winner" and a "loser'. I just want to fish. Women are somehow wired differently. Notice how even professional women bassers talk about the sport. It is a "we" thing instead of a "me" thing.

Wow, Did I go

Sorry for the rambling discourse fishChris. I sincerely apologize. You are talking about "after the fact" photo's to secure a record, quiet doubters, or to fill a personal scrapbook.

You make an excellent point. I'm sure that your friend is still kicking himself.

avid

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

......

Now one could say, "Yea.... well maybe he just doesn't care about big fish as much as you do"..... Okay. They could say that, but the guy has spent 40K on a high per bass boat. He fishes quite a darn bit. And he was pretty darn stoked about the 10 and change bass, he sent me the photo of, a few years ago..... So what's his excuse ?

I just don't get it.

........

So when you tell someone, "I got a big one, but I didn't have a camera or scale", you need to understand why they will often just roll there eyes and have this "whatever" type of attitude. Show these same people a good photo, and watch them get all googly eyed ! In fact, that's almost a game for me; I like to tell people about a few big fish first (and they are like, "Yea, yea... whatever". Then tell them, oh BTW, I have these photos..... And suddenly they are flat flipping the heck out !

Maybe he doesn't have the same kind of personal need to show off what he's caught like you do.

Maybe he's quite content with himself in this regard. I've caught quite a few big fish over the years, I used to make a more concerted effort to have a scale and camera around to capture the moment. I've got a couple of those Photo collage frames with quite a few pictures from over the years but the last 10 years it has become less of a need. Heck, sometimes I've had a camera in the boat and never bothered to get it out. That includes my PB a couple years ago of over 8lbs.

I know what I've caught. A few skeptics that have come along and fished with me and then seen me catch a large fish right in front of them figured out I wasn't full of BS. I imagine he's quite comfortable with himself in his bass fishing. BTW, I don't see in your post anything about him whining about this fish he caught and not having a camera or scale, I do hear you whining about the fact that he had no scale or camera to Prove to you that he caught it though.

That's all fine and good if you fish for your own satisfaction but FC's friend isn't.  Whinning that he isn't believed,etc.  No camera, no argument.  Not worth it.

Also--Batteries!!!! as you all know, I have the camera with me always.  My biggest fish this summer, I have but one short, dark clip of it.  Why?  Didn't check the batts and didn't have extras on board.  Will never happen again.

[cart7t]

Is the guy whining that he didn't have a camera or scale to capture the moment for himself or to provide proof for the skeptical fishchris?

OTOH, if I lived out in CA where the potential to catch a record breaking fish existed I'd certainly make sure I carried a very good scale and camera in the boat at all times.  Not for the purpose of showing off but for the very possibility I could catch that fish that goes into the record books.

[Low_Budget_Hooker]

Cart, you're full of it!! LOL

If you hit a 16 lb fish this afternoon, I would like to think you would be pumped to get online and show us the pics of your adventure.  no?

[KU_Bassmaster.]

Also--Batteries!!!! as you all know, I have the camera with me always. My biggest fish this summer, I have but one short, dark clip of it. Why? Didn't check the batts and didn't have extras on board. Will never happen again.

And a good SECURE way to mount your tripod if you are fishing solo. :

[Jersey Angler]

I just started fishing again this year.  I quickly learned to bring a scale and camera.  One piece of advice, Wal-Mart and other big chains have waterproof disposable cameras that are perfect for both the boat and shore fishing.  They're kinda pricey at $10 - $15 bucks a pop but, if ya catch a lunker, it's money well spent.  They take around 27 pictures.

The only problem I have found with this is that, after waiting to take enough photos of your catches, they don't look nearly as big as they did when you caught them!  LOL!  

Good Luck!

Jeff

[Sam]

I have a camera on the boat but do not take any with me when I pond fish as I think "wild" bass are more valuable than "tame" bass in a pond.

But of course, a bass is a bass is a bass so everyone counts!

[senile1]

As avid stated, I have carried a scale for years, but only in the last year have I made it a habit to carry a camera.  Most of the people who know me, know that I'll tell them the truth about the numbers and size of fish that I catch.  The people who don't know me didn't really matter until I joined this site.  But when I joined this site, I realized I should carry a camera because you all will only know me by my posts.  Integrity is everything.  However, I generally don't take a picture unless a fish appears to be close to my personal best.  I haven't been close in the last year, so I haven't posted any pictures.  

[Catt]

Since I fish mostly at night a camera is almost useless, i always carry a set of scales. I fish Toledo Bend alot and know which marinas have certified scales and usually they have a camera.

[Raul]

Reason why I don 't carry a camera:

When the camera goes I don 't catch anything worth taking a picture, I 'm not superstitious, but I bet that  camera has some sort of jinx to it, maybe I should replace it but I can 't tell if the camera is jinxed or if carrying the camera is what jinxes the trip, or the big mommas know I 'm carrying the camera and don 't wanna bite or the presence of the camera makes me or my partner do something stupid.

[Fish Chris]

Cart, Cart, Cart  :-) First off, you called me skeptical...... Well, when you have been around the fishing block as many times as I have, you start to learn how many BS'ers their are out there, and heck yes, this tends to make a guy more skeptical. Either that, or just a gullable fool. But anyway, if your not as skeptical as I am, then you should ought to believe me, when I tell you that my photos are first and foremost "for me" ! Sure, I am proud of my trophy catches, and love to show them off, but if you knew me well, you would know that I am just about the least competitive guy on the planet. I despise 'all' ball sports.... and I never fish tournies. Also, I love to see "other people trophy catches" and if they catch a bigger one than me, my hats off to them, and I am often the first one to congratulate them.

Now, I haven't talked directly to the aquaintence who caught the 14 to 15 lb'er, but my good buddy has, and he says he "has been crying his eyes out". Also, to be quite honest with you Cart, as skeptical as I am about any of the people who I don't know, and many of them who I do know, this particular individual strikes me as one of the most "straight up guys out there", and I think he has caught enough 8 to low 10 lb'ers, to know that this fish was way over 10 lbs. So yes, I'd love to see that monster, and I know he would love to see it again too.

Hey Catt, digital cameras work great at night, with flash, provided they have a way of locking focus. I don't do a lot of night fishing, but when I do, I'm a big fan of those "headlight" units. My digital camera is able to lock focus with the light from that, and the flash from my camera takes care of the rest :-)

Hey Raul, its all in your head :-) Those fish seem to have no clue that I carry 4 or 5 cameras...... either that, or they just want to come into the boat for a free photo session :-)

Peace,

Fish

BTW, I only post photos of my little ones online..... "Because I don't feel the need to prove my REALLY big catches". If you don't believe I have caught the WRB several times over, that's just fine. I know what I have caught, and I don't have to prove it to anybody !!!  ;-)

[roadwarrior]

Reason why I don 't carry a camera:

When the camera goes I don 't catch anything worth taking a picture, I 'm not superstitious, but I bet that camera has some sort of jinx to it, maybe I should replace it but I can 't tell if the camera is jinxed or if carrying the camera is what jinxes the trip, or the big mommas know I 'm carrying the camera and don 't wanna bite or the presence of the camera makes me or my partner do something stupid.

No, you're not superstitious, not at all...(Never cross your toes, either.)

[Siebert Outdoors]

I dont catch huge 10+lbers but 2 things I try to always take with me.  A camera and a scale.  How else do you prove your not telling "stories"  :-?

[Catt]

Chris, the only lights I carry at night are a Q-Beam & a small cap light, I do carry a digital camera.

Toledo Bend takes part in the Budweiser Share a Lunker Program which will give a free fiberglass replica of any bass over 10 lbs. There are many marinas that have certified scales and the owners will open up anytime of the night. These same marina owners will contact Texas Parks & Wildlife any time day or night who will send someone to pickup the bass.

[cart7t]

Cart, you're full of it!! LOL

If you hit a 16 lb fish this afternoon, I would like to think you would be pumped to get online and show us the pics of your adventure. no?

Well, the odds are good I wouldn't have a camera but I do have scales. I'd more likely give BPS a jingle and try and negotiate a deal for them to display the fish in their tank (for a fee of course) along with free mounting. A 16lber would be a state record here in MO. by a little over a pound so yep, I'd be bragging.  

[roadwarrior]

Budweiser ShareLunker Program = 13 lbs.

[Lady Bass]

             you all know by now that my husband and I ARE NEWBIE'S at bass fishing and my husband will always say to me before we walk out the door ''honey you got the camera''and ''I'll no you get it'' we buy a kodak one time use with 27 exposures and take a measuring tape..and the scale well I better buy one of those to.

[NJfishinGuy]

yeah ive beeen a victim on this, i was pised one day so to cool off i went to go sit and relax and carp fish well what do ya know i catch a 36" carp probably 25-35 pounds the biggest fish of my life and didnt have a camera. my parents refused to come take a picture for me when i called them(scoundrels). well thats my story

my dad grew up fishing with bait saltwater and trout type stuff. my uncles got my dad into bass fishing and one of my dads first trips out on farington lake for bass probably 20 years ago he cought what was probably a NJ state record bass. the story i get is that they were like oh thats not a big deal just put it back and lets go. little did my dad know what he was holding. my mom was there also and she can back him up that it was enormus. the biggest bass my dad has ever seen in his life. from what i hear they just didnt wanna let my dad have the biggest bass out of all of them especially sense he was a newb so they just tryed to brush it off like it was nuttin.he wishes everyday he had gotton it stuffed and be in the record holder. hes looked at tons of pics of 6,7,8,9lbers and  him and my mom both say his was way bigger. my uncle told me he thinks it was like 7lbs but ive heard diffrent.

[Fish Chris]

You said > a small cap light < Yes ! That's what I meant by "head light". It doesn't have to be really bright for most newer digital cameras.... Just enough for the camera to lock focus on.

BTW, I do agree that night shots can often be more tricky, so my suggestion would be, to get a small, cheap tripod for your camera, and experiment at night, or in a dark room, at the house, ahead of time. This way when the big one hits, you will be ready :-) Because believe me, at night, right after you have just caught the biggest monster bass you have ever seen, your heart is pounding, your head is spinning, and your shaking so bad you can barely function, this is "not" the time to try to learn how to take night shots ! :-)

Stick a pig !

She's waiting for you ! :-)

Fish

[Absolute_St.Croix]

Here is my thoughts on the matter. I dont have a digital camera anymore since my 300 dollar digital camera took a crap cause it got wet this summer and anyway I don't lie. If you don't believe me then who cares! I don't need to prove anything to you anyway. Just my 2cents