Do you have any fishing quirks?

[Alpster]

I have to eat something good for breakfast. The night before, I will usually go to the grocery store and get fresh, OJ, eggs, bacon and a couple of fresh rolls. I get up an hour or more before I have to leave and make my ritual "fishing sandwiches" I usually eat them on the way to the boat ramp. Getting started 'well fed' is a must for a good day on the water.

Ronnie

[Jake.]

I wash my hands with lake water right before my first cast.

[ww2farmer]

It may be borderline OCD for me (I've actually been diagnosed with that before). I honestly can't buy just one of a given rod or reel. I have to buy two. I have to have at least two matching combos. So all my reels an rods are in multiples of two...6 TDZ's, 2 Pixy's, 2 Alphas, etc. I just bought two Revo Premiers, but could have bought one last month. Could have bought ONE...that is key. I had to wait until I could purchase two . With crankbaits...3 is the magic number. Even if I have never fished a crank, if I decide I'm going to buy it...I must buy three. When I fish a tournament, I also have to totally strip down and shine my entire arsenal in-between tournament days (during two-day tournaments). I have to feel fresh, clean, polished, and ready to go. Pretty weird. Do you all have any quirks?!

I also have the pairs/multiples thing,and not just with fishing stuff, with every thing I do, it is OCD, and I am diagnosed with it.........seriously. But it is not helping with the fishing stuff, I actually sold extras of things I had in other hobbys to buy more fishing stuff

In addition to that:

I will never fish with out a hat or sunglasses.

After every cast I push my sunglasse up on my nose and tug the bill of my hat once or twice.

And I always make my first cast out to open water and burn it back, I never try to catch a fish on the first cast.

[islandbass]

Alpster, now that is the way to start! I don't mind eating beforehand either, but once I am fishing. . .

No drinking

No eating

No need for a rest room - it ain't going to happen

I am totally into it.  I have fished dusk to dark without food or drink but the instant I am finished, I suddenly feel hungry and thristy.  :

[Bassin_Fin@tic]

I like hitting land bound creatures with hollow body frogs. The species list is extensive.

too funny! ;D I do the same thing.

[The Rooster]

When I buy a new rod and reel, the colors have to look good and they have to match. If they don't I won't buy it. Example would be the rod is red and gold, but the "supposed" matching reel is red and silver. I won't buy that no matter how good it is. And I never buy prematched combos, always match my own up.

I will fish a rod in any length as long as it is 6 foot.

When I buy a lure I will look at every single one they have and pick out the best one of the lot. If I get two I will take the "next best one" of what's left, and so on.

I never buy Worden's Roostertails in less than 3 quantities. I organize them in order of colors in the box and by weight. Then for the next size down I start over again and duplicate the color arrangment patter of the previous weight laying them out in the Plano 3701 container.

When I get spinnerbaits I have to have chartreuse, white, and chart/white comination in double willow, tandem, and double colorado and in every available weight, 1/4, 3/8, and 1/2 oz. That's 27 spinnerbaits right there.  If I add another color to that list I must get it in all available blade combos and weights too. I will not fish a white spinnerbait unless it has silver blades. If it doesn't, I will swap blades to set one up. The head has to look like a real fish. If it doesn't I won't buy it. Booyah spinnerbaits are my favorites for this, and Strikekings too. If a spinnerbait does not "look good" I won't fish it either. Skirts must be trimmed to an even length on the bottom, no shaggy looking skirts allowed. When it comes to spinnerbaits I have a huge hangup.

When I get soft plastics I take them out and handle them, smell them, and sometimes even taste one to see how they will be liked by the fish.

My tackle bag MUST be totally organized, nothing ever out of place. But I do keep an empty area for quickly stowing a bait I'm finished fishing with so I don't have to find the exact box and put it back immediately. But when I get home I immediately have to fix it all again.

I never put a lure back with any remaining fishing line still tied on, it must be cleanly cut off as if new out of the box.

About once a year I will reorganize my entire tackle system to what "seems" like it's better set up. I usually end up changing it back again soon afterwards.

I cannot fish with dirty equipment, I must wipe it down with a damp cloth if it has dust on it from storage at home.

I do not keep fishing equipment in an outside shed, garage, building. It stays in the house in my family room or in my bed room. I used to have a wooden rod rack that I built to display them on.

If a rod/reel combo wasn't expensive I can't fish with it, seems too "cheap".

I could go on and on.......my mother is massively obsessive/compulsive. This must be where I get it from.

[Brian_Reeves]

I'm with LBH.  If I'm taking you fishing, you better be there early.  Because I will watch the second hand on my watch.  I took my colonel fishing and told him that.  He was at the lake 35minutes early...when I showed up lol.

I can't have eyes on jigs.  I don't know why, but I have popped out every eye on every jig for years now.

I can't stand not having eyes on my spinnerbaits.  If need-be, I'll draw them on

I have to have at least 2 rods.  I don't enjoy fishing as much unless I have at least 2 rods.  I'm fishing out of a canoe now...with 2 rods.

I have to catch 5 fish.  If I don't limit out, I'm bummed out.  My goal on the water is to catch a limit, no matter what.  

If I see a duck, I feel compelled to hit it with no less than a 3/8oz jig

[bass wrangler569]

Alpster, now that is the way to start! I don't mind eating beforehand either, but once I am fishing. . .

No drinking

No eating

No need for a rest room - it ain't going to happen

I am totally into it. I have fished dusk to dark without food or drink but the instant I am finished, I suddenly feel hungry and thristy. :

I am the same way. When I was younger, my mom would have to call me at noon, because if she didn't, I would forget to eat. Sometimes I wouldn't realize I forgot to eat until I stepped off the boat at the end of the day, at which point I would feel dizzy and almost pass out. Sometimes she would call and say "Did you eat?", I'd say "No, but I will after this cast." That cast usually turned into another cast, which turned into another cast, which turned into four hours later.

Everynight before I fish I put lures on all my rods and plan where I am going to fish at different times of the day. When I get to the water, I end up cutting it all off and not following my plan at all.

Also, whenever I go to BPS, I always have a plan as to what I am going to buy. Unless what I have planned to buy is a rod, it never gets bought. For example, if I planned on buying some crankbaits because I need to add to the 37 dozen that I currently own, I will end up buying jigs. And if I plan to buy some spinnerbaits, I will probably end up buying jigs. And if I plan on buying terminal tackle, you guessed it, jigs. Really, the only occasion where I buy non-jig lures is when I go to BPS with the express purpose of buying jigs, in which case I will get the spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and terminal tackle that wasn't bought on other occasions.

Also, before I put pork on the back of a jig, I have to taste it. I don't really like the taste, but I have to taste it anyway.

[Tin]

I always have these items in my boat during a tourney...

Cheez-its

Fudge Shop Cookies

Grape or Melon Gatorade

Turkey w/ mayo and cranberry sauce sandwiches

[foul hooked]

I dab a little JJ's Magic behind my ears.

[Sam]

Buzzbait.

Just have to start the day with a buzzbait.

Even if it is not buzzbait weather, I have to have a buzzbait tied on to a baitcaster, just in case.

Dumb?  Yes, but that's the way it is.

[The Rooster]

I can't stand not having eyes on my spinnerbaits. If need-be, I'll draw them on.

I have to have at least 2 rods. I don't enjoy fishing as much unless I have at least 2 rods.

I agree with both of these statements also.  I must have spinnerbait eyes, and I won't buy one unless it has them.  And if they're painted on, then the paint has to be evenly applied to both sides and they have to be painted on in the proper places so as to look like it's actually eyes on the head, not blobs of paint randomly applied.

And I have to have more than one rod.  2 is an absolute minimum and I feel handicapped with that few.  5 is my average.  

[Bassn Blvd]

My main quirk is STAY THE HELL AWAY from me and my trolling motor unless you're invited.

[Jeff H]

I always buy all my worms in bulk now.  I ran out of a particular color the fish really wanted during a big tournament one day many years ago, so now I won't buy less than 100 ct bags.  I seem to have about a 5 yr supply on hand at all times now and carry more than I need in the boat....even though I no longer fish tournaments.  Heck, I have more worms in my basement workshop then a lot of tackle shops have in stock.

I just bought another 400- 7" Powerworms today.

[.dsaavedra.]

fishing is always better when the gas light is on in my dads truck! ;D

also ALWAYS must have some sort of metal/hard rock playing on the way to the fishin trip, can never be silent. on the way home its a different story, music is optional. me n' my dad usually hit up the nearest burger king after a fishin' trip too, no matter what time of day it is!

when im fishin w/ mah friend travis on weekday mornings during the summer his dad takes us on his way to work and we always stop at 7-11 for frappuccinos and donuts and usually dont eat the donuts cuz we forget about them cuz we've already started fishing. ;D

[Catt]

Y'all be a bunch of weird people  

[.dsaavedra.]

oh yeah i ALWAYS ALWAYS ALWAYS have my tan adidas hat when i fish and i try so hard to always wear my OG bass fishing t-shirt every time i fish (sometimes its in the wash though >) even if its winter and i have 3 jackets on i will still have that t-shirt on somewhere in the mix....just see my pictures, i have a pretty standard outfit:

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/davidsaavedra/peteys10807008.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/davidsaavedra/pond38-12-07006.jpg

http://i46.photobucket.com/albums/f120/davidsaavedra/scbass001.jpg

[Gatorbassman]

Being on time is a big one for me.

I fish barefoot. When it's cold I wear socks.

I always have a hat on.

I almost always buy my tackle on sale.

I always forget to pack food.

I always pray before going out.

I find myself singing while I fish.

[KU_Bassmaster.]

First "cast" has to be a dud.  I basically just drop it right at the boat and get it out of the water as quickly as possible.  Can't catch one on the first cast.

[The Rooster]

Me too.  I'm going to remember the drop and pull technique.  I usually just throw it out like normal and crank it back in actually trying to catch a fish and the whole time hoping one doesn't hit it.  If it does then the rest of the day usually is no good.

[bugman]

I'll bring every lure I own, but always end up fishing just two of them.

[FD.]

I eat fish the night before a tourney..

No bananas on the boat.

Always have dill pickles with my lunch.

I never tag my first fish with my white culling tag.

Man, I need some help.....

[Fish Chris]

Not sure if you would call these "quirks" or not.... But I do have some obsessive / compulsive habits attached to my fishing.

1) I check my drag litterally like 100 times or more, per trip ! I mean like, every other cast, or even 3 out of every 4 casts. I mean, it's not like I need to do this.... My Okuma drags are always silky, and unless I have bumped them (which is rare) it's always fine. I just can't help myself.

2) I check my hook points constantly ! Again like every other cast.... even when I haven't even bumped anything that might have dulled my point. I just can't help but check my hook point, over, and over.

3) I check my leaders for nicks or frays, really often, also.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh.... Maybe this is a "quirk".... I can't fish and socialize at the same time.

And maybe this is one; I can't bring myself to do anything which the masses are doing.... Like Senko's, or drop-shotting for example. Oh, and yes, it does bug me a little that the masses "are now" throwing swimbaits, but I take comfort in the fact that I was throwing swimbaits 10 years ago, "before" it was the mainstream thing to do.

Peace,

Fish

[fishfordollars]

Never, ever catch a fish on the first cast. Kiss of death for me...

[MaxDal]

Only once, I had a bass on my first cast ..... A dink ! So I kinda let him swim around until he came off  ;D !

Well the rest of the day wasn't that good anyway ! :-/