Do You Think Catching a Big Bass is Luck?

[SW Florida Kid]

If I catch a big bass dropshotting, I was lucky. If I catch one on a swimbait then there was no luck. I do not factor luck into anything I do. Does it exist? yes but not for me. If I succeed its becuase I learned how to. If I failed, I was not unlucky, I simply was not good enough that time. Thats when I try to figure out why I failed so I dont make the same mistakes.

I agree with you.  

Luck is thrown around a lot. I'd like to use the word "chance" instead.

[Jaric]

Well, I'd say if I catch a big bass, it's probably luck.

But if someone who knows what their doing catches one, it's probably skill.

[WRB]

"The whole secret to catching trophy bass consistently is finding the right spot and being there when they are active", quote from Bill Murphy.

As I stated at the beginning; anyone can catch one big bass. Catt noted the record books are full of big bass caught by novice fishermen, a true statement. The fishermen were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.

I don't consider a jig with pork trailer as being a big lure, it is a big bass lure.

The big lure big bass syndrome is a self fulfilling prophecy. The reason I catch big bass mostly on jig & pig is also self fulfilling; I spend over 50% of my fishing time fishing jigs, the odds favor jigs for me. I fish swimbaits and nearly everything else, just have more confidence with jigs. The fact that I try to be at the right location when big bass are active is why I've had some success at consistently catching big bass.

Does live bait catch more big bass? IMO; yes, less skill to fish properly than an artificial, however need to be at the right place at the time.

WRB

PS; may need to add a giant or (big) bass location thread.

[paddle4bass]

"The whole secret to catching trophy bass consistently is finding the right spot and being there when they are active", quote from Bill Murphy.

As I stated at the beginning; anyone can catch one big bass. Catt noted the record books are full of big bass caught by novice fishermen, a true statement. The fishermen were lucky enough to be at the right place at the right time.

I don't consider a jig with pork trailer as being a big lure, it is a big bass lure.

The big lure big bass syndrome is a self fulfilling prophecy. The reason I catch big bass mostly on jig & pig is also self fulfilling; I spend over 50% of my fishing time fishing jigs, the odds favor jigs for me. I fish swimbaits and nearly everything else, just have more confidence with jigs. The fact that I try to be at the right location when big bass are active is why I've had some success at consistently catching big bass.

Does live bait catch more big bass? IMO; yes, less skill to fish properly than an artificial, however need to be at the right place at the time.

WRB

PS; may need to add a giant or (big) bass location thread.

Agreed....I really need to start using jigs, i have some, never have taken the time to catch fish with them, but i know once i do, I will have the confidence to throw them more.  

[Mattlures]

Muddy back in the 80's dads were the big bass bait of choice. In the 90's waterdogs were a popular choice. They have since outlawd dogs. Bluegill would be a goto except they are illegall in most places.

Now the artaficials, mainly swimbaits are the best producers. There are still guys getting them on dads but not as many as swimbaits. I believe the biggest reason for this is that live bait is a hassle. Its also slow and borring compared to moving and casting. Dont get me wrong bait is effective. This is how it is out here. I assume in FL the big shinners are still the #1

[WRB]

Muddy back in the 80's dads were the big bass bait of choice. In the 90's waterdogs were a popular choice. They have since outlawd dogs. Bluegill would be a goto except they are illegall in most places.

Now the artaficials, mainly swimbaits are the best producers. There are still guys getting them on dads but not as many as swimbaits. I believe the biggest reason for this is that live bait is a hassle. Its also slow and borring compared to moving and casting. Dont get me wrong bait is effective. This is how it is out here. I assume in FL the big shinners are still the #1

Matt, Some of today's bass fishermen use live bait, just not in tournaments. Example; the live bait shad bite following post spawn.

When I was fishing live bait back in the late 60's to early 70's, we fished everything from crawdads, waterdogs, salt water mud suckers and golden shiners in the SD lakes. Casitas and Castaic in the 80's to mid 90's was the bug & dog; Kadota & Crupi era.

The big difference today is the average bass fishermen does not like to anchor, or even own a anchor, to effectively fish most live bait. Casting a swimbait lets you cover water faster and catch big bass.

To the best of my knowledge Texas bass lakes still have a lot of live bait fishermen and as you mentioned Florida the roach (golden shiner) is the preferred live bait used by guides.

WRB

PS; back in the early 80's there were so many waterdogs free swimming in Casitas, you would have thought they were a native species.

[RoLo]

Lots of good stuff here fellows;

I agree with WRB, the Big lure/Big bass syndrome is a self-fulfilling prophecy (yes, the golden roach is still King in Florida).

I agree with George Welcome who states that luck is always part of it, like it or not.

I also agree with Matt who blames himself for poor results, rather than blaming bad luck (I do the same).

If we blame ourselves for every bad day, then we can take the credit for every good day.

Luck is not good because it cannot be depended on, so the goal of the angler should be to factor out

as much luck as possible by optimizing 'Where', 'When' & 'How' to catch Big Bass.

In the final analysis, the better we become at reducing the luck factor, the luckier we get ;-)

Roger

[Fish Chris]

Hey WRB

The big difference today is the average bass fishermen does not like to anchor, or even own a anchor, to effectively fish most live bait.

Maybe the average fishermen. I myself though, won't go out "without" an anchor. Heck, I'll drift up onto a spot (using the water drift, or breeze) just so I don't have to use my trolling motor whatsoever. Quietly lower my anchor.... and then throw swimbaits ! Don't want my boat drifting all over the place.... or, me pulling myself, while reeling in a swimbait.

So, needless to say, if I'm fishing a dad or crawler, I absolutely use my anchor every time !

BTW, I feel that their is a TON more to know about fishing live bait > to it's fullest effect < than their is to just throw out a swimbait, and slowly reel it back in.

And I know you must have heard me say this before, but my biggest bass on a live dad, was just a "measley" 13.2 lb'er.... and on a crawler, it was just a "ho-hum" 14.1, while all of my BIG bass, have been caught on artificials...... and this is coming from a guy who loves fishing live bait. It just has not been my best method for getting the really big trout-eaters.

Peace,

Fish

[Catt]

The first question I ask when someone wants me to fish with them is do you have an anchor if not go buy one. I do not believe you can effectively fish structure when you have to constantly reposition with your trolling motor. Yes you will catch a few but you will not truly see the full potential the structure has to offer; yes I know the first response will be the Pros don't use one. Enter the Power Pole!

I think today's anglers do not want to use an anchor for the same reason they do not want to admit luck has anything to do with their success; it's called pride (ego). As much as it helps our egos to regard bass fishing as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success.

[George Welcome]

"As much as it helps our egos to regard bass fishing as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success."

Right there is the gospel. This bass fishing thingy is quite simple, and the more complicated you make it, the more complicated it gets.

[WRB]

Good way to change your luck is to slow down and present your lure in a realistic manner. Anchoring you have a stable platform to fish from and it certainly slows you down.

The modern bass boat is made to be on the move. Fishing with the front controlled trolling motor changed bass fishing allowing fishermen to maneuver with easily. The era of moving and hunting; hitting several spots for quick active bass bites became popularized by the tournament fishermen. Today it's the run and gun era; run up to a spot, drop the trolling motor and hit the areas fast, pick up and gun to the next spot. The chances of catching big bass out side of the pre spawn and spawn periods is small when running and gunning. Swimbaits help because they can be cast a long distance and need to be retrieved slowly to be affective. The slower retrieve doesn't fit the run and gun style of bass fishermen, one reason few anglers have success fishing swimbaits.

WRB

[paul.]

i would tend to agree with catt and george - to a degree. in general, catching bass is a pretty simple proposition. find them and if they're on, you'll catch 'em. put a decent presentation in front of them and you're probably gonna get bit. you can make all kinds of mistakes and STILL catch 'em if they're on. if they are NOT on, it gets a little tougher and you have to work a little harder to produce results. even then the results might not be what you were looking for.

but if we are talking about BIG bass here, i do not think it's quite so simple. now don't get me wrong. i don't think it's rocket science. but i don't think it's second grade math either. look at a list of state record bass. what you will see is that many of these are several years old. in this day and age where fishermen have access to the most advanced tools and knowledge ever, state records would be falling left and right if catching BIG bass were truly simple.

as a rule, you cannot make a lot of mistakes and catch big fish consistently - they just won't let you. even when they're on, you still have to do things right. call it what you want - intelligence, instinct, experience, conditioning, etc. big bass are just harder to catch - and it's not just because there aren't as many of them.

i agree with catt's statement about ego - sometimes. but i also think that many times the opposite applies. i think many times fishermen use a simplistic view of fishing to massage bruised egos. "well they just weren't biting today." if i leave the lake after a poor showing believing this, it removes any feeling of accountability or responsibility on my part for my lack of success. it also removes any need or desire to examine what i'm doing and make changes. after all, with this simplistic philosophy, it was the fish's fault for not biting rather than mine for not figuring them out and making adjustments. truth is, maybe i could have done something different and changed my "luck". so i don't think oversimplifying is the answer either.

but i try not to over analyze things like this. i just try to enjoy myself. sometimes it's hard to catch 'em. sometimes it's easy. but it's always fun to try.

[Tanker4lyfe]

I most definatly do not think it is luck. ive been religiously bass fishing since i was about 14 ( im now 23) and ive had the opportunity to catch three double digit bass. i remember days of skipping school to get out in my float tube on the local spots in san diego when knowone else was out there. i dont know it all but i do know that persistance pays off. and iff you wanna catch big bass use big baits but my most recent big bass 10.22LBS came in EL PASO, TX on a 1/8oz shakey head zoom trick worm. fished on a american rodsmith finesse rod and 8LB trilene sensation

[George Welcome]

I am curious donbeatya why you have limited yourself to catching only 3 bass over ten pounds since you feel that it's all skill and no luck.

This question is for any of you that feel you have reached the ultimate skill level and no luck plays in this chase.

Even in a game of ultimate skill such as golf, Tiger Woods will agree that there is an element of luck.

[Tanker4lyfe]

yes of course everything we do has luck in it. To drive your car from one place to the next without getting in a wreck is of course luck but id bet kyle busch would fair better than most.

[George Welcome]

At least with driving you can see where you are going.

[Tanker4lyfe]

and in driving a blow out is always possible!

[Catt]

I agree with George and Roger that we can not remove luck from any sport regardless of how skilled we may think we have become. Luck is that intangible that will either works for or against us.

If you do not think luck plays a part take a kid fishing and they will prove every time how skilled we aint.

Paul one must keep things in prospective by not over complicating or over simplifying but it is quite easy to over complicate rather than over simplify.

We know that bass are controlled by certain environmental factors; reproduce effectively, feed efficiently (maximize food intake and minimize energy output) and prosper during extreme seasonal changes. If we use these environmental factors to our advantage catching becomes simpler.

Big bass are actually the least intelligent because of the fact they must out compete and out eat the rest of the population or they would have never become the size they are; these characteristics are classified by science as anti-survival or dumb.

[Tanker4lyfe]

also if anyone on here knows who mike long ( a SoCal local legend) is then you'll truely understand that catching big bass is not luck.

[Tanker4lyfe]

CATT,

Please do help me understand how a big bass means its less intelligent. that goes against anything that biologist, and bass fisherman alike have come to know. also i do agree with you on luck being an intangible factor that we cannot ignore but i believe the more we talk or focus on the luck of catching BIG Bass then we at that point are beginning to fail ourselves. BELIEVE IN YOUR ABILITY, GEAR AND OVERALL COMPETENCE OF CATCHING BASS OR BIG BASS FOR THAT MATTER AND YOU'LL BE SUPRISED AS TO WHAT CAN COME OF IT

[Tanker4lyfe]

CATT,

Darwins theory: survival of the fittest

[senile1]

also if anyone on here knows who mike long ( a SoCal local legend) is then you'll truely understand that catching big bass is not luck.

Some have already said it and I'll say it again.  It requires skill and luck to catch big bass.  Why does it have to be one or the other?  Why can't it be both?  It's obvious that Mike Long has excellent large bass catching skills but that doesn't rule out the element of luck . . . . . being at the right place at the right time, deciding to make that final cast after one decides to leave, etc.  The big bass skills of the angler will absolutely make a difference over the years in how many big bass he/she catches, but it doesn't eliminate luck.  Luck will always be involved because there is so much going on under the water that we will never be aware of.  And we can't read the pea brain of the bass.  Those of us with less developed skills depend more on luck than someone like Mike Long, but some of Mike's fish are still caught due to luck.  

[Tanker4lyfe]

personally if i had to measure it id go 90/10. i personally believe in my ability and al others should to knowone should limit themselves too the time or knowledge they have. its all learning and it comes with time.

[senile1]

I don't think they are saying it's all luck. I hope no angler thinks they should stop trying to learn and improve and just rely on luck. We should always try to improve what we can control, but we also have to recognize that there are some things we will never be able to control in bass fishing. If we could control everything we would catch our quarry every time. That wouldn't be any fun.

[Catt]

Big bass did not get big by lying around letting the smaller bass feed first while it (the big bass) ate the leftovers; big bass eat the most and are first to respond to feeding opportunities. Too many anglers imagine lunkers to be cagey, reclusive, picky eaters which rarely feed. That just won't get it done when it comes to out competing, out eating and out growing the rest of the fish. That characteristic is anti-survival or dumb in that it may become the first caught.