Do we Make Fishing Too Complicated?

[Catt]

People often respond to failure and frustration by over-complicating theory and technique. As much as it helps our egos to regard a difficult task as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success.

The more one tries the more one over analyzes a situation the more complex it becomes the more mistakes will be made.

It takes a rare breed of fisherman using simple techniques to perfection to consistently catch bass

[roadwarrior]

The "right" lure and the "right" color may produce

more or better bass, but if you are able to find

them, almost anything will trick a few if you can

put it in their face!

I would bet most guys could fish a dozen lures

or less and do just as well as they do with a

thousand. When I buy a lure I usually test it

in my pool. Otherwise, the vast majority will

never be used. Still, I picked up a couple more

last weekend and will probably continue to add

to the collection. Crazy, huh?

8-)

[Fishing Rhino]

When fishing gets tough, I get complicated, LOL.

Or vice versa.

It seems we are relating the amount or variation of gear we bring as making it complicated.

Think about this.  How many ways are there to present any given bait?  Fast, slow, pause and jerk, dredging the bottom, mid-water, top water.

Granted, not all baits can be fished as listed above, but some can.  For example, I can fish a Rage Tail Craw or Space Monkey as any of the above. 

The beauty of fishing is that it is a complex sport with an infinite number of permutations as to how it can be pursued.

Sir Snookalot, sometimes goes to the beach with one lure, and a backup in case it parts off.

I'd feel naked.  But I have skinnied down what I bring, though most of you would go into hysterics at what I call "skinnied down".

Most days, I could make do with a half dozen different baits.  But I'm not at ease unless I have the "just in case" other baits along.

They are like a security blanket.  I'm not so insecure that I cannot admit it.

[-HAWK-]

I definitely think we make fishing to complicated.Many people put more time into finding the right BAIT, as opposed to finding the BASS.

[Grey Wolf]

I keep it simple , not smart enough to do anything else.

[angler1]

I think we, or I make things harder than they have to be. I use to bring all my gear with me, and I fish most often from the shore unless fishing a tourney. It was a pain in the neck, back, and everything else. I had sooooo much stuff I never used but lugged around "just in case". Over the winter I solved that problem and the insecurity became a stregnth. I sold nearly all my tackle and started over. I accumulated so much stuff from when I first learned fish. It was overwhelming to make discissions. I now have a much smaller more manageable bag with my "go to lures" and the specific techniques I fish. I think it is actually going to make fishing more enjoyable for me this year. My new philosiphy is keep it simple.

[WRB]

KISS; keeping it simple takes a lot of skill and time on the water to be consistently successful.

Knowing exactly what lures you know will catch the bass you are targeting requires knowledge of what the bass are feeding on and where they are located.

A good friend* of mine fishes with a small tackle bag and the minimum of outfits, he owns a garage full of tackle and dozens of rods and reels. *Don Iovino, hall fame pro bass fisherman.

Don almost always is fishing something new he has developed, a specialized presentation for a specific lake and seasonal period. The fact he only needs a small bag of what he knows is working is a tribute to his dedication to tinker with new techniques until he discovers what the bass want at a certain lake. Don fishes dozens of lakes and sets up a minimum of tackle for each lake and focuses on specific presentations.

I only fish a few lakes and tend to start with the lures and locations I have the most confidence with and try a few new lures and presentations during the outing to keep up to date.

I may only use a small bag of lures and a few outfits, but my boat is fully stocked with more tackle then I could ever use. I'm comfortable taking most of what I own on the water when fishing in my boat and taking a small bag and about 4 outfits when fishing with someone else, especially if it's Don and he knows what the bass are doing.

WRB

[Paul Roberts]

Do we Make Fishing Too Complicated?

Of course we do, then we spend the last half of our lives trying to simplify the game

Roger

;D ;D

I'm more concerned with where-n- when than I am with what so I carry only 5 rod-n-reels and this simple "Attack Bag".

There's LOTS in that statement.

We do have to concerned with what, BUT after the where and when. Chasing the bait monkey (he doesn't chase us), and switching lures every few minutes, is not the answer.

Think where, when, (this is also called "timing") and then for the what, think method (terminal rigging) first, then choose a bait. Fine tune if the fish give you the chance.

[Purpleworm82]

Ha, seeing as this thread already has 3 pages of responses, I would have to say the answer to this question is "Yes."

[SirSnookalot]

Do we Make Fishing Too Complicated?

Not me.........

Freshwater 1 rod and lure, 2-3 lures in my pocket

Saltwater 1 rod, xrap, spoon, top lure, jig in my pocket.

I never go blank.

Back up rod in car in case of mechanical failure.

[.ghoti.]

I've been on a mission for three years to cut down and simplify. Been trying to trim down the number of roods and reels I carry. And, the amount of tackle I carry. And, to simplify bait types and color selection.

At this point in time, the mission is an abject and utter failure.

But, it's part of the fun.

[grimlin]

Yup,I know i do.....

However learning from Catt,I'm doing the same thing...I got an Ax deodorant bag for Christmas that is getting used as my tackle bag....very small and handy.Going to find a decent pair of pliers/scissor combo this weekend  and I'm set.

I'm keeping my big bag in the car though "just in case". ;D

[Raul]

Do we Make Fishing Too Complicated?

Yup, most people make fishing too complicated.

[J Francho]

Why is the quantity of gear always linked to complicated fishing?

Just because you have ten rods and reels, and 30 lbs. of tackle for a simple bass trip doesn't necessarily mean you are complicating.  Bass fishing...spinnerbaits, worms, jigs, cranks, and topwater. 

Yeah, there are various terminal rigs, and sizes and styles, but its all basically the same thing.

[WRB]

Why is the quantity of gear always linked to complicated fishing?

Just because you have ten rods and reels, and 30 lbs. of tackle for a simple bass trip doesn't necessarily mean you are complicating. Bass fishing...spinnerbaits, worms, jigs, cranks, and topwater.

Yeah, there are various terminal rigs, and sizes and styles, but its all basically the same thing.

What happened to...spoons, creatures, jerk baits, tial spinners, in-line spinners, swimbaits and (livebait).....just pulling your chain!

WRB

[senile1]

Why is the quantity of gear always linked to complicated fishing?

I definitely make it more complicated at times but I have a group of lures, among many, that I know work and cover all the situations I will experience.  Rather than making the lure decision more complex, I try to concentrate on the complexities of choosing the right time to fish a particular location.  Sometimes that can seem complex while at other times it can seem simple.  If you have found a location containing bass and you aren't getting bit no matter what you try, it could be as simple as the fish aren't biting at this particular time. 

[RoLo]

Just because you have ten rods and reels, and 30 lbs. of tackle for a simple bass trip doesn't necessarily mean you are complicating.

Well...it does in my case, because I like casting all ten rods at once

[J Francho]

What happened to...spoons, creatures, jerk baits, tial spinners, in-line spinners, swimbaits and (livebait).....just pulling your chain!

WRB

LOL, but pulling my chain makes me go blah-blah-blah...

"Someone's poisoned the water hole!" -Woody

There are eception baits, for sure. I'd lump inlines, tailspinners, spoons, and even soft paddletails in with spinnerbaits. Buddies, Hopkin's, and other vertical spoons are unique, as are truly big swimbaits. Creatures and grubs are worms. Live bait....eh, I don't do this enough to say.

I will say that I don't think in terms of trying "Texas rigged creatures" or worms, or a crankbait or whatever, just to see if that's what the fish are biting today. I look at it from a cover standpoint. T-rigs work well in certain cover, pegged T-rigs in others, C-rig in yet others, and drop shot in others. Each brings its characteristic action to the table, but more often seems to solve an actual fishing problem.

Presentation. Contact. Depth. Location. Timing.

These are the complicated parts, not the tackle.

You come up to a situation where there are fish under docks. I bet this situation alone eliminates 3/4 of your tackle. Find fish in deep, rocky structure, and another chunk of your tackle box isn't necessary. Bass are feeding shallow, in heavy weeds, and a good portion of your gear need not apply.

And then there the days where its 11 AM in a tournament, and you are stuck with just a few dinks in the well, and just start rotating between moving baits. Tough to junk fish with just two rigs.

[fishfordollars]

I promised my wife just yesterday I was going to lean down. What did I do? Bought the two 7:1.1 reels cart7t posted up this morning.

Just could not pass it up. LOL.

Jack

[WRB]

It was said earlier that fishing is simple when they are biting and complicated when they are not and I agree with that statement.

My problem is trying to forget what I know the bass should be doing and just go fishing.

Should I try a spider jig, a football head, living rubber skirt, buck tail hair, pork trailer, soft plastic craw, swim the jig, hop the jig, flip the jig, cast the jig, use purple, brown, black, green, blue, red, chartreuse, white, 1/8 oz, 3/40z, deep structure, shallow heavy cover...darn, just can't make up my mind what type of jig, then there is the 20 worm boxes and all those crank baits, spinnerbaits, swimbaits, frogs, buzzers, spoons...

oh what rod and reel and line type???? and haven't even got out of bed yet!

Didn't someone say MMIII dropshot in 20' on the steep side of the secondary points???

WRB

[J Francho]

My problem is trying to forget what I know the bass should be doing and just go fishing.

Good point.  I think many of us share this problem.  By making one minor change to this statement, I significantly improved my tournament results last year.

Forget what I know think I know the bass should be doing and just go fishing.

[Team9nine]

Do we Make Fishing Too Complicated?

Yup, most people make fishing too complicated.

X2, but like most things in life, to each his own.

-T9

[firefightn15]

I don't let it get complicated, and for myself, that's what keeps it fun.  I go fishing to relax and occasionally lose a few lures.  For someone who fishes tournament or has a real interest on what goes on in a fish's head, more power to them.

[A-Rob]

haha ya we do for sure. But I think it is for us, to keep us experimenting, trying new things on the water. It keeps things innovative, unlike most sports.

[A-Rob]

Ya like Ike says; Fish the Moment. Quit thinking about 80 different locations/techniques and just fish. Good mentality I think!