Anyone here not enjoy sight fishing??

[rookiesmallmouther]

ive tried it but dont understand it i have poor eye sight and wearing sunglasses makes my vision feel worse and dizzy! im just use to guessing were they are not looking at them because really i never seen them in the water. i never really liked sunglasses i dont like how they make everything feel so dim and gloomy rather stare at the colorful outdoors around me

[wounded minnow]

I have a serious weakness in the spawn. I do not like to sight fish and don't find it as entertaining even if it means catching the bass of a lifetime. I know this goes against the grain. The part i enjoy most about fishing is going to a great spot, takin a cast, and not knowing how big of a fish i might catch at any moment. To me it is like opening up a Christmas gift every time i hook into a big bass. Like any Christmas gift, i do not enjoy knowing what it is before hand. Now, i have nothing against anyone who sight fishes since i'd think most bass fisherman do this. Just wondering if anyone else feels the same. If i was in a tournament, i woud definitely sight fish but just wouldn't enjoy the big fish as much. Even when i have caught some nice ones sight fishing, it just seems to take away from the catch for me.

Do i stand alone in this?

I would have to completely agree with you...

[BigEbass]

ive tried it but dont understand it i have poor eye sight and wearing sunglasses makes my vision feel worse and dizzy! im just use to guessing were they are not looking at them because really i never seen them in the water. i never really liked sunglasses i dont like how they make everything feel so dim and gloomy rather stare at the colorful outdoors around me

Off topic and sorta silly, but I am not sure if you have tried various colors of sunglasses - the different tints actually improve color saturation and reduce glare and in many instances enhance contrast and color and possibly improve the experience - although it is all subjective really - whatever YOU like is what matters - but if you havent tried different colors, give it a whirl - I personally like amber lenses - it really improves color saturation and puts an ease on my eyes from harsh sun's reflections and such....but I am sure you have tried it - it just may not be for you

[Catt]

BigEbass is right to enhance contrast, brown and copper-colored tints are often best; under low lighting conditions, yellow (for low-light and overcast conditions), amber, orange, and red tints are also good choices for contrast enhancement.

[90x]

i prefer to fish where the water is mirky enough to not see the bottom. It adds to the excitement of not realizing what you are going to catch. I prefer to fish where I do not know if the fish are. If I sight fish and do not see a fish, its very disappointing. I like the thrill of the mystery.

[northern basser]

I see that nobody has posted for a while but I wanted to add my 2 cents worth.  I don't bed fish.  Most of the time our season would make it impossible, but I'm sure there are times when it could occur.  However,  my answer to the topic is that i enjoy sight fishing ON OCCASION.  My experience with it was fall time though.  During the northern Minnesota fall smallie gourgefest.  During the middle of the day on a very clear lake my dad and I would spot roaming smallies and cast a #9 orig. floating rapala near them, twitch it and they would fight over it. Very exiciting.  I agree with earlier posts though.  I would rather be surprised.  We've only been lucky enough to truly sight fish like that a few times. Change is good.

[Hammer 4]

I wouldn't go out of my way to sight fish. Usually the fish around here are either real spooky, or just ignor what you toss in front of them. So ..no, I don't enjoy sight fishing.

[Muad Dib]

im not sure how i feel about this. i like to hook a fish and not be aware of how big it is. but i do like to fly fish by site fishing. it is also really challenging to sight fish. considering that you need a high sun and clear water you have good chances of spooking fish. so id say i like sight fishing but favor not seeing the fish untill i lip it.

[pitchNbass]

The only water I fish in the spring is a private lake that has like 16" of visibility. I have sight fished before and it's so rare when I get the chance, it's kind of fun to see the fish take the lure. Although I've never sight fished a spawning bass.

[32251]

NOPE

[Chris]

I like to sight fish and most of my shallow clear water fish are caught by sight fishing. I also love the challenge of bed fishing.

[sethv]

I love sight fishing smallies!!

[RoLo]

I used to do heaps of sight-fishing in Ontario, New Jersey, South Carolina and Georgia.

Sight-fishing is very absorbing, very challenging and very entertaining.

However, anglers who think that bed-fishing is a quick shortcut to a trophy bass,

have not done much bed fishing. Yes, the bucks on the bedding flats are a cakewalk,

and are easily caught without even being seen. Cow bass are a horse of another color,

and are very aloof on the bed.

Since we've been living in Florida (1998), I've done very little bed fishing.

Mainly because the eutrophic natural lakes that I prefer to fish

have water visibility that averages about 9¾"...LOL.

Roger

[DINK WHISPERER]

I will NOT sight fish, NO fun to me catching em that way!

[thetr20one]

I sight fish when I am walking my couple of unpressured honey hole because because I return the fish immediatly and, more often than not I can walk back by a little later and they are back on nest as if nothing happened. Tournament wise I will spend a few minutes to see if they are willing to bite but, will move on quickly if they are not aggressive or spook easily.

[UGLY STIK]

I dont sight fish...I leave the spawns alone...I enjoy the suprise of not seeing him until he is hooked. 

[.dsaavedra.]

i get a major rush just from seeing big fish on beds. sight fishing for them is so much fun to me. only thing i don't like is the short fight if you do hook up (since you're often so close to the beds).

[timothy_spain]

Sight fishing is one of the most frustrating things ever!  So I don't do it. 

[bassman31783]

Love to sight fish. 

Hate it when the wind picks up when I'm sight fishing  >

[Fish Chris]

Mattlures, Fourbizz, Bassman, and anyone who enjoys sight fishing, but who know how challenging, and downright frustrating it can be, I totally agree !

And wind !!!!! URRGGGG ! I DESPISE WIND ! 1 mph is more than I prefer when I'm sight fishing.... but 10 to 15 mph is about normal Stinking wind !

To anyone who doesn't want to know how big a fish is until they lip it, that's all fine and good, but for myself, I don't even want to waste my valuable fishing time on a bass that isn't big.

Sure, I do plenty of blind fishing, but most times, with a large swimbait, where the average bass I catch, are still usually good ones.

Oh, one more thing.....

Often times (and here again in this thread) I hear guys use the terms sight fish, and bed fish interchangeably. To me, these terms have totally separate meanings.

I sight big bass, about 10 months out of the year.... way outside of the spawn. Sometimes just cruising. Sometimes just chilling out. Sometimes following my swimbaits to the boat. And each time I do sight one, I remember where I saw it.

To me, knowing where a big one is hanging out, is 3/4's of the battle. I'll go back again, and again, and the odds are really good, I'll eventually stick that big momma'

For me trophy bass fishing is more like hunting, than fishing. It's all about sneaking around and seeing them with my own two eyes. I just totally don't care for "blind fishing". Too many small ones out there to steal your fishing time.

Peace,

Fish

[SirSnookalot]

Nothing I love more than sight casting, but I'm not talking bass.  When fishing the surf or backcountry sight casting is the most rewarding and productive way to fish, at least for me.   My eyes are always pitched on the water looking for bait or fins.  Out here we love wind and a nice chop 2-4' chop, brings the fish in.

I sight cast for bass too, but I don't bed fish, I like to keep moving, strictly a bank fisherman for bass.

[Bankbeater]

I have cast out in front of one while its cruising around, but I normally to not target bass sitting on beds.

[Glenn]

I agree with Fish Chris on this one.  Sight fishing and bed fishing are two totally different things.

In my neck of the woods, the water easily has 3' visibility on a bad day, so I see bass all the time.  I think it's exciting to watch how they react (or don't react) to the lure I'm presenting them.  Gives me a good shot at honing in on the pattern.

Just recently I happened across a pattern while flipping jigs into heavy cover.  The fish wouldn't bite it, but would chase it as I reeled it back in.  I quickly learned that if I killed it during that retrieve - BLAMMO!

There's no way I would've figured that out had I not seen them chasing it.

And I can't tell you how many times I've had a bass chase my lure that I was able to catch with another lure on a subsequent cast.  Happens enough times where now I tell them (after catching them), "You showed your face!"  ;D

[Paul Roberts]

I agree with Fish Chris on this one. Sight fishing and bed fishing are two totally different things.

In my neck of the woods, the water easily has 3' visibility on a bad day, so I see bass all the time. I think it's exciting to watch how they react (or don't react) to the lure I'm presenting them. Gives me a good shot at honing in on the pattern.

Just recently I happened across a pattern while flipping jigs into heavy cover. The fish wouldn't bite it, but would chase it as I reeled it back in. I quickly learned that if I killed it during that retrieve - BLAMMO!

There's no way I would've figured that out had I not seen them chasing it.

And I can't tell you how many times I've had a bass chase my lure that I was able to catch with another lure on a subsequent cast. Happens enough times where now I tell them (after catching them), "You showed your face!" ;D

Excellent post. You can learn more from sight fishing than almost any other way. Be ready to swallow your pride a lot of the time. ;D

[fooman]

I've had to hang up my bass gear on my favorite pond this week and go after crappie and blugills..

I've never seen so many beds in this body of water..in a few places its beds every 3 feet from each other with some decent bass sitting on them..

IMO I would rather give them a couple weeks and let them do their thing than to molest them..

It gives me a reason to consentrate on some panfish for the freezer