Ever wonder if fishing is not your thing?

[bassman31783]

Man I know what that feels like but if you hang in there & keep trying you'll get it.  My dad always said "if you aint getting hung, you aint bass fishing".  Head up bud. 

[Hammer 4]

Your going to lose lures, that's just part of the game. Try losing 150.00 worth, some 40.00 swimbaits within a month.

I fish a ton of city park lakes, get skunked more often than not. Being a "older" guy, my circulation isn't what it use to be, so during the cooler times, my casting hand will go numb, not a great thing for making accurate casts..lol Still, I keep at it, as I have since 1979 or so..

Everyone has good days, and bad..the good seem to make the bad all worth it. IMHO, it's about Enjoying the time fishing, and not so much worrying about If you catch something, or how big, time on the water will take care of that. Hang in there, your time will come. Ask questions of those that have been there, done that. I can tell from your getting hung up with certain baits, that your likely letting that bait sink to far. In thick weeds, rocks ect..when throwing out any bait that can get snagged easily you want to start your retrieve as soon as your bait hits the water, speed will keep it above the structure, and yes you will lose baits now and then, but not as many..

[Raul]

Ever wonder if fishing is not your thing?

No, cuz I 'm as stubborn as a mule.

Yesterday I went to wet a line, I caught 2 12 inch fish and 2 10 inchers, casted all day long, threw at them everything I had in the T-box, the only thing missing was the kitchen sink, shure I can put the blame on the fact that I was fishing a very small lake and there were 4 jetskiers running up and down the lake at warp speed all day long, but are they really to blame ? well, I caught 4 fish, other guys fishing caught none.

But as they say : it 's called fishing, not catching.

Have I told you how many lures I 've lost ? ---> hundreds

[WRB]

I know casting lures like crank baits and spinnerbaits is a lot more fun than soft plastics, however if you want to spend more time catching larger size bass; soft plastics are the answer.

It's very difficult to cast a T-rigged 6" to 7" worm, rigged with a 3/16 oz bullet weight. 3/0 worm hook on 15 lb mono line, where you can't get it back. If you loose the T-rig, it's inexpensive to re rig.

Improve your luck with high percentage lure presentation; no other lure has caught more bass than a plastic worm.

WRB

[farmpond1]

As it sounds like your question is somewhat rhetorical, I can't say if it's your thing or not.  Crazy as it seems, not everyone likes to fish.  My IDENTICAL twin will go out with me sometimes and on a good day he'll enjoy it but he doesn't burn with the desire like I do.

It's no fun to lose baits but it's part of the game.  If it's getting too costly, switch to soft plastic or some of the cheaper swimbaits.

I might also recommend you try to increase your repertoire of fishing spots.  If you are only fishing public lakes that get hit hard by everyone, I'm not surprised you aren't doing better.  I stay away from those places like the plague.

[I.rar]

not exactly. ive been frustrated plenty of times , but like the others said - take a step back , breathe and try again. you will get it. earlier this year , i was in skunk city. now im pulling in decent sized bass every outing. even though the seasons changed since then , i stuck with it and it payed off imo.

when i get those days where im not catching anything , i like to try new things. like ill throw on a heavy weight and drag it on the bottom to determine what weeds , rocks , wood , etc. feels like so when im out next time , im not setting the hook on nothing. also helps to find those ledges and such you might not know are there. you could be casting right next to 'the spot' and not even know it.

personally , i dont fish alot of cranks or jigs simply because ive lost tons of em fishing from shore. ill throw plastics all day , and if i get snagged , im only out of some change as opposed to a few $7+ baits.  those add up VERY quick. i would suggest trying that untill you get used to casting in those awkward angles.

[Fat-G]

In the summer when those dog days start ticking me off I just grab my light spinning rig and go after bluegills.Grab yourself some live crawlers or wax worms and tie one on under a bobber and enjoy the scenery.

Fishing should never be about catching,it should always be about enjoying yourself outside and getting some fresh air for a chance.Fishing is my stress reliever....It's a hobby i truly grew up and enjoyed my entire life.

There was a T-shirt I once had "A Bad day fishing beats a good day at work". I still find that true.

X2. When I can't catch a bass, I go for some bluegill

x 10, sometimes the best thing to do when your not catching much, or just get tired of fishing in general is to hit up some different species.

[Nibbles]

Go up to Lake St Clair during the spring. Almost guaranteed that you haul in some pig smallies.

[COSIMO]

Everyone has bad periods.  Keep at it.  If you're losing lures, you're fishing where bass are.  Fish structure and you'll lose lures, its part of the game.  Just keep fishing, it only takes one pig to light the fire.  Once you have that fire, the only thing you'll be saying on your trips is, "one more cast"

Good luck!

[helms83]

Thanks for all the replies and words of encouragement. I guess I should have explained a little more before I went into my rant.

I'm not saying I want to quit, don't have the desire, or anything of the sort. I meant with some of the wierd things that have happened to me (mainly repeated bad luck), it feels like 'someone' is saying, "hey, this isn't for you to enjoy."

I know I'm going to lose lures, and I only stick to cheaper $3-5 hard plastics. But if you do the math of roughly $70 dollars worth, that's 15-20 lures I lost; all in the matter of five hours! The manner of which the were lost was the key point; the odd circumstances that keep occuring.

I have a pond and two smaller lakes in my area. I have been wondering if maybe the bodies of water I've been fishing aren't the best areas for bass, but I have no one in the area to ask about and they aren't controlled areas. Any tips?

There is a private gated community about 30 minutes from here that supposedly has some big bass in it. But I don't know how to find any areas to shore fish from that don't involve huge bodies of water. Any help?

I know I have the burning desire as I was out at the lake this morning during my breakfast break from work, but resulted in no action.

[I.rar]

for finding new water , i like to use bing maps and snoop around my area in satellite and birds eye view. pretty detailed images. once you find something , drive on over there and check it out. i had to do that when i moved to NC. i didnt know anyone who fished but i ended up finding tons of lakes , though alot of them wernt fishable.

it feels like 'someone' is saying, "hey, this isn't for you to enjoy."

i had that feeling when i got my first baitcaster.... i went through alot of line ;D.

[Hammer 4]

Helms..I don't know how long you've been fishing, but like I said, you will learn to avoid the bad spots, i.e. for losing so many lures, and how to prevent losing some of them.

As for just plain bad luck, well I've been through that as well, it will pass. Once you start haulin in fish, you'll laugh about the past experiences.  Just be thankful you don't throw 80.00 swimbaits out there..lol

If there are weeds, ect. Try throwing your baits to the outside of the weedlines, it will take some work, but will be well worth it in the long run. As WRB suggested, stick to t rigged/weedless plastic's, these will catch fish, and allow you to learn what's on the bottom of a given body of water.

[KYntucky Warmouth]

I know what you mean, there's one lake back home that I have been fishing on several times with the same 2 buddies.  The have both done very well on this lake but for me, it's cursed.  I have caught exactly 7 fish while fishing with them, all dinks.  Now I don't get to fish it much and I do much better at other lakes but there, it just doesn't happen for me.  The same goes for when I am fishing with my dad, he outfishes me 9 times out of 10.

  I have trouble with fish of legal size as well.  I have caught plenty of fish since I have been fishing but keepers allude me.  At the lakes back home I have caught several but on the current lake I fish I have caught 1.  The limit here is 20'', it was 5.1lbs and just barely a keeper.  I've caught many 3-4lb fish here but most under 19 1/2''.

[TrippyJai]

Whether you catch fish or not, you should be happy just being able to get out on the lake. To me, it's the most beautiful view in the world. That's why I love to fish with my dad sometimes... we use live bait and I could just sit and relax, enjoy the sun the time we spend together. Catching fish is a bonus.

My profile picture tells it all... it's not a picture of me holding a bass (probably would be if I had a 6 pounder up here in Canada  ;D). Nonetheless, enjoy it!

[dman]

your day will come when it all comes together for you....I dont know what kind of lures your throwing to lose that many but for small lakes and ponds i rarely throw anything besides spinerbaits, buzzbaits or senkos...there is no need to - they just catch fish for me and never hang up besides the occasional bad cast into a tree or bush or something...Try those baits,  texas rig rubber worms.  you will get them to bite - slowly at first probably till you get it figured out....I know what you mean about not having a lot of partners to learn from.  I found a flyer at a bait shop for a tournament and went as a rider...not to win but just to learn techniques and things - it worked and i kept going to those tournaments for a while.  This has been my best year of fishing and also the least amount of time i have had to go. It starts to come together... good luck - have fun!

[Nine Miler]

Go up to Lake St Clair during the spring. Almost guaranteed that you haul in some pig smallies.

Come up near the end of May in '11.  I'll take you out.  Small boat, but fits two just fine.

[helms83]

Go up to Lake St Clair during the spring. Almost guaranteed that you haul in some pig smallies.

Come up near the end of May in '11. I'll take you out. Small boat, but fits two just fine.

I really appreciate the offer, and I wish I could, but I'll be across the big pond for all of 2011.

[Nine Miler]

I'd offer this year, but it is getting COLD out there.

[K_Mac]

This one of the most interesting threads in a while in my opinion. Some great answers. I like fishfordollars answer best: nope. I agree with him. I have always known that fishing was one of life's simple pleasures.

Becoming a good bass fisherman takes time. Time to study and learn bass habits; what they like and dislike, what they do and why. It takes time to learn how to fish; what style and techniques work for you, and what kind of tackle is needed to do it properly. Then after you learn all this you will learn that fish don't always behave like you think they should. :-?

If you can find someone with more experience to teach you it will save some work. Whether you can or not, in time you will find yourself knowing what to do in most situations, and how to do it. Hang in there!

[roadwarrior]

I want you to catch some fish right now:

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1158577137

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1180501296

http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_forums/YaBB.pl?num=1182371999

Good luck!

8-)

[Terry_]

This seems like an appropriate place for this link

Never give up!

[Bankbeater]

If you are talking about the feeling that you have been cursed, then yes. I had that feeling for about three weeks in a row back in August.

I had line breaking inside the spool. It happened on three different reels. I also couldn't hit the side of a barn while pitching. It stunk.

[johnnylots]

I feel your pain!  I've been at it for two seasons now and am an addict. I've learned how to catch every small bass in the lake - I mean tiny tiny guys. I've lost hundreds of dollars worth of lures this year but have recently figured out how with through snags without losing the piece. This is how - assuming you can tell very quickly that it's a snag and not a bite - stop reeling immediately when you feel snag  NEVER try to yank the lure loose with the same motion you would to set a hook. First attempt - let enough line out that you can set the rod down next to you. Pull the slack out with with your hand until the line is rather tight then let it go shooting the line back towards the lure - like shooting a rubber band. Many times it provides enough pressure backwards to free the lure. Try it a couple times.  If that doesn't work, wrap your line around your hand and pull the line towards you slowly but hard to try and pull it free.  You can pull hard until the line breaks since worst case is losing the lure anyway. Just try not to cut your hands all up with the line in the process.

Other than that, use this forum as a resources as much as possible. Ask specific questions and these guys always respond with great information. I've done the same and

have begun to catch larger fish with their advice.  When I get a minute I'll follow up with a few other things that have worked well. Good luck.

[Nibbles]

I'd offer this year, but it is getting COLD out there.

Yep. Was out there on 2nd and 3rd, and froze my butt off. Sunday was a little bit better though since the sun came out, but Saturday was just a nightmare. Fortunately, I brought my frog togs. Unfortunately, I forgot my boots.  ;D

We had to fish the river Sunday cause of a small craft advisory being put into place. Even then our team managed to haul in some nice pig smallies - 4.69# from my coangler, and another guy got a 4.98#.

[helms83]

That's why i like this site. I have read most of the articles on here, plus what people post. I've been trying to have a better look out when things go wrong. Mainly just saying what happens is part of the game and I'm paying my dues.

The other day I went to my small pond from 1-4. I started on the north side, there were tons of baby bass and blue gills along the shoreline. So then I got excited cause it was confirmation that there are bass in this small pond (I have caught a few small dinks, but i thought they were few and far between. So I just sat there with my line out of the water just watching how they behave. They weren't scared of me, but were curious. Then I saw larger shadows swimming, they were bigger bass (would guess no bigger than 3lbs, probably 1-2lbs)!!!

I cast past them with all kinds of lures, baits, and retrieves; couldn't get even a little attention. I do mean I tried everything. So I moved to another position for a different angle, but no such luck. I did catch two dinks, and lost one. All were caught on Rage craws.

The cool part? I was positioned about 5ft above the water level on the shore, the water is very clear; so I got a good view of my craw as I retrieved. I swam it about 6-12" from the top and watched as a bass darted towards it, inhaled the craw, and try to swim away. I set the hook and just watched as the fish darted every which way in the water. It was simply cool to watch.