Angler success : 99 % location/ 1% everything else???

[SENKOSAM]

I've been fishing a lonnnnnng time and have done well different times of year either solo or with others, but one thing that smacks me upside the head is the fact that luck has as much to do with finding fish as catching them for some anglers such as myself. On the other hand, knowing a body of water and fishing higher potential (active) fish locations always puts the odds in the favor of a minority of skilled anglers. But it's like, which came first - the chicken or the egg? In other words, is knowing the seasonal locations of fish attracting structure in lake X far more important than the search lures or other equipment you use?

Key spots change depending on how much pressure is applied, but generally fish will feed more often in a small percentage of a lake's area. In my club, we have a few individuals that can usually do well on large or small waters they've fished many times where many of us struggle to find fish because we don't know the lake. You could hand us the best lure for the day and still we couldn't find fish on our own that would bite it.

So, it seems to me that when many go gaga over this or that piece of equipment, that maybe their wishing that their equipment (rods, reels, lures) will some how increase their odds of finding and catching fish versus first using sonar to pick apart a lake's bottom composition and depth changes or maybe even fishing with others that have a lock on that information.

No doubt presentation, lure characteristics, line diameter, retrieve speed, etc. contribute once active fish are found, but in the scheme of things isn't that only 1 percent or less of your success?

Last anecdote to illustrate what I'm touching on. Last fall, I fished with a very talented individual who knew a large reservoir like the back of his hand. The problem was finding fish that would cooperate in areas he had done well on in previous trips. We went bite-less for hours of rowing and a thousand casts only to change locations (in desparation) to areas I suggested might hold fish. My partner then used lures to then catch fish (some nice ones I might add) while I held the boat into the wind (only row boats allowed). I have no doubt that on a different day his locations would have produced and with a variety of lures used correctly, but on that day, one-per-spot fish locations trumped general fish location and therefore the lure, presentation and equipment used mattered as much or more than just general locaton.

In other words, I'd rather be in a boat with someone who knows the water versus one who owns the best equipment and doesn't.

F

[roadwarrior]

Location, broadly defined is everything: structure

and cover, depth, bottom composition, slope, current,

water temperature, weather and time of year to name

a few factors.

However, other things come into play. Look no further

than The Classic. A bunch of Pros found fish on virtually

the same spot, then fished nearly identical lures. There

is someything to be said for presentation.

;D ;D

[rubba bubba]

However, other things come into play. Look no further

than The Classic. A bunch of Pros found fish on virtually

the same spot, then fished nearly identical lures. There

is someything to be said for presentation.

This pretty much sums things up.  Thread over.

[J Francho]

In other words, I'd rather be in a boat with someone who knows the water versus one who owns the best equipment and doesn't.

I'd rather be in the boat with someone that was willing to learn the water with me.  Equipment isn't part of the equation.  New gear is always something to gaga over.  Its part of the fun - toys.

[slonezp]

So, basicly if there are no fish in the water you are casting to you will not catch fish?

What makes you certain, on your rowboat resivoir, the first place you tried and got skunked wasn't holding fish? It is possible there were fish there and due to particular conditions at that spot the fish had lockjaw.

Have you ever fished an area you're confident holds fish, get skunked, and return later in the day only to catch them? Have you ever been on a bite only for it to shut down, and start back up again? Do you believe the fish are moving in and out or just decided they weren't hungry?

Rods, reels, lures, and boats are just tools to get the job done. If the work(fish) isn't there all the tools in the world don't matter. I'm a mechanic by trade and if I don't have the proper tools either I don't work or my job becomes more difficult. Life is much easier if I have the right tool for the job. Same goes with fishing.

I agree that the ability to find fish is #1 and catch them is #2 but 99% vs 1% is way off.

[Raul]

If you present your bait poorly in the best location I don 't think you are going to be more sucessful than presenting you bait perfectly in the wrong location, so location and presentation go hand by hand.

[J Francho]

If you present your bait poorly in the best location I don 't think you are going to be more sucessful than presenting you bait perfectly in the wrong location, so location and presentation go hand by hand.

You stand a MUCH better chance of getting bit throwing your bait near fish, than somewhere NONE exist.  Presentation aside.

[5bass]

So, basicly if there are no fish in the water you are casting to you will not catch fish?

Correct. It doesn't matter how you present your bait if there are no fish around to see it. You cannot catch fish that are not there. You might as well go cast in your driveway and save some gas.

Find them first, then fine tune your presentation.

[Lund Explorer]

F + L + P = Success!

A lesson learned over thirty years ago from the pages of In-Fisherman has helped countless people become more consistent at finding and catching fish.

Fish + Location + Presentation = Success!

I can't remember anyone saying that you can accomplish this task by ignoring one or more of these parts.

[senile1]

Finding fish-holding locations is paramount.  Once found, fine-tuning your presentation is the next goal.  Presentation is useless if fish are unavailable.  A large reservoir is a perfect example.  When newly formed, fish can be all over the lake on many different structures.  As the lake ages the fish slowly find the best structures in each area to use for their daily activities and many parts of the lake became skunk territory.  As Senkosam stated, this is when it becomes very advantageous to know the lake, or at least to learn it quickly.  Fishing with a buddy who knows a lake shortens the learning curve.   

[Catt]

Location, broadly defined is everything: structure

and cover, depth, bottom composition, slope, current,

water temperature, weather and time of year to name

a few factors.

However, other things come into play. Look no further

than The Classic. A bunch of Pros found fish on virtually

the same spot, then fished nearly identical lures. There

is someything to be said for presentation.

;D ;D

One angler was on the sweet spot on the spot 

[Missouribassman95]

In other words, I'd rather be in a boat with someone who knows the water versus one who owns the best equipment and doesn't.

I'd rather be in the boat with someone that was willing to learn the water with me. Equipment isn't part of the equation. New gear is always something to gaga over. Its part of the fun - toys.

I agree 100% percent!

[Crestliner2008]

F + L + P = Success!

A lesson learned over thirty years ago from the pages of In-Fisherman has helped countless people become more consistent at finding and catching fish.

Fish + Location + Presentation = Success!

I can't remember anyone saying that you can accomplish this task by ignoring one or more of these parts.

I couldn't agree more. 

[HookSetDon]

i love fishing

[Sam]

Senkosam,

We all love our equipment.

We want the best equipment we can afford.

But if we have the best equipment and fish in our bathtubs we are not going to catch anything.

So you are correct about finding the fish.

As we learned in the Army: Know Your Enemy. 

[texasoldtimer]

Last weekend I was in a creek on Lake Fork flipping jigs into timber along the creek channel. 100 yards away there was a guide with 2 clients fishing a drain on the clear side of the cove. I flipped for 2 hours while they fished the drain without any luck by either boat. An hour after they left the wind got so strong that jig fishing became impossible. My partner and I moved over to the wind blown drain and landed 20 fish over 4 pounds including a 9#, 8# and several sixes. That guide knew that was a great spot but was there at the wrong time. So TIMING becomes a huge ingredient even if you are in the right location.

[Fat-G]

i love fishing

Same here man.

[Catt]

Location & timing

If you're on prime structure and not catching then the timing is wrong, if you're not on prime structure then the timing doesn't matter cause you can't catch what aint there. On any particular day I'll have as many as dozen places in mind that fit seasonal conditions, weather conditions, and so forth. Some days it will take only three or four, while some days it takes the whole dozen plus. On any given day you can try to locate active bass or you can try to force feed non-active bass.

Consistently catching bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and structures that are non-productive and duplicate structures and patterns that are productive.

[J Francho]

If you are on fish, then do something, even if its wrong.

[riverfisher]

[Mottfia]

My opinion of it is that an angler's success is based on his/her knowledge more than anything else in the long run

[SENKOSAM]

In other words, I'd rather be in a boat with someone who knows the water versus one who owns the best equipment and doesn't.

I'd rather be in the boat with someone that was willing to learn the water with me. Equipment isn't part of the equation. New gear is always something to gaga over. Its part of the fun - toys.

I agree 100% percent!

I second that!!!

I've fished tournaments with cluelss anglers that had no idea how deep they were fishing with lures that might not even have been capable of being fished near the bottom. I've always been under the impression that the first place to fish was on or near bottom on or near contours or other high potential fish holding structure.

I guess what I was asking is, when you go to a body of water for the first time alone or with someone, is it a priority to find and learn structure that has the greatest potential to hold fish, regardless of the lures you might cast?

I believe what Senile said pretty much sums up lure choices:

Finding fish-holding locations is paramount. Once found, fine-tuning your presentation is the next goal. and part of presentation always dictates lure selection.

The fact remains that even if you find and catch fish and give your partner the rod/reel/lure you caught them on, doesn't mean they can catch fish in the same area as RW touched on. Active schoolies are a no-brainer where presentation/lure selection is quite broad (the exception), but it's the deeper fish or those in heavier cover that require "fine tuning" (average for post spawn).

[roadwarrior]

When you don't have a clue, the simple solution

is to fish points and around grass. Regardless of

how heavily these obvious spots get hammered,

they (almost) always hold a few fish.

8-)

[Catt]

Understand what the primary prey species in your lake is and how that species relates to structure with each changing season...morning, noon, and night.

Locate prime structure, interpret it (find break lines), and then figure how fish it effectively (lure selection & presentation).

Next is timing; just because you didn't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure. Some times it's a morning bite sometimes it's an afternoon bite.

Don't over complicate it

[Blue Streak]

If they ain't there you ain't gonna catch them, no way no how. Find them first and then figure out how to catch them. There is a whole lot of dead space on any water. Find em and fish.