Begs to be asked

Now here is the thing. Seems like fishing has slowed as far as size and catch rates. So what is that telling me? When the fish are on it`s easy and fun. But when it slows this is when I really have the toughest time, still really enjoy it when the bite is tough because of the challenge. Even though I do get awfully fustrated. So what am I missing here, someone all ways seems to do well on any particular day. What makes that difference between anglers? And what do I need to do to turn the odds around.

Tom P

I’m one of those people who has a rare day of catching fish in between long days of drowning worms. It seems like there’s always someone who does better, so I don’t know if it’s experience, technique, or just luck. I seem to do better when there’s someone along with, probably because two people can try twice as many things to figure out what the fish are onto.

The best fisherman I’ve ever known had this to say: If you don’t catch a fish in ten minutes, change what you’re doing. If you change three times without a fish, move. Move three times without a fish, and you might as well go get a beer and try again later.

It will be interesting to see some of the guide-type’s responses, as they do not really have that option.

I responded to something similar to this not long ago….. Im dont have guide level knowledge or pro fisherman experience…. but you will find the more you learn the more options you have as far as locations and presentations…. you develop a “milk run” of places and presentations…. and your experience tells you which is your “best bet” on any given day…… the farther you progress past the “one trick pony” stage the more you will be able to call upon something that will be just the right “trick” for the day…. when we run out of our stockpile of info then we are on our own.. thats when we CAN learn… but when your totally on your own its like learning how to navigate downtown Mnpls if your blind…. total trial and error.. with many wrong turns…….

I wish I could just NAIL it down for you.. .but thats about all I can say… the people on this board have shown the drive to learn… to stand up to a challenge and overcome it… to have the patience and preserverence to prevail…… it takes all of that…. and of course like anything else… some people just seem to have a “knack” for it… they are artists while the rest of us are “workers”…. and they are the ones who will always make the rest of us look bad….

of course on the other hand.. a lot of luck dont hurt nothing either!!!…….

Hey Tom.

No matter how good an angler you are or how much experiance you have. You are not always going to be the best stick on the water on any given day.

Time on the water and knowledge of your area are your best friend…..If you can only get to the river on weekends and other guys live near and are out every possible chance then they are going to have alot more info stored in thier head are able to fish other areas and use other tactics then the weekend warrior…….they have more time to follow their fishy instincts and try new places or new tactics when the fishing is easy…..instead of just staying in one area and catching 70 fish cause it was easy, they can afford to go hunting different fish knowing the bite is on and they can do it with confidence.

I have done this my self. when the fish are biting like crazy in the community spots or on the (standard) tactic some times I switch up. Some of the best fishing trips I have made on my home water did nothing more than eliminate a theory…. other times I was the only boat in the area cathing good fish consitantly…..and I have also been on the other side of this…..tournament fishing has proven this point to me more than once…

Time on the water , knowledge of your area, being willing to change and take chances, leaving agressive fish to find others, all help a person do better when the bit goes tough or changes…… there are days when fish are biting on everything every where and days they bite on one or two things in only a couple places. And a big plus some of these guys have is having inside info. among fishing buddies that all fish the same areas. Info in advance is second to none! Don’t be afraid to follow your gut feelings just because you have never seen anyone there or using a tactic you never seen anyone use. Your gut feelings about areas looking fishy and baits looking fishy will put fish in your boat sometime when other people are not.

hope this helps.

Twenty five years go I asked a very good fisherman what would be the number one thing I could do to become a better fisherman. His reply was TOW….Time On the Water…Over the years I’ve seen this hold so true.You can’t beat hands on experience on the river.The old sayings, go early stay late and always be aware of your surrounding at all times have a lot of deep meaning in the evolution of ones knowledge in fishing. As the time goes by the cacthing isn’t quite as important either for some. Everyone has a different way of looking at things in respects of good days and bad days on the river.If catching fish are your # one priorities in a good day well then you have to put in the time and get that experience through time .Don’t be bashful about asking questions,most good hooks are more than willing to tell you how .Don’t expect them to tell you where tho.ha ha .One of the best things that has helped me over time is when you put the boat in the river and head south lets say the next day is always in the other direction. Even though I found the bass stacked on a spot down south the day before.Going in the other direction the next day to match the pattern on the other end of the pool was always a challenge which taught me to look at all kinds of water without that same old stuff day after day.I well say right now you don’t learn how to fish by fishing the same area day after day.Well my 2 cents worth.When your on fish always think about where did the come from and where would they go because of the way fish migrate on the river. Have a good day. Steve

I’ve been fishing for a long time,but the older I get it seems to me that anticipation is the biggest pleasure I get from fishing.

I’ve been skunked more than a few times bujt when I go out the next day, watch out, its like my first time fishing and I’m a kid again.

Even the best fisherman have slow days. Just like what everyone is saying knowing the water is the biggest advantage a person can have. even when hitting the water I have fished a billion times before. I have always look back to similar conditions faced before. Factors like water flowage, depth, clarity, temp, and time of year. Then its triing to figure out the fish. Are the fish active, nutrual, or just plain inactive. One spot may hold active fish the next spot fish but just holding the bait and the next fish but no movement. So the best thing is to move around. Try different baits and try different things with the same baits( retrieval speeds, if jigging some times just dragging a jig works). And after all that just sit back and think about the people that had to work that day and enjoy the time on the water.

Jigger2001

Ya Hey-all, excellent commentary here. Having 25 yrs of Guiding, from Southern Reservoirs to NW Wisc. and now the Ol’ Miss. I’m qualified to say that all days don’t involve catch’n no matter what you do. But if I could indulge any sage advise and put it in one word, that word would be “FLEXIBILITY”.

Flexibility, to try something different, to move, to experiment, to use your grey-matter, not to be a follower, trust your instincts, draw on your experience, your get’n my drift. There was a comment above that I thought was real interesting and pointed. “when your on fish and everthing is working, that’s an excellent time to find other fish, or to seek out new areas. ” We usually do the opposite, we seek fish when nothings work’n.

Last words then I’ll shut up. Experience, experience, experience !

Gofish

Kensyl Reading EFN ProStaff

Ol’ Miss Guide Service

Man O Man

A wealth of good advice in your replies. I read each one at least 10 times to try and let it sink in, and remember it when I am on the water.

I have fished with James before and that was unbelivable, there were other boats fishing right by us and they were not catching anything, and James had us on BIG walleyes. When we got back to the landing and talked to other fisherman there was not a legal fish caught.

I KNOW that if I was fishing alone I would of been those other boats. That to me says alot about what all your posts are saying and how far I need to go yet.

Thanks A Million Guys

Tom

I should have also mentioned that (in my opinion) the two most important factors in “turning on” a fish when jigging are color and the rate the lure falls through the water column. If you can see fish on the graph and they just won’t bite, I’ll usually try switching colors first, then downsizing the jig.

If the jig gets too light to pass through the current, I’ll switch over to a slip-sinker rig with a fly or bare hook about two foot down. It’s easy to miss bites when you’re jigging the weight because of the slack in the leader, but if they won’t take anything else, I figure I’m still better off.

I ‘m gonna throw my 2 cents in here and add one thing to the equation. There have been lots of good points made and they are all good advise. My addition would be…..experimentation.

Every technique that we use was first tried by someone else.

There are tons of good fishing spots out there waiting to be discovered.

This season plan on trying new areas and new techniques. This experimentation process will develop into making you a better, more well-rounded angler.

And remember….there’s no limitation to your imagination.

Beav