What makes a good fishing partner?

Saw this topic on another forum and it had some interesting and funny responses.
For me its someone good on the net, fun to talk with and someone who is ON TIME and sticks to plans

My wife is my most common fishing partner and I love fishing with her. However, she would never question what we are doing or force me to think outside my little box. A couple of my buddies that I fish with use slightly different tactics and help broaden my mind on those tough days. I tend to not enjoy the uber competitive fishing partners. I always share the hot rod or hot lures on a given day and enjoy the reverse when the shoe is on the other side of the boat.

SuperDave1959 wrote:

My wife is my most common fishing partner and I love fishing with her. However, she would never question what we are doing or force me to think outside my little box. A couple of my buddies that I fish with use slightly different tactics and help broaden my mind on those tough days. I tend to not enjoy the uber competitive fishing partners. I always share the hot rod or hot lures on a given day and enjoy the reverse when the shoe is on the other side of the boat.

I agree with this. My wife just sits on the pontoon and reads while I fish. She will help net if I ask her to. I agree on the uber competitive guys. I don’t usually like them even when not fishing. I don’t mind the 5 bucks first fish five bucks biggest fish stuff but when it’s a constant all day competition I’ll end the day early.

X3 on the super competitive folk. Feeling stressed out is the last the thing I want on the water considering I am there to RELIEVE stress. That being said those 5 dollar bets with friends and family can make the day more interesting for sure!

The dog makes the best fishing partner. Never says a word, relaxes most of the time, and loves to go. The only downside is that she can’t take a photo because she doesn’t have thumbs.

I agree, my dog, Ranger

Someone who you like to be around. Who knows how to fish, so you aren’t spending your time tying lures or fixing snags for them. Someone with their own ideas, but who you mostly agree with, butting heads all day is exhausting. Someone who is ok being out-fished, and isn’t a dick when they have the big bag. Someone who has most of their own gear.
Dan

When I’m fishing I’m very focused not competitive but I stay on task that said wife and I are perfect together great at netting fish we always do anything to help get a fish in and released safely. Here is where I go nutty; I have taken family out and everytime I go out they want me to fix there junky rods, tackle, retie etc. I don’t mind helping but really a mid forties sister that can’t tie a knot Then when I get on fish I will tell them what to use give them my own rods and they go Oh I don’t want to break it or I can’t afford to to pay you back for plastic worms really? I’m doing anything I can to help you catch fish and you do the opposite drives my nuts. Over the years bought some nice rod and reels for the family to use they show up at the dock can you put line on quick To me a partner is one that complements you and wants to catch fish not be a repair shop on water. OK I should calm down a little bottom line give me my wife for a partner any day.

Talkative but also enjoys the silence.
Can run trolling motor while I’m catching a fish or retying.
Will net my fish if needed and not knock any off.
Will bait own hook but being a master baiter is not preferred.

Dogs won’t laugh at you when you lose or snap off a fish either

mrpike1973 wrote:

When I’m fishing I’m very focused not competitive but I stay on task ….

Another trait that my wife has a hard time understanding. She thinks that I am being too serious. I try to explain to her that it is a chess match for me and that my mind is constantly working on my next several moves. I guess some would not understand the relaxing element of fishing while also working the challenge.

1. Knowledgeable but doesn’t force it on you, but you still have the opportunity to learn.

2. Not there to try and “one-up” your catches. I hate when people catch a fish or post a picture and instead of people saying “nice fish” or “great catch”, they talk about how they caught a nicer fish one time.

3. Can hold a good conversation but can also handle 10 or 20 minutes of silence.

-on time
-laid back
-not on specific time constraints

I have no problems taking someone out who has minimal fishing knowledge or experience. However, I just ask that whoever comes is up front with me about their knowledge so I know what to expect, pack, and tactics to try related to their experience level.

Anyone who has a basic understanding of the phrase ” shut up and fish “.

Enjoy each other’s company

Learn from each other….. fishing or life

Lots of fish caught …. great day
No fish caught… …… great day

Huntindave wrote:

Anyone who has a basic understanding of the phrase ” shut up and fish “.

That would be, “Shut up and fish, ya big baby.”

That is awesome

Someone with a graphite rod that knows the difference between a bite and a rock/weed/gravel. I’ve all but outlawed Ugly Sticks in my boat. Bobber rod maybe exceptable.

For me right now, pretty much anyone with a boat!

I have commitment issues so no partners for this guy. Call me a fish whore I guess

i’m the perfect fishing partner……for several of the mentioned reasons.

I like fish with my good friend Budweiser.
I tell him to bring as many of his family members as he wants but
warn that there’s a good chance they will get iced while on board.
Think they really like to go along as I’m almost never without them.

Somebody that can run the anchor without complaining. Drink beer and maybe a pump of fireball every once and a while. Needs to understand sarcasm. Run the net when i say “git the net”
Most important, can fish all day, not catch anything and still have a good time.

I have only three or four guys I enjoy fishing with and pretty much limit my fishing to being by myself or one of them. I spend a lot of time fishing by myself as I enjoy the quiet.

Myself I like the early morning bite and prefer to get off the water by 10. Too many idiots show up after ten.

I started fishing at about 5 years old so that makes about 64 years of it. I really miss the way it was when I was young. People back then had respect for the resource and for each other. Todays “I” and “me” ideology just doesn’t fit in with how I learned to fish along with the electronics. I see people get on the water only to find a dead battery for the trolling motor of flasher or graph and simply pack up and go home. What a waste.

trophy19 wrote:

Enjoy each other’s company

Learn from each other….. fishing or life

Lots of fish caught …. great day
No fish caught… …… great day

This. I sure miss my Dad.

S.R.

gim wrote:

The dog makes the best fishing partner. Never says a word, relaxes most of the time, and loves to go. The only downside is that she can’t take a photo because she doesn’t have thumbs.

X2 for the dog, then the wife.

There is something to be said for fishing alone. I love solitude often times. Probably because I’ve never met anyone I like better than me.
The last couple years since I’ve retired ice fishing for me has been pretty much a solo experience. I will go to Red or once in awhile LOW on Monday and stay until Wednesday or Thursday before coming home again. Only person I will talk to for 3 or 4 days days is if the resort owner or DNR stop by. It’s great when the lake isn’t packed with all the weekenders.

I’ve really grown to looking forward to those times alone. But then when my buddies all go to Red or LOW in their wheel houses for the weekend I will either already be there or follow along. Those are great times as well!

Ice Cap, I agree with you. The vast majority of my fishing is by myself. Often times people think it must be lonely, but I certainly don’t mind it at all. I do enjoy fishing with other people too, but fishing solo certainly has it’s benefits too. I do think fishing solo in the boat is better than fishing solo on the ice.

One of my favorites. Makes you wish you had that feature available sometimes!

It’s having something in common besides fishing, I think.

It’s also, I believe, a sort of “opposites attract” situation whereby I don’t believe that anglers who are too much alike make good fishing partners for that very reason–they are fishing not with a partner, but with themselves.

To me, the fishing and the time spent together is just a vessel that holds other, much more significant things. Adventures, experiences, shared stories.

The late forum member Kendall Palmer and I, in angling terms at least, were complete opposites. He fished with a passion that to my eyes bordered on obsession. He was, to me at least, a great angler and he wanted to get better. He also left me with the indelible impression that he was fishing to get away from something, but only later I realized that he was running toward it, not away.

I didn’t (don’t) have this passion to fish to catch fish in the same way. I fish because I enjoy the places it takes me, the people I meet, and to be honest the things that I remember about fishing seldom have much to do with the fish. A lot of my fishing stories revolve around the theme, “A funny thing happened on our way to…”

And that was it, right there. The fishing was, to us both, somewhat incidental to the real thing–the adventure of it all. The good trip gone bad, the rock that was in the wrong place at the wrong time, the place we fished where they shouldn’t have been, but they were there in spades. The crabby old monkeybutt standing on his dock b!tching to me about how fisherman were ruining his lake while Kendall acted bored and casually bounced spinnerbaits off the “No Fishing” signs the guy had put on posts in the water. It was like that.

All of the other people I enjoy fishing with are like that too. It’s all the stuff that happened on the way.

Grouse