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Old 03-02-09, 01:36 AM   #1
CCbass
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Default The how vs. why of bass fishing

I post this because I usually see alot of new bass fisherman being focused on the how and as I've found there are alot of new fisherman here. The " how " is of course the bait you use, this has probably lead to the term " bait chasers " in our world. The reality is the " why " is so many times more important, many bass pros keep journals. The first line is the " how " the rest of the log is the " why " water temp, clarity, wind direction, cloudy, sunny, time of year, water high or low, amount of weeds ect. I think even line size, speed of retrieve, stop and go or even, all fall in the " why " over the " how ". Yes most could argue the " how " in fact covers all the " why ", yes but some don't think this way and thinking that way might help. To me the more you know the " why " the easier the " how " becomes. This came to me while thinking about little kids when they reach that age, suddenly everyting is " why ", they are open for knowledge and they always ask " why ".
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Old 03-02-09, 05:19 AM   #2
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I agree with this assesment. The new anglers especially are too product oriented, or even too technique concerned. The bass is at the center of this pursuit and all beginning fishermen should forsake knowledge of popular fishing practices for simplicity and for trying to get a feel for bass behavoir first.

Another implication of the "whys" - why go fishing? What are new fishermen trying to accomplish? Brag to freinds? Get cool pictures taken with big fish? Become a pro? Noteriety and attention? Or is it the puritanical enjoyment of the process of trying to catch bass?

But I find its hard to preach to them, and its alright, they will learn it as they continue to fish or never learn it at all. I was one of the lure chasers in the mid 90s. Wasted a lot of time thinking I'd find the perfect lure or technique.
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Old 03-02-09, 09:02 AM   #3
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i have been in fishing a long time..i agree with both brotha love and ccbass.. good point cc...

as i work in the industry i get to see alot of "new" baits prior to the release to the public.. some imo would not catch a cold if it fell in..

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Old 03-02-09, 09:25 AM   #4
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yeah great thread .... as the younger generation i see a lot of people buying a lot of stuff just b/c they think its going to be amazing, but my dad has always told me the lure catches the fishermen..... some companies dont care if their baits catch fish just as long as they catch fish ..... and it is more important to understand where te fish are going to be depending on water clarity, temp, wind, clud coverage, etc and then know ow to catch those.
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Old 03-02-09, 01:48 PM   #5
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I agree with your posts.
First figure out some basic knowledge of the how, then focus on the why.

Once you have the why, refine your how.

Does this make sense? This is how I see it.
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Old 03-02-09, 02:59 PM   #6
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aikenyounggun View Post
yeah great thread .... as the younger generation i see a lot of people buying a lot of stuff just b/c they think its going to be amazing, but my dad has always told me the lure catches the fishermen..... some companies dont care if their baits catch fish just as long as they catch fish ..... and it is more important to understand where te fish are going to be depending on water clarity, temp, wind, clud coverage, etc and then know ow to catch those.
I have to agree!

I have a friend that rich as heck!

I tried to get him into fishing; I got into it some what. He and I went to Gander Mt. to get him some stuff; I would just give guide lines and let him choose. I saw that he got a 250$ spinning reel, I asked him why he got such an expensive one; he said because it would catch him more fish! I told him the same thing that you said, it's not the rod and reel that catches the fish; it’s the lures and the angler!
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Old 03-02-09, 05:45 PM   #7
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i have seen a crappy angler buy a z-21 ranger with all the goodies.. claiming it will help him catch more fish... he still can't catch a cold if he fell ot of the boat..

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Old 03-02-09, 06:14 PM   #8
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a great thread ccbass. a great thread. i too agree with you and the others here. this is why i haven't gone out and bought the really high dollar rods and reels. i have a boat that is a "97 model, all my reels and most of my rods came from wally world. most every lure i own came from there as well. now would i like a new revo? YES. would i like a 250 dollar rod? YES. but i can't afford those, cause that would take away from the lures that i really want and need. yes i said need. i do not have a huge selection of lures like a lot of others, not because i don't buy em, just haven't gotten them all as of yet. i have been SLOWLY collecting baits for ove 20 years. yes i have some that old and older. i probably need to cull some out, like my worm collection, but i really don't want to. they aren't bad, or rotten, just as good as new. but there may be that situation where i will need that certain bait. that is where the "why" ccbass is refering to comes in. again, great thread pal. glad you thought to post it.
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Old 03-02-09, 06:14 PM   #9
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Yep went to Bass Pro seminar this week given by Denny Brauer 98 Bass Master Classic champ. Seminar on jig fishing. He talked about how so many fisherman waste the biggest part of the day doing the same thing without adjusting to the conditions. He gave an example two fold of how and why. He demonstrated the how of pitching to a small target ex with fish tight to tree. He talked about being aware of what your strike zone is and spending your time in that area instead of wasting time in a wider strike zone.. He even refined it more saying when he jigs and finds the bass are hitting on the fall he wont to any extent waste time fishing the jig on the bottom after the fall. He advised when you hook a bass make a note of all conditions structure wind depth fall sun shade etc.
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Old 03-02-09, 06:20 PM   #10
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Quote:
Originally Posted by aikenyounggun View Post
yeah great thread .... as the younger generation i see a lot of people buying a lot of stuff just b/c they think its going to be amazing, but my dad has always told me the lure catches the fishermen..... some companies dont care if their baits catch fish just as long as they catch fish ..... and it is more important to understand where te fish are going to be depending on water clarity, temp, wind, clud coverage, etc and then know ow to catch those.
Aiken,

Sorry to be the sourpuss here, but I think you need to be more concientious of your posts, or at least reread them before publicizing them. I was the same way when I first joined, posting like no other, and believe me, PEOPLE DO NOT LIKE THIS!

For example, look at your current post. You typed: "Some companies don't care if their baits catch fish, just as long as they catch fish."

Now did you mean "... as long as they catch fisherman", or am I just not understanding something here?

Please, think before you post, and reread as well.

-Buzz
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Old 03-02-09, 06:28 PM   #11
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Good topic guys, I think a lot of also falls onto weather there is a parent invovled with the younger anglers or some kind of outside influence to keep them focused om the basics .

Jim
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Old 03-02-09, 06:42 PM   #12
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good points all around. I've been reading Bass Times for a long time. It gives the BASS tournament results and usually tells you what the top four or five caught their fish on. It's amazing how many different methods and colors and sizes are used-------AND THEY ALL WORKED!!!!

Typically everyone is doing something different and they're all usually fishing their own particular strength. In the local tournaments I fish, it's the same way. If I get a check, it's usually on a jig whereas others usually pick up a check fishing their own strength, usually, not always. Don't get me wrong, it pays to be versatile but like the man said, if you you know "how", as he puts it, the fish are acting or reacting, that's way more important than what you tie on the end of your line as evidenced by the myriad ways the winners at a tourney catch their fish. The only thing they have in common most of the time is the "how". I'd rather see a beginner get a little cheap Jon boat and spend his money on gas exploring and practicing than spend his bundle on a fancy bass boat and gear. In the beginning what you need is experience, learning the "how".
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Old 03-02-09, 06:43 PM   #13
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This THREAD really has me thinking (that's ). I understand what you guys are saying, I just have a tendancy to forget the WHY, and sometimes I think it's accidently on purpose. This is a great post -- THANKS GUYS
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Old 03-02-09, 08:50 PM   #14
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this is something my fishing buddy and i have started doing ono the way to the pond. we talk about weather, wind, temp, fronts, and water clarity. then we each pick a bait and presentation to try and use it for at least two hours then if no fish we try to talk to each other about why it isnt' working and start over again.
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Old 03-02-09, 09:40 PM   #15
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i can say i am one of those fishermen i need the new don't know y but im getting better
mainly because wife gives me fishing allowance
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Old 03-02-09, 09:55 PM   #16
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Here's my take on what Ccbass is trying to say (and if I am right, I totally agree!).
HOW = The Bait, whether a jig, topwater, spinnerbait, live bait, you name it!
Why = The reason you chose that bait (time of year, location, water color/temp, forage, weather, structure, cover, etc.,). Not only would this dictate your choice of offerings, but the line that you would use to present this offering.

With all due respect to my fellow Bassfishing.com members, I do not think CCbass was alluding to the amount of money one spends on tackle and equipment. I believe that he may have been encouraging folks to spend more time understanding the "whys" before selecting the "hows".
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Old 03-02-09, 09:55 PM   #17
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I really didnt become a decent fisherman till I started wading streams for smallmouth. The reason was, when you wade you have a limited amount of distance you can travel. You have 1 rod. You might carry 3 baits with you, sometimes less. You catch the fish in front of you, you understand what they are doing or you go home.

Because of these limitations, I had to learn to read the water to catch fish. And these were active bass naturally, so the learning curve was cut - I was able to learn more in 1 trip than months fishing lakes. The creek was a microcosm of any lake, current, deep holes, shallow areas, weeds, several different things going on and you learned it all right there in an integrated setting.
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Old 03-02-09, 10:43 PM   #18
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I think you nailed it Bob.
The why's of a particular color on a particular day. Being able to repeat the process.
I believe we touch on this when we learn to slow down our presentation when appropriate or to burn a spinner through the weeds at another time.
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Old 03-02-09, 11:49 PM   #19
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Way to many anglers get hung up on the how of fish and fishing. They focus more on tackle, image, and spots instead of patterns and seasonal habits. Its not just novice anglers that do it though. It is probably the number one reason people don't consistently catch fish. Good fishin
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Old 03-03-09, 12:48 AM   #20
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I agree with cc for the most part, but IMO, a "young" angler-whether in years or experience-needs to focus more on the how. How to rig a worm, how to put a trailer on a jig, how to use their rod and reel-you get the point. The why comes after they have a grasp of the basics.

As an angler moves along gaining knowledge and experience the how starts to fade and the why comes to the forefront. That is where the other factors involved come into play.

A log is a great thing to keep. It allows you to look back over time and know what to try in similar conditions.

Regarding gear-at one time or another we are all bait chasers. We even have a name for it. Plus, if you fish seriously you want better gear, and we all know you get what you pay for. Over the years I've upgraded my equipment, as have many of us. Fortunately for me my wife tolerates it!
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Old 03-03-09, 10:57 AM   #21
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebbasser View Post
Fortunately for me my wife tolerates it!
oh yeah we know how she tolerates it..





nuff said

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Old 03-03-09, 11:03 AM   #22
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Let me know if this makes sense to you.

I will try to express myself by using an analogy of a task that we are all familiar with; changing the oil in our cars and trucks. The HOWs of this analogy will be the Tools that we own, just simply the wrenches and sockets that we have in our toolboxes. The WHYs will be the varialbles that sway us in our decision making with choosing the proper tools to accomplish the task of changing oil.

So then before you go to grab a LURE or a TOOL as in this case, you are confronted with the WHYs of deciding which TOOL to use. There are a few varialbles here that sway our decision making in choosing the proper TOOL(LURE) and the proper size of wrench(COLOR of LURE), I believe that these here are the WHYs that CCbass is referring too.

Now let's come out from underneath our trucks and see how important the WHYs(variables) of fishing are to us in deciding which LUREs to use. As stated by others, this is where variables such as, seasonal migration, water temps/color, wind direction and speed, weather, structure and cover, ect ect, determine our actions in fishing.

I tried to use this anology to help us in understanding how important the WHYs are in determining the HOWs of fishing. I must say that I am still a student when it comes to fishing, so maybe in the days ahead someone can teach us the WHYs of fishing.

I hope this has helped in understanding this truth of fishing.


~Mark
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Old 03-03-09, 11:13 AM   #23
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebbasser View Post
I agree with cc for the most part, but IMO, a "young" angler-whether in years or experience-needs to focus more on the how. How to rig a worm, how to put a trailer on a jig, how to use their rod and reel-you get the point. The why comes after they have a grasp of the basics.

As an angler moves along gaining knowledge and experience the how starts to fade and the why comes to the forefront. That is where the other factors involved come into play.

A log is a great thing to keep. It allows you to look back over time and know what to try in similar conditions.

Regarding gear-at one time or another we are all bait chasers. We even have a name for it. Plus, if you fish seriously you want better gear, and we all know you get what you pay for. Over the years I've upgraded my equipment, as have many of us. Fortunately for me my wife tolerates it!

For me,, this is more acurate. First- whether youth or just new you must get the guys interest and attetion. The bait and tackle make it fun even for someone that doesnt have a full grasp of the "science" of bass fishing. As the angler progresses with his baits, tackle and tech, he develops a hunger and need for the knowledge of "Why"- its when an angler comes into "his own". HOW makes it fun- WHY makes you consistant.
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Old 03-03-09, 12:09 PM   #24
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Rebbasser View Post
I agree with cc for the most part, but IMO, a "young" angler-whether in years or experience-needs to focus more on the how. How to rig a worm, how to put a trailer on a jig, how to use their rod and reel-you get the point.
I somewhat disagree just because those things are so incredibly basic they should be learned in the first 2 days of fishing. Its as basic as learning how to drive to the lake, you have to do that stuff.

But even if they dont, even if they are using strong sewing thread, bent needles a switch and some dug nightcrawlers the why will be more valuable than the how. The just might break off a ton of fish but they will see more than the other way around.
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Old 03-03-09, 04:54 PM   #25
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My take on it is that how catch fish but why will help to generate more quality fish and can be repeated.
In some ways I agree with you WTL, but if we could all learn how to rig a hook or attach a trailer in two days then there is no need for a different type of hook or trailer. I think that all of us are still in the "How mode" when we start trimming skirts or trying a new rigging method.
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