How Do You Rate?

[JB]

On a list of 1 to 10, of bass fishing experience,
what number best describes your bass fishing experience
.....explain why you picked that number and what can you share ...


1- Just starting bassfishing
2- Been bass fishing a few years at a pond
3- Been bassfishing for several years, and have fished one tournament
4- Own over 7 rods, and have 5 years experience
5- Active in a bass club, and have 8 years of fishing under my belt
6- Have 10 years of bass fishing, and have won a tournament before
7- Fish about 5 times a week, obsessed with fishing, still want to learn
8- Have mastered all techniques of bass fishing, have several fish caught that weigh over 8 lbs
9- Feel confident that you can win or place in any local tourney, and have done so in the past
10- Gave up your day job and now on a pro tournament trail and sponsored

[zooker]

umm 8 but i am no master of anything except my dog..

zooker

[Fishing4Soup]

1/2 Started fishing over the summer at a pond and now a canal. No lakes yet

[bassguy2004]

I guess 5, but I have more than 8 years of fishing under my belt. I help start our club in 1980.
The hardest thing for me to get passed was fishing in the back of the boat. Since the boater had first shot at the water, they had first shot at the fish. But learning to hit the little pockets of water that possibly held fish, made me a better fisherman.

[JB]

theres so many great anglers out there, I don't think anyone could claim a
#9 experience level

[FlyRod]

Originally Posted by zooker

umm 8 but i am no master of anything except my dog..

zooker

Yeah, right!

Signed,
Zooker's Dog

[rrw4258]

i feel im a 7, but i have also won local tourneys for this year i am 7 and 0, i challenge people to a bass tournament when i see them fishing, but not for money, just braggin rights, but i feel that i can win a tourney at 10-15 places around here...

Ryan

[flippin4it]

I would say that I fall in the 7 range.....

[fishin_dude]

I guess I'll go with 8, but IMO I don't think fishing in tourneys or joining bass clubs makes anyone a better fisherman, the rating system above is kind of deceiving in judgment of skill. I have been bass fishing for 20+ years and I have never had the desire to fish competitively or join clubs and never will. Does that make me less skilled? No. I fish for the pure enjoyment of doing something out of the ordinary, and just being in nature. Now having a bit of knowledge and knowhow is definitely a plus, which is gained by simply having lots and lots time on the water, visiting forums such as this one, and reading up on the latest techniques, or creating your own through trial and error. I feel that I'm a good enough bass fisherman to catch some quality fish, but I really don't care about all of that. It's all about good times with friends, passing down what you know to young ones, and to witness the comedy of fishing. I think when fishing becomes a job, that's all it is, and there is nothing special about work. And to be honest I wish that pro-fishing didn't exist, sure it has brought the technology of lures and equipment a long way and we probably wouldn't have half of our favorite lures we use today without pro-fishing, but it also has it's consequences. The trade off is more people crowding the lakes and streams, less and smaller fish than ever before, high pressured lakes, and pollutants. Just look at all the rules and regulations we have , that says alot about how endangered fishing has become.

[Rodman_Rob]

Originally Posted by fishin_dude

I guess I'll go with 8, but IMO I don't think fishing in tourneys or joining bass clubs makes anyone a better fisherman, the rating system above is kind of deceiving in judgment of skill. I have been fishing bass for 20+ years and I have never had the desire to fish competitively or join clubs and never will. Does that make me less skilled? No. I fish for the pure enjoyment of doing something out of the ordinary, and just being in nature. Now having a bit of knowledge and knowhow is definitely a plus, which is gained by simply having lots and lots time on the water, visiting forums such as this one, and reading up on the latest techniques, or creating your own through trial and error. I feel that I'm a good enough bass fisherman to catch some quality fish, but I really don't care about all of that. It's all about good times with friends, passing down what you know to young ones, and to witness the comedy of fishing. I think when fishing becomes a job, that's all it is, and there is nothing special about work. And to be honest I wish that pro-fishing didn't exist, sure it has brought the technology of lures and equipment a long way and we probably wouldn't have half of our favorite lures we use today without pro-fishing, but it also has it's consequences. The trade off is more people crowding the lakes and streams, less and smaller fish than ever before, high pressured lakes, and pollutants. Just look at all the rules and regulations we have , that says alot about how endangered fishing has become.

damn good answer and the very last sentence is something to think about.

[Rebbasser]

Hmmmmmm......somewhere between 7 and 8. I've mastered most applications, am obsessed with bass fishing, want to learn more, but like fishin_dude I fish for fun-I'm at that point where I don't have anything to prove, except to myself. The day I quit trying to learn is the day I quit fishing. I wouldn't mind fishing in a club, just haven't found one yet, and finally found a good partner to fish with (Flyrod) so right now I'm pretty satisfied.

[fishin_dude]

Originally Posted by Rebbasser

I'm at that point where I don't have anything to prove, except to myself. The day I quit trying to learn is the day I quit fishing.

Exactly..........

[betursweetbass]

Not sure where I would fit in on your scale there JB,

I've been bass fishin for close to 15 yrs now, but have never fished a tourney. I have about 15 different rods n reels, but use mainly four or five consistanly. I fish about 3 days a week on average a year, and I feel my experience and confidence are my best attributes, but don't consider myself a top notch angler, since I fish for fun and just to be out on the water, catching fish is not the main goal for me, but it sure is nice when I do....

I rarely get skunked, I usually catch anywhere from 4 to 15 fish per trip, depending on the weather and the fish themselves. I have been outfished on several occassions where others where catching fish and I could not, and then again, the shoe has been on the other foot as well.
On my own scale of 1 thru 10, "HOW GOOD A FISHERMAN ARE YOU", I would rate myself a 6, maybe a 7 on a good day.
Watching the wild life, and enjoying the water/weather, and just kicking back with a good friend is my idea of having a good time.

I take my bass fishing seriously, but I don't get all wrapped up in it, I'll leave that headache to the pro's. The only ad on our boat is Ranger VS175.

[Captmikestarrett]

I guess I am the last one, but prefer to take people fishing since I am always a money winner there.

Oddly after fifteen years guiding and several years before that in the tournys I still get that giddy feeling each morning I wake up to go fishing. I am truly addicted..

Capt Mike

[bassintom]

#9....i'm always confident i can win or place in any local tourney.and i have done so many times....that's not saying i mastered all techniques(#8)...i just have confidence in my technique. #7 would also apply..
if you don't have confidence you better not even fish tournaments..i don't care what equipment or how much experience you have,you need confidence.having the attitude of "i'll probably do lousy in the tourney" is a sure sign you will not do good.C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E...the most important thing you can take to a tourney.

[1FASTLASER]

Originally Posted by bassintom

#9....i'm always confident i can win or place in any local tourney.and i have done so many times....that's not saying i mastered all techniques(#8)...i just have confidence in my technique. #7 would also apply..
if you don't have confidence you better not even fish tournaments..i don't care what equipment or how much experience you have,you need confidence.having the attitude of "i'll probably do lousy in the tourney" is a sure sign you will not do good.C-O-N-F-I-D-E-N-C-E...the most important thing you can take to a tourney.

Gotta say ditto to Tom on this one. Aint got no confidence dont waste your money. I have not mastered all the techniques but I feel that I am pretty damn good at them. Dont think anyone really ever masters them just gets real good.

[Floridafisherman]

I think im a 6 to a 7, I would be a 1/2 if you guys did not teach me anything form way back when

[flbassman]

3, 7, 8 and Almost 9. I have been fishing for four years, fished a few small tournaments, caught 5 or 6 Eights and above, fish almost every day in a pond, creek or river (If I can get somebody to let me take the boat out) I'm obsessed, and want to learn more, and I feel fairly confident that I could place in most local tourneys.

[ohio_bass_fisher]

im not really sure on a rating on myself bass fishing is no new thing to me but there is still alot of things that need to be learned, i guess u can never stop learning new tricks.. been bass fishin ever since i was old enough to hold a pole.
and still loving it.

[bassthumb32]

7 i havent masterd all aspects pretty good at soft plastics, topwater, and spinnerbaits. not so good with a crankbaits though i keep buying them and dont fish them. ive gotten considerablly better this year so far though.

[Zach_BassFisherman]

i'd have to go with a 7, I havent fished in any tourneys and havent joined any clubs; whats the point? I have fun doing what I do, fish about everyday of the week and like it. I usually never go anywhere further than grove, oklahoma to fish. I like to stay and fish local waters and take the bragging rights of those. I enjoyment of fishing is what gets me, I do though plan on growing up to be a pro-fisherman, but i have a long ways to go, lots of stuff to learn, Ive learned alot from you guys. I could go under a couple of other categories up there though

[skeeter944]

i say a 2 and a 9.i am probably going to fish a tourney this weekend ,if i can get a boater. this is my second year of bass fishing and have gotten very good at fishing soft plastics on a split,dropshot,t-rig,and c-rig.i am learning spinnerbaits and topwaters and jigs,but i dont have a lot of confidence in them. i feel i can place first in the tourney,cause there isnt much competition,only a few people in my division. if i do fish that tourney, i will definitly let you guys know. thanks!

[Hawgin']

It's nice to know that everyone on this board is a borderline professional angler that has mastered every technique. Um.....I'm somewhere between a 2 and a 3. I've only been fishing for a couple of years, and I fish mostly ponds, however recently I have been doing more lake fishing and I have competed in a couple of tournaments, once placing in the money and finishing second in the big bass. So, are we using this system to look up/down on others when they post their opinion? Even 7-10's can learn something from 1-4's I believe, although not us much as us low numbers can learn from you all.

[kickinbass54]

I would have to say that i would rate myself a 6. I may also be pushing it. I dont think you could rate yourself a 9 or 10 unless you were keven vandam or swindle. Those guys can catch fish no matter what. In or out of cometition.

[pig n jig]

I would rate myself a 7. I have been bass fishing for over 12 years, I win a few tournaments every year, but I credit those wins to my good friend Jeff, who wins the majority of the tournaments he fishes, no matter who he has for a partner.Latley, I have been kicking around the idea of giving up bass fishing,but can't figure out what to do to fill the huge void that I would have in my life ? P N J