A Philosophical Question:

[WTL]

I really want to hear from the experienced fishermen. The young ones in this case, I don't think know enough about themeselves to be self-critical enough.

What is keeping you from being a great fisherman?


By this question, I am not asking what the "hole in your game" is. That is something different. Its a narrow weakness that can be helped by merely focusing on doing something differently. You can learn to throw a drop shot in a weekend. That aint keeping you from being the guy.

No, I am talking about intrinsic things here.

For me, it is a severe lack of patience. I change lures. I lose concentration. I decide to go on joyrides when I should be buckling down. I waste time.

Now, having said that, I wonder how much we can to change who we are. You take something about yourself and say you see a weakness in your character, sometimes it can still be tough to change. It takes real self discipline I suppose, and focusing on that weakness to the point where you point it out to others, write it down - really wallow in it till the point of where you are sick of it.

So what is holding you back?

[bassinbob]

Well, I consider myself almost good. I have a long way to go to be great. One problem I have is sticking with what works. Like when I go on vacation. I fish the pads all day instead of learning new methods and becoming proficient. For example-I casted the horny toad and got a backlash. The toad sank while I was getting it out. Once out i started to reel and had a hit. Instead of seeing that I could be catching them that way I went right back to throwing in the pads. I think learning from what happens and why that is different is also holding me back.

[Bender]

I'm not really all that experienced of a fisherman but I do try to analyze my time on the water when I get home at the end of the day.
For me it is seeing the big picture on a lake. Similar to your patience issue I feel like when I pick up a fish then I am either spending too much time on that particular area/depth/lure or I change too quickly. Sometimes I need to take a step back and say "what makes sense to do in this situation and where are they?". Of course hindsight is always 20/20, but someday I want to be able to read a lake, be able to realize what is happening with the fish and why, and to find fish consistently.

[Rebbasser]

Interesting question.

I guess my answer would be it is not the high priority it is to the great ones. I'd rather fish than eat, but if I go out and get skunked it doesn't really matter-I had some time on the water, and that is my escape. I consider myself a pretty good fisherman but great? Not even close. Plus, the great ones spend 200+ days on the water. I go every week if I'm lucky, maybe 45-50 days a year. Sure, I'd like to go more, but then the priorities like making a living to pay for my fishing habit get in the way. And, to be honest, I'm happy being a pretty good fisherman. Being great would be nice, but it just isn't that important to me. Could I be? Maybe, but I'm not really willing to make the sacrifices neccessary to get there.

[wareagle_fb5308]

WTL i have the same problem. It jus seems like i have so many lures and stuff that i wont throw jus one lure long enough to see if its what the fish want. It's definately something i need to work on!

[carolina-rig-01]

mine would be lack of confidence and patience. if i am in an area where i know there should be fish and throwing baits that they should bite but coming up empty i tend to second guess my decisions.

[zooker]

some poeple just have a knack for knowing where to find fish.it is part gut insitnict part knowlage..there is not a lot of luck involved..they are truley awesome in the front of the boat but really suck in the back seat.-the show versus shows this plainly-some guys are unreal as a back seater but suck up front..

as for me i am forced to pay for my habit so i must work. i get about 125-130 days a year on the water. i am not great just an average angler with brust of briliance here and there..

when i first started bass fishing i talked to one of the best i knew-harvey harris sr.-his advice on learning the lakes was simple "pick an creek fish it all do it for a year. week in and week out. then move on to a another creek".. basicly this gives you and idea where the fish are and what to use in that creek..

i really do not have a lack of confidence i know what works where and when. hence the lipless bait off the bare bank whippen lizzy got..


zooker

[CarpMan]

Me and the “Fishing Ho” That’s the name of my boat, go out as often as possible. In 07 we fished approx 100 days, but it’s going to be far less this year. I’m not a great bass fisherman, I’m not even a good bass fisherman but I’m the best in this area ( of four pupils), Probably better than Zook, but who isn‘t better than he after seeing all those little dinks he holds up close to his camera? .. But I know how to enjoy myself on a lake or river with Red or a friend, the peace and tranquility is something you just don’t get back at the office…. And BTW, it’s good to see some of these young kids getting involved in the sport, some are trying to walk before they crawl but give them time they will overcome.

[PowerBass]

Originally Posted by zooker

some poeple just have a knack for knowing where to find fish.it is part gut insitnict part knowlage..there is not a lot of luck involved..they are truley awesome in the front of the boat but really suck in the back seat.-the show versus shows this plainly-some guys are unreal as a back seater but suck up front..

as for me i am forced to pay for my habit so i must work. i get about 125-130 days a year on the water. i am not great just an average angler with brust of briliance here and there..

when i first started bass fishing i talked to one of the best i knew-harvey harris sr.-his advice on learning the lakes was simple "pick an creek fish it all do it for a year. week in and week out. then move on to a another creek".. basicly this gives you and idea where the fish are and what to use in that creek..

i really do not have a lack of confidence i know what works where and when. hence the lipless bait off the bare bank whippen lizzy got..


zooker

I hear you about the back seat thing. I usually do very well when Im on the back seat fun fishing, but I usually enter as a boater in a Tx because Id rather live or die by my descisions. I do decently on the front, but never as spectacular as when im holding down the back of the boat.

My weakness would have to be my mental concentration at times. I have to learn how to focus out my competition. I always hear about guys gettin' em, and it gets to you even when you think it doesnt.

Another one would be patience in a spot. Im gettin alot better at this, this year tho. I go out now and hit 3 spots over the course of a day then say the normal 20-30 spots. I know fish are in these spots, but what will it take to get em to bite. I now start out with a 2 prong approach. Power fish it for an hour or so, if it dont work Im jiggin or worming that area. I usually can pull some fish from each spot now.

The other thing I have seriously been working on is my map reading skills. NJ has a Lake List book, with topo maps of all the lakes in it. I have it. The lakes I fish, I have marked up and down with different colors for depths, I have roadbeds marked, bridges, rock piles, flats etc all listed. I have baits that have worked in the past noted on each page. I can honestly say it has been a major help just by utilizing my maps more.

I never really analyzed my reports before either, why the fish were here, what they were doing etc, until now. Each trip I make notes, mentally and on paper when I get home, why i did what I did, the fish location, baitfish observed, water clarities etc.

[Jim80]

i know I'm not a great fisherman and don't get to spend nearly as much time out as i would like I'm lucky if i could hit the water once a week at this point , between work and my three sons i find my schedule a little bit hectic but my older sons have started to take a interest in fishing which will let me get out a little bit more but for now i am just happy for the time i do get to go , having only a couple hours a week i find myself sticking to lures that i belive should work and not giving others in my box enough of a chance but they will eventually see thier time aswell . By the time my youngest son is 18 I will be in my early forties so the later part of my life will hopefully see a huge increase in my time on the water

[brushhog]

You guys are out of my league, experience wise and skill wise, but since I think I'm old enough I believe I can look at this philosophically enough... I'm a pretty intense person, I consider myself capable of pretty intense concentration and focus in a lot of endeavors, but fishing at the highest levels requires a level of focus and singular concentration most of us aren't capable of. I know for me concentration and the inability to apply what I've read and been told are my biggest weakness. I also know I'll never be great, but I'd like to be better!

Oh yeah, I usually have at least one fishing partner with me age 10 or under - that doesn't always help my focus!

[JB]

My best years of winning or finishing well in tourneys was a result of spending a lot of time on the water, keeping on top of the migration.
The trade off is less family time, theres def. a huge trade off.

[bassnman30]

I've got to start staying on the fish.
Don't leave an area as long as there are perhaps more fish in this area.

[BigBassin144]

I know, I'm only 16, but I know what I need to work on and that would absolutely be patience. If I'm throwing a bait for a while and not getting a bite, I'll get bored and mess around or keep switching lures too quickly to give any of them a chance. I also get frustrated too easily...

BB

[fishin' fool]

I feel very confident in most of my fishing. I am very well rounded, know how to fish shallow and deep with finesse plastic and hardbaits to big spoons, jigs, deep cranks, and large spinnerbaits. The thing that gets me is finding fish in transitional periods! The early spring, late summer and late fall period I struggle with.
Jerkbaits is probably the lure I struggle with and have the least amount of confidence in. I'm trying to learn them though.

[3dkicker]

Who says I'm not a great fisherman already but just don't know it???

[WTL]

Just thought I would bring this question to the forefront of the discussion here. We can all talk about how we stink doing this or that, but when you look at the reasons for that it becomes clear that the problem isn't a lack of ability but some mental shortcoming.

Like for instance my inability to catch bass away from the bank. Yes I can sometimes manage a few, but by and large I am a bank beater. Thats not because I have an inability to read my depth finder or understand why a bass would hold way out in the middle of the lake on a peice of structure, but because I am so inpatient I will motor out to that area, give it 5 casts, ask myself what the hell am I doing out here then go back to a bank. Patience is my problem, not lures, not understanding.

I figure that while we do have an intrinsic nature, perhaps if we look at things with a more discerning eye we can do whatever is in our power to neutralize our weaknesses. Next time I go out I'm going to try and focus. We'll see what happens.

[Buzz Wing]

Originally Posted by WTL

Like for instance my inability to catch bass away from the bank. Yes I can sometimes manage a few, but by and large I am a bank beater. Thats not because I have an inability to read my depth finder or understand why a bass would hold way out in the middle of the lake on a peice of structure, but because I am so inpatient I will motor out to that area, give it 5 casts, ask myself what the hell am I doing out here then go back to a bank. Patience is my problem, not lures, not understanding.

Oh, so true here as well....

-Buzz

[Fish2win]

Catching bass is easy, Its all aboutlocation and presentation. I need to listen to my instincts more and my head less.Many guys consider me to be thier yard stick for fish finding ability. The yard stick I use is much better than me.Fish2win

[bamabassman]

well for me it has to be time on the water. i was away form the fresh waters i grew up with for nearly 20 years. didn't really keep up with what the changes were and so forth. but i do plan on "catching up". and then there is the no bite factor. i tend to get a little upset with myself and start to use things that i JUST KNOW aren't going to work. and then blame the stupidty of it on the day. like fish2win said it is all about location and presentation. and i get upset that i am not doing that the way i KNOW i should. does that makes sense?

[Bob Smith]

There is only one truely GREAT Fisherman and he is the Fisher of Men! Having said that, my role model of greatness for the modern bass fisherman, or any type fisherman has to be Al Lindner. This guy understands multiple species, thier movements, the forage regardless of where he's fishing and what he should do at any given time. While I pattern my thoughts to Al's, I guess the only thing that I would like a whole lot more of is CONFIDENCE. I have tons of it already and fish probably more consistently than most folks especially on difficult and unfamiliar waters. My years of experience has taught me patience, and that has carried over to my family and my professional life as well (a major side benefit of fishing). Those years of experience have taught me techniques and when and where to use them, but it also taught me to listen and pay attention to those who are producing fish around me at any given time. My philosophy is that you may beat me once because I didn't have the winning combination, but it won't happen twice in a row (because I didn't make the adjustment I needed to at the time).
No I would have to stick with CONFIDENCE, even though "Greatness" may seem way to lofty a goal. You can only get better if you continue to strive for that level of success.

[Jim80]

Having the knowledge to catch fish and being able to do it can never compare to the mindset of any given man on any given day , and also the comfort of having something work for you most the time will make you want to use that method more often . I equate that to ordering pizza I mean i have the basic knowledge to make my own and with a little practice i am sure that it would be just as good as what i order from the local pizza place but there is a comfort in knowing that their pizza will always be what i want with out me having to learn a new trick or implement knowledge that i would rather not use .

[vagabond]

For me, its that I don't want to be great. I'm pretty good at what I like to do (part of the time) but am not willing to do what it takes to be great.

I think I'm opposite of most here. I probably tend to stick with something that's not working way to long.

I go fishing to have a good time. Of course it's more fun to be catching but I enjoy fishing T-rigged plastics and top water. I've caught a couple of nice fish with the Carolina rig but I don't like fishing it. I have a mental disorder that makes me buy new baits each time I go to a store even though I'll never use them. I've purchaced over 80 crank baits in the past two years but have fished less than a dozen of them. I tell my self that I am going to only use crank baits every third outing but noticed when it was the crank bait outing I kept putting fishing off. Drop shotting seems boring- almost as bad as throwing power bait for trout. I just couldn't have a fun time doing it.

If I was forced to fish to feed my family I'd do what it took to bring home the food. But then it changes from being pleasurable into a job.

[Lilmoosecountry]

Well for me it's not adapting to new trends in fishing. I 've bean catching fish for so long the old way's. I don't see the need to. Besides as new techmiques come around. It's like the old techniques become new to fish any wise. I love allot of todays reels. But some of the old stuff made more since. Nobody today makes a crankbait reel that as good as the ol lews spped spool. Flipping i found and baught and old Shimano Brush buster. A reel dedicated only to flipping. Got it for 16.16 on ebay what a find for me. The thing is i don't know if i want to change my old way's. They still catch fish.

[backinthesaddle]

I haven't fished in a long time. ( too long for sure) But I remember what my granddad told me growing up... " it only takes one cast to catch a fish, but you never know which one it is." Patience was my biggest prob. hopefully now that I'm a little older that wont be as big of a prob. as it used to be. everything that I have read over the few days that I have been a member here has enlightened me to the fact that I need to fish. fishing isn't about being good or great, its about yourself and meeting the challenge of mother nature. Or just to beat the crap out of the guy in the back of the boat!! not sure yet will let you know soon! hahaha!