Little Fish Or Skunked? 2024
roadwarrior reply :
Okay, this is NOT about tournament fishing, fun fishing only.
On another thread a member wrote that he would rather catch little fish than none at all.
I'm wondering what you think about that statement? My take is to always target bigger fish,
I don't mind being skunked. As a matter-of-fact, if I never catch another fish under 3 lbs,
that is fine with me.
kylek reply :
I will take a bunch of dinks over being skunked any day. I just love to catch fish, size does not matter to me one bit.
Jake P reply :
I'm with you RW. I don't get the satisfaction I want unless I'm catching fish atleast at the 3 lbs mark.
QUIENYO reply :
I'm with you RW, although my cut off would be about two pounds. Of course that is because a two pound bass in southern Arizona is still decent. To me, half the enjoyment of going fishing is the outing itself. If I get skunked, I can fall back on "a bad day fishing always beats a good day at the office".
Dwight Hottle reply :
A good skunking motivates me. I'll fish all day for one big fish.
Siebert Outdoors reply :
Fishing for fun. I'd take the 15" bass over nothing. Especially when the Boss is with me. If she isnt catching fish it makes for a long day. I like to enjoy my time and catch fish when I go. If it means dinks, dinks it is.
ClackerBuzz reply :
I agree RW and I stick to my guns 90% of the time. Big fish hunting is where its at for me. However I admit I still have moments of weakness where a 12" dink puts a smile on my face after 3+hrs of Pepe le Pew. I think its all relative to the skill level of an angler and/or their goals
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 1:36 AM, ClackerBuzz said:I think its all relative to the skill level of an angler and/or their goals
That could very well be. Im still new to this and I'd much rather catch something small than nothing. Maybe my oppinion will change when I start to catch fish more consistenly.
BassinLou reply :
Catching dinks gives me hope that there is something bigger around vs fishing for hours at at a time with no signs of life. When top water fishing those 2lbs still get my juices flowing because sometimes you would have sworn that something bigger hit.
tjwhite1 reply :
I like to catch fish every time I am out obviously so some dinks do not bother me. However, if I become plagued with little dinksters after about an hour I will get tired of it and do things more suited to catch a big fish. Also for some reason it seems more times than not the days when I catch bigger fish I seem to catch less fish.
MarkH024 reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 1:02 AM, roadwarrior said:As a matter-of-fact, if I never catch another fish under 3 lbs,that is fine with me.
Really? Man, 3 lbers here are decent fish. I need to move South. I would like to be able to say, I'll pass on 3 lb bass.
As for the topic, I'd like to catch dinks over being skunked. I don't mind being skunked but I go giant hunting when I musky fish. I don't expect to catch musky every time out. When I fish bass, I better at least catch one! lol
Shane J reply :
I feel like I failed to do what I set out to do if I don't catch quality fish. I'm only after the bigger fish, so getting skunked and only catching dinks feels the same.
deep reply :
Depends if I'm fun-fishing or not. Sometimes a "follow" will make my day when I'm not fun-fishing. When I am, I start getting bored if I don't get a bite every fifteen minutes.
fun-fishing = when I'm not targeting the biggest bass in the reservoir.
HeavyDluxe reply :
In general, I'll take the tight line - no matter the species/size. But, if I'm having a run of nothing but runts, then I will very, very intentionally pick lures and presentation to try to 'select' for bigger fish.
But, I figure I can't really control what bites my line. So, I'm pretty happy so long as something is bitin' and pullin'.
A-Jay reply :
Without putting a pound / size on what qualifies a bass as a dink in any particular body of water / area of the country,
I prefer to fish for what ever is the better than average or trophy size fish in that impoundment.
I am not interested in sore lipping several Juvenal bass in the process.
A skunking is a bit humbling when trying to catch smaller fish but is just part of the process when targeting larger fish.
A day or a couple of completely skunked trips, indicates that I am definitely doing something wrong - so I'm learning.
It doesn't mean however, that I have to actually like it.
A-Jay
bleedingshrimp reply :
I'd rather catch dinks than nothing at all...at the same time a single big girl is much preferred over twenty shrimps.
tomustang reply :
I always fish for fun, anything is always better than nothing.
But if I was in a place where I bought rods and reels retailing $400-500, boats specifically to target bigger bass, then I would probably grow a mentally to where I'd only want 3lb and up
GeorgiaBassBros reply :
I like catching bigger fish but I'd rather catch a few dinks than nothing at all.
SirSnookalot reply :
I'm going to try and be tactful. Firstly all of my fishing is for fun, not that I'm not serious about it. My prime targets are way bigger and stronger than bass, I get plenty of that kind of action almost everyday.
When I do go bass fishing, which is most afternoons, I'm happy to catch any size. This is my relaxing time to fish, it can be as much fun as a 15# snook which is as common as a 3# bass, I really enjoy bass fishing. When I see PB of 4-5-6 or even 10# that means 1 fish and most are way smaller, hard for me to understand scoffing at a 3 pounder. If I'm looking to have fun, 3 pounds is great I'd just be downsizing my gear, which is how I fish for them. If 3 pounds is a dink, maybe some should forget bass fishing and only target larger more powerful species, I'll stick with my dinks and have a ton of fun.
Bankbeater reply :
I was skunked plenty of times while I was learning how to bass fish. IMO, if I only catch one dink in an afternoon that means that I have successfully started to put together a pattern and given enough time I will be able to find the larger fish in that body of water.
Highhawk1948 reply :
Most of the fish I catch are 12 to 14 inches. I know that if I am catching fish I will hit some good ones sooner or later.
Bob C reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 5:01 AM, MarkH024 said:Really? Man, 3 lbers here are decent fish. I need to move South. I would like to be able to say, I'll pass on 3 lb bass.
As for the topic, I'd like to catch dinks over being skunked. I don't mind being skunked but I go giant hunting when I musky fish. I don't expect to catch musky every time out. When I fish bass, I better at least catch one! lol
Same here. 3# is a big fish, 5# is a monster. A couple weeks ago I was in the shallow weeds and caught 8 in less than an hour. The largest was 12". 
Bob
flyfisher reply :
Tough question really. I am not a big fan of catching dinks ( a relative term to each body of water) but they do break up an otherwise slow day.
I just recently got back into bass fishing about 3 years ago and after the first year newness wore off where i was happy to catch anything i have definitely started tailoring my fishing to try and find the biggest bass in the lake. Haven't been real successful this year but i did get my PB earlier in the year that measured a shade under 26" so needless to say i was pretty pleased 
I think that is what keeps you going, the chance of catching the big one that didn't get away.
Tuckahoe Joe reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 8:01 PM, Highhawk1948 said:Most of the fish I catch are 12 to 14 inches.
X2. Started fishing in July and my biggest ones only been 18 or so.
SGT Rico reply :
Big, or nothing for me. I have purged all my "small bass" tackle out of my tackle bags. I don't throw worms under 10", and my jigs are all 3/8 once and bigger. Dinks still manage to bite my big worms, crankbaits, and big jigs. I mainly fish solo, so I can stand to go hours without a bite.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Depends on your classification of a "dink" I suppose. If you're talking a 10" fish or nothing, then I'll take nothing. If it's RW's classification of a dink, I'll take a 3 pound fish any day of the week. The lakes close by me suck, plan and simple. The one I fish Wednesday night tournaments on anything over 2.5 pounds is a kicker fish and if you get one over 3 it's a lock for big bass.
K_Mac reply :
I always target bigger fish unless I'm fishing with someone who just wants to catch fish. I get as much from putting someone on fish as catching them myself most of the time. I do not consider a 3# fish small though; If after catching a few fish in that range nothing bigger shows up, I will try something or somewhere else just to see if the bigger girls can be persuaded to bite.
I am OK with being skunked as a result of focusing on bigger fish, and I don't mind fishing all day for one bite, but if in the process a smaller fish or two shows up it is a bonus for me. I like catching fish...
BASSHUNTER1961 reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 3:13 PM, SirSnookalot said:I'm going to try and be tactful. Firstly all of my fishing is for fun, not that I'm not serious about it. My prime targets are way bigger and stronger than bass, I get plenty of that kind of action almost everyday.
When I do go bass fishing, which is most afternoons, I'm happy to catch any size. This is my relaxing time to fish, it can be as much fun as a 15# snook which is as common as a 3# bass, I really enjoy bass fishing. When I see PB of 4-5-6 or even 10# that means 1 fish and most are way smaller, hard for me to understand scoffing at a 3 pounder. If I'm looking to have fun, 3 pounds is great I'd just be downsizing my gear, which is how I fish for them. If 3 pounds is a dink, maybe some should forget bass fishing and only target larger more powerful species, I'll stick with my dinks and have a ton of fun.
Much more tactful than I would have said.
I think it's pretty sad that most of you rather catch nothing. I've been doing it for 40+ years and I still enjoy catching any size fish. If I was fishing for money and food it would be a different story, but for fun no.
scaleface reply :
Id rather catch small fish then nothing at all. I love those 100 fish days and there are usually few big fish being reeled in when Im having a busy day of catching dinks.
thehooligan reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 2:25 AM, BassinLou said:Catching dinks gives me hope that there is something bigger around vs fishing for hours at at a time with no signs of life. When top water fishing those 2lbs still get my juices flowing because sometimes you would have sworn that something bigger hit.
I agree with this, topwater fishing is my favorite. The blood starts pumping when i see that explosion, even if its a dink. I also love panfishing on ultralight gear, nothing puts up a fight up like a feisty yellow perch.
J Francho reply :
My partner targeted anything that'll bite. I swung for the fences.
SAC2 reply :
dang you guys that could "do without 3 pounders" must be blessed. a limit of 3 pounders in jersey is almost unheard of
1234567 reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 5:29 AM, deep said:Depends if I'm fun-fishing or not. Sometimes a "follow" will make my day when I'm not fun-fishing. When I am, I start getting bored if I don't get a bite every fifteen minutes.
fun-fishing = when I'm not targeting the biggest bass in the reservoir.
Spot on brother, when trophy hunting even a follow can give you that next clue to get that big one and it is exciting just to see that DD just eyeballing your bait as eventually she nonchalantly turns and swims away. Fun fishing is completely different and I'd take small bass over skunk any day doing that!
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
I'd rather catch a baby bass than nothing at all. At least having something tugging on the line is a plus.
paul. reply :
Ima Bass Ninja reply :
On 10/16/2012 at 8:44 AM, paul. said:humble pie tastes a heckuva lot better than goose egg.
Haha that's great!
CoBass reply :
On 10/12/2012 at 11:06 PM, scaleface said:Id rather catch small fish then nothing at all. I love those 100 fish days and there are usually few big fish being reeled in when Im having a busy day of catching dinks.
My feelings exactly. I fish to relax. Around here anything over 3 lbs is pretty respectable and DD fish are almost unheard of. I'll take dozens of 1-2 pounders with a 3 lb kicker any day over getting skunked. I have a few friends that throw big swimbaits exclusively. They catch 20 or so fish per season in the 4-8 lb range with lots of skunks in between big fish. In the same time period I catch closer to 1,000 fish in the 1-3 lb range with a few 4's thrown in the mix. I like my numbers better.
SirSnookalot reply :
I agree about the arrogance towards smaller fish, much of it has to do with the waters you are fishing. As many are aware I fish saltwater 7 days a week in the mornings, and do my bass fishing in the afternoons. Wintertime is not the best time to be fishing inshore, I can go many days without even getting a strike, or may catch but 1 fish, usually pleased with size. So when I do go bass fishing I'm real happy just to be getting a tug on my line, I'm there for the enjoyment. My average bass is probably no more than 15" at best, sure I get some bigger ones but a lot of smaller ones too. If 3# or less was too much of dink for me, I'd probably forgo bass altogether and fish for a larger species. Looking at some of the PB's that are but 4 or 5#, whether some realize it or not they have been catching dinks with the rest of us.
ClackerBuzz reply :
one summer i was a waiter at an 'all you can eat' crab house in Maryland beach. claws would break off the blue crabs while steaming and the cooks would dump all the broken ones on a tray for the staff to eat. i thought it was the greatest 'perk' ever getting to chow down on free crabs for dinner. a cook looked at me on my 3rd day and said "by the end of the summer you'll be sick of eating crabs". I said "No way!" with my mouth stuffed full of buttered crabs and old bay seasoning. well he was right...i ate so many crabs by mid-summer that i didn't eat them again for 2 years. its not arrogance, after awhile you get tired of eating dink pie
scaleface reply :
This is yesterdays haul. The lake has a slot limit ,12 to 15 inch fish must be released. The Conservation Dept encourages the harvest of small bass in a lot of our lakes. So I target 11 inchers to eat. Those pesky big fish interrupt the fun. Fish were caught on a Rogers shallow diving Big Jim.
J Francho reply :
This time of year I just go bigger when I can't get a big bass bite. Those browns and steelies are fun on bass gear. 
HeavyDluxe reply :
On 10/16/2012 at 2:41 PM, ClackerBuzz said:i ate so many crabs by mid-summer that i didn't eat them again for 2 years. its not arrogance, after awhile you get tired of eating dink pie
FWIW, I don't think anyone's arguing that we go through seasons where you're "tired" of catching [insert species, size, or number] and would rather be catching [insert different species, size, or number].
Heck, I just went out the other night and specifically went after carp for a change. But, that said, I still agree with most folks on here that - generally speaking - I'd rather catch small somethings instead of nothing.
roadwarrior reply :
WOW!
What's really surprising to me is that the guys living in Big Bass states are satisfied with little fish.
Size is relative to the water that is availlable near where we live. Here in the Mid South very few
double digits are caught. We dream of fishing in Florida, Georgia, Texas, California and Mexico.
Regarding "arrogance", when I was a kid all I wanted was anything alive! Since discovering the
Senko in 1997, I have become a fairly serious recreational fisherman. If I were a tournament fisherman
my mind set would be different, but since I'm just a "fun fisherman" I want to chase the Walmart Girls.
I don't remember if Big O wrote this or just said this to me on one of the Road Trips, but this sums up
my thoughts exactly, "I target the biggest fish in the lake or river I'm fishing". He seems to "get lucky"
quite a bit. Fish Chris, WRB, Dwight Hottie, South FLA, 00 mod and others seem to share this philosophy.
If you think they are just lucky, you're dead wrong.
scaleface reply :
I must be lucky and have good water to fish in as I rarely get skunked and often catch big fish . My avatar photo was caught in July on a 2.5 inch worm. A Senko cut in half and tricked out. LOL. I usually fish in small Conservation department lakes on week day's and frequently have the lake to myself. Here's a photo of the tricked out Senko.
BassinLou reply :
RW, I live in a big bass state and yes they are a lot of big bass in Florida. I live relatively close to everglades and I am only able to go out once or twice a month tops. Although there are big bass to be had if I catch one awesome and if I don't oh well. However when you catch over 50+ bass in a day using top water hollow frog and the fish are avg 2- 3.5lb. I just can't put down my rod and say I am only going to focus on catching a big bass. In situations like those the big bass is one cast away. Sometimes she comes sometimes she doesn't.
BassinLou reply :
Scaleface what type of set is that with the swivel and the hook looped thru? Looks interesting.
scaleface reply :
That just keeps the worm from balling up on the shank. I think it hooks more bass and snags less when working through brush.
BassinLou reply :
Cool thanks!!
J Francho reply :
Clever! Same principle as a Parasite Clip.
Ratherbfishing reply :
If it were a choice between thick ribeye steak or puny little hotdogs (with both being available to a greater or lesser degree), I'd go with the steak. But unfortunately, I'd starve to death if I waited for the steak.
p.s., "Walmart girls"! That cracks me up!
Diggy reply :
catching>>not catching ...when it comes to fish
colds and diseases is another story
roadwarrior reply :
Targeting big bass doesn't always eliminate the little guys.
Saturday on the Tennessee River below Pickwick Dam:
We didn't have good water to start with and then TVA cut it back. Still, we had a big day for numbers.
Our two big fish were green, a 3 and +/- 5. Everything else was small except for a gar and drum. The
only two species we didn't catch were stripes and white bass.Total count was somewhere north of 70
fish between 11:00 and 4:30. We went through 3 lbs of minnows and quit fishing early when we ran out.
MFBAB reply :
RW - You said in the first post, if you never caught another fish under 3lbs that would be OK w/ you, right?
Then, in this last post, you guys caught 70 multispecies the other day, with the 2 largest bass at 3 and 5.
Can you honestly say that your trip would have been just as much fun if you just scratched the other 68 and those 2 fish were the only ones you guys caught all day?
I'm really not trying to be a stirrer, but I've had many days fishing over there very similar to the day you described; and yes, the days you get a big smallie probably stand out a little more, but those 70 fish days are still a blast, especially when TVA is jacking around with the water flow. At least to me they are
roadwarrior reply :
The fun fish was the gar. The fish struck out about ten yards from the bank,
then bolted in front of the boat heading for the middle of the river. This run
was classic BIG SMALLMOUTH. When she started to come up, man our hearts
were racing, game on! Then she broke the surface. "Cheap Thrill" no doubt.
ww2farmer reply :
Even when I am fun fishing, I am dissapointed by a day full of fish less than 3lbs. I will take a handfull of good bites all day over numbers. I learn more from a skunking than I do catching a bunch of dinks and 12" fish.
YOman! reply :
most days its quanity ove quality, some days its quality over quanity.
Arv reply :
I'll take bites over no bites any day of the week. However, I do know the feeling of catching 8-10'' fish all day. After a point you're basically reeling them in just to get them off. As of now, for me, anything over 1lb is decent.
weekendfisherman reply :
I would have agreed w/ simply catching dinks over being skunked last year. This year though, my catches have been fantastic and I can honestly say that I never want to go back. Lol! I have had two over 8 lbs. and several in the the 6lb. range...along w/ many other great bass! This all came on a lake where only 10% of the bass are LM and most are smaller due to the cold, clear water. I read an article by *** about fishing at "first light," and it changed everything! I have caught more and better fish from the bank than our tourney fishermen have on this lake this year! That came in part to help I received on this site (see "Many Thanks in Fishing Reports")...
alexczarn reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 1:07 AM, kylek said:I will take a bunch of dinks over being skunked any day. I just love to catch fish, size does not matter to me one bit.
I totally agree.
Amoore9900 reply :
Here in Indiana if I'm fishing the public lakes up north I know I'm not going to get the size so i would be happy with a few 15 inchers....here on my lake depends on the time of the year in the Spring march-may we were getting 4 to 5 pound fish everyday trip so we got to the point that we weren't interested in anything under 5 pounds..spolied I know...as the year went on we wanted to catch fish decent size 14 in above and were still trying for the 7 pound and above fish...The goal as most bass fisherman have is 10 pounders....got 1 and lost 2 or 3 in that range...
Big-O reply :
LOL... nice topic and is it OK if I vote for neither 
I'm fine with spending my time searching for large models regardless of the bite or catch count. On the waters I normally fish, I have that option so It seems more interesting that way.
If I catch small fish where I believe the big fish should be, I consider it a plus because it's a sign for me to move on to the next spot faster and possibly ck back later.
rmcguirk reply :
By myself or with other people who fish, I'm always trying to catch the biggest fish in the lake. If all I was looking for was numbers, I'd hook a nightcrawler (or part of one) under a bobber and fish along the weedline. And that's what I do when I take kids out for some fun. In most of the lakes I fish, you'd get bit all day long. No doubt, many would be some type of sunfish, but you'd have non-stop action.
But, if you're asking me if I'd rather get skunked or catch a dink, I'll take the dink every day. Like most have said, I'm out there to enjoy the day. Fishing, alone, is a enjoyable; catching is the cherry on top, even if it is a dink.
LCpointerKILLA reply :
A day fishing is always better than a day working, so it really does not matter.
jignfule reply :
I wanna caught fish when I go fishing & I could live on 3 pounders all day long in Idaho.
Fish Chris reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 1:25 AM, Dwight Hottle said:A good skunking motivates me. I'll fish all day for one big fish.
There you go ! Couldn't have said it better myself
Heck, I can (and have, on too many occasions to count) gone out and caught a few, or a bunch of small fish, and when the trip is over, I feel pretty much skunked anyway.
Dinks just don't count for anything,
Fish
mg4u2nv reply :
I can weigh in(pun intended) on this topic. Being a recreational fisherman big fish are considered a bonus. My situation is very different than a lot of peoples. I fish from shore in urban areas most of the time down here in south florida. Whether the fish is 1lb or 6lbs i still get all excited when my fluke, crank, spook, frog, worm, or whatever gets hammered! again its just my own personal experience.
PABASS reply :
I like to go catching, not fishing lol..
Bank fisherman here so I don't have the fancy electronics and anti sink devices to put me on fish, with that said I would rather catch something than nothing at all especially with my limited time I have to fish. Now If I could fish 5-7 days out of the week than I would be chasing those Wal-Mart girls lol, but I don’t and twice a month if I am lucky so to catch anything is fun for me. Plus for me when I catch a few small ones I can establish a pattern and go after the big ones and even weed out the small ones.
I would rather catch a smaller small mouth than a larger black bass, especially in the river man what a fight. I hate when black bass just roll over and let me pull em in evan the 3 ponders what a bore, wont get that with a smallie..
Fish Chris reply :
rmc
QuoteBy myself or with other people who fish, I'm always trying to catch the biggest fish in the lake. If all I was looking for was numbers, I'd hook a nightcrawler (or part of one) under a bobber and fish along the weedline.
Agreed, except not usually under a bobber for me.
Funny thing is, while in certain X's and places, crawlers can be unbelievable for numbers of smaller fish, they can also be the ticket for a monster..... again, in the right time and place, and of course, fished the right way
Peace,
Fish
alienfishermen reply :
I hate getting skunking, but it has make me fish harder and am a better fisherman now
Where I fish ever other one is aleast 3lb
but on a good day your only going to catch 3-4
I go fishing down south la on lake verret and you'll catch 40-60 in a day but only 1 or 2 over 14in, after a short while you get tried of the fish flying by u when setting the hook
wisconsin heat reply :
On 10/11/2012 at 8:19 PM, Bob C said:Same here. 3# is a big fish, 5# is a monster. A couple weeks ago I was in the shallow weeds and caught 8 in less than an hour. The largest was 12".
Bob
thats how it is in my neck of the woods, ive caught maybe 4 fish that have gone over 3lbs, 2 of them are my PB's topping at 3-9. and this is in 4 seasons of bass fishing
SirSnookalot reply :
I catch my share of fish that have a bit of size to them not to mention some incredible fights, but it doesn't happen near as often this time of year. Not that I give up fishing saltwater but I spend more time bass fishing now than I would in the summer. It's always nice to stick a big bass, but that isn't the real goal, the objective is to be outdoors and have some fun, bass fishing is the perfect medium because seldom will I go skunk. Is my level of enjoyment any different with a 2.9# or a 3.1# bass, probably not. I don't weigh them anyway, I'm not consumed with a PB or strictly targeting larger ones, they happen all on their own usually when I least expect it. Sure it's fun, but enjoying the outdoors is even better, even if I do get skunked.
Bankbeater reply :
Seems like I catch larger fish in the colder months, but not as many of them. When it is warm out I see a lot of dinks.
J Francho reply :
When it's warm, the bigger bass are often resting in deeper water, so you won't "see" them, unless they are feeding shallow.
wrat reply :
I cant stand getiing skunked
bassfisherjk reply :
Hate to say it but I would rather catch a little bass instead of getting skunked.
ol'crickety reply :
I fish wilderness lakes in Canada, where it's rare to see another canoe, so there are few small fish because fish aren't being caught and kept and there are few big fish, because the summers are short and the winters long. An average smallmouth is 16.5 inches, which some of you would consider small, but I love 'em. If I had to choose between one monster on Lake Erie or a typical hundred bass day in Canada, I'd take Lake Erie for ONE day and spend the rest of my days catching those 15 to 20 inch-bass.
SirSnookalot reply :
IMO the difference between catching smaller fish and a larger one is which fish gets to the bait first. If I thought I was targeting only bigger fish I'd fooling myself into thinking I'm some kind of world class fisherman. I've caught little fish on big baits and big fish on little baits, I'll take all the sub 3 pounders that come my way, the next cast just may yield that 10#+, or that " bonus fish".
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 12/20/2012 at 1:51 PM, ol said:I fish wilderness lakes in Canada, where it's rare to see another canoe, so there are few small fish because fish aren't being caught and kept and there are few big fish, because the summers are short and the winters long. An average smallmouth is 16.5 inches, which some of you would consider small, but I love 'em. If I had to choose between one monster on Lake Erie or a typical hundred bass day in Canada, I'd take Lake Erie for ONE day and spend the rest of my days catching those 15 to 20 inch-bass.
The typical day on lake erie fishing for smallies can be very similar to Canada regarding the numbers but bigger average size. I have had days with 50-100 bass in the boat with two people fishing but the size runs from 1-4 lbs with a shot at a 5lber. This is very prevalent with live bait. But i hear about wanting numbers with a shot at a personal best.
ol'crickety reply :
On 12/20/2012 at 11:52 PM, Dwight Hottle said:The typical day on lake erie fishing for smallies can be very similar to Canada regarding the numbers but bigger average size. I have had days with 50-100 bass in the boat with two people fishing but the size runs from 1-4 lbs with a shot at a 5lber. This is very prevalent with live bait. But i hear about wanting numbers with a shot at a personal best.
A part of me is tempted to transplant some gobies to some smallmouth lakes in northwestern Ontario. The smallmouth also aren't indigenous. I won't do it, but I would love to have a Dwight-sized pic or two and even better if I were in a canoe!
I fish a lot of leeches in Canada. I'll begin and end a day with surface baits, but when they stop hitting the surface baits, they'll keep hitting leeches. Nightcrawlers can turn to mush up there if there's a hot spell, but I can leave those leeches out of the water for an hour by oversight and they'll be fine.
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 4:50 AM, ol said:I fish a lot of leeches in Canada. I'll begin and end a day with surface baits, but when they stop hitting the surface baits, they'll keep hitting leeches. Nightcrawlers can turn to mush up there if there's a hot spell, but I can leave those leeches out of the water for an hour by oversight and they'll be fine.
Have you ever tried any black bunny jigs? They replicate leeches very much. Paul Jensen of jensen jigs makes them.
http://www.angelfire.com/biz2/jighead/rabbithairjigs.html
ol'crickety reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 5:04 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Have you ever tried any black bunny jigs? They replicate leeches very much. Paul Jensen of jensen jigs makes them.
http://www.angelfire...ithairjigs.html
I haven't, but I will. Bounce 'em off the bottom?
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 5:40 AM, ol said:I haven't, but I will. Bounce 'em off the bottom?
Yes. Or you can fish them same way you would fish any other jig. Leeches borrow in mud bottoms over winter & emerge in the spring soon after ice out. Be careful fishing them as walleye & pike love them as well.
ol'crickety reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 6:31 AM, Dwight Hottle said:Yes. Or you can fish them same way you would fish any other jig. Leeches borrow in mud bottoms over winter & emerge in the spring soon after ice out. Be careful fishing them as walleye & pike love them as well.
Pike are my foes! They take my lures. Walleyes are my friends because I put them in my belly! Every year, I catch some nice pike, but I don't bring them into the boat because they're berserkers and I don't want to tangle with the teeth in my slim canoe,
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 8:10 AM, ol said:Pike are my foes! They take my lures. Walleyes are my friends because I put them in my belly! Every year, I catch some nice pike, but I don't bring them into the boat because they're berserkers and I don't want to tangle with the teeth in my slim canoe,
I guess Pike are rather good tasting from what my co-worker and others have mentioned.
J Francho reply :
On 12/21/2012 at 9:11 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:I guess Pike are rather good tasting from what my co-worker and others have mentioned.
Yes they are! It amazes me that such a foul natured, stinky, slimy, ugly creature could taste so good. You have to know how to fillet them, though. I use the "5 steak" method, One back strap, two sides, and two tail fillets. Just cut around the Y-bones, and get this:
dumfish reply :
Well, if I were spoiled like some of you, I would probably give up angling unless I could fish Bill Dance's honey holes.
roadwarrior reply :
The reserviors of the Tennessee River have been his "honey holes" for years
and they are open to the public 24/7/365. An important aspect of targeting bigger
fish is selecting the best lakes or rivers availabe to you in your area. We don't have
the same opportunities here in the Mid South as some of the guys in the "Big Bass
States", but it is pretty well known which water gives you the best chance at a trophy
fish.
Goose52 reply :
I just read through all the posts and I think most of the points of view have been covered. For me, there is more to fishing than "catching." Like SirSnook said, it's one way to get outdoors. No cabin fever for me as long as I have soft water - I fish, at least for 30-45 minutes, every day I can, in the nastiest weather if necessary. A mild winter here so far, the coldest that I've been fishing (and caught a fish) was 31 deg air temp, winds steady at 25, gusting to 35, wind chill 17 degrees or lower - all that for a 15" bass. I fish in the same or worse weather and often get no fish. The point is to get outside and enjoy it. I don't want to sit on the sofa and think about fishing, I want to go fish.
Now, once I'm on the water, do I scoff at <3lb fish. NO way. Fish size is dependent on the quality of your water. The good news is that all my lakes are within a 6-mile radius of my home - I can jump in the car and be at a lake in a couple minutes. The bad news is that these lakes are not very fertile, and I could quote all the bad news from our lake consultant's reports but basically, conditions are poor in my lakes for size and quantity of fish. There ARE some big fish to be caught...but not many. After catching over 3,300 bass in the last 3 seasons, and having a pretty good idea of what's in my water, I've established these LMB size categories for my lakes: <10" = dinks, 10"-13" = OK fish, 14"-17" = nice fish, 18"> = BIG fish. Another measuring stick - the local bass club allows 10" as a keeper, and the 6-7 hour tournaments are often won with 5 to 7lb (2-angler) bags. Some boats won't catch a 5-fish limit. So, with that kind of water, I have to take what I can get. If I can get a couple nice fish (14"-17") during an outing, it's been a nice day indeed.
So, what ARE my goals when fishing? 1) to catch a fish - any fish. I want to feel that tug on the line, 2) to catch a bass (after all, I'm supposed to be a bass angler), 3) to catch a bigger bass... 
If I DO get a 3 pound fish - man, time to celebrate - they don't come often...
I work hard for my fish....
tnriverluver reply :
I only fun fish now so if it makes it into my boat I am a happy fisherman. Even if it is a trash fish it is still fun to feel that tug on the line. As far as bass go I prefer eating small bass over just about any other species and try to keep a few in the freezer from time to time. Our local bass lakes have a 14-18 in slot and the majority of the fish are in this slot and are bigger than I would keep to eat anyway. In the fall I can get on the small 12-13 in fish and have a blast along with getting a few for an occasional dinner. If you can't enjoy catching small fish I think you are taking fishing too seriously and missing out on just having some fun. I tournament fished for several years and understand the competition aspect but there is a point the tournament fishing becomes work instead of fun. Try to enjoy life more cause you never know but to what today is going to be your last. 
SirSnookalot reply :
Been catching a whole bunch of these little guys, lot of fun, I get outside for an hour or 2, beats watching Dr Oz.
BassinLou reply :
Little guys?? LOL. I wish those little guys were out in the glades this past weekend. Those out there will then be considered teeny tiny guys.
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