Limiting your options 2025

waldo567 reply :

Does anyone limit their tackles options on purpose? I am bank fisherman and have backpack full of baits. I find myself more and more changing baits a lot. I wonder if I would be better off at least every now and then bringing one plano box and a couple soft plastics

bags and focus more on just fishing.

A-Jay reply :

I think limiting ones options can be a good way to help learn a particular bait or technique.

If you only bring 2 or 3 choices, then that's all you can fish.

On the other side of the coin, I've had many trips where I started out with several rigs at the ready, only to fish with the first one I picked up - all day.

Those are usually good days though.

A-Jay

visagelaid reply :

The only time I've limited myself is when I am fishing my neighborhood lake and will only take 2 rods with me and enough tackle to fill a backpack. I find that it limits my changing of baits. I also told myself I am going to learn how to fish a jig, because I have zero confidence in it (still never caught a jig fish). I took only one rod, a jig tied on, and a pair of needlenose with me. 2nd cast, I broke off the jig.

Hawkeye21 reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 3:53 AM, waldo567 said:

Does anyone limit their tackles options on purpose? I am bank fisherman and have backpack full of baits. I find myself more and more changing baits a lot. I wonder if I would be better off at least every now and then bringing one plano box and a couple soft plastics

bags and focus more on just fishing.

I usually stick to just 3 to 4 baits/lures. Always have some kind of crankbait, lipless or square bill. Always some kind of soft plastic, usually a wacky rigged senko. Always have a chatterbait. In the summer I will always have a topwater bait, usually an Ish's Phat Frog. Depending on the time of year and type of water I'll try a spinner bait.

May sound like a lot but I'll have a pole rigged with each so I can just switch poles quick and fish. I can cover a ton of water this way.

scaleface reply :

When i bank fish I carry very little and only one rod and reel combo . Mobility is important and I want to spend as much time fishing as I can .

Team9nine reply :

That would still be too much, but it's a start From the bank, if it doesn't fit in a shirt, jacket or pants pocket, it gets left home 90% of the time. For those other times, there's always the good old brown paper bag or a tiny zipper bag. (8.5" x 8.5"). More than that, you've got separation anxiety

J Francho reply :

I may bring several options in the truck, but only walk the bank with a couple things. I don't usually take much more than will fit in my chest pack. If I feel like I need something different, I make a trip back to the truck and reequip.

waldo567 reply :

Since I mostly fish small pond and lakes and only bring 2 rods I think I would rather spend time fishing and less time thinking about and changing to all kinds of baits. Although like most fisherman I love buying baits. I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Hawkeye21 reply :

Nothing upsets me more than being on the other side of a pond and not having the lure I need. Sometimes you lose your lure and need to tie one back on right away. Since I trout fish a decent amount I make sure I have what I need with me because I may get pretty far from my vehicle so I have a tackle backpack. I also carry at least two poles with me when bank fishing.

Team9nine reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 4:10 AM, waldo567 said:

Since I mostly fish small pond and lakes and only bring 2 rods I think I would rather spend time fishing and less time thinking about and changing to all kinds of baits. Although like most fisherman I love buying baits. I am going to give it a shot and see what happens.

Cut back to one rod while you're at it You simply must get over this fear of "missing" a fish. Only then will you be able to achieve true bank fishing nirvana, young grasshopper....

waldo567 reply :

On 4/12/2017 at 4:16 AM, Team9nine said:

Cut back to one rod while you're at it You simply must get over this fear of "missing" a fish. Only then will you be able to achieve true bank fishing nirvana, young grasshopper....

I miss so many fish that fear is long gone. ?. I just like having bait caster and a spinning rod.

gimruis reply :

If your determined to learn a new method using a new lure, stick with that for at least a while and try to gain confidence with it. There's a reason professional anglers stack their boat with 20 setups and that's because time wasted re-tying or changing lures is valuable fishing time that their lure is not in the water.

waldo567 reply :

I think what is happening with me is that because I have been trying so many techniques and lures I have not really mastered any of them. If I limit myself I can get good at a couple techniques and then move on from there.

jimf reply :

I tend to limit myself when 1) I don't have a convenient way to bring everything and 2)I know the water. Two extreme examples - when I fish out of my boat I bring more gear with me than I do on vacation. Big Plano Guide Series bag full of boxes and then loose boxes stuffed in various compartments and yet more boxes and packages left in the truck. Opposite end - I have access to without a doubt the best bank fishing ponds in the county at my work, and you need an employee badge to get back there so they will most likely stay that way. I've worked here 21 years, I've fished here that long, and they are small bodies of water. To say I know them would be putting in mildly. There I will most often take my rod and reel with me and nothing else.

I also became a minimalist fly fishing for trout. I visited an area of Southwest Wisconsin for years as a tourist and bought attack the streams with a vest just full of boxes and everything. I clanked when I walked. Then I lived there for a few years, right up the ridge from a blue ribbon stream, and spent enough time on the water to where I figured it out pretty well. I would do the River Runs Through it Thing and just stick a few flies in my hat and head down to the stream. I don't ever remember not having what I needed, even though I barely had anything with me.

I think in general people probably error on the side of too much junk and too much complication, so if you are wondering what to do I'd lean toward simplicity.

CTBassin860 reply :

I agree with @A-Jay.I bring 2-3 setups with me.Depending on what time of year and what the fish are hitting determines my gear for that day.Or if i want to learn something ill bring 1 setup and just the baits ill need for that rig.If in in a slump I bring my spinning pole and 2-3 packs of worms.Use the K.I.S.S. method.Learn what baits work on your waters and most importantly WHEN they work.Its all gravy after that.

Bluebasser86 reply :

If I'm on the bank I carry 2-4 rods and whatever tackle fits in my pockets. If I'm in my yak it's the same amount of rods and a small tackle bag with the essentials.

Catt reply :

As I mentioned in a previous thread bank fishing is about accessibility.

Some ponds I fish have well manicured lawns around them while other ponds, creeks, marshes are located in more remote areas.

The areas I select to fish determine what I carry!

RichF reply :

Every year I tell myself to limit what I bring. I try really, really hard....and always fail. I wish I could simplify my approach....sigh...maybe next time.

reerok reply :

Limiting tackle (and rod) options are part of my 2017 strategy. And I'm a boat fisherman.

I've been out 2 times this year (it's early here in Ohio) but both times I've limited myself to 5 types of lures and 5 rods. Granted that's not a meager selection but when I'm used to having enough storage on my boat for everything and anything I'd want, it does feel a bit skinny.

The funny thing is that both trips I've found that

1) I don't feel limited if I've done my research and planning right for the conditions, and

2) I actually end up using only 2 or maybe 3 combos all day anyway.

It's been a good learning experience and has mostly forced me to do my homework up front - prepare for the lake, the conditions, the likely fish seasonal patterns - to be a much more efficient and effective angler.

-reerok

ww2farmer reply :

As a boater, I cut back, way way back on the amount of stuff I carry

I used to stuff 12-15 rods in my boat...............I now use 6

I use to have dozens of 3700 size boxes filled with everything under the sun....I now have 7-8

Part of "downsizing" was a learning process. Over the years I learned what works year after year, day after. So now I carry the "basics" and sprinkle in some new stuff every season. Only once in a while does one of the new wizz bang items make the final cut.

Even my reduced rod/reel, and bait selection can cover the water from the bank to the abyss, from cold water to summer, and any weather and watery clarity conditions I may see.

I am NOT the guy tackle mfgs. market stuff to.

NYWayfarer reply :

I bought a small softsided plano tackle bag. It fits up to 4 plano utility boxes inside or 1 box and 4 gulp jar baits in an included tackle rack. some extra pockets hold my pliers, nippers, wacky rig tool, hook-eze and tape measure.

I limit myself to this bag with 2 boxes and several bags of soft plastics inside. I fill it with baits and terminal tackle based on the fishing I am doing that day, bank fishing small ponds or canoeing a large lake or river.

waldo567 reply :

I went through my backpack and made one plano with lures and terminal tackle and a zip lock with a few soft plastics. Going to bring the couple lures I use often and one new one to try out.

Esoxfreak reply :

I fish a lot of swim and glide baits, so I generally only take one with me.and one rod. I hate changing baits/rigs all day. I fish how I like and I've been fishing this way for about 5 years, and I enjoy it. I don't really care about numbers (I'm lyin, sometimes I just wanna catch "something",lol) but fishing a particular method takes a whole lotta determination! It's got less frustrating over the years but I've learned I'm fishing for myself not to impress nobody on the shoreline.it really pays off in the end when you hook up on your terms. I still fish other ways occasionally but even then I still will only take a square bill and/or a good top water. I own a ton of baits but always select one or two and call it a day.

BrianSnat reply :

I'm the opposite. I own 17 freshwater rods (20 including fly fishing) and my boat's rod rack holds 8. I usually fill all 8 slots and sometmes bring one or two more.

I have a HUGE tackle box with a few of nearly every type of lure. I had to get a second tackle box for just pastics. Yes, I'm a lure hound. Descriptions of "irresistable action" make the lure irresistable more to me than to the fish. In reality, I use maybe 15-20 of those lures consistently.

The only time I dig deeper is when the fish are not biting on my usuals. However I find that if they aren't hitting on my usuals, they won't hit anything I throw at them. I think the times that you will find the one "golden" lure that will work when nothing else does are incredibly rare.

I do have a small, pared down tacklebox of "essentials" that I use when shore fishing, fish from my canoe or bring camping, and limit myself to 2 or 3 rods. Times when it would be impractical to bring the big box and a quiver of rods.

scaleface reply :

You can look at the water and make decisions on a few lures that will effectively fish it all . Lots of times I've just taken one lure .

Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :

Depend on location, I'm gonna fish at. I mostly bring one rod and reel and a back pack with a few bags of plastic and Plano box full with all the hooks/weights when bank fishing sometime two when I wanna try new technique / lure at that location.

But at a few parks I can park my car right next to the fishing spot so I bring more rods and reels pre-tie with different kind of lure just in case.

MisplacedTexan99 reply :

I don't limit myself at all, never know what you might need. I bring a good bit of gear, most stays in the vehicle but it's there if I need it.

WRB reply :

I learned to bass fish casting from the bank with 1 rod/reel and 1 lure a Hawiian Wiggler #3 weedless spoon adding a Creek Chub Injured minnow top water a few months later and caught lots of bass back in the mid '50's. Shore fishing limits where and how you can fish.

The 1 thing bass anglers have in common is buying more lures and tackle then we can ever use. How much stuff we carry is limited to to our ability to carry it.

Tom

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Limiting your options 2025

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