Do you get frustrated with catching dinks? 2024
TriStateBassin106 reply :
Personally I love catching bass of all sizes, but I've noticed lately that a few non tournament anglers on here and other places get extremely frustrated when catching fish that don't make it past 1 to 2lbs.
Why is this? Fishing is supposed to be a relaxing occasion, if you're not in a tournament there's no need to get upset about smaller bass IMO.
Personally I think some anglers should be more thankful that the fish bite at all.
To the anglers who do get upset about catching dinks why do you get mad about it?
Tight lines.
Hammer 4 reply :
Fishing is Fun, no matter what size they are. Sure everyone would like to catch a big bass, but it's all part of the game.
scaleface reply :
Not me ,the more the merrier . I did get frustrated yesterday when I hooked ten dinks using a small swim bait mounted on a jig head and nine of them coughed it up at the boat . LOL What the heck.????
ike8120 reply :
Right now I would be very happy catching any dinks 
WRB reply :
If catching juvenile bass excites you have big population of shoreline cover bass to catch during the summer months. I prefer catching adult size bass and aviod the smaller bass locations.
Tom
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 6:43 AM, scaleface said:Not me ,the more the merrier . I did get frustrated yesterday when I hooked ten dinks using a small swim bait mounted on a jig head and nine of them coughed it up at the boat . LOL What the heck.????
Hahahaha I understand this feeling very well, it tends to happen a lot for stick worms on texas rigs.
senile1 reply :
At my latitude if you catch a significant amount of 2 to 4 lb fish you are doing ok and you get a pretty good tug on your line. I can live with that and be happy until I nail an occasional 5 - 7 lb'er. If I catch a bunch of 9 to 14 inchers I am happy but far from satisfied though and I will be changing locations, or if all else fails, I won't fish that particular body of water.
MN Fisher reply :
I'm only frustrated when catching nothing. Last two trips were semi-frustrating...one decent bass in 3&1/2 hours last trip, one dink bass and snake northern in 3 hours the previous trip. Otherwise nothing - not even a sunnie...that gets frustrating.
JediAmoeba reply :
I am sick of it.
We have an 9 acre pond, that everyone in the community I reside in calls a lake. I live a few hundred yards from it so I fish it frequently. In eastern pa the amount of public water is diminished and the quality of fishing is terrible due to certain people keeping everything they catch. Literally everything.
This year I made a guarantee with some people in our community that I would catch 500 bass out of this pond. Well, it's been a grind. I currently sit at 418 bass caught...the biggest one was 3.2 pounds and counting that one I have only caught 2 over 2 pounds. I catch a lot of pickerel but again, they are small, mostly in the 12 inch range. And I like to power fish but this pond sees a lot of pressure - in the summer it isn't uncommon to see 25 lines in the water all day with people live-baiting. Top water is a no-go and forget most moving baits, the fish just don't hit them. It's a wonder any fish survive at all... Last tuesday when I took the kids down to swim there were 4 kayaks fishing and 12 people on the banks.
So yeah, I am sick of dinks right now. After I get to 500 this year I may not fish it for a while.
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:14 AM, JediAmoeba said:I am sick of it.
We have an 9 acre pond, that everyone in the community I reside in calls a lake. I live a few hundred yards from it so I fish it frequently. In eastern pa the amount of public water is diminished and the quality of fishing is terrible due to certain people keeping everything they catch. Literally everything.
This year I made a guarantee with some people in our community that I would catch 500 bass out of this pond. Well, it's been a grind. I currently sit at 418 bass caught...the biggest one was 3.2 pounds and counting that one I have only caught 2 over 2 pounds. I catch a lot of pickerel but again, they are small, mostly in the 12 inch range. And I like to power fish but this pond sees a lot of pressure - in the summer it isn't uncommon to see 25 lines in the water all day with people live-baiting. Top water is a no-go and forget most moving baits, the fish just don't hit them. It's a wonder any fish survive at all... Last tuesday when I took the kids down to swim there were 4 kayaks fishing and 12 people on the banks.
So yeah, I am sick of dinks right now. After I get to 500 this year I may not fish it for a while.
Eastern PA is a sleeper bass area, which county does this pond reside in? I would move spots and if you see people catching and keeping the legal limit please report them to the local authorities. It'll do the waterbody a favor.
JediAmoeba reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:20 AM, pondhopperNJ said:Eastern PA is a sleeper bass area, which county does this pond reside in? I would move spots and if you see people catching and keeping the legal limit please report them to the local authorities. It'll do the waterbody a favor.
The situation for the fish & boat commission is not in a good place in Pa. Each person has a huge territory covering multiple counties and many bodies of water. They focus their energy into their stocking programs and conservation rather than enforcing policy. I have been in contact with many authorities on the matter and have the "local" fish commissioners number due to some infractions I witnessed.
At Beltzville reservoir this spawning season a guy had a stringer of 15+ large bass he was snagging off beds(bass were not in season). He had one that was probably over 8 pounds - I have never seen one that big. I called the office and they told me they had no one within 100 miles. I called the park office and they told me that isn't their problem. This was 12 noon on a Monday. I emailed the commission and got call backs from Harrisburg and they explained their funding issue and lack of officers. It doesn't help in Pa that we have separate commissions for Fishing and Hunting.
Anyway, about half the people I run into fishing don't even bother to purchase fishing licenses so we don't even have a lot of money going into the pot to help these efforts.
greentrout reply :
this morning the bass were busting the shad ... good sign the state's efforts to renovate the lake are working ... good to see that happening again ... however ... the fishing was really tough ... glad to catch two 14 inch bass ..... and watching the wolfpack bass annihilate the shad was fun ...
good fishing ...
Scott F reply :
For me, fishing isn’t about the size of the fish. It’s about being outside, enjoying the company I’m with and having something tugging on my line. I never get frustrated if a fish tosses my lure back at me, or I lose a big one boat side. All the fish go back in the water so at the end of the day, I’ll never be unhappy if I spent the day fishing.
gimruis reply :
Dinks do sometimes get old but it’s certainly a lot better than catching nothing. If I wanted to catch nothing (other than a cold or a buzz), I’d go ice fishing instead.
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:28 AM, JediAmoeba said:The situation for the fish & boat commission is not in a good place in Pa. Each person has a huge territory covering multiple counties and many bodies of water. They focus their energy into their stocking programs and conservation rather than enforcing policy. I have been in contact with many authorities on the matter and have the "local" fish commissioners number due to some infractions I witnessed.
At Beltzville reservoir this spawning season a guy had a stringer of 15+ large bass he was snagging off beds. He had one that was probably over 8 pounds - I have never seen one that big. I called the office and they told me they had no one within 100 miles. I called the park office and they told me that isn't their problem. This was 12 noon on a Monday. I emailed the commission and got call backs from Harrisburg and they explained their funding issue and lack of officers. It doesn't help in Pa that we have separate commissions for Fishing and Hunting.
Anyway, about half the people I run into fishing don't even bother to purchase fishing licenses so we don't even have a lot of money going into the pot to help these efforts.
Real shame, over here in NJ we have many NJDEP wardens that stop by our local ponds, people are constantly getting fined and arrested for having too much.
Sam reply :
Everyone counts.
With my wife's medical condition I have not fished other than one time from my boat this year. Caught a 4-inch dink for my troubles.
In the meantime, I fished three ponds and have nailed 45 dinks and one two-pounder from the bank with limited time.
Can't wait to go our into the wild and catch something over 2 pounds. Even a catfish will do! 
FishinBuck07 reply :
Fishing for me is like therapy, when I go fishing I forget about everything else that is going on in my life! That peace of mind is worth it alone, but no I enjoy catching them all. It is more about the outdoors and making memories with friends and family when I go fishing! Catching fish of any size is just a plus for me!
lo n slo reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:43 AM, Scott F said:For me, fishing isn’t about the size of the fish. It’s about being outside, enjoying the company I’m with and having something tugging on my line. I never get frustrated if a fish tosses my lure back at me, or I lose a big one boat side. All the fish go back in the water so at the end of the day, I’ll never be unhappy if I spent the day fishing.
well said
NYWayfarer reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:10 AM, MN Fisher said:I'm only frustrated when catching nothing.
Amen.
I am a quantity over quality kind of guy.
JoeInCT reply :
I’m a therapist and fishing is also my therapy for all the reasons Fishinbuck mentioned above. What better way to enjoy nature than with the excitement of fishing: I catch a lot of chicks when I fish for smallies locally and I love every one I catch.
TriStateBassin106 reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 9:53 AM, NYWayfarer said:Amen.
I am a quantity over quality kind of guy.
This is 1000.000% truth, i'd rather catch 15 smaller bass within 4 hours than 2 bigger ones. Catching bass in numbers means you're doing something right.
The Maestro reply :
I don't really get frustrated with anything when I'm fishing anymore. Really windy days can be a pain but if I feel myself actually starting to get angry or frustrated that's the point when I know my fishing day is over and I'll make a bee line to the docks and not even think twice.
I think it's part of the evolution you go through as an angler over time. I've had way too many days where it feels like I can't buy a bite and then catch a giant after hours of skunkage.
Fried Lemons reply :
If you're catching a lot of dinks and getting frustrated you should probably change locations and/or presentation. You might luck into bigger fish but the tactics that catch small bass are not ideal for catching big bass.
drew4779 reply :
I wouldn't say "frustrated" is the right wording for me, because I definitely view fishing as therapeutic. My wife will even tell me to go fishing when she starts to notice stress getting to me. But when I hit the the water, my approach is to catch one out of the gate, then i fish for that one big bite. I've caught thousands dinks. I'm always looking for a new PB. There are ponds and lakes that I've abandoned because catching fifty 9" bass a day just doesn't do it for me anymore. The exception to that is if I'm taking my kids or someone who doesn't fish a lot with me. Then it's all about quantity. But any day spent fishing is a good day.
Ppennin986 reply :
To me even if it’s dinks or even skunked. any time on the water is golden because of the lack of time I get, I treasure that time.
Bluebasser86 reply :
Depends on the degree of dinkiness. If I'm catching a bunch of 12-14 inchers, I'd rather catch quality fish but numbers are fun too. Now my last few just for fun trips I've been really working to get bites and they've been mostly 8-12 inch fish, it's been frustrating.
Koz reply :
Frustrated? No. Do I find it enjoyable to catch dinks all day? Not really, although some days my son wants quantity over quality so we'll do that for a day.
But me, I like big bass, In fact, just thinking about it makes me want to break out in song:
I like big bass and I cannot lie
You other anglers can't deny
That when you get the bite and land an itty bitty dink
All you can do is sit back and think
I've spent all day sitting on my @$$
And all I want is a great big bass
Baby got bass
Lyrics by Sir Fish-a-Lot
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
You mean this size? Nope no complaint here either especially when you catch them on UL set up.
Pickle_Power reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 7:58 AM, gimruis said:Dinks do sometimes get old but it’s certainly a lot better than catching nothing. If I wanted to catch nothing (other than a cold or a buzz), I’d go ice fishing instead.
Jump in my ice shack. I catch more numbers through ice than I do any other season . And a 9" bluegill on a noodle rod is a way better fight than a 16" bass on a MH!
Dens228 reply :
A few years ago I wanted to catch bass, that was my criteria. After awhile I wanted bigger bass, that was my criteria. As I got into tournaments I found myself getting upset when I'd catch 20 bass and they were all 12-14 inches and realized that before tournaments I would have been doing back flips.
I still target big bass. The other day I was catching bass like crazy on a T-rig but they were all around 14 inches. After a bunch I switched to jigs and only caught two bass in the next three hours but they were a 19.5 and a 21 which are nice catches here in northern Illinois.
It's slowed down a lot here the last couple weeks so Monday I'm putting my kayak in a quarry where I know the bass won't be big but I'll catch a ton and have a blast.
roadwarrior reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 10:34 AM, pondhopperNJ said:This is 1000.000% truth, i'd rather catch 15 smaller bass within 4 hours than 2 bigger ones. Catching bass in numbers means you're doing something right.
Not me...I would rather catch one quality bass than a hundred squeakers.
frogflogger reply :
I agree with Larry Dahlberg in that at first I just wanted to catch a bass, then I wanted to catch a bunch, that morphed to big bass fishing - now I want to catch them my way - which is usually some new lure or technique I've cooked up.
Todd2 reply :
I only get frustrated if I don't catch anything, but yeah, who doesn't like catching big Bass. There's nothing like setting that hook hard and the fish doesn't move.
scaleface reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 11:54 AM, Bluebasser86 said:Depends on the degree of dinkiness. If I'm catching a bunch of 12-14 inchers, I'd rather catch quality fish but numbers are fun too. Now my last few just for fun trips I've been really working to get bites and they've been mostly 8-12 inch fish, it's been frustrating.
Exactly . 12 to 15 inch fish , stay on them all day ,less than 12 inches try for something bigger . If I catch enough the chances are decent that one or more will be big . Id rather catch fifty bass with a six lber thrown in than just 1 six lb fish .
senile1 reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 9:03 PM, scaleface said:Exactly . 12 to 15 inch fish , stay on them all day ,less than 12 inches try for something bigger . If I catch enough the chances are decent that one or more will be big . Id rather catch fifty bass with a six lber thrown in than just 1 six lb fish .
A 15 inch largemouth is running about 2 lbs, or a little higher if it is a fat one. I enjoy those and they usually fight pretty hard. I will enjoy 14 or 15 inchers for a couple of hours, more or less, but at some point I seek out larger fish. ???? There is a big difference between a 12 inch bass and a 15 for me.
ohboyitsrobby reply :
Just fun fishing I just wanna catch fish. Preferably in the manner I wanna catch them. Generally if I catch a bunch of fish at least a couple decent ones will be mixed in. Especially if my 5 year old is with me. Anything over a lb is big to him.
OCdockskipper reply :
I don't mind catching dinks because they typically are giving me information leading you to where the keepers are (at least on my lake). Rarely do I find keeper bass & dinks occupying the same places.
For example, if I catch three or four 8 inch bass on a Ned rig thrown up tight to the cray walls, I know most likely that the keeper bass are somewhere else. They may be deeper, they may be near docks, but that day (at that time), the keepers aren't there. I have had days where the dinks will be in a location and hours later, the keepers move into the same location, but more often than not, they tend to stay segregated.
So no, I don't get frustrated with catching dinks. They keep me busy while giving me information. Plus I always enjoy checking out each fish to make sure they are healthy.
WRB reply :
I used the term juvenile bass to define a dink bass knowing it's nearly impossible today for anyone to agree on common bass fishing terms. Not long ago a dink met a bass under the legal size length to keep, a keeper was a bass long enough to keep legally or if tournament fishing a bass longer the minimum length for the event.
In California a "dink" bass would be under 12" long, the legal minimum length is 12" unless the lake has a slot length.
The term big bass may not be possible to define to everyone's satisfaction, usually used to define a bass much larger then the average keeper.
If you enjoy catching dinks that is a choice and reading this thread surprises me the majority replies enjoy catching them.
Tom
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
On 8/4/2019 at 12:20 AM, OCdockskipper said:Rarely do I find keeper bass & dinks occupying the same places.
A little bit differ than you. Two days ago I thrown a dink into a group of dinks and got a 4lber. Lol
But seriously after that fish (bottom picture) I put down Gantarel Jr. and went back to UL for my dinks crappies.
@WRBI wouldn’t call it enjoy but a circumstance. I still remembered 10-15 years ago when I lived in OC where I only go to city park lake around.
What do you think I caught? Of course skunked most of the time and if I caught a tiny bass that would made me so happy. That kept me going until these day.
reelfast reply :
Upsize for your baits and you will catch less of them. I throw 10 inch ribbon tail worms, 7 inch senkos, 2.5 crankbait and so on.
You will still catch some small one’s, but less so when you are using smaller bait. At least that has been my experience.
WRB reply :
On 8/4/2019 at 2:15 AM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:A little bit differ than you. Two days ago I thrown a dink into a group of dinks and got a 4lber. Lol
But seriously after that fish (bottom picture) I put down Gantarel Jr. and went back to UL for my dinks crappies.
@WRBI wouldn’t call it enjoy but a circumstance. I still remembered 10-15 years ago when I lived in OC where I only go to city park lake around.
What do you think I caught? Of course skunked most of the time and if I caught a tiny bass that would made me so happy. That kept me going until these day.
I thought we had a new member from Canyon lake!
Tom
cyclops2 reply :
I now carry 3 made up rods. !.5" rapala. A double spinner. And a 8" saltwater floater with a 4 oz weight.
First 2 are Dinky rods ( desperate )
I enjoy all perch & large bait fish .
The 8" lure means I am satisfied with a boat ride.
flyfisher reply :
I'll pass on catching small ones all day over a few big ones. If i start catching smaller ones I move and rethink my strategy because generally I haven't seen large and smaller fish hang out in the same locations.
Bankbeater reply :
It's nice to catch a 5+ pound bass every once in a while, but fishing once or twice a week I'm good with catching 1 to 2 pounders all day.
cyclops2 reply :
What REALLY reduces the fish supply in 5 to 10 years ? Those invasive CORMORRANTS FULLY PROTECTED by F & G of most states I fish in.
BLESS CANADA !! They kill them.
The Cormorrants sneak into fish farms constantly. Why not ?
scaleface reply :
On 8/4/2019 at 2:01 AM, WRB said:If you enjoy catching dinks that is a choice and reading this thread surprises me the majority replies enjoy catching them.
If I could catch 15 lbers like you I definitely would not be wasting my time catching smaller bass .Being a six lber is a big bass where I fish , I can catch bass less than 15 inches and still catch the larger bass frequently .
Hillbilly Bennett reply :
For me, if I didn’t want to catch dinks then I wouldn’t go fishing around here. On the lakes I fish in Eastern KY if you catch 5-6lbs in a Thursday night tournament you will win 95% of the time. 2-3 15 inch bass almost always Gets you the win. This year I think I have 7-8 bass 3 pounds and up out of the 3 lakes I fish most and that’s pretty good for here. What our bass lack in size, they make up for in sheer numbers of dinks. I can go to my home lake and pound the grass for 2-3 hours and come out with 20-30 10-13 inchers or I can fish the ledges and deep points in that same lake every day for a week and maybe catch 3 bass over 15 inches. It is what it is but that’s also why we take road trips to Chickamagua, Dale Hollow, Cherokee and Guntersville several times a year. It’s like a man dying of thirst finding an oasis when we get to get on a lake that has some quality fish in it. Fishing good lakes will spoil you rotten and if you are lucky enough to have a good lake to fish, enjoy it.
Armtx77 reply :
An oldie but goodie:
A day of catching dinks, is better than a day at work.
Like others, it is therapy for me. Sometimes Im so involved in fishing, that I dont appreciate, sometimes not even notice, the spectacle that Nature affords us.
If I caught 50 of them that were 14" long, I would be just fine with that.
geo g reply :
Have you ever watched MLF? Do they ever get frustrated catching fish, whether 14 inches or 20 inches. They get frustrated when their not catching. When your catching your doing things right. There are a lot more smaller fish then bigger ones. The smaller are often quicker to the bait then bigger ones. Keep catching and a bigger one will come along. The tug on the line and placement of the bait is what makes me happy. If I am casting and pitching well, I'm having fun. I don't worry about how big they are, I'm having fun and that's the most important thing!
Catt reply :
Depends on the body of water I'm on.
A friend of mine has a large pond stocked with "true F-1 Tiger Bass®" up to 8 lbs. So when I spend hours beating the water to a froth & only come up with tighteyes it's a little disheartening!
greentrout reply :
that little dink has already beaten astronomical odds against it for its survival ...
good fishing ...
OCdockskipper reply :
On 8/4/2019 at 2:15 AM, Bass_Fishing_Socal said:A little bit differ than you. Two days ago I thrown a dink into a group of dinks and got a 4lber. Lol
But seriously after that fish (bottom picture) I put down Gantarel Jr. and went back to UL for my dinks crappies.
I think the exception to the rule is when a larger bass is targeting dinks to eat them. I wonder if that was the case with that fish.
scaleface reply :
This topic comes up frequently . I target both quantity and quality at the same time .
MassYak85 reply :
For me when I go out it's to catch average size fish or better. To me a dink is about a lb or less. Not gonna complain about catching one but if I go out and catch only drinks I don't consider it a successful outing. Doesn't mean I didn't have fun but again, mission failed so to speak.
haggard reply :
On 8/3/2019 at 6:58 AM, WRB said:If catching juvenile bass excites you have big population of shoreline cover bass to catch during the summer months. I prefer catching adult size bass and aviod the smaller bass locations.
Tom
What he said. I do like catching dinky shoreline cover bass so I don't go home getting skunked, but at some point it's more rewarding to find bigger smallies out deep, even if they're far fewer. It takes a lot of effort but the reward is great. Fished 8 hours today, got only 3 fish (two bass), this one on a 5 inch worm. Worth it? Yes.
Dens228 reply :
As a follow up to my original reply to this post.........
The last two times out I caught a total of three bass and one surprise gar,,,,,,first gar ever. Fished about 5-6 hours each time. So today I went to a quarry that I always do well, nothing huge, but good numbers.
The bad news is that I went through two packs of Watermelon/Red Flake Rage Tail Craws this morning. The good news is that I went through two packs of Watermelon/Red Flake Rage Tail Craws this morning. And that was AFTER they stopped hitting my popper and cranks...........LOLO
contium reply :
I don't get frustrated but I don't get much enjoyment out of catching 10" bass. As long as they are of legal size, I'm good with them. It's a mental thing for sure. Funny thing is I do enjoy catching bluegill and crappie.
the reel ess reply :
Dinks don't excite me. If you're fishing a place you know has good bass and you're doing the right things, then those dinks are just the steps along the path to the next lunker. Often, this time of year, the bite can get really tough for bass around here. On those days, I'm grateful for the dinks. When you downsize and go finesse, to some extent, that's what you're targeting. My buddy has a pond chock full of stunted bass I like to refer to as the dink factory. A couple of bad outings will send me back to the dink factory to catch 15 or 20 and feel like I got my mojo back.
Team9nine reply :
Always happy to see a few dinks come aboard. It means the bass are successfully spawning and recruiting into the population, which is usually a good thing.
Darren. reply :
Dinks = NOT A SKUNK day !!! 
So therefore, I welcome our Dink Overloards,
as long as I have a day with a catch.
PigFarmer reply :
I’m not good enough to get mad at catching dinks. If I’m catching fish, I’m having a blast. If I’m not, it’s still better than being at work. Fishing is like therapy and it’s way cheaper!
DanielG reply :
Isn't it all relative? Seems on some youtube vids the dinks they're pulling up are the hogs in my experience. Here, 2-3+ pounds here is pretty darn good. 1.5 is nice. 1 lbs is small but still fun. In some places these sizes would be used as bait.
Like I said, all relative to location and experience?
Chowderhead reply :
I’m good with catching a “dink.” As many on here have noted, this answer will vary by location, experience, life demands, etc... For me, my once a week (if I’m lucky) trip to a local pond usually lasts no more than 3 hours. I always hope to catch fish (and happy when I do), but just being away from the office and getting outside is already a good day for me. I generally will catch about 6+/- LMB in the 1 to 1 1/2 pound range. Biggest this year is “only” 3.47 pounds. Would I like to catch more/bigger fish? Sure, but my work schedule and my small Nebraska neighborhood ponds tend to work against me. Am I ready to go fishing again to catch a few more small fish? Absolutely!
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