Head scratcher 2025
Pacoac10 reply :
This is just one of those things that sticks, as far as a how a fishing day went.
A few years back I was fishing at my normal spot and an older gentleman was down about 30 yds. I was doing ok but he was just killing them. After awhile I went down to say hi and see what gear he had. I was puzzled at what I saw a spinning reel on an old and I mean old k-mart spincast rod, with the tip broke off. What looked like 4 different types of line lime green braid, red cajun mono and 2 types of clear line Albright knotted together ( side note thats mad knot trying skills ) and a spinnerbait which the barrel swivel for the blade looked rusted/frozen and maybe 8 strands left on the skirt. Has anyone every seen anything where you get out fished by someone that looked like they got their gear out of a garbage can. That will make you scratch your head.
J Francho reply :
Run what you brung. Good for him! I can't fish with junk, but maybe that was all he could afford, or want to spend. Now it's on you to figure out WHY those fish were 30 yards away from your usual spot.
jimf reply :
I do believe better equipment gives you an edge at catching more and bigger fish. However, I would say for me that it's really a secondary consideration. The most important thing for me is that fishing with nice equipment is more enjoyable.
Pacoac10 reply :
Oh I'm not a gear snob but I guess trying to figure things out is why I like fishing. But things like that make you remember to not discount other people's ways of doing things.
Subaqua Adinterim reply :
First, in most cases when someone is succeeding where you are not; they are either using a technique that they have mastered, (rod, line, lure and presentation) and/or know the water and where to present their bait or lure.
If you are lucky enough, this person will offer you some knowledge and help you out. I have learned so much over the years by watching and talking to those that are successful. A number of years ago when fishing on the Delaware River for trout, I was doing o.k., however, there was an old timer that was catching one on virtually every cast. I went over and talked to him and he was nice enough to show me what he was doing. My catch rate increased substantially the next time I went out and I make sure to thank him every time I see him. I admire and try to learn from those that are successful.
Most of us here have benefited from the knowledge of others and have passed this knowledge along when we can. This site is also such a place where helpful knowledge is shared.
MickD reply :
I went to the Charity Islands in Saginaw Bay with a friend who never got beyond Zebco 33's. We were fishing a nice rocky drop, the deep water about 10-12 feet, and I was fishing tubes. He put on a yellow jitterbug with a metal leader plus enough split shots to take it down, . . .
and almost immediately caught a nice smallmouth.
hummbug reply :
It reminds me of old times fishing the pacific ocean. In my tackle case I had (among lots of other things) a Japanese feather, totally beaten up with just the centerpart of 1 feather left. That thing caught me more Dorado and Wahoo than anything else. I am still wondering: fish like the unusual?
lo n slo reply :
you're talking about my cousin. throw's nothing but a Zoom 5" lizard in gp/chart.,3/16 oz bullet and a 3/0 straight shank Gamakatsu on 12 lb Red Label. i dont care what lake or when. maps? dont matter, cruise along, hank williams radio on the blue tooth, pull up to a row of docks, and start throwing. catches the heck out of them too. makes me laugh. more about the fisherman than the gear. i love it.
bagofdonuts reply :
Sometimes it's the Indian, not the arrow.
XpressJeff reply :
Yup, I learn a lot here.
Thanks for those willing to share!
gimruis reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 3:54 AM, Pacoac10 said:Has anyone every seen anything where you get out fished by someone that looked like they got their gear out of a garbage can.
LOL that was a good one. I remember using an old zebco years ago when I was younger and started to learn and I never caught jack sh**
The Bassman reply :
I thought I was really holding court the other day cranking lipless and slaying 12-15 inchers in my friend's pond when his little girl proceeds to nail two bass on her Barbie combo and plastic worm hooked like live bait!
Jackbrown reply :
I have top of the line gear, Revo MGX, bass Pro carbonlite. seaguar red label, and livetarget jerkbait, y friend catches them just as well with a bubble gum pink senko on a zebco 33....huh
RoLo reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 8:40 AM, bagofdonuts said:Sometimes it's the Indian, not the arrow.
There you go.
It's not the wand, it's the magician 
IndianaFinesse reply :
I probably would have felt bad for him given him a spool of big game, a new rod tip and rod glue, and a new spinnerbait. And I would have most likely been given a lessen in fishing in return.
Pacoac10 reply :
I did offer up some stuff, plastics and line but he kinda brush the offer off and said he was obviously doing fine. I got about 5 bass he easily got 10. So I really couldn't argue with him. It just amazed me how what most would consider a wore out beat up set up was hold up to all those fish.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I was fishing a really clear strip pit with my BIL who isn't much of a fisherman. Visibility was around 20', so I was fishing light fluoro and a small, natural colored soft plastic. My BIL is fishing a 3/8oz chartreuse Wal-Mart special spinnerbait on a cheap spinning rod and Cajun Red line. He was just wearing me out too. I was just in disbelief watching fish after fish rocket off the bottom to smash that bait that was so bright in the clear water that it looked like it was glowing.
soflabasser reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 8:40 AM, bagofdonuts said:Sometimes it's the Indian, not the arrow.
^this^
My favorite bass combo is under $100 and I do quite well catching big bass in highly pressured bodies of water.There are times I fish with a ice rod for a extra challenge(and for some light tackle fun),so there ain't nobody who will convince me I "need" a +$300 combo to catch a bass.
soflabasser reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 4:31 AM, RichPenNY said:First, in most cases when someone is succeeding where you are not; they are either using a technique that they have mastered, (rod, line, lure and presentation) and/or know the water and where to present their bait or lure.
If you are lucky enough, this person will offer you some knowledge and help you out. I have learned so much over the years by watching and talking to those that are successful. A number of years ago when fishing on the Delaware River for trout, I was doing o.k., however, there was an old timer that was catching one on virtually every cast. I went over and talked to him and he was nice enough to show me what he was doing. My catch rate increased substantially the next time I went out and I make sure to thank him every time I see him. I admire and try to learn from those that are successful.
Most of us here have benefited from the knowledge of others and have passed this knowledge along when we can. This site is also such a place where helpful knowledge is shared.
I often go out my way to teach people how to fish and often stop fishing to make sure they learned well what I taught them.2 weeks ago a young man came up to me when I was fishing and asked me if I can teach him how to catch bass since he's never caught one before and by the time I was done teaching him he caught his first bass.This was in a public park that gets hit hard,so I felt very good being able to teach him how to catch bass in that park.I also pointed out a couple good spots in the park and taught him the benefits of catch and release bass fishing.
RichF reply :
Just goes to show ya, bass will bite anything as long as you're around them and they're active. I've seen bass caught on some pretty ridiculous stuff over the years. It can be frustrating haha.
Paul Roberts reply :
I've been "out-fished" at least a few time over the years.
One that stood out was a young neighbor kid who wanted to take me to a pond he fished. He had a cheap rig with precious little -and old- line on it. He had a Band-Aid box with some split shot, snelled hooks (some with dried-up worms still on), and a couple cheap lures. One lure, a cheap little crankbait, he tied on and proceeded to cast and reel back as fast as he could. It was so out of tune it spun wide circles, and the bass crashed it! He had 4 in before I could even decide what and where to cast!
This was back in the early 90's and I had "the latest" in gear. I took it with the humility only someone whose been out in the outdoors a while understands. Or, more accurately, gets beaten into them.
BTW, I proudly still use that old "latest" gear on a regular basis. So if you ever get outfished by some silver-haired gent with an old green/white Cardinal 4, or other such "vintage" stuff, you should take it with due humility.
There are a lot of ways to catch bass. Technology weighs in heavy, but you have to make use of it. And that's darn hard to do everywhere and all the time. Ask KVD. He'll certainly agree.
On 4/5/2017 at 2:05 PM, Bluebasser86 said:I was fishing a really clear strip pit with my BIL who isn't much of a fisherman. Visibility was around 20', so I was fishing light fluoro and a small, natural colored soft plastic. My BIL is fishing a 3/8oz chartreuse Wal-Mart special spinnerbait on a cheap spinning rod and Cajun Red line. He was just wearing me out too. I was just in disbelief watching fish after fish rocket off the bottom to smash that bait that was so bright in the clear water that it looked like it was glowing.
Ouch! Humility hurts sometimes.
RoLo reply :
On 4/5/2017 at 6:59 PM, soflabasser said:I often go out my way to teach people how to fish and often stop fishing to make sure they learned well what I taught them.2 weeks ago a young man came up to me when I was fishing and asked me if I can teach him how to catch bass since he's never caught one before and by the time I was done teaching him he caught his first bass.This was in a public park that gets hit hard,so I felt very good being able to teach him how to catch bass in that park.I also pointed out a couple good spots in the park and taught him the benefits of catch and release bass fishing.
I'll always jump at the opportunity to assist a youngster fishing.
The joy I'd get from 'my' next fish wouldn't hold a candle to the joy we'd BOTH get from the kid's next fish.
Roger
Paul Roberts reply :
On 4/6/2017 at 2:37 AM, RoLo said:
I'll always jump at the opportunity to assist a youngster fishing.
The joy I'd get from 'my' next fish wouldn't hold a candle to the joy we'd BOTH get from the kid's next fish.
Roger
Yeah, me too. Then again, I'd also jump at the opportunity to learn something from the kid with cheap tackle.
RoLo reply :
On 4/6/2017 at 4:52 AM, Paul Roberts said:Yeah, me too. Then again, I'd also jump at the opportunity to learn something from the kid with cheap tackle.
Ain't that the truth?
Mosster47 reply :
I fish high end stuff because I believe it makes casting accuracy, hook setting, keeping a fish pinned, and to an extent detecting bites easier than cheap gear. It can also greatly comfort and limit fatigue which are my two main reasons when you make over 100 casts 300 days a year.
Having said all that if I were forced to fish cheap gear my production wouldn't go down at all. I would adapt to it very quickly.
You go to war with the army you have, not the army you want.
lonnie g reply :
something about fishing with what you are comfortable with and have confidence in. mayby its an instinct thing. or it seems like you try harder. can't knock it if it works tho. I'm glad to hear that gentleman is still fishing. and being satisfied.
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