Is There A "6 Lb Bass" Joke/myth Used On Beginners? 2024
Bucketmouth King reply :
Is there a 6 lb bass joke or myth used on beginners?
Heres why I'm wondering. Im new to this. This is my first year fishing. I fish almost every day with several ponds and canals on a rotating schedule. Ive noticed that every single time I learn about a new pond, the person is telling me "I've caught 6 pounders in there". None of these people telling me about these ponds are related or know each other. But they all say the exact same thing.
Now heres the catch- all of the ponds are only 1 acre or less. One of the ponds ive caught nothing but 8 oz bass when one bites at all. Another spot I cant clear 2 lbs. Another spot I cant clear 3 lbs. So I tried a test- I caught my pb of 4 lbs last week. Took a pic of it. Showed it to the pond owner who told me about the 6 lbs he caught in there. I didnt tell him the weight. Just showed him the pic. He said its the biggest fish hes seen out of that pond.
So I'm wondering- why does everyone say "theres 6 lb bass in there". Is it a joke the old timers play on beginners?
Alonerankin2 reply :
Uh, is that anything like a tent lock? Lol.. Fishermans tale? Maybe. Funny post though..
Missourifishin reply :
People like to tell big fish tales. And a lot of people like to embellish them. Why everyone you talk to seems to have either caught 6 pounders, or chosen 6 pounds as their made up number, is a mystery to me though.
Catch and Grease reply :
I honestly believe 6 pounds is the weight used most when people make up stories.... I've been to countless places and people tell me the same thing like " yeah I caught a 6 pound out there last week!"
Its got to the point to where if someone says they caught a 6 pounder I believe them less then a guy that says he caught a 5 or 7lber LOL!
deep reply :
Most people don't know how big a 6# bass really is (you're in MD right)? Do what I do and ask them 6 pounds and how many ounces that bass was lol (and you'll likely find the fish wasn't weighed).
Josh Smith reply :
I done caught me a 10-pounder out'n thar jus' a week afore the sister's a'weddin!
Dang ol' thang took me aroun' tha pond a coupla' times afore I fin'lly landed 'er in tha jonboat!
A'course, that don' compare to tha one I caught as a lad back in '89..!
Josh
geo g reply :
Small ponds can very well support a few big fish as long as there is a good supply of food. Sounds like you have been catching the food, instead of the big ones.
wisconsin heat reply :
I wouldn't believe them haha. It is so easy to mis-judge the size of a bass when you do not catch many (especially of a certain size class).
I caught a large 3lb 9oz bass a few years ago, when I first landed it, I thought it weighed 6 pounds. After 1 minute of looking at it, I was thinking 5 pounds, I was kind of surprised when i saw it was only about 3 1/2 lbs.
A year later, I catch a fish of the exact same size (3lb9oz), at first i think 5lb, then I was realistically thinking 4 1/2.
A year after that I catch a fish of similar size and I say "that fish will go 3 1/2 pounds." It ended up being 3lbs 5oz.
Point of my story is that a person who doesn't usually catch these fish and recognize the actual size of them will over estimate the fish's size.
So unless those guys regularly catch big bass and weigh them, don't believe them, it was probably a 2 1/2 pounder.
Darren. reply :
It is funny, to be honest. I actually try to encourage
people that ask me about the waters I fish -- I really
HAVE caught numerous 6 pounders, like the 6.6 in
my avatar.
That said. I like it best when talking with a fisherman
and s/he pulls out a phone and shows me the fish
they're talking about. Then there's proof in the pudding.
I tend to roll my eyes when I'm told - duuuude, I had
an 8 pounder on my line right over there but I lost it.
Being nice I usually just nod my head and smile. Inside
I want to ask if he weighed the bass before he lost it
in order to verify it was indeed an 8 pounder he lost...
Silly humans. 
Especially fisherhumans.
lectricbassman reply :
I fish a pond and was told by a couple of anglers that there were 5lb fish in it. All summer the biggest i could manage was 2lbs. I just figured they were telling stories like fishermen do. . .until i saw onr with my own eyes! 5lbs 9oz, i would not have believed it had i not seen the guy weigh it.
reb67 reply :
The beginners are not the only ones who have the big fish eyes. This past spring the same day I caught my pb a 5.9 which my wife was the one who netted it for me, as we where fishing our way back down the river we came across a guy we see on the river and lake all the time he fishes all the local tournaments in the area. I had never seen the man fishing with him before but right after we past them the tournament fisherman landed a nice bass and of course he had to say " hey yall left one " . The other guy asked him about how big was that fish he responded about 6lbs as he dropped it back in the water . My wife looked at him and looked at me and said are you kidding me the fish you just caught looks like it could eat that fish he just caught. The bass may have been 3 - 3 1/2. All I could say is he has BIG FISH EYES.
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 7:28 AM, Bucketmouth King said:Is there a 6 lb bass joke or myth used on beginners?
Heres why I'm wondering. Im new to this. This is my first year fishing. I fish almost every day with several ponds and canals on a rotating schedule. Ive noticed that every single time I learn about a new pond, the person is telling me "I've caught 6 pounders in there". None of these people telling me about these ponds are related or know each other. But they all say the exact same thing.
Now heres the catch- all of the ponds are only 1 acre or less. One of the ponds ive caught nothing but 8 oz bass when one bites at all. Another spot I cant clear 2 lbs. Another spot I cant clear 3 lbs. So I tried a test- I caught my pb of 4 lbs last week. Took a pic of it. Showed it to the pond owner who told me about the 6 lbs he caught in there. I didnt tell him the weight. Just showed him the pic. He said its the biggest fish hes seen out of that pond.
So I'm wondering- why does everyone say "theres 6 lb bass in there". Is it a joke the old timers play on beginners?
Its not a joke, they are just showing off how successful of an angler they want to be
Weld's Largemouth reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 8:10 AM, Catch and Grease said:I honestly believe 6 pounds is the weight used most when people make up stories.... I've been to countless places and people tell me the same thing like " yeah I caught a 6 pound out there last week!"
Its got to the point to where if someone says they caught a 6 pounder I believe them less then a guy that says he caught a 5 or 7lber LOL!
I caught a 6 lber 
ww2farmer reply :
Because most people wouldn't know a 6lber if it slapped them in the face. Once scales are brought to the table, 6's become 3's, 3's become 14"ers, and so on and so forth.
QUAKEnSHAKE reply :
Where I fish if I say what size fish Ive caught that day lets sat 15" without fail the person that asked me will say they caught one 2" bigger 17". Doesnt matter what number I give theirs is always 2" bigger. I catch a 19" they say they caught 21", I catch 14" they catch 16".
And yes one of my buddies lost a 6# trying to lift it out of the lake grabbing the line, so he said. 
Bassguytom reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:47 AM, ww2farmer said:Because most people wouldn't know a 6lber if it slapped them in the face. Once scales are brought to the table, 6's become 3's, 3's become 14"ers, and so on and so forth.
People that don't fish as we do don't use scales. I hear the 6 lb. mark often as I am walking around my local lake and it usually comes from someone using a surf rod or similar set up. They also tell me they catch smallmouth in a lake that does not hold smallmouth. I had a fella tell me the biggest bass he ever caught he caught in th Schuylkill river. I said "wow that's great! How much did it weigh? He said 13 lbs. 6 oz. I said wow that is awesome! I didn't have the heart to tell him the Pa state record was 11 lbs 3 oz. Perception really does drive reality. More 4 and 5 pounders for me.
Jolly Green reply :
I've never seen a six pound bass, maybe because another common trait among them is that they are all caught here yesterday.
BooyahMan reply :
Funny enough, 6lbs was the marker that the locals at the lake I frequent told me had been caught the year before I started bass fishing. I took it with a grain of salt but at the same time, I figured there had to be some truth of "big fish" to the rumour so I kept fishing the lake. I spent a whole year and a half catching dink after dink after dink after dink until I started figuring out techniques to catch 2-3 pounders consistently. Then on one random outing I nailed the biggest bass I've ever seen come out of this lake (see avatar). I'm another one that doesn't carry a scale and I think 6lbs is probably pushing it, but it was a solid 5 and dwarfed my second biggest bass. Regardless if it was a 6 or not, what's not to say that there's not another one just a bit bigger swimming around that is true 6lber?
Moral of the story: everyone might be lying/embellishing, but doesn't mean a few lunkers don't lurk in those waters! 
FishinDaddy reply :
A "6 pounder" for you is about 60% of your state record and probably not all that common. Which says the lake is a good quality lake. 6 pounders for me are pretty common but it's also only about 30% of my state record. It would take a 12 pounds to get to 60% of the Fl record.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:47 AM, ww2farmer said:Because most people wouldn't know a 6lber if it slapped them in the face. Once scales are brought to the table, 6's become 3's, 3's become 14"ers, and so on and so forth.
On 11/9/2014 at 10:06 AM, Bassguytom said:People that don't fish as we do don't use scales. ...
Ditto.
In the north it's "5lbs". As you go progressively south it goes up: "6", "8", "10".
These are "representational measures" and have no truth of measure beyond a level of excitement or ego boost. And they are often obtained via "relative measure" that goes like this:
An angler catches three 12" bass (1lb each), thinking "nice 2lbers". Then he catches a 16"er (a true 2lber) and knowing it's bigger than his previous erroneous guestimate says "Whoa! that's a good... 3lber!" Then he hangs a 18"er (a true 3lber) and says, "Holy Moly! 6lber!!! Wooo hooo hoooo!" (Notice the change in numbers are more exponential than linear.) Makes for a great story too when he gets home to share his excitement and accomplishments, thinking "You shoulda been there to see that gorgeous fish! I'm so excited!" The measure ("6lbs") is more a measure of excitement and pride than actual flesh and blood.
Relative measure is often socially derived and influenced. Anglers commonly end up comparing their catches to weights thrown around on TV, video, and magazines, as well as their buddies' erroneous measures. Media measures are often yielded from southern waters where bass grow bigger than they do in the north. Bassmaster only recognized (may still) only 10lbers in their angler awards, which sets an impossible mark for northern anglers. More intelligent assessments go regionally, like In-Fisherman's Master Angler Awards, and others use a proportional difference from the particular state's state record fish.
This is human nature. And psychologists have been studying this for decades in all sorts of ways. Daniel Kahneman won a Nobel in economics for his 30+ years of work measuring we human's (in)ability to take measure of the world around us. Fascinating and revealing subject on how our minds work. So... I try not to take such measures of fish personally. But I do carry a quality (regularly calibrated) scale with me and report real numbers. My numbers often wind up lower than most people's. I can handle it. 
lectricbassman reply :
I try very hard to not embelish my fishing adventures. In fact im brutally honest. I cant count the number of times ive been skunked, countless dinks, less 'nice' fish and even fewer fish worth writing home about. It doesnt benefit me one bit to have a skewed perception of actual bass sizes. Im not out to impress anybody but myself.
Skeeter Dan reply :
I was told that in order to be a good fisherman you had to lie about the fish you catch. If you didn't then you could never be any good at it. If I had to rely on fishing to feed myself then I would starve
Missourifishin reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:49 AM, QUAKEnSHAKE said:Where I fish if I say what size fish Ive caught that day lets sat 15" without fail the person that asked me will say they caught one 2" bigger 17". Doesnt matter what number I give theirs is always 2" bigger. I catch a 19" they say they caught 21", I catch 14" they catch 16".
And yes one of my buddies lost a 6# trying to lift it out of the lake grabbing the line, so he said.
Exactly! Every one has to claim to have caught one a little bit bigger.
SirSnookalot reply :
Never know how big an unlanded fish is, photos can be deceptive as well. I personally don't weigh anything, I go by inches which are indicated by marks on my rods at 20" & 25", close enough for me. 6# or 22-23" here in a Florida pond is a nice catch but not that unusual, catching one on a ul or light spinning with a top water is still pretty cool.
Brnnoser6983 reply :
This is why I mounted my 6 ponder. No fish stories here, just proof. But I think as some have said. 6 lbs is a good decent size bass, and here in Minnesota that's a great size. So it's a great figures to give on a fish tail, but who's to says there aren't 6 lbs bass there. Everyone told me I was fishing a duck pond not worth fishing when I caught my 6 er.
Matter of fact my profile pic is of the 6 lb bass my brother in law and myself caught. And both are hanging on our walls.
Slade House reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:47 AM, ww2farmer said:Because most people wouldn't know a 6lber if it slapped them in the face. Once scales are brought to the table, 6's become 3's, 3's become 14"ers, and so on and so forth.
Well SLAP SLAP SLAP Here is the 7.23 lb bass i caught on friday early evening, and here is the 6.09 I caught on Wednesday both on a crankbait on 8lb flurocarbon
. Weighed with my DIGITAL scale. welcome to Lake Casitas, where if you're not catching a 5 or 6lb bass a week then you're doing something wrong (so sad cause it used to be if you didn't catch a 10lb bass a week, and will be again when they start stocking trout). ALSO where a 20lb bag of bass won't even get you in the top 5 at any tournament. but yeah, unless you have a digital scale you can't ever begin to say "i caught a 5lb bass"
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 7:28 AM, Bucketmouth King said:Is there a 6 lb bass joke or myth used on beginners?
Heres why I'm wondering. Im new to this. This is my first year fishing. I fish almost every day with several ponds and canals on a rotating schedule. Ive noticed that every single time I learn about a new pond, the person is telling me "I've caught 6 pounders in there". None of these people telling me about these ponds are related or know each other. But they all say the exact same thing.
Now heres the catch- all of the ponds are only 1 acre or less. One of the ponds ive caught nothing but 8 oz bass when one bites at all. Another spot I cant clear 2 lbs. Another spot I cant clear 3 lbs. So I tried a test- I caught my pb of 4 lbs last week. Took a pic of it. Showed it to the pond owner who told me about the 6 lbs he caught in there. I didnt tell him the weight. Just showed him the pic. He said its the biggest fish hes seen out of that pond.
So I'm wondering- why does everyone say "theres 6 lb bass in there". Is it a joke the old timers play on beginners?
Perhaps the better question would be. Why do you care?
There are only two possible reasons. The first would be to learn a pond's potential, and after you've gotten a
few more years of fishing experience, you should be able to figure that out on your own. The second would be if
you ever decide to begin fishing in tournaments, and that's where the scales tell you.
My advice would be to quit worrying about what other's are supposedly catching, and concentrate on learning what
tactics work best for you.
Bucketmouth King reply :
I care because I have wasted countless hours at a one acre pond that I was told held respectable fish and landed nothing but 8 oz fish or less.On 11/9/2014 at 6:32 PM, Lund Explorer said:Perhaps the better question would be. Why do you care?There are only two possible reasons. The first would be to learn a pond's potential, and after you've gotten afew more years of fishing experience, you should be able to figure that out on your own. The second would be ifyou ever decide to begin fishing in tournaments, and that's where the scales tell you.My advice would be to quit worrying about what other's are supposedly catching, and concentrate on learning whattactics work best for you.
Its not my tactics. I can move to the next pond and catch 1-2 pounders all day long. The next pond and catch 3-4 pounders all day. So I am capible of catching fish of up to 4 lbs, and many of them. My thoughts are that in the first pond mentioned- if there truly are 6 lb bass in there, wheres the 1,2,3,4 and 5 lb bass in that pond? Because I havent even landed anything close to 1 lb there.
My original reason for posting this was just thinking back that each time I was told about a pond, the # was always 6. And it made me start to wonder if there was an inside joke among veterans. For example: I once worked at bayliner boat corp. My first day, at the end of the day, they had me running all over the shop asking people for the keys to the basement. Each person sent me to ask someone else. An hr later the janitor finally told me there was no basement. Just a trick they play on each new guy. So I wondered if the "6 lb bass myth" in this situation was the same kind of joke played on the new guy.
Bluebasser86 reply :
I had a guy go on and on about an 11 pound bass he caught out of the Kansas River one (state record is 11 3/4 and I fish the river often and only seen a handful of small bass from it). Finally said he had a picture in his truck, which he retrieved. The fish was clearly a DRUM, but even when shown a picture of a freshwater drum online he insisted his fish was a bass. There's a reason fishermen have a reputation as story tellers.
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 8:37 PM, Bucketmouth King said:I care because I have wasted countless hours at a one acre pond that I was told held respectable fish and landed nothing but 8 oz fish or less.
Its not my tactics. I can move to the next pond and catch 1-2 pounders all day long. The next pond and catch 3-4 pounders all day. So I am capible of catching fish of up to 4 lbs, and many of them. My thoughts are that in the first pond mentioned- if there truly are 6 lb bass in there, wheres the 1,2,3,4 and 5 lb bass in that pond? Because I havent even landed anything close to 1 lb there.
My original reason for posting this was just thinking back that each time I was told about a pond, the # was always 6. And it made me start to wonder if there was an inside joke among veterans. For example: I once worked at bayliner boat corp. My first day, at the end of the day, they had me running all over the shop asking people for the keys to the basement. Each person sent me to ask someone else. An hr later the janitor finally told me there was no basement. Just a trick they play on each new guy. So I wondered if the "6 lb bass myth" in this situation was the same kind of joke played on the new guy.
If you think about it, what you're saying is that you just spent countless hours looking for the key to the
basement again.
All I'm trying to say is that you should focus more on what is right in front of you rather than chasing something you have never seen. Like a Six Pound Bass. The more time you spend fishing various bodies of water, you will
hopefully learn what it takes for that lake, pond, or river to produce a certain size of fish.
Bucketmouth King reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:30 PM, Lund Explorer said:If you think about it, what you're saying is that you just spent countless hours looking for the key to thebasement again.All I'm trying to say is that you should focus more on what is right in front of you rather than chasing something you have never seen. Like a Six Pound Bass. The more time you spend fishing various bodies of water, you willhopefully learn what it takes for that lake, pond, or river to produce a certain size of fish.
I agree 100% !
deep reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 11:08 AM, Paul Roberts said:Ditto.
In the north it's "5lbs". As you go progressively south it goes up: "6", "8", "10".
Haha it's 10# here. Which is crazy, since the lakes I fish have NLMBs, and a DD NLMB is a huge fish. Comparable to a teener FLMB I'd say.
Now I don't doubt for a second that there are a few DDs swimming in the lakes I fish; heck, that's why I fish those particular lakes. At the very least, the 8's and 9's I have caught (and weighed) over the years would be DDs now, unless someone caught and ate them that is. My contention is that a small 50 or 100 acre lake, even a very healthy one, can support only so many really big fish. Not enough for everyone and their brother to catch (and keep) one.
Or maybe we all like our egos stoked. Here I am, spending long hours on the water with big fish baits, working real hard and catching only nice fish, and some yahoo throws out a nightcrawler, cracks open a 40 oz, and catches a DD after a while lol.
Actually I'm really interested in learning something. How many DD NLMBs can a healthy small fishery (say 100 acres) with zero fishing pressure (to idealize conditions) in VA support?
SirSnookalot reply :
Never could really understand the fixation, tournaments or possible PB aside, of having to know the exact weight of a fish down to a fraction of an ounce. Once that legitimate 6# has been caught it seems pointless to weigh a fish you know is but 15". Keeping one for the table is measured in inches not weight.
Darren. reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 10:54 PM, SirSnookalot said:Never could really understand the fixation, tournaments or possible PB aside, of having to know the exact weight of a fish down to a fraction of an ounce. Once that legitimate 6# has been caught it seems pointless to weigh a fish you know is but 15". Keeping one for the table is measured in inches not weight.
Pretty much agree with you here. I usually weigh a fish if I'm curious whether my guess was accurate or not. Or if I'm just not sure what it could be.
Generally, I just release most bass that are not "chunks" either by girth and/or length (as opposed to weighing every one). I'm pretty good with my guesstimates as I've tested (as mentioned above) the guess. Those who use spring scales, even the Boga scales only get weight to 1/4 oz, 1/2 oz or to the pound. My PB was at the 7 and 1/2 mark on my spring scale. Digital scale would have been more accurate, but not necessary to weigh my PB (IMO).
Jolly Green reply :
I don't use it much anymore but I keep a scale with me in case I catch something I want to weigh, like this:
"Dottie" August 1st, 2-5
Same fish, September 22, 2-12
If I kept a more detailed fishing log, I would probably weigh more fish just to have more data, but my best fish for an outing are easily eyeballed at 1 to 2 pounds. I shamelessly look forward to putting the legendary six pounder on the scale.
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 9:35 PM, Bucketmouth King said:I agree 100% !
One other thing to think about.
If you're fishing a small pond and actually catch that elusive 6lber, would you tell everyone? Just to see how
many more people were beating the water to a froth the next time you showed up. That might be a great question to ask the next guy who tells you this. If he says he just wants to share his hotspots, ask him to tell you where
his morel mushroom spots are!
Senko lover reply :
Oh man. Never a weight someone tells you unless it's someone you know and they have a scale. They will exaggerate the snot out of any fish. A 2 1/2 pounder becomes a 4 pounder, ect. ect.
Of course, I was guilty of this prior to getting a scale.
hatrix reply :
I agree unless you have caught a number of fish weighing a specific weight then you probably don't know what it weighs by guessing. I only weigh a small of amount of fish anymore and funny enough those are ones I suspect wil go 6 or more. I have caught enough of other fish that I don't care what there weight is any ways it is nothing special anymore but I can fairly accurately judge what it will weigh. I don't catch enough fish consistently to judge fish that will go more then 6# since that's a really big bass out here.
DogBone_384 reply :
My Grandfather used to say, "Believe none of what you hear, and only half of what you see."
Dwight Hottle reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 12:31 AM, Jolly Green said:I don't use it much anymore but I keep a scale with me in case I catch something I want to weigh, like this:
"Dottie" August 1st, 2-5
Same fish, September 22, 2-12
If I kept a more detailed fishing log, I would probably weigh more fish just to have more data, but my best fish for an outing are easily eyeballed at 1 to 2 pounds. I shamelessly look forward to putting the legendary six pounder on the scale.
I liked your " dottie " reference.
OK Bass Hunter reply :
Most people don't really have an idea what 6 pounds look like.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Hehe, looks like a 10 to me, better check that scale!
OK Bass Hunter reply :
I have some sand in the springs and it might affect the weight but I wouldn't go 10, lol.
Alonerankin2 reply :
Lol! Nice fish!
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/9/2014 at 6:32 PM, Lund Explorer said:Perhaps the better question would be. Why do you care?
There are only two possible reasons. The first would be to learn a pond's potential, and after you've gotten a
few more years of fishing experience, you should be able to figure that out on your own. The second would be if
you ever decide to begin fishing in tournaments, and that's where the scales tell you.
My advice would be to quit worrying about what other's are supposedly catching, and concentrate on learning what
tactics work best for you.
I care. Real weights can carry meaning. In that there are waters that produce big fish, and those that don't. And there are year classes that grow large and offer a run of good fishing. I keep close accounting of my small waters. I appreciate good info. I don't appreciate bad info. In this I'm not comparing myself to others catches but deciding where to spend my precious time.
On 11/9/2014 at 9:30 PM, Lund Explorer said:All I'm trying to say is that you should focus more on what is right in front of you rather than chasing something you have never seen. Like a Six Pound Bass. The more time you spend fishing various bodies of water, you will hopefully learn what it takes for that lake, pond, or river to produce a certain size of fish.
Again, there are waters that I am MUCH better off spending my time at, and I simply can't be everywhere. I appreciate good info. Here's an example. I had a local insurance guy tell me he and his wife had taken several bass over 6lbs from a particular small res. (In CO I have LOTS of small waters to comb through). He seemed honest and knowledgeable. I checked it out. Got out of the car and walked up to the edge and right up to good 20" bass. I walked a little further and there was another! I had the shakes by the time I got back to the car and had a hard time tying a worm on. In all I spotted 4 around 20" that morning and caught 3 of them. I then drove over to check out another pond I knew held potential. (I "knew" bc a couple weeks previous I was fishing a neighboring pond and heard all this whoopin and hollerin. I looked over and two guys were dancing and holding 5+lb bass.) So, after catching those 3 CO lunkers that morning I hit this other potential pond and took another 20". That was a mighty good day and if I hadn't cared I'd have been catching 1-3lbers.
On 11/9/2014 at 9:38 PM, deep said:Haha it's 10# here. Which is crazy, since the lakes I fish have NLMBs, and a DD NLMB is a huge fish. Comparable to a teener FLMB I'd say.
Now I don't doubt for a second that there are a few DDs swimming in the lakes I fish; heck, that's why I fish those particular lakes. At the very least, the 8's and 9's I have caught (and weighed) over the years would be DDs now, unless someone caught and ate them that is. My contention is that a small 50 or 100 acre lake, even a very healthy one, can support only so many really big fish. Not enough for everyone and their brother to catch (and keep) one.
Or maybe we all like our egos stoked. Here I am, spending long hours on the water with big fish baits, working real hard and catching only nice fish, and some yahoo throws out a nightcrawler, cracks open a 40 oz, and catches a DD after a while lol.
Actually I'm really interested in learning something. How many DD NLMBs can a healthy small fishery (say 100 acres) with zero fishing pressure (to idealize conditions) in VA support?
The place to ask that question would be at Pond Boss. Or directly to Pond Boss owner Bob Lusk. In fact, he has an article on this site about just how rare a DD is. Worthwhile read if you haven't already seen it.
ABW reply :
Around where I fish, older dudes always tell me that someone caught an 7 or 8 pound bass the other day. I highly doubt it. Most recently, some guy told me he saw a 10 lb bass hanging around a dock. I have the pics or it didn't happen mentality lol
Jolly Green reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 6:45 AM, Dwight Hottle said:
I liked your " dottie " reference.
Couldn't resist. A mere 23 more pounds to go!!
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 7:40 AM, Paul Roberts said:I care. Real weights can carry meaning. In that there are waters that produce big fish, and those that don't. And there are year classes that grow large and offer a run of good fishing. I keep close accounting of my small waters. I appreciate good info. I don't appreciate bad info. In this I'm not comparing myself to others catches but deciding where to spend my precious time.
Head Shakes - Rattling Sounds!
The OP clearly stated that the information he got wasn't working, hence it was bogus. It's a pretty simple
concept that a person can learn where to fish on their own instead of relying on second hand non-confirmed
bragging by others!
I am still of the opinion that any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond full of hawgs he's found unless the guy is off his rocker. Of course in Colorado, perhaps all you need to do is hold up a bag of Taco Bell in front of them when they've got the munchies.
Bassun reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 7:04 PM, Lund Explorer said:Head Shakes - Rattling Sounds!
The OP clearly stated that the information he got wasn't working, hence it was bogus. It's a pretty simple
concept that a person can learn where to fish on their own instead of relying on second hand non-confirmed
bragging by others!
I am still of the opinion that any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond full of hawgs he's found unless the guy is off his rocker. Of course in Colorado, perhaps all you need to do is hold up a bag of Taco Bell in front of them when they've got the munchies.
Wow -- I understand that tournament fishering it's nice to have a honey hole...but let's step back for a second and think about what the OP is talking about. He is a new angler asking about local ponds - he obviously is looking at his ability to catch the potential of the pond. You say "any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond...", I say why not? Why not help a new angler become more successful by telling them good places to fish. I can out fish Bill Dance, Roland Martin and KVD all at the same time, as long as they are fishing water with no fish and I'm fishing a good ole' farm pond full of bug eating bass... In my opinion helping put new anglers on fish is a huge benefit both to them and the sport. Imagine if no one ever shared good places to fish, or good techniques, with each of us when we first started - or if the magazines kept everything a secret - if forums didn't exist where people give advice... I'd be wiling to wager that some wouldn't be here sharing their stories today.
Let's be honest -- how many seceret spots are there that only one person knows about. Unless it's on private property, probably very very few. Sure there may be spots we "think" only we know about, but reality suggests that spot has been fished by many other anglers with varying levels of success over the years.
Personally, I love to see new anglers catch fish, especially kids. I will gladly tell a new angler a few "hot spots" to try in an area if I know of any...what do I have to be afraid of? Maybe they will catch a bigger fish than me? Good for them! I'll gladly give up my next 5lb'er to a new angler if it means they will get to enjoy a sport for the rest of their life and hopefully pass along more advice to the new anglers they meet over their life.
Felixone reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 9:36 PM, Bassun said:Personally, I love to see new anglers catch fish, especially kids. I will gladly tell a new angler a few "hot spots" to try in an area if I know of any...what do I have to be afraid of? Maybe they will catch a bigger fish than me? Good for them! I'll gladly give up my next 5lb'er to a new angler if it means they will get to enjoy a sport for the rest of their life and hopefully pass along more advice to the new anglers they meet over their life.
This is the attitude more people need to have. I too have never understood why fishermen tend to be so secretive. Sure if we were talking tournaments then it might be different, but most of us will never compete. I am a new angler, and I share everything I learn. I fish a local pond that almost everyone I talk to says you can't catch bass there. I have had some luck there, about 8 bass total over the past couple months. Now most of you will shake your head at that, but remember I am new to this. I have only just moved to having to use my toes to count the total number of bass I have caught so having most of them come from a pond experienced anglers say you can't catch from is an accomplishment to me. Here is the thing though. I don't care if the person is standing next to me on the bank, or out on the water near me. If they ask I tell. I will show them where, what bait I used, and if needed what technique I used. I have found that being open and honest about what worked for me pays itself back. When I share people seem to share with me. It has gone a long way to helping me learn to catch more fish. This is a wonderful family friendly non-violent hobby that almost everyone can enjoy, we all should be working to help people enjoy it.
Delaware Valley Tackle reply :
Fish eyes is kinda like beer goggles, only without the beer.
J Francho reply :
It's usually 10 pounders where I fish. It's not hazing, just guys without scales.
MO_LMB reply :
Yeah, most people have no idea how much a fish weighs just by looking at them.
Lund Explorer reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 9:36 PM, Bassun said:Wow -- I understand that tournament fishering it's nice to have a honey hole...but let's step back for a second and think about what the OP is talking about. He is a new angler asking about local ponds - he obviously is looking at his ability to catch the potential of the pond. You say "any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond...", I say why not? Why not help a new angler become more successful by telling them good places to fish. I can out fish Bill Dance, Roland Martin and KVD all at the same time, as long as they are fishing water with no fish and I'm fishing a good ole' farm pond full of bug eating bass... In my opinion helping put new anglers on fish is a huge benefit both to them and the sport. Imagine if no one ever shared good places to fish, or good techniques, with each of us when we first started - or if the magazines kept everything a secret - if forums didn't exist where people give advice... I'd be wiling to wager that some wouldn't be here sharing their stories today.
Let's be honest -- how many seceret spots are there that only one person knows about. Unless it's on private property, probably very very few. Sure there may be spots we "think" only we know about, but reality suggests that spot has been fished by many other anglers with varying levels of success over the years.
Personally, I love to see new anglers catch fish, especially kids. I will gladly tell a new angler a few "hot spots" to try in an area if I know of any...what do I have to be afraid of? Maybe they will catch a bigger fish than me? Good for them! I'll gladly give up my next 5lb'er to a new angler if it means they will get to enjoy a sport for the rest of their life and hopefully pass along more advice to the new anglers they meet over their life.
I enjoy sharing knowledge just as much as the next guy, and have even at times given actual GPS numbers to spots
I've found to other members here(through pm's). But the fact remains that the vast majority of fisherman do not
disclose names of lakes, ponds, or rivers that they consider to be "their water". Look in the fishing reports and
see just how many reports show the name of these small types of waters. On bigger bodies of water, the reports never seem to mention the area those fish were caught.
Here's the text from another forum discussing disclosure on trout streams.
Policy Concerning River Reports:
No rivers may be named in your post(s) outside of the those that are specifically listed on the forum header for each region. In addition specific holes, access points, runs, etc. must not be named even on the large rivers. Small rivers and streams not listed on this forum's header must not be mentioned by name. Any posts that violate the letter and spirit of these rules are subject to editing, deletion or closure without notice.
If I'm missing something and people are really naming names, could you point me in the direction of such posts?
But don't look at the OP's as even he didn't mention the name or location of those ponds.
roadwarrior reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 9:36 PM, Bassun said:Wow -- I understand that tournament fishering it's nice to have a honey hole...but let's step back for a second and think about what the OP is talking about. He is a new angler asking about local ponds - he obviously is looking at his ability to catch the potential of the pond. You say "any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond...", I say why not? Why not help a new angler become more successful by telling them good places to fish. I can out fish Bill Dance, Roland Martin and KVD all at the same time, as long as they are fishing water with no fish and I'm fishing a good ole' farm pond full of bug eating bass... In my opinion helping put new anglers on fish is a huge benefit both to them and the sport. Imagine if no one ever shared good places to fish, or good techniques, with each of us when we first started - or if the magazines kept everything a secret - if forums didn't exist where people give advice... I'd be wiling to wager that some wouldn't be here sharing their stories today.
Let's be honest -- how many seceret spots are there that only one person knows about. Unless it's on private property, probably very very few. Sure there may be spots we "think" only we know about, but reality suggests that spot has been fished by many other anglers with varying levels of success over the years.
Personally, I love to see new anglers catch fish, especially kids. I will gladly tell a new angler a few "hot spots" to try in an area if I know of any...what do I have to be afraid of? Maybe they will catch a bigger fish than me? Good for them! I'll gladly give up my next 5lb'er to a new angler if it means they will get to enjoy a sport for the rest of their life and hopefully pass along more advice to the new anglers they meet over their life.
Well, I have shared my local "honey hole" with the guys on this forum and several have caught their Personal Best!
I have caught the biggest bass in this pond and numerous 10 lbs bass, although I am 99% sure it is the same Walmart
Girl. Two other guys that I know have caught, weighed and released the fish. However, another guy kept a DD pet of
mine last year and I don't talk with him anymore.
At any rate, I fish with a lot of big sticks on the Tennessee River and they take me to their "secret" spots all the time.
I'm not going to specify waypoints, but I will give you the parameters. What I find to be the most important factors are
current, depth and cover/ structure. Sometimes, like right now, specific lures come into play, usually "moving", bottom
contact or live bait. Color is rarely a determining factor, but it is occasionally. It really helps fishing with retired guys that
are on the water nearly every day!
Sam reply :
Bucketmouth King, there is a small pond by my house where I used to fish with unweighted pink Zoom trick worms and would catch 20 to 30 dinks on every trip.
I have fished that pond for a number of years and always caught the small 6 to 10 inch dinks.
One day I get a big blow up on the trick worm, set the hook, and have a battle on my hands.
Yes, the mother of all those dinks finally hit my pink trick worm.
She was about 3 pounds but to me she was a giant bass.
Released her and have never had her hit any baits since then.
Hope she is still alive.
Go figure.
Bassun reply :
Yeah, I'm not saying that everyone does share their honey holes - we all know that doesn't happen.
My point was that maybe if people did share a little more with newer anglers we would see even more people take up the hobby. I mean really, what's it going to hurt to put a new angler on more productive water? I know a lot of people try to keep things secret on a lake, but let's be honest. Unless it's a tiny private lake that no one else has access to -- then someone else has fished your spot. And chances are there are plenty of other "honey holes" around the lake which others are trying to keep as their secret -- which you've fished.
Besides, most of the veteran anglers are not looking for people to tell them where exactly to fish on a lake {if they really want to know, they will just hire a guide and voila} - they may be asking for where the fish are in terms of spawn, or maybe local info on what type of bite is on -- but most vets I know are looking for information to build a pattern from, not a specific point off the edge of a flat on the bend of the old river channel. A few mins with a map and you'll find that anyway. But having a heads up on the water temps, clarity, level etc etc gives you a much better chance of starting out in the right places vs pulling up to the ramp and beginning from there. For a vet, that should get them started. But what if you've only been fishing a few months?
Chances are the same info in the hands of a novice would give them little advantage as they probably haven't been studying patterns for years or have much experience to draw from. That's when saying, "Hey man -- yesterday we were catching a ton of fish in cove "X" doing "this". They may not still be there today, but they should be close, just look for the shad ..." or whatever. Setting them up for success, but giving them enough room to learn along the way.
I don't know, maybe I'm crazy... maybe I share too much. I do, however, agree that if someone is hurting the fishery by removing lunkers or damaging / littering the area that I won't share again. But, I've yet to have that happen to me personally (but I know it absolutely does happen). Generally if someone asks me about how or what I have no problem sharing.
boostr reply :
It's definitely universal. Up here its also 6# in the lakes I've fished, but they usually tell me it's somebody they know that caught the "6lbr". I've only caught 2 and a half lbrs or Les in these lakes so far. In one lake I know there is a 5lbr because a guy next to me caught one during the Spring, and I weighed it for him.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/10/2014 at 7:04 PM, Lund Explorer said:Head Shakes - Rattling Sounds!
The OP clearly stated that the information he got wasn't working, hence it was bogus. It's a pretty simple
concept that a person can learn where to fish on their own instead of relying on second hand non-confirmed
bragging by others!
I am still of the opinion that any true fisherman isn't going to tell you about the pond full of hawgs he's found unless the guy is off his rocker. Of course in Colorado, perhaps all you need to do is hold up a bag of Taco Bell in front of them when they've got the munchies.
I guess I shouldn't have used your posts to jump off from. Apologies there Lund Explorer.
As to the fishing... I, for one, keep my ear to the ground, and share. It comes round. I can't be everywhere.
Bucketmouth King reply :
Well it looks like I at least hooked an 8 page thread here. Glad you guys enjoyed the topic.
Or maybe its 6 pages.
Ok closer to 5 and a half.
RSM789 reply :
In regards to revealing lake or honey hole information, I would venture that it often depends on where you live. In a rural setting with many fishing locations, you can be very magnanimous without creating much of a problem. However, here in Southern California, especially in Orange County where 3 million people are packed into an area under 950 square miles in size, such behavior can be a nightmare. The combination of a limited number of small lakes and a culture of aggressive behavior to combat the vast population is lethal to the person who lets the local fishing public know about his success. Your small water will soon be highly pressured by an army of folks with no fishing etiquette or qualms about boorish behavior. What has happened on Lake Mission Viejo since the 19lb. county record was caught in 2006 is a prime example.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a scrooge. There are other fisherman on my lake who I have gotten to know & I freely share information with them. I'll chat with homeowners on the lake, people who I know have a sincere interest in the well being of the fish population on their lake. However, when I am at a tackle store or around folks that I don't know, not much information comes out of my mouth. I'd like to believe if I lived an hour outside of Austin, Texas or in the middle of Florida that I would be a bit more open, I just can't do that here.
Paul Roberts reply :
On 11/11/2014 at 1:09 PM, RSM789 said:There are other fisherman on my lake who I have gotten to know & I freely share information with them. I'll chat with homeowners on the lake, people who I know have a sincere interest in the well being of the fish population on their lake. However, when I am at a tackle store or around folks that I don't know, not much information comes out of my mouth.
Same with me. A network of shared info can be a great thing.
SirSnookalot reply :
6?...........I think I surpassed that one yesterday, 7 or 8# would not have surprised me. I'm only hung up on the fight, not the actually size and the fight is exactly what I had. We have other people fishing here, they seldom catch anything like that, they focus on the numbers. For the most part the other fishermen fish plastic worms, they catch plenty of fish but they go thru a lot of small fish to eventually catch a 20" one. Don't think I catch good fish all the time, I don't, last nice one was about 10 days ago and I bass fish daily. What I do that the others around here don't is I fish exclusively with ul or light spinning and a top water popper, lots of times I go an hour or more without a strike. Yesterday it was the ul, as good fight as I ever had with a bass in my life, had to unhook the fish while still in the water, couldn't lift it. Strike is one thing, the hookset with a limp noodle is another, then the fight, I don't land them all this way, but I'm there for the challenge, not dragging in lots of small fish.
Bassun reply :
On 11/11/2014 at 1:09 PM, RSM789 said:In regards to revealing lake or honey hole information, I would venture that it often depends on where you live. In a rural setting with many fishing locations, you can be very magnanimous without creating much of a problem. However, here in Southern California, especially in Orange County where 3 million people are packed into an area under 950 square miles in size, such behavior can be a nightmare. The combination of a limited number of small lakes and a culture of aggressive behavior to combat the vast population is lethal to the person who lets the local fishing public know about his success. Your small water will soon be highly pressured by an army of folks with no fishing etiquette or qualms about boorish behavior. What has happened on Lake Mission Viejo since the 19lb. county record was caught in 2006 is a prime example.
Don't get me wrong, I am not a scrooge. There are other fisherman on my lake who I have gotten to know & I freely share information with them. I'll chat with homeowners on the lake, people who I know have a sincere interest in the well being of the fish population on their lake. However, when I am at a tackle store or around folks that I don't know, not much information comes out of my mouth. I'd like to believe if I lived an hour outside of Austin, Texas or in the middle of Florida that I would be a bit more open, I just can't do that here.
You bring up a good point. I am in a rural setting along the New River. I suspect you are right in that has certainly changed how I share information vs someone in a cityscape.
BaitMonkey1984 reply :
I agree that many people over embellish the size and weight of a fish, though I do not believe there is any malicious intent to do so. Quite simply I believe that many people are so excited to catch a big bass coupled with little to no experience with landing decent size fish, that they figure it must weigh more than just a few pounds. Then you have those that just like to tell fish stories. Many of us fall into both these categories at some point in their fishing career. Or even week.
I had the very opposite of this initial thread happen to me, and wonder if it has happened to anyone else. I always carry several scales. Mechanical and digital, so I can get a true weight/length measurement for my own log. It was spawn and I was fishing 20 yards off shore with a wacky rigged GY senko, and had been slaying the fish in the early morning. A guy on shore was fishing with his wife. I landed a few fish in front of them, and then ended up landing a nice fish a little over 5 lbs. I was fishing solo, and went Ike during the fight/netting of this fish. I took some pictures and weighed the fish. As I was revving the fish, he guy from shore asked me how big it was, and so I told him, just over 5lbs. He apparently believed I was telling him yet another fish story, and quite candidly told me no way, it was a 3lber tops. I was approx 50 yards from this guy at this point. Part of me wanted to tell the guy to feel free to swim over to my boat and he could see by himself, instead I said that's what my three scales said pal, I don't know what to tell you. Really left a bad taste in my mouth...until I hooked up with another fish and forgot about his comments.
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