Your fishing style 2024

Mobasser reply :

I attended a sports show in Kansas City over 30 yrs ago. Larry Nixon was the guest speaker, and gave a seminar on structure fishing. He discussed defining and locating structure, good baits to use, seasonal patterns etc. It was a great seminar. After he finished , he took a few questions from the crowd. One guy asked him how he developed his fishing style. Here's what he said: I've been very lucky to fish with so many great fisherman in my life. Weekend fisherman, guide clients, and top tournament pros. Each has their own fishing style. Some cast sidearm, some fish with the rod held high, others prefer a low rod. Some modify their tackle to suit what works best for them. Many don't fish in the classic, textbook fashion, but do things which may seem unorthodox, or even wrong, but they catch a lot of fish. Another interesting thing from this seminar: two fisherman trolling slowly along a bank, both casting identical plastic worms, could never duplicate the exact retrieve of the other. Why- they each fish with their own style. It's impossible to duplicate. He summed it up by saying that there is no right or wrong way. If your catching fish with consistency, your style is working for you! Personally, I agree 100% with all of this. Do you have a fishing style? Often, I think it's developed over years of fishing. What unique things do you do that define your fishing style? You may have to think on it, because after so much time your probably doing something subconsciously, and it's become automatic for you. There is no right or wrong, it's what works for you! What's your fishing style?

Bluebasser86 reply :

I'm a junk fisherman through and through. I like to put the trolling motor down with 12 rods out and fish what's in front of me.

BassWhole! reply :

Couldn't agree more. My fishing style is I'm going to do whatever it takes to catch fish. Everything else just evolved into place with time.

MN Fisher reply :

If crank baits aren't working, I'll go to Texas rigs. If frogs aren't doing it, time for the jigs. If the Ned-rig is coming up zero, let's try a wacky worm.

I may spend time changing tactics, but I never come home skunked.

scaleface reply :

I fish a little differently than most anglers . I hold the rod in front of the reel with the line between my index finger and thumb . I cant remember ever doing it differently unless its a spinning rod . Its kind of a pain now days because most rods dont have a fore-grip .

BigAngus752 reply :

Just within the past few years I've come back to bass fishing and I've been making a concerted effort to become as proficient as I can as a bass fisherman. Trying to learn by watching and listening to the pros and experts has been frustrating because so many of them teach techniques that conflict with other pros and experts. I feel your post is dead on. My plan now is to Brett Favre my way into the spotlight. My technicals are low but my intangibles are off the charts!

TOXIC reply :

Style is something you cannot mimic. It's something you develop. Style can be different for every technique. It is unique to every fisherman. Sure, you get the fundamentals down but it's what you do with them after that which can refine your style.

scaleface reply :

Another trait of mine is to use medium size lures and gear . I dont like going small and I dont like going big . About the only time I go big is with deep diving crankkbaits . Thankfully Berkely came up with the Dredger series . I can cast the 25.5 on a med hvy action rod and fish the 20 to 25 foot mark.

Oregon Native reply :

Like above I use anything to catch em. In the land of bait casters here down south I employ the ol spinning rod a lot and it has served me well.

TnRiver46 reply :

I'm not sure what my style is but I would guess finesse light line clear water suits my style best because winter is when I have the most success (and free time)

soflabasser reply :

My style is to study the species of fish I am after, use the knowledge I have gained through decades of fishing experience, go fishing, and do my best to learn from each fishing trip. By doing this I have become very consistent at catching both quality and quantity of fish.

Steveo-1969 reply :

I guess my fishing style can be described as "low and slow". I love to slowly fish bottom contact baits, especially jigs.

CrankFate reply :

I use the lightest rod, with the lightest braid, to throw the lightest bait as far as possible. It doesn’t matter if light is a few grams or 3 ounces. If i’m throwing 3, it’s supposed to be 8.

A-Jay reply :

Great question ~

I have a fairly diverse fishing history that spans over 5 decades. It includes many years of small pond and big lake fresh water fishing as well as three decades of saltwater angling; both inshore & off shore. And there's no doubt in my mind that all of this has contributed to how I fish today.

But to break down my 'bass fishing style' specifically, I'd say that it has routinely revolved around my objective. And over these many years my 'objective' has changed, which accordingly forced/required a change in my fishing style.

Back in the day when everything was new, I simply wanted to catch bass. Didn't really matter how many or how big, as long as I was catching - I was happy. So 'my style' then, meant I was doing & trying anything, anywhere & everywhere in order to catch bass. Looking back, that was a pretty helter-skelter approach and while I caught a few - there were many days I didn't. I fished quite a bit of live bait back then too.

As time went on, my style evolved to meet my next/newest deal; I wanted to catch Big Bass. That meant I was going to have to come up with an approach (or style) that enabled me to catch whatever the biggest bass around were. This is where & when I cut my teeth on bass fishing at night. Opened up a whole new world to me as well as made me a much better day time angler.

The next 'style' was driven by the next gear change. I wanted to catch bass, the way I wanted to catch bass, meaning if I wanted to crank, or jig fish, or go topwater, that was the way I wanted to catch them - perhaps not the most productive approach but it enabled me to learn quite a bit about how, where and when to fish many techniques & presentations, as well as when not to.

Most all of that time & experiences have come together to form my current 'style'. And while I have no idea what to call it, it's still & will always be drive by my objective. Which is currently back to hunting down big bass. And while I will do anything & everything I need to, to accomplish this, there are certainly any number of specific techniques & presentations that I do enjoy more than others. I have been most fortunate to have recorded fairly respectable bass utilizing a wide variety of these approaches. While I can admit to enjoy catching a 6 lb smallies on topwater, I've also caught them on a blade bait 35 feet deep and most everything in between.

So there is something to be said for being proficient with a somewhat wide variety of 'styles'.

For me it boils down to results. The result I'm searching for . . . .pleasure. I love to fish, everything about it. From the tackle, the preparation, to the map study and the boat driving, from the cold morning & evenings to the opportunity to struggle & endure; all of it.

So that's my style.

A-Jay

813basstard reply :

^nice

pretty fitting. When I get butterflies the night before while getting the boat ready (and I fish a lot) that’s when I know I’m doing what I’m supposed to be doing.

Powerfully finessed I guess would be mine

Catt reply :

I'm a bottom feeder! ????

Once the boat comes down off of plane the first thing I grab is a Texas Rig, Wacky Rig, Shaky Head Weightless T-rig, Carolina Rig, Jig-N-Craw, Mojo Rig, Rage Rig, Drop Shot or anything that takes me to the bottom.

I'm gonna be casting, flipping, pitching, punching, hopping, dragging, shaking, dead sticking, or skipping.

I don't care if its grass, brush, timber, rocks, docks, pads, lay downs, shore line or off shore. I don't care if its pre- spawn, spawn, post spawn, summer, dog days, fall, winter, morning, noon, or night.

Give me 2 rod-n-reels with any of the above techniques & I be happy, happy, happy!

Oregon Native reply :

On a side note I LOVE LOVE LOVE the preparation and the getting ready for battle. Oh....and Humble Pie is NOT a food source!!

A-Jay reply :

On 1/24/2019 at 6:50 AM, Oregon Native said:

On a side note I LOVE LOVE LOVE the preparation and the getting ready for battle. Oh....and Humble Pie is NOT a food source!!

And that's a good thing ~

Because if it were, I'd be needing me, some new pants.

#rotund

A-Jay

Oregon Native reply :

On 1/24/2019 at 6:58 AM, A-Jay said:

And that's a good thing ~

Because if it were, I'd be needing me, some new pants.

#rotund

A-Jay

Thanks for the BIG GRIN

ww2farmer reply :

I pride myself on being versatile.

My comfort zones are shallow largemouth with a flipping stick in hand, and deep largemouth with spinning gear. Two opposite ends of the spectrum, but that's what I like and am good at.

WRB reply :

I fish casting jigs differently then anyone I have ever fished with, everything else is fairly normal.

My jig presentation evolved from using twin spins, a unique lure that helicopters vertically down to the bottom on semi control line watching the line flutter as the blades turn, strikes occur often on the fall indicated by the blades stop turning. I would make a long cast lift the rod to start the blades turning, then lower the rod and point the tip at the lure. When I switch over to a jig I just kept the same technique instead of working the jig with the rod, I used my reel to move it like the twin spin and used the same reel and rod sweep hook set. My big bass catches started to improve using this technique and never changed. I call it horizontal jigging.

Tom

CrankFate reply :

I have been bass fishing for all fish my whole life, whether they were bass or not.

@WRB I found a drop off point last year and was doing something like what you say there, and twice, I felt my bait in a massive suction from a monster bass just as I began the lift, and set the hook right out of the suction field before it was sucked in mouth closed. I know there are a couple big bass there. I will get one. Someday.

Rpratt reply :

My fishing style? To quote Gerald Swindle....

"First I throw the black jig. If that don't work, then I throw the brown jig. If that don't work, then I throw the black jig..."

RB 77 reply :

I do it all, but I'm a worm dragger at heart through and through.

Spankey reply :

On 1/23/2019 at 9:58 AM, MN Fisher said:

If crank baits aren't working, I'll go to Texas rigs. If frogs aren't doing it, time for the jigs. If the Ned-rig is coming up zero, let's try a wacky worm.

I may spend time changing tactics, but I never come home skunked.

My approach also. I try to fish hard and never give up. There are off days, slow days quite often. Time when you question yourself but I fish to not get skunked. I have more than enough stuff with me and I just keep trying. Many, many times a Rat-L-Trap saves the day.

flbassmaster reply :

I Love throwing Jigs! whether swimming jigs or flipping and pitching. its mainly jigs or I will throw a worm Texas rig.

J._Bricker reply :

Junk fishing 101... In thinking about it, this technique has provided me countless reasons to purchase numerous rods, reels, and tackle in pursuit of those little green fish. One day, I might be good at it...

Munkin reply :

Junk fishing grinder best describes my style. While I have my baits I like best I resort to whatever works for tournaments.

Allen

papajoe222 reply :

Because of some physical limitations, I have a definite style of fishing. First off, overhand casting is reserved for long cast situations, so I limit myself or my outing is cut short by shoulder pain. As a result, I use a roll cast the majority of the time. Pitching is out of the question. That limits me to casting to the port side of the boat, otherwise I'm bouncing casts off the windshield. One season of fishing from the back of the boat and I went out and bought my own.

As a result of issues with my left wrist, I don't work my walking baits with my rod tip down. I'm a Spook freak and watching me, you'd swear I was a novice at it.

Another thing I do is work cranks and spinnerbaits through cover using my rod, not my reel, once the bait is in the zone. Nothing to do with physical limitations. Sometimes I think 'Old Blue Eyes' had me in mind when he sang....................What was the title of that song?

Drew03cmc reply :

I am a bass fisherman. If they want a jig, I'll give them a frog. If they want a frog, they're getting a Trick Worm. I can't explain it, but I seldom make sense when I fish.

j bab reply :

I'm hard headed and I don't change techniques or colors very often. I should probably branch out more.

Alex from GA reply :

While my first bass was caught in the late '40s I didn't get really into it until about 1980. I mostly saltwater fished with some trout thrown in. A friend took me to a team tournament and we won and I caught the largest bass, 6 lbs. We were on Lake Castaic and he's the guy that taught Don Iovino to doodle. About 90% of the time I still use his finesse fishing techniques, Texas rigged worm dragged or doodled after I locate fish.

scaleface reply :

I already had two answers but now I'm changing it . My style no matter if I'm fishing a shallow dingy backwater or a deep clear canyon lake is to select several lures that work well in the cover and structure I encounter and hope to get lucky .

Catt reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 11:21 AM, papajoe222 said:

Because of some physical limitations, I have a definite style of fishing.

Age has definitely changed every part of my fishing!

Gone are the 15-18 hr marathon days, my casting techniques aint nearly as fluid, & some hookset actually hurt.

WRB reply :

On 1/28/2019 at 12:49 AM, Alex from GA said:

While my first bass was caught in the late '40s I didn't get really into it until about 1980. I mostly saltwater fished with some trout thrown in. A friend took me to a team tournament and we won and I caught the largest bass, 6 lbs. We were on Lake Castaic and he's the guy that taught Don Iovino to doodle. About 90% of the time I still use his finesse fishing techniques, Texas rigged worm dragged or doodled after I locate fish.

Don't mean to hijack this thread but you must be older then me!

Iovino credits Herb Curley for teaching him to shake Smity worms back in the early 70's when Castaic was filling. I recall meeting Don tied up the the forebay bouy line and fishing live Shad with his son. Iovino is still fishing local tournaments, selling his tackle (TW) and doing on the water instruction of Lowrance sonar units.

Strip bass have invaded Castaic and eating all the shad, the bass are hanging in there and now has Smallmouth bass in the mix.

I spend about 1/2 my time fishing jigs and worms, 1/4 swimbaits and 1/4 everything else. A day on the water is now about 6 hours instead of 15 hours.

Tom

The Bassman reply :

On 1/27/2019 at 11:51 PM, Drew03cmc said:

I am a bass fisherman. If they want a jig, I'll give them a frog. If they want a frog, they're getting a Trick Worm. I can't explain it, but I seldom make sense when I fish.

Sounds like me. I'll get on a decent bite then switch, thinking something else is even better. Eventually I'm back where I started after wasting time. This is one reason some of my best outings have come when I walked out the door with one bait that's already tied on and that's it. (I bank fish and usually close to home). As far as my style I really enjoy moving baits like lipless and wakes but finesse catches more for me.

N Florida Mike reply :

I fish with soft plastics.

I occasionally use something else.

That pretty much sums it up.????

Russ E reply :

after thinking about it for a while I came to the conclusion that I don't have a particular style.

I try not to lock myself into one technique. I used to throw soft jerkbaits 95% of the time, but finally realized I was limiting my success.

there are usually 6 different rigs ready on the deck, that will all get used sometime during an outing.

I look at an area I want to fish and let conditions decide which technique to use. this has increased my success dramatically.

Bankbeater reply :

I don't think that I have a style, but the first thing I usually do is to fish the thickest slop I can find.

EWREX reply :

I try to be diverse with utilizing many different techniques. A few I am for sure not very confident with. My confidence "styles" are finesse fishing shallower water up to 10ft, flipping grass with creature baits, and power fishing with chatterbaits/swimbaits. This year I want to focus more on jigs, crankbaits, and dropshotting in deeper water

GReb reply :

I’m a shallow water power fisherman. I like to move fast hitting spots. I do fish a lot of jigs and plastics but its almost always directed at cover and I rarely work either a full cast.

That’s my weakness and I’m actively trying to improve my deep water game. But I’m surrounded by shallow water lakes and resorvoirs so there’s never been a reason to fish anything deep. Also my boats electronics are old and suck which makes it much tougher

HenryPF reply :

My fishing style is what I call entertaining. I throw the dumbest lures I can buy because I know what works and catching fish on stupid lures is hilarious to me. I do this usually when I'm lazy and still fishing from shore.

For instance: string cheese fished wacky style, old dried cheese as a swim baits, boiled hot dogs cut up in the form of a fluke, Chuck Woolery's lures, powerpak lures (same thing), LunkerHunt turtle, Savage Gear's Fruck, snake, etc. and my personal favorite, the hover lure. Honorable mention to the gimmicks that go with lures, the bobber with the prop on it, inline bait chummers, Hummingbird SmartCast as a bobber, etc.

I do not throw gimmick lures or any "fishing system" lures which are just a hyped up version or something that works (Banjo Minno? It's a fluke).

Glaucus reply :

Yeah everyone has a unique style. It's hard to describe my style or any one style. Just have to see it. Nobody will be the exact same.

An example I can think of is I fish a Senkos differently than anyone I know. Guys will lift the rod and let it do it's seductive sink back down. Not me. Most of my bites, most of my aggressive strikes, and most of my bigger Senkos fish happen differently. I cast it out, let it sink, and then instead of lifting the rod, I give it a snap. To work the way I want it to I need to feel the snap in my rod, a connection to the bait. The Senkos darts erratically and then does the seductive sink. Sometimes I'll snap it 2 or 3 times before letting it sink.

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