Quitting on bass if other species can readily be caught 2024
Ratherbfishing reply :
How many of you would (for the moment or perhaps the day) stop fishing for largemouth if another species (crappie, white bass, pike/muskie, etc) could reliably be caught? Although I am a huge largemouth fan, I am also thrilled with other species as well. About the only species I do not care for (no offense intended) is carp and small panfish. But I'll put down my bass rod if I can catch other species for at least awhile. But eventually I would go back to largemouth.
GrumpyOlPhartte reply :
Y-E-E-K! Heresy!!! (Seriously, I understand but I've gotten to the point where no matter how lousy I'm doing, I keep telling myself, "Maybe this next cast will be the one.") There are a lot of reasons to fish, regardless of the target species or the technique. I say, "Just fish!"
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 7/13/2017 at 3:38 AM, GrumpyOlPhartte said:Y-E-E-K! Heresy!!! (Seriously, I understand but I've gotten to the point where no matter how lousy I'm doing, I keep telling myself, "Maybe this next cast will be the one.") There are a lot of reasons to fish, regardless of the target species or the technique. I say, "Just fish!"
Amen!
Jigfishn10 reply :
Here in the northeast, come cold water season, I don't mind tying on a spoon or inline spinner and let whatever species - Bass, Snot Rocket (Pickerel), You name the species of Trout - bang my lure. Just as long as the rod bends, I don't care.
Ratherbfishing reply :
When the crappie are biting/locatable I'll drop about everything else to fish for them. A black crappie glistening in the sun like an emerald is about as beautiful as any fish I know.
MassBass reply :
Not a bad idea to be prepared for another specie besides LM. Especially if your water is known for pike, cats, etc.
Team9nine reply :
In a hearbeat - Don't fight the bite!!
-T9
CroakHunter reply :
I'm about the bite not about the right. If I'm ain't biting then I'll fish for something else
Chris at Tech reply :
If I lived on the coast in Florida, I'd quickly forget what a largemouth bass even was. Fishing the salt is ADDICTIVE!
A-Jay reply :
The majority of water I'm fishing now are seriously multi-species.
So depending on the depth & water temps I'm fishing - "other species" can & does include a variety of by-catch 'dinner selections'.
A-Jay
slonezp reply :
I spend plenty of time fishing for fish
scaleface reply :
I'll fish for anything .
BradGinKC reply :
The fun of fishing is not limited to a single species. We all have our favorites, but I won't pass up some big wipers or some schooling white bass. And walleye are a blast to catch. It's all about enjoying your time on the water.
Bluebasser86 reply :
If I could consistently catch wipers like I do bass, I'd spend a lot less time bass fishing. I love catching big catfish too. They get over 100 pounds in Kansas so knowing there's a chance to catch a 100lb fish in freshwater is a rush. Sight fishing for big gar is a blast too, although dealing with them once landed isn't much fun. If there was a place to fish for muskie and/or striper close by, I don't know if I'd bass fish much at all.
Turkey sandwich reply :
I like the surprise catches, though I rarely seek out fishing outside the target species. Let's face it, walleye and stocked trout can be delicious and a big pike or musky smashing a bait is exhilarating. Really, I just love fishing and find myself enjoying everything from throwing flies for trout to fishing salt for sharks, amberjacks, etc. Sometimes it's just good to stop worrying about figuring out a puzzle or being competitive and just be a kid again.
BASS302 reply :
I like fishing for bass and I like fishing for trout. But I'll fish for whatever is biting.
Bass_Fishing_Socal reply :
I trend to think about other fish when bass bite get so slow. My buddy and I will do some drifting for catfish or trolling for stripers for a change. I don't mind fishing for crappies if I know how to find them.
Jigfishn10 reply :
On 7/13/2017 at 5:02 AM, MassBass said:Not a bad idea to be prepared for another specie besides LM. Especially if your water is known for pike, cats, etc.
Never caught a catfish, sounds like fun though. 
frosty reply :
I started targeting bass and stopped using live bait because I wanted more of a challenge but I'll definitely pick up my ultra light and catch some bluegill on occasion.
WIGuide reply :
I absolutely love fishing for bass, but I guide for a few different species so regardless of if I want to or not, I have to put the bass rods down and fish for other species. One usual exception is early in the spring, it doesn't stay light enough, long enough for me to fish lakes any distance away for bass during the week after work, so I'll chase some pre-spawn/spawning crappies. It's a blast and they're delicious.
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 7/13/2017 at 11:48 PM, WIGuide said:I absolutely love fishing for bass, but I guide for a few different species so regardless of if I want to or not, I have to put the bass rods down and fish for other species. One usual exception is early in the spring, it doesn't stay light enough, long enough for me to fish lakes any distance away for bass during the week after work, so I'll chase some pre-spawn/spawning crappies. It's a blast and they're delicious.
On a different spin (no pun intended), up in Canada there is a guide who refuses to guide for anything except walleye. He won't guide for bass. I suspect it's because he'd rather drift in a boat and drink beer. He isn't the hardest working fellow I've ever met-though beer does seem to motivate him.
Growing up on the limited ponds/rivers I had available, crappie were as rare as hens teeth so I especially like them now. But I go north (when I can) primarily to catch species I can't or don't often catch here (pike, musky, walleye and larger smallmouth). It's fun to mix it up a bit.
On 7/13/2017 at 8:09 PM, Jigfishn10 said:Never caught a catfish, sounds like fun though.
They are fun. I big one will REALLY pull.
Looch reply :
On 7/13/2017 at 3:56 AM, Ratherbfishing said:When the crappie are biting/locatable I'll drop about everything else to fish for them. A black crappie glistening in the sun like an emerald is about as beautiful as any fish I know.
same here, I love fishing for crappie. When I know they are in the area I'm fishing(I catch one or lose one and see it) I immediately switch to smaller bait to catch as many as I can before they take off again. Some days when my jonboat motor is good, I go look for them.
On 7/13/2017 at 12:52 PM, BradGinKC said:The fun of fishing is not limited to a single species. We all have our favorites, but I won't pass up some big wipers or some schooling white bass. And walleye are a blast to catch. It's all about enjoying your time on the water.
you live in Wiper heaven, there is a guy on YT that lives in Kansas, he catches the biggest fattest wipers I've ever seen
Ratherbfishing reply :
On 7/14/2017 at 4:24 AM, Looch said:same here, I love fishing for crappie. When I know they are in the area I'm fishing(I catch one or lose one and see it) I immediately switch to smaller bait to catch as many as I can before they take off again. Some days when my jonboat motor is good, I go look for them.
Sometime you should resist switching to a smaller bait. I've caught some relatively "giant" crappie on big baits including Chigger craws and Keitech Fat swing impacts. The larger crappie (especially) tend to think they are bass.
Looch reply :
I tend to lose most of them with the larger 4-5" plastic attached, but the ones I do land are usually pretty big. I use the same 1/8oz jig head, just attach a smaller soft plastic like a crappie magnet or 2.5 inch gulp. Sometimes I use a marabou or one of my lighter hair jigs but usually I just change plastics.
RMax reply :
Ill catch anything that will hit the lure I have on.
gimruis reply :
I would drop whatever I was fishing for, even if I was catching a lot of big bass, to get into muskies. They are the top of the food chain and extremely difficult to catch. Pike, not so much. I catch those slimy things by the dozen sometimes when I'm bass fishing and I could do without them.
moguy1973 reply :
I like trout fishing but since my mom passed away 11 years ago I haven't been trout fishing but a handful of times. She was an avid trout fisherwoman and I learned everything I know about trout fishing from her. Since then I've gotten more interested in bass fishing. Bass are just that much more exciting of a fish to catch. While its awesome to have a 3lb trout to come up and take a dry off the surface and put up a fight on a 5wt flyrod with 2lb test line, I'd rather have a 3lb bass blow up on a top water lure any day over that. Any other fishing is kind of boring to me. It's fun to catch a big catfish but typically with them you throw your line in, sit down, and wait for them to bite. Same with bluegill. I really don't enjoy sitting too long while fishing. Crappie taste good but they don't put up a fight so it's kind of boring and me being a C&R fisherman primarily I don't like keeping them.
One fish I'd like to target someday is walleye but unless you know what you are doing and have the patience trying to find them out in open water they seem to be a tough fish to catch.
Looch reply :
walleye fishing is fun. If you fish a river where both smallmouth and walleye exist you can target one or the other and normally catch both. They hang out in same type of areas, depth they are holding is different usually if it's a deeper area and food spots the smallies will be there morning/afternoon and walleye in evening/night.
Little 16" walleye I caught tonight and released. He hit it like a bass a few feet from me.
Lake fishing is a different ballgame but it's not too difficult if you read the daily reports you can find out how many FOW they are holding and you can come up with a plan. Can be a lot of different equipment fishing on lakes, especially trolling and getting your bait dialed into the sweet spot/"thermocline" where they often are. A lot of walleye guys use live bait because they do it to fill their freezer. It's a tasty fish.
Russ E reply :
if I am after largemouth or Smallmouth bass, I usually do not deviate much.
with that being said, if the water starts boiling from wipers or white bass, I will switch pretty fast.
Dorado reply :
Fly fishing for Gold Water quality bows and browns.
Walleye, big catfish, and slab Crappie get my attention over the bucket mouth
AC870 reply :
White bass are a ton of fun.
The wife likes bluegill fishing so we do a lot of that.
I enjoy getting my line stretched but I find largemouth to be challenging, at least on Guntersville where they get hammered pretty good.
Bankbeater reply :
I have no problem fishing for other species while out on the water.
everythingthatswims reply :
I like throwing baits that match the forage really well so I can catch a bunch of different species, particularly if the fish in a body of water are chasing schools of baitfish, because then there will be a lot of species in one area that can be caught on similar baits.
Blade baits in the wintertime are really fun because you catch all sorts of fish on them. I also tend to catch multiple species on jerkbaits in clear water.
On an Alabama rig when fish are chasing bait, I have caught largemouth, pickerel, crappie, walleye, white perch, stripers, and almost a lake trout on one occasion.
A small keitech on a jighead is also a deadly multi species bait when they are keyed in on baitfish.
lonnie g reply :
I just love to fish! bass first Alabama slab crappie 2nd what else bites third. just fish! beats working!!
Further North reply :
I'd drop largemouth (and do) in a heartbeat if any of my priority species are biting.
My priority list looks something like this:
- Pike
- Smallies
- Musky
- Largemouth
- Trout
- Walleyes
- Trolling for anything
Pike/Muskies being what they are, and the availability of good largemouth lakes nearby means I wind up fishing for them a lot more...but every lake and/or new spot gets a cast or three for toothy fish before I throw bass lures if there is event he slightest chance I'll get a hit.
Further North reply :
On 7/15/2017 at 9:27 AM, gimruis said:I would drop whatever I was fishing for, even if I was catching a lot of big bass, to get into muskies. They are the top of the food chain and extremely difficult to catch. Pike, not so much. I catch those slimy things by the dozen sometimes when I'm bass fishing and I could do without them.
Pike and musky occupy the same place on the food chain.
...since pike eat a ton of hatchling muskies every spring and big pike are both more rare and harder to catch than muskies a pretty good argument can be made for them being higher on the food chain and trophy list.
MassBass reply :
On 7/19/2017 at 5:32 AM, Further North said:I'd drop largemouth (and do) in a heartbeat if any of my priority species are biting.
My priority list looks something like this:
- Pike
- Smallies
- Musky
- Largemouth
- Trout
- Walleyes
Pike Muskies being what they are, and the availability of good largemouth lakes nearby means I wind up fishing for them a lot more...but every lake and/or new spot gets a cast or three for toothy fish before I throw bass lures if there is event he slightest chance I'll get a hit.
what about chain pickerel do you target them. Considering toothy fish are your favorite.
Further North reply :
On 7/19/2017 at 8:15 AM, MassBass said:what about chain pickerel do you target them. Considering toothy fish are your favorite.
We don't have chain pickeral here that I am aware of.
UPSmallie reply :
I'll be honest. 95% of all my bass catches are by-catches of when I am targeting different kinds of gamefish species. Usually it's "I want to catch a walleye... 7 smallmouth catch and released later I realize that's not going to happen.
NYWayfarer reply :
I like multi-species fishing for anything with rod in hand. I was never a fan of trolling even though I do it occasionally for Lakers.
Ratherbfishing reply :
I suppose by switching species, I do not force myself to be a better bass angler but sometimes it's just nice to catch something else, regardless. My only issue with Musky and big pike is how much work it is to land them and then release them safely-not that I have THAT much experience on the subject. ALL of my muskies have been "accidental."
It sure would be nice if getting TOO the lake(s) wasn't so much work. I'm not averse from some traveling but especially in the summer when the heat becomes nearly unbearable, I hate to drive a long distance to turn around a few hours later OR to pay for it with heatstroke or sunstroke. Half of my kingdom for lakefront property on a good Nornern U.S. Lake. But I digress. That's another topic for another thread.
related Other Fish Species topic
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