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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | esoxaddict - 2/10/2016 11:22 AM
You guys are gonna think I'm nuts.
But I finally learned to trust my "instincts"...
How many times have you pulled into a spot and before you even throw a cast you're "just not feeling it"? How many times have you pulled into a spot and it just feels "fishy"? Fish a spot for 5 casts and leave without a reason? Run through it again and catch a fish that you "knew" had to be there? Ever throw a cast and think "Yep. Right here." and then catch a fish? 6 hours of fishing with that feeling of "nope. Nobody home." and then on the very next spot it feels like you just drank a pot of coffee. Sure enough, multiple fish.
It never really sunk in until I guide who I was fishing with said "Man, Jeff. You just called that fish. You called it on every place we saw fish this week. You're one of THOSE guys, aren't you? You ought to come up here and guide!" Laughed pretty hard at that one. ME guide? LOL. But it got me thinking.
Your brain is an amazing thing. It logs stuff unconsciously, the whole time you are fishing. While you might not be actively trying to keep track of every detail of wind current water clarity, etc. that mush between your ears is doing it for you. If you fish long enough, all those experiences add up to some unconscious abilities. Call it instinct, intuition, collective experience, whatever. This year, I'm going to pay much more attention to that and not waste my time fishing a spot that doesn't feel right, and spend a lot more time picking apart the ones that do. Too many hours lost fishing the dead sea when my gut was telling me to go fish somewhere else, and not enough hours spent sticking around the places that just felt right. Not no more.
spideysenses. |
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Posts: 8721
| johnsonaaro2 - 2/29/2016 10:30 AM
esoxaddict - 2/10/2016 11:22 AM
[...]
spideysenses.
Nah, just your brain recalling stuff subconsciously that you either weren't paying attention to or forgot all about. It would be no different than if you smelled bacon before every fish. Eventually the smell of bacon would make your brain think "fish!!"
Luckily there isn't a lot of sensory input on the water other than everything that's going on around you in nature. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | a couple simple things i learned that help me ... 1. map first, fish second = know or try to know the lake without water in it and be able to control your boat in relation to it and 2. muskies love water temps. 70 - 74 deg. |
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Posts: 239
Location: Madison, WI | esoxaddict - 2/29/2016 10:55 AM
johnsonaaro2 - 2/29/2016 10:30 AM
esoxaddict - 2/10/2016 11:22 AM
[...]
spideysenses.
Nah, just your brain recalling stuff subconsciously that you either weren't paying attention to or forgot all about. It would be no different than if you smelled bacon before every fish. Eventually the smell of bacon would make your brain think "fish!!"
Luckily there isn't a lot of sensory input on the water other than everything that's going on around you in nature.
"Luckily there isn't a lot of sensory input on the water other than everything that's going on around you in nature." - there's a surprising amount of visual distractions prancing around Lake Monona once it hits 70 degrees 
Yea makes sense to me that after a ton of time on the water you'd develop that intuition. Since i'm a noob I am trying to consciously learn as much as possible (especially during the off season ) in order to put pieces together more quickly when i do get back on the water. |
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Posts: 8721
| The jogging path by the convention center has cost me many a fish! |
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Location: Contrarian Island | game changing experience:
don't believe everything you read on musky boards... get out and fish and have an open mind...
Edited by BNelson 2/29/2016 1:55 PM
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Posts: 284
Location: Eagan, MN | Game changing experience for me occurred over many years, fishing with many different fishing partners, and were generally incremental learning experiences. Lots of little 'light bulb' moments put together. In a nutshell, my game changing experiences were realizing: 1) how successful fishing concepts could be amped-up to the Nth degree to maximize catching efficiency; 2) that getting bogged-down by fishing convention and follows will cost lots of fish; 3) that thinking and fishing outside norms can result in more success; and, 4) the importance of an excellent fishing partner not only for maximizing catch efficiency but also the enjoyment of the whole fishing experience. |
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Posts: 183
Location: Grand Forks ND | Slowing down and picking apart a spot.
When walleye fishing I will fish a 300 yard stretch back and forth for hours, but when musky fishing we always seem to fish through a good spot and just keep moving on.
Well, this summer I decided to fish musky more like I fish walleye and stay on good spots for extended periods. It paid off. |
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Posts: 1828
| MuskyManiac09 - 3/1/2016 1:49 PM
Slowing down and picking apart a spot.
When walleye fishing I will fish a 300 yard stretch back and forth for hours, but when musky fishing we always seem to fish through a good spot and just keep moving on.
Well, this summer I decided to fish musky more like I fish walleye and stay on good spots for extended periods. It paid off.
This is interesting. Usually I'll check back on a spot a few times throughout the day, but I'll never really just camp there and wait for them to turn on. But that's exactly what I do on proven walleye and panfish spots - set up on "the spot" and wait for the witching hour.
Come to think of it, I approach muskies VERY differently than I do other fish in almost every way. Maybe not for the best in some cases. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | i watched the feeding of muskies in a few big tanks ... it supports camping on good spots. fish are there ... it's a matter of time or trigger. |
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Posts: 1080
Location: Aurora | .
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Posts: 667
Location: Wisconsin | jaultman - 3/1/2016 2:04 PM
MuskyManiac09 - 3/1/2016 1:49 PM
Slowing down and picking apart a spot.
When walleye fishing I will fish a 300 yard stretch back and forth for hours, but when musky fishing we always seem to fish through a good spot and just keep moving on.
Well, this summer I decided to fish musky more like I fish walleye and stay on good spots for extended periods. It paid off.
This is interesting. Usually I'll check back on a spot a few times throughout the day, but I'll never really just camp there and wait for them to turn on. But that's exactly what I do on proven walleye and panfish spots - set up on "the spot" and wait for the witching hour.
Come to think of it, I approach muskies VERY differently than I do other fish in almost every way. Maybe not for the best in some cases.
Making me think of changing my approach a bit as well. |
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Posts: 1039
Location: North St. Paul, MN | Makes me think about my approach on metro waters...especially those proven spots. Great post MuskyManiac09 |
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