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Posts: 2024
| This is kind of a follow up question to the "Does Size Really Matter" post.
I've been conducting some research regarding bass tournaments and alternative weigh-in procedures to decrease mortality rates. In doing so, we've put together "Paper Tournaments." In these paper tournaments anglers are asked to record ALL fish. This raises an interesting question on how we define a good angler.
Do we regard the best fishermen as the ones who catch big fish or do we regard the best as consistantly catching fish? In these bass tournaments we've been "shadowing," a lot of anglers consistantly catch fish, though not necessarily at or above the length limit (no keepers). We're talking two or three times as many as the guy who catches three keepers and places third or the guy who catches a swimmer (barely over size limit) and a monster. Is the latter considered better than the guy who can catch a dozen or two fish that range from 10-14"? Clearly that person has found the pattern the fish want. Then again, the same could be said for the guy who catches a dink and a monster: he's found the pattern for the big fish.
I know this isn't exactly muskie related but I thought it raises an interesting question. I'd like to hear any and all input even if it's just a simple, "Consistant" or "Big Fish." Thanks! |
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Posts: 1769
Location: Algonquin, ILL | I think a good stick is a person who produces consistently on many different bodies of water under different conditions. Every body has the opportunity to hook a monster now and then, and depending on the water it can be more now than then but that does not necessarily make the person a "Good" angler it could be they just had more opportunities to fish BIG FISH water so my vote would be for "CONSISTENCY on various bodies of water"
Edited by JohnMD 1/20/2005 4:16 PM
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| You can consistently catch muskies on any body of water, and regularly catch big muskies when fishing big musky waters! 
Musky fishing is very hard work and it takes skill to do it properly. However, no matter how good someone is at musky fishing and how hard they work at it, there is still luck involved with consistently catching big fish!  |
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Posts: 2
| I have to agree the aperson who consistently catching fish on different body's of water and under different kinds weather conditions is a good fishermen.Big fish can be dumb luck some times or catching lot's of fish that day can be dumb luck to. |
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Posts: 152
| A good angler is one that does not do the same thing over and over when it isn't working. He knows how to read the water and when to change lures, depth, cover, etc.. That is how you get consistent at this game. A person who fishes lakes that don't make 50 inchers is not going to catch a 50. That does not make him a bad angler. Later |
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Posts: 20281
Location: oswego, il | I think a good angler is one that can catch fish anywhere and be an innovator in new techniques and tactics to catch them. |
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Posts: 4266
| I think that a good angler is a multi-species angler. Not a "walleye guy", or a "musky guy", but someone who can catch a variety of fish in rivers and lakes, using a variety of approaches and techniques. No one trick ponies. No one lake wonders.
Versatility and an understanding of fish and fish behavior, regardless of the species, is what I think of when I think of good anglers.
Beav |
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Posts: 32959
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I feel Beav has it nailed. Someone who can produce on near any water, near any specie of fish, anytime. THAT's versatility, and versatility makes a good angler. |
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Posts: 3
Location: Stevens Point WI | a good angler has nothing to do with how many fish they catch. a good angler respects the enviroment around him, his fellow anglers and practices CPR. a good angler promotes the sport by having fun doing it, and does not hesitating to introduce others to the sport. that's what being a good angler to me means... |
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Posts: 1137
Location: Holly, MI | I'm not sure a good angler even has to consistantly catch fish.
Consider this..
Does he??...
Introduce new people to the sport?
Take his or other kids out fishing?
Teach people good ethics and rule following?
Show respect to other boaters and fisherman?
Teach and preach CPR?
Make good use of the eaters that he harvests.
Keep cash flowing into the fishing industry?
Do his share of talking/writing to athorities in his area?
Follow up on fish management and conservation?
Clean up after himself and others at the ramps and on the water?
the list can go on, but you get my point.
I catch my fair share of all species I target but that doesn't make me a good fisherman. I think you have to have good scruples in everything you do concerning fishing before you can worry about how many fish you catch. |
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Posts: 32959
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | I think we're now discussing what makes an ethical angler. My point was skill levels, assuming that the ethics were already present! |
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Posts: 829
Location: Maple Grove, MN | To me, a good angler can put fish in the boat in difficult situations.
Anyone can catch fish when the fish are really going or when they have days and days to fish the same water. That is easy in my book. But how about when one never gets on a particular lake more than three or four times a month and often weeks apart, rarely has more than four or five hours to fish at a time, and yet boats fish consistently? The people that can do that are the very best of fishermen in my book. |
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| like was said, MULTISPECIES if you know where to find the perch, well, grouchy is there too,
I think a good stick is someone who doesn't give up, when you throw the towell in for the day, the muskies have won yet another battle without even flicking a fin.
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| This is a good debate. My buddies and I use to debate about what makes someone a good hunter? Is it someone who consistently bags a deer or someone who is always on deer? A few guys argue that you don't have to kill game to be considered a good hunter, but isn't that the goal? I guess a good angler, in my opinion, is someone who catches a lot of fish big or small. My friend and I were at the Pittsburgh show and we were talking to Pete Mania and when we were done I asked my buddy if he thought Pete could go out on the allegheney and catch a musky. He responded by saying "I don't know, but I'm sure his chances are better than ours." |
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Posts: 1023
Location: Lafayette, IN | Good anglers (like good hunters) adapt. That's why most good anglers can be successful as multi-species anglers. Understanding and applying the biology of many species and the mechanics of many methods combines to make what I consider a "good angler." A good hunter has this same combination. Isn't it logical that success comes more frequently to those who understand the forage as well as the target species? Of course, you must have the mechanics too. |
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What defines a "Good Angler"?