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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | Sometimes I think that it's not the guys who like catching fish the most who do the best, but those that have little tolerance for not catching them that do best. What's the difference? Guys that hate not catching fish are those that are more likely to move off the primary pattern first....they are more willing to try secondary techniques rather than continue to do what they've done last time they caught a fish on a given body of water. How many times have you been with someone who, no matter what the result, continues to throw at the outside of a weedline with a bucktail.
Some may say the difference between the two is negligible, but my experience is that impatience can sometimes payoff and, in fact, is often the difference between putting a fish in the net VS not. Granted one has had to have had success on secondary patterns in the past, but one first must be willing to give up the same 'ol same 'ol....
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Posts: 1184
Location: Iowa Great Lakes | There are 3 of us that fish together, 2 of us live in the same area the 3rd only gets to fish a couple times a month. While us 2 locals will do whatever we can to locate and get fish to eat, partner #3 is always same spots same tactics no matter what we tell him we have been doing to get fish.
We definatly don't fish by the book, we do some different things for our lake, sometimes it pans out. One thing we have always been quilty of is not following what everyone else is doing. We were not on the cowgirl wagon in the past, we just didn't throw them 24/7 like 99% of everyone else here is doing and I think in a way it cost us fish. We will be throwing them more this season but still won't put away our favorite baits and will be trying new stuff as well. I know several guys that never threw anything but cowgirls here the last 2 years. |
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| What about the people who don't catch fish no matter what they do? |
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Posts: 32916
Location: Rhinelander, Wisconsin | They need to spend more time on the water, or fish better water, I'd guess. |
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| sworrall - 3/8/2009 11:52 AM
They need to spend more time on the water, or fish better water, I'd guess.
Better water is the key, man; but who's to complain when you're alive. |
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Posts: 433
Location: Cedarburg, Wisconsin | People that have little tolerance for not catching muskies quit. I've been with people that want to catch fish when they go fishing above all else, doesn't matter if they catch bluegills but it has to be something and it has to be action. They don't fish muskies again.
On the other side when I'm on vacation and the fishing is brutal, I fish harder and longer and harder and longer until I win and the fish lose. In the past, my partners have had to take mornings or evenings or entire days off because I have them burnt out, physically and mentally, and I haven't even shifted into high gear yet. Doesn't matter if I don't catch a fish for one or two or three or four days in a row. I will find the pattern, and I will catch fish, period. Catching nothing is a part of musky fishing. If you can't handle it you move on to something else. Embrace the challenge! Live for the hunt! Catching is just the happy face at the end of the sentence.  |
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| I have friends that will come fish with me in Vilas county every year, They consider themselves as "good" fisherman. They too have problems catchin fish. I will bring them to my hot spots and tell them what is working, nevertheless they will throw some odd looking lures for twenty minutes and then quickly switch to another lure. At the end of the day they probably threw 15- 20 differnt lures and normally never catch a fish and lucky if they see one. At the end of the day i listen to all their B.S. on why the fish were just not moving. At first its frustrating but later becomes amusing.
Another thing i see with many musky fisherman they fish when it is convienent and nice out, sometimes you have to get up extra early or stay out late in not so fair weather to catch fish, but i guess its the drive and knowledge that puts fish in the boat.
One thing i am guilty of is trying to fish too many lakes during one season, any other guys have that problem? |
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Posts: 227
Location: New Brighton, MN | Well said, Almost-B-Good. Most people get tired or bored after a few hours of casting with no results. Getting skunked is a part of the game... it's unfortunately a pretty big part of the game for me. My home lake isn't really a "muskie lake", but I enjoy it because I'm the only guy out there looking for muskies. I have to deal with there being a low population of muskies in the lake, and I get skunked alot. but when I hook up with a nice fish, it is that much more rewarding. If I hated not catching them, I would have given up a long time ago. |
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Posts: 1168
| There are some who simply refuse or unable to think outside the box. They won't even take a peak at a loose box flap. It's a joy taking these folks out over deep water going after suspendos or cranking up the BST machine just to see them get lost.
In the past 5 years I have probably only used a bucktail of any type for maybe 10 hours combined. Am I missing out on fish? Perhaps... Then again I've caught more than my fair share on crankbaits to suggest that perhaps the bucktail exclusive guys are missing out on fish by not throwing crankbaits. The common denominator is that there is a fish in a location where it can find our baits...bucktail, crank, topwater, glidebait, etc. If you are not on a good location on good water it decreases your chances considerably. Guys get too hung up on what bait to use looking for a magic bait when they should concern themselves more with putting themselves on a good spot while on good water. The best bait won't catch a fish if there are no fish to catch. Figuring out their location is more than half the battle. Getting a one dumb enough to eat your chunk of plastic, wood, hair, etc. is the point B that follows point A. |
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Posts: 13688
Location: minocqua, wi. | ulbian - 3/9/2009 10:02 AM
There are some who simply refuse or unable to think outside the box. .
floating tethered tip-ups from the boat has got to be the best out of the box tactic i've heard yet! |
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Posts: 20244
Location: oswego, il | I am one of those that does not like not catching fish. I do understand though that sometimes it's the weather and sometimes it's the fishing. I agree once with what somebody told me, it's not the fisherman it's the fishing. If you can find the hot bite(s) you are going to catch fish. Better fisherman may catch more than one not so good but most will catch fish on a good bite. My challenge is to find the good lakes during their better years, in turn catching more fish makes you a better fisherman as it teaches you the little sublte things that trigger fish during a retrieve and at the boat. |
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Posts: 1237
Location: South Portsmouth, KY | I am the type of person that hates not catching fish. i will try anything to try to figure them out. im the one that will have about 50 lures up on the deck trying to find something that will work better than the other! i look at it this way, theres always at least one active fish on the lake and i better find him!lol |
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Posts: 86
Location: Wauwatosa, Wisconsin | I have been fishing fanatic since about 1st grade, and only got into musky fishing around 3 years ago and since then i have only put a total of about 7 fish, and of those 7 fish my PB was 40 inches. I didnt catch some of the biggest fish in the lake or the most in only my three seasons, but i had an amazing time all three years chasing muskies, learning about them, and gathering information from shows, seminars, websites like this, etc. I don't get to go out as much as i would love to, but when i do get it out i fish very hard. I think what im trying to say is that even if your the guy that doesn't catches the most or biggest fish you can still have a lot of fun and learn a lot from this amazing sport! MUSKY FISHING = LIFE!!!!!
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Posts: 1460
Location: Kronenwetter, WI | I guess another way to say the same thing is...It is not WHAT the productive fisherman do that catches fish, it is what ELSE they do when they aren't catching fish....those little changes either in location or presentation that enables them to nail down a pattern when others are flailing around randomly. That, in my opinion, is what separates those that FISH alot from those that CATCH alot. While being stubbornly optimistic is certainly required, my point is not bull-headedly beating fish into submission, but rather working smarter and making on the water decisions throughout the 14 hour day. I think that is the key that we all strive for. |
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Driven to catch fish or hate not catching them?