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Posts: 431
| In terms of spot selection, bait choice, tactics ( run and gun vs camp) times fished. Looking for tips/opinions people use when fishing solo. |
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Posts: 20263
Location: oswego, il | I do not think it changes how you fish at all except for how you are able to position the boat, unless your a self centered a-hole, then nothing changes. |
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Posts: 1220
| Fishing solo may best be compared to watching TV when the wife is away. Basically, you do what you want. You don’t have to fish spots others will be approving of. You stay or leave because of your own #*^@ reasons or no reason. Sometimes, when I feel tired, I’ll put the anchor down and go to sleep for an hour. Other times, when it’s really warm out, I’ll jump over the side and take a swim. I’ll also try those stupid bait modifications that your partner will chide your intellectual capacity over. Truthfully, I’ve actually gotten to really know a lot more about what I’m actually capable of with respect to boat control trying stuff out when nobody is around to laugh at it. There’s also a lot of little stuff you pick up on like having stuff where it’s best to be, and not having stuff around that’s best stowed. The best reason, without a doubt, is that you catch what you want, as big as you want, as many as you want...and who’s there to claim you didn’t? |
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Posts: 1120
Location: West Chester, OH | Junkman - 1/5/2018 8:33 AM
Fishing solo may best be compared to watching TV when the wife is away. Basically, you do what you want. You don’t have to fish spots others will be approving of. You stay or leave because of your own #*^@ reasons or no reason. Sometimes, when I feel tired, I’ll put the anchor down and go to sleep for an hour. Other times, when it’s really warm out, I’ll jump over the side and take a swim. I’ll also try those stupid bait modifications that your partner will chide your intellectual capacity over. Truthfully, I’ve actually gotten to really know a lot more about what I’m actually capable of with respect to boat control trying stuff out when nobody is around to laugh at it. There’s also a lot of little stuff you pick up on like having stuff where it’s best to be, and not having stuff around that’s best stowed. The best reason, without a doubt, is that you catch what you want, as big as you want, as many as you want...and who’s there to claim you didn’t?
Needs a "like button." |
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Posts: 633
| When I go on vacation with the family, I get out first thing in the morning, and fish solo. I go to spots I want to fish, and fish them as long, or as fast as I want to fish them. I also make sure my tools are out on deck ready to go, and my net is fully deployed ready to grab the handle to net the fish. I try new spots to see what might be there. As far as bait choices it all depends on what you have found that is working, or what you have the most confidence. Like most people know bucktails are great search baits, but if it is early morning, or dusk top water might be the better search bait. Enjoy your time alone, and try to learn more about the spot, or figure out a new presentation that might trigger some fish. |
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Posts: 3508
Location: Elk River, Minnesota | Hiya,
I think one of the biggest tips when fishing solo is to somehow have a way to free up both hands when you have a fish in the net. For years, I have used a small tether from the end of my net handle that clips to an eye bolt on the front of my console (single console boat) which is just long enough so the net is level with the water, the bag is keeping the fish in the water at all times, and don't have to straddle the net or somehow secure it with my body to have both hands free to work.
While fishing, the net is positioned with handle extended toward me, so that it will not get messed up with anything as I go to grab it as well.
I too look to make sure all of my tools are handy, and also tethered to the boat. I cannot tell you how many times I have seen others using a mouth spreader and/or hook removal tool on a pike and occasional muskie, that then flips out of the mouth or out of the hand, and to the lake bottom... (Badfish outdoors first DVD in the night fishing segment is a quick example...)
In terms of fishing tactics, I always want to have a throw-back lure ready. I will fish a touch slower to be a little more thorough, and with only me, I don't have to be as cognizant of boat position so long as I am in position to cast or hit the spot I am working.
I also have a camera tripod in the boat ready to go so if I catch a decent fish for picture, I can quickly unhook the fish, leave it in the net as it is tethered to the boat, set up the camera, grab the fish, hit the photo button and get a quick photo of the fish using the camera timer delay. it takes about 10 seconds total from grabbing the fish, to the quick hit of the button, to a 5 second position, click and back in...
Steve
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Posts: 4269
Location: Ashland WI | One thing to add for me.
I keep a bungy cord to tie down the net handle if I catch a fish. |
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Location: Contrarian Island | hmmm after thinking this through, I'm not sure I change much when I'm solo vs 1 or 2 other guys in the boat... at times, you're better off running and gunning, other times camping... just like when you have 2 or 3 in the boat... let the fish tell you what is best... if you are confident you have some fish located, then camp, if you are in search mode then run and gun until you find some fish or a pattern.... go with high percentage baits for the time of year, water temps and structure and go from there... I use to fish a lot slower solo, now I run the boat much faster until I know where the fish are, one of my biggest solo was a nice thick 51.5 I got running and gunning burning 12s...had I been fishing slow, I may have never fished that section of structure before the window closed... |
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Posts: 1220
| Oh, all right then, I’ll just admit another of my personality flaws that showed up Wednesday afternoon with my neighbor here in Florida. When I’m fishing with another guy, I’m going with the proven bestest bait I have so as to not getting out-fished. Not being stupid along with egotistical, when I am getting outfished, I will put on what he’s tossing. If that’s not enough to correct the imbalance, I’ll start looking real close at how fast he’s retrieving or any other shameful act of plagerism I need to practice. Now, when I’m out there alone (like I will be later today) that’s when I’m going to try all the other colors, bait styles, and other presentation varieties. The key here, when you are sort of a narcissistic a-hole, is to not prevent learning from others while you are selfishly not sharing it forward. The post-graduate level of this kind of misfit, is figuring out where you can take your buddy, place the boat “just so” and cast where you’re going to get bit but he will not. Unfortunately, the ultimate result of being really good at all that is more and more alone time until you find you have no friends left. That, of course, is when you know which end of the line is getting a jerk! |
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Posts: 4080
Location: Elko - Lake Vermilion | I fish by myself quite a bit.
When I'm by myself I only fish from one side of the boat and nothing is on that side... all tools, lures, rods, ect., are behind me... Net is deployed and always in the same spot.
A throw back combo is nearby. also fish and net out of the back of the boat,80% of the time.
As to how I fish, I usually pick the spot apart if time permits. Almost always have a milk run plan.. I also watch how and where others fish different spots and than maybe "explore" those areas later.
One of the most important things I've learned is to get right up on top of the structure (after I've fished around it) and observe, map it out so to speak... Caution: do this only on a calm day.... Rocks have a tendency to tear up the bottom of the boat and trolling motor Haa ,ha.
No one here has EVER gotten their boat stuck on Rocks or Sand, have they ?
I never forget the "celebration" Beer !
A lot of good info from the others here.
Jerome |
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Posts: 1096
Location: Hayward, WI | I tend to fish parallel to structure more when I am fishing solo. Instead of casting to a weed line or break line, I fish along them. |
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Posts: 425
Location: MN | I fish solo a lot, over half the time. Main points:
- Keep boat clean and open with the net ready to go (extended, unfolded, etc.). Once you hook in to something, you want the process of getting the net over the side of the boat (using one hand) to go as smoothly as possible. Try to eliminate anything the net can get hung up on.
- If you are trying to narrow down location and bait, you may be better off hitting smaller spots until a pattern is established. This allows you to cycle through options quicker. For example, let's say you aren't really sure if they are mostly using the inside weed edge, outside edge, or open water, and you're not real sure about bait either. With three guys, you could run blades, rubber, and a glider in succession through the inside edge, outside edge, and adjacent open water on a spot and hopefully get some feedback. Covering the same nine bait + location combos solo will take longer. If you choose too big of a spot, you could easily miss a window or at least not fish it optimally.
- Networking helps narrow things down. If you are sharing info with another boat on the water, you can get dialed in a lot faster. This is true with multiple anglers as well, but the time pressure is greater solo. Any info you can get helps, even if its from people who fished earlier that day or week. |
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Posts: 109
Location: Wisconsin River | Fishing solo is awesome. you get all the best casts!
Edited by Big Rock 1/5/2018 4:58 PM
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Posts: 44
Location: Ohio | I fish solo the majority of the time too. I try to address the biggest downside, which is still patterning fish for me. I don't get to go out that often, so I try to talk to people in advance of my trips to limit my learning curve once I'm on the water. I 2nd several other comments as well about camera preparation, net preparation, and throw back baits. |
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Posts: 670
Location: mercer wi | I'm solo a lot of the time. The thing I like about fishing by myself is I experiment with different lures and places to fish. A good example is open water fishing. The guys that I do get to fish with that have time on the water isn't very often. They are also set in their ways of fishing and don't always want to try something diffrent. I've stumbled onto some pretty good patterns fishing alone which help when I did take experienced and newbys out. I'm tring to figure out the trolling thing this up coming year and fishing solo will help me spend time figuring it out with out the pressure of putting some one else on fish. Try something new this year, you just might find the holy grail. |
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Posts: 164
| Lots of good advice here. I wont repeat what everyone else already said. Fishing solo is pretty awesome in my opinion. I caught my first solo Ski this year. Of course I would of enjoyed sharing the moment with my son, daughter or one of my good friends. But the appreciation you get of searching out a fish by yourself, picking the right bait and netting the fish solo is a pretty cool experience. In my boat I love everything my way, I hate being questioned for what I am doing, I generally have a pretty good plan for the entire day of fishing and I hate hearing my buddy ask why two hours in we haven't seen or caught a fish yet. When you solo everything is your way. All frustrations and messes were created by you and you handle them yourself. All success and reward was because of what you did. I really enjoy spending time on the water with family and friends. But I do think I enjoy just as much or if not more spending time on the water solo as well. |
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Posts: 403
| Find fishing solo more relaxing and time for experimation and trying new things. Keep boat deck simple and clear. Agree with a lot of the comments about landing nets. I ad the pistol grip attachment to my lading nett. It gives me a lot better leverage. |
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Posts: 396
Location: Northern Illinois | If the fish is hooked well, I'll play it out a little more rather than horse it in like I might if there was a skillful netmaster on board. Things can get a little hairy trying to net a hot fish with your left hand while keeping tension on the line with the rod in the right hand. |
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