panfish versus bass

it's all about mary ann for me Ilove to eat fish. I've filled truck beds with the bass I've landed and I rather eat my boot there is nothing better than a good thump on a 10' rod in my book

I too love the thump, and being able to sight fish is the only thing that has it beat in my book. Crappie for the table is a real good thing. Something yet to be mentioned is the laid back, everyone's welcome attitude of the crappie fisherman. Very little "keep up with the Jones' " goes on with those I have met. I think we all go off the reservation now and then, and chase fish other than crappie. Too much fun to be overlooked. As to a fly rod, I have 2 that I don't use much, but I just cant bring myself to give em up. Bass fishing can have all the headlines. Like that great restaurant on the two lane backroad, I know where to go to get the best.

I like going out starting for panfish but as a non-boater it doesn't always work out. I'll take whatever wants to bite on my bait, When I first started fly fishing I stopped everything else - and found some eliteism from some of them. Digging through box's 4 years later found my molds and hooks and went out and poured for almost 6 straight hours. While I didn't stop fly fishing I carried all kinds of tackle from that point on and built it into my whole fishing system.

Just think about it - we started out catching those panfish and it's how it got us hooked on fishing in the first place!!!! To turn up your nose at any fish is plain nuts. Enjoy them all

I have spent many a years thrashing the water to a froth chasing bass. Now I really enjoy a nice slow ride pulling jigs or dipping pads and brush for Crappie or bream. I enjoy fishing for everything and dabble a little in everything Florida has to offer, but much prefer all the panfish.

I prefer crappie (panfish) fishing overall and throughout the year because:

#1 The panfish are the best eatin'.... and
#2 cuz once you get into 'em they just keep coming, so catching in numbers is alot more fun than a trophy once in a blue moon, to me.

What I enjoy about bass fishing is the beauty of the areas it takes me too, even more so with trout...



If I want to go out and just catch alot of fish, and bring home something to eat....panfish....as long as it isn't crazy hot or really windy (since my panfishing is entirely done on lakes, many of which you can't swin in, and I'm kayaking)

If I want to get out into some beautiful scenery....and it's warm....I'm bass fishing....(moving rivers, often wade or swim)

If it's really cold and I want to get into REALLY beautiful scenery....Trout....To me catching trout is THE most exciting, but a little limited by season where I am. Ultimately it takes the most effort.

I have an opinion similar to everyone elses. Bass is hyped way too much and maybe men's manhood is on the line (literally) if they come in skunked. Some of my partners pretend I'm competing with them fishing for bass, not realizing that to me a fish is a fish and the variety of bites is the coolest reason I can think of to fish multispecies. This last weekend the action Sat and Sun was incredible for panfish and I got to experiment with many soft plastics and two rigs. Many crappies were over 11" which, for my lake, is pretty decent. Granted, I did catch two pics over 25" on small jigs, but for the most part I enjoyed 16 hours of panfish on ultralight gear feeling for the light tick before setting the hook.
Before this last weekend I never caught so many fish vertically or on a power (horizontal) dropshot.

I can't wait to go out Fri-Sun this coming weekend and catch more and maybe use a few lures for bass.

I target mainly gills, crackers, and crappie. In that order. I used to fish alot of bass tournaments in the past and just got burnt out. I still go "Bass fishing 10 or so times a year, usually small jaws. I have been known to target spots in the winter when the crappie are slow. Just enough to make a mess with the crappie.

I get disappointed reeling in what I think is a pig crappie, and I see the line heading straight for the surface, and I see an ugly ol' bass on the other end.

I'll echo what Locator said, when I'm panfishing and I almost immediately know it's a bass, I can't get that thing off the hook quick enough. I've seriously thought about just letting them flop around in the boat to die, I don't like bass.

I am like so many others. I use to bass fish some, but it gets lesser and lesser each year. I have converted my share of tournament bass fishermen into panfishermen over the years. I love to see them lay down the bass rig and pick up the crappie jig. The reasons I love panfishing is the same as most everyone else. It can be a challenge at times when only the skilled can have success, it can be easy at times when anyone can catch them. I love the thump, I just can not describe what it does to me. I also am a line watcher and catch a lot of fish that others do not even know are biting because they do not line watch and miss most of those fish. For some crazy reason I even like the dishrag feel that me and a friend of mine call it, when you never really feel a strike or never really see your line twitch but you get that dishrag feel that you know is a crappie. I have been many many times and caught hundreds a day, sometimes those fish were nice size, but many times they were small. I would rather catch a few hundred small crappie a day than 4 to 10 bass. I do not even eat crappie, but the thrill of catching them is un matched to me. I also love catching bream, and I even eat those. I do not catch them as well as I did when I was younger, but when they are on bed they are a joy, and sure taste good for supper.