By no means do I thing of myself as a great angler like a few I know on c.com, but there are things in my favor that put me above many anglers I know as well as those I don't that fish the same waters I do. So what makes an angler a good angler?
By no means do I thing of myself as a great angler like a few I know on c.com, but there are things in my favor that put me above many anglers I know as well as those I don't that fish the same waters I do. So what makes an angler a good angler?
To me it’s versatility. When they get turned off the angler can still get a few. Or maybe move to another species and continue to have fun. And of course, not using live bait very much. I don’t know of anyone that will never use live or natural bait but using nothing but artificial baits all that you can does present a more challenging game.
A good angler will observe and adapt. I ignore and refuse.
I agree one that can adapt well enough to get some fish to the boat or bank. One who is a steward of the waterways and fisheries. I will even say one who is willing to share knowledge and experience with other anglers.
I'm thinking fish location first. Can't catch fish where they aren't. Finding them and seeing how active they are is 2nd. That's the question I'm always confronted with. Sure, fish may be down there in 10' as seen on the sonar screen, getting them to bite is a whole different ball game. I suck at that and that's my versatility ends.
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To me it’s versatility. When they get turned off the angler can still get a few.
Both statements are key.Quote:
I agree one that can adapt well enough to get some fish to the boat or bank.
I'm thinking fish location first. Can't catch fish where they aren't.
Finding them and seeing how active they are is 2nd along with using the right lures and presentations.
Those are the question I'm always confronted with. Sure, fish may be down there in 10' as seen on the sonar screen; getting them to bite is a whole different ball game. I suck at that and that's where my versatility ends.
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To me it’s versatility. When they get turned off the angler can still get a few.
Both statements are key as to good catches on average.Quote:
I agree one that can adapt well enough to get some fish to the boat or bank.
a "good" angler will ketch fish in any situation , no matter the salinity or lack of and or amount of water.
"good" is relative as well , some think they are good and some are actually just that ......just saying
the percentage of good anglers hitting the spots I hit varies greatly , depends alot on IF there is a "good" bite currently or not ...:Rofl
Fishing pressure can make or break most anyone I know. Definitely changes the playing field.
I find that far more with bass than with panfish.Quote:
Originally Posted by skeetbum
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no matter the salinity or lack of
Never knew panfish lived in salt water.
90% of fish are caught by 10% of the fisherman. If you are one of the " good " ones no body has to tell you. Number one thing that makes a good fisherman is time on the water and a sect few just have a knack of figuring out on a given day what they want when they don't realy want it. When fish are actively feeding most can catch them.Those that have mastered forward facing sonar can find the fish, just a matter of getting them to bite. Scott
Access, time on water, viable populations of your target species.
you didn't specify just panfish waters sir , bream are dumb fish and rarely get people wise , they get smaller though under lot's of keep em pressure for sure :RoflQuote:
Originally Posted by Spoonminnow
No fish is people-wise IMO. A pickerel I caught last week still had the lure in its mouth when it broke off. The next cast to the same spot, I hooked it on another lure and got it to the boat before it straightened the jig hook out with the other lure still hooked. The torn mouths of panfish and bass are proof they don't wise up. Some anglers fall into the same category - except without the torn mouth.:dono
When it comes to fish size, location is everything and fish usually congregate by size or are loners too big to pal around with midgets. Catch one in a school and more of the same are hooked. Again, seen last week with white and yellow perch caught from schools in different areas of the lake.
It was explained to me like this. Go to a school yard or playground and just sit and watch. The little ones are full of energy and curiosity, runnin around and getting into everything. The older folks like us are sitting off to the side, but not too far off in case something really cool comes up. Point I took away was that if you’re getting the littles, move a little away from em and you might just find some good ones.
I agree 99% of the times the big girls aren't hanging with the kids but may not be far away. Scott
It is often about where the perimeter is on a school of fish , in some instances big fish are aggressive, but more often than not they tend to be less than energetic and hang around on the perimeter of the festivalQuote:
Originally Posted by ultraslab
The percentage is very high in my area. Guys get to know of your reputation for finding and catching fish and watch where you’re fishing, then mark the spot where they saw you. With the electronics we have now, it doesn’t take them long to pinpoint that exact spot. They’ll come back and fish it every time they visit the lake. They bring their buddy then their buddy brings his buddy and the spot turns into a community hole. A really good fisherman will still visit this spot, catch as many as he can, then know when it’s time to move on to a new spot. They will have numerous spots marked that have produced at different times of the year and visit many of them a day. A seasoned fisherman will know not to sit in one spot too long. Numerous reasons for that. Just remember that you’re not the only one fishing that spot anymore and take what it gives and move on.
I fish bream waters that are always heavily bream fished and are well known as hot spots in Mississippi . I once was a die hard crappie guy but no longer . Age , cost , travel time has made red ear move up the ladder . Tippah , Trace , Elvis Presley , Lamar Bruce , and Monroe are fairly close to me . Since folks watch , I rarely sit anywhere . I am always moving if people are near . I have also found many deep beds due to continuous moving . Attachment 473621Attachment 473622Attachment 473623
You must have an army of cleaners! Do you eat fish more than 3x a day or use a foot locker freezer?!!
Not sure about percentage of good anglers fishing the waters I fish but the percentage of people fishing since Covid is way up and many are keeping what they catch resulting in very few adult fish left. My favorite crappie lake got wiped out last year by meat head minnow dunkers. Small 5 acre lake that nobody fished hardly suddenly had 40 or 50 people with minnow's and lake was wiped out in a couple weeks. Conservation did a survey and not one adult crappie but hundreds of little ones. These small lakes just can't handle that kind of fishing pressure.
Thank goodness none of the lakes I fish have overharvest problems - not that our local conservation dept. is of any use when it comes to enforcement of fishing regs. (Though, come to think of it, they only enforce the laws early in the year when it comes to state stocked waters such as trout streams.)
I'm fortunate to live close to a private lake via my club access. Very few anglers keep anything and most that do fish, fish for bass. I could reduce numbers big time but keep nothing. Homeowners just use it for jet skiing and cruising around in circles on boats too large for the lake.
Other public water see few fishing boats on them and not many shore anglers. No sonar is a great disadvantage in lakes deeper than 15' that have steep drops and humps. Are numbers caught in deep water? Not where I fish.
If i pull up to my local ramp and there are 7 boats there....odds are one of them are better than me.....but they better be on their A game.
Sent from my SM-N970U using Crappie.com Fishing mobile app
I don’t think there’s anybody better at fishing than I am , if you take away their electronics.
I’m 98% bank fisherman now days . It’s a whole different ball game than fishing with all the electronics available today out of a boat .
I do own a boat and it has an old Eagle depth finder .
I only use it for the depth and surface temperature .
I turn the beeper off , it’ll drive you crazy .
The boat didn’t make it out of the garage this year , yet . :)
Last year , I think maybe three or four times .
I think I enjoy bank fishing more .
O M G ! it was a trick question ....
silly me just realized it ...
The answer is .....
0 % until I get there ....:Rofl:crazy::Rofl:crazy: