Frustrated Fishermen

Have you ever let a fish frustrate you? If so you might want to consider leaving a crappie alone.
That was my advice to my fishing partner yesterday.
We fish a lot of river systems. Some are tide control and others are not. As most know rivers are a bit tougher than fishing lakes due to the ever changing conditions.
So my last two trips I hit them right catching and catching and releasing over my limit in a local river system.
I gave him waypoints, color jig, if you will all he needed for success.
As I told him after he and a friend he taken failed to only haul 5 home yesterday. And to know the Paul Harvey “the rest of the story”! He has the latest and greatest Forward Facing Sonar with a big ole 12” screen you can see the under water world on.
As I told him when he made numerous calls and texted, things I can’t give; him patience, knowledge to know when to move on, knowledge to know to change baits and even tactics or even change with weather conditions. The knowledge to know where to leave the water they are no longer in or biting in. I have been with him many times with FFS, he tends to educate the fish when they ain’t bitting. He and most will continue to throw and waste hours try to get them to bite. I am going to give a group of fish about 15 minutes of my time and then I am going to find some hungry ones.
Advice, don’t leave home with a plan to do what you did last time. To many things change. “ Change” is what will make you successful.



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I give a pair of friends exact instructions of how and exact location of 3 structures where i had done really well not 24 hours earlier. They text about dinner and told me i owed them the cost of their minnows. Lol. They couldnt catch a single fish.

There are alot sayings about crappie fishing. One that is very true is. "It is almost impossible to catch another man's fish"


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The only consistent to crappie is their inconsistency!

Fish are where the fish ARE!

I relate to this a lot. For me the fish aren’t biting almost every time I’m on the water ha! But I’m trying to learn those life lessons life moving on to different fish.
I went last night under a bridge for 2 hours with 2 rods slip bobbers and minnows and other I jigged and couldn’t get a bite.
Drove round to other docks with lights and caught a drum my first cast. Wasn’t a good night fishing but enjoyed the blessings being in God’s creation nature


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herein lies the greatest of all dilemmas, folks say I never give up spots , this is fairly factual , nothing burns me more, than being told I gave them trash information, and for sure whatever was up whatever day at whatever place is VERY likely to be very old news ,,,,,,just saying :Rofl
sometimes a few hours makes a huge difference and if you think your on them solid and confident your gunna really hammer em , give it a day or so and you won't be near as confident after the next visit .....rotfl

I believe sometimes you need to change the way you present a jig . Seen fish not bite then come back a couple hours and it is different .

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Originally Posted by Ketchn

herein lies the greatest of all dilemmas, folks say I never give up spots , this is fairly factual , nothing burns me more, than being told I gave them trash information, and for sure whatever was up whatever day at whatever place is VERY likely to be very old news ,,,,,,just saying :Rofl
sometimes a few hours makes a huge difference and if you think your on them solid and confident your gunna really hammer em , give it a day or so and you won't be near as confident after the next visit .....rotfl

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Ketchn, exactly! You and I are on point with this.
In 2000 when I decided to stop bream fishing, cat fishing and bass fishing and put my focus 100% to those humbling crappie, it has been an adventure ever since. Like you I get board easily, so I like the challenge.
But for me crappie fishing is like someone that plays golf. It’s something you will never perfect, but it is something if you put the time in can be very satisfying. Especially when it comes to eating them.
I always appreciate all the responses I get on this site.


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Originally Posted by NIMROD

I believe sometimes you need to change the way you present a jig . Seen fish not bite then come back a couple hours and it is different .

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As Rojo finally beat into my head, presentation, presentation, presentation.
Some days they want it what I call dead sticking it. Some days they want minimal movement, some days they want it dropped in the mud and picked up off bottom. This list could go on and on as y’all know.
I have also learned some days they want it more vertical than horizontal.
So I get picked on, why to I carry six poles. All different presentations that I can get out quickly. Then once that’s figured out most stay in the rod box.


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Originally Posted by silverroach

As Rojo finally beat into my head, presentation, presentation, presentation.
Some days they want it what I call dead sticking it. Some days they want minimal movement, some days they want it dropped in the mud and picked up off bottom. This list could go on and on as y’all know.
I have also learned some days they want it more vertical than horizontal.
So I get picked on, why to I carry six poles. All different presentations that I can get out quickly. Then once that’s figured out most stay in the rod box.


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Yeah, I still wonder why people think every single Crappie in a school wants the same color, same size, and presented in the same way. They're not "clones", they're brothers, sisters, cousins, and probably have picked up some tagalongs from the neighborhoods they've passed thru.
I don't know how many times I've heard ... you have to keep it moving slow, don't jiggle it, keep it still, and use this color or that color, etc., etc., only to end up catching them on different colors, jiggling it one time & not jiggling it the next cast, and holding it still over their heads only to have them chase it down and hammer it when reeling up to make another cast.

Silverroach,

I think you explained it perfectly! I fished largemouth exclusively for about 30 years, and have only become OBSESSED with sacalait fishing over the last two or three years. Each time I have a pretty good trip, and I start to think I'm getting the hang of it, I will get completely humbled a couple of trips in a row. I will go home extremely frustrated, and my wife will ask me why I even continue to try. My response is always the same.....because when I finally get on a few, the feeling of flipping one in the boat (or net) is one of the most rewarding, satisfying feelings I've ever experienced. Like most things in life, it's BECAUSE it's so hard at times that it's so rewarding.

TD, thanks for your response as well. After seeing your response I have now spent 24 years on crappie exclusively. Still learning, still getting humbled, still don’t like fishing for them during the spawn which for years was the only time I fished for them. Now my favorite months down south here is November, December, and January for various reasons.
But one thing it puts to bed for me, with the concern of FFS. The guys that are maybe computer savvy with that technology want get the job done.
But that tool alone doesn’t put them in the boat. And the knowledge in our heads will always be superior!


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Originally Posted by silverroach

I am going to give a group of fish about 15 minutes of my time and then I am going to find some hungry ones.

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That's about 10 minutes more than I give them to bite Bud.

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Originally Posted by Rojo

That's about 10 minutes more than I give them to bite Bud.

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That’s one of may many flaws brother! I was hoping you would chime in and drop one of those golden nuggets.
But when I used to fish local
bass tournaments and would win more than I lost, it was about being slow and methodical. I more often than not won the lunker too. This was all done without any electronics and something I learned years ago. How to watch the water, movement if you will. Movement of fish, movement of bait, flow and wind.
But I am learning slowly. It also can take a while to go through my progression to figure out what they want that day. So I have narrowed down from hours to 15 minutes at least. You will always be the king of the rivers in my book. Thanks for all your advice that has made me better over time.


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Quote:

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Originally Posted by silverroach

That’s one of may many flaws brother! I was hoping you would chime in and drop one of those golden nuggets.
But when I used to fish local
bass tournaments and would win more than I lost, it was about being slow and methodical. I more often than not won the lunker too. This was all done without any electronics and something I learned years ago. How to watch the water, movement if you will. Movement of fish, movement of bait, flow and wind.
But I am learning slowly. It also can take a while to go through my progression to figure out what they want that day. So I have narrowed down from hours to 15 minutes at least. You will always be the king of the rivers in my book. Thanks for all your advice that has made me better over time.

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Winter fishing is different fishing around here. I start with a complete change of equipment, jigs, rigging, & presentation. Can't teach that on a website forum. Folks that don't fish Tidal Rivers play the winter fishing game different from us.

Agreed Sir!


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