Trophy Hunter Vs Big Numbers Of Fish

[Mitch f]

I wanted to take a quick survey on which you would rather do...

1. Catch one 20" fish for a days fishing or catch 20 fish up tp 16"?

2. Are you more happy fishing at a slow pace of about 5-6 miles a day for a float or 10-15 miles a day and just use the "run and gun" approach?

I realize if you are taking some young child it would be nice to catch the numbers, but on both of these questions I want to assume you are fishing alone.

[FishinCricket]

1. 20>1

2. Short float

[eric1978]

I'd rather catch 20 fish if most of them were closer to 16". If they were mostly 12"-14" and only one or two at 16" I'd rather just have the one big fish. But either of those scenarios sounds like a good enough day to me.

5-6 miles is about right for me. Maybe 7, depending on the river. I like to stop and dick around some, but I don't care to work one spot to death. Fish it, move on. Anything over 8 miles is too much water to fish effectively in one day, IMO, unless you're on a river that really moves. 10 miles on skinny water is a lot of work. I do generally like to fish fast, though. Pick off the easy ones and hit the next good looking spot.

[Feathers and Fins]

Trophy hunt, unless kids are present or someone new then numbers to get them hooked on fishing. But I will pull a 14 inch shad all day for the trophy if im by myself.

[Al Agnew]

I'll take both

Actually, I've always believed that if you catch numbers, the big fish will come. I'm not even sure what the best way to target big fish would be. Use big lures? I believe you'll catch just as many big fish (and a whole lot more smaller fish) with optimum size lures rather than big lures. You don't want to go too small, but going big doesn't help you any. Fish deep? Big fish have to eat a lot, and there isn't as much food in deep water. They go shallower to eat, they just don't always stay there all day. Fish slow on the bottom with very naturalistic baits? Works well sometimes, but so does fishing fast and high in the water column. Fish bigger, more fertile rivers? Those rivers have big fish but they get fished a lot more by good anglers. Big fish also live in smaller waters, and they may sometimes be easier in the smaller streams.

So to answer Mitch's poll...

1. One 20 incher (or one 18-19 incher, for that matter) makes my day. But so does a bunch of 14-16 inchers. Can't really say which I'd prefer, since I can't remember EVER catching just one 20 inch fish in a day's fishing...usually if I catch a 20 incher I'll also be catching some other fish, some quality, some not. I guess, though, that the days I catch a 20 incher stand out more than the days when I catch a dozen 16 inchers. Maybe that's the best answer I can give.

2. Much prefer fishing fast. Always have. Love to do 10 mile floats, and have been known to do 14-15 mile floats, daylight to dark. If I have to drive an hour or more to fish, I want to make it a full day and see as much water as possible.

[Wayne SW/MO]

I would choose the 20 fish if it really were an option.

I prefer the shorter floats, especially when I'm not real familiar with a float.

I used to do a 13 mile float about a dozen times or more a year. We were familiar enough with it that we knew when to bail and head to the take out. When the fishing was outstanding we might only fish half of it.

[eric1978]

I prefer the shorter floats, especially when I'm not real familiar with a float.

I used to do a 13 mile float about a dozen times or more a year. We were familiar enough with it that we knew when to bail and head to the take out. When the fishing was outstanding we might only fish half of it.

That's a good point...I'm much more inclined to take on a longer float if I know the stretch of river. Biting off 10-15 miles in one day in unknown territory freaks me out a little.

[Guest]

Trophy hunting requires a different mindset and heavier equipment.

Not really bigger lures, but heavier wire hooks, heavy line, heavy action rod, etc.

Catching 5 pounders is great, but traditional gear will leave you in pain when a giant grabs your bait and trucks off.

This happens to me a lot actually.

I go out catching numbers on a shaky head, then a giant breaks me off.

Why? because I got into a routine of catching small bass, they dumb you to death until MrBig comes along and its too late.

So, trophy hunting weeds out some of the little bass in this jig or worm scenario, so the numbers go down.

Nightfishing is another way to get bigger bites and use stout line is crytsal clear water.

Crankbaiting, is another scenario where you might be catching 10-20 bass up to 4 pounds on a wiggle wart.

this setup requires a medium to medium heavy action rod with light line. Not good for landing bass over 8 pounds consistently.

Trophy hunting with a crankbait, is chunking a DD22 on 17-20 pound florocarbon on a heavy action flippin stick.

Of course the bait doesnt run as deep, but will dig bottom in 10' of water. You have a better chance with those oversized KVD hooks and stout line.

Mudlines and runoff is another scenario where big line and conventional lures can be used without being seen by the bass.

3/8oz spinnerbaits or flippin jigs on 17lb line is awesome in the mudline.

Lets say, that I'm wade fishing a creek for tropy bass in crystal clear water.

I will have a spinning rod rigged with 6-8lb line and a shaky head. That generates lot sof bites and has a higher catch ratio.

Then, I have a MH baitcatser rigged with 20lb florocarbon and a 1/2oz finesse jig specifically for flipping logjams, in super clear water.

I do not fish this rig in runs or oopen water unless its low light or the waters off color from a recent rain.

My 2 cents

[Smalliebigs]

I am doing 15 miles on the Meramec on Wednesday and purely hunting for trophies if anyone can handle that long of a float you are more than welcome, it will be thru the most fertile section of the river.

Oh, give me the 20's and a long float.....I am out there as long as possible.....Mitch you know me run and gun until the big ones start comming to hand

[exiledguide]

I only wade anymore and I only fish a few spots nowadays. I never did really like to float and fish. Usally floated to get between productive holes. My fishing pal Art Ritis limits the amount of water I can cover anymore but if I fish the James and only catch 20 fish in a four hour wade on the James I would consider it a poor day of fishing and if I only caught one fish even if it was 20" I would consider it dumb luck. I have never caught a Smallmouth in a stream over 15' on any thing bigger than a 6" plastic worm or lizard. Wading all the time I very seldom use hard baits. One advantage I have is being retired I can fish whenever I want so I seldom see many people fishing or floating so there is not much fishing pressure.

I agree with Al The more numbers you catch on a stream the better the chance of catching a large one. A number of times when you catch a good size Smallmouth bigger fish will follow it in and if you are fishing with someone they can toss a jig or worm and one of those other fish will grab it. I believe that by wade fishing it's a lot easier to catch smallmouth.