Trophy Hunter Vs Big Numbers Of Fish

[Mitch f]

I target a good time and just being out. Seeing a buddy pull in a big one is almost as enjoyable as myself doing it. And lot of fish is always nice, but not important. Just wish I was out on a creek somewhere today instead of staring into this dull ole computer screen.

I hear ya man, in 60 years everyone who is on this forum will be worm food, sad as it is to think about.

So seize the moment! I'm giving everyone reading this permission to take off work and go fishing this week.

[exiledguide]

Ness you got it right. I'm always amazed that I can catch fish wading a river with a spinning outfit that cost less than $200. 6 lb trileneXL with a handfull of plastic worms, grubs and minnows. Just think what I could do if I knew what I was doing and bought that $500. rod and reel and a box full of Sammys and braided line and flourocarbon..........

[Smalliebigs]

" Just wish I was out on a creek somewhere today instead of staring into this dull ole computer screen."

Andy, I hear ya brother!!!!! i'm going tommorow and Wends.....lets go!!!!! screw that computer screen!!!!! I've been tying jigs all morning and last night....plenty of Plum Ford Prospectors to go around. I have a spot on the upper **** River I want to hit....doesn't need to be an all day deal.......I'll let you fish out of my Coosa all day if ya want

[ColdWaterFshr]

tempting, very tempting. Tomorrow is out, but Wednesday might work. Let me check with the ole war-axe and the calendar

[Greasy B]

1. One big fish, except on those occasional slow days when I’m just happy someone in the boat is connecting now and then.
   
2. Slow pace for sure. If the fish are active I prefer to work the water. In a large river with big eddies I’ll throw into the seam as my boat passes by in faster water then do an eddy turn just at the last chance, then I work the eddy and the seam from the slow side, as long as I’m catching fish I can ride the eddy up to the head of the rifle, do a peel out and do it over several times. When I figured I’ve spooked the fish it’s time to move on. Later in the summer on the warmer rivers I’ll pick up the pace by focusing in the heads and tails of pools. Yea, 6-8 miles is a long day for me.
   

What’s with you fellows saying you can fish all day long? You fellows be crazy…. ship, I can fish for five, maybe six hours then I need 8 hours of sleep and two bowls of Wheaties before I can do it again.

(Apologies to Richard Pryor)

[Al Agnew]

I know a lot of times it sounds like I'm totally driven to catch as many and as big fish as possible, and I do fish pretty hard when I'm on the river. I think we had a discussion one time where people were asking me why I was trying to catch as many fish as possible on one of those trips where the fish were really tearing things up. I explained then that I don't really care how many fish I catch, but the drug for me is in getting them to hit. I love watching a smallmouth smash a topwater. One of the main reasons why I fish fast and high in the water column most of the time is just so I can see the fish hit. I don't have as much fun fishing slow and deeper because I'd rather see them take it than feel them take it.

But I never lose sight of the fact that just being on an Ozark stream is something really special. To be honest, I fish harder from a jetboat than I do from the canoe, because it isn't so much fun to handle the boat so I concentrate more on the fishing. In a canoe, I love running riffles or paddling slowly through long pools, just soaking up the scenery. On days when the fishing is slow, often I don't bother to change techniques, I just put down the rod and drift for a while, or paddle slowly along the banks looking for fish, or get out and climb a bluff just to see what the view is like from the top of it.

But, although I don't fish as hard as I used to (a holdover from my early tournament fishing days, I guess), I do fish pretty hard and try to do it as well as I can.

[ozark trout fisher]

I don't really care about numbers vs. size. In a decent day of float fishing on a quality smallmouth stream you'll usually get some of both anyway.

I usually prefer shorter floats, because I like to spend nearly as much time wade fishing as fishing out of the canoe. Especially when I'm fly fishing for smallies, I really like to work the good runs over thoroughly, and that's just not possible if I'm trying to go 10 or 12 miles a day. For me, 5-7 miles is perfect for one day when I'm fly fishing, and 10 to at most 15 for a two day camp trip. A bit more is fine when I'm spin-fishing and can cover water faster. One of my favorite floats is actually an 11 miler on a very slow river, but that's fine because it isn't really a good fly fishing stream...I'm usually throwing crankbaits or spinnerbaits, so it's easy to cover a lot of water.

[stlfisher]

I probably lean toward numbers to a point, but after a while I want bigger and better. I guess it depends on the day. I wade fish and sun up to sun down is usually a full day for me.

[MOsmallies]

If I can catch 20 fish between 14"-16", I'd take numbers

but

If I'm only catching 10"-12" fish, I'd rather have the one 20" smallie

[Kc River Ratt]

Really doesn't matter. As long as I'm fishing.

I would love that 20" smallie, but being on fish all day and catching 15" + or - an inch or two is a great day.

I know when we go fishing that our group has thier "go to" lure/bait. One of us usually catches smaller fish all day long. I usually catch less fish but catch larger ones on the average. Somedays I catch the numbers and the larger fish.

I do like too try and hit as much water as possible, but like too try and go over a good producing hole at least twice.