Are My Expectations Just Off? What Is "good" Fishing?

[jimithyashford]

So, I havn't caught a fish all summer. Well that's not true, I have caught a few very small perch, and maybe 4 or 5 little finger sized smallies, not any longer than my hand. I havn't caugt a "keeper" of any type.

I've been out fishing maybe a 10 times so far this summer. Average time with lure/bait in the water per trip is probably about 1-1.25 hours. I almost always fish with two rigs at once, one set to passivly fish eitiher with a bobber for panfish and crappie or a sinker for catfish, while the other rod is used to actively fish for bass. I just havn't caught anything at all. Which is getting mighty frusterating. I've only been fishing for a few summers. Last summer I did pretty poorly as well. I caught two decent sized smallies and one catfish.

So I am at a bit of a loss as to this whole fishing thing, and why I just cannot seem to catch any fish. I posted in another forum asking about a good place to take a family member to have them catch some fish and enjoy themselves. And one peice of advice was that fishing doesn't neccesarily involve much catching, and that if my family member isn't really into fishing we'd be better off just going bowling.

It occured to me at that point that maybe my expecations are just off? Maybe my preformance is actually pretty average and even experianced anglers just don't really catch that many fish.

SO! How do you define "good" fishing? How many trips in a row of getting skunked or only catching little sunfish, would you consider to be within the normal range? Should your normal expectation when you head out to assume that you will get skunked and then just be pleased on the rare occasion that you're not?

[Bird Watcher]

Should your normal expectation when you head out to assume that you will get skunked and then just be pleased on the rare occasion that you're not?

I ALWAYS operate under this assumption, however, good catching to me is as fast as I can take one fish off and put my line back in the water I have another one on. When that doesn't happen, refer back to the afore mentioned Modus Operandi.

[Feathers and Fins]

FIRST, I go out with the mentality I will get 1 bite anything after that is gravy.

Second where are you fishing there is so much wealth of information and people willing to share it on this site in quick order we should have you catching something.

[jimithyashford]

Since I joined this site I have gone fishing 3 times using advice I got from here. I got in James River at the East Sunshine bridge and waded south fishing in the pockets and pools as I went using a couple of different bass lures.

I also got in the water at the Creghton access as waded upstream until I got to the first set of riffles and fished both a bobber with minnow and jigs around that pool and I did get one smallie about the size of my finger. I did both wade-fishing trips in direct response to fishing reports I saw on here.

And lastly I went to Stockton and Catfished for about 6 hours using night crawlers as bait. I fished a long muddy sloping area near cedar point and also near the bridge at aldritch. No bites of any kind.

So, those are my three attempts trying to follow the adivce of you most helpful and fine people, but to no avail.

[Feathers and Fins]

Ok that helps.

Lets break the skunk first of all. Head up to Taneycomo and fish Outlet 1 and 2 to get some fish and confidence back in yourself. IT might well be like shooting fish in a barrel but it will help get your confidence back.

Next your without boat if I remember and these lakes are very tough without a boat heck even with a boat they can humble even the best Pro, so never give up or get down on yourself that can in all truth make the trip bad before it starts. Positive attitude is a key in catching.

[jimithyashford]

I have had many people sugest Taneycomo. Unfortunately I had the gas for only one roadtrip fishing expedition this paycheck and I spent it on Stockton. So Taney will have to wait 2 weeks.

A few questions about Taney. Taney is primarily a Trout lake right? That's fine, I like Trout, but all of my gear is pan fishing, catfishing, and bass fishing gear. Do I need to go invest in a fly rod and learn to use it, or can you trout fish via non-fly methods? Or is fishing for other species on Taney pretty good too?

I have had enough people recomend taney that I think my next trip will have to be there, It would be a massive relief to just catch a dang fish! I will occasionally see people walking along docks at Stockton with stringers full or crappie or catfish and I just have no idea how they do it, when I can spend a whole season trying to pull just a few fish out of the same water. I guess these people all have boats, but isn't most boat fishing done by pulling your boat close to shore and casting? In other words, doesn't a boat just get you to places you COULD shore fish from faster and easier? In theory shouldn't you be able to get at the same fish from the bank?

[Feathers and Fins]

There is just to much to talk about when it comes to Taney here is the link to its forum start reading and start dreaming. http://forums.ozarkanglers.com/forum/4-upper-lake-taneycomo/

As to a boat and shore fishing I seldom am fishing places a shore angler can cast to in my boat. Most the bank ponders you see are Bass anglers as a rule and on these Highland lakes a boat is the only way you can get to many of those banks even.

[Gavin]

Practice and work on finding fish first instead of just fishing randomly. The fish will tell you where they want to be most of the time. Once you establish a pattern find similar spots and don't waste time fishing unproductive water.

[vonreed]

My advise is that since you're on the james river. Get a split shot sinker, a smaller sized hook, go to the river and catch a few 1-2 inch crawdads, then wade to the first good riffle that has a small eddy of water at the end of it and cast it into that spot. You will have a goggle-eye, smallmouth, or catfish on you line within seconds if they are there. If not, walk to the next riffle and repeat. This is my fishing routine in just about any stretch of river in this area, and I bring fish home everytime I want. PS, I return the big smallmouth, but anything about 12-15 inches sometimes comes home. There are fish all over these rivers, sometimes techniques need to be changed around. Good luck

[jimithyashford]

I will have to try that after work today. Sounds like it's worth a shot, and it is something I have not tried. So, is the goal the put the crawfish right down on the bottom with a hevy enough sinker to keep him there against the current? Or are you meaning to retrieve him? Or are you meaning to bobber him and have him suspended and floating along with the eddy?