"Expert" anglers

[Norm M]

Al

 I tried a few tournaments and decided that for me personally I did not enjoy the stress involved in fishing against the clock . That also was one of the main reasons I quit guiding . Why bring more stress into my life , especially into something that I used to fight the stress daily life brought . I also don't fish the ned or the alabama , I know they work , but they don't trip my trigger . 

 I believe that folks should fish with whatever tackle, technique , line choices and for whatever species they enjoy . I doubt any two guys fish exactly alike but why should they ? Do what makes you happy as long as it is legal and ethical . 

 

 I believe in the concept of enough when it comes to size and numbers of the catch for that outing . If you catch enough to make you happy at that point in time , it matters not the least what others think . Now what might be enough one trip may vary from trip to trip, all that matters is that you are happy . On just about all of my trips , how much is enough , is not predetermined, it just kinda evolves throughout the trip .  There is more to enjoying a fishing trip than numbers , it's the quality of the company you keep or the pleasure of the peace solitude can bring . It can include the feeling of a warm sun on achy old bones, a nice breeze that keeps the skeeters at bay and the humidity in check , or the sights, sounds and smells of natural surroundings . It can be the feeling of having no particular place to go and no particular time to be any where . I am sure others have their own thoughts on what makes for an enjoyable trip that varies from my likes . I would not have it any other way as we are all individuals with varying tastes .

 

[Stein]

The cumulative ability experience of an angler tends to put additional pressure on them.  The bar is always higher when you have a certain expectation of what you SHOULD be catching.  Remember way back when you and your buddy went bombing out in a 10 ft jon boat with one Ugly Stick and two bags of worms, some hooks and bullet weights?  It was awesome regardless of the outcome.  I only wish that we could experience that joy every time we went out.

[fishinwrench]

 

I am pretty sure that I am a bad fisherman in almost every sense except that I really like it.

I have absolutely no desire to improve. I get on the water a lot and get exactly what  I want out of the experience. Sometimes that is getting out of the water and going for a hike. Sometimes it is switching to something smaller because longears are pretty and I really want to look at one. Sometimes darn it I'm on a smallmouth stream but I still want to use that Ausable Wulff, so I do and catch small sunfish all day long. When you legitimately do not care it frees you up to do things exactly how you see fit any given day. 

What is a "good" fisherman again, and do we really hope to objectively answer that? There are enough things that are "important", that we have to do well in, without bringing one of my few, pure, true loves I have left in this world into the equation.

Sorry to get all philosophical on you, and this is in no way directed at you, Al, or anyone else. Just my personal musings. 

 

Some excellent points there.  That's a healthy outlook and attitude for sure.

I'm not near as healthy in the head.  I am driven to "figure them out" and put together the pattern of the day.  Once I feel like I have them dialed in and can almost catch one at will....Then I am satisfied and sometimes even lose the desire to keep catching them.   

It is the getting to the point where I know I can catch them if I want to that keeps me going.  Once there I can go for days/or a week plus, without fishing, and it doesn't bother me. But let something change where I think the pattern may have changed, or the fish moved....and I just gotta get back out there.  

[ozark trout fisher]

 

Some excellent points there.  That's a healthy outlook and attitude for sure.

I'm not near as healthy in the head.  I am driven to "figure them out" and put together the pattern of the day.  Once I feel like I have them dialed in and can almost catch one at will....Then I am satisfied and sometimes even lose the desire to keep catching them.   

It is the getting to the point where I know I can catch them if I want to that keeps me going.  Once there I can go for days/or a week plus, without fishing, and it doesn't bother me. But let something change where I think the pattern may have changed, or the fish moved....and I just gotta get back out there.  

I certainly don't claim to have some zen outlook on life. No, not at all.But I do think fishing is where I get the closest to that. It is certainly a time when I try to turn my brain off and enjoy my surroundings. I work often 60+ hrs/week, so when I'm on the water it needs to be something that is the opposite of that.

We all approach it our own way, and as long as you enjoy your time on the water you are doing it right IMO.

[Blazerman]

This is a great topic and I have enjoyed reading everyone’s comments.

To me this started as Al talking about what it takes to be an “expert” fisherman and evolved into everyone’s definition as to what an expert is. And then quite a few of you threw in the points about whether you want to be an expert and why you fish period.

As far as my fishing, I have never considered myself a expert fisherman but I have had some good days for sure. And I can normally manage to catch some fish most every time I go. But I don’t always catch the biggest or most and for sure don’t care anymore. Now whenever I have someone else in my boat, I normally have a goal get us to a spot where they can catch fish and love it when that happens.

There was a time in my younger years when I did have the competitive streak and ended up fishing some tournaments and even won a few. But even then I felt more like we had got lucky and found the magic spot to catch 5 nice keepers versus really having them figured out. And even though we won, I still felt like most of the guys who fished way more tournaments then I did were no doubt better fisherman.

I guess I have mellowed more in my older age and have finally figured out that the best part of fishing is just being able to go. Being out there as much as I am is truly a treasure I cherish every time I go.

And it is even more sweet when it is on a beautiful Ozark stream chasing smallmouth.

[Seth]

 

Some excellent points there.  That's a healthy outlook and attitude for sure.

I'm not near as healthy in the head.  I am driven to "figure them out" and put together the pattern of the day.  Once I feel like I have them dialed in and can almost catch one at will....Then I am satisfied and sometimes even lose the desire to keep catching them.   

It is the getting to the point where I know I can catch them if I want to that keeps me going.  Once there I can go for days/or a week plus, without fishing, and it doesn't bother me. But let something change where I think the pattern may have changed, or the fish moved....and I just gotta get back out there.  

I can relate. Figuring out he pattern that puts the fish in the boat is what I enjoy the most. Once that part is done, I like to try and get others in the boat to catch them. That's when I am fun fishing. If it's a tourney, then I get mad at them and beat on them hard myself.

[Hog Wally]

I can say now that I have fished enough river tournaments to know that I suck badly at it.  My stragedy never works out.   That's what it appears to be about to win.  Where have they released the most and biggest fish lately.  Fish that ramp.  All day.    Or spend a couple weeks before tourney moving fish?   Not sure I believe the latter     I only fish my 30 mile stretch of home water and have for the last 30 years.   These fish have been doing the same routine every year.  I think your right Al. I would look like a idiot on the upper big fishing with you.  Actually, you make me look like a idiot on my home water som days.   

[David Unnerstall]

 

(EDIT: I endlessly am impressed at how curse words get corrected on here. WAY better than the original version)

OTF, so "Flowery bloviator"  was actually typed as something else?

[David Unnerstall]

It appears I enjoy fishing more than catching.  I enjoy the process but the next day I can get my dauber down thinking about getting skunked or out-fished by a companion.  It certainly does not bother me at the time because I am just glad to be fishing.

But to answer the topic, directly, I don't think success is the result of a body of knowledge but something intangible.  Perhaps it is pheromones.  I fished Wappapello last month with my buddy Rick.  We were doing the same thing but he caught more fish that I did.

 

[ozark trout fisher]

 

OTF, so "Flowery bloviator"  was actually typed as something else?

I wish, but no. Those were two separate (and in the latter case , supremely accurate) monikers I picked up over the years from posters on here. 

I generally prefer to steer into the skid.

I remember someone once called me (not so endearingly) his "bloviating little oracle friend." 10/10 for word choice and creativity.

In hindsight that is probably my favorite post ever, regardless of who it was directed at, but at the time I believe I failed to see the humor.

 I regularly cringe when I remember posts from years ago. Goodness have I been insufferable at times.

I often wish I could nuke from outer space every single post I made before, say, 2012.