VENT

[Float_On]

Hey Everyone,

Just needed to vent on a subject that has annoyed me for many years now.
It involves the way that "TV Fishing Hosts" over-power bass in tournament style fishing conditions and try to pretend that they are having fun.

I recently got into a "healthy" (3-5lb) school of smallmouth bass while targeting walleye, and remembered how much fun they are on 6lb fluoro/braid and light tackle.
i know these fish were OOS, but they were intermingled with many species. Actually had 6 species at 1 anchorage that day! Thats beside the point, but you are welcome to hang me out to dry if you have nothing better to do with your time!

I cannot understand why "BASS PROS' set a hook hard enough to give a normal man a hernia...
Or why they need a "HEAVY DUTY FLIPPING STIK" to pull fish out of a mess of weeds. Sure you need something that has a bit of backbone, but when you can slingshot a 4lb bass into a boat, whats the point?

I am just asking;
what is the fun in over-powering a fish that you are fishing for sport or hobby?
Isn't that like Pavel Datsyuk joining a saturday morning beer league and lighting up a hungover middle-aged goalie?

Think about it next time you buy line or a rod, or getting ready for a day of fishing...
Next time you target a specific species, downgrade your tackle and make things interesting for both parties, you and the fish!

 

[Dozer]

Drive the hook into the mouth, haul the fish in, win money... use huge hooks, strong rods and rope. My friend fshes tourney's... when he's not in the competition, he's using lighter stuff to have more fun with the fish. Smallies on the UL are the bomb

 

[getin]

They are just decreasing their chances of loosing the fish, also saving time by hauling the fish faster, given the heavy gear they have - Not fun in my view

Some say when you became professional, you forget having fun with the sport, and begin having fun with the prize, MONEY!

 

[Dewy]

I couldnt agree more. I use the ultra light (5-6) for every species out there, with 4 lbs test. Caught many beasts- carp, salmon, pike, trout on this outfit and it makes for an exciting trip, but I have lost my fair share of fish on this, but I wouldnt trade it for anything. Loosing fish is part of fishing. Recently I lost 2 ennormous browns at a favourite fishing hole. They owned my setup, almost spooled my half spooled reel, but those are what stories are made out of. Tourney fishermen are in it for the money, not necessarily the adrenaline of fighting or loosing a fish.

 

[Float_On]

I couldnt agree more. I use the ultra light (5-6) for every species out there, with 4 lbs test. Caught many beasts- carp, salmon, pike, trout on this outfit and it makes for an exciting trip, but I have lost my fair share of fish on this, but I wouldnt trade it for anything. Loosing fish is part of fishing. Recently I lost 2 ennormous browns at a favourite fishing hole. They owned my setup, almost spooled my half spooled reel, but those are what stories are made out of. Tourney fishermen are in it for the money, not necessarily the adrenaline of fighting or loosing a fish.

I don't think a 5-6'UL setup is fair for the human against any decent trout! That's not quite what I'm talking about. That's a recipe for frustration!

I know that pros are using heavy tackle to "get'em in the boat", I can't understand why average Joe's think that that is the only way to fish!

40lb power pro?!
7:1 baitcasters on a medium heavy rod... Can you feel the fish trying to fight?

 

[Dozer]

No you cant feeel the fish fighting...

 

[hightechdecks]

i stopped fishing for bass when i was 18 but he is the deal on heavy tackle; flipping jigs, moss boss, and texas rigged stuff have heavy guage hooks that are harder to turn with light action gear add to that the resistance caused by weeds and timber make setting hook and you you have cause to use MH gear. Do pro's use flipping sticks for drop shotting or dragging tubes in open water??? NO. match your gear to the type of presentation ur fishing.

 

[FishingNoob]

i stopped fishing for bass when i was 18 but he is the deal on heavy tackle; flipping jigs, moss boss, and texas rigged stuff have heavy guage hooks that are harder to turn with light action gear add to that the resistance caused by weeds and timber make setting hook and you you have cause to use MH gear. Do pro's use flipping sticks for drop shotting or dragging tubes in open water??? NO. match your gear to the type of presentation ur fishing.

Could not agree more.

 

[BackTrack]

I have thought about the way some Pro's fish & always thought there was some overkill but like any sport associated with advertising, money, media etc, people will always push the boundaries to be the best no matter what it takes.

This topic could go back & forth for years & I'm sure it is with many people but I do agree with you Float_On.

Bass Pro hosts TV's Pro Fishermen/women & other top Pro's all year round. Go to the BP site to see the dates when they'll be there, and when you get a chance to speak with them bring up this topic. Would love to see that on youtube !

Last time I was there I was a few hours too early & my buddy wanted to go but there was 3 or 4 of them speaking that day. Oh yes, Dave Mercer responds to tweets - Facts On Fishing Show

bt

 

[NADO]

Down south they have to deal with alot more of the heavy weed mats than we have here in Canada. There are some spots here with very heavy weed cover (puslinch lake) but for the most part we don't see that type of fishing. As a result alot of anglers this way don't understand why anyone would use such a heavy flipping rig. I have 2lb bass break me off with my 20lb power pro all the time on puslinch lake, getting wrapped around a lily pad can be almost as bad as getting wrapped around a log. So that reason combined with the ability to skate the fish along the surface is why they do it. I personally have three spools to use this year and im not entirely sure which way I am going to go with them. 20lb power pro and 8 lb mono on two of them for sure, then im not sure if I should go with 6lb mono on the third or a very heavy braided line. Problem is I don't fish in the heavy weed cover situations all that often so I don't think its going to get much use. Ill probably end up going with a lighter mono line.

 

[Blair]

*SMILES*



Too each their own ... Right?

I think alot of us who have been fishing for awhile, notice this habit on many "Newer Fishermen". (Using heavy: Gear, Line, Terminal Tackle)

Doesnt make us "RIGHT" and them "WRONG" ... just a learning curve in my opinion.


In the past couple of years, I find that I am mainly using LIGHT SETUPS (6lb mono) a good 70% of the time.


When specifically talking about line:

- I like the Feel of 6lb mono

- Good Pricing & Value

- Good Casting and Presentation Aspects



Again, whatever you use .... EACH to THEIR OWN!


*It is much more "Enjoyable" from a FEEL PROSPECTIVE to use lighter set ups.

Just my opinion.



* I do definately (privately) ROLL MY EYES when I see guys using anything over 20 lbs Braid.
Losing the "Rare" fish (Bet it was your knot) and the occassional Snag is all part of fishing

 

[BackTrack]

You see what a successful person does & uses - it's human nature to want to emulate them.

In the past few years only lost 5 lures to snags & pike. The other half dozen I'm sure was my knots, which I finally figured out what works best for me & have yet to lose one this year. lol

When I was a kid I went with a heavy pole, 8lb line & a leader for fear of losing my catch. I'm sure I could have pulled a body to shore had I snagged one with my set-up then but I did not have anyone to show me how to fish properly way back then.
Over time as I learned I went lighter & lighter with my set up, I like to feel the fish on the other end & have a fight to bring them in.


BT

 

[Blair]

One of my greatess pleasures I get when fishng a light setup in an AREA of MULTI-SPECIES is this:

I play a little "game" of guessing which type of fish is biting.

You can tell the slight differences between the TAPS & HITS of: Trout, Chub, Catfish, Bass, Perch

The bigger Monsters usually just give a Big Pull & Run... or Smash (Pike, Carp etc)

Course once their on, NOW you can feel every head jerk, roll and pull



You can also "FEEL" the bottom and currents better.



I'd be a Hypocrite if I said I dont like "CATCHING & LANDING FISH"!

But the REAL JOY is in:


-The Chase (Pursuit, Scouting)

-The Presentation (Experience, Knowledge)

-The Strike

-The Fight



THE FEEL.... it's what I DREAM ABOUT!
and can never get enough

 

[Dugger]

I have actually been rolling this subject around in my brain all month....

I have yet to see a fishing programme where the host/party enjoy catching bass on light tackle and enjoy the "fight". I think the US shows actually paint a poor picture of not only themselves as anglers, but actually lower the status of largemouth as a gamefish the way they are brought to the boat. It almost makes the largemouth bass look like a soggy towel once hooked. Off subject a bit but I argue that medium to large sized sheepshead (this after 37 years of angling) give a better fight than largemouth bass. I am actually tired of these shows and how they show great disrespect to the fishery. It is all about money, fame, profit, whatever.... grow up and enjoy and appreciate everything we have as anglers. There is more to "it" than numbers and size.

 

[Float_On]

I like seeing the guys on Erie & Ontario etc dragging in 8lb walleye or 15lb salmon or 10lb rainbow. When they get them in the net they say "what a great fight!"

Meanwhile, the fish is skipping like a stone, and the guy on the reel is just a "laborer".

There would be no difference if he was reeling in a Michelin radial.

It's a nice change seeing people using islander reels at least sometimes while trolling, and killing the engine on the boat. Might as well fight a fish if you go fishing.

 

[Float_On]

I have actually been rolling this subject around in my brain all month....

I have yet to see a fishing programme where the host/party enjoy catching bass on light tackle and enjoy the "fight". I think the US shows actually paint a poor picture of not only themselves as anglers, but actually lower the status of largemouth as a gamefish the way they are brought to the boat. It almost makes the largemouth bass look like a soggy towel once hooked. Off subject a bit but I argue that medium to large sized sheepshead (this after 37 years of angling) give a better fight than largemouth bass. I am actually tired of these shows and how they show great disrespect to the fishery. It is all about money, fame, profit, whatever.... grow up and enjoy and appreciate everything we have as anglers. There is more to "it" than numbers and size.

May 24 weekend I had a blast pulling in a few sheep on 6lb light 6'6". Its too bad these fish get branded with names like "coarse fish".

That's actual "sport fishing" in my mind. There isn't much SPORT if there isn't any opposition.

Dave mercer did a great show last season catching beefy smallies on 4lb test/6' setup, drop shot fitness type fishing.
Real cool episode.

 

[Spinninreel]

"There would be no difference if he was reeling in a Michelin radial. "


I don't know about that. I caught a tire once and it gave a heck of a time.

I don't think using 65 lb power pro is very sportsmen like, but I do understand why they do this. They are going through heavy weeds, plunking it into every little pocket they can find. With them time is money, so when they get a bite the key is not to get tangled in the weeds, so you set the hook,keep your rod tip up and pull the fish up to the surface and drag it across the weeds. This way they do not deal with the hassle of sorting the fish from the weeds and getting that fish quickly into the live well. Productivity is the name of the game for them.

 

[NADO]

Like I said most anglers in Ontario have never fished in these types of heavy weed cover situations. Down south the temps are lower for longer and as a result they have changed their setups accordingly. It makes sense that most anglers in ontario laugh at the anglers with heavy line because we have never fished in those types of situations. Sure some of the inland lakes around here get some pretty decent cover, but it is NOTHING compared to the mats they fish in the US. Puslinch lake is an exception because it is a kettle lake which is very high in nurtients so there ends up being a problem with very large weed mats there, people have actually drowned there before because the weeds were so thick.

I dare anyone to try fishing there mid summer in the middle of some lily pads with 6 lb mono, youll have sunfish breaking you off lol.

 

[Dugger]

lol do not even get me started on downrigging for walleye, it's some kind of oxymoron almost. Downrigging for walleye? Really? Zzzzzzzzzz.