Why are so many anglers afraid to experiment?

[Chris61182]

My trip to E.E. Wilson yesterday really got me thinking about fishing techniques and why so many people stick with methods that don't work. I've now been to E.E. Wilson 4 times since Feb 1st this year and nearly everyone fishes one of two methods, a piece of PowerBait either trout nuggets or dough under a bobber or floating over a weight. Trout were just stocked on Monday this week, they are jumping all over the place, and only one guy is catching (albeit with the PowerBait over a weight). While everyone else just sits calming on the shore, not even thinking about changing their presentation while this guy brings in fish after fish.

I've encountered the similar things with other anglers, I've had times where on the way to the "fishing hole" we caught tons of fish, you get to this secret location that the locals told your partner about and you don't catch a thing. But instead of going back to where you were just catching fish, they insist on staying where they were told to fish.

I know that this all sounds like a big-ole gripe, and it is! But it's also a serious question. I know that if I'm not catching fish I have absolutely no fear of changing things up, but why are others so reluctant? So I guess I should just be happy that all these people are stuck in their ways and leave that many more fish for me.

[FishnMike]

So very true Chris and I can't answer your question on why other folks won't change it up. If I'm not getting bit I am constantly changing. And a lot of times, if I am getting bit, I'm still changing to see if I can increase the number of bites or get bigger fish. Its amazing the number of times we slayed them last week on "x" but this week they won't touch it. If I had stayed with it, we would have gone fishless.

I can be hard to try different things if you're not getting bit at all and you have a lot of confidence in a particular lure or bait. If you change baits but don't get bit does it mean you put the wrong lure on? there aren't any fish present? if you had stayed with the first lure would you have got bit by now? On some of those days it might be the 20th lure before I start getting on them good.

As an example, my recent reports from Comanche, I was pulling a firetiger Rapala but never got a touch. I put on a firetiger Berkley Frenzy and started smacking fish. There is very little difference between those lures but thats what it took.

FishnMike

[FallRiverGuy]

I just read an article about the science of testing fishing lures. The guys at Berkley claim that their Frenzy lures knocks all competition out of the water when tank tested.

If it ain't worken might as well try something else. Some days I get tired from switching out rigs.

[fish-on-bend]

Very interesting question. I think a lot of guys are lazy and unimaginative. Some of the most successful fishermen I know tinker and change up till they find what works for that particular day. Sometimes history is hard to forget. I was a little slow to change my presentations and favorite areas on Billy Chinook this year because I just couldn't forget what was knocking them dead 2 years ago. :smash: We are creatures of habits, some of them not so good ones.

I also think that I have plenty of lures and if I dig down to the bottom some of the old becomes new. Some of these lures have never seen water. A lot of killer trout lures were developed for bass such as the Rapalas. Bass and trout have very similar feeding and hunting habits.
Maybe plastic worms and spinner baits could be the hot new ticket for browns this year?:shrug:

[RookieSteeler]

One thing to remember is people have a favorite way to fish. I know when i get to my "spot" i will use the same rig until someone catches something. Then i will change. I did this a few times and started catching fish. Its all habit and we get into a routine. Most trout anglers tend to believe in the powerbait and it has produced for them before, so why not keep trying right... anyways hopes this helps


Rookie

[wildthing]

[

Maybe plastic worms and spinner baits could be the hot new ticket for browns this year?:shrug:[/quote]


just read in an old STS magazine about a guy trolling a small crappie grub, thought i might give it a try.

[Chris61182]

I do realize that there wasn't going to be a good answer to my question. I was more or less just looking for other people's input or takes on it.

I even see a fair amount of myself in many of these people and share many traits with them and others who have posted here. After all the first thing I tie on regardless of where I am is almost always a black or chartreuse 1/16 - 1/8oz in-line spinner. I then won't change until I feel that I've covered every square foot of structure I can get to. Same thing applies with coming to the same body of water, I will almost always go straight to the same location and cover all the structure in the same order as every other trip out.

Oh and fish-on-bend, sshhh about the plastics. I caught a nice fat 16" yesterday on a 3" gulp minnow grub. I have no doubt that worms or other plastics would absolutely slay the big trout, and I have every intention of doing that this summer. Now the spinner-baits I'll have to see to believe (and there I go being stuck in my ways).

[Chris61182]

Maybe plastic worms and spinner baits could be the hot new ticket for browns this year?:shrug:


just read in an old STS magazine about a guy trolling a small crappie grub, thought i might give it a try.

Oh and I've heard crankbaits work great too. As a matter of fact I have a deep diving walleye crankbait I bought just for going after the chinook in Detroit this summer.

[kill2hunt]

i see what you are saying too. but there is the old saying, exspecially with steelhead and salmon is to figure one presentaion out and stick with it, get confident with it and be patient. i myself dont have too much patience with the stockers, but have done plenty of fishing for them. and for me it is one of two things, soaking bait or throwing kastmasters. if it doesnt work then i go home. on the other hand fishing for wild, or the trout in lakes where stoked by air or fingerlings alot of the time you do have to have an imagination, an imagination to think like a fish and their surroundings. i dont like to get skunked and almost take pride in not doing so. so you are right it is to your disadvantage to be unflexable and not be willing to change things up a bit.

[cptdarel]

Chris
there is an old saying 10% of the fishermen catch 90% of the fish, not all fishermen are agressive and want to change up, I belive it's the catagory of fishermen as in any activity, some are agressive and some not so agressive. if you walk the bank and look in each ones tackle box you may see one hook one bobber and one jar of PB, these are the people that enjoy just getting out, and some don't eat fish and don't care if they get bit, cause they may have to reel it in:smirk: . on the other hand the group we are in, eat, sleep, drink, dream of fishing all day long, and have tackle we will never use, and ya know what, it all works for me:twocents:

[Klamath 15]

I can only speak for myself obviously but with job constraints and kid's sport obligations and such, I have very few fishing days. I really don't want to loose that much time trying something new. I go straight for what works either for me or on the advise of others. Just my honest:twocents:

Kevin

[trollin4trout]

A seen by the replies- there's as many reasons as there are fishermen.
For some it's not about the fish- it's about the day out in the sun and enjoying the surroundings. Some fish a few times a year or less and there's not much point in stocking up on other "stuff"- a worm and a hook and you're good to go. Some have other obligations that keep them from becoming consumed by the sport like some of us are. Maybe some can't afford all the shiny stuff that's available and Powerbait or worms does the trick so why change from what works for them.

I know if I have time constraints on the day it limits my imagination to my "go to" lures and if they don't work it could be a skunk day for me. But fishing with something that you are confident in usually pays off so it's sometimes hard to change from that. For me catching fish is 90% of my reason for being out there. Yes- it's great to have a nice day and beautiful lakes and wildlife around but that's all only so perdy- I must catch something! So I change lures and tactics constantly if nothing bites until I find a combination of color,style,wiggle,speed/presentation, location -or just sleep while trolling until I find something that works!

I often wonder why bank fishermen don't find something that floats- an inner tube, an air mattress, a $20 plastic raft or something- 'cause if I lost everthing I had, I'd find a way to get back out in the water someway,somehow- anything to not have to fish from one spot on the shore!

[elklaker]

I spend a lot of days skunked because I decided to experiment in order to find a better method of attack for certain lakes. It has helped me to know some proven alternative methods.

[StrikeFighter]

There is no joy in having a new secret unshared with the fish.:laugh: :laugh:

Some anglers can't leave their reputation at the dock and go have fun and experiment. They simply will not use anything new until they have satisfied their reputation to brag when they return to the dock. If I am not experimenting....I just ain't fishing because I go to have fun and if I get into them ...good, but it isn't the end of the world to return with no fish....as long as I got in some licks at trying new things.

If you have a wary wort with you, just make sure they don't announce they are going fishing so they don't have to announce defeat at the end.

[Chris61182]

A seen by the replies- there's as many reasons as there are fishermen.
For some it's not about the fish- it's about the day out in the sun and enjoying the surroundings. Some fish a few times a year or less and there's not much point in stocking up on other "stuff"- a worm and a hook and you're good to go. Some have other obligations that keep them from becoming consumed by the sport like some of us are. Maybe some can't afford all the shiny stuff that's available and Powerbait or worms does the trick so why change from what works for them.


Oh, I definitely understand the people who are out there just to be out there. I was more or less talking about the hordes of people that show up only on the day of and day after a trout stocking, hover and ask a million questions when you catch something, but then go back to their line not catch anything and don't switch it up. Perhaps they're just the social butterflies of the sitting back and relaxing group, and I misunderstand the purpose of their interest and questions.


I often wonder why bank fishermen don't find something that floats- an inner tube, an air mattress, a $20 plastic raft or something- 'cause if I lost everthing I had, I'd find a way to get back out in the water someway,somehow- anything to not have to fish from one spot on the shore!

Who says you have to be stuck in one spot on the shore? The only time I've had that happen is at E.E. Wilson since its opening this year. Hell I can't wait for summer time to finally roll around, there's nothing I love more than wading in any given body of water up to my waist looking for that secret hole the trout are hiding in. Of course that is still quite limiting in comparison to having a boat, but it works when on a budget.

[cptdarel]

Oh, I definitely understand the people who are out there just to be out there. I was more or less talking about the hordes of people that show up only on the day of and day after a trout stocking, hover and ask a million questions when you catch something, but then go back to their line not catch anything and don't switch it up. Perhaps they're just the social butterflies of the sitting back and relaxing group, and I misunderstand the purpose of their interest and questions.


I think were missing something here, the people we are talking about are AMATURES, all due respect, it just a catagory, they can be a 20 year vet in fishing but don't and do anything else.

I have seen the same thing ocean fishing for salmon, ALL the Amatures follow the party boats, when the pary boat stops the crowd gathers around. not cool.

[The Pew]

I primarly troll. My rule of thumb is 3 rods, 3 different setups. One setup gets two fish in a row, switch all 3 to that setup. No fish for 15 minutes, change one out, another 15 minutes switch the second out. I always have one rod fishing exactly how I caught my last fish but experiment with the others until I get fish.

People who fish with me complain about all my gear changes but rarely complain about the amount of fish they catch.

[CURADO KID]

I happen to fall into the category of people who constantly make adjustments and changes. I always start off with what worked last time and if things are slow i dig into the box.

I'm not one of those people who buys all sorts of lures and uses only a few of them. I buy all sorts of lures and use all of them until i find one that works for that particular day. I actually enjoy mixing it up, it keeps me from getting bored when things are slow. Nothing is more satisfying than to be the guy who starts lightin' it up when things are slow and having everyone coming over to ask what your using.

That spinner bait thing may not be as far fetched as you may think. Two summers ago i was bass fishing on a coastal lake. After a cast to a fallen treen with a large spinner bait, it got hammered and i was shocked when it got close to the boat to see it was a cuttroat trout. :laugh:

[byebyeducky]

Laziness?

I know that when I get tired or relaxed while fishing, I tend to stick with what I'm doing and not switch it up. If I'm fresh, I'll switch it up. I have found that when trolling, I like to tie up different setups ahead of time so I can switch out quickly rather than tieing them up as I go. I want my pole in the water as much as possible. :smash:

I used to go fishing with a guy who was always changing it up, but it took him forever to tie up a new setup and get back to fishing.:shrug: