What is more important to a fisherman/fisherwoman?

Question

Is finding the right bait/lure more important?

OR Is finding the area where the fish ARE more important?

Perhaps, sometimes we get so "geared-up" finding "the perfect lure/bait-rig", that we don't see the "obvious" reason we are out on the lake/saltwater marsh/ocean!

Although I do like to experiment & try new tactic's & "gear", I sometimes catch myself trying TOO many tactic's & lures! Thats when I say to myself, "Self, you got the right lure, just the wrong spot!"

I know it's important to have appropriate lures/bait, but if I'm fishing for Bass, Smallies, Brim, Northern's, Walleye's, I would prefer to know "where they are" over what their gonna eat!

I think that having a map of the lake/water your gonna fish is MUCH more important than having a 35 LB tackle box.

Would you agree?

Answer 1

of course...........when the bite is on I find fish will bite almost anything that moves......
I fished for flounder 2 weeks ago and caught one almost every time I threw it out but last week didn't catch a one ,although i had the same bait and setup......they were not there.......
I think the right bait or lure help only when the fish are there but need "a reason to come out and take the bait"......or in other words just not to aggresive for some reason...........

Answer 2

No matter how much money you spend on tackle, its useless unless you use it where the fish are. Even then it may not work unless you use something the fish will want, because alot of lures are made to catch the fisherman's eye, rather than the fish.

The best money spent if you don't know the area well, would be a map of lake/bay that shows the depths, drop offs, and what not about the area.
And most of the time, I stick to just a few lures for each spot that I know work well there, rather than going through a bunch of different ones everytime, and find out none of them work.

Answer 3

A lake map/contour map of the bottom is one of the best tools you can use to find fish. It gives you the "lay of the land" so to speak and places to start. As far as tackle goes, carry what you will use at that time of year, Knowing the lake contour and the time of year will dictate what baits to bring along. In most cases you can gt by with a box of spinner baits, a variety of plastics and jigs and a few crank baits to cover different depths. If you stick to the baits you have confidence in you will catch more fish.
So a small tackle box with a few of each is easier than a huge bag or box that is always in the way.

Answer 4

As real estate agents always say, "Location, Location, Location."

And not just for catching the fish, oh yeah, find a landlocked hole with fish in it and all you need is the right tackle, but who wants to be out in direct sunlight the whole time they're out? Want to look at the back of some warehouse or something? ICK!!! Not for me, thank you very much.

Yes, I go to the tackle store and say "Oooo, pretty, I wonder if it'll catch a fish!" But I also know what I have that will catch fish, and I also know that even if for some reason my sweet spots are empty, I'll at least have somewhere pleasant to spend my day, and plenty of things to watch pass by, even if I do get skunked... which is why I don't believe in any such thing as being skunked, something nice always happens to at least take the edge off the "Darnit, I didn't catch a fish today!" feeling.

Anyway, there I go ramblin' again. Later Taters.

Answer 5

Finding the hot spot. You have to find the fish. A fish is not going to travel too far to find you lure or bait. Fish usually hang out in certain areas, then move to another area. A lot, however, do ghost fishing. They try to catch something not there.

Answer 6

Location
Presentation
Proper bait/lure
Weather

I live in the Midwest. Finding good locations is not a problem here. And Have less than a dozen lures I use. Seems to work for me. Including casting and trolling.

Answer 7

My factors are
1. Time of year...determines my gear
2. Weather.. can influence my gear
3. Water conditions...influences my gear
4. Then Location
5. Always having a good experience on the water and learning something new, trying to keep from getting frustrated ... LOL

Guess I am kind of the odd ball sense my tackle box is a 20 ft bass boat with two GPS/Fish finders with WAY to much gear and rods/reels.

Answer 8

well,I think the lure you use is more important,if there is water with fish in it,the fish will be everywhere,there might be more in some places than others (gras,currents,deap waters,etc)
so if you have the right lure in the right place you'll catch the fish.
time is also a big factor.

Answer 9

Finding where they are is great but it won't do you much good without the proper lure. Sometimes fish are picky

Answer 10

I think being in the right place is the best thing. You can have the best gear and still catch nothing if there is no fish there. You can have th cheapest crappiest gear but catch alot if the fish are there.