How much does the fist bite tell you? Or how much do you rely on the first bite for, in terms of information? Because isn't there always the chance that the firs bite may be an anomaly?

I am not sure what you mean? Are you talking about developing a pattern? You should always have a mental note of what just happened that triggered the strike. Then you should be trying to duplicate what just happened and go from there and start to fine tune all the factors that were involved. Cover, depth, temp, blah, blah, blah. Sometimes it might just be a trash fish and your working on nothing or it is a pattern but it might not be the most productive one. Thats for you to figure out.

All strikes should tell you something, you are in the right area for example.

Tom

Tells me nothing, many times I throw a bait, it lands and most probably the fish that inhaled must have been yawning.

It gives you a starting point. 

I believe there's an old saying about discovering fishing patterns.

 

"First fish you catch is the dumbest fish in the lake. Second fish you catch is the second dumbest fish in the lake. Third fish, it's a pattern!"

You can learn quite a bit for it, but you can also learn from not getting a bit. The fish are always trying to tell you something. You just have to listen. 

No matter how you look at it whatever you did with that lure at that moment in time produced you a bite, so try to do it again and see if it gets you another bite.

Always make a mental note of what just happen when you got bit. Was it free falling, just sitting there, moving fast, were you dragging it, or jerking it, when the bite happened. How deep was the water, close to structure, did you feel grass, weeds or rocks, is there a drop off in the area. All these things go through my mind when I catch fish, especially the first few! How many times have you had a back lash and had to pick it out. To your surprise there is a fish on the line. That tells you a lot right there! Slow down after the fall, don't be in a hurry. Everything you do tells you something. Things to repeat and things to avoid. Analyze everything you do, and be ready for a change, until you find a pattern that works.

it depends on the size of the bass... If my first cast catches a 12" dink it tells me a whole lot less than if it is a 20" stud... I wont spend much time trying to see if that 12" was a pattern, but I could spend quite some time trying to repeat the larger fish's pattern...

 

Mitch

I look at the first bite as the first "piece of the puzzle" for that day is in place.

Sometimes it takes several more "pieces" before the bass fishing picture becomes clearer. 

 

At the very least, if I land it, it means I'm not getting skunked.

 

 

A-Jay

I believe there's an old saying about discovering fishing patterns.

 

"First fish you catch is the dumbest fish in the lake. Second fish you catch is the second dumbest fish in the lake. Third fish, it's a pattern!"

 

That is an old saying, but VERY true!

 

 

 

Each bass will rat on the next bass!

 

The first bass tells me I selected the right location, at the right time, with the right presentation but it'll take the capture of #2 & #3 to establish a pattern.

I'm not thinking pattern until I'm culling.

The first bass tells me:

• Yes! There's fish in here!
• I picked the right bait (or at least one they should want)
• I don't need to leave this spot right away

I try to establish a pattern working with the fish I catch, so the conditions under which I caught it I try to analyze.

Just for giggles my friend and I have different "prizes" awarded for most fish caught, largest fish caught, etc. but the most important prize is the first fish caught (aka the "motivational prize" and the  "didn't get skunked prize").  It gets the juices flowing.

 

 Even a blind squirrel sometimes finds an acorn but it seems to me EVERY bite tells you something.  What it tells you and how significant it is depends on the remainder of bites.  But the first bite is a start.