You gotta warsh that thing...

I pictured the otter in your profile pic saying that with that face. I laughed more than I should have.

Any time I talk rods with someone. Even fishermen, I get the deer-in-headlights stare.

when fishing in general is not understood well, mention tournament fishing and watch the looks of confusion you get.

I've tried to explain to the "Why do you fish if you don't keep them?" people more than once, it's pointless. Right up there with the "Why do you need so much stuff?" 

x2

Every person I talk to... They see my fishing decals on my truck and they ask if I fish. I simply reply with "yes". Next questions is "do you eat them". My next answer is what throws people off, I simply reply with the answer of "I don't like the taste of fish"... People go nuts!!

Every person I talk to... They see my fishing decals on my truck and they ask if I fish. I simply reply with "yes". Next questions is "do you eat them". My next answer is what throws people off, I simply reply with the answer of "I don't like the taste of fish"... People go nuts!!

I get the opposite from tourney fishermen. Tourney fishermen hate for you to keep any because they have been trained to accept catch/release as the Gospel with no gray area.

 

I DO eat bass. But I fish a lot of smaller waters where they will get stunted if someone doesn't take them. One place I fish they are already badly stunted. It goes against the grain to keep twenty 3/4 lb bass. But if I don't they will never reach any real size. I know they're stunted because many were females on the bed. I just match the tackle to the size of the bass and catch as many as I can. You need to take so many/acre/year even if you don't eat them. SACRILEGE!

I had a tournament 2 weeks ago and I encountered a good one.

 

Weigh in was at 3. A little after 2, we moved over and fished the bank opposite from the launch. There is also a dock to fish off of right beside the launch, of which there was a few people fishing off of and they could all see us fishing. Come 3, we pulled the boat out and did our weigh in. Once done, we walked down to the dock to release our fish (there's 20 boats in this tournament). There were 4 different people fishing off this dock and they just all dropped their jaws as they saw all these guys throwing these 2-5 pound bass back into the lake. 

 

"Is that a bass?! Those are huge!"

 

"Why are you throwing a fish that big back?"

 

"Did you catch that in here? Really? Fish grow that big in here?!"

 

"There's no way you caught that in here."

 

"Did ya'll catch any bluegills?"

 

"Throw it back right over here. I'm going to catch it again and take it home."

I had a tournament 2 weeks ago and I encountered a good one.

 

Weigh in was at 3. A little after 2, we moved over and fished the bank opposite from the launch. There is also a dock to fish off of right beside the launch, of which there was a few people fishing off of and they could all see us fishing. Come 3, we pulled the boat out and did our weigh in. Once done, we walked down to the dock to release our fish (there's 20 boats in this tournament). There were 4 different people fishing off this dock and they just all dropped their jaws as they saw all these guys throwing these 2-5 pound bass back into the lake. 

 

"Is that a bass?! Those are huge!"

 

"Why are you throwing a fish that big back?"

 

"Did you catch that in here? Really? Fish grow that big in here?!"

 

"There's no way you caught that in here."

 

"Did ya'll catch any bluegills?"

 

"Throw it back right over here. I'm going to catch it again and take it home."

LOL!

I was fishing at the neighborhood docks once and an older guy came by and asked, "What you fishin with?" I replied, "Plastic worm." He looks at me for second and says, "Them things don't work." And he walked away.

I get some new soft plastics and my wife always asks "What flavor are those?"

 

Me: "Green Watermelon & pumpkin."

 

Wife: "Do fish like the taste of green pumpkin?"

 

Me: "It's a color not a flavor."

 

Wife: "Oh, so what do they taste like?"

 

Me: "Some taste like coffee or salt?"

 

Wife: "So i guess a big bass loves some pumpkin spice latte from Starbucks." 

 

I wish i made that up. She still asks me what flavor it is every time i get something new just to pester me. Her new favorite line is "what flavor where the bass biting today?" I guess that's one way to put it....

LOL. I just remembered this from a bassing book. Can't find the book, so I'm trying to quote to the best of my ability.

 

"My mind is on one track: fishing.

I can usually keep myself from getting embarrassed, but sometimes, it gets me in trouble.

My wife will ask me, "Did you hear what happened at the kid's school today?"

I'll answer, "Yeah, they're moving up shallower and are a lot easier to catch."

But sometimes, she'll get me back. I'll ask her what we're having for supper tonight, and she'll reply,

"A purple worm in those treetops would be killer!"

 I always think it's funny when someone says "I just use this $50 rod and pole and catch a ton of fish"   that's great and all but that sounds more like you are out to just pull something in or you are just cheap.

I was fishing at the neighborhood docks once and an older guy came by and asked, "What you fishin with?" I replied, "Plastic worm." He looks at me for second and says, "Them things don't work." And he walked away.

My dad and I were trolling around jigging under docks for crappie during the spawn in the days before super long crappie rods. We were using 8' cheap fly rods with spinning reels and mini jigs. A homeowner jokingly asked if anything was biting way under there. He was actually laughing. We asked if he wanted us to see and pulled 4 out from under his dock. The we proceeded to do the same at the other docks in the cove.

 I always think it's funny when someone says "I just use this $50 rod and pole and catch a ton of fish"   that's great and all but that sounds more like you are out to just pull something in or you are just cheap.

You must be reading my posts

I can imagine that convo.  

lucky for you though, I only get to spend 10% of my money

"You should be a professional fisherman!"

 

.....yea....let me get right on that LOL

The conversation usually boils down to explanation of the concept of recreational catch and release angling. Quite a few non-anglers seem to think most “fishermen” are either “meat hunters” or “beer drinkers with a fishing problem”. Most often both!

These threads usually pop up after trout stockings.

Do the math

'So can you use the hook again after you catch a fish?'

 

'Yeah'

 

'So you're touching a hook that has been in a fish's mouth?'

 

'I guess'

 

'Gross'

 

Every person I work with doesn't understand cpr. They all think I'm crazy for throwing all the fish back. They also think using artificial lures doesn't work but then I show them the pictures and they don't believe that's what I use. Bass fishing in Massachusetts must not be very popular because I don't know ten people that have any knowledge of it. The only person I can talk fishing with is my mom. She's gotten into it alot just by coming with me. She loves taking pictures of the fish. It's so funny as soon as she sees my rod bent she comes running with the camera.

'So can you use the hook again after you catch a fish?'

 

'Yeah'

 

'So you're touching a hook that has been in a fish's mouth?'

 

'I guess'

 

'Gross'

 

My wife is insanely afraid of the kitchen after I clean and bag fish. I have to cleanse the ccounter and sink until there is nary a hint fish meat was there. She refers to it as "raw fish". I tell her when I go fishing (hopefully) I handle maybe a dozen "raw fish", drink a bottle of water and eat a snack without washing my hands with soap. Unbelievably I haven't been poisoned yet.

My wife is insanely afraid of the kitchen after I clean and bag fish. I have to cleanse the ccounter and sink until there is nary a hint fish meat was there. She refers to it as "raw fish". I tell her when I go fishing (hopefully) I handle maybe a dozen "raw fish", drink a bottle of water and eat a snack without washing my hands with soap. Unbelievably I haven't been poisoned yet.

I was eating a snack in the woods yesterday after cleaning a turkey I shot. I didn't think a thing of it till my brother pointed out I had not washed my hands. I told him I rubbed them in the dirt, but he didn't believe that got them clean.

 I caught one and released it and someone fishing next to me asked why did I let it go? they said if I didn't want it to give it to them... I don't think they understood catch and release