I try to soak up as much information as I can regarding bass fishing like most of us do. Looking back at the numerous articles I've read and shows I've watched, I've noticed there tends to be info that contradicts other info. Two examples that quickly comes to mind are match the hatch. We hear it all the time "match the hatch" I've also heard/seen some say they don't pay a whole lot of attention to it as far as color goes. Another is barometric pressure. We've all heard that after a front comes through the bite shuts down for a day or two depending on the front. I specifically remember reading an Infisherman article last year saying that research shows that a large swing in pressure one way or another doesn't effect fish the way most people think that it does. What gives? What your opinion? What are other contradictions you've seen over the years?

I learned that sometimes it matters, other times it doesn't.

 

How's that for a non-committal answer? 

 

I've been out on days the barometric pressure readings 

said you won't catch a single bass -- but I slayed them.

And other days when it said I should absolutely haul them

in, I didn't.

 

Color? I've settled on "natural" colors like blacks, watermelons,

green pumpkins and variants. They've all been great colors

at most times.

 

As far as "match the hatch" ... well, I guess I don't always 

do that extremely well. 

My opinion (for what it is worth) is that "match the hatch" is more critical (sometimes) as the water becomes really clear and/or when the bass become particularly selective about what they are feeding on.  This seems to be most true when there is a preponderance of a certain food source.

 

I have not conducted any scientific research but, after a cold front has swept through and there are "bluebird skies", I can almost bank on having a tough day.  I've seen it too often to believe otherwise. 

Most of the stuff that contradicts are "theories". Much like any other area of life or science. It either can't be or hasn't yet been "proved"

This entire sport (and industry) is one big contradiction ? Anything someone says, someone else somewhere will have an example that they say proves them wrong. As such, I pretty much view fishing as a stack of probabilities. d**n near anything can happen once as there are few absolutes in this game, but certain things happen enough (are more probable) that you can actually base a game plan and decisions around. That's mostly where I like to play the game.

 

Edit: "Match the hatch" is just a form of Optimal Feeding Theory. There are specific times when it really matters, but a whole lot of times when it doesn't.

 

-T9

I've often heard post spawn is tough fishing . I think its  the most predictable time of the year .

41 minutes ago, 12poundbass said:

. I specifically remember reading an Infisherman article last year saying that research shows that a large swing in pressure one way or another doesn't effect fish the way most people think that it does.

What was the rest of the story?  I"m not familiar with infisherman.  However, explanations I've heard oft repeated support your statement, but don't necessarily imply contradiction.  One of the more common explanations is that:

 

-'bass don't shut down because there's a cold front; they feed less because many of them gorge themselves ahead of the front, and they aren't hungry so much after'

 

I have no idea how true it is, but it could support both statements: "bass fishing is hard after a cold front"  and "bass aren't affected by barometric pressure behind a front"

 

 

 

 

"Match the hatch" is a phrase I truly dislike when referring to bass fishing.  I associate the phrase to trout fishing during a major bug hatch.  Trout can get crazy selective, and if you can't emulate that hatch, you aren't getting bit.  Even then, it rarely occurs, since I generally fish for trout in the winter, and there aren't too many hatches going on.  There are times when bass are keyed in on a specific forage, and it isn't wrong to try to emulate that forage.   But that forage has rarely just "hatched."  A specific situation is when big schools of alewife congregate in spring, and smallies are after them.  drop shot Gulp! minnows and smaller, "finesse" sized umbrella rigs are good baits to try.  Then again, sometimes you have to play the "opposite game," as mentioned above.

 

That's just one piece of info where you'll always get conflicting info.  It boils down to fishing being part science and part art.  The science aspect will only take you so far.  Then you'll have to be creative - artistic, if you will.  Try things, until you can put together a pattern for success.

 

 

2 minutes ago, J Francho said:

you'll always get conflicting info.  It boils down to fishing being part science and part art.  The science aspect will only take you so far.  Then you'll have to be creative - artistic, if you will.  Try things, until you can put together a pattern for success.

 

Nicely Put J.

A-Jay

45 minutes ago, J Francho said:

"Match the hatch" is a phrase I truly dislike when referring to bass fishing.  I associate the phrase to trout fishing during a major bug hatch.  Trout can get crazy selective, and if you can't emulate that hatch, you aren't getting bit.  Even then, it rarely occurs, since I generally fish for trout in the winter, and there aren't too many hatches going on.  There are times when bass are keyed in on a specific forage, and it isn't wrong to try to emulate that forage.   But that forage has rarely just "hatched."  A specific situation is when big schools of alewife congregate in spring, and smallies are after them.  drop shot Gulp! minnows and smaller, "finesse" sized umbrella rigs are good baits to try.  Then again, sometimes you have to play the "opposite game," as mentioned above.

 

That's just one piece of info where you'll always get conflicting info.  It boils down to fishing being part science and part art.  The science aspect will only take you so far.  Then you'll have to be creative - artistic, if you will.  Try things, until you can put together a pattern for success.

 

 

You took the words right out of my mouth 

 

Trout have the eyesight of a tuna, and a nymphing trout is looking for nymphs not spent flies.

Every time I hear a basser talking about 'Matching-the-hatch',

I'm secretly thinking Light Cahill & Royal Coachman.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

2 hours ago, 12poundbass said:

Whats your opinion? What are other contradictions you've seen over the years?

If someone says something about fishing, I can garruntee you that someone, somewhere disagrees with it.  There are just so many variables in fishing that make it impossible to measure and account for each one, so many people falsely jump to conclusions on subjects based in their experiences.

I agree with everything @J Francho said 

12 minutes ago, IndianaFinesse said:

If someone says something about fishing, I can garruntee you that someone, somewhere disagrees with it.  There are just so many variables in fishing that make it impossible to measure and account for each one, so many people falsely jump to conclusions on subjects based in their experiences.

Don't get me wrong I don't take what I see or watch as gospel. I merely look at it as try this and see what happens. I just find the contradictions interesting.

Every color works as long as it's black or white

1 hour ago, RoLo said:

 

 

You took the words right out of my mouth 

 

Trout have the eyesight of a tuna, and a nymphing trout is looking for nymphs not spent flies.

Every time I hear a basser talking about 'Matching-the-hatch',

I'm secretly thinking Light Cahill & Royal Coachman.

 

Roger

 

 

 

 

 

 

What does a Royal coachman match?

It's called fishing not catching for a reason. 

Sometimes match the hatch can mean a lure that resembles the predominate prey the bass are currently eating. Resembles could be size and profile, color, motion or any combination of those. Trout fly fisherman take match the hatch to another level!

To understand barometric pressure influence on fish that live in water that weighs a lot more per bar ( 6' of water) than the changing atmosphic pressure in millibars, study the terrestrial aminals the bass prey on. Low astmosphic pressure or falling barometer activates tresetrial critters, the bass near the surface take advantage of the feeding opportunity. Raising barometer or high pressure tends to increase light, increase wind and decrease terrestrial critter activity, the bass that have feed during the low pressure event are inactive. Deeper bass are less affectived by barometric pressure changes.

The other side of the coin, visiting the Monterey aquarium several years ago I noticed the calico bass were "sleeping" in the kelp that grew from the bottom to the surface, about 40'. Inquiring with the aquarium personnel asked why are all the calico bass inactive while other species are swimming around looking more active? The answer was calico bass are affected by the high pressure system overhead now. Aquarium fish get feed on a regular cycle, so they were not inactive from feeding and the bass were located near the surface all the to near the bottom. Who knows!

Tom

Nothing compares to putting in your time on the water, plain and simple. Reading information about bass fishing, seeing bass fishing videos, etc may help but these sources are a supplemental form of bass fishing knowledge at best. People who make a living in the bass fishing industry will always hype the products of whatever company sponsers them,its their best interest to do this. With that said, its best to put in your time in the water and with time anyone who is truely dedicated in bass fishing will be very successful in bass fishing.

45 minutes ago, flyfisher said:

What does a Royal coachman match?

 

Supposedly a bicolor drake (type of mayfly) 

1 minute ago, RoLo said:

 

Supposedly a bicolor drake (type of mayfly) 

i always thought of those as attractor patterns myself that didn't match anything.  I was always more of a Royal Wulff guy anyways .

On 2/7/2017 at 7:26 PM, flyfisher said:

i always thought of those as attractor patterns myself that didn't match anything.  I was always more of a Royal Wulff guy anyways .

 

 

I agree, Lee Wulff's version is more realistic.

The Royal Coachman's greatest claim to fame was being first.

 

 

 

3 hours ago, J Francho said:

"Match the hatch" is a phrase I truly dislike when referring to bass fishing. 

 

I like “match the hatch,” but maybe these alternatives could work:

 

“simulate the bait?”

“plagiarize the alewives?”

“trace the dace?”

“portray the cray?”

 

As far as strange idioms go, at least “match the hatch” comes from the realm of fishing.  I’d say we should just “bite the bullet” and accept it, since I don’t think the phrase is going anywhere and “there’s no use crying over spilled milk.”   

 

To the OP, the topic of lure color is “a hot potato” around here, and debates can spiral out of control “at the drop of a hat.”  Perhaps it’s best to “let sleeping dogs lie.” 

 

Contradictory angler theories about bass behavior are “a dime a dozen,” and should always be “taken with a pinch of salt.”  The problem is that it’s so easy to “bark up the wrong tree” when we know so little about what we’re theorizing around.  Until we get some answers “straight from the horse’s mouth,” I don’t know if the “cat” will ever fully “come out of the bag.”

 

Luckily, bass aren’t “the sharpest tools in the shed”, and on most days it seems like there are plenty of different ways to “put the puzzle together.” 

 

 

Bravo, fissure_man, Bravo.

I'm in the middle of reading KVD's book right now, and throughout the whole thing he says to not fall into the trap of taking too much stock in the tribal knowledge (for lack of a better term).  He says that although some conditions can influence the fish, they can still be caught, and it deals more with angler attitude/mind set vs the conditions.  He mentioned that as a pro angler, their schedule is set, and they can't choose what the weather will be when they have to fish, yet they still go out and find 'em.  If anyone knows, he would.  

I believe in paying attention to the pressure.  I'm not really sure when Brush Hogs hatch.

Turns out, bass can't read the rules we're writing for them.

 

I think of the rules more as guidelines or starting points. It's up to me to figure out the rest of the puzzle.

 

What I believe when I started fishing, as I progressed, and even what I believed last year contradicts with some of what I believe now. Part of the contradiction in fishing has to do with the fact that so much of what we "know", is really just opinion.