40 minutes ago, scaleface said:

 I went today . Fished for four hours without a hit . There was only one other person on the lake and I saw him catch two . I know this fellow and we were heading toward each other , We talked for a minute and he told me how he was catching them . I thanked him  then boated ten bass in the final three hours .

What was the successful tactic?

2 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

What was the successful tactic?

Suspending jerk-baits around wood .I used the  Rick Clunn model that WalMart sells .

 

 

1 minute ago, scaleface said:

Suspending jerk-baits around wood .

Gotcha , thanks. Jerkbait is always a good lure 

I never worry about someone copying me.  They won't learn a thing.  I am quick to "try" to help anyone who ask about fishing.  Someone crowding me or pulling in close and fishing directly ahead of me does irritate me.  As for the crowding, I just pull up and leave.  I have a short fuse and the quicker I'm gone, the safer I'll be.  As for the cutting in ahead of me, I'll follow them for a while to see if they are missing any fish.  If I'm catching and they are not, I'll continue to follow.  If they are catching and I am not, I'll pull up and leave.  Most all the lakes I fish are large enough for me to find a place to fish.   

2 hours ago, livin2fish said:

I never worry about someone copying me.  They won't learn a thing.  I am quick to "try" to help anyone who ask about fishing.  Someone crowding me or pulling in close and fishing directly ahead of me does irritate me.  As for the crowding, I just pull up and leave.  I have a short fuse and the quicker I'm gone, the safer I'll be.  As for the cutting in ahead of me, I'll follow them for a while to see if they are missing any fish.  If I'm catching and they are not, I'll continue to follow.  If they are catching and I am not, I'll pull up and leave.  Most all the lakes I fish are large enough for me to find a place to fish.   

The sad part about life is I too stay away from confrontation on the water. I do have a quick temper as well, but honestly worry more about someone coming unglued. Sadly you confront the wrong person nowadays it can end badly. 
 

Honestly, the boats that I have chatted with I have been open and helped them out, as long as they were friendly. 
 

The locals can also be territorial to on this lake. We were night fishing for walleye and I thought I saw an unlit boat 100 yards away with its lights off.  Sure enough 20 minutes later they put their trolling motor down, moved away from the spot quite a ways and flipped on their lights, then proceeded to sit and watch to see if we would move down to their spot for 30 minutes before firing up the big motor and calling it a night. I was really tempted to move down to their spot when they were sitting watching, but it was some strange behavior so we stayed put. 
 

We used to shore fish for walleyes and smallies near a busy launch ramp and fueled up guys would get in a argument or light tussle over getting cut off getting inline to land their boats once in a while. Was kind of pathetic to watch. 

16 hours ago, J Francho said:

If you were hammering screws all day, and noticed that someone next to you was using a screwdriver, would you continue to figure it out yourself?  

Truth.

Well if they are copying me, I am most likely falling off the front deck laughing.  Because they are obviously doing the wrong thing and not catching fish either!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So Yall Want To Learn Toledo Bend?

 

368 pages, 9.2k replies, & 1.3m views...I don't mind sharing.

On 12/9/2020 at 7:27 PM, Born 2 fish said:

I fish some smaller waters and if this happens to me I grab a decoy rod with a different type of bait on it no joke. I try to keep my secrets to my self.

What happens when you catch a fish on the decoy rod?

If l'm asked I will usually tell someone what bait I'm using and how I'm fishing it.  When they just motor over and start making casts into the spot I'm fishing I don't say a word.

Well this really is a interesting question so here goes;  it is rare to see a woman by herself on a lake fishing out of a boat so, when I owned a boat and fished from it the hardest part was trying to out run or hide from men trying to talk to me, especially if I had my best friend with me who happens to be  a very pretty woman.  I use to chase the schoolies and I've had people close enough to step over onto my boat easily.  People are silly but human, actually I never got angry I just kept on fishing!

As long as another boat isn't muscling me outta my spot, I'm not concerned what they are doing and if I'm asked what I'm throwing or advice on a lake I'm having success on, I give it

 

3 hours ago, Bass Junke said:

What happens when you catch a fish on the decoy rod?

That’s Just  a bonus and maybe a new pattern.

Had an interesting experience, where I was the one asking the question.

Grandson (age, about 5 years) and I were preparing to launch when a gentleman about my age walked over and asked my grandson if he wanted to see some fish.  So we followed him over to his boat and he lifted my grandson up on the boat and opened the live well.  It was full of the prettiest crappies you have ever seen.  Of course my first and only question was what did you catch them on?  He pointed to about 16 cane poles laying on the deck.  He was truthful, but not exactly the answer I had expected.  I thanked him for showing his fish and chuckled to myself as we walked back to our boat. 

I've never had a problem with people copying what I was doing.  lol- maybe that says something about me as a fishermen.  Usually, they are too far away to see what I am actually throwing or it is a communal fishing area and most people fish their preferences.  But if I am on something and someone comes by, I will pick up the chatterbait till they leave.  Around Chicago there are a lot of bass fishermen and we are all fishing the same few bodies of water.  Most guys don't share how they catch fish.  

 

I have experienced the bent pole patterning often which can be extremely annoying.  Worst example was when I was fishing in a huge Great Lakes bay way out in middle on this dropoff.  This guy idles up so close.  At first I thought he was a game warden or was going to talk to me about something but then he turns off his motor and drops his trolling motor.  We were a mile from shore and I could have cast in his boat.  That was ridiculous and I soon left the area.  

 

Great Lakes are the areas I see more of the bent pole patterning than anywhere else.  Often, fishermen are going to these places for the first time and don't really know where to go so they follow other fishermen.  If they see them catch a fish then they creep in.  It was worse 5-6 years ago.  I imagine that is a major problem on a place like St. Clair.  

1 hour ago, Junk Fisherman said:

I've never had a problem with people copying what I was doing.  lol- maybe that says something about me as a fishermen.  Usually, they are too far away to see what I am actually throwing or it is a communal fishing area and most people fish their preferences.  But if I am on something and someone comes by, I will pick up the chatterbait till they leave.  Around Chicago there are a lot of bass fishermen and we are all fishing the same few bodies of water.  Most guys don't share how they catch fish.  

 

I have experienced the bent pole patterning often which can be extremely annoying.  Worst example was when I was fishing in a huge Great Lakes bay way out in middle on this dropoff.  This guy idles up so close.  At first I thought he was a game warden or was going to talk to me about something but then he turns off his motor and drops his trolling motor.  We were a mile from shore and I could have cast in his boat.  That was ridiculous and I soon left the area.  

 

Great Lakes are the areas I see more of the bent pole patterning than anywhere else.  Often, fishermen are going to these places for the first time and don't really know where to go so they follow other fishermen.  If they see them catch a fish then they creep in.  It was worse 5-6 years ago.  I imagine that is a major problem on a place like St. Clair.  

Interesting. I've lived in driving distance of Lake Michigan (including the Chicago area) all my life and have never fished it...except for some shore fishing and one single ice fishing trip. I did a lot of diving out there but never had a boat that would be any good for fishing it.

1 hour ago, MGF said:

Interesting. I've lived in driving distance of Lake Michigan (including the Chicago area) all my life and have never fished it...except for some shore fishing and one single ice fishing trip. I did a lot of diving out there but never had a boat that would be any good for fishing it.

 

Lake Michigan in NW Indiana is one of my main local fishing spots launching out of either East Chicago or Portage.  That is where I was referencing when I said we are all fishing the same water and usually fishing in a similar fashion.  Guys don't get close enough to see what dropshot bait or swimbait someone is throwing.  And the Lake Michigan smallie guys definitely do not freely share information.  

 

Tippicanoe?  My uncle has a cottage on that river.  It was the first place I ever caught a bass back in 1980-something.  

If anyone is watching me they aren't catching anything. I am a better example of what not to do to catch fish.

13 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Great Lakes are the areas I see more of the bent pole patterning than anywhere else.  Often, fishermen are going to these places for the first time and don't really know where to go so they follow other fishermen.  If they see them catch a fish then they creep in.  It was worse 5-6 years ago.  I imagine that is a major problem on a place like St. Clair.  

I have noticed more people fishing in South Florida in the past 5 years than I have seen in the +20 years I have fished. Every year more and more people move to Florida. Right now it is Winter so the highways are packed with cars from people out of state. I don't blame them since Florida is the ''Fishing Capital of The World'' and has very nice weather but it would be nice if people learn some manners and respect others personal space while fishing. 

On 12/11/2020 at 12:53 PM, Bankbeater said:

If l'm asked I will usually tell someone what bait I'm using and how I'm fishing it.  When they just motor over and start making casts into the spot I'm fishing I don't say a word.

If a person introduces themselves respectfully I will give them advice while fishing. If they are a clown I do not even talk to them and just move to another location since I have many productive locations I fish in. For me fishing time is relaxing time and I have no time for clowns, creeps, and other unsavory characters.

I've rarely been copied, but if a little kid does, then IMO that is perfectly fine with me. Idc that much if they copy my lures, as long as they stay in a different spot and not cross my line.

I always try to help other people out whenever I can, the only exception being the bucket brigade. 

 

It might be different if I always fished the same lake, but I'm all over the place. 

   So we have some people who don't like to answer questions from other fishermen, or to help them out. I wonder how many of these people ask questions of other fishermen themselves? I wonder whether they expect honest and polite answers. Would they like to set down with a pro for a short question-and-answer session? What would they expect?

   In other words, how would they feel if other people treated them the same way they treat others?

 

   Just a thought.      jj

  

I doubt I get copied (I hope not for their sake), but my little Youtube channel is watched by some locals. I don't try and teach, I'm pretty new to it all myself. I just started making vids for fun so my friends could see and people started subscribing here and there. It's just me fishing.

 

I always show what bait I'm using though, and it's obvious to locals where I'm at, and I say generally where I am. If I could give advice I would.

 

If someone is friendly to me I can be a blabbermouth. I'm generally friendly and enjoy sharing knowledge regardless of the subject. I can be a **** too but not without reason.