As anglers, our experiences often lead to the development of personal biases, both positive and negative.  Here are a few of mine that are at times difficult to reconcile anecdotally and/or scientifically.  Feel free to add your own…no need to focus on mine.

 

Color

• My bias - color matters (to a degree).  This is inconsistent with studies that highlight the inability of bass to accurately distinguish certain color differences.  If black, blue, brown are all virtually indistinguishable, my jig box can be about 10 pounds lighter.   Science would suggest I give this too much weight, yet anecdotally I struggle with the more simplistic view.

 

Scents

• My bias - human masking agent.  I typically don’t use but also have limited experience.  We often hear about the limiting factors (I.e. oil base) which are foundational in many scents.  On the other hand, it’s difficult to discount the numerous anecdotal experiences that are often shared.

 

Line shy, boat shy, ping shy, wire visibility, etc.)    NOT WHICH LINE IS BETTER

• My bias - it situationally could matter.  I believe foundational instincts are genetically pre-programed, are modified and sharpened through experiences, and are often trumped by other urges (I.e. mating).  It’s hard to validate with bass but I believe similar patterns are seen as deer move from yearling to maturity.  I have no explanation for some of the inconsistency examples used other than possibly a lack of associated negative experiences, another overpowering urge, or just variability among bass.  My guess is IF true, it’s likely not a singular event.

 

My bias when unsure, is to err on the side of minimizing the potential influence.  However, that likely leads to over complication and a lighter wallet.  What say you.

 

Red treble hooks are meaningless ~

A-Jay

3 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Red treble hooks are meaningless ~

A-Jay

 

That is one I have never tried though I’m not sure why.  Maybe I should add it to my to-do list.  I know there are many who are strong believers.

 

All are silver & blue or green. My scientific fact of over 75 years of casual testing.   

My bias

 

The difference in sensitivity between a $20 Ugly Stick and a $600 G. Loomis is all in your head.

28 minutes ago, Tennessee Boy said:

My bias

 

The difference in sensitive between a $20 Ugly Stick and a $600 G. Loomis is all in your head.

I prefer to have a little backbone in my rods rather than them buckling over 180* on a hookset.

My bias.  Beware of absolutes.

I caught a bass today in 39 degree water, pocket in the ice really, with a moving bait, biases are for mere mortals...

1.  Bass don't care about color except for light vs dark.

 

2. Fluorocarbon line is garbage 

 

3.  Screw "the rules".  I do what works 

 

You have to pop a frog on braid 

2 hours ago, A-Jay said:

Red treble hooks are meaningless ~

A-Jay

I thought, based on the pic,  you were going to say "jerkbaits are your friend" 

7 hours ago, slonezp said:

I thought, based on the pic,  you were going to say "jerkbaits are your friend" 

By & large, I do believe they are.

A-Jay

 

9 hours ago, slonezp said:

I prefer to have a little backbone in my rods rather than them buckling over 180* on a hookset.

So do I.  That’s why I got rid of my Ugly Sticks.

10 hours ago, Tennessee Boy said:

My bias

 

The difference in sensitive between a $20 Ugly Stick and a $600 G. Loomis is all in your head.

Wait a minute, where you getting a $20 ugly stick? I’ve never bought one cuz they are $40…….

9 hours ago, Columbia Craw said:

My bias.  Beware of absolutes.

I'm absolutely sure I'm not going kayak fishing...  

29 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Wait a minute, where you getting a $20 ugly stick? I’ve never bought one cuz they are $40…….

Yeah,  I haven’t bought one in 30 years.   I’m not endorsing the Ugly Stick,  I’m just saying they’re  just as sensitive as any other rod if your bias will allow you to believe it.  

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

I'm absolutely sure I'm not going kayak fishing...  

I absolutely remember saying that a year ago...

1 minute ago, FryDog62 said:

I absolutely said that a year ago...

LOL.  Ok, in that case, if I ever went kayak fishing, I'd absolutely leave the dolly in the truck...  

I used to believe it was nearly impossible to catch bass in cold water. Wrong.

I used to think topwaters were just gimmicks to separate me from my money. Some still are.

 

I am now biased toward small waters and being left alone, for the most part. Or, I should say, I'm biased against the bass boat rat race and competing for small bass.

3 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

LOL.  Ok, in that case, if I ever went kayak fishing, I'd absolutely leave the dolly in the truck...  

What if you're like A-Jay with his Old Town canoe - hauls it 1/2 mile or more down a trail to launch. You gonna do a 1-mile round trip...twice...just to keep the dolly out of the back of the kayak?

1 hour ago, Deleted account said:

I'm absolutely sure I'm not going kayak fishing...  

if you don’t have a canoe, kayak, or jet boat, your locked out of a few hundred miles of excellent bass, trout, and striper fishing where I’m at. That’s why you always see ott Defoe  driving wide open on wet gravel 

4 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

if you don’t have a canoe, kayak, or jet boat, your locked out of a few hundred miles of excellent bass, trout, and striper fishing where I’m at. That’s why you always see ott Defoe  driving wide open on wet gravel 

Nope, I have a poling skiff. I am looking for a place, and your area is in the running. I gotta pick your brain sometime. I'm liking Boone.

My bias is that I'm pretty skeptical about a lot of things, like lure/line color, relative advantage of really high cost lures vs low cost.

 

I have a bias against FFS that I can't really defend adequately.  Part of that may be that I'll never be able to afford it.  

 

I'm sure I'll think of some more.

I am not sure if this is a bias, but on the line shy mention. 

 

Almost all of my casting rods are setup with 15lb FC, and I only had 1 tournament where I did not catch anything. I am not sure I believe that hype train 100% about line shyness. I know it helps change depths of lures running more true etc with the smaller line, but I just like 15lb FC really well and I hardly break off. 

17 minutes ago, Deleted account said:

Nope, I have a poling skiff. I am looking for a place, and your area is in the running. I gotta pick your brain sometime. I'm liking Boone.

Skiff is fine as long as you stay in the lake. Get up into the rivers and you’ll crash it . There’s some white water on the watauga arm of Boone and some very shallow stuff up the soho arm