You know the Bonnie Tyler song, "Holding out for a Hero"? Well, that's not me. When it comes to trip reports, I want to read the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So, if you skunk, I wanna read about it. There's a lot to learn from such trip reports. If you catch one small bass, I want to read about that too. 

 

How about you? Do you only want to read hero trip reports and do you want to read about the whole journey to catching bass?

We hillbillies can’t read good so I like pictures 

A report is only a report if it reports, get my drift? 😂  I am not ashamed to give the full report no matter the outcome.  Those that only post big fish or big numbers days aren’t giving a report.  Also a report should contain conditions and gear used.  After all, that’s how we learn.  You want to brag on a stellar day? Great! Just don’t call it a “report”. 

I pretty much post in the latest catch thread because I feel that’s up to date and honest. I often will do a couple trips worth just to mix it up. I’m about to make my last bass outing on Saturday and am optimistically anticipating it. I’ll be sure to put up my results of these last couple trips to close a good year 

IDK...reports good or bad don't really deter me. If I decide that I'm going fishing, then I'm going fishing either way.

 

My neighbor told me 1 day that he got skunked on the same location I fish and was going to fish at. He was coming in and I was going out. My son and I were having a blast catching fish at the very spot.

 

Now if you told me the the waters are rough, I might take that advice waaaay more seriously.

54 minutes ago, TOXIC said:

Those that only post big fish or big numbers days aren’t giving a report.  Also a report should contain conditions and gear used.

 

Spot on. 

 

I sometimes catch none or one and I do report those thin days. There's no shame in struggling. Rather, one should be proud of persisting through struggle. 

 

I also like to share what lures did work and what lures didn't work.

 

 

2 minutes ago, Jigfishn10 said:

My son and I were having a blast catching fish at the very spot,

Sounds like most trips I took with @Fishing Rhino and half with @Saltysmalljaws. We’d fish together and Tom would kill it and I’d come up with maybe one or two.  Jake is a smallmouth guru. I can’t touch his talent, no matter how hard I try.

As far as reports go, I keep it accurate and simple.

2 hours ago, Swamp Girl said:

You know the Bonnie Tyler song, "Holding out for a Hero"? Well, that's not me. When it comes to trip reports, I want to read the good, the bad, and the ugly. I want the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth. So, if you skunk, I wanna read about it. There's a lot to learn from such trip reports. If you catch one small bass, I want to read about that too. 

How about you? Do you only want to read hero trip reports and do you want to read about the whole journey to catching bass?

I enjoy looking at pictures in the picture thread and reading reports in the reports thread.

As for the contents, I'd encourage folks to post whatever they like

and in whatever manner they chose.

That's what I do.

A-Jay

 

I like when people post pics of their trip.  If it's a video, I'm likely to skip it.

 

 

 

There's a whole section dedicated to regional trip reports.  That's what I use these days.  I find it way more useful from a local geographical stand point in terms of water temps, presentations, spawn stage, etc.  A trip report from Florida does me no good.

 

Our late friend Catt started one specifically dedicated to Toledo Bend like 20 years ago that is still going to this day.

 

The latest pics thread is just that; pics.  I honestly don't care for it when people post lengthy trip details in that thread. That's what the regional trip threads are for.  Roadwarrior told me several times before he retired as a mod that he spent most of his time here relocating posts and threads to their correct location.  I try to keep that in mind when I start a new thread or make a post.

10 minutes ago, Glenn said:

I like when people post pics of their trip.  If it's a video, I'm likely to skip it.

 

 

 

 

One thing that a few YouTubers do that I like is why they fast forward through each cast between fish caught. That tells me how hot or cold their fishing was.  

The latest catch pic topic is my favorite thread. I love seeing pictures of what people catch. I don't care if the fish are big, or small. If it has a long report I may not read it until @Swamp Girl quotes a thoughtful/insightful line that was said, and then I'll circle back to it when I can.

 

I rarely do this myself, but I really enjoy the detailed individual trip report posts that people do when I have more time.

13 minutes ago, gim said:

Our late friend Catt started one specifically dedicated to Toledo Bend like 20 years ago that is still going to this day.

 

Thanks for remembering Catt. 

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

I like when people post pics of their trip.  If it's a video, I'm likely to skip it.

Have to admit, while I can respect the honest response here, I am a bit surprised by it.

A-Jay

 

I'm not sure why.  I'm busy running the site. So I scan through the threads, while resolving issues.  Scanning pics is faster and easier than stopping what I'm doing to watch a video. It's about efficiency.

 

Now, to be clear, when I have more time, I can watch, and when I go to YouTube, I'm there to watch videos.

I try to please everyone. I write a detailed report of every trip I take and include pics and a video. 

1 minute ago, pdxfisher said:

I try to please everyone. I write a detailed report of every trip I take and include pics and a video. 

Well, I'll have you know that I thoroughly enjoy each and every one.

Thank you very much for taking the time and extra effort.

A-Jay

 

56 minutes ago, A-Jay said:

Well, I'll have you know that I thoroughly enjoy each and every one.

Thank you very much for taking the time and extra effort.

A-Jay

 

 

I enjoy your reports and videos as well! 

8 hours ago, pdxfisher said:

I try to please everyone. I write a detailed report of every trip I take and include pics and a video. 

 

If I know people (and I've known a few), we'll always have some unhappy readers/viewers. As was sung, ya can't please everyone, so you might as well please yourself. However, your reports please me!

6 minutes ago, Swamp Girl said:

 

If I know people (and I've known a few), we'll always have some unhappy readers/viewers. 

Unfortunate but true

Katie, you start the most interesting posts!  After reading your post and these comments I'm going to strive to do a better job with my reports.  Thank you, Katie!

Well I guess I’ll take the other side of this discussion. I don’t find any reason to report an unproductive outing. It’s not worth my time or yours. Yes I experience poor trips just like anyone else. And I have been skunked before. Like everyone else it happens to all of us & I think we all are cognitive of that. When I do report I try to include what the conditions were like water temps, air temps & weather conditions and whether it was a tough bite or easy outing. I try to report what we were using regarding baits & what worked best and what areas were targeted. I would prefer to see everyone’s successes rather than your failures because I know how it goes having spent a lot of time fishing over my lifetime. In my case if I’m not reporting I’m either not fishing as much or not catching anything worth reporting. 

20 minutes ago, Lottabass said:

Katie, you start the most interesting posts!  After reading your post and these comments I'm going to strive to do a better job with my reports.  Thank you, Katie!

 

Thanks, Al. My perspective is that of a professional storyteller. Because I've profiled hundreds and hundreds (maybe thousands) of people, sometimes someone has approached me with a person they think belongs in a magazine.

 

They say things like, "He's just such an interesting character."

 

But that doesn't merit an article. Every storyteller knows that without struggle, there is no story worth telling. So, if you present as an angler who always catches bass, there's no struggle and you also present as an unreliable witness, for eventually, we all struggle. 

 

My struggle at the end of the 2025 season was my fear...of tipping and dying. So, the thing that I do best, which is to find bass by ranging, was largely taken from me. And I quit long before you, Al, and as you fish on, you've kept catching and catching and catching and I'm your fangirl!

 

So, for me, my new struggle is accepting my limitations (weak swimmer and cold water), but also finding ways to fish longer in the coming years, such as buying a new, bigger, more stable boat, which I just did, and doing yoga this winter to boost my balance. I'm also thinking about getting a YMCA membership to do laps. 

 

There are some serious struggles at Bass Resource, such as guys limited to fishing from shore, anglers who only have access to public, pounded ponds, men contending with cancer and other health challenges, wind that makes fishing difficult and even dangerous, and on and on. There are widely-ranging degrees of heroism in all of the above. So, maybe I am holding out for heroes, if heroes are the men who persist in their bass passion whatever their struggles.

 

2 minutes ago, Dwight Hottle said:

Well I guess I’ll take the other side of this discussion.

 

Thanks, Dwight. The counterpoint is important. 

On 11/7/2025 at 8:44 AM, Swamp Girl said:

How about you? Do you only want to read hero trip reports and do you want to read about the whole journey to catching bass?

I'd like to read the whole story of the day. Conditions of the day, where one caught the fish, what I was using, some unusual story line, i.e., a fish jumping into the boat as the lure was lifted for the next cast, or retrieving the top half of a two piece rod of some kid lost while casting from shore. What was your day like?

I joined Bass Resource after reading about the general bite within my fishing area. It gives me a gauge of the conditions. As a result, I decided to join to help out other anglers on the conditions.

If a majority of the anglers within my area are having a tough day, I might expect the same.

I also like the tips, tricks, and sales. (Yep, bait monkey got me).

 

I pretty much love the reports and photos.  The photos of the location and of the countryside are great and I really enjoy seeing those.  Thank you to all who post!