The bass here have become very tight lipped. I got antsy for that tug on the line and drove a bit and did some saltwater pier fishing. After days of trying every kind of lure I knew without luck in the ponds, I was optimistic that things would be easier in the salt.

I got my first rod strung and baited with shrimp and leaned it against the rail, stepped a few yards down the pier and strung up a second rig. Just as I was ready to cast it off the pier, I saw my first rod jerk and then go over the rail and into the water. That reminded me to loosen the drag when fishing multiple rods off a pier, which I did with my second rod and almost immediately I hooked up with a stingray. Much larger than a bass and stronger too. This was followed by a second ray, a few sculpins, a sea bass, a spotted sea trout and a whiting.

Next day I went to a smaller pier and landed three small sharks, a lizard fish and a sculpin, and had a much larger shark on that broke me off. Most of those fish were larger than bass and fought at least as hard. I also enjoyed some fish dinners, something I do not do with bass.

So, why was I eager to get back to fishing for bass, and since then have gone back to the bass despite very little success? Hot, muggy weather, little to no action and I still want to try to catch bass more than to actually catch larger fish in saltwater, with cool ocean breezes to keep me comfortable, and a fresh fish dinner after?

Why do I read other members mention that they only fish for bass; even some who have the means and freedom to do anything they want, fishing or other activities.

What is it with these finny, slimy critters?

Is it because they play hard to get?

Because artificial only bass fishing is a never ending puzzle that engages you in all phases as a human. I have fished my entire 44 years alive and have caught almost everything in my state. I used to be a hardcore steelheader and lived for those chrome bullets.

I've never gotten so hooked on a type of fishing as I have with bass fishing. Putting together a solid day after putting the pieces together is like nothing I've done in fishing. Getting solid keepers and a few good fish is it man. This only applies if you're hungry and driven to make it happen.

Sure, throwing a ned rig or wacky senko every trip will catch you lots of bass, but it won't grab your soul since you're only fishing one thing, and it won't challenge you. I want near constant adversity in my fishing. Some days, I'm lazy and just wanna bang out some fish, so I'll throw a senko and just relax. Most trips, I'm hunting and LIVE for that challenge. A lot of anglers are so scared to not get fish, they won't branch out, which is a shame for them.

Yes, bass fishermen are Prima Donna’s. As are trout, striper, and, increasingly, cat fisherman, and pretty much every non-commercial fisherman, but even some of those. The tug is always the drug, some people just like to get it in different ways or enjoy it more when paying more for it.

@SJS: First off, I love your title.

I love this too:

10 hours ago, SJS said:

So, why was I eager to get back to fishing for bass, and since then have gone back to the bass despite very little success? Hot, muggy weather, little to no action and I still want to try to catch bass more than to actually catch larger fish in saltwater, with cool ocean breezes to keep me comfortable, and a fresh fish dinner after?

You write well, SJS. Sorry you lost an outfit!

58 minutes ago, JonB2 said:

I want near constant adversity in my fishing.

You should fish during hurricanes. Move to Florida and when you look out a window and see this, go fishing:

You don't have to go south. You're young enough to go north into northwestern Ontario's bush country. There you'll find swamps and thickets and whitewater between you and the bass. You'll be scratched and bruised and bit before your first cast.

Now, to answer the question of whether bass are prima Donnas: They are always on the move and one day they'll play with my baits and the next day, they'll gobble them. They're complex.

You decided to try to fool a living being to eat something that’s not real even if it’s not hungry.

The difference is that now you have to think…

Where you go, read what you’re looking at, understand what you’re seeing, what you rig, how you rig it, where you throw it, how you throw it, how you “work it”, how you set, and how you land it.

Mike

3 hours ago, JonB2 said:

Because artificial only bass fishing is a never ending puzzle that engages you in all phases as a human. I have fished my entire 44 years alive and have caught almost everything in my state. I used to be a hardcore steelheader and lived for those chrome bullets.

I've never gotten so hooked on a type of fishing as I have with bass fishing. Putting together a solid day after putting the pieces together is like nothing I've done in fishing. Getting solid keepers and a few good fish is it man. This only applies if you're hungry and driven to make it happen.

Sure, throwing a ned rig or wacky senko every trip will catch you lots of bass, but it won't grab your soul since you're only fishing one thing, and it won't challenge you. I want near constant adversity in my fishing. Some days, I'm lazy and just wanna bang out some fish, so I'll throw a senko and just relax. Most trips, I'm hunting and LIVE for that challenge. A lot of anglers are so scared to not get fish, they won't branch out, which is a shame for them.

This! This was so well said. I have a pond and a lake I can go to and catch 1 pounders all day easily. Sure it’s fun. And scratches an itch. But there is nothing like a ride through the middle of no where to the lake and having to think And hunt for fish.

Because they are bass. No other explanation needed.

Because bass are easier to catch then any other specie of fish, they simply are voracious eaters.

Here in NC - the bass are always tight lipped and it’s always a puzzle - there is no easy option for the day. I like it just fine. 🙂

I'll give kind of left field view here. I love angling in general. I'll seek out anything that swims in fresh or salt. I spent the majority of this year learning how to catch panfish on micro jigs with bass mostly becoming bycatch for me. Last year was spent chasing trophy sized red drum.

Bass aren't the hardest fighters. Bass aren't all the elusive. Bass aren't the best eating. Heck, truth be told, bass aren't even all that hard to fool on artificial baits.

However, I keep returning to bass year after year. They're the epitome of a game fish. Bass are almost always up for a tussle and (at least in the south) lurk in almost every body of water. You can catch them an endless number of ways on a huge assortment of gear. Bass are also hyper reactive to seasonal and weather changes. Depending on if you're hunting for numbers or a trophy specimen, they're at the sweet spot between being a fish anybody can catch and an expert angling challenge.

There's an entire culture built around bass fishing. Heritage, tournaments, lore, celebrities, big business, and legendary catches all give our sport its unique flavor and texture. And unlike some of the other fish with similar constellations of influences (billfish, etc), bass fishing is still rooted in blue collar culture which is where I'm from and center myself in.

I may have higher highs or lower lows trying for other species, but nothing is ever going to replace my deep love for these creatures and the culture around them.

7 hours ago, Bird said:

Because bass are easier to catch then any other specie of fish, they simply are voracious eaters.

That would be ignorance speaking. Bass are abundant and available...so perception clouds reality.

Prima Donna’s? I should say so, at least they seem so out in the Everglades. I also do tons of saltwater fishing and find other species Prima Donna’s, too! I guess each species has its own lure. Snook fishing got me a wife. Tarpon fishing put me in the hospital. Shark fishing almost killed me. Bass fishing keeps me on that never ending hunt for trophies. All these fish combined keep me very very motivated and very very active. Always somethin to do…or buy lol

If I lived close to the ocean, I doubt I'd spend much time fishing for bass for many of the reasons you listed. The variety of fish in the ocean, the size, how hard they fight, and they taste good. I don't blame you one bit for choosing to fish for them instead of beating your head into the wall fishing for bass that don't want to cooperate.