6 hours ago, TOXIC said:

  He would take off and run to spots that held-0- fish and made sure everyone saw where he was going.  He would tell me to act like I was fishing but to not even cast.  

I don't even fish tournaments but I still do this on my lake. I'm the only serious bass angler that fishes that water as much as I do.  Most are just cottagers or casuals.  In the last couple of years I've noticed more cottagers watching me when I'm fishing.  They've probably seen me catch fish.  I've had boats try to scope what I'm doing.  I'll just pick up and move to dead water when I see them trying to poach my spots.  Most of the time the ruse actually works and they'll go waste their time on these dud spots.  I've been beating my brains out for the past 10 years trying to figure out that water.  Why should I just give that all away to a bunch of randoms?

6 hours ago, The Maestro said:

I don't even fish tournaments but I still do this on my lake. I'm the only serious bass angler that fishes that water as much as I do.  Most are just cottagers or casuals.  In the last couple of years I've noticed more cottagers watching me when I'm fishing.  They've probably seen me catch fish.  I've had boats try to scope what I'm doing.  I'll just pick up and move to dead water when I see them trying to poach my spots.  Most of the time the ruse actually works and they'll go waste their time on these dud spots.  I've been beating my brains out for the past 10 years trying to figure out that water.  Why should I just give that all away to a bunch of randoms?

Randy Travis’s answer to your last sentence is “it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, but what you leave behind you when you go.” I’m not saying I don’t participate in some fishing mind games or anything like that, those lyrics just came to mind. I’ve made some good friends sharing fishing info with others

18 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Randy Travis’s answer to your last sentence is “it’s not what you take when you leave this world behind you, but what you leave behind you when you go.” I’m not saying I don’t participate in some fishing mind games or anything like that, those lyrics just came to mind. I’ve made some good friends sharing fishing info with others

Sharing info is one thing. Giving away your hard earned spots to random strangers who are stealthily trying to follow you around is another thing entirely. I have no problem with the former and have taken time out of my day on many occasions to help out people less experienced but I take major exception with the latter.

26 minutes ago, The Maestro said:

Sharing info is one thing. Giving away your hard earned spots to random strangers who are stealthily trying to follow you around is another thing entirely. I have no problem with the former and have taken time out of my day on many occasions to help out people less experienced but I take major exception with the latter.

Like on chickamauga when people come off plane when you set the hook? Followed by a mysterious beeping sound .......

6 minutes ago, TnRiver46 said:

Like on chickamauga when people come off plane when you set the hook? Followed by a mysterious beeping sound .......

Exactly.  If people want to poach spots, I'm more than happy to give them spots.  They just won't have any fish on them.

On 3/20/2019 at 8:41 AM, Koz said:

 

 

The place that I fish mainly is in a 55+ community and most of the old timers are just throwing a plastic worm

?

3 minutes ago, lo n slo said:

?

Priceless!

Definitely pretty honest about what's working. We have lots of winter visitors here that always eat everything. I tell them the fishing is terrible ?

 

I'm surprised by how many guys in bass boats don't listen to the kayak guys. We catch lots of bass too. 

50 minutes ago, 928JLH said:

Definitely pretty honest about what's working. We have lots of winter visitors here that always eat everything. I tell them the fishing is terrible ?

 

I'm surprised by how many guys in bass boats don't listen to the kayak guys. We catch lots of bass too. 

I have all kinds of boats and listen to reports from anyone. Bank fisherman are typically fishing to feed themselves so they are who I ask the most. 

When someone asks me how I did at the dock while loading my boat I tell them what is working, rarely tell them exactly where. I have gone so far as to show other anglers my exact tackle and lures in an effort to share what is going on so they can enjoy catching a few bass. Who knows I may need someone's help someday so generally treat others like I want to be treated and shared lots of stuff on this site, there isn't any secrets.

Tom

 

 

This is the order of my priorities:

 

1. Depth

2. Cover/ Structure

3. Lure class: Soft plastics (bottom) or hard baits (moving)

4. Specific lures and colors

My brain is constatntly going 100mph on the water, and if you're fishing with me/youre my buddy, I will tell you everything I know and think of, bc TWO MINDS > ONE! On the other hand; if random people ask if I've caught any I say "a few here and there" and when they ask what bait, I say "a little bit of this, and a little bit of that"

 

this does change when other random anglers seem interested in swapping ideas, I will open up. If im not gonna catch em, I want you to catch em instead.