Skill or Luck

[scooter]

:-/Question of the week Is Bass fishing more luck or Skill.

Try to stay away from the "it's Both" answer.

What do you think is the more important and why?

[Username]

Skill.  If two(2) people have the same amount of luck, the one with the most skill is going to come out on top, i'd say 75% of the time.

[Muddpuppy]

Fishing is luck, Catching is skill

[Phishn_Phool]

Luck is when preperation and knowledge meets opportunity....and that's what you call skill :

[clooney]

More skill without a doubt.  But luck is involved..

[GamblerFL]

You make your own luck...

If you go out and catch one large bass off of a dock using a dough ball I would say luck. If you win 19 tournaments in a career fishing against 150 plus other fisherman, I say that is skill. If you catch only 1 large bass fishing a classic and you win I would say luck. If you have won 4 classics in your career, I would say skill.

If you can consistently go out and catch a lot of bass, there isn't any luck in it.

[basskid1]

I think that bass fishing is a skill because theres tons of people that cant even cast a fishing poll and if your catching alot of fish and winning tournaments or having fun then i think thats skill!!!

[BassnG3]

Bass fishing is skill.  Skill that takes time on the water and time preparing your equipment the right way to get better.  Occaisonally luck comes into play but if the proper preparation has been taken skill will prevail!!

Scott

[gamblerOH]

The more you practice the better your luck will get!!I have seen people get "lucky" and catch a good bass. Some bass are slow learners(I specialize in those-LOL) so I think they will be caught by anyone near them. I would say if you think bass fishing is luck come to Ohio where we have 42 degree water and see how your luck holds up.I know some very skilled bass fisherman who are still catching bass in this water. Believe me it is not luck.

[johnbr19792003]

i would say the weight of the fish you catch is the luck part unless your using huge baits to catch bigger fish. 2 years ago at a club tourney at lake bomaseen in vermont all 10 boat had a limit of very small fish except 1 guy who only caught 1 fish. He won with a 7.1 pound lm just about everyone else had 5-6 pounds all runts. 5 fish limits

[Fl._Flippin_Fool]

The quality is luck, being consistant is all about skill. Skill has my vote.

[Cephkiller]

I think the quality and the numbers are skill, just different skills.  Generally, one targets numbers or quality, but not both at the same time.

[L.D.]

Skill is knowing how and where to fish

[Redtail]

Finding good fish takes skill, finding a good wife takes a lot of luck!

[scooter]

What is a good wife?  Someone who lets you go fishing anytime you want?

[flippnfish]

Mostly Skill!!! A little Luck doesn't hurt!! 80/20

[Daniel_Hwang]

Everything about fishing is skill, when, where, how... The only thing you can't control is... You can't force the fish to bite...

[chefxian]

Havent we covered Luck a couple of days ago? Sorry

[Lunkers0]

I think that 75% of Bass fishing is half skill!  

[Glenn]

Perhaps of interest:

http://www.bassresource.com/fishing/Rick_Clunn.html

[Rattlinrogue]

Sometimes you get lucky and stumble on a great pattern,but to be a good bassman there's got to be some knowledge or skills.Everyone on this forum has some skills ,or we wouldn't be catching the fish that we do.

[BD]

Skill mostly I guess.

You get better (or should be at least trying each trip) at presentation, finding fish held up, becoming more confident with many different lures and tackle etc.

However some luck is at play too. I have watched 'pro's' in tournies catch only 2.5 lbers all day, and then some guy sets the new smallmouth record from the shore, with a spinnerbait. This really happened just last weekend here too.

Luck is really at play when you are a great angler, and everyone else is catching nice fish, and you have been too, but then catch a 14lber. Skill like most above have said is catching large fish often.

[roadwarrior]

I think Aaron Martens could address this issue after last weekend's event at Table Rock Lake. He catches a 9 lb bass when almost every other fish caught is a couple of pounds. Then on day three, he lands 3 lbs, while the winner brings in 14+. Now Martens' out by 7 lbs overall but 11 lbs on the day. And how 'bout KVD, zero, nothing, notta on day three.

No one will argue that these guys aren't skilled, but even at the professional level, a little luck (good and bad) comes into play. And second place in the last event doesn't really suck when it makes you Angler of the Year!

[Chris]

I like to think skill is way more important than luck but every time someone sticks it to me at the weigh in I usually say you lucky !@#$% but really they found fish and figured them out while i was out getting a sun tan and not catching anything.

[cedar1]

The more skills you obtain the more often you get lucky. Does that make any sense?