Help with keepers...

[RobDar]

so here is the deal...<br />My wife and I fish Tournaments with Angler's Dream. The first year we had some problems catching fish come tourney day...but we seem to have the bugs out now. It used to be we could go our for fun and/or pre fish and catch fish like nuts, bbut come tourney day we would not do near as well. We figured out that on tourney day we were rushing...feeling the pressure so to speak and not fishing like we normally would...not concentrating...got that fixed.<br />Seems now we have a new quirk...<br />We go and fish and we can catch the ****ens out of em, but not many...if any...keeper size fish. This happens over and over...this is not just a once in awhile thing.<br />example...<br />we just fished a tournament this last weekend...we caught 17 fish...not a single keeper. The other guys with more experience on the lake...including the winners...what they brought to the ramp was all they got all day long! One of the old timers had just three hits all day long...and that was not uncommon. This happens to us over and over...<br />I cannot figure out why when we fish we seem to not find keepers...<br />I watch the patterns the other guys are fishing and we are fishing the same or similar...<br />Anyone else ever lived through this kind of frustration?

 

[KCLOST]

Re: Help with keepers...

All the time...<br /><br />Same pattern you say....???? I bet there is a difference some where....<br /><br />Bigger fish are harder to catch.. They are wiser, and more patterned in there feeding... They are less likely to take the meal unless it is right in front of them and an easy catch... They have seen more baits, and are not stupid..<br /><br />JMO...

 

[RobDar]

Re: Help with keepers...

we had a tournament today and took the advice of one of the old timers in the circut...<br />Us smaller baits and fish them slow...<br />it worked...

 

[gonefishie]

Re: Help with keepers...

where were ya'll fishing at Roberta & Darin Lee?

 

[RobDar]

Re: Help with keepers...

which time?<br />the small fish day? ( potato creek)<br />or the okay fish day? ( Calumet River)

 

[walleyehed]

Re: Help with keepers...

From a fisheries Biologist point of view...."Fish of a feather, stick together". Meaning a certain size fish will likely be found together because of what the forage base is. The same size forage will likely produce basically the same size fish of a given spieces.<br />The diets of fish change as they grow, and that "diet" is usually not in the same area of that of which the smaller fish are relating too. Small baits in a slow fassion is an excellent way to get fish with lock-jaw (Neutral fish), but consistant results will be to pattern the forage base of what the larger fish eat.

 

[Ron G]

Re: Help with keepers...

i wish i could help, but i'm running into sorta the same thing.try bigger baits thats what ive started to do.i'll start with my regular baits to try to get my limit quick then move up for a kicker.and what kenny says to if i catch a bunch of 12"fish i'll move out deeper or shallower deepending on the location.

 

[brownies]

Re: Help with keepers...

How's this sound.<br />My wife and I have been fishing couples tournaments as well. Six per year is the trail and we found out after two had already been fished. <br />Started then.<br />Seems we can go out for fun and catch all we care to. Come tournament day....nadda.<br /> Here lately, we seem to be able to find all sorts of short fish and no keepers, while the other folks bring in BIG fish.<br /><br /> My last "club" tournament was no different. The back of MY boat was where the fish were. Up front there was nothing. My non-boater won with 12lbs (6lb margin seperated him from 2nd place). I stayed up front and just "guided" all day.<br /> I'd catch a dink or two and he'd haul in a 3lb fish. Other than being 13 feet away from the back of the boat, the only thing I saw different was that he was using a LARGE bait where I was using a smaller one. (I tried large, but, went back to small just to try to get "something" to bring to the scales).<br /> Went back to the same places later that evening and found a limit in no time at all....<br /><br /> I've not figured out what I'm doing different while "fishing" - vs - "tournament".

 

[RobDar]

Re: Help with keepers...

Brownies...<br />My wife and worked and worked...even argued a bit...about what we were doing wrong. We had the same problem!!! It took us a bit but we finally figured out that...come tourney day...we were not fishing the same as we did when we went out for the heck of it. The differences were very subtle, and a bit hard to put our finger on...but we finally got it!<br />When we were fishing for fun we were more relaxed. We fished more slowly and more thoroughly. On tourney day...we were "feeling the pressure" so to speak and found ourselves, even when we thought we were slowing down on purpose, that we were reeling fater, not spending enought time, yadda yada yadda...<br />the other thing we noticed is that my wife had kind of subconsciously adjusted her fishing style a little. She is normally kind of aggressive...as far as she sees a spot and casts to it not really caring if she looses the lure...or gets in her partners way a little...whatever. When fishing the tournaments and with me she was backing off that aggressive style...partly to not **** me off by being in the way and partly to not loose her lure or have to spend the time or spoil a spot trying to get it unsnagged.( which is also aggrivating to me during a tournament) <br />We realized with one good 5lbs bass caught for fun that it was her aggressive style that had caught it...she had cast a Bandit crank into a nasty laydow a few other boats avioded all together or hit with worms...I said...<br />"damn why didn't you hit that yesterday ( tourney day)"...<br />BOING!!!!<br />light bulb went on!<br />Dont know if that helps.

 

[brownies]

Re: Help with keepers...

I think it's the beer....<br />We went out the other day, well, we go out on the boat every couple of days....<br />Usually in an afternoon (6:00-9:00) we catch quite a few fish and three or four keepers.<br />Have a blast just being "out there". <br /> <br />While it may not be correct, she always brings the small icechest. It'll hold two cokes and four beers.<br />Tournament days, it holds water, gatorade, and cokes.<br />So....that must be it...the beer. LOL.<br /><br />Really, I think you are correct. We should be fishing in the same manner on tournament days. Relax and try to have fun.