So many great fish on homemade lures...Special

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Comment by JBplusThuy on September 30, 2012 at 11:14am

Tony, there's nothing at all wrong with being a purist. I'm a coffee purist. I buy premium-quality green coffee beans from a good supplier, roast them myself - a pound or two every week or two, but never more than I can consume in 2 weeks, for the sake of freshness - grind them in a quality burr grinder right before drinking, and prepare it in a French press.  I refuse to drink most coffee because it's downright awful. Dabbling in home roasting opened my eyes to that and I could never go back to drinking the stuff I drank before.

However, I don't look down on other beverages just because I'm a coffee purist. People are welcome to drink tea,  beer, wine, whisky, brand and cognac, water, lemonade, soda, whatever floats their boat. I also drink most of those things myself (not brandy and cognac; can't stand the taste, but I don't look down on people who like it).

That's what people are getting at, I think. The "look down on other fish" - attitude, and by extension, on the people who fish for those other fish. I fish for panfish almost exclusively. Just about every one of the handful of bass I've caught in my life was caught by accident (only one was caught on purpose). However, I don't look down on people who fish for other things. No fish is "beneath catching" if somebody enjoys catching it, but the "tournament attitude" is that there is. I bet I have more fun than those guys, though :-)

As a funny aside, most of my bass have been accidental, and so was my personal best RES. I'd put a line out for catfish, as far as I could throw it, stuck the rod in a spike, and put a bell on it, and worked the shoreline for BG. After at least an hour, maybe two, the bell started ringing and the rod tip was shaking, so  I ran over, set the the hook and reeled it in. It was a 9-inch RES with the size four hook and entire nightcrawler both vanished down its throat.

Comment by Derrick Bustle on September 30, 2012 at 10:12am

You're right Chris for some reason Some bass fisherman do not understand how important Bluegill, crappie ext. are to there lively hood. Blue gill, crappie and shad are crucial to there success. Looking down on what kind of others fish for is a sad part of the industry, but once they realize what your fishing for really makes what their fishing for possible.

Comment by Jeffrey D. Abney on September 30, 2012 at 3:17am

Thanks Chris.....I do feel lucky with the amount of productive water and versatility it has....

Comment by chris kowaleski on September 30, 2012 at 12:57am

Derrick and everyone else, i meant no offense, but my post was basically directed at the type of "tournament style" fishing that has been mentioned in everyone else's posts, because unfortunately, that's pretty much the only type of bass fisherman i've encountered. I can count on one hand the amount of times that it hasn't been the case, and there are countless times that i don't encounter anyone, but i still can't stand that "tournament style" attitude.. Don't get me wrong, I love catching a nice bass, (if you haven't seen one of my most recent pictures) or any size for that matter. It's just the stuff i've heard about sunfish being not relevant in fishing, or (this isn't just from the "tournament style" bass fishermen, but more than a few encounters with other fisherman) how one species of fish isn't worth catching just because it isn't a popular sought after trophy game fish with a whole industry dedicated to it that I just don't understand.  Basically my point is that I believe that a lot of different species of fish don't get the respect they deserve, just because they aren't a game fish.  

And any of you fellas wouldn't have to ask me twice if i'd like to go fishin with you because you can bet i'd be more than willing to join in on a good time. 

Jim i've commented on that photo already and i still can't believe you caught that one off of a shrimp, it's an incredible specimen!

Those are some nice crappies Jeffrey, I'm sure they were real tasty too. I'm jealous of your waters having such a wide array of fish!

Comment by dick tabbert on September 29, 2012 at 7:17pm

Jeffrey good job on the Black Crappies.

Comment by Tony Livingston on September 29, 2012 at 4:29pm

In one aspect, I don't have a dog in the fight..... by not fishing public water, (or at least the public water I occasionally fish is electric only,) I am never bothered by or even exposed to, tournament bass anglers.

What I will comment on, is the tournament angler's proposed single-mindedness when it comes to fishing. Condensed version...I am the same way. I only fish for BG and RES, although I enjoy taking the boys catfishing, and we stocked HSB to give them something "big" to play with.

There was a time when I would fish for anything with fins, and I enjoyed it. Nowadays though, it's only about the size of the Bluegill for me. Sounds contrary to BBG philosophy I realize, but I no longer fish for numbers or variety. If I want a meal of BG fillets, then I'll catch a dozen or so, and certainly I catch other species now and then, but it's usually by accident. I'm looking for trophy Bluegills, and enjoying myself immensely.

Perhaps I have become the "purist", that I once viewed with disdain. Life is full of changes...people change, viewpoints change, and goals change. That's certainly no excuse for rudeness on the part of tournament fishermen, and I'm not willing to condone such behaviour, but I am willing to admit that I understand their passion.

Comment by Derrick Bustle on September 29, 2012 at 4:13pm

Jacob those seem to be Want to be professionals. All my huge ones have been caught off shore or in my canoe. But i do understand its deadly to be on Lake norman with others who dont care about others.

Comment by Jacob Hill on September 29, 2012 at 2:22pm

Agreed Jim... The tournament bass industry is 90% BS let's just get that out there but what Derrick says is true in that while the "bass community" is slightly ambiguous, lots of bass fisherman are nice guys. However I must say that when I am bass fishing myself in Northern Illinois the guys that A)cast too close to your boat B)run between you and shore when you're less than 30 feet from it C)simply be #!&holes are usually exclusive bass fisherman who see Skeet Reece on tv and think that they can do exactly what he does and catch fish everywhere, and be in a bad mood about it if they don't. One thing I've learned is that most of your success is BEING ON THE WATER. Not talking about it, doing it. So with that I close my long rant and say that whatever floats your boat this website is great and awesome fish Jeffrey I hope the fall crappie bite stays great.

Comment by Jim Gronaw on September 29, 2012 at 2:06pm

Derrick brings up a good point, and that is that the overwhelming majority of the  bass angling crowd are respectful and courteous anglers. As I have viewed Derricks outstanding bass catches on this site, he comes across as a bluecollar bass fisherman, like myself. I think most of his big fish are taken from smaller private waters that are likely close to home.

I, too, love bass fishing, especially for bigger fish, or else I wouldn't do it. The bass fishing industry has fueled the market for new lures, tackle and electronics that have benefitted anglers for all species...gills, cats, salmon to muskies, not just tournament style bass fishermen. Most bass anglers I know enjoy fishing for other species.

I think the bass fishing organizations and industry could bring new and more converts to this great past time of bass fishing if they were not so competitive and tournament oriented. Most young anglers I know who are getting into the sport feel as though they have to have a $50,000 rig and a $40,000 truck to pull it through out the land. But the truth is is that you don't need a tremendous amount of gear to be a successful bass angler. Scouting for good, local, and sometimes private water, can make for some great memories.

I for one, would love to spend a day in the boat with Derrick on one of his honey holes. I'd probably catch the biggest bass of my life! But I can't afford the expences that come with tournament style bassing, nor do I find competitive angling appealing. So, I'll just have to search out waters, like the pond that is .8  of a mile from the house, to catch fish like this near six-pounder. But I do respect, and admire, the ability of professional bass fishermen.

Comment by Derrick Bustle on September 29, 2012 at 12:45pm

Excuse me "Chris". I am a fanatic bass fisherman, it is my life , yes a bass under 5lbs is a little small but it is a great fight even the small ones. But i will never look down on other fish. every fish has its own personality. I love Largemouth bass fishing, and you may have ran into some ugly bass fisherman, but that is not the true Bass community. Respect of property and others fishing space is what we are about. 

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