True or false? The 5% - 90% theory about who catches how much

[Timbaux65]

Dude who spoke a little Cajun came over by me today before i shoved off on my disappointing trip at the spillway. i can understand if they are cajun or speak Y'at like those of us from New Orleans. Had a little trouble, being deaf and all, but we got thru it.

 

We were talking about City Park. One of the guys here on the forum is a very successful city park fisherman and has shown pics...the dude can fish. I cant remember his name but he is a big guy, very good man.

 

Anyway, if you go down Marconi Drive, where Bayou St John runs thru, they got people talking about catching four and five pound bass, monstrous bluegills, and sacalait.

 

So many have gone there and come back with nothing. Interesting that one man who is pretty good as a freshwater fisherman went down there with small crawfish , whcih we were told is the best bait, and caught nothing at all.

 

The cajun dude was telling me, "5 % of the people catch 90% of the fish".

 

In freshwater, and especially when you talking about bass and sacalait, that might be true. Bluegill arent as hard to catch (the most fun, far and away in my opinion), but when you talking about bass and sacalait, there are a few guys catching most of the fish.

 

I think sometimes we get lucky. I think sometimes the best fishermen get lucky too.

 

It was Mario Andretti who made the comment that , in auto racing, its 10% the car, and 90% the driver.

 

I dont know what applies to fishing,,if its us, or the fish, or what, but I would say that, when things get really slow, you will have a few guys catching most of the fish.

 

what yall think?

[Leo Nguyen]

Reasonable approach. So, within the 20% of the anglers, only 20% of the 20% of the anglers will be yield the best of the harvest. So, in retrospects, you only got 4% of the entire angling population yield the highest level of prime games. So, 5% sounds right in the original posting..right..right?!

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

If you like it, I love it.

We really cannot say that, though. We're in the realm of the purely anecdotal here. We learn about a few fisherman that are better than others. Or, perhaps, we read about them. We may actually SEE one or two that at least APPEAR to do better than most. A few out of many, as it were.

At the same time, we know nothing of the total numbers. How many anglers are actually successful? 1%? 10%? And what defines "best?" What is the total number of fishermen? We cannot possibly know these answers without some serious digging.

In short, we are trying to make almost no facts fit an undefined (and often lurid) theory.

This is why I like the 80-20 ratio. It is known; I can accept it because it is universal and has stood the test before I came along. It is simple, too. "20% of the fishermen catch 80% of the fish."

I like that... mostly because it is not too daunting and leaves room for me. I'm satisfied knowing that I have an achievable goal before me - to be in that 20%.

[Joe Angelucci]

Dave

Love the analysis but what I hope is that the reverse  is true 80% catch and 20% don't.

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

Hope springs eternal, Joe.

[Joe Angelucci]

I personally hope the answer is no. Over 30 million people fish in the US and I would hate to think that the majority are not experiencing the thrill of  a fish on the line. Some people may be better at catching then others but at the end of the day it's you, bait, a hook and a fish. I think that's what's driving us to catch

[David, aka, "McScruff"]

It's primal, really. At least that's what psychologists tell us.

[jody call]

know your waters and know when things change....change your approach with those changes in mind and all things given,your catch rate should increase. rely on other "fishermen" to clue you in on the "hotspots" and you might find yourself in that 80%!LOL