Skunded again -- How often?

[FishingWebGuy]

I have been out on the ice 10 times this year and skunked twice. Both times came on my first trip to a new lake.

The other night I took my 14 year old son and brother in law out on Calhoun for 7 hours and didn't catch a thing. We actually only spotted about 3 or 4 fish (besides small baitfish in 2-5 feet). We moved every 30-40 minutes and hit about 12 different spots working the break from 7-30 feet around a sunken island near an inlet.

My question is, how often does everyone else get skunked? To me it seems strange that we barely even marked any fish on this outing so I don't think it had a lot to do with tackle selection but moreso location.

I enjoy just being out on the ice and still had a blast. My 14 year old gets bored after 4 or 5 hour of no catching tho. Does everyone else still have those days?

:Edited:

Oh yea, forgot to ask. While out there I couldn't stop thinking that 3 lines down in such a close area probably doesn't help catch fish. A lot of times when it's just me and my son we seem to get a bite once one of us pulls our line out. Anybody else experience that?

[mike morris]

It happens to the best of us. Can't always find the fish... It normally takes a few skunk outings to find the fish anyway.

And I have a few myths of my own when it comes to lines in the water. Lately, when I've marked a fish on my Vexilar, I'd pick the rod up before the fish would bite. The fish would look at the bait for about 10 seconds, and then slowly move away.

Now if I left the rod in the rod holder, the fish would bite right away.

Hopefully that doesn't keep up!!!

[wally20]

Yes it does happen once in a while, its happend once this year, had the wife along not good Took the wife fishing last nite, she had 2 me 0, told her if I didn't get one this would be her last time fishing with me. Lucky for her I got one just before we left Thought my vex was in the pickup, but it was'nt, so not a good day for me any way

As far as the lines go, hard to say. I jig one all the time and seems to bring in fish to my dead stick most of the time. Was out last week and one day caught all fish jigging and the next day all fish on the dead stick, so who knows

[zamboni]

Well, called fishing and not catching for a reason- was out for 6 hours today and only caught 3 perch, 2 were over 13 inches though. Some days it's like that, just don't ever give up, a couple weeks ago, I was so busy at the exact same spot I didn't have time to think. It happens- keep smiling, man, it gets better

[Eric Wettschreck]

Dude, don't feel bad. I fished Friday night, all day Saturday, and today until about noon.

I got nuttin.

[Lisa Almquist]

I actually caught about 8 perch and a 36" northern today but I've yet to be graced by the Walleye Gods with a keeper walleye this year! It's hard not to second guess your technique/lure/bait/lake choice/snow cover/ice depth/location/did I wash my hands after I ate cheetos??? but sometimes it even happens to the best of us!

[Luck e 1]

Actually...I have never been skunked. Whoever believes that...I have some realstate to sell ya.

Getting skunked is part of the game. I drove an hour and 20 mins to lake Waconia three days ago. Nothing.

But the next day...drove 10 mins and caught so many fish my arms were sore.

To me it is like a game. Win some, lose some...just don't stick with Tavaris Jackson (aka a losing game plan).

[fisherking01]

While getting skunked is part of the game, you can improve your odds of not being skunked by doing some homework before you head to a new lake. Take into consideration time of year and where the fish relate to. Lake structure, depth, clarity, lots to consider. For instance in a deep clear lake figuring it has recently froze, I would first consider bays, as the fish relate to the forage staged in the bays this time of year. As it gets later in the season I start to focus on mid lake structure, sharp breaks, and such. Always searching for a spot on the spot. (a place with sublte changes that tend to hold fish more that the general area)

Don't get me wrong, I get skunked plenty, well, it has happened. Keep notes, learn from your endevors, keep fishin! Caught 4 walleyes tonight in 6 f.o.w. 1-12" 1-24", 2- 17"ers. released the big fattie, the little feller, and kept the 17s. Man this weather has been great for ice fishin!!! Good luck on the water!! Brent

[FishingWebGuy]

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Dude, don't feel bad. I fished Friday night, all day Saturday, and today until about noon.

I got nuttin.

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wow, now I don't feel so bad

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To me it is like a game. Win some, lose some...just don't stick with Tavaris Jackson (aka a losing game plan).

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LOL, I like how you fit that in there. Funny stuff

Thanks for all the feedback everyone. I just felt really bad 'cause I'm always telling my brother in law how much fun it is out there and felt bad that we weren't catching.

Now I feel like that lake is taunting me and I want to go back even more.

[ocf1]

Thats the way I feel WebGuy, Im poed at the lake and im getting up and at first light im facing the cold weather without a house and going to go get em, dead or alive(ok JK).

[Shawnny B]

Skunked? whats that, maybe your not out long enought My buddy gets mad when I say hold on when we are walking in and drill a hole in 6 feet of water and drop down the waxie and get a 3" sunfish, I always go YEAHHHH not skunked no more! Ive started doing that right away this year, always makes the day go by better knowing that theres atleast 1 fishin willing to bite in the lake.

Tonight Hovermn and myself hit a new lake and thought we were going to do ok, we usualy do ok when we are out, but tonight stunk it up, I think we both mananged to catch a total of 2 fish, and that was after drilling close to 50 holes. we saw I think 10 fish total on the Marcum's

I always downsize to atleast catch something small in the shallows, What can I say, I dont want to get skunked

ShawnnYB

[irishwalleye]

OH MAN -- I logged in today just to post the same question!!!

Lets put it this way. Saturday afternoon, 2 - 7 pm, 3 guys, 30 + different presentations, a lake I have fished successfully millions of times.

So bad that I swear the same pike would swim by the camera every 10 minutes or so and flip a fin up at me!!

Saw fish on both the vex and camera all day but nothing.

I am sure glad I wasnt the only one.

Thanks guys.

[CJH]

I ran into the same thing.

I was on a lake yesterday with three buddies, where I have had really good success in the past. Drilled 50 holes, tried everything from shallow weed beds, drop offs, humps, deep water, got nothing. None of us did. We marked some fish, but just couldn't get them to bite. First time I have been skunked in quite a while.

Oh well, it makes you appreciate the good days!!

CJH

[looneyducer]

I would say, if I were actually inclined to be honest about it, that I have an 80% chance of being skunked on new water, and a 20% chance on water I "know." However, I consider even unfamiliar areas of lakes I have fished my whole life to be "new" water, so that might squew those numbers in my favor a little bit. What's important is that you don't spend a skunked day being skunked; you spend it moving and drilling holes. That way you'll eventually have more water you "know."

[fishinJohn]

Last year I only had an 8 inch hand auger and this year I bought my first portable. These two things have led to me being skunked more often then not. The problem with having a portable for the first time is I tended to research my desired location, get there, set up the shack, drill holes for some reel weeds, for some tip ups, maybe one for deadsticking one for jigging. Then I'd pull out the heater and maybe a snack. Then, when ready to fish and cooled down enough for my glasses not to fog up I pulled out my flasher. See a problem? Yup, no fish! Lately I have kept all the gear tucked away until I see fish on the screen. If I get cold while fishing a hole it means at least it's a decent spot to set up in. I realize I don't know the fish or lake well enough to anticipate fish coming to a spot so I will only try for the fish I can find at that time.

[mshs1]

Skunked is good- makes me appreciate when I do catch something.The true joy comes when I drop the camera and the scaly rascal looks at me -no bite just looks.

[Sportland_Bait]

It always seems to happen when you invite soemone to come along to your hot spot that you've been just pounding on them. When you bring a guest its like a ghost town. I usually find out later that somewhere else on the lake was red hot. Thats fishing sometimes you are on them sometimes you aren't.

Jason Erlandson

[FishingWebGuy]

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Last year I only had an 8 inch hand auger and this year I bought my first portable. These two things have led to me being skunked more often then not. The problem with having a portable for the first time is I tended to research my desired location, get there, set up the shack, drill holes for some reel weeds, for some tip ups, maybe one for deadsticking one for jigging. Then I'd pull out the heater and maybe a snack. Then, when ready to fish and cooled down enough for my glasses not to fog up I pulled out my flasher. See a problem? Yup, no fish! Lately I have kept all the gear tucked away until I see fish on the screen. If I get cold while fishing a hole it means at least it's a decent spot to set up in. I realize I don't know the fish or lake well enough to anticipate fish coming to a spot so I will only try for the fish I can find at that time.

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This is one reason why I only bring my portable about 1/2 the time when I go out. It is much easier to hole hop (not get too comfortable) and actually find fish when I'm not sitting in a 70* shack.

[looneyducer]

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Last year I only had an 8 inch hand auger and this year I bought my first portable. These two things have led to me being skunked more often then not. The problem with having a portable for the first time is I tended to research my desired location, get there, set up the shack, drill holes for some reel weeds, for some tip ups, maybe one for deadsticking one for jigging. Then I'd pull out the heater and maybe a snack. Then, when ready to fish and cooled down enough for my glasses not to fog up I pulled out my flasher. See a problem? Yup, no fish! Lately I have kept all the gear tucked away until I see fish on the screen. If I get cold while fishing a hole it means at least it's a decent spot to set up in. I realize I don't know the fish or lake well enough to anticipate fish coming to a spot so I will only try for the fish I can find at that time.

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This is why everything stays inside the tub even while fishing, except a rod and the transducer. No fish? Pull the 'ducer, drop it into the tub, throw the top back (if you've bothered to put it up) and move. Don't even take the time to turn the Vexilar off. Don't collapse the poles until it's time to place it back in the pickup at the end of the day. If it wants to flip over in the wind, throw your Vex on it for weight. Simple and effective. People get skunked now and then. It's going to happen. But when it does you should be tired from exhaustion, not boredom.

[slipperybob]

That being said...when I'm too exhausted or cold to go looking around anymore, I take my best pick and pitch tent. I've got to say that many of times, I depend far too much on my flasher and jigging. The plain ol hook sinker and bobber has saved me from being skunked a lot of times and fair more successful than deadsticking at other times.

[jigging-matt]

It happens from time to time, but I will work like heck to catch at least one small fish to avoid it. Some days I will come home without catching anything but the small stuff, sometimes I barely graf a fish, but I can still say I was out fishing for the day.

[mojocatt]

I just got skunked on a little crappie hole that usally is like shooting fish in a barrel. It may be the weather this year, very cloudy. I could mark the crappies on the vex like crazy but they had zero interest in anything. When I dropped the camera in the zooplankton was thick as pea soup.

I figure the crappies are stuffed to the gills, and I'll give it a try on a warmer sunny day.

[Wanderer]

When I was younger, I would get skunked maybe once a year. Now that I'm older, I'm much better at it!

I used to fish alot more and for panfish and northerns. The last few years have been less and for walleye and lakers. Only two times out this year so far and back to crappies and northerns. One zero and one limit. Sad part is, I was kinda guided to the limit. Same guide as the zero though, come to think of it!

[HNTNBUX]

Hey I didn't get skunked the first time with you. I will have a chance to improve my guiding success rate on Sunday, not Saturday.