Stupid Question

[machohorn]

Why do fish change their eating habits each year? It seems that year after year I spend hundreds and hundreds of dollars tring to keep up with the latest and greatest of gear and gadgets to find out what will help me catch more fish. Why can't we do something so that last years stuff works this year? Does anyone else have these same thoughts?

[Guest]

They don't change every year,.....they change every day. I don't know who came up with the "fishing",......I think its considered hunting for fish. You can have every gizmo and gadget outthere and still go home with an empty bucket. Listen to the old guys in here,...."Walk out on the ice uphill both ways with 2 sticks and a bucket of minnows 40 below with 60 below wind chill, deer skin boots and no gloves. They caught fish,....each time I go to the bar its even more fish.
gadgets don't get you anywhere if you don't know the basic concepts fishing. Takes years of experience and lots of time to get good at it. Thats why its such an acheivement to go out on the lake, stay away from any crowd or crowded lake and come home with a decent catch,....where do you think bragging rights originated? Women will never understand

[Kaz]

Mach: I think some brilliamt marketing group has "PAID OFF" the FISH, so they can keep us FISHING people spending more money each year on the new gear. The whole deal smells FISHY to me!! Talk about stimulating the national economy. You have to go to a FISH School to figure this one out..... KAZ

[pikemania]

Bigguns has a very good point. If you don't understand the basics of fishing all the gizmos, contraptions, or gadgets are not going to help you. Sometimes less is more. Not everyday a fancy new Rapala is going to work some days a plain old jig and minnow or a slip bobber and a a worm will put eyes in your boat faster than someone with all the electronics and newest lures.

[gilliweed]

The fish don't change, it's the fishermen that change. Every year they come out with something new to immitate the natural food of the gamefish. But the natural food doesn't change that much, except when the DNR introduce new species to a lake.
Scientists have made discoveries that change the tackle that we have to choose from. Like when they discovered that walleye are nearly blind to the blue and green shades of color, and very sensative to the red-yellow-orange.
The good old minnow on a hook still works.

[machohorn]

I think I will fish like gramps did years ago, 1 stick Of TNT on the ole Red Eye river and BOOM! boat loads of fish everywhere. Rumor has it the town folk said yup there the Johnsons fishin the Red Eye again,, lol

[Guest]

Good subject. I think more fishermen are caught than fish with all that's on the market. The stuff that works for me works year after year. After all, through the ice, it's all vertical. Does a fish go looking for something that looks to be radioactive? Sometimes I wonder with the nuclear glow baits out there now. I know they work in certain instances but I think the ones that actually have a bulb might be a ways out there. I caught fish for years without glow. Can't say I can tell a difference really. Others will swear by it......Being able to detect bites and hook fish means alot. Every guy I know has about a gazillion jigs and would buy more if given something new to try. I know I'm a sucker for interesting looking jigs. That'll never change. I guess you could say I'm a "jig-o-maniac". But catching more fish because of that? I don't think so. Every fisherman looks at it a little differently I think. We all have our favorite things to do out there. Somedays, nothing works at all. If there's a howling cold front rolling through, I'll stay home. But if it's not there yet and gonna hit later, I'm out there in front of it. Get a barometer (now there's a useful gadget) and when the pressure falls-go fishing. My dad lived by his barometer. He knew when to stay home. You learn those things over time. If your minnow is alive and the fish is hungry, you might get lucky-or not........T

[Guest]

Always believed
When the wind is from the East the fish bite the least and when the wind is from the west the fish bite the best.
I have had good luck also before snow falls.

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Crappie:
It's the other white meat.

[Guest]

Plus the fish never bite in front of your cabin or campsite...you need to go to the other side of the lake.