Gimme your thoughts

[RoadToad]

I have been fishing for a long time with various buddies. Over the years I have tried to stay open minded about the various techniques of catching fish. Initially I threw out artificial lures and was having decent success. I then went with this guy who didn't own very many lures. You see, his mission was to "catch fish" as opposed to wearing his arm out. He would bring a bucket of night crawlers with him as well as the usual stuff. While I beat the water to death and would catch the occassional bass, he would bring fish in left and right, allbeit they may be crappie, bass, or blue gill. He used a night crawler on a smaller hook and would rig it Texas style. No sinker, and no bobber. When his line would twitch or move he simply set the hook.
Now, to my situation. While I love being on the lake, I also love "catching" fish. I have incorporated this technique into my fishing and I have much more success in bring home the bacon (so to speak). I am not a tourny fisherman and don't pretend to be. But I do catch a lot of fish which is the mission at hand.
My buddy (Shawn) thinks that I am cheating. When we go fishing together he claims I'm not fishing but rather cheating. He tells me I might as well throw some dynamite in the water. We have had disagreements about it in the past. I'm thinking, if you go Deer hunting, you mask your smell, wear camo, and do whatever you have to in order to get that trophy. But it's cheating when it comes to fishing? By the way, I have caught a number of trophy bass, one of which was a 9 lb beauty two years ago is a pond in Charlestown, In. from a jon boat. I caught it while fishing for crappie using minnows. Was that cheating? Should I not have taken a picture of it before I put it back? Gimme your thoughts.

If you had been fishing a tourney, then yes, it would have been cheating, since live bait is against the rules, at least in any tournament I've heard of. If you're just out for a relaxing afternoon on the water, having fun, and trying to fill a cooler with some crappie, and not concerned about the "sportingness" of it, then no, it's not. The only problem there might be a conservation issue, IMHO, and I commend you for releasing the bass you unintentionally caught. As far as taking the picture, well, that depends. If you handled the fish in the process, you probably caused it to lose some of its protective slime coating, which would decrease its chances of survival. This is why a lot of catch-and-release fishermen use lippers and pliers, so you don't have to touch the fish with your hands.

[mhall]

i just wish i was good enough to be accused of cheating...are sore thumb and sore thumbII married?If you are friends or whatever i'd say it won't last long....

I'm starting to wonder if this is the same guy,(troll), it's beginning to look fishy, no pun intended. If I'm wrong I apologise, if I'm not quit cluttering up the board with this mindless crap. Sorry but somebody had to say it guys.

[DJD]

I'm starting to wonder if this is the same guy,(troll), it's beginning to look fishy, no pun intended. If I'm wrong I apologise, if I'm not quit cluttering up the board with this mindless crap. Sorry but somebody had to say it guys.

Had the same thought buddy.

[BanditMan]

I'm starting to wonder if this is the same guy,(troll), it's beginning to look fishy, no pun intended. If I'm wrong I apologise, if I'm not quit cluttering up the board with this mindless crap. Sorry but somebody had to say it guys.

I agree 100%...

[Chubminnow]

Fishin' is fishin', and as long as you're catching them by legal means/methods and abiding by all the rules, regulations, creel and size limits set forth by KDFWR, then my opinion is who cares?

You fish your way and I'll fish mine...(not a tournament guy here either).

[Foam Steak]

Fishin' is fishin', and as long as you're catching them by legal means/methods and abiding by all the rules, regulations, creel and size limits set forth by KDFWR, then my opinion is who cares?

You fish your way and I'll fish mine...(not a tournament guy here either).

You Sir, are a mindreader. That is exactly the way I feel.

[hairball]

If that's cheating, exactly who is it that's being cheated? If you enjoy fishing and do it legally, more power to you - regardless of the methods you use. A fisherman is a fisherman is a fisherman, regardless of the techniques they use and I like talking to all of them. I could easily get all philosophical about this subject, but who wants to read all that crap?

Having said all that, I must confess that I'm about as hardcore as they come when it comes to bass fishing. I wouldn't be caught dead with live bait in my boat. To my way of thinking, it's just not sporting. The pleasure I get from bass fishing is from tricking them with some cleverly crafted piece of plastic or wood.
If they were to pass a law tomorrow stating that bass could only be caught on live bait, I would have to sell every piece of fishing gear I own. Both boats, 18 rods and reels, all my cold weather gear, lake maps, old magazines, electronics, enough crankbaits to open a tackle shop, more soft plastics than I could use up in 5 years - it would all be meaningless.
Wow! Come to think of it, does anyone know of a twelve step program for this addiction?

[18'stratos]

Last Febuary I was smacked in the face with this circumstance. My Son-in-law and I went to Florida for our anual fishing trip. The night we arrived there the weather turned nasty cold. Water temps dropped 10 degrees overnight. The first day of fishing I caught 2 bass on artificial lures and son-in-law was X'ed. The next two days we were both X'ed. The last day we were there, we were having breakfast talking to some other guy's down for fishing and they said they were using shiners and catching good fish all day. Since CATCHING fish is why we went there, We also decided to get Live Bait. We followed them to the bait shop, then to their spot. Within a half hour the Son-in-law boated a nice 5 pounder! We fished all day and CAUGHT fish. I had the biggest bass at 6-1/2 pounds and the Son-in-law had a 10 pound Mud Fish. These were the biggest of the day among others.
We ended our trip on a good note and had fun doing it. As the guys we had breakfast with said ......"It's just fun". and if you aren't getting bit on artificial then how can that be fun?
I do fish tournaments and do win when competing. Thats all about skill! If you are just fishing for fun then use live bait. Just dont brag to the guys that are using artificial about how many fish you are catching. It's not the same playing feild.

[Sore thumb]

18' Stratos
That is finally what my point was. I do fish fairly often using aritificial bait nearly all the time. On occassion however, I find myself getting bored stiff when the fishing is off.
It's then, that I will use live bait. Again, I am not a tourney fisherman, but merely a guy who enjoys being out on the water and pulling in fish. Most of the time I release, but at times will keep fish to eat.
I guess the whole issue/question is still up for debate, depending on your background, status, and whether or not you are engaged in a tournament.
And yes, for those that guessed it. Sore Thumb II is my good friend and fishing buddy who inhtroduced me to this forum. I had to needle him some. We are fierce competitors against one another.

[RICHYD4U]

Isn't That Why We All Initially Started Fishing, For Fun!? And What "fun" Is It When You're Out Fishing And Not Catching A Thing! I've Had Days When I've Thrown Everything In My Tackle With No Results, And Thought To Myself....i Wonder If A Live Shad Or Crawler Would Produce? The Problem Usuallly Is That I Never Have Any On The Boat When This Happens! But If I Did....i'd Try It! Cause I'm Into "catching Fish" And Having "fun"!!! Can I Get An Amen!!! :d :d :d

[basshuntin]

AMEN!!!!