Is this normal???

[Sore thumb]

Hey there fellow anglers.
I have a good friend who goes fishing with me most of the time. The guy gets frustrated because, "I am lucky, and always catch the big one". He joined a bass club and goes tourney fishing quite often, in hopes of changing his luck. Alas, he still throws sea weed on me when I drag in the massive sow. His name is Shawn and wants to know, "is this normal" for one person on the boat using the same techniqe, lure, and presentation can be lucky as his buddie.

[Rowdy]

I had it explained to me The guy I was fishing with fished 3-4 times a week I fished mabee 2 time a month, He said I was getting bit just as much but did not feel them? We fished mostly plastics.
Rowdy

[Bonefish]

Sometimes it is how much seat-time (experience) one has. It can be the "little" things learn that makes the difference.

[RICHYD4U]

My Buddies And I Call It "fish Stink".....you Either Have It Or You Don't! Really.....it's More Like A Fish "sense" That Is Acquired After Years Of Fishing. I've Been Accused Of Having This By My Buddies.....which Is Ok With Me! I Can't Count The Number Of Times We'd Be Using The Exact Same Set-up, But I Was Killing 'em And My Buddy Was Struggling! Weird! It Seems When I'm Fishing, That I Can "sense" Where A Fish Is Sitting....it's Like I Know I'm Going To Get Hit Before I Make The Cast? I Know A Couple Other People Like This....especially My Older Bro. He's Amazing! Must Be Genetic? Ha Ha!

[Ranger_07]

Is he in the back of the boat? I have always referred to that as the "loser's section". Ha!

[stratosjoe]

Been there done that,,,, My son only fishes with me maybe 5 times a year. I get on a good bite some where and I call him to come running. He is a slow methodical type person at work as well as in everything else. It always happens he puts it on me, same bait, line, . He drags the bait sometimes not even lifting the rod as the boat is moving. That is his winning technique from the back of the boat. At least it's my son and if someone is going to smoke me at least it's him

[RICHYD4U]

I Don't Know If This Happens To Other People, But It Seems I'll Be All Alone And Find A Spot And Just Kill 'em......then As Soon As I Bring Somebody Back To Hit It Again.....nothing! Same Conditions And Everything! I've Gotten To The Point Where I Try Not Tell My Buddies How Good I Did Last Time, Just To Avoid The Disappointment Of Hyping It Up To Only Not Catch Anything! I Think It's A Curse! Weird!

[catdaddy863]

I really enjoy the back of the boat when I get to get back there where there is no trolling motor to keep up with and you get to complain about boat position.I've got a buddy with that fish sense and all I have to do to slow him up and equal out the numbers is make him run the motor.LOL

[MsgMills]

Experience says it all....Plus you and I of course get accused of fishing all the good water and leaving nothing but used water for the guy in the back of the boat to fish..... Nothing used when it comes to using a spinnerbait, jig, crank bait.... Still lots of water to fish.....

[LarryG]

Been in front, and been in back, front does have an advantage where skills are almost equal. I met a guy on line years ago that wanted to go musky fishing, he didn't have a boat, but knew the lake from back seat experience. When we got onto the water, I told him to try the front, he couldn't believe it, but I told him I'm picking his brains, so its a fair trrade. He caught two, I got one.mine was a fluke but a 36 inch throw back sure felt good.

[mhall]

I Don't Know If This Happens To Other People, But It Seems I'll Be All Alone And Find A Spot And Just Kill 'em......then As Soon As I Bring Somebody Back To Hit It Again.....nothing! Same Conditions And Everything! I've Gotten To The Point Where I Try Not Tell My Buddies How Good I Did Last Time, Just To Avoid The Disappointment Of Hyping It Up To Only Not Catch Anything! I Think It's A Curse! Weird!

I thought it only happened to me, LOL.

[Moose1am]

Just take pictures with your cell phone camera and then show them the pictures to prove that you really did catch some.

I got lucky once and found a good spot. I went back to the same spot and took the Bait Store Owner with me fishing that day. We got into them really good that day too. So I have a witness to back my story up along with pictures of all the big crappie. This spot is well know by anyone that's fishing near me or passing by. I was catching crappie one after another and this couple passed by and she almost fell out of their boat gawking at me catching all those fish. LOL It was funny for a second until I realized that they would be there fishing that spot the next day or as soon as I left.

But heck I found that spot by watching a guy fishing it and catching one crappie after another one cold windy day. I remembered seeing him out there and then explored that part of the lake finally after they let us use gasoline motors on the lake at idle speed. Before that my electric trolling motor didn't work good on this lake when the winds were up. Sometimes I could not make it to this spot due to a South Wind in excess of 15 mph. But now I can get there even in 15 mph winds by using the 35 hp gas motor. The 55 lb thrust Min-kota won't push my aluminum bass boat into a 15 mph wind very good.

Now that I can get to this spot I have been able to motor around and learn the lay of the bottom. I found out where the drop off are located and where the channel runs though this area. I also found the underwater brush that's along the ledge in the 7 ft deep water and I figured out where the weeds grow and what the bottom like. Now I can zero in on the fish and if they are there I'll catch them. At times they are not in a feeding mood and will be found suspended over very deep water about 100 ft from the drop off. They will suspend above the thermocline in the summer months or hug the bottom after the fall turnover and during the coldest parts of winter. And if there is a warming spell during the cold parts of winter they may be found right on the surface where the surface water is warmed up by the sunlight. But the next day they could be going back down again. The weather is not always the same each day except during the summer doldrums of August. So be prepared to have to search around for the fish. But if you have a good spot the fish won't be very far away.