Fishing Superstitions

[creeker]

to me this is some dumb stuff, but funny to read. what would it mean, if you caught a fish, with dog ticks on it. what would you guys think, if on your first cast, you caught a world record smallmouth. would you still be in for a bad day. I remember once, this guy that I worked with, said he had the chicken pox, and his mother made him lay down. in front of the chicken house door. and let all the chickens run across him, so as to cure him.

If you did catch that smallmouth on the first cast, I bet you wouldn't catch another one like it the rest of the day.

[RoadToad]

The "wind from the east" saying is listed in John Belski's book of weather folklore, and it's rated as True.

[waterdog101]

If you did catch that smallmouth on the first cast, I bet you wouldn't catch another one like it the rest of the day.

true, and one reason I wouldn't. would be, that after I got that one in the boat, I would call it a day. and man what a day. and I would be smiling, it would be 5:00 oclock somewhere, and cows would be lying down somewhere, and I did it on the first cast.

[hartmacw]

The "wind from the east" saying is listed in John Belski's book of weather folklore, and it's rated as True.

yeah I think it is true, for us at least. In North America the fronts move from west to east. An east wind would generally indicate a storm or front "wrapping" back around in a counter-clockwise motion, and that generally means a lot of disruption in the atmosphere. Also, I would think (but don't know for sure) that winds from certain directions, like east or north, would predict low or falling pressures, and we all know what that can do for fishing.

People I know who fish the Atlantic on the east coast generally prefer east winds when they get them however. The east wind will typically push baitfish in closer to shore, followed then by the predators of course. I know whenever I see an east wind where I live in VA, there's been a REALLY bad t-storm somewhere close and it looks like an apocolypse. And generally that's when we see that chilly "hail" wind.

Was out on Dale Hollow a few years ago and got caught in a hail storm. Man that sucked.

[RoadToad]

I grew up on the east coast, and yeah I don't think makes nearly as much difference there. We always paid more attention to the tide than the wind. First 3 or 4 hours of the incoming tide is generally the best, but you want it to at least be moving. Slack tide is when it gets dead. But I'm straying off the subject of superstitions, sorry

[bassman_ky]

Sticks floating vertically in the water-fish aren't biting.
(don't know where that one come from, but I've heard it).

Cows laying and fish not biting-I've heard that one a lot.

Wind out of the north they don't bite.
(I think that one is definetly true)

If the sticks are on top of the water laying vertically that usually indicates high pressure. If that's the case good luck.

[jamesdenson]

yeap its all a mental thing if u believe something helps it probally will. me i always think im gonna catch a fish every cast. dam i stay dissapointed a lot tho

[Coonstick1]

I've got an old UK sweatshirt that has been absolutely eaten up with battery acid from handling trolling batteries before and after trips. That's my lucky clothing. I even wear it in the summer until I start pouring sweat and can't take it anymore! Because it has holes in the "kangaroo pouch", though, I always drop something in the water when I slip up and store something there.

[waterdog101]

Nothing better for me than catching one on the first cast.........Sort of tells me Im on'em.

X 2

[Johnny K]

If I hit the water believing I'm going to absolutly kill them, perfect conditions, right time of year, etc., it ends disappointingly.

If I go without much confidence, I get very surprised.

[wishniwasfishn]

Sticks floating vertically in the water-fish aren't biting.
(don't know where that one come from, but I've heard it).

Cows laying and fish not biting-I've heard that one a lot.

Wind out of the north they don't bite.
(I think that one is definetly true)

If the sticks are floating straight up, that means teh barometer is up, and thats why they arent biting. Next time you notice this, fish deeper! It has worked for me in the past, and an old guy told me about the sticks a long time ago!

[wishniwasfishn]

I wont get the net out until someone needs it, I wont fill the livewells up until someone catches one, and I wont take the camera out of the glovebox unless someone needs it, and I wont catch a fish on the first cast!