# It has come to this...



## E_Lin

I have a confession to make. Some of you may have already suspected this, but let me confirm for you that in reality I am not that good of a fisherman.  I have tried teaching myself to fish with lures in rivers for the past year, with varied but nonetheless minimal success. There was one decent week in August, where I can say I actually caught about a dozen fish. That was in a week's worth of fishing, almost every day. And that is the best I have done. Seems kind of pathetic when I look at other threads and see guys going out and catching over 100 fish because apparently they felt like it. I'm not jealous of them - I really am not. It is a good thing to be proud of what you can do when you can do it well, and be able to share it with others who can appreciate it.

Unfortunately, I am never able to escape the veiwpoint that maybe fishing is not my thing. Yesterday, I spent several hours driving up and down roads I didn't know, and hiking in the woods along 4 Mile Creek only to conclude that I can find no place that I can fish there. Eventually I was able to make my way back closer to home and fished for an hour at a spot where I was familiar with. I caught two dink white bass and a smallie fingerling that clearly had ideas above his station biting a lure that was over half his size. All it cost me was over $10 in gas and $10 in lures lost. About an average day for me, in other words.

I'm going to lay it all on the line right here, right now. I'm not going to give an ultimatum, nor am I going to to threaten to never return to OGF if no one helps me. We all know that won't happen. As far as I am from being a "good" fisherman right now, I would never have had the success I have had this year without the help and tips I have learned from the people on these forums. However, I know myself and the learning curve I face. It is going to several more years before I can reach a point where I might catch more than 8 to 10 fish in a day and not be shocked. As it is now when I do go out I do it not expecting to catch anything at all, making it a nice surprise when I do. Fishing for me is still a stress producer more than a stress reliever. The saying that a "Bad day fishing is better than a good day working" makes no sense to me. It honestly doesn't. I swear to God.

So here is my request of any fellow OGF members who might be willing to help. I have looked at the possibility of hiring guides, but that is too expensive for me. What I really need is a fishing mentor. Someone who can show me how to find spots to fish at, and why those spots might be productive. Someone who can show me how to fish with different types of lures, and how to execute different types of presentations for them. Of course I am willing to talk about compensation. A person is expected to pay a tutor or trainer, and this would be no different. I'm not talking about a lot of money, but certainly more than the cost of gas. There wouldn't be a lot of time involvement either, since work schedules and seasonal weather will certainly be a factor. But if you have free time, and are willing to give an ignorant novice some helpful lessons, it could make the difference for me and my family in being able to find more enjoyment in the activity of fishing.


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## Gormand

Pick up a copy of Roland Martin's 101 Bass Catching Secrets for a start. Try some different lures. Enjoy the outdoors!


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## oldstinkyguy

If you remind me in spring I'll take you to a lake that's hidden in the back of a wildlife area. I probably averaged 30 largemouth bass a trip and once caught over a hundred there one day last spring so it would be ideal to throw a wide variety of lures and get used to catching fish on them.


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## DMinn Angler

As i was reading this post i thought i was reading my autobiography lol. I spent a lot of time scouting for new places to fish without much luck & lost a ton of lures, broke my best rod, & limited out on snags on most expeditions! Dont feel i'm a much better fisherman than i was at the start of the season. I keep blaming it on not having a boat. I'll give it another go next season. At least i get to enjoy the outdoors even though the word "skunked" seems to be in my weekly vocabulary. Here's to better luck next time!

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Salmonid

ELin, just remember that very few guys on here post the skunk trips they have had this year so on a board like this, your seeing the best of the best usually. For me fishing isnt always about hammering fish but instead I do it because I like to and if the bite is good, even better, I do try harder when I have someone other then my usual partner with me ( Catfish_Chaser) to make sure they get a bunch of fish. 
This leads to another thing that you may not have concluded and that is when guys are really getting on fish, its usually because of two things, first its bcause someone has put int he time on a specific species and learned their behaviors and secondly, have done lots of homework finding where those fish are and what they are eating to complete the pattern. Me I know catfish pretty decent and trout and feel I know smallies pretty good but heck, crappies or perch or walleyes or even saugeyes and LM Bass, and Im right in your seat writing the same post. 

Closer to where you live the seasons of the migratory species on the lower GMR and LMR are much shorter so when the bite is on, you better get on it but each year youll more and more about the whens and wheres to succeed. 
Im speaking on the fall Hybrid Striper, white bass and other species that all migrate up the Ohio River Tribs chasing all the bait. This happens again in the Spring so be ready as these fall and spring runs are similar when it comes to the Wheres and whats, only problem is in the Spring you must deal with high waters dicking up the patterns.

I havent had much time lately but Im telling you now, that this upcoming week will be one of the best of the year to be out there fishing as the cooler nights and shorter days have triggered the fall feeding feast to fatten every one up for the winter.

One a personal observation I thought you had a decent year for starting out and I was glad to read your reports where even if the bite was off you were learning things and building confidence in your lures which is always a big step in the natural progression of fishing. Keep at it and do what you can to keep fishing with folks in your area that are successful and take what you learn from each of them and use it the next time out. 

As always if we can get together soon, we will and Ill get you out for another catfish trip.

Tight lines....
Salmonid


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## Daveo76

Great reply Mark. I used to be just like that. Couldn't catch a cold. Luckily I happen to live close to the Ohio River and was able to concentrate on fishing the dam(Greenup). Plenty of bad trips. I just sat back and watched how everyone else was fishing and slowly made a few friends and learned from them. So don't give up and find a friend willing to help you out. Shouldn't be too much trouble with the quality people here.


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## jbmynes

I just started fly fishing this year. I know where your coming from! I would love to find someone around me to fish with just to learn more tricks but I still try to make it out at least once a week. It sucks getting skunked bit anymore I don't even care. 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## gibson330usa

This was my second summer learning to fish for smallmouth on the LMR, I learned a lot and had a nice run through the summer without a skunk. Now I must learn to fish the fall bite as I have only caught one fish in the last three trips. I love the river and the other wildlife on the river and it's still a treat to be there. I'd like to catch more but I'm out for a relaxing few hours in my sparetime and the LMR between Morrow and S. lebanon is secluded, beautiful and I'm usually the only one out there. 
I suggest bring some binoculars, see the leaves change colors and enjoy the time away. I like when the leaves fall and the trees are bare you can really see the birds and animals you don't usually see the rest of the year. Seeing an eagle, hawk, owl, woodpecker, deer, beaver etc. is the next best thing to catching a fish.


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## Dandrews

I agree 100% with Salmonid. Its not a race, its a continual learning curve and youve already improved tremendously...if it were easy, it wouldnt be as much fun. We both work odd hours but Im sure we could meet up sometime within the next couple weeks.


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## zuelkek

We all feel your pain, brother! Keep at it. The lessons one needs to learn are sometimes subtle. Things like how to not just throw a lure out there (works on many days, but not always) vs. the touch it takes to make the thing look alive. Comes with practice, like anything else. Knowledge of the fish & the river comes with study.

I'm not half the fisherman of many of the guys on here, but I haven't been skunked in several years. I've had plenty of 2-fish days. But I did get my first good, solid skunking a couple weeks ago, and here's the response to it I posted, along with BassAddict83's response:

"Ignominiously skunked! Got to the LMR at 8:30am. I threw into every kind of water, with every trick, every speed, every lure in the box. Deep water, riffles, rocks, logs. The fish just simply weren't having it. I can't imagine where they even went. The water was low and weirdly clear, like a trout stream in the Smokies, visibility 6 or 8 feet, but I swear I didn't see a living aquatic thing. Sunny blue skies generally keep me off the river anyway, but weren't people catching stuff yesterday in the same conditions? For me, I had a one-time Friday off, so, barring a hurricane, I'm gonna go when I get a gift like that. But after four hours of it, my arm was worn out and my neck was stiff, my back was sore. The cold had finally seeped through my waders so I could barely move my legs. One last cast, I said, and this was it. I often do that, and I meant it. So of course--fish on! Felt like a nice one...for an entire two seconds. That kept me around for another hour and a half--without another sniff, of course. That was the sole piece of evidence of any life at all in the river the entire day.
But it wasn't so bad. I actually laid down and took a nap on the bank, which was delicious. Blue sky and sun in the autumn woods, a kingfisher chattering at me (probably starving), and all the silence, breeze, solitude, clean flowing water, clear light, and falling leaves I could ask for. My dad used to tell me this about hunting: If shooting something is what it takes for you to enjoy it, then you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Take it as it comes. He was right. It was a great morning and great afternoon."

BA83: "Your dads words are priceless! There are so many more reasons to fish other than catching fish. And THOSE are the reasons we keep going back!"

He's right! Fishing is fun and relaxing, but I'm also convinced it's a skill. Practice and a relaxed mastery of the details will grow your skills.


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## sherman51

E_Lin said:


> I have a confession to make. Some of you may have already suspected this, but let me confirm for you that in reality I am not that good of a fisherman.  I have tried teaching myself to fish with lures in rivers for the past year, with varied but nonetheless minimal success. There was one decent week in August, where I can say I actually caught about a dozen fish. That was in a week's worth of fishing, almost every day. And that is the best I have done. Seems kind of pathetic when I look at other threads and see guys going out and catching over 100 fish because apparently they felt like it. I'm not jealous of them - I really am not. It is a good thing to be proud of what you can do when you can do it well, and be able to share it with others who can appreciate it.
> 
> Unfortunately, I am never able to escape the veiwpoint that maybe fishing is not my thing. Yesterday, I spent several hours driving up and down roads I didn't know, and hiking in the woods along 4 Mile Creek only to conclude that I can find no place that I can fish there. Eventually I was able to make my way back closer to home and fished for an hour at a spot where I was familiar with. I caught two dink white bass and a smallie fingerling that clearly had ideas above his station biting a lure that was over half his size. All it cost me was over $10 in gas and $10 in lures lost. About an average day for me, in other words.
> 
> I'm going to lay it all on the line right here, right now. I'm not going to give an ultimatum, nor am I going to to threaten to never return to OGF if no one helps me. We all know that won't happen. As far as I am from being a "good" fisherman right now, I would never have had the success I have had this year without the help and tips I have learned from the people on these forums. However, I know myself and the learning curve I face. It is going to several more years before I can reach a point where I might catch more than 8 to 10 fish in a day and not be shocked. As it is now when I do go out I do it not expecting to catch anything at all, making it a nice surprise when I do. Fishing for me is still a stress producer more than a stress reliever. The saying that a "Bad day fishing is better than a good day working" makes no sense to me. It honestly doesn't. I swear to God.
> 
> So here is my request of any fellow OGF members who might be willing to help. I have looked at the possibility of hiring guides, but that is too expensive for me. What I really need is a fishing mentor. Someone who can show me how to find spots to fish at, and why those spots might be productive. Someone who can show me how to fish with different types of lures, and how to execute different types of presentations for them. Of course I am willing to talk about compensation. A person is expected to pay a tutor or trainer, and this would be no different. I'm not talking about a lot of money, but certainly more than the cost of gas. There wouldn't be a lot of time involvement either, since work schedules and seasonal weather will certainly be a factor. But if you have free time, and are willing to give an ignorant novice some helpful lessons, it could make the difference for me and my family in being able to find more enjoyment in the activity of fishing.


first and formost i,ll tell you this little secret. there is alot more of us out there than you think that has trouble catching fish. we cant just go out on any given day or water and catch fish. even tho there may be a few who can. the way people like me has learned to catch fish is over the years we have learned some places and times to fish those places and what lures to use. but just to go to brookville lake and catch fish i am lost. i know one good spot to troll late in the day and i have a good chance of catching a few walleye. and sometimes will pick up a crappie or two and maby some white bass. but just this little knowledge has come from fishing many years with all kinds of bait and all over the lake. even now to go to brookville lake i just fish the standard coves and cover and just hope i catch something.

i have a local lake that has a good number of walleye. i dont have a clue where to or how to catch these fish. so i just troll for anything that bites. and do catch a few walleyes this way.

the main reason for people saying a bad day fishing is better than a good day at work is because we have more bad days fishing than we would like to admit. i dont know about others that keep fishing even tho were not catching fish, but i just enjoy being out with friends on the water. and if i do manage to catch a few then its a bonus for me.

now i can go to most farm ponds and if its not fished to death i can usely find some gills or even bass. because there is only so many places they can hide in a farm pond. a big lake is another story. 10% of the water holds 90% of the fish. you really have to know the habits of the fish your after to know where that 10% of the water is. im one of the people that dont know that much about finding fish. so i just troll with small crank baits and fish for anything that will bite.

i can usely catch some walleye up on erie. but i get help from guys on here and have been out on a few charters. when i started fishing the central basin i was totaly lost. i didnt have a clue how to catch walleyes there. so the 1st thing i did was go out on a charter. i learned how to use dipsy divers, and alittle about catching fish. so we started fishing with the knowledge we had. and we did manage to catch some fish. i went out on another charter and learned alittle more. and i was learning alittle more on my own. we fished erie for some yrs now and i still have so much to learn. i have changed a few things thats really helped us. we switched our dipsy divers to the lite bite slide diver. that really helped us tell when we had a small fish on, because with the lite bite trigger the small fish will trip the diver, so were not dragging as many small fish around.

this year we took out another charter, we went out with jeff of double j charters, and we learned alittle more about fishing erie. but i still have so much to learn. i get help from the guys on here that do alot of fishing up there, or i wouldnt get near as many fish as i do.

i try to do 90% of my fishing doing something i have done in the past that has produced fish for me. either trolling my local lake or pond fishing or fishing lake erie. there is alot more guys like us out there than the guys that catch most of the fish.

most of the guys that catch alot of fish. fish for the fish they know how to fish for. guys have learned over time how and where and when to fish for bass or sm bass or crappie. one person that can go out and catch bass might not be able to catch crappie. or the guy catching crappie might not have a clue how to catch bass. but they may still catch a few. and where you fish plays alot bigger roll in catching fish than how you fish. if the place you fish is fished to death your not going to catch many fish in that spot.

just remember your not alone. and i hope you get alot of help in catching fish, and not just fishing. i have had some great days fishing over the last 60 yrs. but i have been skunked many times. but if i am with friends on the water i still have a good not so good of day.
sherman


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## trailbreaker

i'm in the same boat as e_lin don't matter if i'm in MI or ohio i can't seem
to catch any fish... so next year i found a lake in tn called douglas lake
might give it a try has sauger, large mouth bass,crappie,white bass
and blue gill.. if you stay at the grand resort hotel you can fish free on their
property i was told fish where the dumpster is a good place


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## Big Joshy

I would suggest that you simplify. 1 rod. 1 bait a leadhead jig and some kind of tail. a pair of pliers and some walking shoes. cover ground but fish slowly keeping your bait near bottom. This is the most simple way to become a good fisherman. You will spend less time trying different lures and second guessing yourself and more time learning to fish the right way. reading the water, reading the fishes reaction, and feeling the difference between bottom and a hit. Show me a good jig fishermen and I will show you a good fishermen.


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## oldstinkyguy

Big Joshy said:


> I would suggest that you simplify. 1 rod. 1 bait a leadhead jig and some kind of tail. a pair of pliers and some walking shoes. cover ground but fish slowly keeping your bait near bottom. This is the most simple way to become a good fisherman. You will spend less time trying different lures and second guessing yourself and more time learning to fish the right way. reading the water, reading the fishes reaction, and feeling the difference between bottom and a hit. Show me a good jig fishermen and I will show you a good fishermen.


Big Joshy makes alot of sense...


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## E_Lin

Big Joshy said:


> I would suggest that you simplify. 1 rod. 1 bait a leadhead jig and some kind of tail. a pair of pliers and some walking shoes. cover ground but fish slowly keeping your bait near bottom. This is the most simple way to become a good fisherman. You will spend less time trying different lures and second guessing yourself and more time learning to fish the right way. reading the water, reading the fishes reaction, and feeling the difference between bottom and a hit. Show me a good jig fishermen and I will show you a good fishermen.


That is pretty much how I go about fishing anyway - I have one rod and a pair of pliers plus a small tackle bag. On my reel right now is 12 lb braid (Tufline Duracast, I think). I had been tying a swivel to that and using about 2' of 10 lb flourocarbon for a leader. I had been using Nanofil, but decided to save a few bucks on respooling (bad decision - the Nanofil was much better, IMO). What I am gathering from other threads is that if I am going to start jigging I should switch to using flourocarbon line. Is that really going to be necessary for jigging? The main reason I switched to using braid was to avoid the curling up that you get from mono and flouro lines.

Thanks for all the comments. I don't want to give up fishing, but its really frustrating not to see my own progress. Since I do most of my fishing alone I guess it is easier for me to judge myself more harshly as I am failing.


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## ARReflections

jbmynes said:


> I just started fly fishing this year. I know where your coming from! I would love to find someone around me to fish with just to learn more tricks but I still try to make it out at least once a week. It sucks getting skunked bit anymore I don't even care.
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


LOL, if you are only concerned about catching fish then I would suggest not picking up fly fishing! That method requires even more study of fish habits and environments. But I have come to discover that fishing after the up-teenth fish is more about being outdoors, discovering what is around the next bend, and fishing with good folks.

It kind of reminds me of fishing with my father-in-law. If he does not get a fish on in the first 10 minutes then he concludes there are no fish in the area. He gets upset and totally misses the point of being out on the water. He did not make note of all the shad jumping. Why are shad jumping? Why do I not see crayfish anymore? Which way is the current running? Is the depth of the presentation in the correct area? Even more, did he notice the deer moving in the woods that did not catch our scent yet? Why are the gulls swooping down on the water at a certain spot? Did you notice when the leaves changed colors? 

BTW, I did post about getting skunked on the East Fork yesterday so yes it does happen but if my goal was to hit a homerun everytime then I would have spent my money on golf clubs instead of fishing equipment. It just makes the joy of when you get a fish all the sweeter.


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## trailbreaker

when i fish i'm there about 5 mins and pack things up.. years ago i'd stay
guess i need to get back into doing that


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## imalt

I HAVE HAD MORE SKUNKED TRIPS THIS YEAR THAN I HAVE HAD GOOD TRIPS. BUT I ENJOY JUST BEING OUT IN NATURE. I DID CATCH 25 WHITE BASS AND 3 SMALLIE THIS MORNING. FAR AND AWAY MY BEST TRIP OF THE YEAR. SORRY FOR THE CAPITALS BUT MY PHONE IS STUCK ON THEM.

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Roscoe

Sounds like a few members have tried helping you already.Salmonoid I believe, took you Catfishing.Just about any day you can shore fish at C.C.Lake and catch something,even Carp!If it's too much stress for you try another hobby.


Roscoe


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## sbreech

We all get skunked from time to time. Fishing isn't just about catching fish for a lot of us, it's a whole lot more. For some of us it's an obsession. It's not really THAT difficult to catch fish most of the time. Usually, and most of my buddies will laugh at this, if I'm not catching the species I'm targeting (if I am in fact targeting a species), I refuse to be skunked, put on a tiny fly, and catch a bluegill or sunfish. But to be honest, there are times when even that won't happen. Read a book. Heck, read two. there are too many out there on the fishing hobby...Read the Compleat Angler. Hit the library. Watch some youtube videos. Just grab a friend to tag along to fish.


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## E_Lin

Roscoe said:


> Sounds like a few members have tried helping you already.


I have spent some time with a few members, and in those times I have learned quite a bit. My biggest problem that I can see is that I fish alone. That is why I am asking for a little more one on one instruction. I don't know what it is that I don't know, so I am not able to realize it when I am doing something wrong, or fishing in a wrong area. One way or another, I will keep throwing whatever I can in the water to see what happens.


> If it's too much stress for you try another hobby.


Any hobby is going to be stressful for me. Probably more so, since most others will cost a lot more money. That is why I ask for help with this one. I don't want to give it up yet, and I spend too much time as it is dealing with personal issues to add another one right now.


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## dstiner86

I definitely can feel ur pain here.. Until this year i was mainly a worm and bobber fisherman.. Spring i started my first real collections of lures and softbaits .. Ive had good trips a few great ones and more terrible ones.. I got go to lures now and ones im afraid to touch because of the lack of luck I've had..and i don't want to think of the amount of money i put into my tackle and trips (especially with all the lost lures stuck in god knows what on the bottom)..i will say from a rookies aspect if your reading this well you already have access to some of the best knowledge out there.. I've learned loads of tricks and tips and methods ..hell this spring i thought most all lures had to be fished fast... Then i read to slow was is the key in the heat and sure enough first trip out i brought it my biggest bass of my life (only 2.5lbs but it made my trip) ... So as a few ppl said..unless your really willing to spend the money to hire a guide.. Spend this winter on the internet.. Ogf YouTube and countless other sites and tv shows have taught me so such to learn about fishing and i know there's plenty more! and to keep it fun take a buddy with you.. Have a contest of who can catch more etc... And hell if you both get skunked this you least had some company tk make the trip worth while... 
Happy fishings 
- a noob like you

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Roscoe

I can understand.What size Rods and reels do you have?What fish would you like to catch?



Roscoe


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## sherman51

E_Lin said:


> I have spent some time with a few members, and in those times I have learned quite a bit. My biggest problem that I can see is that I fish alone. That is why I am asking for a little more one on one instruction. I don't know what it is that I don't know, so I am not able to realize it when I am doing something wrong, or fishing in a wrong area. One way or another, I will keep throwing whatever I can in the water to see what happens.
> 
> Any hobby is going to be stressful for me. Probably more so, since most others will cost a lot more money. That is why I ask for help with this one. I don't want to give it up yet, and I spend too much time as it is dealing with personal issues to add another one right now.


sounds like you have the right attude you just need a couple of friends that fish. so just keep posting for guys to go fishing with you.

and you cant really do anything wrong when it comes to fishing. its about learning when you do something right and you catch fish. thats why we have the old saying we threw everything at them including the kitchen sink,LOL. sometimes they just wont bite.

some of the most fun i ever had was mixing up junk to make doughballs and catching carp. i tried mixing anything i could get to stick together. one of my best baits was made from suger pops and jello and alittle flour mixed together with just alittle hot water. just enough to get things wet. then i would crumble up the suger pops and add the jello and alittle flour. then i would let it set for awhile. then just go out to the lake and gob alittle on a hook and just toss it out and wait. i bet i tried a 100 concockshons, and believe it or not but just about anything i could get to stay together caught carp. and some of them even caught a few cats. and there is not many fish that is more fun to catch than carp.
sherman


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## Salmonid

Another thing I wanted to post for ELin specifically, and this comes from a guide himself...if you hire a guide, he will show you 1 specific technique at 1 specific place where he has the pattern figured out. There are many folks out there who can do that and show you that 1 thing at the 1 place technique for many different species and most would do it for free or let you cover gas/lunch to tag along. So skip the Hire a guide thought and work on building some relationships with some of the folks on here who are fishing your neck of the woods. If you know you got a few hrs on Thursday afternoon, put up a post asking if anyone else is gonna go then and meet up. With enough time youll start to find a few guys who you can bond with and enjoy there company and wham, a fishing buddy is born, then youll enjoy the friendships and the time spent with them as enjoyable if not more so then the fishing. Iam a people person and I enjoy the BS'ing and fishing with others way more then by myself. And.....many think I am a pretty good fisherman but remember, someone, in fact hundreds of people have all contributed to what i know and it was all learned a bit at a time as no one in my family fishes or ever fished, I was self taught for the most part until i reached a point of going where folks go and talk to folks and then in the beginning youll take it all in then as you get more experienced, youll realize many folks are full of crap with fishing stories so you quickly move on down the bank to the guy who is actually catching the fish, sit back, watch and obseeve what he is doing and then ask specific questions, 98% of the folks will gladly throw you a tip or two and the other 2% are folks who are obviously idiots anyhow...so you dont need to hang around those folks. 

So...from reading all the SW reports in the last 10 days youll know that the Upper GMR is leaf ridden and the smallie bite has crapped out back to a normal level. Ok so there have been many reports on the lower LMR which is basically in two areas, first is a decent smallmouth bite in the Morrow/S. Lebanon/Loveland area and the other is a white bass/buffalo and hybrid striper bite in the lower 10 miles or so of the LMR. Ok now on to the Lower GMR, seems a fair amount of saugeys,smallies , flatheads and white bass being caught below the dam in Hamilton. 

Ok, this is nothing private, only stuff I gathered from reading this board the last 10 days, you could go back to some of these posts and find out what types of lures folks were using and try to mimic these actions yourself, just try to pull out the best parts of the posts, like fishing below a riffle, fishing in the riffle, fished the pool, fished along the banks, around wood, fished slow, fished fast, etc. all the info is there if you can weed through it and go to a similar type of area, start wading and try to duplicate the scene, trust me if you do that, the fish will come. 

I m getting out tomorrow for the first time in 3 weeks chasing cats with my partner Ryan, Ill post results good or bad...Should be interesting as we will be trying out a brand new technique as we are testing out theories before next years tourneys..

Salmonid


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## E_Lin

Roscoe said:


> I can understand.What size Rods and reels do you have?What fish would you like to catch?
> 
> 
> 
> Roscoe


I have a 7' Ugly Stick with a Shimano spinning reel. Catching fish isn't the most important thing for me, what keeps me from enjoying myself more is the not knowing what I am doing. I read books and magazines all the time. I watch shows when they come on the ODC and DVDs from Bass Pro and Bassmasters. I try to learn what I can from YouTube. So the basic concepts of things I kind of understand. The practical application, however, doesn't seem to follow for me. That and the techniques you find in the books, mags and DVDs all seem to either contradict each other, or just don't apply for the local fishing situations. So I am never sure if what I am doing is even going to work, and it usually doesn't, leaving me with nothing but doubts. So I am here asking for personal help, because it would be nice to be able to get some feedback while fishing.


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## E_Lin

As usual Mark you post a lot of good, reasonable stuff. And believe it or not, I do pay attention to the other posts and try to mimic what I can from what I read. But there are still things I just can't follow. I still have no idea whatsoever as to what the heck a "riffle" is, and can't find enough info online to give me a proper understanding of them and how to fish in or around them. Stuff like that really bothers me.


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## Salmonid

Elin, PM me with your schedule this week, Ill get you on a stream,give you all the info you can handle on the geological reading of a stream,( IE Stream Morphology) better bring a notepad as once you understand how streams work and why they meander and such, youll becvome a much better stream fisherman. I follow the David Rosgen study of understanding streams, yeah.. there is a true science to reading a stream, I ve taken several of his classes to understand why certain underwater structures work better then others from many years of adding instream habitat on the Mad River back in my Trout Unlimited days.

PS should be able to get you a fish on the Ohio Special too..LOL

Salmonid


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## multi species angler

First and foremost,to catch fish you just need to be in the right place at the right time. .
The more trips you make the more times you'll be in the right place at the right time.

.Learn to fish jigs and you can catch most any gamefish.

I would suggest that you leave your gear at home and go to all the popular, community fishing spots you know of. Usually most fishermen will show and tell if you don't have a rod in your hand and look like you are moving in on them without invitation. Just walk the banks and docks watching, listening and observing..Get a book or dvd on how to fish jigs. Read everything you can on the subject. Use a highly visible line while jig fishing to help you know when your jig is on or near bottom when that is where the fish are. If you feel that the hi vis line is spooking the fish use a clear leader of your choice.. LEARN ALL ABOUT JIGS AND JIG FISHING. Hope some of this helps.


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## oldstinkyguy

E_Lin said:


> I still have no idea whatsoever as to what the heck a "riffle" is, and can't find enough info online to give me a proper understanding of them and how to fish in or around them. Stuff like that really bothers me.


Riffles are those stretches of shallow fast water. There are good ones and bad ones. Good ones are right above or below a hole and have cobbles and rock to hold food like darters, crayfish, hellgrammites etc. Bad ones are shallow stretches of ankle deep water that go on and on forever. Some riffles get deeper and go on a ways as a stretch of faster deeper water with a rocky or gravel bottom. These are called runs and are often great. The very top of a riffle where the water speeds up in the pool but is still smooth is called the tail of the pool. The upper end or head of the pool or the tail of the pool right above or below a riffle for much of the year is "live action" and where you want to fish hard.


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## black swamp

Trust me I have learned alot from you Obie Wann Kanobee did I spell that right. Were all in the same bag soon has you get a grip on things they throw ya a curve ball hang in there my friend we all have been thru this


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## black swamp

I fish the big river alot an sometimes your hot an then your not but I love the anticipation every time deer do the same thing got a big buck friday nice 9 point just got to keep on keeping on you will be fine good luck on your next journey were ever it may take you to my friend


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## hogtrman

My thinking is that there isnt enough water in this area to support real good fishing. I proved that idea by traveling to places that were abundant with fish, my favorite is the boundry waters above Ely Minn. I took up fly fishing 3 years ago thinking that would increase my catches. Actually it reduces them, but I now just enjoy being near or on the water, and catching fish is a bonus. I release most of what i catch anyway.


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## Matulemj

E_Lin said:


> I look at other threads and see guys going out and catching over 100 fish because apparently they felt like it.


Well, in our defense, we did fish for about 7 hours  Don't be so hard on yourself, everyone has been where you are now. 

All my life I've fished lakes and ponds. I have never fished in a river expect for once a year with my grandfather for a steelhead run, where he catches a lot of fish and I catch a buzz. I moved to Milford within walking distance to the river about 4 years ago and thought that I really had no excuse not to try fishing the river. Hell, it's right there!

Dude, the first 1,467 times I fished the river I would get skunked left and right. I did enjoy the views and nature and blah blah blah, but dammit I wanted to catch fish! I would literally avoid the riffles thinking, "there is no way fish are in that moving water." Ha!

The first year, in 2009, I would maybe catch a baby channel everyonce and a while. It wasn't until 2010 that I really started being able to read rivers. I didn't feel that I truly mastered the river until this year when I put in a lot of time "reconing" the river in different areas. I know the river like the back of my hand now.

WAREHOUSE and I put in TONS of hours on the kayaks finding the good spots and learning to read the rivers, so catching 103 fish between us two was definitely not by chance. 

Don't let people discourage you. Once you get it and start catching fish consistantly, you'll find yourself enjoying fishing a lot more then for reasons like "being out in nature". Everyone on the board is very helpful, don't be afraid to send some PM's and ask people about their reports. 

Good Luck!



Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## kingofamberley

Matulemj said:


> Well, in our defense, we did fish for about 7 hours  Don't be so hard on yourself, everyone has been where you are now.
> 
> All my life I've fished lakes and ponds. I have never fished in a river expect for once a year with my grandfather for a steelhead run, where he catches a lot of fish and I catch a buzz. I moved to Milford within walking distance to the river about 4 years ago and thought that I really had no excuse not to try fishing the river. Hell, it's right there!
> 
> Dude, the first 1,467 times I fished the river I would get skunked left and right. I did enjoy the views and nature and blah blah blah, but dammit I wanted to catch fish! I would literally avoid the riffles thinking, "there is no way fish are in that moving water." Ha!
> 
> The first year, in 2009, I would maybe catch a baby channel everyonce and a while. It wasn't until 2010 that I really started being able to read rivers. I didn't feel that I truly mastered the river until this year when I put in a lot of time "reconing" the river in different areas. I know the river like the back of my hand now.
> 
> WAREHOUSE and I put in TONS of hours on the kayaks finding the good spots and learning to read the rivers, so catching 103 fish between us two was definitely not by chance.
> 
> Don't let people discourage you. Once you get it and start catching fish consistantly, you'll find yourself enjoying fishing a lot more then for reasons like "being out in nature". Everyone on the board is very helpful, don't be afraid to send some PM's and ask people about their reports.
> 
> Good Luck!
> 
> 
> 
> Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


Matulemj is right, don't get discouraged! I don't fish because I want to catch 100 fish (though that would be nice), I fish because it satisfies a primal instinct that I have. If fishing is stressing you out, then you are fishing for the wrong reasons. Fishing is the best stress reliever I know of, and during the winter I have to rely on other means (ahem). Being on a 1 to 1 basis with nature definitely calms my nerves. Check my posts on your jig thread... I really think it will help you. Don't listen to the people who will try to make it more complicated than it needs to be. To be honest, you have the skill and probably the equipment, you just need the experience for the sake of your own mind, it's a confidence matter...


Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## trailbreaker

black swamp said:


> Trust me I have learned alot from you Obie Wann Kanobee did I spell that right. Were all in the same bag soon has you get a grip on things they throw ya a curve ball hang in there my friend we all have been thru this


you have failed young jedi it's Obi-Wan Kenobi


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## FishermanMurph

So if I read that right, it's only been the past year you been fishing with lures in rivers? Need little more time than that buddy.  I've been fishing since I was 12 or so (picked it up to do something since my Browns moved at the time and was not in the mood for football, did not realize I'll still be in it). After couple years of bait fishing, I slowly started fishing with lures. I had one rod for live bait and one rod for a lure. That way I could still get fish on live bait while learning to fish with lures. It took me a looooooooong time to be fully comfortable with fishing with lures. I'm talking around 18years old. Even than, I still had LOTS of skunked days but I kept at it. When I moved from my hometown of Erie to live in Tennessee, I was catching bass on lures left and right. Tennessee brought a whole new set of problems since shore spots there SUCKED and the rivers and lakes there were snag city. My first 2 summers there were horrible, many, many skunked days. Often wondered if I should hang up the rods but kept at it. In my 3rd summer, it just clicked and started catching bass from shore and went a long streak of no skunked days. I went back to my basics from the past and made minor adjustments. My last summer there I got a canoe and had my best summer of fishing there. 

Now this is my first fishing season in Ohio and I had my very best year of fishing yet since I started fishing long ago. I'm sure some of it is attributed to the kayak but trust me, at lest around Dayton, there's plenty of good shore spots. I'm sure you'll find them in you're area also. 

Pretty much, the moral of my story is don't give up. It will take time. Getting together with other fisherman is a good idea but I found I learned best fishing by myself and experimenting. I took my experience from Erie and Tennessee and made adjustments to my presentation has needed cause I figure with my years of experience, fish are the same all over. Just gotta adjust to types of bait. And I tell ya, this board helped me lots with fishing around here. I wish I had something like this place to help me in Tennessee. And I'm still learning. I've hit a road block with this crazy weather but I'm still determined and still getting bass. And in the winter, I even re-read my fishing books that I've had since I was a kid to see if there's anything new I can get from them. 

Keep it up and good luck!


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## percidaeben

This thread is ridiculous


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## ilovetofish

to the op--you ever watch those fishing shows where theyre hauling them in hand over fist? well, its not always like that--pros get skunked too and at times they have to wait longer than planned to film a show because of coldfronts,pressure,tight lipped fish etc,...... so dont feel bad--nobody slays the fish all the time.....


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## ilovetofish

go to a lake like leesville early in the morn (so many lakes with such beauty) we are very blessed in ohio....get out there and just soak everything in..... who cares if you catch fish--its the whole experience of being in nature, just try to relax and count it as a bonus if you get any fish......


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## ARReflections

E Lin, as someone once told me. What are you going to do about it. Either you let the situation control you or you take control of the situation. When you go fishing, you are on the fishe's turf. Therefore, it is YOUR responsibility to understand their habitats and behavior. Resources like Internet, guides, and book are great support resources but until you get "dirty" then you will not significantly progress. 

It reminds me of when I was in high school. I could cheat on a test or ask someone for the answers or help and get a good score for that assignment but I learned nothing about the subject until I actually studied on my own, did the homework that only then did I truly understand the subject. Like school, So it is with fishing and more so with life. The good folks are here to encourage you and support but in the end, this is your race. 

So...what are you going to do about it E Lin?


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## trailbreaker

percidaeben said:


> This thread is ridiculous


serioulsy.. e_lin is having problems and so am i nothing wrong with people giving advice


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## QueticoMike

It sounds like you need to learn how to walk before your run. You should basically start from the beginning and work your way up like most fisherman I know. When I was a kid I started off with live bait. Fished for gills in lakes and ponds with wax worms. Once I learned how to hook fish and reel them in it was time to learn how to catch bass. I moved up to using minnows and nightcrawlers. Then I started fishing the river when I was 9 and I learned how to catch crawdads and use them for bait. Then I was catching every type of fish that swimmed in the river. I moved around a lot, all up and down the river. I figured out where fish were and where they are not. Then I got an ultra light rod and a Mepps #2 spinner, silver blade and white bucktail. I went to the areas where I caught fish with crawdads and threw this lure. Then I started to use lures that looked like crawdads like the Ohio special and the Big O craw. 

Start at the beginning, get some live bait, right now minnows, creek chubs and shiners. You can buy these at the local tackle store or catch your own in the creeks with minnow traps. You should just buy some to start with. Then fish every day, move to different spots thoughout the day. Fish a spot and if you don't get any bites, then move. Keep doing this until you find fish. Learn where fish are and where they are not. Even if you don't catch the fish, but you see them taking your slip bobber down, at least you know there are fish there. Once you learn where all of the fish are located at various spots, then move up to fishing Mepps spinners and Ohio specials. Then once you mastered that type of fishing, then start using other lures. I once caught 84 bass on the Mepps spinner one day on the GMR. I probably fished 20 different locations that day. I was still in high school then learning how to fish lures.

Start at the beginning, get back to basics, fish with live bait, learn where the fish are, then use simple lures with a straight retrieve. I can't give you any better advice than that.


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## Buzzin

This is a funny a** thread. If you love fishing and the OUTDOORS the fish will come in time. Its an everyday obsession of my own. If your only looking to catch fish and plan on quiting before you pay your dues then do so.... Research everything, google is an amazing thing. Read some books and pick one species to target like blue gills


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## jbmynes

ARReflections said:


> LOL, if you are only concerned about catching fish then I would suggest not picking up fly fishing! That method requires even more study of fish habits and environments. But I have come to discover that fishing after the up-teenth fish is more about being outdoors, discovering what is around the next bend, and fishing with good folks.
> 
> It kind of reminds me of fishing with my father-in-law. If he does not get a fish on in the first 10 minutes then he concludes there are no fish in the area. He gets upset and totally misses the point of being out on the water. He did not make note of all the shad jumping. Why are shad jumping? Why do I not see crayfish anymore? Which way is the current running? Is the depth of the presentation in the correct area? Even more, did he notice the deer moving in the woods that did not catch our scent yet? Why are the gulls swooping down on the water at a certain spot? Did you notice when the leaves changed colors?
> 
> BTW, I did post about getting skunked on the East Fork yesterday so yes it does happen but if my goal was to hit a homerun everytime then I would have spent my money on golf clubs instead of fishing equipment. It just makes the joy of when you get a fish all the sweeter.


Haha good post! I do it because I enjoy being in the water, I can fish for days and be content not catching anything. He'll a few weeks ago I was on the river and a little raccoon decided to join me. I decided to hell with fishing and helped that little guy find some crayfish. It's all about being outdoors and not doing yard work. But I wouldn't mind finding a fishing partner around my area to fly fish with. 


"there is a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot"


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## 9Left

E-lin, id be glad to take ya fishin sometime on the river, i sent you a PM


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## Shru

I am a Ultralight Fisherman, I have not fished so much lately because of the rivers getting much colder, and i don't have waders...
But i can always use a fishing partner, I never get skunked when i go fishing, thanks to the itsy bitsy minnows i use =)


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## crappiedude

Big Joshy said:


> I would suggest that you simplify. 1 rod. 1 bait a leadhead jig and some kind of tail. a pair of pliers and some walking shoes. cover ground but fish slowly keeping your bait near bottom. This is the most simple way to become a good fisherman. You will spend less time trying different lures and second guessing yourself and more time learning to fish the right way. reading the water, reading the fishes reaction, and feeling the difference between bottom and a hit. Show me a good jig fishermen and I will show you a good fishermen.


Big Joshy says it all. 
To get started just get a decent 6' light action rod, a decent reel spooled with a decent 6# test mono (line doesn't have to be anything special) and an assorrtment of jigs 1/32, 1/16, and 1/8oz will cover most of your needs.
A selection of plastics should include some tubes, swim baits and twisters in maybe 2" and 3" is plenty. 
Get a couple of small clip on floats if you want to suspend or float the lures the lures.
Learn this and you are on your way to becoming a much better fisherman.


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## Britam05

E_Lin said:


> I have spent some time with a few members, and in those times I have learned quite a bit. My biggest problem that I can see is that I fish alone. That is why I am asking for a little more one on one instruction. I don't know what it is that I don't know, so I am not able to realize it when I am doing something wrong, or fishing in a wrong area. One way or another, I will keep throwing whatever I can in the water to see what happens.
> 
> I began Fishing in July in creeks and Rivers- I found the advice on here very helpful- Then I discovered You tube. google, Local Library, checked out books on fishing especially smallmouth bass books.
> I have spent 4 or 5 hours on a rainy day watching youtube videos on how to use certain lures, fishing structure, habits, migrartion, equipment, Hell I even ran into several OGF member videos searching Youtube, Take what you are given from the guys on here and explore and make it your own. Obviously QuesticoMike fishes North GMR, SMBhooker fishes Stillwater, Oldstinkguy fishes south. Everyone on here fishes a different stretch or completely river no two fisherman on here fish the same. I fish a very small creek and have took their words and twisted into a thing of my own I have adapted their skills into a smaller area and have done fairly good. Now where near the fisherman they are now, But I am only beginning!


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## Britam05

Then I was catching every type of fish that swimmed in the river. 
Is swimmed a real word?


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## fallen513

When the going gets tough,





give up.


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## MassillonBuckeye

Ive been fishing all my life and I get skunked. I was raised on a farm pond where I'd catch 1 fish after another. I was a very spoiled fisherman. 
Half the fun for me anymore is the preparation and equipment. If I catch something, that's just a bonus. Its you against the elements. Fishing isn't supposed to be easy. If it were, there would be no fish left. To me it doesn't seem like you enjoy the outdoors.
You seem to focused on catching fish and are missing out on the real reason why many of us go out.. For me its about the beauty of nature. Being part of that. Getting out from withing the usual drab drywalled structures we call houses and being out in it. The Wild. The Wilderness. Listening to nature. Hearing calls. Hearing the wind whip. Hearing and watching the water run and the waves beat the shore. Watching the birds fly, dive, play, scout. The colors in the trees alone around this time is enough to make me want to go out... You are out there getting in tune with mans history. We are hunter/gatherers. Its the primitiveness of it all to me. Being in command of my surroundings. Its me and nature. The way we started out. If none of that stuff matters to you, I'd say you are never going to be happy with "fishing". Its more a love for the outdoors than a love for catching fish. If you don't have that, I don't see this working out for you.

Its been mentioned in posts before me as well. It's the beauty of it all. Being part of it. Conquering nature in a way. Making nature work for you. Shes not always willing, but always beautiful in her ways. Damn, why do I have to be at work right now  Its a love for the outdoors. Its either you have it, or you don't.

And yeah, if you choose to continue, keep it simple. Jigs aren't expensive. I've caught more fish on a yellow fuzzy grub than any other lure in my life. Were talking hundreds of fish.


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## co-angler

Elin,
I fished very seriously when I was a younger man. I got a good job in construction, married, had a child and knuckled down with my carreer. I gave up everything that was not related to work or family. No softball, golf, bowling, fishing leagues....nothing. I wouldn't even subject myself to something that might injure me enough to take me away from the precious jobsite. 
I got laid off when the economy started to lag, you know, as a thank you for my sacrifices. 
Then my father died.
I opened my eyes to what's important on this little world with the short ride. I took up fishing again. If there was water, I fished it. I first started with creeks. I was catching small bass with the occassional 12 incher (that was huge!) I would fish on camping trips and canoe outings. I would throw crankbaits and in line spinners and would catch some, but I would get skunked alot! Like you, it ruined my outings.
I was telling (my now bass tourney) partner that I was getting skunked alot and he asked if I had tried plastics, which I had not. 
I bought some Zoom junebug centipede worms, and per his direction learned how they feel under normal conditions. I did, felt something different in the first 5 casts at a favorite spot, and set the hook on a 14" smallie. I was floored!
After that, I got on his bass boat and learned about largemouth fishing. I learned from him.
I fished with his brother on the Ohio River and learned about spotty's and smallies in tributaries.
I fished with guys in canoes and learned about buzzbaits, tubes and spinnerbaits.
I left the small creeks ( mostly because I got run off of private property).
I began talking to people on the Whitewater river. Asked permission to park and access river. Sometimes that went well, other times not so much. I learned to smile and be friendly. It doesn't hurt to not be a young guy doing this. Older folks respond to guys my age more openly. I am 46.

My father died in 2006. This year has been my best year on the WWR,GMR and LMR. This year I implemented the tube bait more than last year and the results speak for themselves.

No matter what I have done, I have not matched the results of some of the guys you see on here posting those quality posts of big smallmouth bass, you know, the ones that make you sick with envy. But guess what, I have new techniques because of their helpful posts. 
I guess what I'm saying E is, it took me 7 years to get to where I am at complete peace on the water. It is my drug of choice. If I catch fish, yeah me! but if not, I got to see a bald eagle, a beaver, a coyote, an osprey, turkey's, deer, bikini's ,fall foliage or i got to experience the peace and quiet that is the river.
These are the things that are important when it's all boiled down.
This is what keeps us sane. This is living.
I pitty the guy I used to be. He worked too hard for another man that lived THE life.
Work is important I know, but so is living.
Go out there and live and enjoy it.
Some of God's greatest cathedrals are out of doors, go out and discover them.
Good Luck out there.


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## MassillonBuckeye

I would also recommend to think about how far you've come and the differences between now and your post almost exactly a year ago about almost the exact same thing. Has there been progress? You received a lot of similarly good advice there also. How much of that advice(and other advice you've gotten on other threads) made a difference do you think?

http://www.ohiogamefishing.com/community/showthread.php?t=186272


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## kingofamberley

I still remember the first fish I ever caught on an artificial lure... It was a largemouth on a spinnerbait, off of my friend's dad's boat. Until that point I shunned artificials because they weren't alive. From there it's been one big journey of learning and discovery. This is an area where you will never be done learning, that is what makes it fun. And E Lin, those big ol buffalo fish you keep finding with crankbaits, that doesn't boost your confidence at all? It was many many years before I ever caught a fish of that size.


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## E_Lin

I think some people are not understanding where I am coming from. Probably my fault, as I am not that good at expressing myself. I am not upset about getting skunked, because that is going to happen to anyone and I can accept that. What is bothering me is the not knowing. I am seeing lots of responses where people are mentioning the time spent out with family and friends and all they had learned in doing that. And that is where I am finding my frustrations.

I don't intend to give up on fishing, but I am not that good at explaining where I am at. I apologize for being socially inept.


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## co-angler

Forget the word "skunked" and read what the messages are in the posts. You already know it takes a long time to "get it".
Accept this and learn to be patient.
You may have trouble expressing yourself but you don't seem to have trouble learning.
I have learned from this thread in and of itself...so can you. There are near 60 replies to your post. 
Don't give up this year. Things are about to get interesting but it won't be long now until fishing gets really hard.
Research over the winter. Do like I do, pick a member on here, click on their page and read all of their posts. Take notes and keep a notebook. You can track their progress by the dates they post which will tell you where and what to fish.
I want to see you succeed as much as every other good guy on this site.


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## Roscoe

Take Mark's offer once again and learn what he says.You won't get a better offer or fisherman to learn from.You know,fishing can be a family outing and fun to boot.Also,you gotta get off of the downer thing and bring some confidence.Good Luck



Roscoe


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## ARReflections

E_Lin said:


> I think some people are not understanding where I am coming from. Probably my fault, as I am not that good at expressing myself. I am not upset about getting skunked, because that is going to happen to anyone and I can accept that. What is bothering me is the not knowing. I am seeing lots of responses where people are mentioning the time spent out with family and friends and all they had learned in doing that. And that is where I am finding my frustrations.
> 
> I don't intend to give up on fishing, but I am not that good at explaining where I am at. I apologize for being socially inept.


If I am reading your post correctly, I see two issues.

1) not knowing, I think the previous post have provided good pointers. And as mentioned, sometimes no matter what you do, the bite just isn't happening.

2) if you know where you are going to be fishing, just post time, day, area and I am sure ppl will let you know if they are in area to fish together.


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## Britam05

I also am picking up on the fact you fish alone much of the time. And feel if you was fishing with someone else it would be easier. I for one have picked up on here a fascinating fact. 90% of the time guys fish alone and the 10% of the time when fishing with someone else it is more for competition. Join a league and you will learn from a group while on the water. I joined NAPRA and found it to be a great benefit. I first followed someone and mimicked their reeling speeds with the lures being used. But the last time out I went on my own and finished 3rd. Why because I did what I felt comfortable doing and went at my pace


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## Salmonid

For Elin, today we fished St Marys for Catfish, spent the first 3 hrs with hardly any decent sized fish and not very many fish, the bite was very soft with us missing or hooking and then loosing many of the hits we did have, would have been really easy to just chalk it up as a bad day, fish were not biting etc. but we kept at it knowing the better fish had to be somewhere so we kept moving until we found them and when we did, we went to a similar place and sure enough, they were there too,a pattern was found and by the time we worked both places over good, it was time to leave, but just to show you, as all tournament fisherman know, and that is fish are ALWAYS eating somewhere, you just gotta find out where and give em what they want. Just another good lesson I was reminded of today. That and they were nowhere near where we thought they would be...we actually found them in a place we just thought we would try since they were nowhere else to be found...go figure LOL

Salmonid


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## IGbullshark

dont sweat it man. you're in very good company when it comes to not catching fish because i know that i myself am in fact excellent company! seriously though, i haven't posted in a while because i have had no time to fish but if you followed my most recent posts you would know that i'm sitting on a skunk streak of 5 trips. it bothers me, but it dosent bother me. i really hope you find the answer to your issue man. sometimes, people just know where to go to get the fish.


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## glasseyes

If there is a desire you will succeed, I'm not sure why I started fishing but at a very young age 6-8 yrs. old I can remember going to local park and find old fishing line with a hook on it and tie a stick on for bobber and dig up a worm to catch sunfish along a bank. It consumed my thoughts as a young boy and I never got over that feeling as an adult. I consider myself an average fisherman , I make all my jigs and leadheads and have a rod and reel for just about every kind of fish I go after . I can understand your problem in a way in that I do have other hobbies I don't excel at as easy as fishing comes to me and that does bother me . Only advice I can give there is maybe you are trying to hard, sometimes we get in the way of something we want so bad that we mess it up by trying to hard. Have patience. As far as the knowledge goes, just keep going fishing and try to pay close attention to everything going on around you, the weather,time of day, the body of water you fish, watch others there, go places there are other fisherman and talk to them. I'm still learning and thats one thing I enjoy about the sport, and meeting new people. Good luck.


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## E_Lin

I did a lot of thinking while at work last night. Thinking about things I have said and what I thought I meant. Things that many people have said to me this time as well as many others. Since I work by myself in my own area in a noisy factory environment, I often have a lot of time for thinking and reflection. What occured to me is that there is currently a lot of stuff just not going right in my life right now. But this is a fishing forum, so everything else that is bottled up inside me comes out focused on the troubles of me learning how to fish, which is really not as big an issue compared with other things that are keeping me from enjoying life.

Therefore, I have decided to take some time off from this forum. I have a lot of things in my life to get back in order, not to mention health issues that are recently becoming more problematic. This thread, as brought up before, is indeed ridiculous. Being a better fisherman is nowhere near as important to me as having the respect of other fishermen on this OGF website. And respect is something I will never get if I continue to make posts like this where I whine and bitch about things that really aren't that important. I know there are a lot of good folks here on this site, but if I keep popping up and reading posts I will be too tempted to add my own comments, and I don't trust myself right now with that.

If in time I can get my stuff in order I will return in the next year or so when I can have an adult conversation about fishing. As it is right now, I have too many other things distracting me from enjoying things like fishing, and I need to deal with them. In the meantime, I promise to get out when I can and continue to work my way from the bottom up. Hopefully I can get things in order and come back with a better attitude. Thank you to all the OGF members who have given me help and tips in the past year plus.


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## TPfisher

Believe me, i also have bad days even though I am pretty good at fishing 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## TPfisher

You also need to remember that summer is hard times for many species 

Outdoor Hub mobile, the outdoor information engine


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## Dandrews

I really hope that everything is ok and that things settle down for you. It seemed to me that there was more to this than fishing. You might be working too hard to find a distraction from your stressors. 
From where you started the season to where you are now is a big differenceand your family is into it too.


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## ARReflections

E Lin, 

First, I hope everything will get sorted out and will be praying for you and your family, whatever it may be going on in your life.

Second, I think this community of fishers do care as evidenced by the number of responses to this thread. As I and others have mentioned in this and other threads, whenever you want to go fishing and blow off steam or whatever, just post when you want to go, time and location.

Although I enjoy the whole aspect of fishing and sometimes the solitude, I believe the existence of the online fishing community and fishing with others (including the bragging) is all part of going through life together with the great days and the skunk days (Not just talking about fishing). And that IMHO is the important part of fishing. The relationships.

So that being said, I think I will boldly step out and speak for others as well in saying that you are always welcome and don't be a stranger. PM if you need.

Blessings,
Eric


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## kingofamberley

Godspeed E_Lin, though I think you'll find after a winter of being cooped up inside, you won't be able to wait to go fishing again.


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## Intimidator

E_Lin said:


> I did a lot of thinking while at work last night. Thinking about things I have said and what I thought I meant. Things that many people have said to me this time as well as many others. Since I work by myself in my own area in a noisy factory environment, I often have a lot of time for thinking and reflection. What occured to me is that there is currently a lot of stuff just not going right in my life right now. But this is a fishing forum, so everything else that is bottled up inside me comes out focused on the troubles of me learning how to fish, which is really not as big an issue compared with other things that are keeping me from enjoying life.
> 
> Therefore, I have decided to take some time off from this forum. I have a lot of things in my life to get back in order, not to mention health issues that are recently becoming more problematic. This thread, as brought up before, is indeed ridiculous. Being a better fisherman is nowhere near as important to me as having the respect of other fishermen on this OGF website. And respect is something I will never get if I continue to make posts like this where I whine and bitch about things that really aren't that important. I know there are a lot of good folks here on this site, but if I keep popping up and reading posts I will be too tempted to add my own comments, and I don't trust myself right now with that.
> 
> If in time I can get my stuff in order I will return in the next year or so when I can have an adult conversation about fishing. As it is right now, I have too many other things distracting me from enjoying things like fishing, and I need to deal with them. In the meantime, I promise to get out when I can and continue to work my way from the bottom up. Hopefully I can get things in order and come back with a better attitude. Thank you to all the OGF members who have given me help and tips in the past year plus.



If this helps...My Son and I are going through a BAD divorce, this has been going on since Valentines Day when I received my "Dear John" letter. I have been put through Hell and Back and my poor 10 y/o son has had it even worse! 
I have full custody and am being paid Child support but now she insists that he has to go before the Judge and "Pick" another time! He has already had his Guardian Ad Litem do this for him, that wasn't good enough and now he has to do it again!
THE ONE THING...THAT HAS HELPED MY SON AND I TO GET THROUGH THIS...is fishing (even if we don't catch anything, and figuring out what we did wrong or why), walking around the lake (looking for new areas), fishing with OGF friends and talking with friends and people met on OGF who are SUPPORTIVE! 
We don't care if you are the best or worst fisherman out there...but if you need help, you can't get it on this board, and that goes for fishing AND LIFE!
Good Luck and GOOD FISHING!


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## yonderfishin

E_Lin said:


> I have a confession to make. Some of you may have already suspected this, but let me confirm for you that in reality I am not that good of a fisherman.  I have tried teaching myself to fish with lures in rivers for the past year, with varied but nonetheless minimal success. There was one decent week in August, where I can say I actually caught about a dozen fish. That was in a week's worth of fishing, almost every day. And that is the best I have done. Seems kind of pathetic when I look at other threads and see guys going out and catching over 100 fish because apparently they felt like it. I'm not jealous of them - I really am not. It is a good thing to be proud of what you can do when you can do it well, and be able to share it with others who can appreciate it.
> 
> Unfortunately, I am never able to escape the veiwpoint that maybe fishing is not my thing. Yesterday, I spent several hours driving up and down roads I didn't know, and hiking in the woods along 4 Mile Creek only to conclude that I can find no place that I can fish there. Eventually I was able to make my way back closer to home and fished for an hour at a spot where I was familiar with. I caught two dink white bass and a smallie fingerling that clearly had ideas above his station biting a lure that was over half his size. All it cost me was over $10 in gas and $10 in lures lost. About an average day for me, in other words.
> 
> I'm going to lay it all on the line right here, right now. I'm not going to give an ultimatum, nor am I going to to threaten to never return to OGF if no one helps me. We all know that won't happen. As far as I am from being a "good" fisherman right now, I would never have had the success I have had this year without the help and tips I have learned from the people on these forums. However, I know myself and the learning curve I face. It is going to several more years before I can reach a point where I might catch more than 8 to 10 fish in a day and not be shocked. As it is now when I do go out I do it not expecting to catch anything at all, making it a nice surprise when I do. Fishing for me is still a stress producer more than a stress reliever. The saying that a "Bad day fishing is better than a good day working" makes no sense to me. It honestly doesn't. I swear to God.
> 
> So here is my request of any fellow OGF members who might be willing to help. I have looked at the possibility of hiring guides, but that is too expensive for me. What I really need is a fishing mentor. Someone who can show me how to find spots to fish at, and why those spots might be productive. Someone who can show me how to fish with different types of lures, and how to execute different types of presentations for them. Of course I am willing to talk about compensation. A person is expected to pay a tutor or trainer, and this would be no different. I'm not talking about a lot of money, but certainly more than the cost of gas. There wouldn't be a lot of time involvement either, since work schedules and seasonal weather will certainly be a factor. But if you have free time, and are willing to give an ignorant novice some helpful lessons, it could make the difference for me and my family in being able to find more enjoyment in the activity of fishing.




There is a reason they call it fishing and not catching. Everything depends on what your goal is. For many of us fishing is a kind of therapy , a chance to get out by the water and relax a little in nature and do some quality thinking. Its always made so much better when you are actually catching fish but when you enjoy being at the waters edge its not always necessary to catch any , as long as you spent time enjoying the outdoors. Its tempting to see all the posts on this website from those catching nice numbers as "normal" for them but in reality they have many days spent not catching any too. You should also consider that probably the majority of us on here have been fishing all or most of our lives , or atleast quite a few years. Developing a sense for things and a workable knowledge of when and where takes a lot of time and experience. Fishing might not be your thing , but I suspect you wouldnt have put so much effort into trying it if it didnt appeal to you. The only advice I could give you if you decided to stick with it is learn to enjoy the process , any fish caught is just a bonus. Years down the road you could be the one teaching others and offering help.


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