# Quality vs. Quantity



## zspook (Apr 4, 2006)

Here's my question for you folks that love to fish:

You have an 8 hour fishing day coming up. Would you rather catch 50 average size fish or 3 trophy size fish?

I realize that for some quantity is quality fishing, while for others, size matters more than sheer numbers.

I find that there are days when I want to target larger fish, while on most days, I want as much action as possible. Anyone else feel this way?


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## jsalkas (Feb 18, 2005)

Sometimes it's enough to get a few average fish, as long as the scenery is nice and you have the water all to yourself.

I tell my wife that if I go fishing and I'm running late, the fishing is usually bad (I get stubborn sometimes). If I'm catching a lot of fish, I quit while I'm ahead. Of course, if the fishing is good, I usually light up a cigar as well, so it's a lose/lose situation for her.


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

I am mostly a quantity kind of guy. I like white bass, crappie, bluegill etc. because they are usually fast and furious when they are on. I also mostly fish ultra light tackle, so even the decent sized fish FEEL like a trophy  Of course it is always nice to have a few quality fish mixed in like catching the occasional hybrid stiper while white bass fishing 

I guess if I had to choose one, I would definitely choose quantity. Just being fishing is fun, but I think you would get skunked more often if you targeted trophy fish. I usually down size the lures, stick with the ultra light and catch lots of decent fish.


CW


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## flypilot33 (Feb 9, 2006)

If I knew I stood a good chance of catching 3 nice size fish I would choose that over a lot of small fish. I can go to a pond and catch a ton of decent fish anytime I want to so I would jump on the chance to catch some big ones.


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## zspook (Apr 4, 2006)

You do make a very good point Flypilot33.

I'm sure most of us have those places that can always give us a lot of action.


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## zachtrouter (May 1, 2006)

I think i would rather have 3 trophy size fish in a day than 50 gills or crappie. I think like Zspook said "I'm sure most of us have those places that can always give us a lot of action". The 50 keeper gills or crappies is a great day. dont get me wrong but give me three 4lb largemouths anyday.


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## tmccunn (Mar 21, 2006)

if im in a river fly fishing I could go the entire day and catch only one decent fish and be just happy to be out there. Fly fishing is like mediation to me. If im out on the lake bass fishing ied rather have quanity over quality, unless I hit a big one off the bat than I can sit there all day looking for another big one.


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## CThompson (Apr 20, 2005)

I always go for quantity. I get that rush bringing in any size fish. Yes it would be great to pull in a trophy size.
Chris


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## zspook (Apr 4, 2006)

When I'm going for quantity, any large fish is a bonus. But how do you folks feel when you are targeting trophy size fish, and the runts keep getting in the way?

For example, have you ever spotted a large fish, set up your approach and presentation, only to have a smaller fish ruin your opportunity? THAT can be frustrating!!


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## tmccunn (Mar 21, 2006)

one day this spring when I was out steelheading I was in a hole that had a bunch of smallers ones in it(12-16 inches) and after a while I started to target those ones. All day I was catching average sized ones(23-27 inches) which were all beat up. I have never cought a small one like theses I was seeing. When I finally got one it ended up putting up a descent fight. I was a real beautiful fish also, colors that it. Ill try and get a picture of it one here.


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## creekwalker (May 23, 2004)

zspook said:


> ...have you ever spotted a large fish, set up your approach and presentation, only to have a smaller fish ruin your opportunity? THAT can be frustrating!!


Zspook,
Sometimes that is a bummer, but in my experience it doesn't necessarily ruin the opportunity. Often times once smaller fish start hitting the bait the large fish will also get excited and hit too. I just throw right back in and around the same spot and often get the bigger fish.

I have a "honey hole" that provides me the opportunity to stand on a bluff and look down on the fish and I can see how the fish are reacting to different baits. The large ones will lay back and watch the runts peck around on the bait. I often use a weedless rig, so I just don't set the hook on the small ones and often times the big ones will move in after the runts are unsuccessful. This probably isn't too helpful if you can't see which fish is on your lure, but it does help to see how the fish react to other fish trying to feed.


CW


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## DavidT (Feb 3, 2006)

Interesting question. I have nothin' against catchin' trophies, but my idea of a great day is lots of action. That's why St. Croix makes a 3 wt.!


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## steelheader007 (Apr 8, 2004)

...Well as a kid I used to drown worms, after soaking the lawn the previous night and catching whatever! I remember the chills that ran up and down my spine from catching anything. I used to listen to my great grandfather talk about targeting muskies, and pike in the late 1970's with a fly rod. I remembered the first time I hooked his hat with the fly rod he made me, and I remember the look on his face! He would remark this is why we fish. If I catch nothing o well "like last weekend". If the king Salmon is 41".. and the next fish is 4" its all the same to me. Sorry so deep here but I'm sure we all get the picture!


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## zspook (Apr 4, 2006)

steelheader007
Thanks for the reply - it reminded me of how my parents used to go fishing two or three times a week at the Small Boat Harbor in Buffalo. We would catch Bass, Parch, Bluegills, and Mom and Dad would catch an occasional Northern Pike. They would fish with nightcrawlers, and eventually I would get bored, so one evening, Dad ties on an old Flatfis, orange with black spots, and told me to go catch a fish. The action of the lure fascinated me. I think I was about 10 years old at the time. After about fifteen minutes, the water exploded about five feet in front of me, and I was hooked to a 16" catfish! When I say that I was hooked, I mean hooked...and fishing has been my drug of choice ever since.

I have made the journey so many of us have made from bait to lures to flies. Fishing is the greatest, and flyfishing is the best!!


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