Luck or Skill?

[MK49]

To me, catching a big bass could be luck, but catching numbers of bass is skill. What do you think?

I taught my ex co-worker how to bass fish. We fished together every Saturday for about 4 years, 150+ times. He never caught more bass than I did, not a single day.

Then, this is another story that I posted in the past.

"I was in Mexico. In one morning, my friend was fishing with one of his son's friends. My friend was very frustrated, because his son's friend wasn't a real fisherman, and he kept getting backlashes, after casting right in front of my friend, crossing his line, .... We happened to be around the same area. I was fishing the shallow flat with a Megabass Giant DogX, and catching 5 ~ 10lbs left and right. Then, my friend's son's friend asked me to show him how to walk the dog. We were close enough, so I casted right in front of their boat a few times, and showed him how I walk the dog.

After the morning fishing, we all came back for lunch around 11AM. The guy who was fishing with my friend said "Thank you" to me. I said "for what?" He said "for showing me how to walk the dog. I caught an 11 pounder with a Sammy." I couldn't believe it, so I looked at my friend, and he just said "Yes, he did." My friend was really pissed off. A little later, when the guy wasn't around, I asked my friend "was he really walking the dog?" He said "not really." Then, he showed me the picture of the 11 pounder. It was just the digital scale that showed 11.xlbs and the mouth of the fish. I said "show me the fish." He said "that's the only picture they took." I asked him "did you do it on purpose, because you were pissed?" He said "yeah." That was funny. Yeah, that's pretty much the definition of beginner's luck. That guy caught an 11 pounder. I've been bass fishing for 40 years, and I caught only one fish over11lbs. "

[dragon1]

Lol...good'un, love reading this anecdote.

[toddmc]

The fish don't know who is casting to them, or even that they are being messed with a lot of times. Like you proved, your skill over a beginning angler is going to make you much more likely to put the bait in the right places and catch more fish, but any cast might catch a monster.
What really pisses us off as an advanced angler is when a person that has no idea what they are doing catches a monster out of the back of your boat! Especially during a non-shared weight tournament. I did this a lot to the grizzly old men in my bass club when I was a teenager, and it ruffled a few feathers. They eventually realized that I fished a lot more than most teenagers. You aren't going to catch more fish over 11 pounds if you are online talking about it. Go fishing. I'm going tonight after work!

[Sore Thumb]

Cant remember who said it, a pro golfer i think, but the harder i practice, the luckier I get.
Seems to hold true in most things.

[godshippy]

There are a lot of tournaments held out of the CA Delta with quite a number of father/son pairs that show up.

It never fails...the 6-8 year old kid with a spinning rod and a Senko always brings back a 10 pounder.

Never. Fails.

[slipperybob]

Awesome narrative.

I attribute myself to mostly luck and barely skills.

Skill is like, not cross casting over others in public spots. Skill is also like knowing how to work artificial lures over that of just plain reeling it back. Especially in certain scenarios of working a plain spoon lure.

Then there is reading water seems and currents. Reading shoreline structures and transition of possible underwater structure flow. Lucky if there's a fish there and catching it on the first cast.

So of course equipment too. Cuz some knowing the performance merits of certain pieces of equipment is essential to not backlash on casting gear or even birdnest on spinning gear.

[uljersey]

Fishing is the great equalizer, virtually anyone could potentially catch anything at any time.

You can’t “jump the line” by any means, the best you can do in that respect is to increase your odds by getting off of the bank and into a vessel which gives you access to more water and even that is no guarantee. The kid on the bank with the Batman pole is still in the game, as is the the guy with line wrapped around a beer can soaking a night crawler trying to feed himself.

Anything beyond that is gingerbread - the boats, tackle, sunglasses, etc. All of that only enhances, and in some cases can even cloud or dilute, the overall experience. Most of us have settled somewhere in the middle of it all and have found our zen spot.

Tight lines

[dragon1]

Fishing is the great equalizer, virtually anyone could potentially catch anything at any time.

You can’t “jump the line” by any means, the best you can do in that respect is to increase your odds by getting off of the bank and into a vessel which gives you access to more water and even that is no guarantee. The kid on the bank with the Batman pole is still in the game, as is the the guy with line wrapped around a beer can soaking a night crawler trying to feed himself.

Anything beyond that is gingerbread - the boats, tackle, sunglasses, etc. All of that only enhances, and in some cases can even cloud or dilute, the overall experience. Most of us have settled somewhere in the middle of it all and have found our zen spot.

Tight lines

SALUTE!

[Hogsticker2]

Absolutely both. Look at how many State bass records are held by kids, novice or weekend anglers. Someone or yourself can put you on the fish, doesn't mean you're going to have a great day or catch the biggest bass in the area. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. My point being, luck can definitely play a role, so it's not one or the other. There's just too many variables.

[dhottle]

My lifetime fishing buddy always said " I would rather be lucky than good ".

[MK49]

Absolutely both. Look at how many State bass records are held by kids, novice or weekend anglers. Someone or yourself can put you on the fish, doesn't mean you're going to have a great day or catch the biggest bass in the area. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. My point being, luck can definitely play a role, so it's not one or the other. There's just too many variables.

I hear you. I caught a 12 pounder, when I was 20. Now, I'm over 50, and have caught some more 10 pounders, but not another 12 pounder or bigger. BTW, that 12 pounder was an unofficial lake record. A few years later, the new "official" lake record was 14lbs.

Did you read about how the world record largemouth was caught? It wasn't an accident by a kid or a novice. The guy was going for a big fish. Some sort of luck for sure, but I was happy to hear that wasn't 100% luck. BTW, the world record holder said he'd seen a bigger bass in Lake Biwa. Kind of scary.

[dragon1]

Absolutely both. Look at how many State bass records are held by kids, novice or weekend anglers. Someone or yourself can put you on the fish, doesn't mean you're going to have a great day or catch the biggest bass in the area. That's why they call it fishing and not catching. My point being, luck can definitely play a role, so it's not one or the other. There's just too many variables.

I hear you. I caught a 12 pounder, when I was 20. Now, I'm over 50, and have caught some more 10 pounders, but not another 12 pounder or bigger. BTW, that 12 pounder was an unofficial lake record. A few years later, the new "official" lake record was 14lbs.

Did you read about how the world record largemouth was caught? It wasn't an accident by a kid or a novice. The guy was going for a big fish. Some sort of luck for sure, but I was happy to hear that wasn't 100% luck. BTW, the world record holder said he'd seen a bigger bass in Lake Biwa. Kind of scary.

The Conquistadors apparently weighted a Florida strained bass in the 25+ range...and remember that the "Dottie" fouled hooked CA bass was likely in the ~ 25lb range as well. Crazy that Manabu Kurita says he has seen bigger!