Thread: Scouting trip . Does size matter ?

I’m going to be doing a YouTube video sometime in the future on this very subject. I think all of us want to catch large fish….but it just doesn’t happen like that. I follow several YouTube channels and many of them use gear way too big. They may be after fish in the 5 pound range but 98 percent of their catch is much much smaller. They could have had a ton of fun with UL gear…..and the overwhelming majority of the fish they caught could have been handled by UL gear. This is the reason I have the UL…SUL….XUL…and XXUL rods. I can get satisfaction sitting on a bucket just feeling a 5 inch bluegill thump my JDM rods. Made a trip to Dale Hollow with my nephew a few years back to chase Smallies in the 18-21 inch range. Both of us were fishing JDM UL rods. But funny thing happened. I found some 7 inch shell cracker stacked up and I was catching one every cast. I told him we aren’t going anywhere. Of course he didn’t like that…he is obsessed with big fish. I eventually moved on after another 1.5 hours and we did get into a lot of very good Smallies. But he was pretty much miserable when we were catching the shell cracker. Many will get bummed out if they don’t get into big fish. I would certainly like to catch 9 inch bluegill every time out but the 5 inch ones have saved my fishing day many a time.

Regards


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I will play around and catch those little ones and have a blast. Got to ha e good reflexes to catch those little ones. I can be a challenge at times. Keeps a fella on his game

Originally Posted by Alphahawk

I’m going to be doing a YouTube video sometime in the future on this very subject. I think all of us want to catch large fish….but it just doesn’t happen like that. I follow several YouTube channels and many of them use gear way too big. They may be after fish in the 5 pound range but 98 percent of their catch is much much smaller. They could have had a ton of fun with UL gear…..and the overwhelming majority of the fish they caught could have been handled by UL gear. This is the reason I have the UL…SUL….XUL…and XXUL rods. I can get satisfaction sitting on a bucket just feeling a 5 inch bluegill thump my JDM rods. Made a trip to Dale Hollow with my nephew a few years back to chase Smallies in the 18-21 inch range. Both of us were fishing JDM UL rods. But funny thing happened. I found some 7 inch shell cracker stacked up and I was catching one every cast. I told him we aren’t going anywhere. Of course he didn’t like that…he is obsessed with big fish. I eventually moved on after another 1.5 hours and we did get into a lot of very good Smallies. But he was pretty much miserable when we were catching the shell cracker. Many will get bummed out if they don’t get into big fish. I would certainly like to catch 9 inch bluegill every time out but the 5 inch ones have saved my fishing day many a time.

Regards


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Randy , luckily , I have a fishing buddy who feels the same way I do .
I’ll be watching for your video.
He’s a 4# UL guy , I’m trying to convince him he can get by with 2# , especially the SOS 2# , which is actually around 3-3.5# test .

I would have stayed on those shellcracker. That size cracker are a lot of fun on ultralight.

Catching is better than not catching, no matter the size!


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Never know if ya don’t go. Glad you got out. Mid 90’s here is brutal!work is definitely a four letter word.

I think it makes for a fun day no matter the size.

I get bored quickly - a character flaw, maybe? I will cruise over an entire lake spending 5-10 minutes in each spot, and spend all day looking for big fish until I get tired and go home. That's just the way I am, the exception being if I am fishing with kids - I'll sit and let 'em catch the little ones all day.

Good report and a nice thread followed.
Bob