following fish vs. spot hopping
 

Just wondering. How many of you guys determine where you will fish based on the attempt of following fish. For example you caught fish in a southern spot on monday, then a buddy got into them a little north after a certain wind on wed. and you try to determine where they will be next based on wind, bait, tide ect,

VS.

This spot produces for me every june 2-3 hours after the turn, or you have success at a certain spot at a full tide.

I myself do a little of both, but mostly will just hit spots that I routinely have success at at certain times. Curious how other attempt to put themselves on fish.

Since some spots are premium, leaving just to follow fish may be like "chasing a dream". You pick your primary spots due to their (somewhat) reliable production over XX many weeks/monthe/years, and unless you are willing to accept the consequences of leaving that spot in the pursuit of a fish, you may be equally dissapointed.

Me, unless I heaqd out with a "chase" in mind, I will not leave my spot until it's time to head home. That doesn't mean that I abandon the chase entirely, but I have to be in the mood for a "hunt" when I head out.

My approach may seem a bit moronic to some, but I determine in advance where I'll fish, when, and how long. Then I give it a go and usually stick to my time limit, which is usually 2-3 hours of total fishing combined with 2-3 hours of total driving. I seldom if ever change up from my game plan once I hit the water. You could call me an all or nothing fisherman....most of the time its nothing, but the "all" nights help soften the pain from the times I'm wrong.

Given my more limited time I simply try to cherry pick the best parts of the tides in places I've had some past success. I rarely try anything new anymore which is probably a mistake. I come up empty often but its no big deal as there's always next time.

Nowadays I'm less obsessed with having to report a successful outing...If I fish and don't catch anything I simply tell everyone I slept in...:hee:

Yup.
My fishing to a 'T' right now

yup, me too. certain spots, at certain times/tides. Sometimes I will go whenever, if I have the time or just feel the need to fish. Like in the middle of hot summer day just because I need the stress relief it brings. I could care less if I catch anything usually, its more about the getaway.

If I'm trying hard to catch fish very rarely do I ever chase and drive around unless I'm with my uncle and he's driving. That's his style but I'm not crazy about it.. I'd rather get a skunked then drive around all night. if the spot I'm at is unproductive I'll just walk around and fan cast... I typically fish only one sometimes two spots a night.

thats just me

I do both.

Mostly in the early spring and in fall do I "expect" the fish to be at a certain spot. This is not a truly difficult thing to do on the south shore of Long Island. For example if they are in Montauk in the fall, in a certain area, then give it a week and a half to two weeks and they are in Shinnecock Inlet and so on heading west on the Island. This method is pretty much set up for the migration in spring and fall. Of course if the bass head offshore then that is a deal breaker.

When the fish are residents for late spring/summer/early fall then that is when tides, time, conditions and wind will determine where I am fishing. Much more hit or miss.

Although, I have been fishing one spot exclusively since late May. One skunk and only 5 or 6 shorts in that time. All the rest have been 30" to well over 30 pounds with most in the low to mid 20's range. This is an anomaly at best and does not apply to the majority of spots I usually fish. All of this success is due to the extremely close proximity to very deep water (100 + feet), resident scup population and colder water from three bodies of water that are intersecting here.

I always go to my main haunt every day if nothing there I move on to the next and next and return to my main haunt on the tide change. I can go a minumum of 6 miles to the north, 6 to the southered and almost 3 out. There are a lot of humps within that range. I'm always targeting fish over 34 inches

My rule is if I don't catch at a spot for 1/2 to 3/4 of an hour I move
sometimes on foot others I drive depending when and where I fish

I may even head back to a spot later in a tide also

Am kind of a run and gunner, I fish the best tides with the best opportunity to catch fish. One place isnt producing on to the bext spot.

Seems the majority have there times and tides there places produce and hit them accordingly. Which is 85% of my game plan as well. Its nice when hit fish one night and have that educated guess on where they will be 3 days later and your right. Although for me their few and far between those nights seem to be the most rewarding.

I consult my Oracle.

i'll see what the conditions dictate and determine my starting point from there. i also predetermine what kind of night, hunker down or sniff 'em out, i'm going to fish based upon my available window, time of year, location, whether i'm going solo, and shared intell.

and then, i let the SPOT dictate my night to some extent. if it's nothing but cookie cutter feesh and nothing larger than 30#-35#, then i'm gone to the next one. the worst is when "everything" is in alignment and you are getting nuthin'~~ the dilemma of "should i stay or should i go" with a proven producer.

however, if i am hitting a spot for less than the hundreth time that can mess me up as well, due to the compiling of data aspect. usually i'll end up checking out "new" spots because it's some place that i've found, someplace that i've heard to be good, and my "known" spots aren't living up to their billing. sometimes it's good, most times it's bupkiss. guess that's what keeps HOPE alive, believing that MY fish of a lifetime is only the next spot away?

i STILL, 5 yrs in, love the CHASE!! when it pays off, it can be glorious; yet, even when i'm humbled by Monsieur LePew i am gathering log info and dialing in my choices for the next haunt. there is also the sunrise factor after a good skunking.

kinda God's way of saying, "Hang in there, Kid, it's not always about the Trophy. Here's a li'l sumthin' to keep you coming back, remember my Son and share my Spirit,,,,,,,,,,," Thanks be to Him, for each and every opportunity to revel in His splendor of Nature and to be Blessed by His graceful Provision.

A formulated strategy works better than a spontaneous one. Once you realize what works (and when/where/under what conditions) you realize that other spots of similar structure often share the same profile. Before you know it, you've got lots of spots that get very little pressure. Then you have a kid and it's difficult to go, and you realize the most precious commodity is time.

just to be sure I interpret this correctly, if your catching fish in the 20 to 35 lb range, you leave the spot to find larger fish?

I'm hoping he meant "'s not #'s.

Maybe It's me... but I'm not leaving a school of 30's (lbs)

im not leaving a steady pick of 15-20's.

Inches or pounds? :hee:

If you ever listend to one of BTG's seminars he makes mention of the largest fish in the school coming either at the beginning or end of the bite. I can say this scenario has panned out for me countless times and is also a good reason why one shoudn't leave fish, especially large 20# plus stuff, to find larger ones. :hs:

...your trophy could be passing by as you're throwing the rods up on your roof rack and peeling off your piss soaked wetsuit in search of greener pastures...many of my real big fish turned out to be either my first or last fish of the night...more often the last...

You should stay put, particularly if you're shore fishing from a single, fixed location like a distant rock or prominent point.

Anyone who is leaving a steady pick of even 20# fish from the shore is certainly a much better fisherman than I............that's what I call a nice night in the suds.

I don't fish anymore so I can't comment on this thread....

Thats why I started this thread. Since I dont get out anymore I might as well discuss fishing while at work.

Jess, your honestly telling me that if you got your spot hit (4) 30# plus in 6 casts you would turn around and leave?????????????

BD,
you are full of %$%$%$%$ it is coming out your ears.

not one person on this board would honestly leave in that scenario. odds are if there are 35-45's around a larger fish is in the same pod.

Dont diss the Dawg, he's dropped more 50's and 60's than you will ever lose! Nevermind his PB is a low 30s fish. :love:

I have (30#) And it was worth it for "The One"
Those dang pesky 30# and 40# fish just get in the way and beat the Mega cows to your eel...........But then again, I have weeded thru 25 to 30 INCH fish for hours on end to BAM, Supa Cow (40#+) it up..........
But I rarely leave fish to find fish. That mentality is for the same kind of people that would pick up a pile of money off the ground and just throw it in a trash barrel cause it is litter........:smash:

:rotf2:
I didn't know what the Dawg meant in his original post. There is usually too much stuff to read so I skip over most of it. Besides, I can only understand about 20% of what he types anyways.

Anyone who says they leave pods of 30# plus fish is either an idiot or a liar. If I'm into decent fish, I'll stick around until the bite ends. Then, I'll move somewhere else if I don't go home. I fish to have fun, not to be an internet sharpie.

You, BB and TO may be the exception. :D

I'm certainly not the exception, and Redlite is completely full of %$%$%$%$. He wouldn't leave a school of dogfish if they were biting good, much less bass, irregardless of size.

Not sure about TO though as he's a canal biker and can move around quickly in his assless chaps.

Be a hope-er, not a hopper.

I hate bass fishin. I really am a dog fish slayer at heart. That's what I am really lookin for. Damn supa cows just always gettin the way.......I saw your face the first time you slammed one. I saw the big smile. Nothin like hookin a 4 ft smooth dog fish IN THE SIDE in 3 feet of water to test your gear and crush your dreams when u see them eyes.
Sorry.....gettin off topic.

Thanx for the Visual....remind me to send you the Psychiatrist's Bill