Getting "schooled".

[Jenn]

RM...for what its worth I am still laughing about the itchy butt story...but dont be offended if I dont shake your hand



ANYWAY......Last year while LMB fishing we couldnt catch to save our lives no matter what we did.....and we tried it all. So here is our frinds kid with a bobber and shiner set up....doesnt even cast it.....just drops it over the side of the boat (literally only 2-3 feet of line in the water) and is nailing Smallmouth bass left and right..from the same spot...and in the middle of summer...needless to say we adults were schooled that day!

here we were trying every technique in the book when all we needed to do was to throw the book aside....

[Joe]

I'm very happy to be schooled - so long as they did not get the fish of a lifetime that I frigged up - then I'm not too happy.
But overall, my best article ideas and product selections come from being schooled - being beaten is one of the best opportunities you'll come across.
With some people I intentionally try not to compete - usually when I know they are better. I just kind of lay back and watch everything they do.

[riverrat2]

Hey backbeach I heard you schooled someone at their favorite spot the other night. Nice fish. I have been schooled many a time. The canal this spring was a perfect example, standing next to tony and backbeach watching them pull decent fish, while I was sitting there looking like an idiot

[bloocrab]

I was fishing side by side with a good friend of mine once...we knew the fish were in this certain hole, we start fishing BANG!, he's ON, it's big - over 40#s...I drop the same exact offering in the same EXACT hole....bang? I'm on..........32" fish,,, His next cast,,, BANG!...he's ON, it's big..another fish over 40#s, again I cast in the exact same hole...bang? I'm on .......another 30 + INCH fish,,,, His next cast,,, BANG!...he's ON,, it's BIG...another fish pushin' 40 POUNDS!......yeah, I don't have to tell you the size of my next fish.
Did I feel schooled? NO,,, but I felt something...was I happy for him? ECSTATIC...did a small voice inside me ask....WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING DIFFRENT?WRONG???........of course,
I didn't feel schooled as we were fishing the same method and we did catch fish consistently....the bigger fish just liked him better that night.
But I hear ya, there's a small competitive monster in all of us, some admit it...some don't. ...and like you said Tlapinski, not in a bad way at all......just in a competitve way. Good Thread.

[JoeP]

I agree with alot of what has been said here and alot of it describes what goes through my head all of the time.

The competition "feeling" is always in me, I can't help it. I think it comes from an athletic background. It's not the type of competition that I get upset, especially when a friend is catching - its always just an anxious feeling of "why am I not catching also", which leads to a healthy competitive drive to do better. The same goes for when I'm driving or walking to a spot - I get a very anxious feeling of "I hope noone is where I want to fish" - and it doesn't go away until my feet are planted where I want to be. It's all part of the strong drive to fish...

I also agree with RIRockhound/Bryan that learning as much as possible & as often as possible is very important. I've learned from fishing with him & Piemma, from fishing with a couple other guys not on the Board, and from talking to others. Learn on the water and off the water. More of the competitive drive to do better.

I also agree with #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& that many times I am guilty of overthinking a situation and changing what I've done in the past & had success at - whether it be where to fish or how to fish. That too gives me a feeling in the pit of my stomach afterward that "I should have known better" - and again fuels the competitive drive. This is especially true now that my fishing time is more limited - when I blow a trip for some reason it really aggravates me.

The best part of all of this competitive philosophical stuff about fishing is that there is always the next trip out to erase what happened the last time.

Funny, many (non-fishermen) people I know think I just go out there & throw something into the water & fish - as simple as that. They have NO IDEA what goes through our minds...

[Krispy]

Originally Posted by JoeP

I agree with alot of what has been said here and alot of it describes what goes through my head all of the time.

The competition "feeling" is always in me, I can't help it. I think it comes from an athletic background. It's not the type of competition that I get upset, especially when a friend is catching - its always just an anxious feeling of "why am I not catching also", which leads to a healthy competitive drive to do better. The same goes for when I'm driving or walking to a spot - I get a very anxious feeling of "I hope noone is where I want to fish" - and it doesn't go away until my feet are planted where I want to be. It's all part of the strong drive to fish...

I also agree with RIRockhound/Bryan that learning as much as possible & as often as possible is very important. I've learned from fishing with him & Piemma, from fishing with a couple other guys not on the Board, and from talking to others. Learn on the water and off the water. More of the competitive drive to do better.

I also agree with #^&#^&#^&#^&#^&#^& that many times I am guilty of overthinking a situation and changing what I've done in the past & had success at - whether it be where to fish or how to fish. That too gives me a feeling in the pit of my stomach afterward that "I should have known better" - and again fuels the competitive drive. This is especially true now that my fishing time is more limited - when I blow a trip for some reason it really aggravates me.

The best part of all of this competitive philosophical stuff about fishing is that there is always the next trip out to erase what happened the last time.

Funny, many (non-fishermen) people I know think I just go out there & throw something into the water & fish - as simple as that. They have NO IDEA what goes through our minds...

I think JoeP summed up my feelings.
I enjoy how we fish and even more so, enjoy the guys I fish with.

[JoeP]

Originally Posted by Krispy

I enjoy how we fish and even more so, enjoy the guys I fish with.

I agree. I fish alone alot, which has its place sometimes - but its more enjoyable to fish with a couple of guys who you get along with well & who share your approach to fishing. That leads to the "team approach" discussed above by Adam & Jim... Great way to enjoy fishing & have more success.