Northwest Fishing Reports

What makes catching fish Using lures and flies more fulfilling than using powerbait. I know some fisherman that fly fish and they think other fisherman are under them. Both sides have their arguments. I personally think fly fishing is harder and more challenging especially if you tie your own flies. But bait fishing I find is more relaxing. This is not meant to bring people down. I am just wondering what it is about fishing a certain way that makes fishing feel rewarding.

For me it is pretty much an A.D.D.-like thing. I need to be actively doing something (casting, retrieving, adjusting, moving) and I LOVE the feel of the bite. When I do do the Powerbait thing, it always seems like when I finally do get a bite, I have wondered off looking for frogs or something and missed it (or am running back to catch my rod as it is being pulling into the drink.

tyler_niles_15 wrote:What makes catching fish Using lures and flies more fulfilling than using powerbait. I know some fisherman that fly fish and they think other fisherman are under them. Both sides have their arguments. I personally think fly fishing is harder and more challenging especially if you tie your own flies. But bait fishing I find is more relaxing. This is not meant to bring people down. I am just wondering what it is about fishing a certain way that makes fishing feel rewarding.

Fish how YOU like to, within the regs, and don't worry about what other people think. If someone looks down on you because you like to bait fish where legal to do so, it's THEIR problem, not yours. Some prefer the challenge and precision of fly fishing or working lures. If you enjoy the solitude and relaxation of bait fishing, more power to you!

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Fish how YOU like to, within the regs, and don't worry about what other people think. If someone looks down on you because you like to bait fish where legal to do so, it's THEIR problem, not yours. Some prefer the challenge and precision of fly fishing or working lures. If you enjoy the solitude and relaxation of bait fishing, more power to you! [/quote]

Its not that i was just asking what make fishing however you fish enjoyable.

If I get what you want to know is what we like about a type of fishing. For me it is the deal of so many fish and ways to fish and so little time.
I could use a worm and bobber from shore just waiting for that little dance of the bobber.
I could throw lures at cover and look for the subtle strike or the explosion of a bass. For me I would have a hard time with the 1000 casts and no strike at all.
I could troll with a flies or lures flat line rod in hand waiting for that pull against my hand.
I could use down riggers and rod holders looking for that bouncing rod.
Something I haven't done much is fly fishing but there seems to be a lot of aspects to take from it.
All of it involves the the fight, the fish taking line, get it to the boat and it runs, try and net, the relief of the fish in the boat or the release.

So many ways what do I do?

Same discussions is found in the hunting forums. Why do some consider using a recurve bow superior to a compound bow, or a bow over a muzzle loading riffle, or either over a high power riffle.

Personally, I hate to sit still, most of the time. So I fish more aggressively then bait allows. But, if conditions call for bait, I will use bait. I think I have every color of powerbait paste ever made. I also have that $600 fly rod, the .......

I think that if we follow the rules, it should not be a matter of one method being more "holy" then another.

Thanks for all the feedback. As hlindsay said there are a lot of different ways to fish and each one has its own different feel of the fish bitting. There are many different way to fish I wish I could do them all. It is also cool how its like an ADD thing for some people.

Like Gringo I like to be constantly moving, casting, hunting for fish, so spinners, spoons, and artificial lures are my preferred methods, but I'll add one more reason why I prefer them over bait fishing (bobber or off the bottom). Seems like 99% of the time when using bait the fish will swallow the hook deep and there is no way I'd be able to release a fish with a hook in it's gut. With the artificial lures they're almost always hooked in the lip and it's an easy release, especially if I've swapped out the treble hook to a single Siwash. Oh, and there is nothing like that feeling when a fish hits a lure on the retrieve.

artificial stuff is better for catch and release. but bait gives some people excuses to kill esa listed cuttthroat or perhaps a wild fish they shouldn't here and there. i think they like that. whatever your pleasure, tread easy on the fish.

for me there are several things.
1) I do a lot catch and release trout fishing, if I was to use bait I would be done after the first five legal sized fish. Sometimes in E WA I catch 80 fish a day.
2) There is an element(ego) that makes me think I am GOOD fisherman when I find a fly or lure that the fish like and will hit on over and over again.
3) I have to be participating in the fishing; I cant just sit and wait for a bite. Although my sometimes fishing buddy has shown me that some of the bigger fish you will catch are off of the bottom with bait.

As previously mentioned it is bout fun. Whatever allow you to enjoy your time fishing is what is important.

strider43 wrote:for me there are several things.
1) I do a lot catch and release trout fishing, if I was to use bait I would be done after the first five legal sized fish. Sometimes in E WA I catch 80 fish a day.
2) There is an element(ego) that makes me think I am GOOD fisherman when I find a fly or lure that the fish like and will hit on over and over again.
3) I have to be participating in the fishing; I cant just sit and wait for a bite. Although my sometimes fishing buddy has shown me that some of the bigger fish you will catch are off of the bottom with bait.

As previously mentioned it is bout fun. Whatever allow you to enjoy your time fishing is what is important.

Yep!

I've only been fishing for about a year now. I have tried several different tactics in my short time on/at the lakes. My two favorites thus far are trolling and fly fishing.

Trolling: There is such a variety of ways to hunt them buggers down that make it a challenge. Just because tactic X worked yesterday, doesn't mean it will work again the rest of the season. Then again, it might hit all day every day. The feel of the hit when dragging just a wooly bugger 75' behind your boat is an instant rush.

Fly Fishing: I am very new to this form of fishing, so the biggest thing for me is the challenge of learning the cast and then trying to perfect it (if that can actually happen). Then there's the Brazillion different presentations to learn,,,, and then what bite is hitting when. My first trip out on my little pontoon boat was amazing fighting new plants up to 15" bows. When I hit my first big fighter bow on a nice quiet little known lake it was action like you never get plunking bait or even trolling. I lost that fish, but it is a fight I will never forget.

There's my $.02, well maybe$2.22.

it could be interpreted that bait fishing is less skillful than using lures and flies. Personally, I like casting and retrieving much more than sitting and waiting.
Also, using bait restricts you to 5 fish (or whatever the limit is) Lures and flies do not.

I do the C & R thing for almost all fish except salmon and with artificials I can do that nearly 100% of the time with minimal damage to a fish. Conversely, I can sit for several hours drowning sandshrimp or herring for C & R sturgeon with barbless circle hooks and totally enjoy it.

For me there's no feeling like a fish slamming a spinner or spoon, it's very addictive to me. I have a hard time going from river/stream fishing to Lake fishing, I always feel bored (unless I'm on a boat for some reason)

I like to still fish with power eggs I have cought my limit of fish using the same 3 power eggs

Not surprised at all. I have done similar with corn. WA says that the fish swallow bait too often and it usually kills released fish. Other states do not agree. We live and fish in WA.

This fact neither makes fishing with bait more or less enjoyable. It is simply a rule we must obey.

Mordalphus wrote:For me there's no feeling like a fish slamming a spinner or spoon, it's very addictive to me. I have a hard time going from river/stream fishing to Lake fishing, I always feel bored (unless I'm on a boat for some reason)

I do most of my lake fishing from a boat. I have 10" fish slam a fly Im trolling and I think it a 18" fish till I get it up. The numbers of legally caught fish and the fun will keep me fishing Artificial lures/flys on the lake!

strider43 wrote:

Mordalphus wrote:For me there's no feeling like a fish slamming a spinner or spoon, it's very addictive to me. I have a hard time going from river/stream fishing to Lake fishing, I always feel bored (unless I'm on a boat for some reason)

I do most of my lake fishing from a boat. I have 10" fish slam a fly Im trolling and I think it a 18" fish till I get it up. The numbers of legally caught fish and the fun will keep me fishing Artificial lures/flys on the lake!

Yep, me too!