BassBlaster

Why Troutin’ Is Better Than Bassin’

Yep, that's Oprah.

Yeah right. But that’s what several jokesters on the interweb claim. Ran across one “proof” the other day. Following are excerpts, along with some choice comments by me.

> The style of fishing for trout is a characteristic that makes it better than bass fishing. A person can spend hours in a day hiking the side of the river, figuring out just where to cast to catch that next fish.
[So are we fishing, or hiking with a fishing rod?]

> The water is typically fast moving, and cold.
[So?]

> It takes some amount of skill to be able to read the water, and know where the fish will be hidden. It also takes some skill to figure out what the finicky fish might want to eat, thus tempting him out from under his underwater lair.
[And I guess that does not happen in bassin’?!]

> When it comes to bass fishing, there is an element to reading the water, but for the most part anglers sit on a boat and cruise around the lake until their equipment tells them that there are fish below them. It does take skill to get the bait or lure placement right, but the technique is far different than floating a fly through the right hole for a big trout.
[Yessir, I am a lobotomy patient and my Humminbird catches fish for me. Launch the boat, push a button and I’m done!]

> Equipment is another trait [a trait?] that causes trout fishing to be more appealing than bass fishing. While some may fly fish for bass, the typical equipment consists of spincasting or baitcasting rods with heavy lines.
[Right you are there bud. My spincaster has Bugs Bunny stickers on it, and a smiley face on the button.]

> In most cases, the fish is hooked, and then yanked out of the water without much problem. Lines have to be heavy enough to pull bass out from under any number of obstacles.
[So my Humminbird yanks fish out of the water for me no problem? Der, der, der, der der….]

> The heavy line used by bass fishermen is usually a detriment to the trout fishermen. Light lines, with even lighter tippet are the norm. Instead of 10 to 12 pound test, trout fishermen use 2 to 4 pound test lines. This presents a challenge because the fish cannot simply be horsed to the shore. The fisherman has to finesse the fish, making sure to tire him out enough to bring him to hand without allowing the fish to break the line. An attempt to land the fish too suddenly will almost surely result in a break off!
[So we’re catch-keep-release, you’re catch-mortally exhaust-release-die.]

> There is a need for greater skill to consistently bring trout to hand than for bass.
[You never know. Maybe a Humminbird can be programmed to fish for trout too.]

> The method of trout fishing is more fun and physically demanding than bass fishing.
[More physically demanding? Are you talking about the hiking part, the shore lunch part or the 20 casts a day part?]
_____

This winter I will be training my Humminbird to shovel my walk.

16 Comments

16 Comments

  1. AlexV

    December 23, 2010 at 1:22 pm

    While I LIVE for bass fishing, I enjoy occasionally fly fishing, for smallmouth, pike, and trout. That said, I have NEVER thought about ‘angler fashion’ because I’m a function over fashion kind of guy 100% of the time, and as a wading fool,I spend most of my time trying not to drown, not checking out my reflection in the water….

  2. AlexV

    December 23, 2010 at 1:24 pm

    To Jay,Bo, Jason, their families, and all the BASSPARADE posters, Please have a VERY SAFE, and Joyous Holiday Season, and a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

    • admin (mostly Jay)

      December 24, 2010 at 12:29 pm

      Thanks man, you too!

  3. Chad Keogh

    December 23, 2010 at 1:42 pm

    I think the original poster was confused. They combine trout fishing and fly fishing as one and the same.

    One time I was fishing a small bass tournament on a lake that also had a healthy population of rainbow trout in it. There were about 8 teams in the bass event.

    At the same time as our bass tournament, there was a trout derby (catch & kill) going on at the same time. At the end of the day one of the bass guys talks to one of the trout guys and finds out that we would have taken 1st, 2nd, and 3rd in their derby in accidental trout catches on grubs and tubes.

    Mine was one of them. I caught a 4 lb rainbow on a black grub on a 1/4 oz dart-head jig on 12 lb test mono with a 12 lb test fluoro leader.

    Fly fishing is a technique, and not species exclusive..

  4. BP

    December 23, 2010 at 2:06 pm

    I don’t believe trout fishing has anything to compare with vicious topwater strikes that bass lures garner from bass and esox or any equivalent to a red hot topwater bite on schooled fish.

    • AlexV

      December 23, 2010 at 2:17 pm

      I’ve seen some great video of big, hoary, german shepherd like toothed Canadian Brownies spank the crap outta big mice flies on the surface. Apparently they (mice and the like) are a mojor food source up there. Also, in the harbors here in Chicago, I’ve had Brown Trout eat the hella out of senkos!

      • admin (mostly Jay)

        December 24, 2010 at 12:29 pm

        Re: trout and Senkos, that sounds cool — how did they fight?

        • AlexV

          December 27, 2010 at 10:30 am

          They freight train them! Good fight, the spawning males are voracious, although lipping them is a bit dicey… 😉

      • BP

        December 24, 2010 at 10:55 pm

        So some brown trout in one obscure location that most trout fishermen will never get anywhere near has trout that blast topwater.

        I almost stand corrected.

  5. Jack McGee

    December 23, 2010 at 3:49 pm

    Sounds like this trout article was written by the Wisconsin DNR!?!

    • admin (mostly Jay)

      December 24, 2010 at 7:32 am

      Good one!

  6. BobbyJ

    December 23, 2010 at 5:20 pm

    Catfishing beats trout fishing. There’s no end to the amount of finessing you have to do to make sure the stinkbait doesn’t get on your hands or clothes. It’s like painting a masterpiece with a brush you can’t touch.

  7. James Foster

    December 23, 2010 at 6:12 pm

    Jay, I think you and I actually talked about this topic at length one day. I for one have never really understood the animosity between both types of anglers. Whether it’s snobbery, elitism, jealousy, classism – or all of the above – I just don’t get it. I happen to do both, though after multiple knee surgeries (unrelated to fishing), I spend more time chasing bass now. Isn’t the point of both sports enjoying nature and catching fish? With such a simple and beautiful common ground, you’d think the other stuff would go by the wayside; but I guess the differences are too much for some to overcome; but I’d venture to say there are more similarities than differences. They’re both about 1) reading water and figuring out where the fish are, 2) making the right presentation with the right lure, and 3) enjoying time outside. I personally have fun taking fly-fisherman that have never been bass fishing out on the lake (or river) and have them bring their gear. Nothing quite like an angry 3-pound smallmouth on the end of a fly line. I like to watch their faces light up when a decent sized largemouth blasts a frog or a popper on their line. I just show them that bass are fun to target on the fly and hope they have a good time. Same thing with bass fisherman and fly-fishing. I love the look on their faces when you tell them that setting the hook is simply lifting the rod tip gently. Anyway…I’m sure I could go on, but you guys get the point.

  8. Clem

    December 23, 2010 at 7:00 pm

    Of course trout are better than bass.

    With a little bit of pan frying, some butter and … oh. Wait. You mean, to fish for and catch?

  9. Jacob Robinson

    December 24, 2010 at 7:51 am

    Whoever wrote the original article must not know how to bass fish and settles for trout. Trout are typically easy to find in a stream whereas bassers have a WHOLE lake to search in!

  10. therockyriver.com

    December 31, 2010 at 12:14 pm

    Listen – I don’t know why one has to be better than the other, they’re simply different. I am a tournament bass fisherman, and an avid Steelhead fly fisherman. I love both for different reasons. The bottom line on this whole article is this:

    Funniest thing I’ve ever read about fishing. I mean, “So we’re catch-keep-release, you’re catch-mortally exhaust-release-die” made me spit sandwich out when I read it! Man this is good stuff hahaha

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