Junk fishing vs. patterns

A few years back when I fished out of a conventional boat, I relied on patterns to help me when fishing. Now that I have discovered the joys of kayak fishing, I find myself doing things differently. I have basically become what is know as a junk fisherman. This simply means I fish water as I come to it, and let the depth and terrain determine how I fish. In a one hundred yard stretch I may fish several baits as the structure, depth and cover changes. So which is better? Junk fishing or pattern fishing. 


Well, most fishing professionals will quickly tell you that finding patterns help them take home bigger checks. Figuring out what depth fish are holding at, or what structures are holding fish are all part of useful patterns. Once you figure out a working pattern, you can duplicate your fish catching all over the lake by fishing the same kinds of places.


Kayakers such as myself don't have the luxury of quickly running all over the lake. Even if we have a workable pattern figured out, it isn't always that beneficial. Even so, rarely do I just pack it in and go home without a fight.


Every single bite should tell us fisherman something. It's up to us to learn from it. Good fishermen learn to make mental notes of everything. How deep the bite was, how fast the bait was moving, whether it was in open water or around cover, and so forth and so on. Soon, even though you may be junk fishing, you may be fishing several workable patterns without even realizing it. Paying attention to details and learning to use this knowledge is something many fishermen never get a grasp of. The small percentage of those that do often make a living out on the water.


Tight lines everyone, stay safe out there.
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