Does size matter ?

[Daz]

whats your thoughts on the size of fish you catch,does catching the bigger fish keep you going time and time again or are you just as happy with catching small fish.
ive been using light gear for most of my fishing over the last year and even 8oz perch put a good bend in the rod and ive been having much more fun

[ALtop]

Ithink any fish off a kayak is good a few fish to me is better than waiting all day for one.

[philpot]

Not so easy to answer, I think it depends on the weather and frame of mind. If it is cold and cloudy, I would sooner be catching numbers of fish but I confess getting fed up quite quickly if I am getting loads of little ones. If the weather is nice and warm, I am happy to relax and wait for the bigger fish, If I get bored, I will happily fly fish for another species while the bait rod sits for the long wait.

Sometimes I am happy to just potter about looking at my surroundings and take some photos and do whichever fishing takes my fancy on the day.

It can simply be really good just being out on the water.

Phil

[gbthejoiner]

I just enjoy catching, most of the venues I fish don't contain large fish but I still get enjoyment out of fishing them any fish is a bonus to me.

[hewy40]

Each time i go fishing is different daz, sometimes i'm happy banging out a load of small stuff on the whip as i like to change feeding patterns and hookbait to see how they affect the catch rate. Other days i will target the bigger ones, it all depends what i feel like doing.
My goal for next season is a double figure bream from the river tone, so will spend a good lump of my time trying to achieve that.

[Izzetafox]

I have always just enjoyed catching, I have never been caught up in the specimen hunting scene.
Now that I am kayak fishing the size thing is even less important the whole environment has captured me. The area you can cover and the things you can see.

The problem with hunting big fish is that you will more often than not miss out but if you just want to enjoy the 'act of fishing' then every trip is a pleasure.

[buddy]

Catching a lot is good but can get boring, catching none is boring but the challenge is good. Targeting a certain species is always a challenge and probably the most rewarding. ;D
Sometimes its just good to go for a leisurly paddle watching the wildlife.
Steve

[jono]

Tough question. If I'm dead baiting for pike on a big water I'm not really interested in catching jacks, it's big fish or bust. On the other hand if I'm flicking small surface lures about any fish/hit on the surface is most welcome, even if they don't hook up I love seeing the pike (even small ones) go airborne at the back of the lure. Iv also recently started fly fishing so any capture no matter how small is regarded as a success to me on this method as I feel iv got a steep learning curve, last season was my first fly fishing and I managed a few brownies some decent rainbows a few half decent grayling and a couple of pike ;D so anything on the fly is a bonus...and as has been said just being out there on the water is great even without fishing sometimes.
Cheers mark

[snapper]

Like Terry I just enjoy catching. I couldn't care less about size...yes it's nice to get a good specimen of a species but that's not everything and to be honest i'm never going to catch fish in the UK that match what I caught when I was 18 in terms of size or fight. What i really enjoy is getting lots of different species...if I get half a dozen different species it makes it more special. I'm easily pleased though, i'll bang out a hundred whiting in the sea and not moan that i didn't catch a cod, that's a fun-filled busy session and every knocks a jump-start. hell, my most enjoyable fishing is when I go for inch long gobies in 6 inches of water - sounds stupid but my god it's fun, absolute hilarity and so absorbing!

[Izzetafox]

EXACTLY......Fishing should be FUN!!
Don't take it too seriously. If you want to do that sell the kayak and buy a bivvy, a set of Optonics and take the Kindle to keep you entertained between fish.

[snapper]

It should be anything you want it to be, and if it changes each day so much the better! I've gone out with intentions of one species on occasion but failure has not stopped me enjoying it. I even enjoy the blanks to be fair, mostly

[kneedeepintoys]

I get as much enjoyment watching my children catching gudgeon and perch as I do from specimens. We usually set up so that they are catching every few minutes, and then they are happy for me to pull out the occasional donkey.

[hewy40]

Mar 15, 2013 20:51:28 GMT snapper said:

It should be anything you want it to be, and if it changes each day so much the better! I've gone out with intentions of one species on occasion but failure has not stopped me enjoying it. I even enjoy the blanks to be fair, mostly

That's how i look at it as regards to being anything you want it to be.
I am just as happy catching sticklebacks with my little girl as am waiting for that elusive big fish.
The blanks are important as i think if i went out and absolutely bagged up everytime i'd maybe lose interest (would be nice to find out ;D )

[Daz]

blanks are very important as they make you think what your doing wrong and how to change it....im at rudyard monday and i know it's hard going so that makes me plan my trip even harder to save a blank...we will see

[fenboystu]

Mar 15, 2013 20:06:03 GMT Izzetafox said:

EXACTLY......Fishing should be FUN!!
Don't take it too seriously. If you want to do that sell the kayak and buy a bivvy, a set of Optonics and take the Kindle to keep you entertained between fish.

Optonics !!! you dont hear that very often any more.

I personally do bivvy up on my local syndicate, do i take it seriously, No.
I go there because its quiet,peaceful and very few people about even in the summer.
I fish with 3 rods for carp and fish a waggler for other fish whilst waiting for the elusive carp to bite....
Do i care if i catch carp not really as i have said its more about rest and relaxation to me and watching the wildlife there are a pair of kingfishers there, woodpeckers , lizards , snakes , a pair of harriers about in the summer the grebes coots moorhens tits (of the feathered variety) robins who love nothing more than harassing you till you throw them a few maggots, the swallows who congregate there just before dusk in the autumn prior to migrating back.

So does size matter NO.

[philpot]

So very well put Stu. You have described by weekends carp fishing very well only to add that I would also have my camera and zoom lens to capture some of the things I see and a bottle of wine in the pond keeping cool for my wife, Trish, to slowly drink while reading.

Phil