What Am I Missing

[SkunkedAgain]

Hey Jeff, as I'm sure you realize, there are a whole bunch of factors in play here.  First of all, it is a time of change...temperature changes, water chemistry changes, ice covering and light intensity changes, etc.  Then there are likely similar changes in the food resources available...for the same reasons.  All that is going to change how each species acts or reacts...and will continue to change as the winter drags on, water oxygen levels drop, food supply changes, etc.

On some waters...for some species...in some years...it can be wide open action from first ice until later in the year.  Depends on a lot of things...like species, water clarity, light penetration through the ice and snow, food supplies,  water chemistry (oxygen) fish activity levels, susceptibility to lower temps, etc.   Trout and some panfish species are more likely to go on the chew at first ice than catfish or some of the other larger and more warmth-oriented species.  But even channel cats remain at least partially active and feed all winter...even if they do slow down a lot.  When their metabolism is slower they feed less often, eat smaller meals and do not bite or fight as aggressively.  Timing is  important.  You gotta  find one in the mood for food.  And it can be days between meals (bites).

It's great to be able to watch fishing shows on TV...or YouTube...and see guys hammering big catfish through the ice on a frequent basis.  But you can be sure that those guys also have their down days...that they don't film and broadcast.  So don't beat yourself up if you see more on sonar than coming up through the hole in the ice. 

As far as targeting species...obviously you gotta fish where the potential is greatest for the species you are after.  "Ya cain't ketch 'em where they ain't".  But, as all of us with sonars know all too well, finding fish is no guarantee of catching fish.  Sonar helps you avoid fishing in fishless water, but it does not make the fish bite if they ain't in the mood.  But, if nothing else, it allows you to practice new tactics, baits and techniques to try to find something that will turn the fish on when they ain't cooperatin'.

There is an old saying in business "If you wait until all the lights are on green, you ain't never gonna leave the house."  To me, this translates in fishing to "You ain't gonna ketch nothin' unless you go fishing...and fish in the right place...the right way."  There is another saying "It is better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all."  Substitute "fished" for "loved".

I'm an old guy.  And I have learned a few survival techniques over the years.  One of my rules of survival is to never beat myself up over a bad day...unless I know I really sucked.  I try to be properly grateful for every little positive thing of each trip...and to write off the negatives as just another prerequisite for working through a fishing trip.   Of course I try to get in more positives than negatives but even after the worst trip you should never be ready to jump off your tackle box.  Just look at it as a trip against which you can measure the good trips in the future.

Good points for sure, I guess I just want to try and catch up from all the fishing time I've missed all summer so I try to have some excellent results every trip and it's just not always possible... Especially like you say when things are changing so much this time of year... But it truly is always fun to be out trying to figure it out... Thanks for the perspective... Jeff