Story by Ken Duke | Photos by Tanner & Travis Lyons
Whether you’re new to the sport of bass fishing or have been at it for decades, you know that things are not always as they seem. Just as the watery world of bass can be confusing so, too, is our bass fishing language.
Luckily, help is here. I’m going to demystify some key phrases that bass anglers use every day. They don’t always mean what you think.
Let’s get translating!
“Dude, you’re on my spot!”
This is a phrase most commonly used by an angler who has just seen you catch a fish—probably a good one. You may be certain that he’s never actually fished the area before, but it looks like it has a lot of potential … especially since you’re catching them on nearly every cast.
If you don’t relinquish the spot to him (and, of course, you should never relinquish the spot to him under any circumstances), his next move will be to lock in the waypoint on his electronics so he can find it again when you’re not around. Your best play here is to remind him that it’s a public lake and that you didn’t see his name on the spot when you arrived.
“I just got here.”
This is what unsuccessful anglers say when you ask if they’ve caught any fish. It’s too painful to simply say “No,” so a lot of folks say this instead.
Truth is that this angler has been on the water for many hours, but the only action he’s seen came when his line tangled in his trolling motor prop and he stepped on the foot pad. Apart from a sunburn, a wicked case of carpal tunnel syndrome and a backlash that would rival the Gordian knot, he has nothing to show for his efforts.
“We’re just out fun fishing.”
The anglers who tell you this are definitely entered in a tournament and have yet to catch a keeper. That they can say this with a straight face while wearing tournament jerseys and making 15 casts per minute is evidence of just how audacious bass anglers can be.
Do not argue with these guys. They’re probably in such a state of denial that they believe tournament fishing is “relaxing.” If they start talking about “getting back to nature” while staring at their $30,000 of electronics, ease away slowly.
“My best fish went a little less than eight pounds.”
Anytime someone describes their catch as “a little less than…,” it means “a lot less than….” A fish that was “a little less than eight pounds” is likely also less than four pounds and maybe even less than two pounds. In extreme circumstances, it might not even be a legal, scoreable bass.
And don’t be fooled by terms like “good one,” “huge” or “giant.” These terms are relative to the number and size of the fish caught that day as well as the angler’s grip on reality. For several years I had a tournament partner who would yell, “It’s a big one! Get the net!” before he even set the hook or felt the weight of the fish.”
Bass anglers can be wildly optimistic. It’s part of our charm.
“We got on the pattern late.”
This is a common line spoken by unsuccessful tournament anglers who show up to the weigh-in just to see how miserably they failed. By “got on the pattern,” they mean they saw the tournament winners catching fish. By “late” they mean they saw them on their way back to the ramp to put their boat on the trailer . That’s when they passed the winners, still whacking ‘em not far from the launch.
You can count on these guys to be on that spot at the next derby. Of course, the bass will have relocated by then, and these anglers will still be struggling.
“I lost a good one that would have made a big difference.”
If you’ve ever fished a tournament or even attended a weigh-in, you’ve heard this one … many times. It’s actually the introduction to the story of how they lost the fish—through no fault of their own, of course.
Next, they’re going to tell you that the fish zigged when any normal bass would have zagged, that their co-angler or partner knocked it off with the net, that the fish surged at the last second and pulled free or that a split ring mysteriously broke, allowing the fish to get away. No operator error here. There never is!
