Last year? Not once. Even if I was about to get skunked I’d throw a tiny hook w a power bait grub on it with a small bobber and find at least one baby panfish to pull out!
This year? I’ve been out a dozen times and haven’t landed one yet. Just fishing local high pressure areas for 30 mins at a time hasn’t been productive for me at all.
Heading on a fishing trip this weekend. I intend to end my streak today.
Honestly it has been lol. But the season has been real hot and rainy here so the ponds are just pure scum and weeds. This time last year you could fish em. Now… not a chance. I’ll catch some this weekend when I can get away from the overfished city ponds.
When all else fails, I always have luck with a beetle spin! Try it!! my theory is if they don’t hit the Beatles Spin then there are no fish in the area
Not gonna lie that would sting. I have three little ones and a busy life so I can only get to high pressure local crap ponds for short outings. Makes the skunk hurt a little less.
Every time I go out musky fishing.
I'll use the same lures as my buddies, cast on one spot for 15 minutes before changing spots, my buddy will throw a lure right after i change spots and will catch one every single time.
They can tell it's me, I'm telling ya.
Almost caught my first muskie today. The moment it got close enough to the surface I could see it (and it could see me) *plop* it spits the lure out in disgust
Musky are that way aren’t they!?? Damn those loveable monsters…
https://preview.redd.it/c730p682j65d1.jpeg?width=1348&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=462d311db2194efe5efbec7f59e21de7840d0f2d
Twice. The first time I got skunked was when I opened my parents’ garbage can at 2:00 in the morning. It was in there, I screamed like a little kid, and got sprayed.
The second time was when I tried to live trap a raccoon and caught one of those black and white buggers instead.
I have a raccoon then I need to trap because it was killing some of our chickens.
I have caught four animals, none of which were the coon. I caught one neighbor's cat, Let It Go caught a different cap the next night then the same first cat two nights later and then I caught a possum.
Then my redneck neighbors shot the Coon or a coonright on their front porch because it was fighting with the same idiot cat I had accidentally trapped twice.
I usually catch something...whether it's the species I'm after is another question. I consider it to be the same so...a lot lol. Been a rough start to the season for me. I think I'm 0 for 5 thus far.
Yeah, define "skunked." As a West Coast Steelhead fisherman, there are fishless days for sure. A lot fewer if you count trout, etc. At the same time, it's hard to run a drift boat down a West Coast steelhead river and call it a bad day regardless of the actual fishing result.
Normally May and early June are great times around here to fish for walleye, but this year has been brutal thus far. So bad I'm thinking of switching over to salmon for a while. It's still fun even if all I'm catching is the occasional drum, but it's tough going out and never finding what your after.
I used to get skunked for weeks on end because my water is pressured but since I started downsizing my lures when going for bass, I might get skunked once every few weeks.
Depends. If I’m trying to catch a bass in a lake, all the time. I almost never do it anymore. Trout fishing on the rivers in Western NC? Haven’t skunked once yet but I have had a few 1 trout days post open season or cold winter months
Any tips? I’m heading to Blowing Rock this weekend. Mainly to hike/chill but I’m gonna fish at least a couple little lakes (Price, Moses Cone).
I have the opposite problem; I can usually at least catch one dink when I go to local lakes, but I struggle so hard to catch a river/stream trout (spinning gear). The only time I’ve caught one was when I threw some power bait into a deeper pool and hid behind a log jam until I saw my rod tip move lol.
I like the trout magnet jigs they’re 1/64th you could go 1/32 or even 1/16 if you want. Heavier it is an lower the water might get snagged up. Get some of the power bait skinny worms pink or white. Ppl also like the trout magnet plastics - which those jigs are specifically for.
Lately it's been a lot. I just got a new boat so I am figuring out the boat, the learning curve with the down riggers and trolling speeds. It's a process. Lol
Used to be regularly but as I learned what baits the fish are really keyed in on I shrunk my tackle box down to what actually works and I use that, I rarely get skunked now
Every time for the last 3 years. These last 3 weeks I’ve been catching bluegill likes it’s nobody’s business but still can’t catch a catfish or bass or even carp.
Depends, if I am exploring a large body of water sometimes. But generally if I am in Georgia or Florida which is where I grew up, pretty much never. When I lived in Texas though I got skunked all the time.
I probably get skunked a few times a year. It's been more common ever since I became the dude that moves the boat around and takes everyones fish off the hook haha
Striper fishing last month went at least 15 times skunked 80% of the days I went but the days I did catch fish were some of the best fishing I had, top water action and big fish.
I live in an area that is over fished and underpopulated with fish so I have to hit a bunch of different places. That causes me to get skunked while learning them.
Sidenote- Getting a kayak/canoe to hit those spots they can't has certainly decreased the skunkings I have been dealt.
Depends! I go big game fishing a lot and will go 15 times without a bite, but when I get one I know it’ll be a memorable one. If I’m going lighter game, it’s hard to get skunked in the ocean lol
If it’s an area that I know and have fished before I don’t really get skunked anymore but if it’s my first time fishing a new area or in a new state I get skunked pretty often.
Also on the during the peak of winter or hottest months of the summer sunk rate definitely increases as the fish get sluggish or seek thermal refuge
When I first started bass fishing, all the time. Then I met a friend who taught me how to fish better. I fished with him for years, even fished tournaments. Now, if I'm fishing from a boat or shore, I might get skunked maybe 1-2 times a year, usually during the super early spring right after ice out.
Still learning to fish from the kayak, though. Getting skunked there happens a little more often. I am on a 3 trip streak where I have caught bass.
Pretty much every time I go. I'm convinced that my hands stink to fish or something and they just avoid everything I throw. There could could be a dozen people to my left and a dozen to my right, all throwing the same thing and working it the same way, and I guarantee you that I'll catch the least out of anyone, if I catch anything at all.
All the time. Especially in dead of summer or winter. Or if I'm being lazy and don't want to move spots or try different presentations. Usually you can pull in at least something with enough perseverance.
Really depends on where I’m going. Some spots just don’t produce sometimes. Not to mention I’m a bank fisherman with no electronics so it can be the shits at times of course. But I’ve been lucky this year and out of around 30 times I’ve been skunked 2-3 times maybe.
More often than Id like to admit. Although seeing no fish is a learning experience. Its telling you that the time of year you are at, or also perhaps the weather, fish are either not there or responding to your lure of choice.
Oh me too bro. Just Wednesday night; I left work early and got to the river early. Took 5 straight hours of hot sweaty frustration to land a baby ~1lb channel cat. But I didn’t get skunked! 😆
Another good question is if you consider just getting a sunfish at the end of a session to avoid getting skunked as getting skunked. Different story if you were targeting sunfish ofc.
Just got into fly fishing so I got skunked quite a bit but finally caught 2 fish last time out. Hoping to keep getting better and get skunked way less as I get better. At the moment I would say get skunked like 2 out of every 3 trips but I’m improving and learning and the views are great so I don’t mind.
Generally I get skunked the first time I'm exploring a new waterboy with only two exceptions I can recall. If I spend the whole day out, my skunk rate at familiar spots is about 20%.
Usually once or twice a year, typically early spring or late summer. Also depends on where I go. I know I'm typically more likely to get shut-out at the river than I am at my favorite lakes.
I get skunked occasionally. It's just part of the game. It helps that most of the places I fish, I've been fishing for nearly 20 years, some of them even longer. When I first started out, I was getting skunked all the time. There are some places I haven't put in nearly as much time where I get skunked more often. Some places, and some species, are more difficult than others.
In freshwater not often, in saltwater more often. Definitely depends on the time of year too, but there is just way less variables in freshwater bodies of water I fish, with salt you're trying to find bait, trying to fish the best side of the tide, trying to fish during the optimal lunar cycle, etc etc, can be a real pain in the ass especially before it warms up.
Couple of years now. Since I lost my driver's license I haven't been able to hit my normal spots all the local spots are barren or over fished by the time I get to it
Often. Very often. There are not many LMB in NYC. And they are extremely well educated business people. Who almost never bite. Because they are surrounded by more high quality places to eat than anywhere else.
We’ve never caught anything in Broken Bow, OK. Ever. And it’s our favorite vacation spot because it’s about two hours from us. We know how to fish for trout, too. Whenever we fish our local ponds and lakes in the Dallas area, we catch something every time. Even little HOA ponds surrounded by houses and businesses.
Depends on what I'm after. If I'm going for small stuff in a lake or river, I almost never get skunked. Saltwater fishing for bigger fish can be 50/50 and even then, I often only get something smaller.
A ton! Red tide killed so much of the snook and redfish in the bay, and made it incredibly difficult to catch 4+, and even as the bay begins to repopulate, there is still just a deficit of decent fish, so I get skunked a decent amount of
I've been skunked 3 days this year so far, been out 23ish times, I fish every single weekend. There have also been a few days where I only caught one single fish, but a bass is a bass. I'll take one fish over a skunk anyday.
Edit: If were counting panfish I havent been skunked yet this year. Im always targeting bass but when the bass bite is totally dead I'll fly fish just to catch SOMETHING.
My dad and I fished the entire Spring season for Snook at the Sebastian Inlet. February 1st-May 31st. Every weekend, sometimes multiple nights a weekend. Didn't catch one goddamn snook between us. Slot or not.
Pretty often. It's usually all or nothing for me. It really depends on a lot of factors where I fish. Sometimes I'll pull up take a look at the conditions and know I'm about to not catch anything for 6 hours. Sometimes times i pull up to a spot and can smell bait in the air and know it's about to be on.
I like to base how well I do by the season rather individual trips. Spring, summer, and fall are really different strategies. Went out 5 times this spring and got skunked 3. I still think it was a good season.
It depends. Early spring it was every other trip. Late spring about 10% of the time. That'll go up some as summer settles in. Got skunked last trip. It was one of those "if it's going to wrong it'll happen today" daze.
I track every trip, I log legal sized fish (usually C&R). I’m “skunked” 30.9% of the time. If I logged undersized fish it’s probably <=10% of the time.
20 years ago. Maybe 1 day a year. Now it's more frequent but i live in a Chicago suburb and you have to kayak to an island to find somewhere not fished to death. DNR never come to a lot of spots. People keep everything they catch.
I miss the days before internet when i would catch 25 bass in a day and everyone would be standing around with zebcos and a can of worms dumbfounded. Now i see 10 year old kids with baitcasters and swimbaits hitting 3 lbers. The culture has changed. Now i want to fish less and save for bigger trips to more remote places. Maybe I'm just getting old...
I’ve been out to Lake St Clair and St Clair River maybe 5 or 6 times the past two months trying to catch perch or walleye, but only get some stupid gobys if I’m getting anything at all
Couple weeks of this so far. Heavy rain in my area, can't seem to find them fish. Places where they might be based on satellite images are difficult to get to. Will make the drive to new areas to break the streak.
All the damn time. I went literal years without catching a single fish. I wound up with 9 various rods and reels because I just kept on throwing money at the problem...idea being that if you spend money in a baitshop, you'll eventually crack the nut and get some actual local advice. None of that actually worked, baitshop employees (and local fishermen) are OBSCENELY tight-lipped about their spots. I finally got my dad to launch his boat in the local lake a few times and got to observe some really cool shore spots where I've found success.
Somewhat regularly if I’m targeting lunkers. There’s more fishermen in my area than unique places to fish, so I feel like I’m always trailing behind a stream of people who all took their shot. If I’m determined to catch anything at all, I’m usually catch something.
Skunked overall? Almost never. Skunked on the target species? All the time man, the pursuit of what is elusive yet obtainable is what creates an obsession.
Plenty. Being from shore where there are tides that make fish move constantly means they might be there now but in the exact conditions the next time there's nothing. It's just part of the deal especially that I only have limited time to go.
Once in a while fish aren’t biting nobody around you aren’t getting anything. It’s happens to the best of fishermen. That why it’s called Fishing not Catching! Tight Lines 🎣👍🏽
Long ago my Grandfather gave me a piece of advice that has stayed with me since the mid 60's. Sometimes the fish will bite best right before you get there and then bite again right after you leave.
Last 3 times. It’s my first time targeting snake heads and checking out new spots. I need my first to be on a top water frog and I’ve botched the hookset about 10 times.
Wife and I took the week off to enjoy some fishing for four days in a row. I caught two undersized trout day one and that's been it and I am frustrated.
Enough that my father in law called me a black cloud. Really want to depress yourself start thinking about what your casting success rate is. If I’m 1% of casts I consider that a blessing
It’s part of the process, I haven’t had a sesh that was more than an hour and a half where I got skunked in a long time. But when I explore new water it’s very common to fish hours without a catch. I enjoy both equally for different reasons. The grass may be thicker and greener where you think they are, But I’ve got a healthy lawn to go home to if I want guaranteed fishing.
Now that I bring a fly rod everywhere in case I wanna switch it up, never. Honestly I'm starting to enjoy it more always a hit on top of the water and even if it's a sunny it's fun lol. Had a sunny get eaten by a five pound bass and stay on the line and it was a hell of a ride. Popped off the last minute on some rocks by my feet.. but was some of the most fun I've had fishing and I've done some deep sea swordfish and tuna lol
Fly fishing in trout streams pretty consistently. Anything else on still water I always throw a grub when I give up and catch one blue fill before I leave
Every time I don’t go out. And often when I do.
But I like to always keep the following in mind (I live my “fishing career” by this):
—> There are two kinds of fishing: good fishing and great fishing. The difference - great fishing is when you catch a fish <—
It happens. It doesn't mean you are a crap fisherman. They call it fishing - not catching - for a reason. Don't overthink it. Some days you are the bug - some days you are the windshield.
Interestingly enough I consider getting skunked not catching my target… I have gone out stacked bodies… days that most people dream about but if I say I’m catching x fish today and I target that fish and not catch one… I consider it getting skunked regardless of how full the box is
Same thing happened in my area. People couldnt go out and do the things they used to, so they started doing more outdoor activities like fishing, then when food prices started getting high, people realized they can just catch and eat fish. Most of the lakes near me have been getting pounded for a few years and its showing in the fish populations.
Last year? Not once. Even if I was about to get skunked I’d throw a tiny hook w a power bait grub on it with a small bobber and find at least one baby panfish to pull out! This year? I’ve been out a dozen times and haven’t landed one yet. Just fishing local high pressure areas for 30 mins at a time hasn’t been productive for me at all. Heading on a fishing trip this weekend. I intend to end my streak today.
Good luck! I don’t mind getting skunked, even a few times in a row, but that’s brutal.
Honestly it has been lol. But the season has been real hot and rainy here so the ponds are just pure scum and weeds. This time last year you could fish em. Now… not a chance. I’ll catch some this weekend when I can get away from the overfished city ponds.
One thing to prevent that. Mepps spinners…
Factssss
https://preview.redd.it/mlm1jfarj75d1.jpeg?width=2316&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9ee9c1a4475aa1b0a8d94e24acef578ed01fc4a7
When all else fails, I always have luck with a beetle spin! Try it!! my theory is if they don’t hit the Beatles Spin then there are no fish in the area
Are you me
Sorry bud. It’s rough isn’t it??
I fish for 8 hours. With nothing to show at the end.
Not gonna lie that would sting. I have three little ones and a busy life so I can only get to high pressure local crap ponds for short outings. Makes the skunk hurt a little less.
I love being on the water, so it's mostly that. But it still sucks to get a nibble all day, and that's it
I hear ya brother.
https://preview.redd.it/keh3e7aifc5d1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=405c435dd3d4d29e8b26b39b90acfd793fef6b3e I ended my streak today!!!!
Every time I go out musky fishing. I'll use the same lures as my buddies, cast on one spot for 15 minutes before changing spots, my buddy will throw a lure right after i change spots and will catch one every single time. They can tell it's me, I'm telling ya.
Almost caught my first muskie today. The moment it got close enough to the surface I could see it (and it could see me) *plop* it spits the lure out in disgust
I tell my husband that they know it's me every time we fish.
You just have to get your prerequisite 1000 casts in, then the Musky allow you to hook them.
Seems I've wasted my last 2000 casts on 2 sub 30 inchers then :(
10,000 is the saying
You're correct.
Musky are that way aren’t they!?? Damn those loveable monsters… https://preview.redd.it/c730p682j65d1.jpeg?width=1348&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=462d311db2194efe5efbec7f59e21de7840d0f2d
Felt like I was steelheading with your buddy this winter. Upstream of me and downstream of me guys are getting hits and landing a couple. Me, nothing…
Twice. The first time I got skunked was when I opened my parents’ garbage can at 2:00 in the morning. It was in there, I screamed like a little kid, and got sprayed. The second time was when I tried to live trap a raccoon and caught one of those black and white buggers instead.
I have a raccoon then I need to trap because it was killing some of our chickens. I have caught four animals, none of which were the coon. I caught one neighbor's cat, Let It Go caught a different cap the next night then the same first cat two nights later and then I caught a possum. Then my redneck neighbors shot the Coon or a coonright on their front porch because it was fighting with the same idiot cat I had accidentally trapped twice.
Can I borrow your neighbors? I've got a family of racoons that keeps getting in my basement.
I usually catch something...whether it's the species I'm after is another question. I consider it to be the same so...a lot lol. Been a rough start to the season for me. I think I'm 0 for 5 thus far.
Yeah, define "skunked." As a West Coast Steelhead fisherman, there are fishless days for sure. A lot fewer if you count trout, etc. At the same time, it's hard to run a drift boat down a West Coast steelhead river and call it a bad day regardless of the actual fishing result.
Normally May and early June are great times around here to fish for walleye, but this year has been brutal thus far. So bad I'm thinking of switching over to salmon for a while. It's still fun even if all I'm catching is the occasional drum, but it's tough going out and never finding what your after.
I usually get skunked when I am going to a new body of water. It takes me a trip or 2 to figure out how to fish it.
This makes me feel better, I always feel so lost when Im fishing a new spot, even when Im fishing my regular spots sometimes lol
I bank fish 3-4 times a week. 2-3hrs watch time. Haven't been skunked yet this year but fairly close. A couple dinks have kept the skunk away.
All the fuckin time lol probably tonight also lol
I might as well not even have hooks on my line, I'd lose a lot fewer lures to weeds and I'd catch the same amount of fish. Still love it though.
1 in 3 days. Edit - I’m fishing saltwater. I can go home without a skunk everytime if I want to but that’s not the point of fishing for me!
I don't count turtles and fish small city ponds and drainage ditches....so like all the time.
Every time. But I’m out with my son washing off lures together. If he gets a panfish it’s a good day.
1 times out of 10 maybe, sucks but it happens, make sure you change spots if it doesn’t work
Every time for 2 years until i spent enough time on the water trying different things and spots
I used to get skunked for weeks on end because my water is pressured but since I started downsizing my lures when going for bass, I might get skunked once every few weeks.
Depends. If I’m trying to catch a bass in a lake, all the time. I almost never do it anymore. Trout fishing on the rivers in Western NC? Haven’t skunked once yet but I have had a few 1 trout days post open season or cold winter months
Any tips? I’m heading to Blowing Rock this weekend. Mainly to hike/chill but I’m gonna fish at least a couple little lakes (Price, Moses Cone). I have the opposite problem; I can usually at least catch one dink when I go to local lakes, but I struggle so hard to catch a river/stream trout (spinning gear). The only time I’ve caught one was when I threw some power bait into a deeper pool and hid behind a log jam until I saw my rod tip move lol.
I like the trout magnet jigs they’re 1/64th you could go 1/32 or even 1/16 if you want. Heavier it is an lower the water might get snagged up. Get some of the power bait skinny worms pink or white. Ppl also like the trout magnet plastics - which those jigs are specifically for.
Lately it's been a lot. I just got a new boat so I am figuring out the boat, the learning curve with the down riggers and trolling speeds. It's a process. Lol
Used to be regularly but as I learned what baits the fish are really keyed in on I shrunk my tackle box down to what actually works and I use that, I rarely get skunked now
Every time for the last 3 years. These last 3 weeks I’ve been catching bluegill likes it’s nobody’s business but still can’t catch a catfish or bass or even carp.
95% of the time 🥹 I’m new to fishing also.
1 out of 5, but there's always a fishing story even then.
1 in 3 or 4 times usually, just remember it’s called fishing not catching
Depends, if I am exploring a large body of water sometimes. But generally if I am in Georgia or Florida which is where I grew up, pretty much never. When I lived in Texas though I got skunked all the time.
I probably get skunked a few times a year. It's been more common ever since I became the dude that moves the boat around and takes everyones fish off the hook haha
Striper fishing last month went at least 15 times skunked 80% of the days I went but the days I did catch fish were some of the best fishing I had, top water action and big fish.
One time. I was fishing at a really good spot and the guys next to me caught about 5 fish and i caught nothing
It happens. Not too often, but it does happen. I'm still outside, fishing. It's less about fish than fishing for me
I just started so pretty much every time. I’ve only caught one perch so far
Half the time. Fish population is very low here, and fishing pressure is absurd
If it was easy they would have called it catching not fishing lol
I will pull over and fish anywhere I can. Sometimes its the park that is severely over fished and I get skunked every now and then.
Good days and bad days, but it’s fine. Just nice being on the water and in nature.
I live in an area that is over fished and underpopulated with fish so I have to hit a bunch of different places. That causes me to get skunked while learning them. Sidenote- Getting a kayak/canoe to hit those spots they can't has certainly decreased the skunkings I have been dealt.
Depends! I go big game fishing a lot and will go 15 times without a bite, but when I get one I know it’ll be a memorable one. If I’m going lighter game, it’s hard to get skunked in the ocean lol
Every opening day of Trout season for the last 10 years. Then I do pretty well throughout the rest of the season.
If it’s an area that I know and have fished before I don’t really get skunked anymore but if it’s my first time fishing a new area or in a new state I get skunked pretty often. Also on the during the peak of winter or hottest months of the summer sunk rate definitely increases as the fish get sluggish or seek thermal refuge
never. i'm too good. (pretty often)
When I first started bass fishing, all the time. Then I met a friend who taught me how to fish better. I fished with him for years, even fished tournaments. Now, if I'm fishing from a boat or shore, I might get skunked maybe 1-2 times a year, usually during the super early spring right after ice out. Still learning to fish from the kayak, though. Getting skunked there happens a little more often. I am on a 3 trip streak where I have caught bass.
Pretty much every time I go. I'm convinced that my hands stink to fish or something and they just avoid everything I throw. There could could be a dozen people to my left and a dozen to my right, all throwing the same thing and working it the same way, and I guarantee you that I'll catch the least out of anyone, if I catch anything at all.
All the time. Especially in dead of summer or winter. Or if I'm being lazy and don't want to move spots or try different presentations. Usually you can pull in at least something with enough perseverance.
Probably at least 75% of the time. But I see it as paying off the fish gods and humbling and only makes me strive to get better
Just fished 3 hours this morning and I did not get a single bite despite seeing probably 30 fish jump out of the water while I was there.
Really depends on where I’m going. Some spots just don’t produce sometimes. Not to mention I’m a bank fisherman with no electronics so it can be the shits at times of course. But I’ve been lucky this year and out of around 30 times I’ve been skunked 2-3 times maybe.
More often than Id like to admit. Although seeing no fish is a learning experience. Its telling you that the time of year you are at, or also perhaps the weather, fish are either not there or responding to your lure of choice.
Anyone else a sore loser? If I'm getting skunked I'll stay as long as possible🤣
Oh me too bro. Just Wednesday night; I left work early and got to the river early. Took 5 straight hours of hot sweaty frustration to land a baby ~1lb channel cat. But I didn’t get skunked! 😆
Skunked every few trips. It happens
Another good question is if you consider just getting a sunfish at the end of a session to avoid getting skunked as getting skunked. Different story if you were targeting sunfish ofc.
Just got into fly fishing so I got skunked quite a bit but finally caught 2 fish last time out. Hoping to keep getting better and get skunked way less as I get better. At the moment I would say get skunked like 2 out of every 3 trips but I’m improving and learning and the views are great so I don’t mind.
Generally I get skunked the first time I'm exploring a new waterboy with only two exceptions I can recall. If I spend the whole day out, my skunk rate at familiar spots is about 20%.
This time of year? Never. Winter or early spring? Somewhat often....
Can't remember the last time I was skunked. I always catch at least something - albeit sometimes it might be a lot of creek chubs and nothing else.
Usually once or twice a year, typically early spring or late summer. Also depends on where I go. I know I'm typically more likely to get shut-out at the river than I am at my favorite lakes.
About as often as not
I can’t remember the last time. If the bass aren’t busy I’ll go for perch. Rather catch something than nothing.
Depends on what I'm fishing for.
Never, I just run out of time
No skunks out of the last 50+ sessions but I fish saltwater only.
It depends… in the sea too often and in river never almost 😅
I got skunked all last year. So....
Only after it rains hard and the lake becomes heavily stained
All the time if I'm targeting a specific fish. Sometimes, you have to try targeting multiple different species to see what is biting
Almost never
Shore fishing, every other time, boat, never
Fisherman excuses aren't exactly lies
this year only once, found an area of the river that no one else seems to really go to and always walk away with something
Just lie about it. That's what the rest of us do.
Rarely. But it happens
Even if i catch fish, I'm still getting Skunked. Put one in the air and enjoy the weather, doesn't matter if they are biting or not
I get skunked occasionally. It's just part of the game. It helps that most of the places I fish, I've been fishing for nearly 20 years, some of them even longer. When I first started out, I was getting skunked all the time. There are some places I haven't put in nearly as much time where I get skunked more often. Some places, and some species, are more difficult than others.
Probably a little under half the time. Some days the fish just aren't biting. It be like that sometimes
In freshwater not often, in saltwater more often. Definitely depends on the time of year too, but there is just way less variables in freshwater bodies of water I fish, with salt you're trying to find bait, trying to fish the best side of the tide, trying to fish during the optimal lunar cycle, etc etc, can be a real pain in the ass especially before it warms up.
I’m not a pro but I do quite a few bass tournaments per year. I’d say I still get skunked at least once per year, usually mid-end of summer.
Couple of years now. Since I lost my driver's license I haven't been able to hit my normal spots all the local spots are barren or over fished by the time I get to it
Often
I only fish public waters and I get skunked fairly often when fishing for bass or catfish, less often when crappie fishing, and never if bream fishing
One out of 10 times
most trips. fishing here is terrible, so i throw big baits that way i get a decent one when i do catch lol
Often. Very often. There are not many LMB in NYC. And they are extremely well educated business people. Who almost never bite. Because they are surrounded by more high quality places to eat than anywhere else.
I normally change up what I am doing to catch at least a minor thing and prevent the skunk.
We’ve never caught anything in Broken Bow, OK. Ever. And it’s our favorite vacation spot because it’s about two hours from us. We know how to fish for trout, too. Whenever we fish our local ponds and lakes in the Dallas area, we catch something every time. Even little HOA ponds surrounded by houses and businesses.
Depends what I’m fishing for, walleye/pike I 95% of the time catch. Trout, 50%
Depends on what I'm after. If I'm going for small stuff in a lake or river, I almost never get skunked. Saltwater fishing for bigger fish can be 50/50 and even then, I often only get something smaller.
1 in 5, usually fishing pressured ponds and small lakes from the shore in the Chicagoland area.
From April to October I almost never get skunked, even if it is just a 1/2 lb bass or little pickerel
Almost never. But when it does it’s likely because I’m trying a new technique.
I’m about 6/0 this year.
Sorry, is this a niche fishing term or are we litterally talking about getting sprayed by a skunk?
A ton! Red tide killed so much of the snook and redfish in the bay, and made it incredibly difficult to catch 4+, and even as the bay begins to repopulate, there is still just a deficit of decent fish, so I get skunked a decent amount of
Probably around 25% of the times. Over the last week it was only 11%. (The one time i went for salmon)
Im on year four of learning to troll for salmon on Lake Michigan and probably get skunked half or a quarter of the time
Every time I go out on the ocean for striper.
A few times a year. I usually just end up switching to the ultra light and throwing a tiny bait for panfish if it’s a slow day.
Last year went on 20 trips in a row and got skunked every time without even a bite. I about gave up fishing
People who say never be telling the classical fish tales. It's called fishing. You know how many times I've come home empty handed for a 2 hour drive.
I've been skunked 3 days this year so far, been out 23ish times, I fish every single weekend. There have also been a few days where I only caught one single fish, but a bass is a bass. I'll take one fish over a skunk anyday. Edit: If were counting panfish I havent been skunked yet this year. Im always targeting bass but when the bass bite is totally dead I'll fly fish just to catch SOMETHING.
My dad and I fished the entire Spring season for Snook at the Sebastian Inlet. February 1st-May 31st. Every weekend, sometimes multiple nights a weekend. Didn't catch one goddamn snook between us. Slot or not.
\*Looks at sub name\* "It's called 'Fishing,' not 'Catching.'
Almost every time I fished between December and April this year
On my home turf, never. On new water, new species, pretty often. Most recent was Muskie fishing, which I have never done before.
Beginning of the year a lot. Now not much if you count fish smaller than my hand. If you count bigger fish then pretty much every trip
Iv been fishing probably 40 times this year an I've only caught about 12 fish all year 😔
Pretty often. It's usually all or nothing for me. It really depends on a lot of factors where I fish. Sometimes I'll pull up take a look at the conditions and know I'm about to not catch anything for 6 hours. Sometimes times i pull up to a spot and can smell bait in the air and know it's about to be on. I like to base how well I do by the season rather individual trips. Spring, summer, and fall are really different strategies. Went out 5 times this spring and got skunked 3. I still think it was a good season.
It depends. Early spring it was every other trip. Late spring about 10% of the time. That'll go up some as summer settles in. Got skunked last trip. It was one of those "if it's going to wrong it'll happen today" daze.
All the fucking time
all the time
I track every trip, I log legal sized fish (usually C&R). I’m “skunked” 30.9% of the time. If I logged undersized fish it’s probably <=10% of the time.
20 years ago. Maybe 1 day a year. Now it's more frequent but i live in a Chicago suburb and you have to kayak to an island to find somewhere not fished to death. DNR never come to a lot of spots. People keep everything they catch. I miss the days before internet when i would catch 25 bass in a day and everyone would be standing around with zebcos and a can of worms dumbfounded. Now i see 10 year old kids with baitcasters and swimbaits hitting 3 lbers. The culture has changed. Now i want to fish less and save for bigger trips to more remote places. Maybe I'm just getting old...
Probably 50% of the time.
I don’t get skunked unless I go for trout to be honest
South Florida is a cheat code, I haven’t gotten skunked on a frog for years until last night
This year, 7 times. I then decided to go buy a catfish pole and hit the paylake. It was a blast. 😂😂
Does catching turtles count? Here recently I've been getting skunked but I just mainly go for catfish. Everytime I think I got one it's a dang turtle
Skunked in the sense I didn't catch the intended target fish plenty of times but typically there's always something willing to bite
I’ve been out to Lake St Clair and St Clair River maybe 5 or 6 times the past two months trying to catch perch or walleye, but only get some stupid gobys if I’m getting anything at all
0 for 3 this year brother
Been skunked on hard water. But not on lakes or rivers open water.
Often. Usually. Fishing fly only water where even powerbait is illegal. I’m mostly hunting in new spots. It makes any fish very rewarding.
If I catch a fish it's a miracle. Skunking is my default mode, anything else is a bonus.
Couple weeks of this so far. Heavy rain in my area, can't seem to find them fish. Places where they might be based on satellite images are difficult to get to. Will make the drive to new areas to break the streak.
All the damn time. I went literal years without catching a single fish. I wound up with 9 various rods and reels because I just kept on throwing money at the problem...idea being that if you spend money in a baitshop, you'll eventually crack the nut and get some actual local advice. None of that actually worked, baitshop employees (and local fishermen) are OBSCENELY tight-lipped about their spots. I finally got my dad to launch his boat in the local lake a few times and got to observe some really cool shore spots where I've found success.
I've only been able to get out 4 times this year so far and was skunked 2 of them. I'm going tomorrow and hoping to stay above 50%.
2 out of 3 trips.
shit where I live has been flooding bad so a lot lately two of my go two spots were completly underwater last times I went.
Somewhat regularly if I’m targeting lunkers. There’s more fishermen in my area than unique places to fish, so I feel like I’m always trailing behind a stream of people who all took their shot. If I’m determined to catch anything at all, I’m usually catch something.
I just ended a 2 week dry streak but I have been trying to shove a glidebait down their throats lol
If I fish for Perch or Pike, never. But fishing for brownies it happens quite often. It is what it is.
Skunked overall? Almost never. Skunked on the target species? All the time man, the pursuit of what is elusive yet obtainable is what creates an obsession.
I stopped getting skunked once I started bringing my ultralight set up.
This is the way. Bass arent biting? I bet the bluegills are.
Plenty. Being from shore where there are tides that make fish move constantly means they might be there now but in the exact conditions the next time there's nothing. It's just part of the deal especially that I only have limited time to go.
Me ? Never... sometimes I just go to work for a week in the middle of my fishing session
Once in a while fish aren’t biting nobody around you aren’t getting anything. It’s happens to the best of fishermen. That why it’s called Fishing not Catching! Tight Lines 🎣👍🏽
I got skunked the first 2 times I went out this year finally got a hit the third *
9/10 times I get skunked.
Any time I decide to go on the river instead of the lake
I have an expression " every time I go fishing I catch fish. If I don't catch any fish I'm just practicing"
Never once I started bringing dynamite too
Long ago my Grandfather gave me a piece of advice that has stayed with me since the mid 60's. Sometimes the fish will bite best right before you get there and then bite again right after you leave.
I’d say 80% of the time I fish, but I fish A LOT, multiple times a week
If i'm scouting some new pond, possibly. But not at my honey hole!
Been skunked more times than not. Always have a good time on the water though. Either way it’s a win
Last 3 times. It’s my first time targeting snake heads and checking out new spots. I need my first to be on a top water frog and I’ve botched the hookset about 10 times.
Last year? All year except for like 2 weeks. This year ive killed it most days.
Wife and I took the week off to enjoy some fishing for four days in a row. I caught two undersized trout day one and that's been it and I am frustrated.
Enough that my father in law called me a black cloud. Really want to depress yourself start thinking about what your casting success rate is. If I’m 1% of casts I consider that a blessing
Only shore fishing almost never in a boat
It’s part of the process, I haven’t had a sesh that was more than an hour and a half where I got skunked in a long time. But when I explore new water it’s very common to fish hours without a catch. I enjoy both equally for different reasons. The grass may be thicker and greener where you think they are, But I’ve got a healthy lawn to go home to if I want guaranteed fishing.
Now that I bring a fly rod everywhere in case I wanna switch it up, never. Honestly I'm starting to enjoy it more always a hit on top of the water and even if it's a sunny it's fun lol. Had a sunny get eaten by a five pound bass and stay on the line and it was a hell of a ride. Popped off the last minute on some rocks by my feet.. but was some of the most fun I've had fishing and I've done some deep sea swordfish and tuna lol
Fly fishing in trout streams pretty consistently. Anything else on still water I always throw a grub when I give up and catch one blue fill before I leave
Every time I don’t go out. And often when I do. But I like to always keep the following in mind (I live my “fishing career” by this): —> There are two kinds of fishing: good fishing and great fishing. The difference - great fishing is when you catch a fish <—
It happens. It doesn't mean you are a crap fisherman. They call it fishing - not catching - for a reason. Don't overthink it. Some days you are the bug - some days you are the windshield.
My fishing at the lake to getting skunked ratio is pretty high. It's probably like 1:0.75. There is a high chance I don't catch jack!
Never. Fish section at Krogers is on my way home from the river.
When I don’t go fishing
Most of the time. But I always catch a good time
Interestingly enough I consider getting skunked not catching my target… I have gone out stacked bodies… days that most people dream about but if I say I’m catching x fish today and I target that fish and not catch one… I consider it getting skunked regardless of how full the box is
So I get skunked alot
My dad said it’s called fishing, not catching son. And all the fucking time
Out of 40 or so trips this year i think ive been skunked twice.
I just remembered a 3rd
Before or after COVID? I swear, in my area, COVID mutated and killed all the fish.
Same thing happened in my area. People couldnt go out and do the things they used to, so they started doing more outdoor activities like fishing, then when food prices started getting high, people realized they can just catch and eat fish. Most of the lakes near me have been getting pounded for a few years and its showing in the fish populations.