AI AI Oh!

Yesterday I slipped off to the neighborhood pond late to catch the bluegill rising to midges, craneflies and whatever else it is they sip towards dark. To my surprise I had company. A gear fisherman was on the opposite bank throwing a buzzbait and retrieving it. The sound and scene of that buzzbait chopping the water made me take a pause to examine my own lure, a size 16 Griffiths Gnat.
I did Ok during the afternoon. I never saw the buzzbait guy catch a fish. I, on the other hand, just before dark, started catching these on my tiny hand-tied Griffiths Gnat:

I couldn’t help but think about the disparity of the two lures. In my mind a buzzbait looks like a kitchen spoon with a propeller on it. With that thought, today I asked ChatGPT to draw a buzzbait out of a slotted kitchen spoon. It produced the image to the left. What a contraption! Just like a buzzbait!

Now it may sound like I am picking on gear fishermen here. Well, that would be right. I recently saw some posts on social media by bass fishermen picking on fly fishers, calling them “River Fairies”, like we are all a bunch of wannabe-ballet dancers out there waving our little wands to try and catch fish. The post made fun of our “9 inch” trout. I asked ChatGPT to draw a fly fisherman as a ballet dancer, see left. I really hate myself for doing that.

It made me recall my favorite clip of a bass tournament I was watching on TV many, many years ago. Yeah, I watched a bass tournament, but hey, at the time there was no Internet and that was the only fishing you could find on TV. (It was only fair to ask ChatGPT for a bass fisherman for my story, below.)

This bass fishermen, wearing a colorful onesie covered in sponsor logos, was explaining how the “professionals” do it. He hooked a really small bass and with his stiff rod and no-stretch line he yanked the fish in from about 30 feet out. It bounced off the console and landed on the carpet of his deck and started flopping toward the side of the boat. The fisherman dove onto the fish to keep it from flopping over the side. He was successful, but in the process of pouncing on the fish (really great technique BTW), he managed to hook his onesie onto one of the nine hooks on his lure. Unfortunately one of the other hooks in the bass had penetrated the carpet of his deck. There he was, pinned to the fish and the carpet, unable to stand or do anything really. Unabashed he explained to the camera that “sometimes that happens”. He even explained how Bass fishermen with strong lines that yank the fish in take better care of the fish by “getting them in quickly”. Too bad we couldn’t ask the bass how it felt hitting the windshield of the console at thirty miles per hour.

Another incident which I like to tell on bass fishermen was told by a friend, on himself. He was fishing in a pond on his property and had left a treble-hooked lure on or around his tackle box. When he went to leave, he couldn’t find the lure. After searching for a while, he gave up and loaded up his tackle box on his ATV but when he went to throw a leg over the ATV, he couldn’t lift his leg. He found the problem was due to the missing lure now revealing itself hooked into his trouser leg and now a treble hook had found the other trouser leg. His legs were shackled together by the treble hooks and of course, they were barbed. ChatGPT didn’t quite understand the scene, see left.

I have a vision in my head of my friend, walking around looking for that lure with it attached to his trouser leg and it following him every step. AI image to the left, it’s a little off and something about AI is that it seems to like drawing unattached reels. Weird.

Realizing he would need pliers to get the treble hooks off, my friend rode his ATV by sitting side-saddle to an outdoor shed where he knew he had a pair. After getting off his ATV he hopped to the door of his shed but then quickly realized he could not hop high enough to get into the shed. At one point he attempted it but only succeeded in falling in the doorway.

As much as he hated it, he finally decided he needed his wife to help him and he hopped his way across the yard. His wife met him at the door laughing so hard she was in tears. Apparently she had been watching out the kitchen window. Needless to say, his wife relates that story at every opportunity, though probably embellished.

Just for comparison between buzzbait bass fishing and fly fishing, I asked ChatGPT to draw a scene with a salmon taking a salmon fly. Now that’s more like it.

I asked the ChatGPT to draw some buzzbaits made out of kitchen utensils for me. Enjoy:

So, there’s you some payback Bass people. Now be quiet or I’ll do an article on umbrella rigs!

Now to sum it all up, I asked ChatGPT to “explain to me why some people like to fly fish while others like to use spinning and bait casting tackle“.

ChatGPT said:

The choice between fly fishing, spinning, and baitcasting often comes down to personal preference, the type of fishing experience people enjoy, and the specific conditions they fish in. Here’s a breakdown:

Fly Fishing:

Technique and Artistry: Fly fishing is often seen as an art form. The casting technique is fluid and rhythmic, and mastering it can feel rewarding.
Challenge and Skill: It requires skill to present the fly delicately and accurately, making it appealing to those who enjoy a challenge.
Imitating Insects: Fly anglers often enjoy tying their own flies to match local insect hatches, adding a personal touch.
Serenity and Tradition: Fly fishing is often associated with peaceful, scenic environments like rivers and streams. It’s as much about being in nature as it is about catching fish.

Spinning and Baitcasting:

Versatility: These setups can handle a wider variety of lures and baits, from soft plastics to crankbaits, making them more versatile.
Ease of Use: Spinning gear is generally easier for beginners to learn, while baitcasting can be trickier but offers precision and control.
Distance and Power: Baitcasting gear can cast heavier lures long distances and handle larger fish, making it great for bass fishing and other freshwater or saltwater applications.
Efficiency: Some anglers prefer the efficiency of covering more water with spinning or baitcasting tackle, as it can be faster and less technique-focused.

Why People Choose One Over the Other:

Personal Connection: Some people fall in love with the art and tranquility of fly fishing, while others enjoy the precision and power of baitcasting or the simplicity of spinning.
Target Species: Fly fishing excels with trout and salmon, while spinning and baitcasting are often preferred for bass, pike, and saltwater species.
Fishing Environment: Fly fishing shines in rivers and streams, while spinning and baitcasting are more common in lakes, ponds, and coastal areas.

Ultimately, it’s all about what brings the most joy to the angler. Some folks even mix it up and enjoy both styles depending on where they are and what they’re fishing for!