Fishing is fine - my catching is something else.

[Texas Transplant]

After my dismal performance in this weekends tourney, I need to get some professional help. So here I am.



My tournament results are just plain dismal lately :wacko: (this year, and most of the last half of last year also). To date this year:



February/Wylie- zero bites/fish

March/Keowee (2 day) - one fish

April/Kerr (2 day) - two fish.

May/Rhodhiss - one perch, one catfish, one short bass (live released at boat side)



I'm simply not getting out enough to fish, for the most part. Those also happen to be the only times I've been fishing this year. I've had a couple of practice days (day before tourney), but not much.



Several things I believe that I'm not doing well.



1) Just not near enough time on the water. I realize that NOTHING replaces that, I just haven't been able to seem to get out enough.



2) I like to fish slow and thorough. However, I'm believing that maybe I'm sitting too long in an area. On Saturday, we basically fished 4 areas in 9 hours. Spent the first 3 hours in a medium sized area - smaller feeder creek with three main coves in it. Then fished a smaller cut (could hold 3 boats, barely) for at least 90 minutes - maybe longer. Then off to another feeder creek with a smaller area. Another hour there. Went up to a decent creekchannel (where 3 other boats were at), and spent about 90-120 minutes there. Then tried up the lake where it was muddy, then back down to our starting area.



Question:



How do you go about getting out of a blue funk like this? Any suggestions will be appreciated.



One thing I'm thinking of doing, is going to the lake with a small aresnal of weapons on the deck (3-4 baits total), and really trying to run-n-gun one morning. That's not what I have typically done in the past, but I'm starting to believe that I'm sticking it out for too long in once place.



Hammer away.



Tex

 

[TrepMan]

Tex - As a non-club/T fisherman who had a VERY similar 2004 to you (with the exception of my ONE good bass in KY) what I did, which will NOT help you, is to NOT fish for bass!! LOL I took up Crappie, Hybrid, Striper and White Bass fishing since December. I've gone a few times for Bass (2 or 3) with not a lot of luck,so I decided to try something different.



In your case, I might suggest (besides the obvious getting on the water more) seeing if one or 2 of the realy TOP guys in your club could join you on a Sat/Sun non-T day, and pick their brains, if they are friendly types. I've found (from my WEALTHY of fishing experience!!! LOL) that having someone watch, listen and guide you is always helpful.



Trep



P.S. no mater what happens in the next 3 months, your ARMS will hurt the week of Aug 29th in Canada with us!!!!

 

[Rusty Williams]

I too have had simular days and months.

So I tried something new...when fishing try places that u think under no circumstances will hold fish and throw a lure that there is no way (in your mind) that a fish would bite.

Every time i have tried this i have caught fish! May just show how bass dumb i am....but it works



RW:lol:

 

[Staci Matheis]

My advice..... Don't pay any attention to Michael Trepper! :lol: :lol:

 

[Mini]

Fish your way out.....it is the only way.



You need to get on the water. Success builds confidence and confidence equals success.



Mini

 

[Larry Anderson]

Maybe switching back to an old style you have abandoned. My example:



Coming from the North I fished all spinning tackle and became a pretty decent worm and soft plastics fisherman. I moved South about 8 years ago and became fairly proficient with baitcasting rods and love fishing with them. One thing I noticed over the past couple of years is that I was slowly abandoning soft plastics fishing because I was having a hell of a time catching them. This year I decided to switch back to a spinning outfit (albeit heavier than I used to use) with medium heavy pole, larger reel and 17lb. test. Let me tell you, best thing I ever did. I have caught more fish in the past two months on that outfit and I am fishing the hell outta soft plastics. Me and Velcro scored a couple 2nd places and I caught some pretty decent fish in our 2nd tourney that I don't think I would have caught on baitcaster. I fished a small club tourney 2 weeks ago and caught 17 bass (although most short) and again it was on this spinning outfit. I like the baitcaster for spinnerbaits,crankbaits ( fast moving) but I believe I am having ;no I know I am having serious success because of that switch. So I am not saying switch to a spinning outfit, but look back in your past experience and see if there was something you left behind that may have been successful for you.........LA

 

[Bryan McDonough]

Get in the right frame of mind. (I'm starting to sound like Clunn.) Go fish that lake that you always do well on, and catch some fish. Regain your confidence. Most of my slumps are during stressful times, those days were you start thinking of other things that have nothing to do with fishing. If you are not concetrating on the fishing, i mean each and every cast, than your not gonna do well.



Mix it up. If you fish slow and know the fish are there, then figure them out. Don't keep offering the same bait that they have already resisted 20 times. Try the same bait in a different size. Try retrieving at different speeds. Just do something different.



Fish out of the back. Fish from the back of a boat now and then. I have learned lots of new areas and techniques doing this.



Keep fishing, and have fun. And as you know it happens to all of us.

 

[joe haley]

Im no expert buy when I fish buddy tourn. we do not like to run and gun but before hand we decied on 6 or 7 places and we will not stay on one hole more than an hour and usualy we both are throwing adifferent bait im a soft plastic person so if they are not on soft plastics im pretty well blanked whats nice about soft pl is they maker one for any type of fishing my favorite is carolina rig when the bite is hard to get and never leave ahole where you catch fish if it cools off leave and come back in an hour JD

 

[Brian Ingersoll]

I agree with BMCD, go to a lake you know you can wear them out on. Even if it's a small pond and they're all 12 inchers, it'll do wonders for your confidence.



Other suggestion - downsize and go for numbers instead of size. You'de be suprized how many times you can thouroughly fish an area and go back with a crappie jig or 4" worm and catch fish you never knew were there, sometimes even some big ones. I've caught numerous 4-5# bass on crappie jigs and beetle spins while trying to just get some keepers. It also gives you practice fighting fish when you're in thick cover with a crappie jig and 6# line and a 4# bass hits.

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

Very simple. Go with your gut, it is the best tool you have. Get back to basics. And most important stay confident. The bites will come, they always do.



TOXIC

 

[Larry Harp]

I agree with several of the other replies. Get back to basics. Sometimes when things aren't going well we start trying to do something differant, something gimicky or some new gadget that some pro on TV caught 12, 8 pounders in 30 minutes with. Go back to proven winners like spinnerbaits in chart/white, white, or my go to color black, crankbaits in natural shad or bluegill or baby bass, and T-rig worms in watermelon, pumpkin seed, and junebug. We know that bass never get wise to those and you'll have condidence in throwing them into the right places.



I'm like you are about staying too long in one place. I drive my son crazy because he's always wanting to go zooming around the lake in search for a better spot. I feel like if I'm in a spot that has all the right stuff like shallow water near deep with cover such as timber or grass, some shade if it's a sunny day then I'm fairly sure that there is at least one bass living there...and where there's one bass there usually is a limit if you just figure out the code...and that's why it's called fishing instead of catching.



Harpo

 

[Texas Transplant]

Thanks guy's for the thoughtfull responses. Just getting to the computer at home tonight.



Tex

 

[Scott Hammer TOXIC]

You can ask KB, he claims I am the slowest fisherman he has ever seen!! If I find a spot that I know is "fishy", I'll pick it apart, piece by piece. I get in the zone and I swear I can sense them.



You need to find that "zone" for lack of a better term.



I went out on my local electric only lake today and as I was puttin in, one of the old timers who fishes there all of the time was coming off the water. I asked him how the bite was and he said terrible, he had been there since sunup and nothing. Not even Crappie. It was about 1:00 when I put in. I motored across the lake caught 2 keepers tight to the bank (the water was muddy) and the skies opened up so I dashed back to the ramp and home.



I knew those fish were there.



TOXIC

 

[Bruce Freeman]

Well like they say do what you do best. Last year I tried new and improved and I did ok, when I went back to what I do, I did better. What I do is look for places that have fish the way I fish. I love my crankbaits, Spinners and a plastics. But when your in the back of the boat you don't have the choice of what you are going to fish or where. I can catch fish on a Senko (but who can't) but it kills me to fish that slow. But I also work an area to death, most of the people I have fished with fish to fast for me, movement wise. I want to hit every rock, stump, tree limb ect. But then again I am kind of hard headed... Does that make any since?

BF

 

[Rob LaMoy]

Go with your confidence baits and don't put them down. It only takes one good bite to turn a slump around.



For me, when the going gets tough, I pack up all rods except for:



jig rod

jerkbait rod

grub/tube rod

topwater rod



If I can't bit and limit out on those then I really have a problem. And my 4 biggest confidence baits cover the full spectrum of water depths, types of bites, largemouth or smallies, cold water or warm, rivers or lakes, etc. With those baits, it doesn't matter when or where I'm fishing, I know that at least 2 of them is going to get me bit. Just that confidence alone sets you at ease and allows you start fishing your way again. A slump is no time to start fiddling with new baits or techniques.

 

[Dan J.]

Take your confidence, favorite toys, and determination, to your favorite lake AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE. Nothing beats time on the water, even if its only a couple hours or less. Dragging and dumping day after day can be tedious, but the payoffs are monumental for your overall fishing strategy. Keep yourself from "hole" jumping and develop main lake strategies, "patterning" your fishing, accomodating your standard tactics to changes influenced by conditions. (weather, moon,...) These are techniques that can be priceless when hitting a variety of "new water". IMHO

 

[Texas Transplant]

Lot's of good suggestions. Some I do now, others I need to put back in my arsenal. Talked to the wife about it last night and she agreed, that I need to get out more.



Tex

 

[Larry Harp]

Tex,

While you've got her agreeing with you, you need to inform her that you are going to quit your job in order to get more T. O. W. and that she is going to have to be the sole support of the family. Anxious to hear how far that one flies.:lol:



Harpo

 

[Texas Transplant]

Yeah, sure Harpo. You KNOW how that one would fly.







Tex

 

[TrepMan]

And while you're at it, tell her the BIGGEST problem is the boat is too small! You need a good 21ft boat with a 275 on the back!! I'll even come up and take the Stratos away to make room for ya! What a friend!!!

 

[Texas Transplant]

You know Trep, you are just too good a friend!



Waiting on the fall team boat sales.



Tex

 

[Mini]

I can see your problem.....get the keyboard outta your face and get to fishin'!



Mini