Then I get people asking me, "what do you recommend I use to get started fishing"? I don't know! A crank phone? Maybe dynamite? We all go through slumps or dry spells but there are ways out of it. You probably won't see an instant turn around but what if you could put two fish in the boat vs none?
I was listening to a former NFL cornerback speak one day and he was talking about getting out played in one particular game and the way he portrayed it it was ugly. On their way home from the game the coach pulled him to the side (he was thinking he was in trouble) and the coach told him something to the effect, "When the game is getting away from you go back to the fundamentals".
So what are the fundamentals of bass fishing? If you want to get real basic, a piece of string, a hook and some sort of bait. What do I consider the basics? Well, I'm glad you asked. I'm going to skip over rod selection and knots and all of that stuff and talk about the things I think are the basics for breaking a slump or just putting fish in the boat. I can't speak for anyone else so take this for what it is, just one dude's point of view.
First off I do a "check up from the neck up". What am I thinking about? Am I focused on the task at hand or am I thinking about whatever else is going on in my life real or imagined? What is your self talk like? Is it positive and focused on catching fish or are you in a negative spin cycle not controlling your thoughts? Another thing that I think is one of the most important aspects for me personally is expectations. Do I really expect to catch fish? Am I tuned in to what is going on in the here and now? Am I feeling confident? Here's one for you; Have you ever had the feeling a fish was going to be in a certain spot and pulled one out of there? That has happened to me numerous times. The only way I can explain it is like this. There is knowing an area should or does hold fish and then there is have a gut feeling and knowing there is a fish in a certain spot. That brings me to my next point.
I had "that feeling" a fish was against this short stretch of bank and pulled this girl out from her spot.
Time on the water. You didn't get good at your job by not showing up and not working while you are there. The only way to truly get good at anything is to practice at it. Period. End of discussion. Contrary to what most people think fishing is not luck. I understand there are lucky catches where the newbie angler lands a giant but I'm not talking about them. I'm talking about the folks that put in their time that's not luck. When you see guys that have multiple Double Digit Bass to their names or your friends that just seem to have a knack to catch fish, that's not luck. That is skill, knowledge of the waters they fish and confidence in their abilities and the tools at their disposal. And you don't get any of that watching The Real Housewives.
Go where the fish are. Yep I said it and it's true. For me I have to know I have a shot at a decent fish but I also need to be able to shake the skunk off at the same time. So I fish just a handful of places consistently. I look at it like this; I would rather have an intimate knowledge of two or three places and know how to fish them well then to "butterfly" from spot to hoping I get lucky. By learning to fish a few places well you build a foundation on which to (re)build your confidence. Let me make one point here though. There is a huge difference between fishing a pond in somebody's back yard and fishing a public lake or river that gets some pressure. A pond will trick you into thinking you actually know how to fish. Don't get sucked into that trap, get on public waters and you'll be a better angler for it.
Last and probably least is the tackle. The basics are the basics and there are a few lures/techniques I think everyone should learn.
1. A Texas Rigged Worm- When all else fails this is my #1 confidence technique more fish have fallen to this than any other technique. When I'm in a slump this is the first place I go.
2. Spinnerbaits- Although I've gotten away from them in the last few years I can't tell you how many fish I've caught on a spinnerbait and it is still one of my favorite night time baits and a killer river bait.
3. Wakebaits and Poppers- Something to dead stick or creep along on the surface.
4. Toads- Not hollow bodied frogs but toads. Something I can rip across the top that is a little subtler than a buzzbait but is weedless that I can fish just like a buzzbait.
Those are my confidence/rebuilding baits or techniques. The reason I saved it for the last and say it is probably the least important it because they are what I use for my confidence. If you ask somebody else they are probably going to give you a different answer. So what are your confidence baits? What are you going to do to drag yourself out of the got another skunk blues?
Go where the fish are. Yep I said it and it's true. For me I have to know I have a shot at a decent fish but I also need to be able to shake the skunk off at the same time. So I fish just a handful of places consistently. I look at it like this; I would rather have an intimate knowledge of two or three places and know how to fish them well then to "butterfly" from spot to hoping I get lucky. By learning to fish a few places well you build a foundation on which to (re)build your confidence. Let me make one point here though. There is a huge difference between fishing a pond in somebody's back yard and fishing a public lake or river that gets some pressure. A pond will trick you into thinking you actually know how to fish. Don't get sucked into that trap, get on public waters and you'll be a better angler for it.
Last and probably least is the tackle. The basics are the basics and there are a few lures/techniques I think everyone should learn.
1. A Texas Rigged Worm- When all else fails this is my #1 confidence technique more fish have fallen to this than any other technique. When I'm in a slump this is the first place I go.
2. Spinnerbaits- Although I've gotten away from them in the last few years I can't tell you how many fish I've caught on a spinnerbait and it is still one of my favorite night time baits and a killer river bait.
3. Wakebaits and Poppers- Something to dead stick or creep along on the surface.
4. Toads- Not hollow bodied frogs but toads. Something I can rip across the top that is a little subtler than a buzzbait but is weedless that I can fish just like a buzzbait.
Those are my confidence/rebuilding baits or techniques. The reason I saved it for the last and say it is probably the least important it because they are what I use for my confidence. If you ask somebody else they are probably going to give you a different answer. So what are your confidence baits? What are you going to do to drag yourself out of the got another skunk blues?
No comments:
Post a Comment