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Old 02-20-12, 09:38 PM   #1
joedog
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Join Date: Jun 2011
Location: JANESVILLE,WI. 53545
Posts: 3,415
Unhappy How not to catch a Bass!

This reads more like a Tournament Post (because it is) but,
I think it's some good knowledge for anyone.
I really look forward to the tournament fishers views as well as everyone else. We all compete. Wether against ourselves, a friend ,a contest or just against that Bass that got off last outing. 'Majority of my Competition'

How to Catch a Bass-or Not: 7 Sure-Fire Ways to Go Home Empty


Pretty much the first question I’m always asked when people find out I write about bass fishing is “How do I catch more bass?” or “How come I don’t catch many bass?” followed up with a comment that they’ve read about all kinds of bass-fishing tips and techniques, but none of them seem to work, or, in the case of an angler entering a bass tourney, some bass fishing techniques worked in practice, but they come up empty in the tournament. Hopefully this post will show you how to catch more bass.
Part of the problem, I think, is overload. I’m a big fan of the KISS method. In fact, a lot of people say I’m just a big KISS BASS. Heh heh. For those of you who aren’t familiar with the KISS method, it stands for Keep It Simple Stup…um, Sally. Keep It Simple Sally. A lot of people pack their heads with some many different bass fishing ideas and techniques, and their tackle boxes with so many lures and rigs, that they forget that bass fishing is really quite simple. The reality is that the more you know, the more, sometimes, you unconsciously combine different techniques together that end up being the cause of failure.
Therefore, I’m giving you the following list on how NOT to catch bass. I would say you should memorize this list so you can remember it when you need it-that is, when you’re out on the lake or river, actually fishing. Too often we forget what we’ve learned when we’re out in the field, because the bass fishing tips we read about went in one ear and out the other. Anyway, at least read through the list a couple of times, or print it out and bring it with you the next time you’re out bass fishing.
How to Catch a Bass-or Not: 7 Surefire Simple Ways to Catch Absolutely Nothing
1. Past Bass Fishing Results Do Not Guarantee Future Returns. So you caught this one half-way decent lunker five years ago on that gravelly point, and now you have to hit that spot every single time you go out to fish, no matter what the conditions, and you spend half your day there, even though you haven’t caught anything at that spot since. Ok-time to let it go, man! Stop beating the dead horse and stop trying to relive old glory. Bass move around according to conditions, which include water temperature, light, time of year, and a host of other conditions. If the conditions are the same as when you caught that bass before, that’s one thing, but conditions rarely are the same, so give it a shot-and then move on if nothing happens.
2. Following the Crowd. So you’re in a bass fishing tournament at an unfamiliar lake, and everybody’s using the funky bass lure you’ve never heard of, say, the “Bass Blaster 5000”. (I made that one up. I think.) You make sure you buy it, and then you proceed to use it all day long. You catch nothing. New baits and lures always come with a learning curve that requires you to figure out how to use it. Fast crank or slow? Bottom, mid-depth or surface? Weeds or obstruction free? If you want to catch bass, stick with what works for you, especially in a bass tournament.

3. Practice Makes Perfect? Not So Much, Necessarily. So, that big one day bass fishing tournament is coming up. Yes, ONE day tournament. And you spend 4 or 5 days practice fishing before. You try every method under the sun. You’ve got it down, what to do on the bottom, on the surface, in the shallows, in the depths. Come tourney time, your mind is so scattered, you don’t know where to start your bass fishing! Again: KISS, and again, stick with what you do best.
4. Quitter! Ok, so you found a great spot during practice, and better yet, you saw no one else. Great! Your own secret spot. Then on tourney days, the place is loaded with bass boats! Uh oh. Don’t give up! The best way to catch bass is to stick with the original game plan. Before you know it, those other guys will give up and you’ll be catching bass after.
5. Not Pounding it Out. If you’re in a bass fishing tournament, what wins is poundage. Sure, banging out a bunch of 1 or 2 pounders is just plain fun, but if you’re in a bass tournament, you need big fish. Five good lunkers beat a dozen shrimp in every tournament. If you’re catching small ones, it’s time to move.
6. Slow Down Big Fella. When you’re excited, or nervous, we tend to lose patience. This translates to speeding up, both in terms of retrieving individual casts, and switching bait or lures. Take a few deep breaths and get back to basics. You can only catch one fish at a time.
7. Giving Up on a Good Spot. Bass are not elk. The don’t go very far. If you were able to catch bass during practice, there still there. The conditions are different, though, and you’ve got to adapt. Try changing things up, and remember numbers one through six above.
Good luck out on the water! I hope you’ve enjoyed this article on How to Catch a Bass-or Not!

Sometimes I think this decribes me to the 'T'. (red) I'm fishing slow when I should be fishing fast and fast when should be slow. I'm fishing plastics at a stump that hasn' caught me a fish all season.....but last year a caught a mule and maybe another one or two dinks. I like most of you like to try to improve my presentations. Hence I'm open to almost any new idea or tweeking my presentation thoughts. I then go out and try and perfect the new 'idea'. Sometimes with success, sometimes not. But also sometimes forget to do what I DID in the past because crowding my mental abilities. Good examle is me and hair pin spinner baits. I try and try every style, one blade, two blades. Colarado blade, willow blade, slow role, fast role every color known to mankind. Every person I know can and does have great success with these. I truefully remember only four fish I EVER caught on these.......back when I was like 18yrs. old. All in one afternoon in one spot. But all I can remember is how excited I was. Hence, this year I'm sure yet again I'll be trying some new strategy. I can do swimjigs, lipless and numerous other baits as alternatives. But I'll still remember 30yrs. ago having that day!
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Last edited by joedog; 02-21-12 at 12:10 PM.
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