Discouraged Fisherman....(wannabe)

[Bassassinator]

Hey guys, just got back from yet another upsetting trip on the lake today.....still no bites, when I get to the lake, I am pumped and ready to catch some fish, after an hour or 2 of nothing, i start to feel bad. This is week #2 of no catches. do you guys ever feel this way? and if so, how did you get past it?

[DJ_Callahan_27]

One of two things works most of the time to catch a couple or build confidence.
First off you can downsize your bait size. If your throwing a 1/2 oz. spinner bait change to a 1/4 or 3/16 oz spinner bait. Or if your throwing a 1/2 oz lipless crankbait drop tp a 5/16 or 1/4 oz. and so on. This often targets smaller fish but don't be surprised if you catch a wall hanger though.
The other option is to change gears, so to speak. If your fishing a t-rigged worm or craw down a long point, try a lipless crankbait, crankbait, swimbait, or other faster moving bait. If your burning a spinnerbait throw brush, stick ups, blown over trees, or chuck rock, try a fluke, wieghtless worm, DS, T-rigged worm or craw, or a shacky head worm or something like that.

If that doesn't work to put a few fish in the boat there always DYNAMITE....LOL....

DJ

[keithdog]

DJ makes some good points. I'm currious as to when you are going out to fish? Early morning, mid day, evening? While I am an early morning junky, there are many days when I am on the water before sunrise, and really don't get into any action untill 10AM. Maybe you need to change the time of day your going oout. Or, as is often the case, it may take a few hours to trying various techniques to figure out whats working that day. Just don't give up pal. You'll start catching them soon.

[1/4 stick]

If I can, I'll change what time of day I'm fishing. If I'm getting nothing when I go and fish in the morning, then I'll switch and go mid afternoon and fish till Dark and vise versa. Normally I'm to bull headed, and just keep trying different lures and colors of those lures and all the things DJ mentioned until I find what works. I'll even give up on artificial baits and use minnows or night crawlers, maybe give up on bass for a couple trips and go for the bream or catfish. After all that fails, I switch to the 1/4 sticks.

[Bassassinator]

I like to go out whenever I can...normally this is early afternoon, around 2 or 3, until about 7:30 pm. other days i like to get out around 5:00am which is before the first rays of sunshine hit the water until about 8 am. i have tried numerous baits, and lures, none of which seem to bring any luck. I just got another lure that worked for a nice size bluegill today, but that's not my target, as I KNOW i cannot pick which fish bite my bait, it has only been the one and my target is BASS. It seems that my girl gets all the Bass we have caught in the past week and a half and i get stuck with the shrimpy sunfish. but, i am not giving up that easily....i am trying to think of other ways to present my baits....but as i don't know alot yet, it's becoming increasingly difficult...i never have been the type to "Think outside the box" per se. But, i will be heading out early morning to try and get out as they start to run their mroning feed schedule, and hopefully i will have another pic to post in my album for you ghuys to check out.

[1/4 stick]

Originally Posted by Bassassinator

I like to go out whenever I can...normally this is early afternoon, around 2 or 3, until about 7:30 pm. other days i like to get out around 5:00am which is before the first rays of sunshine hit the water until about 8 am. i have tried numerous baits, and lures, none of which seem to bring any luck. I just got another lure that worked for a nice size bluegill today, but that's not my target, as I KNOW i cannot pick which fish bite my bait, it has only been the one and my target is BASS. It seems that my girl gets all the Bass we have caught in the past week and a half and i get stuck with the shrimpy sunfish. but, i am not giving up that easily....i am trying to think of other ways to present my baits....but as i don't know alot yet, it's becoming increasingly difficult...i never have been the type to "Think outside the box" per se. But, i will be heading out early morning to try and get out as they start to run their mroning feed schedule, and hopefully i will have another pic to post in my album for you ghuys to check out.

There's your problem. Never take a girl fishing with you unless you don't mind her doing all the catching. She'll skunk you every time.

Seriously though, sounds like she's the one you need to be asking, not us. lol Just picking.

[bamabassman]

ok.....listen pal. CATCHING BASS isn't ALL there is to fishing ok? go out there to ENJOY the water, and time alone. let the world go. forget about "catching" fish and relax. then you can understand why you went in the first place. i think that you are "overthinking" things. take a big ol breath and let it out slowly. after you let your mind wander a bit, you'll start to remember things you couldn't think about when you were going at it so hard.
take out a big ol worm, texas rig it. throw it out and take about 10 minutes to reel it back in. give it little drags and let it sit. hop it, let it sit. dead stick it. do this a few tmes. like for an hour or so. then you'll get it pal.

[nofearengineer]

Amen, Brother Bama.

Sometimes the nice weather is all there is to enjoy. Be ready for those times.

But...if you insist upon catching fish

just keep switching it up until you find something that works, That's part of the mystery of fishing. Sometimes they just want something particular to eat, and it's your job to figure it out.

Take tonight. I was fishing a local pond, and having my usual late summer luck, which is to say BAD luck. I figured I was gonna keep getting skunked, but I decided to try out a jig, which I rarely do. BAM...a couple of really nice bass caught. I probably should have been using that jig a lot more lately. And I will put that in my mental notebook for next year when I hit the dog days of summer.

You just need some more practice, patience, and experience to know that there are gonna be times when the fishing is rough. But those times will make the great days all the more memorable! Hang in there!

[Bubba_Bruiser]

Originally Posted by bamabassman

ok.....listen pal. CATCHING BASS isn't ALL there is to fishing ok? go out there to ENJOY the water, and time alone. let the world go. forget about "catching" fish and relax. then you can understand why you went in the first place. i think that you are "overthinking" things. take a big ol breath and let it out slowly. after you let your mind wander a bit, you'll start to remember things you couldn't think about when you were going at it so hard.
take out a big ol worm, texas rig it. throw it out and take about 10 minutes to reel it back in. give it little drags and let it sit. hop it, let it sit. dead stick it. do this a few tmes. like for an hour or so. then you'll get it pal.

I am with Bama on this. I just started fishing big impoundments steady about 2 years ago. I never would fish them because I had 0 confidence outside of ponds and small lakes less than 50 acres. But I lost a lot of private spots and had no other choice to overcome the intimidation or quit fishing. The latter never crossed my mind. I used to tend to throw everything in my box and came up with a stripe down my back. But now I am more committed to the season and through many hours of surfing threads around here for tips. When all else fails, try a shakey head rig, whacky rig, or a 4" curly tail worm with 1/16 or 1/8oz t-rig. It will come though, don't lose the faith.

[Bassassinator]

Nah, i am not gonna quit just yet, and Bama, i agree...maybe i AM overthinking things, but usually, as is the norm in my life, i don't think ENOUGH about some things....so, judging whether or not i am overthinking this is out of my grasp, but i think you are right anyways. I seem to focus on what i am doing wrong and why i am not catching fish. after all....that's kinda the point right? especially, when my girl brags about it and pretty much turns it into a competition. that doesn't please me very much, but i accept it. i need more time out there, and to know where they are and aren't biting. I only have enclosed places to fish without a boat, so rivers like the one near us are out of reach for me.....it is kindof bigger and i wouldn't try fishing on it in a canoe....but i am going to try again tomorrow morning and this time i will try to do like you suggested Bama, and dead stick it a bit....see what turns up.

[carolina-rig-01]

overthinking things is the death of most anglers. we all tend to overthink situations when things aren't working out like we think they should, and a lot of the times that causes us to overlook the obvious things. just relax and let it come to you. as you make subtle changes to your presentation like slowing it down or speeding it up you might get a bite or two that clues you in on something that you have been missing.

[Bassassinator]

hey thanks Carolina, it helps me to know that all of you are there to help when things get rough on/in the water...

[bamabassman]

hey pal.......EVERYONE HERE will tell you that if there are fish caught outta MY boat, it comes from the REAR. hahahaha, see i have turned the mrs bamabassman onto fishing with me. now SHE catches the fish and i get to do the guiding. i DO NOT mind it ONE little bit either. it is fun to watch someone who hasn't evr fished much learn adn catch fish. that is why i enjoy everyones pictures when they post em. love to read the sories too. so relax and enjoy your girlfriends fishing with oyu, women like that are a rare breed, she just might be a "keeper" too.

[Bassassinator]

lol, She can be at times Bama...hehe. Nah, she's a good girl and likes alot of the things I do, and fishing is great when we can acttually enjoy it. I try too hard, and use too many different lures, as well as staying in only a few spots in the places that i know to go fishing...wishin' i had a boat, or canoe, but that will come too...later. I'm also not sure if it is time for the fish to move yet, they HAVE moved since my first few trips this year, i started late, and now the fishing has gotten to a point where all i am doing is casting aftert casting after casting.....with no bites, this does get pretty tiring, and i would like to be out for an extended period of time, but the girl never let's me....i tell her before we leave to be prepared to be there for a few hours and she says ok but after an hour or so, she starts getting ready to leave. I think MORE time spent would be better, but maybe that's just me...

[bamabassman]

more time out there is the key my friend. if she gets bored after an hour or so, get her to bring a book or something else to help her pass the time. take a blanket and have her wear her bathing suit and work on her tan. take a radio,food and such. you can have a lot of fun if you know what i mean. and no.not THAT kind of fun either, unless you're old enough. think of things she can do besides fishing while she is with you. then you can concentrate on your fishing.

[Gbassman]

thats right, they do come from the back of your boat

[Bassassinator]

hehe, i AM old enough lol at 28, but no i do understand a little better now, that i need to bring more stuff to occupy our minds while we are fishing...normally it's just the rods, tackleboxes, and a chair or two. but i am trying to spend more time out there, only now i have my Baitcaster, and i am learning, or in the process of, to throw it....it's alot harder than i first thought it would be...i gotta work on the casting from sidearm....always veers left.....and overhead isn't going much of anywhere....i adjusted my brakes, drag, and spool tension, but still not getting much for distance...

[Jim80]

Originally Posted by Bassassinator

hehe, i AM old enough lol at 28, but no i do understand a little better now, that i need to bring more stuff to occupy our minds while we are fishing...normally it's just the rods, tackleboxes, and a chair or two. but i am trying to spend more time out there, only now i have my Baitcaster, and i am learning, or in the process of, to throw it....it's alot harder than i first thought it would be...i gotta work on the casting from sidearm....always veers left.....and overhead isn't going much of anywhere....i adjusted my brakes, drag, and spool tension, but still not getting much for distance...

You'll get there with the baitcaster it just takes some time , as towards the time of the day some of the best fishing will come after the sun goes down , you want to throw baits that give off a lot of vibration , like a big single colorado bladed spinner in black or a soft plastic swim bait or a jig that rattles with a large plastic trailer .

Jim

[italian dude]

dis-cor-age wow what a word and just a word you must thing positive all the time never let your faith down

[bamabassman]

You'll get it man, just relax and take your time. It'll all come together for ya.

[Bassassinator]

hey guys thank y'all! i just went out into "The Darkness" to pursue fishies....whilst no fishies came to my line, i think that there should be somethingsaid for the guys that can learn to cast a baitcaster both overhand, and sidearm as well as learning how to remove a "Bird's Nest" in the dark...i feel proud.

[bamabassman]

congrats pal. you are really good ifn you can do that in the dark. did oyu use the techinque kevin uses? i do and i tell ya it really works.

[Bassassinator]

Yeah actually I WAS using kevin's technique in fact it worked so well, that i had almost no effort to pulling out the nests. But i will say one thing though....Trilene 8lb test while trying to take out a birds nest on a baitcaster.....it cuts through fingers...ouch.

[Bassassinator]

Originally Posted by Bassassinator

Yeah actually I WAS using kevin's technique in fact it worked so well, that i had almost no effort to pulling out the nests. But i will say one thing though....Trilene 8lb test while trying to take out a birds nest on a baitcaster.....it cuts through fingers...ouch.

Or...maybe i was gripping the line to hard and in the wrong way....but it cut throguh a few layers of my pinky finger and i started bleeding...but oh well...no pain, no gain right guys?

[RandyHolt]

bassinator, using the BC - try a sidearm circle cast. in one motion, slowly pull it back to the side loop it downwards a bit and then forward and let go of the thumb. Reel facing up as you release it - a fluid motion getting faster as you progress through the cast. I was hooking all my tee shots left as well, and for some reason what a BPS guy called the circle cast - fixed my cast. It almost like swinging a tennis racket.

Getting birdnests? tighten those brakes - dont bother with "optimal" pro tour settings if you are a noob like me. Try what i call safe mode. Lots of brakes and heavy lures. Especially the magnetic brake. I keep mine high like 8 or 9. I now get very few nests. I turn it down a tad, see it nesting, and then crank it up. Learning slowly keeps it more fun for me - in safe mode I am catching fish not untangling so much as i was early on. Slowly ease the brakes a hair if you can get ~10 casts with no issue.