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Old 02-19-09, 06:19 AM   #1
CCbass
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Default Bass fishing, 90% mental

I see alot of postings about how the pros catch fish and in that all the top pros mention its almost all or mostly mental. As in fact do most sport superstars. Many of us have talent, access to the same line,lures,poles,ellectronis,boats, technically we are sound. On the mental side it makes a difference as to how successful we are. Case in point, me and a friend fished the same lake for years, always 5 to 8 fish a piece and as many misses per outing. Very constant over the years with a few lesser days, the only difference, many hits and not catches. One Sunday we heard the house owners on the lake tell use the DFG was electro shoking the lake that night (they left them flyers). Convinced this would ruin our lake we waited until Wed. to fish again, expecting not much. Guess what, that day we caught one fish and only had two bites, way off our norm. The next Saturday we fished, thinking enough time passed and it was pretty much back to normal. Come the next Tuesday I saw a DFG ranger at the lake and asked how the electro fishing went, she said, oh we did not do it. Mentally we took ourselves out of the game, convinced we would not do well we did not do well. Just a thought on how most bass fisherman think weather, wind, lure color, ect. will make for a bad day.
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Old 02-19-09, 11:15 AM   #2
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It's true, you got to have your head in the game or it's just a waste of time.


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Old 02-19-09, 12:43 PM   #3
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I know I will catch fish, the only mystery to solve is how many.

Free your mind ..... your rear end will follow.
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Old 02-19-09, 03:03 PM   #4
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yeah it is mental.... you have to never give up and have confidence in yourself and your instincts
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Old 02-19-09, 06:24 PM   #5
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It is mental to a very large degree. It takes a high confindence level for sure on days when the bite is off. But confidence won't do you any good unless you also have the basic knowledge about bass movements and the biologic needs of bass. Knowing the where's, when's, and why's are critical to bass fishing. Any lucky stiff can toss a lure in front of a bass and get a hit. However, to do so consistently, it takes more than that. Another aspect is the ability to concentrate for hours on end. I've been fishing with guys I outfish on a regular basis. Not trying to brag here, but one difference I see right away is the failure of these guys to concentrate. Constantly blabbing about this and that, digging through the lunch box every 30 minutes, asking me about this and that. Those are the guys who are not even going to notice bass hitting shad on the surface, or that you've motored from one kind of structure into another. They won't feel the light peck of the fish sucking up their t-rigged lizard. They won't see the twitch in their line from a light hit. And when they do get a good strike, they will often fail to properly set the hook because they were not prepared for it when it happened. There are several aspects to the mental game, and the difference between a good angler and a not so good angler is the ability to stay sharp in all areas of that game.
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Old 02-20-09, 02:42 AM   #6
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+1 to Keith. I don't mind talking every now and then, but most serious bass fisherman never say much unless the action is just automatic and on fire. But those tough days take some serious concentration. I have had people say, I thought you do this to relax, but you look so serious and quiet. I tell them if they wanna talk, we'll go bream or catfishing, hahahahaha. No, I'm not that mean, but I do take the bass fishing seriously. And I can tell the difference when my mind is wondering.
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Old 02-20-09, 03:36 AM   #7
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My experience with the mental game comes not only from that experience but fishing partners with a new to bass fishing friend. Every tournement he would freak out at some point, questioning what we should fish and where. The best was a tournement where we had two 4+ in the livewell and a 1.3 (double wiegh in 5+ & 3+ weighed first half). He was freaking out saying we needed another big fish, 30 min. to wiegh in. I said all we need is a quality fish and we will be fine 2.5, 3lb. to replace the small one. He wanted to move, I said no there are many quality fish around here, I hooked a 2.5 and we won by .5 ounces. The reality is if we both srambled, freaked out and ran trying to find a big fish area, mental wise and time wise it would have been the end for a win.
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Old 02-20-09, 11:23 AM   #8
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Very mental, yes, 90% mental? I don't think so. Ever see KVD roll cast a spinnerbait to targets or Dion Hibdon skip docks or Dean Rojas skip that frog, Kermit, under a bush or Denny Brauer take apart a laydown pitching and flipping or Aaron Martens fish a drop shot or did you see and hear Alton Jones explain how he found those Classic winning fish on submerged logs in a ditch using his Humminbird sidefinder sonar unit? It takes alot of skill to win, even at the local level. And it takes something more than skill and mental ability also in my opinion. I call it a "sixth sense" or intuition or a gut feeling or instinct-----something beyond thought----when you're in the zone. When I'm really, really in the zone, which doesn't happen much, I can almost call my bites. Ever see the video of Rick Clunn at the final day weigh in at the Classic when he came from way, way behind to win it? I can't remember the year but that guys eyes and face looked like he was stoned he was so far into the zone and he said as much later. Being able to get in the zone, or develop a sixth sense, in my opinion, is a combination of a natural, God-given ability combined with time spent on the water developing it.
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Old 02-20-09, 03:06 PM   #9
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yeah the concentration part is huge.....i have yet to master this.... the pros think only about fishing when they are on the lake.... you have to see everything, feel everything, remember everywhere you got a hit or felt a change of cover, and you just have to be in that "zone"..... im not saying 90% maybe 50 %.... if you hit that in the zone everytime then you still have to get the skills to be a pro....

i WILL be a pro someday
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