Re building confidence

[Oldfart9999]

This isn't a topic I care to discuss but I feel it must be. For the last 7 or 8 years I've had one full season of fishing, that is not conducive to building confidence, you start to worry about if you're going to make it through a day, a season, a year, this last episode lasted almost 2 years. Not being able to follow the fish, feel the tug on the end of your string, not being out figuring out how to turn a bad day to a decent day suffer, badly. I'm in that situation now. From being able to scratch out a limit when others can't, from being able to find big fish is not even a dream, hurts.
What I now am in the process of doing is rebuilding what took me years to build the first time, the ability to find and catch fish period. This is going to be a long process and will take take all my ability work through the process while being able to only fish for 3-5 hours at a time.
Not only am I going to have to rely on what I learned, but how I learned it also, process, relearning what worked and what didn't. The whole thing is going to be frustrating and enjoyable, it means I have to relearn what I used to not even have to think about it, it became routine.
I had a short conversation with another angle yesterday when I was leaving the water, I asked him if he was going to be fishing the upcoming Big Fish Derby, he said no, besides, you always catch the big fish, meaning largemouth, I just smiled, it's good to know I'm living rent free in their heads. I'm not fishing it, I don't know how long I'll be on the water. That goes day by day, and the number of wakes my back has to deal with.
I've lost 2 resources on talking about what's going on and I miss them and their friendship. The onus is more and more on me to figure it out, I will.
By engaging what I read here and experimenting on the water I'll get back, it's what I enjoy doing. I sincerely hope no one else has to go through it, I hope to post what I have figured out and to also ask questions.
Rodney
PS. My goal is to live rent free in the more minds at the club!!! It's fun.   

[rb-nc]

I typically go at least five weeks between trips. And 95% of those trips are from 3pm until dark, which in the fall isn't long. First of all, YOU KNOW YOUR GOING TO CATCH THEM. I can't tell you how important that is, you just got to know you're going to do it. For the next five weeks, the majority of the fish will be on the main lake. If your going fishing and can go early put the boat in and just start fishing a topwater on every point you come to until the sun hits it, then move to the other side and repeat. You will get bit. Next once this is over go back to the points where you got bit and slow down and drag something on the bottom because you know fish are there. Watch fo schooling fish busting on top. Really watch them. If you notice them always coming up in the same spot go over and check it out with your electronics. Chances are there is a piece of structure there and they are on it waiting for the bait fish to come across it. Now although majority are the fish are still on the main lake, there will be some shallow, real shallow. This is when I like to fish the short creeks. It doesn't take as long to go from the main lake to the back of the creek. Fish the cover with a jig or soft plastic. If the water is rising fish the back side of the cover and it the water is falling fsh the outer ends. A squarebill fished fast while moving between cover works good to. I like a prop bait topwater in the back areas because of the bluegill. That's the way I do it and it keeps me from fighting with the boat traffic. Now it its raining and no boat traffic, I'll be burning a spinnerbait on the main lake all the time

[coldfront]

I typically go at least five weeks between trips. And 95% of those trips are from 3pm until dark, which in the fall isn't long. First of all, YOU KNOW YOUR GOING TO CATCH THEM. I can't tell you how important that is, you just got to know you're going to do it. For the next five weeks, the majority of the fish will be on the main lake. If your going fishing and can go early put the boat in and just start fishing a topwater on every point you come to until the sun hits it, then move to the other side and repeat. You will get bit. Next once this is over go back to the points where you got bit and slow down and drag something on the bottom because you know fish are there. Watch fo schooling fish busting on top. Really watch them. If you notice them always coming up in the same spot go over and check it out with your electronics. Chances are there is a piece of structure there and they are on it waiting for the bait fish to come across it. Now although majority are the fish are still on the main lake, there will be some shallow, real shallow. This is when I like to fish the short creeks. It doesn't take as long to go from the main lake to the back of the creek. Fish the cover with a jig or soft plastic. If the water is rising fish the back side of the cover and it the water is falling fsh the outer ends. A squarebill fished fast while moving between cover works good to. I like a prop bait topwater in the back areas because of the bluegill. That's the way I do it and it keeps me from fighting with the boat traffic. Now it its raining and no boat traffic, I'll be burning a spinnerbait on the main lake all the time

some very simple, key pieces of information in there RB.  THANK YOU.
here on a grassy lake, I've gone from a squarebill to a couple of different options
1.  Strike King shallow runner.  a rounded bill, same body size 1.5, but comes through sparse weeds much better ... wide rolling action.2.  Owner 'Flashy Swimmer' (a belly-weighted bladed hook for swimbaits).  right now, using a 3.8 fat swimbait in Ayu to mimic bluegills (not shad; they're still too small)3.  bladed jig.  green pumpkins primarily.

[jwkelley51]

I get the back stuff. I'm old, in a glorified Jon boat, and 4 hrs. is a full day for me. I guess last year was the end of my deer hunting. I got a couple of decent bucks but it's too much to get them out of the woods and dressed by myself anymore. I'm hoping to fish 4 hours, 2 days, most of the winter. I was never much good at fishing. If I was catching everybody was catching. It's fun trying new techniques and I like the process. I go by myself and throw them back anyway. However, I'm catching a few in the mornings and fishing is tough right now so I must he improving.

[Wizard]

You're an OLDFART... accept it, own it. Enough of the Suicide Squad dialogue. I've followed your problems for a decade. You've had good time and bad time but during ALL that time, you never gave up. You kept pushing forward and working to be able to fish.  You have my respect and because I know you release your bass I hope you catch every bass in your lake,,,twice.

Wizard

[Oldfart9999]

You're an OLDFART... accept it, own it. Enough of the Suicide Squad dialogue. I've followed your problems for a decade. You've had good time and bad time but during ALL that time, you never gave up. You kept pushing forward and working to be able to fish.  You have my respect and because I know you release your bass I hope you catch every bass in your lake,,,twice.

Wizard

Yes sir!!!
Rodney

[D.W. Verts]

So, I need an address to send you those baits.

Dale

[Capt. BassinLou]

So, I need an address to send you those baits.

Dale

If there's a time limit to this post, I will take one for the team and take those crankbaits....  j/k.