A Tackle shop owner, and friend told me 40yrs ago that he thought one of the main reasons that many fisherman can't catch bass consistently is that they're fishing too fast. Looking back on my own experience, I've caught far more fish by working an area slowly, as opposed to a fast retrieve. Even in the summer, when bass are most active, I've had better luck by forcing myself to slow down,. It's easy, after you've caught a fish or two to get keyed up and excited, and make your next retrieve faster without even realizing it. Most successful trophy hunters, who focus on catching the largest bass have trained themselves to slowly fish a soft plastic bait or jig through prime spots, sometimes dead sticking the lure for a few seconds during the retrieve. The concept is simple, and one that many successful fisherman are well aware of. If your working a good shoreline, or a deep water spot, by slowing down, you'll present your bait to more fish, and make your bait a much easier target for the bass. It's always fun when the fish are hitting fast moving baits, regardless if it's a spinnerbait, lipless, or topwater lure. In my own experience, this fast retrieve fishing doesn't usually last long, and takes place only at certain times of the season, and on an average summer day, for a short period of time. I know many will disagree with all this, but for me this was probably the best advice I've ever recieved. Slow down, and you'll catch more, and larger bass. In your own experience, have you found that fishing slowly has caught more fish overall, as opposed to fast retrieves?
