Changing It Up

[MarkH024]

Being that I'm a northerner, there is a long down time for those of us who don't get to travel south to fish in the winter months. Usually I will go through my tackle a few times during winter and decide on what I want to get come spring time. The other things I think about are what presentations or techniques of fishing do I need to learn, try more, or get better at. I always try to pick something that is outside my "comfort" zone and really give it a chance to catch fish. For me this usually involves some sort of finesse style fishing. The slow, methodical presentations just aren't my favorite way to fish, but it's necessary. That I know. The other problem I have is the waters I fish most of the time are very shallow lakes, 2-8 FOW. So presentations like the drop shot, carolina rigs, jigging spoons etc..are not my first choice techniques.

I consider myself as a power fisherman. I like to fish fast, and cover a lot of water so cranks, swimbaits,spinners, jerkbait, chatterbaits, buzzbaits, and other presentations like that are what I fish most of the time. I do a lot of frog and top water fishing as well.

I have already begun planning on what I want to do differently next season. I know many of you are "seasoned" fisherman and have spent more time on water than land, so your options might be limited to not even possible. My plan is to fish deeper lakes (10ft - 50+ft) and really try to nail some of the finesse techniques I rarely ever get to use. I know how to fish them all, I just don't do it. I like to force myself to do this because it is very rewarding to catch fish when learning or doing something new. Also, I feel it is a great way to expand your game.

This season coming to an end was pretty much a wash for me. I spent very little time on the water and not a lot of fish caught. I had identical twin boys in May, and it was the best thing ever. Almost as good as catching 50 fish in a day, jk. I can't wait to be able to take them with me and take pictures of them holding up fish. Instead of fishing I have been doing a lot of reading, and researching. I've picked up an amazing amount of information from BassResource.com as well as other sites. I'm already fired up for next season, which is a bad thing because cabin fever settles in hard around February/March and that is a long ways away yet. I can't even imagine being a Canadian...I'd go insane.

[Highhawk1948]

I fish drop shot in the shallow lakes of Florida. Usually 4 to 8 feet with some sucess. Most of the lakes I fish are only 15 to 20 feet deep.. I am glad I can fish year around now that I really don't hunt much.

[LgMouthGambler]

I hate slow fishing myself. Some days here in FL, I will throw my 13" worms with a 1/16oz weight and bump it along the bottom of the canal. It will do 2 things: find structure that I did not know was there, and find fish that may be hanging out on the bottom. If its just too hot to be chucking and winding, its a good way to just slow down and relax too.

[MrPeanut]

I'm dreading being frozen off the water as well

what I like to do when I'm teaching myself a new technique, especially with slower finesse styles, is just bring that one pole with me. I get too tempted to pick something else up and I wind up just going back to what I always throw

[Topwaterspook]

Mark, I agree with MrPeanut. I'll take ONE bait I'm not comfortable with and fish just it. This eliminates the urge for me to change up. Surprising how this makes me concentrate.

[MarkH024]

Mark, I agree with MrPeanut. I'll take ONE bait I'm not comfortable with and fish just it. This eliminates the urge for me to change up. Surprising how this makes me concentrate.

What was your last presentation that you applied that too?

[Kevinator1]

Mark, I feel your pain. I'm in Indiana and I'm probably only going to get out a two or three more times before my season ends. I will be tinkering with the tackle and tearing apart reels when the water gets hard here in the north. I will probably be reading bass magazines, reading all of the posts on this site and attending the boat sport and travel shows around this area.

[papajoe222]

Congrats on the twins. You're a very lucky guy.Don't give up on this season just yet. Waterfowl season doesn't start for a couple of week-ends. Although they're not my first choice for this time of year, you can still work on those finess presentations without waiting until next year (you're not a Cub's fan, are you?).

I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the long off season and also with my fav lake being only 12ft. deep at the deepest spot. I do drop shot and split shot, but one of my fav finess presentations for that shallow water is a Slider jig with a finess worm or 4in. grub.

Charlie Brewer intoduced these jigs years ago and other than a Fuz-e-grub was the only finess presentation I used for decades.

I too, consider myself a power fisherman and the past few years, it's been allmost impossible to switch gears when those tactics don't work.

I broke out some of my 'old school' gear last week when the spinnerbait and crank weren't getting a first, let alone, a second look. The Slider jig and an old stand-up jig with a Reaper saved the day and got me my second largest fish this season along with half a dozen other nice ones.

I don't ice fish, so my off season has been filled with fishing related activities. Last winter I took to tieing my own feathered treble hooks and attempting my hand at custom painting some well worn lures. This year I'll be doing some custom rod wrapping on my favorite rods and taking my first shot at building a rod. You, on the other hand, will be too busy changing diapers so I suggest just organizing your gear and maybe switching out some trebles if the boys give you enough break time. :-)

[MarkH024]

Congrats on the twins. You're a very lucky guy.Don't give up on this season just yet. Waterfowl season doesn't start for a couple of week-ends. Although they're not my first choice for this time of year, you can still work on those finess presentations without waiting until next year (you're not a Cub's fan, are you?).

I'm in the same boat as you when it comes to the long off season and also with my fav lake being only 12ft. deep at the deepest spot. I do drop shot and split shot, but one of my fav finess presentations for that shallow water is a Slider jig with a finess worm or 4in. grub.

Charlie Brewer intoduced these jigs years ago and other than a Fuz-e-grub was the only finess presentation I used for decades.

I too, consider myself a power fisherman and the past few years, it's been allmost impossible to switch gears when those tactics don't work.

I broke out some of my 'old school' gear last week when the spinnerbait and crank weren't getting a first, let alone, a second look. The Slider jig and an old stand-up jig with a Reaper saved the day and got me my second largest fish this season along with half a dozen other nice ones.

I don't ice fish, so my off season has been filled with fishing related activities. Last winter I took to tieing my own feathered treble hooks and attempting my hand at custom painting some well worn lures. This year I'll be doing some custom rod wrapping on my favorite rods and taking my first shot at building a rod. You, on the other hand, will be too busy changing diapers so I suggest just organizing your gear and maybe switching out some trebles if the boys give you enough break time. :-)

Thanks for the congrats. It's a lot of work taking care of two babies at once. My season is pretty much done as I don't see any time for me to make it out any where again. We'll see though.

I have had thoughts about building my own lures in the winter months too. This site definitely has got my brain going towards lure making too. You guys are trouble. I just don't have the extra cashola right now to dabble into that. I'd really like to get into air brushing hard baits, as I do have a BA in Fine Arts. But, that is time and money and I don't have either right now. I also want to start doing videos of my fishing, maybe a youtube. Not so much for learning but just a hobby of collecting footage and doing the video editing. Again, time and money.

I don't ice fish either, so that's out for me. I'll probably just organize and change out hooks on lures like you said.

I was really trying to see if you guys have a set game plan going into the next fishing season. Do you pick out a technique you consider yourself weak in, and really try to nail it down? I try do do this every season, mostly involving soft plastics. Few years back i finally convinced myself to start wacky worming, 2 years ago it was weightless flukes, the year before pitching/flipping, shaky heads were in the mix at one point too. This year past year I didn't get out enough to even think about it, all I wanted to do was catch fish so I fished the way I always do.

[Jigfishn10]

Congrats on the family expansion Markh024! You won't have time to make lures with 2 new borns...LOL

You will certainly have your work cut out for you learning to fish deeper lakes. Learning and adapting to off-shore structure fishing is quite a task in and of itself. Pull up a chair and read some of the articles here on BR, lots of great information there.

And when you figure it out, let me know...LOL

Good luck with you family additions.

[roadwarrior]

You will certainly have your work cut out for you learning to fish deeper lakes. Learning and adapting to off-shore structure fishing is quite a task in and of itself. Pull up a chair and read some of the articles here on BR, lots of great information there.

You might find fishing deep structure to be the MOST rewarding technique you will ever experience.

[Bankbeater]

Congrats on the twins! Do you have any power plant lakes nearby?

[Dwight Hottle]

Mark I think those twin boys will help you develop more patience. They will certainly help your cabin fever by keeping you busy. Try some finesse jerk bait fishing using plenty of slack time between twitches. Congrats on the twins.

[MarkH024]

Congrats on the family expansion Markh024! You won't have time to make lures with 2 new borns...LOL

You will certainly have your work cut out for you learning to fish deeper lakes. Learning and adapting to off-shore structure fishing is quite a task in and of itself. Pull up a chair and read some of the articles here on BR, lots of great information there.

And when you figure it out, let me know...LOL

Good luck with you family additions.

Thanks, I have experience on deeper lakes. Just don't frequent them very much.

Congrats on the twins! Do you have any power plant lakes nearby?

One I believe. About 50 min away from me.

Mark I think those twin boys will help you develop more patience. They will certainly help your cabin fever by keeping you busy. Try some finesse jerk bait fishing using plenty of slack time between twitches. Congrats on the twins.

You're right about that. We are already at the 5 month mark, and it's been a handful.

[J Francho]

Congrats on the family expansion Markh024! You won't have time to make lures with 2 new borns...LOL

You will certainly have your work cut out for you learning to fish deeper lakes. Learning and adapting to off-shore structure fishing is quite a task in and of itself. Pull up a chair and read some of the articles here on BR, lots of great information there.

And when you figure it out, let me know...LOL

Good luck with you family additions.

You might find fishing deep structure to be the MOST rewarding technique you will ever experience.

Yep, and yep. Caught this in almost 40' of water:

[Will Wetline]

Mark, I was going to suggest lure making if you had the time and the $$. Since I don't ice fish anymore, that's how I keep busy when the water in western Mass gets hard.

You're already doing what I expect we all do off-season: analyze the previous season, study, plan for the next.

The twins will keep you busy for sure. I don't know how it is that my twin brother never got the fishing gene while I did. Maybe both of yours will be bassmasters. Congrats!

[A-Jay]

Read this and then do it ~

A-Jay

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/107540-oldschool-horizontal-jigging/page__hl__%20horizontal%20%20jigging

[basscrusher]

The drop shot and the C-rig can work shallow...try it! I've had some great days drop-shotting in less than 10-ft of water, and watched my tournament partner whack a nice limit Carolina-rigging a point that dropped from 3 ft to only 7 ft. It works all the time!