Your Weakness, If You Have One ;)

[papajoe222]

After replying to the post about your strength that others may not have, I got to thinking about my weakness. You'd think that after 50+ years of fishing including more than a few years on the local club circut, I'd have a little trouble narrowing it down. I've got most aspects of this great sport covered, but I have one big weakness and that's my memory. If it weren't for the fact that I keep a fairly detailed fishing log, there'd be many times that I'd waste valuable fishing time.

The only way I can equate what is happening one day to an experience I've had maybe on numerous occasions is to look at that log when I get home. Then the light goes on. Believe me when I say it's frustrating, but luckily I figured it out a long time ago or I'd likely be sitting here doing needle point. Then again, is it drop two and pearl one or visa versa?

[backwater4]

Crankbaits are my weakness as far as baits go, but sticking with an area or pattern to long would also be one. A lot of times I feel I can make them bite what I want and where. That really bites me in the a@s sometimes.

[cast_and_destroy]

Patience and slow presntations. Like jigs and finnese baits.

[SudburyBasser]

Like others, apparently, patience.

That and not owning a boat.

[CoBass]

Crankbaits for me too. I can't seem to buy a bite on any crank that has a lip on it. I catch plenty on lipless cranks but for some reason, if it has a lip on it, I can't get them to bite.

[james 14]

Slowing down would be my weakness. I grew up fishing weightless worms almost exclusively and I guess I thought I had risen above such things as I "got better" at fishing. About the only thing I do slow is flip but that's not always the right technique. So the past year I've been trying to experiment some without much success...mostly because I just wouldn't slow down. Actually most times I haven't been able to slow down due to the wind. However, there is brightness on the horizon and I'm looking forward to the next couple months as my club's tourney season comes to a close and our bass enter the spawning cycle. I've found success in a few new techniques that will help me put more fish in the boat and likely win even more than I already do.

[Swamp Girl]

This is easy: plastics. I don't like them, so other than tossing a wacky Senko at a bass that's blown up on a surface lure, I don't use plastics and because I don't use them, I don't know how to use them.

Plus, I can be slow to adapt. If I caught bass in a certain place last month, I might return to that spot for three or four days catching few fish before I concede they're gone.

[Hanover_Yakker]

I have four areas I need to dedicate more time to:

1. Billed crankbaits - mostly confidence in using them around structure (hard to believe the hooks don't get hung up more often)

2. Drop shot - learning more about the subtleties

3. Fly fishing - simply time and an error on my part. I have a beautiful 7wt Orvis Hydros sitting in my house collecting dust.

4. Reading the body of water and conditions to help hone in on the best presentations to limit what I take on the water.

[Nitrofreak]

Weakness, hhhmmmm I have so many, just like papajoe, my memory is fading, faster than I want it to, words and their correct spelling are getting tougher, putting together puzzles on the water when things change is getting tougher.

My greatest weakness is spending too much time in one spot, I will try everything in my tacle box to try and key in on what the fish want instead of moving to the next spot and locating the more active fish.

Crank baits were a struggle for me as well, 3 things I will suggest that has helped me with cranks, this includes spinners as well, 1) find the fish first, 2) use them in the hopes of getting them hung up on something, if your afraid to loose them, then don't use them, 3) no matter what make them change direction, stop the bait, yo-yo the bait, if your fishing a rock wall bounce them off the rocks with your retrieve, if your fishing brush, make sure it makes contact with the brush, if your fishing in an open area, make sure you are in contact with the bottom, or very close to it, i'm not saying use a 25 foot bait in 15 foot of water, use the ones that are in the depth you are fishing, just cranking will get you bit, but making it change directions and contactacting the structure and cover you are fishing will help you to become productive.

Good luck and be safe !!!

[jhoffman]

Leaving fish when I am on fish to look for other fish which might not be where I am going.

[Shane Mccormick]

Locating fish is my biggest weakness and as far as lures go i would say flipping but im doing more of it

[Dwight Hottle]

Not spending more time with bottom contact baits when other presentations are not working.

[shootermcbob]

I think my biggest weakness is ...besides casting too big a shadow...being stuck on the bank. I am anxious to get a boat, get a humminbird, and learn to use to find structure and cover, find fish, see what the depths are, know what the water temp is in different areas.

[Silas]

My weakness is buying entirely too much tackle! I have multiples of many things.....if I find a reel that I really like, I buy one and then look for another. As I look at my rod/reel combos leaning against the wall, I find that I have 9. Just ordered another reel, my first TD-Z and rod, a Dobyns Crank/glass, in the last couple of days: I feel that I NEED them to be complete.

So I find myself with lots of tackle.....and checking this forum, I find new baits to try so I order them. Just today, a Staysee 90 arrived by mail.

I'm going to have to stop buying stuff....I see that it has become some sort of "obsession."

And, to think, in my youth, I had ONE rod/reel.....an ABU 5000C and a Fenwick rod. Had to rent a boat at a little landing and Paddle 5 miles (sculling with a 3 foot paddle while sitting on a boat cushion in the front of the boat. One bait usually.....a white/chartreuse spinnerbait made by H@H with a double hook. And.....I caught TONS of fish.

I feel I'm becoming a "tackle freak!"

But now, on a fixed income, those days are rapidly closing. But it is difficult not to see a "deal" and not buy it. I'm working on it!

[Fish Chris]

Hmmm. Probably two things...

1) I'm the worlds worst caster. I cannot even operate a bait caster...

2) I have the hardest time fishing blind. I mean, I don't have to physically see a fish before every cast.... But I do have to know there are big fish on this spot, ot at least in this area, or else I feel like I'm spinning my wheels. I see guys all the time, up on the front of a high-per bass boat, just blind fishing down a bank, and this seems like the most foreign thing in the world to me ?

...then again, for point #2, one could say that I need to learn how to cover more area, fishing blind...... but I might say, the people that do this, need to quit wasting time in water that "may not" be holding fish, and spend more time in water that "they know" is holding fish Depends on how you look at it I guess...

Fish

[retiredbosn]

Kryptonite Seriously it would be physical limitations that will not allow me to fish very long at a time.

[LgMouthGambler]

Pretty much my weakness is my strength, I like to turn US currency into fishing supplies,lol.

[Diggy]

fishing slow

[11justin22]

Haha a lot of people's weakness seems o be fishing slow, mine is the opposite. Fishing fast. I cant seem to just turn the trolling motor on high and take off down the bank. Just doesn't work for me. I can do ok at a medium pace just nor running and gunning like kvd would do.

Before this fall I would have said cranks but I dedicated a lot of this fall to cranks and have gained a ton of confidence in them. Bang them off something and hang on.

[SudburyBasser]

I'm going to have to stop buying stuff....I see that it has become some sort of "obsession."

I used to be a member of another forum that had similar patterns of "over-buying" and we used to start "MONTH No Purchase Club" where we would challenge each other not to buy anything during that month. I've been tempted occasionally to try the same thing here because as much as I promise myself not to buy anything, I have two lures expected to arrive from Japan next week. Do I need them? Nope. Bought them anyway.

I guess I have that weakness as well, ha ha.

[Run&Gun]

swimbaits. I just haven't gave it enough time yet. Gaining more confidence in swimbaits is one of my goals for this coming season.

[shallow thinker]

My problem is pre-fishing. When I find a pattern or good area... it will never fish the same on tournament day. I get stubborn and waste a 1/2 day before making changes. It seems to work better for me to just keep an open mind and have a couple of options in mind before launching.

[jhoffman]

My problem is pre-fishing. When I find a pattern or good area... it will never fish the same on tournament day. I get stubborn and waste a 1/2 day before making changes. It seems to work better for me to just keep an open mind and have a couple of options in mind before launching.

Are you standing there and jackn all your bass? The whole preminition is just to see if fish are there not to catch the 5lb fish holding it.

[Darren.]

Cranks, jerks, etc.

Although, I must say, the fact that soft plastics catch fish so well for me, I have a hard time even *wanting* to take the time to learn the ins/outs of those lures.

Definitely need to learn to read my fish/depth finder better. Probably why I leave it at home most of the time now-a-days.

[Swamp Girl]

Cranks, jerks, etc.

Although, I must say, the fact that soft plastics catch fish so well for me, I have a hard time even *wanting* to take the time to learn the ins/outs of those lures.

Definitely need to learn to read my fish/depth finder better. Probably why I leave it at home most of the time now-a-days.

I wish you were closer. We could fish together and you could teach me some things about plastic, which wouldn't be hard, since I know nearly nothing.