Lure X

[ClackerBuzz]

What's a trick you use to become a better angler?

I insert 'lure x' into any good information I come across on a specific technique.

IE Use a jerk-jerk-pause when retrieving a jerkbait. The length of pause time depends on water temp/time of year. The colder the water=longer pauses and less violent jerks b/c fish are lethargic, don't chase, have a small strike zone. The warmer water, the shorter pause b/c fish are aggressive, have higher metabolism, respond to violent burst of energy/lure, have a larger strike zone.

I'll transition that info. to all lures b/c it helps me experiment on the water. I get more bites b/c I focus on lure retrieve and cadence rather than constantly changing lures every 5 mins. Improves my jigs, worms, t-rigs, tubes, lure x.

Share a tip and help make everyone's winter less painful. Taking your wife on her favorite weekend getaway so you can attend Pickwick 2013 counts.

[slonezp]

What's a trick you use to become a better angler?

Pay attention to my surroundings and conditions.

When I'm casting an area, I am looking and listening for any signs of fish. Bait surfacing, fish surfacing 20 yards down the bank, a weed or pad moving suspiciously, shoreline changes, water temp changes, current changes, what the bass spits up in the livewell, birds feeding, vegetation changes, clarity changes,

If a bass is puking up brown crawfish I won't throw a silver crank, spitting up shad I won't throw a blacknbue jig and so on. A swimjig will mimic almost anything and by changing colors or trailers or retrieve you can cover almost all your bases.

[Bluebasser86]

Pay attention to my surroundings and conditions.

When I'm casting an area, I am looking and listening for any signs of fish. Bait surfacing, fish surfacing 20 yards down the bank, a weed or pad moving suspiciously, shoreline changes, water temp changes, current changes, what the bass spits up in the livewell, birds feeding, vegetation changes, clarity changes,

If a bass is puking up brown crawfish I won't throw a silver crank, spitting up shad I won't throw a blacknbue jig and so on. A swimjig will mimic almost anything and by changing colors or trailers or retrieve you can cover almost all your bases.

X2. Some days I've figured out what changes to make just by looking around at what's going on around me.

[Shewillbemine]

Seeing as I've been getting skunked lately, my response seems appropriate. But it's also true.

Every time I go out fishing, I find 1-2 scenes or moments to pause and look around me. I sort of take a mental picture and look around, almost speaking "Thank you" to no one in particular (perhaps God) for allowing me to fish.

Today, it was watching hundreds of ducks and birds fly off the water in rapid fashion, some keeping up with me parallel to my speeding boat. I also watched hundreds more circle the water like a tornado (even stranger to be directly beneath them). Sometimes, I'll take a picture of the nice sunset and text one of my lawyer friends that works 60-80 hours a week. LOL

It might sound hokey or too spiritual but for me, it's how I can consider a day of not catching to be successful and keeps me motivated for the next time.

P.S. I've never had a bass puke anything, but then again I've never kept one in a livewell [yet].

[slonezp]

P.S. I've never had a bass puke anything, but then again I've never kept one in a livewell [yet].

You'll never win a tournament if you throw them back.

[Gatorbassman]

For me, winter fishing starts with the baitfish. If baitfish aren't in the area I leave. I downsize the lures that look like baitfish and I put a smaller trailer on my jigs. I slow way down. As the water dips into the mid 40's I start looking deep and I keep a jigging spoon handy.

[Nitrofreak]

Each season brings a new challange, as Sloan posted, paying close attention to details during each of those seasons is very much a key to what the fish are doing, for me I guess the biggest key is structure, I visit a lot of new waters each year, looking at a map for each of these places helps me decide where I would like to fish first or where I would like to start my search for fish, I am always looking for bait fish first no matter the time of year, with the exception of the spawn, most of us already know where to look for bass during this time, it's the time before and after that drive me, finding fish and catching fish during cold fronts is also something that drives me, during fronts and shortly after is much like fishing winter patterns, slow and methodical seems to work best with the bait right in front of them, even then it wont ensure a strike, you just have to be patient and exsersise your mind to be patient when you know your there in the right spot and usually it works to your advantage, thinking outside the box on heavily pressured waters will a lot of times yeild results, most importantly though is, whatever bait I am fishing I want to make sure it's in contact with the surrounding area, it's always in contact with cover or structure, no matter the season, the only thing that changes is the speed.

Of course the best trick I have is reading everyones posts on this site and taking what they have to say into consideration while on the water, while not everything is something I can use, I use everything to the maximum advantage I can, hopefully I am able to give back as much as I learn.

[Sam]

Feel their stomachs and look down their gullet.

Soft, crunchy, hard? What do you see down their throat? Are they spitting up what they are eating?

Can tell you what they are eating so you can make adjustments?

And as soon as you get a bite notice EVERYTHING around you and the bait.

Depth, retrive speed, bait color, bait style, water clarity, structure, overhead skies, wind, water temperature, current, hook size, line type and test, etc. and start your pattern.