Confidence

[Felix77]

I know there is no substitute for being on the water but I was wondering if there are other ways you build/gain confidence during those times when you cannot fish.

[endless]

ALWAYS, Read and watch videos!! Possibly study lake maps.

[Nitrofreak]

Confidence is something you gain by doing something and having it work to your advantage, while not on the water, you can gain confidence by performing multiple tasks, such as practicing your pitching and flipping, or taking a look at a lake map as Endless suggested, only pick out areas of the map that you spend a lot of time with or have spent a lot of time with this past season, remember where you had cought some fish and look at the map and then remember what the sonar was telling you, look at that you just put a piece of the puzzle together,  this is a great brain excersize and gets you up and focused for other areas of the body of water that may be close to the same and maybe, just maybe, a little more productive.

[Shewillbemine]

To me, catching any fish regardless of technique, is a confidence booster. At the very least, it confirms to me that there ARE fish where I'm at and that they ARE eating something.

 

So if I'm getting skunked or losing confidence, I rig up 1 - 2 rods with live bait while I continue fishing with lures using a 3rd rod. I've used nightcrawlers, crayfish, ghost shrimp, mackerel, Power Bait, etc... To me, the best part about fishing is that adrenaline surge when you know something has taken your bait/lure and then of course, the battle. 

[quanjig]

Start keeping a journal, I used to use a small pocket calender. Whenever I would fish, reguardless of success or failure, I would just make a few notes of weather conditions, where I was, water color, guess at water temp. If you have any tx results and info on what was the bait of choice, not it down. These little ledgers will make great reference guides when the weather won't let you get out for yourself. Having a few of these myself, as I got thru them, mentally, reliving the moments and really boost my confidence. You can always learn from others success and build confidence in what they have done as well. As you look back, you will be able to see what made someone successful and compare what you were doing the same day, there will be times when you realize you were very close to cracking that nut!!

[Megastink]

I practice my flipping and pitching around my house. I set up coffee cups, plates, whatever around various distances and positions. Its a pleasent distraction from work.

 

I also got into luremaking. I tie my own jigs, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, chatterbaits. I'm looking into pouring my own plastics, too. While its not "gaining" confidence, I have great confidence in the baits that I make. I use my favorite components, create customer colors, and they work really well!

[Bluebasser86]

I like to go through all my baits and admire the battle scars. Remembering all the fish you've caught on those baits can be a real confidence boost. 

[ClackerBuzz]

ALWAYS, Read and watch videos!! Possibly study lake maps.

x's.

read and watch. then..

1-take note of which information you've already learned from first hand experience on the water. (true confidence= success with it and/or can duplicate it).

2-take note of information you touched upon/subconsciously realized but don't have down as second nature. it should be just out of ur comfort zone but familiar enough that a small light bulb is starting to go off.

3-research #2, distill the info down, map out a plan and commit to making it part of ur solid routine this up coming season.

4-only try this with a few things.  down go over kill with 10-15 topics or you may up with ur head spinning/jack of all trades/master of none.

Maybe you've never had much luck with jigs. you've read and seen alot of vids about how slow dragging a jig=success.  you remember that one jig fish you caught last season was when you stopped 'working' the jig to bend down and tie ur shoelace.  ie you've been over working ur jig.  ((((and possibly other lures)))).  commit to jigs this season by slowing down ur presentation. achieved some success and make sure to follow thru with slowing down some other techniques (like slow dragging a senko). once you know how to slow down, its easy to speed up...knowing you have the confidence to slow it back down when the bite is tough.

[SirSnookalot]

I've got confidence in me.  

[aharris]

You can always come down south...our water rarely freezes.

[Felix77]

You can always come down south...our water rarely freezes.

 

Trust me ... every year I consider it.  Hard to move with 4 kids though.  I just need a vacation out there some point in the next month or 2.

[J Francho]

You can spend your off season accumulating information, but nothing builds confidence like success on the water.

[Bankbeater]

I go back through my fish logs.  They are on an excel spreadsheet, so I can look at the info in a lot of different ways.

[K_Mac]

ALWAYS, Read and watch videos!! Possibly study lake maps.

 

Step 1: Acquire knowledge.

 

I've got confidence in me.  

 

Step 2: Trust the knowledge and skills you have honed in the off season, and from experience.

 

You can spend your off season accumulating information, but nothing builds confidence like success on the water.

 

Step 3: Go catch some fish. That pretty much sums it up. 

[Felix77]

Thanks for all the responses.  Great feedback.  

 

Confidence also comes from getting validation on things posted on this site as well.  I find that when I post a question out there and get people to support my position it helps me solidify my approach to that topic.

 

Point in mind was my post about "Culling Techniques".  I went into that post with a lot of doubt regarding my approach.  Second guessing if I should do something different.  I ended up believing that what I was doing was not only ok but smart to do.

 

I'm sure that happens to others too so I guess I should say THANK YOU to all of you.

 

 

[Darren.]

Step 1: Acquire knowledge.

 

 

Step 2: Trust the knowledge and skills you have honed in the off season, and from experience.

 

 

Step 3: Go catch some fish. That pretty much sums it up. 

 

I agree this sums it up. If someone could scientifically qualify and quantify "confidence", put it in a pill, they'd be rich beyond their wildest dreams.

 

When I hear it said "just have confidence in that lure" and you'll catch fish I scratch my head and say, what's my confidence got to do with the lure? They probably really mean that confidence is bred in that lure when you also consider other factors like: my reeling cadence, the depth I'm fishing at the particular moment, the ... you get the picture. The whole package breeds confidence.

 

GYCB Senkos breed confidence, too. Those things ARE magic, I tell ya!

 

 

Watching Bill Dance catch 6 pounder after 6 pounder in some private pond won't build your confidence, LOL. I'll make ya depressed! 

[Felix77]

I agree this sums it up. If someone could scientifically qualify and quantify "confidence", put it in a pill, they'd be rich beyond their wildest dreams.

 

When I hear it said "just have confidence in that lure" and you'll catch fish I scratch my head and say, what's my confidence got to do with the lure? They probably really mean that confidence is bred in that lure when you also consider other factors like: my reeling cadence, the depth I'm fishing at the particular moment, the ... you get the picture. The whole package breeds confidence.

 

GYCB Senkos breed confidence, too. Those things ARE magic, I tell ya!

 

 

Watching Bill Dance catch 6 pounder after 6 pounder in some private pond won't build your confidence, LOL. I'll make ya depressed! 

 

LOL ... isn't that the truth!  I had to learn to watch these shows because what seems so easy on TV is not so easy when you first try these lures out.  I don't know how many crankbaits I lost trying to learn to fish them like the pros did on TV.  They throw it through stumps, trees etc like it's nothing.  You never see them snag.  I must have snagged more than ever and lost a bunch in the process.  So far in one year of cranking I have only caught one fish.  Needless to say that is my least confident lure.

 

The senko is my #1 confidence bait followed by the spinnerbait but I want to learn other tactics.  The challenge is to keep doing it until you learn the right way to do it I guess..