Trapped In My Own Head

[releget]

So i paddle (I'm on a kayak) to what I think is a good spot. This has to work because 100 hrs of youtube says so. BUT then I start wondering why isn't someone else here. Most of the bass boats seem to be on one side of the lake with a few shallow guys here and there. Now I LOVE fishing with frogs or top water in general. I do fine until the bite slows and I am forced to go deeper ( its middle of summer). Now part of me hears well just keep fishing your strength and stay shallow. The other tells me that I need to learn how to find them deep. I turn on my fish finder and BAM it seems like the minute I hit that power button I am transferred back to high school being pointed and laughed at by all the other cool kids who know where to go and I'm just wondering around frantic looking for where I need to be. Feel free to give me an online slap in the face because maybe thats just what I need but I cannot help but feel a little overwhelmed on bigger lakes. Otherwise any advice on what you may have done in the past or maybe some tips id apreciate.

thanks 

[Jaderose]

It's called learning.  and the cool part about doing it as an adult is that pretty much no once cares when you make a mistake or "look like a fool" because even thought it may seem like they are...pretty much no one is paying any attention to you.  Try other techniques....make mistakes...and keep on fishing.  The only real dummy is the one that keeps making the SAME mistakes.  Relax, man...it's only fishing.

[J Francho]

Do something, even if it's wrong.

[Choporoz]

It's called learning.  and the cool part about doing it as an adult is that pretty much no once cares when you make a mistake or "look like a fool" because even thought it may seem like they are...pretty much no one is paying any attention to you.  .

What's more....now we know enough not to give a dang about anyone that does care...if I'da known then what I know now.....

 

Jade, I don't know why, but your avatar creeps me out more than Sammy Davis Junior.

[everythingthatswims]

Time on the water > Anything else

 

 

 

Just stay after it

[Jaderose]

Jade, I don't know why, but your avatar

 

What's more....now we know enough not to give a dang about anyone that does care...if I'da known then what I know now.....

 

Jade, I don't know why, but your avatar creeps me out more than Sammy Davis Junior.

 

 

Lol...sorry bro.

[Darren.]

Keep on keepin' on!

 

And welcome to the forums!

[Big C]

Being trapped in your own mind, is better than being locked out.

 

I fish from a yak all the time and I feel your pain.  Just keep trying.  The only way to get better is to fish.

I actually suffer from overly-aggressive lure selection.  Frogs, big swimbaits, ect.  I am really trying to scale the size/speed down, trying to get numbers not size.  I'm at least going to mix in a shakey head or Ned in.  Hopefully it works, if not I'm a gonna chunk a purple Spro Rat to celebrate. 

[MIbassyaker]

So i paddle (I'm on a kayak) to what I think is a good spot. This has to work because 100 hrs of youtube says so. BUT then I start wondering why isn't someone else here. Most of the bass boats seem to be on one side of the lake with a few shallow guys here and there. Now I LOVE fishing with frogs or top water in general. I do fine until the bite slows and I am forced to go deeper ( its middle of summer). Now part of me hears well just keep fishing your strength and stay shallow. The other tells me that I need to learn how to find them deep. I turn on my fish finder and BAM it seems like the minute I hit that power button I am transferred back to high school being pointed and laughed at by all the other cool kids who know where to go and I'm just wondering around frantic looking for where I need to be. Feel free to give me an online slap in the face because maybe thats just what I need but I cannot help but feel a little overwhelmed on bigger lakes. Otherwise any advice on what you may have done in the past or maybe some tips id apreciate.

thanks 

 

I bet all the cool kids were wondering, "what does that kayak guy know that I don't??"  

[ABW]

I think you need to be prescribed some medical plants to help you relax, and just fish

[Turtle135]

My suggestion, carve out an hour or two of your fishing trip to throw a jig. Maybe just a little deeper than those shallow spots you favor but commit to it for at least an hour. The hardest bass to catch on a jig is the first one but once you get that first one you have that in your bag of tricks for the times when they just will not touch a topwater. Good luck!

[lo n slo]

I'd be willing to bet $100 to a bag of donuts that everybody here has been in the same situation more than once. Some of us are so set in our ways that we'll never change. I saw a some guy on Bassmasters this past spring arguing with himself "fish shallow, NO fish deep." LOL

Decisions decisions

[releget]

Thanks everybody for your reply. I really appreciate it!

[Ski213]

I think the biggest problem with moving out of your comfort zone is building confidence. It takes time. If you don't know the deeper water techniques then spend some time searching here. There's so much good info. Also see if you can pry some intel out of some locals as to what is hot right now. Set your expectation level low so you don't frustrate yourself and just go out and plan to catch nothing while learning the technique. Just practice I guess. Don't quit doing what you're comfortable with, just start working a little outside your comfort zone.

The one tip I would give you is to use your sonar when fishing deep to find baitfish with larger fish close. Fish there. That's certainly not the only way to get on a bite in deep water but when they're both together your odds improve.

[papajoe222]

Like every subject, there is a learning curve. You can't expect to pass Structure Fishing 101 without doing a little studying.  The good news is there are a bunch of knowledgeable tutors on this site along with tons of useful information in the form of articles, videos, and previous posts that will get you a passing grade while the cool kids are just sitting on deep water wondering what to do next.

[AdamsEye]

Sounds to me like a good pre fish strategy could calm you down. Get all the information you can before you leave, and try and plan out a shallow and deep bite ahead. This way you can have a general idea of what you want to do, and maybe even where you want to do it. Even if you just go off of a sharp weed line you see on google earth, you got less to focus in on and less to worry about. The more spots you plan, the better you can get around.

 

Also focus on yourself and not anyone else on the water. Pay attention too, but if your worrying about what they are doing you taking away from your own fishing. Stay focused and try your best, everyone has to start somewhere. If anything don't hesitate to move in there after they left and just watch the depth finder to learn why they might be there.

 

If you can find a lake map to read, that can be a big plus in giving you confidence when hitting the water also good ideas of where to go. You could also look for fishing reports and see if you can learn anything there. The more information you can get ahead of time, the more efficient you can be on the water. This might help calm your nerves and let you focus on searching less water in hunt to fish.

[BASSPATROL247]

I like to study a map on bog lakes before fishing them,(lake i dont know)and i will eliminate 90% of the water and break the rest down into a hald dozen or so small areas and fish them hard..also thinking too much is usually your enemy on new big water..heck small water too... some lakes may have a zillion points etc...but theres always some that have something the majority dont be it a creek channel that swings up against it,some rock,vegitation or whatever..thats what id look for..

[BASSPATROL247]

And pay attention to the other boats and what theyre doing but never hesitate to try something different, sometimes it works out better...

[Fishes in trees]

Go back to the basics, i.e. "The fish are deep - or shallow - or somewhere in-between."  That being said - if I am fishing in the summertime and I have a depth finder, I'm fishing points  primarily where the points intersect with the thermocline or slightly above that, OR the deepest edge of any available weed line.   That's where I start in the summer time.  Maybe in the later afternoon, when the sun is creating some strong shadow lines in the shallower water, I might go look and see if there is any spinner bait  bits around the shadow lines, but mostly I fish10 to 18 feet deep in the summer.  (That is usually slightly above the thermocline, in the neighborhoods that I generally fish in.

[Jaderose]

When I was learning jig fishing (which I'm still not 100% comfortable with but it is part of my arsenal), I'd go out with nothing BUT jigs.  All types.  Started with cheap ones that I didn't mind losing and I lost all of them.  Different types, different trailers, etc.  I swam them, drug them on the bottom, hopped them around rip rap, etc., learned what a bite felt like, when to hookset.  Now, I'm able to use them when the conditions call for them.  Favorite way to fish?  Nope.  But I can use them and I can catch fish on them.  this summer, I've been focused on wacky rigging.  BORING!!!!  Still haven't caught anything of size but am getting there and have added it to my bag of tricks.