From good to great

[GonFishin]

I have fished my whole life. Had always used minnows or worms with a bobber. Hey, it worked for my dad.  Then about 2 years ago I bought a Hula Popper for $1 at a local Walmart, tied it on, and BAM!! a bass hit it hard, and so did the bass fishing bug hit me just as hard. I'm not a tourney guy nor do I have a bass boat. I do have a small scamp and a couple of decent rods and a tackle bag stuffed with different lures and plastics. For the most part I can catch one or two fish per outing....maybe. My question boils down to what did it take for you to become better then average?  Was it being a part of this site? Was it reading books and studying patterns?  Was it a new depth finder?  Was it spending hours upon hours on the water?  I buy new tackle and try new techniques and I feel I'm no better then I was with a minnow and a bobber.  There is so much information out there it is overwhelming.  I'm willing to do the work, just need a direction to follow.  Thanks!!

[Smokinal]

Many different things can help. The massive, massive info and archived info on this site for starters. The vast knowledge and willingness to share this knowledge by the members here for another. Joining a local bass club as a non-boater would be a huge help. Go, fish tourneys with a partner with no intent on winning but just watching and learning. Watch the vids that interest you from the tab at the top of the screen; pic one type of bait/presentation you want to learn, read up on it, and go apply what you have learned; tweek as you learn. Don't think about learning everything at once; 1 topic at a time. Most of all, have fun doing it.

[bassinhole]

The short truth is nothing beats time on the water. But, if you can spend time on the water with someone who is already an above average angler you will learn more in a single outing than you will in a dozen by yourself. Even on the slow days there are plenty of things to be learned. 

[A-Jay]

22 hours ago, GonFishin said:

I have fished my whole life. Had always used minnows or worms with a bobber. Hey, it worked for my dad.  Then about 2 years ago I bought a Hula Popper for $1 at a local Walmart, tied it on, and BAM!! a bass hit it hard, and so did the bass fishing bug hit me just as hard. I'm not a tourney guy nor do I have a bass boat. I do have a small scamp and a couple of decent rods and a tackle bag stuffed with different lures and plastics. For the most part I can catch one or two fish per outing....maybe. My question boils down to what did it take for you to become better then average?  Was it being a part of this site? Was it reading books and studying patterns?  Was it a new depth finder?  Was it spending hours upon hours on the water?  I buy new tackle and try new techniques and I feel I'm no better then I was with a minnow and a bobber.  There is so much information out there it is overwhelming.  I'm willing to do the work, just need a direction to follow.  Thanks!!

I have two suggestions.

1) Knowledge can really help.  Start with the basics.  Learn everything you can about bass. Everything; throughout all the stages of their life, learn where they live, what they eat, how each season dictates where they are and what they eat. Learn about the predominant bait in your area.  There's too much to list here but the more you are willing to learn the better your chances of being better equip to fish for them successfully.  I thought I had a good grasp of this information, but once I actually dove into it, I found that there is a good bit of misinformation out there that is simply regurgitated over & over.   Clearly reading, retaining and being able to apply this stuff doesn't guarantee anything.  But it's hard to expect success without the knowledge.  Imagine jumping behind the wheel after only reading a billboard that said "drive carefully" . . . . . . . ..

2) If you want to catch something other than average fish, be certain that you're fishing in places that actually have them.  Not all do.  This sounds simple & might get over looked but once you take you're average skills to a place that has a bigger average fish, you may surprise yourself.

Good Luck

A-Jay

[tander]

Go fishing, go early, stay late. Learn all you can from internet and friends who are good fishermen.

[scaleface]

Bassmaster magazine . I read it cover to cover . I went out and did the techniques in it and they worked .  and Championship Fishing with Virgil Ward . He was always hopping some kind of lure off the bottom and that  influenced me a lot .

[Ridi620]

I will agree! I have personally fished with @bassinhole twice now and already have learned so much from him. Just get out there with someone that knows more than you and buy in. Obviously there are many things you will learn on your own and be able to teach that "better" person yourself. After all, fishing has a lot to do with trial and error. Take tips and tricks and tweak them yourself. You'll never know if something works until you try it. There is also great videos on youtube as well to help along the way. Best way is to get out there!

[Catt]

First was to understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, & the fish it effectively. Attended a 5 day seminar under Elwood "Buck" Perry & then studied everything he & others wrote on this subject.

Second was to understand the predominate prey species were in my bodies of water & how those species relate to structure morning, noon, & night...with each passing season.

Third was to understand that next after location was timing; just because I didn't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or I had the wrong lure tied on.

Fourth was when I stared to understand that the answers to my "catching" dilemmas were not the tackle but me. Bass anglers are a gullible crowd if you appeal to their belief "it's the tackle not the angler"!

Fifth: The human tendency is to respond to failure & frustration by over complication rather than simplification of technique & theory. K.I.S.S.!

[Deleted account]

2 hours ago, GonFishin said:

...Was it spending hours upon hours on the water? ...

That's the one. 

And I know its not a popular view here for obvious reasons, but I think coming into LMB fishing from a multi species/commercial side gives me a "what needs to get done to put fish n the boat" perspective, rather than the tackle collecting and fondling that passes for fishing sometimes.

[Preytorien]

My ability increased significantly after I did some outings with a friend of mine who's now on the Bassmaster pro side. I think it was his intensity and attention to detail that impacted me the most. After that I invested more time and education on how to be better. Granted everyone has their own definition of "great" but in my own eyes I always look back at my season the year before and think "man I could've done so much better if I knew what I know now."

[pwahmy]

2 hours ago, Catt said:

First was to understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, & the fish it effectively. Attended a 5 day seminar under Elwood "Buck" Perry & then studied everything he & others wrote on this subject.

Second was to understand the predominate prey species were in my bodies of water & how those species relate to structure morning, noon, & night...with each passing season.

Third was to understand that next after location was timing; just because I didn't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or I had the wrong lure tied on.

Fourth was when I stared to understand that the answers to my "catching" dilemmas were not the tackle but me. Bass anglers are a gullible crowd if you appeal to their belief "it's the tackle not the angler"!

Fifth: The human tendency is to respond to failure & frustration by over complication rather than simplification of technique & theory. K.I.S.S.!

any good links for info on any of this?

 

 

-Payton

[96ecss]

36 minutes ago, pwahmy said:

any good links for info on any of this?

 

 

-Payton

Lots of great info here http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/76292-demystifying-structure/#?page=1&_suid=145703284633306098064302510824

 

Dave

[BrianinMD]

As stated before nothing beats time on the water.

What worked for me other than time was going a local club. Getting the time on the water with people who knew WAY more than me was a great teacher.

[Ratherbfishing]

First, it's difficult to beat a live minnow so don't let that be the litmus test.  Fishermen often use artificial baits for a lot of reasons but I suspect it isn't because it's better than live bait.  Although sometimes.......

Whose to say we're better than average?  But for those who are, a good portion of it comes down to, as others have said, time on the water, tenacity, a genuine curiosity, and an ability to "connect the dots."  But mostly it begins with a pure enjoyment of the sport-in its various manifestations.  If you want to be "great", start with what you love and the rest will fall in line.

If you want to catch more fish, the obvious FIRST question is this:  Are the waters you are fishing any good?  After that, it all comes down to practice, practice, practice.

[Phil_NH]

6 hours ago, GonFishin said:

 I buy new tackle and try new techniques and I feel I'm no better then I was with a minnow and a bobber.  

This hits on what , to me, makes Bass fishing so amazing. Regardless of expertise and technique you are still going to have those times when you come home empty handed. There is something so *** about having a factor that is out of your control. It just keeps it fresh for me.

[Airman4754]

When I'm not on the water I'm watching bass fishing, reading about bass fishing, or I'm talking about bass fishing. Personally I don't think it really makes me any better of an angler, but it keeps me motivated. Watching a guy drag a football jig across the bottom when I don't know the depth, bottom composition, water temp, etc. might be entertaining, but I doesn't teach you anything. 

To actually get better I make sure I fish at least 100 days a year and I stay in shape. I think being able to fish for 8 to 10 hours without stopping places you above the average Joe, because if you're not fishing you're not catching. By fishing a lot I see dead calm, windy, turbid, gin clear, post frontal, full moons, spawning phases, season changes, etc. 

I also think fishing and learning new water makes you a better fisherman because it adds new wrinkles to your technique. You can catch fish on the same lure everywhere, but the way you fish them to be successful can be much different between lakes. 

[CDMeyer]

I believe that many different things contributed to me becoming better than average (I still Have a long way to go). The biggest would be confidence, you have to go out believe you will catch fish and believe that you are a great angler. Another thing that I believe helped contribute to my success was going out and using either a certain pattern or a certain lure for a couple days to a week.  This way I built confidence in several techniques and not just a select few so when the fishing got tough I could adapt.   

[Bankbeater]

What helped me was reading the articles on this site, then going out on the water.  What you read may not work the exact same way where you are fishing, but it can give a very good starting point.

[GonFishin]

Thanks to everyone!  This has been very helpful. I have often tried to read articles or watch a video and then try to implement what I just took in. Of course it never seems as productive as I think it should be but I also think I have been doubting myself and not allowing enough time and practice. I have a tendency to switch lures to quickly when I think one is not working. From what I'm seeing it's more then likely I'm doing something wrong rather then having the wrong tools. I have begun to read the thread Catt posted "demystifying structure" which has opened my eyes that I have been misjudging what to consider as structure and what is cover and how the fish relate to it. I have felt that if I could find a stump or lay down that was my best bet, but there is so much more going on other than simple cover. This is the direction I was looking for. Or at least a start point.  Thanks again!

[kcdinkerz]

Internet videos lol. That and I just fish when I can, all I can say is gain confidence in a few baits and keep it simple.

[RookieBoy]

GonFishin,

Always keep it simple with your tackle. Most lures are marketed to catch fisherman mostly. If you want to do it right, like stated before, get in  a backseat with somebody knowledgeable on your body of water. Better yet, hire a guide and take notes. I know they are not cheap, but it would save you years of time on the water. There is no short cut to success on the water, but hiring a good guide will get you going in the right direction real fast.

Fish a local club as well. You don't need to be in the FLW circuit. We have a small club here in Arizona and these guys are great. You fish in a different boat each month if you wanted to. take notes.

I keep a journal after every trip on the water; what worked and what didn't. Weather, water clarity, time of day, and baits used. Even dock talk is noted as well. I don't put too much stock in dock talk though...LOL

Tightlines! 

[N Florida Mike]

I learned the most from 2 friends.One taught me the basics and the other taught me more detailed bass fishing.Since then,its mostly what I've learned by experience.My strength is Texas rigged plastics,which I'm confident in.By the way,that's what my 2 friends fished with.In fact, that's what ALL my friends fished with.If it works, why use anything else ,right?I have never fished with anyone that used other methods much, so I am relatively weak in those areas.So the moral of the story is, go with people who are successfull at different methods.

[DumBassFishin]

for me I used 1 lure, stuck with it, and used it every day.