Mental Funk

[lectricbassman]

What do you do to get out of a mental funk that destroys your confidence on the water?  I fish a lot of pressured water but it seems that there are more anglers than usuall now. Along with this, i started noticing a lot of nice filleted bass carcasses in the waters i fish, left behind by an unknown angler. This gets my mind to wondering if theres even fish left. I know there are, and i feel like im a decent angler but i let it go to my head. My fishing has beem haphazardly rushed and my confidence is gone. What has helped you? Or do i just need to put on my big boy britches and get on with it?

[HoosierHawgs]

That happened to me earlier in the month. I let a few fish get away from me, straighten hooks, and pop line and everything in between for the first 3 weeks of the month. You've really got to just get out of your head and get back to fishing and enjoying yourself, then it will start to come to you. Just go out and have fun, you'll get back in the game.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

I find that hitting new water helps when I'm in that position. Try to branch out to some new areas that you haven't fished before.

[flyingmonkie]

Grab a case of beer and throw out some juglines.

Might not help your confidence, but it's a good coping mechanism.

[Snakehead Whisperer]

25 minutes ago, flyingmonkie said:

Grab a case of beer and throw out some juglines.

Might not help your confidence, but it's a good coping mechanism.

Spoken like a true Oklahoman.

 

Was looking for this video. This style of fishing has always tripped me out when I go to Oklahoma.

https://youtu.be/lfz29bBirfQ

[lo n slo]

keep fishing

[Ski213]

1 hour ago, lo n slo said:

keep fishing

Yep. Keep fishing. Try to ignore the fact that you're not having luck. Maybe focus on casting accuracy. I've broken several losing streaks by not worrying about catching but basically conducting casting practice or pitching practice or trying to fish a technique that I never use. Helps keep me from getting frustrated. 

[Sam]

Bass fishing is about confidence.

You have to get that confidence back.

Try new techniques and baits and then go back to what you have confidence.

The fish are there. You just have not hit them when they are feeding.

[bassguytom]

Just try to put the ball in play kid. Don't swing for the fences. Every player goes through a slump at some point in their  career. And always remember beyond all the hype and glamor it's only a game. Now go out there and get them kid! 

[Dye99]

On March 26, 2016 at 6:24 PM, lectricbassman said:

What do you do to get out of a mental funk that destroys your confidence on the water?  I fish a lot of pressured water but it seems that there are more anglers than usuall now. Along with this, i started noticing a lot of nice filleted bass carcasses in the waters i fish, left behind by an unknown angler. This gets my mind to wondering if theres even fish left. I know there are, and i feel like im a decent angler but i let it go to my head. My fishing has beem haphazardly rushed and my confidence is gone. What has helped you? Or do i just need to put on my big boy britches and get on with it?

Just get out and enjoy yourself. All these things mentioned are excuses. I fish heavy populated water on occasion and always catch something. I just appreciate the silent time on the water even if I do get skunked a day. Thats one of the reasons I went from a bass boat to a Kayak ten years ago. I was getting flustered spending so much money on days that I wouldnt catch fish. Now if I do have a real slow day, I write it off to exercise with a paddle!

In the end, we all love to catch fish, but its the act of fishing itself that keeps us out there, lines in the water. Enjoy your time throwing baits, the weather, the scenery, its a gift!

[Nitrofreak]

Go back to what started it all, fishing has become too complicated in the fact that we tend to try and put everything together in a short amount of time, sometimes we have a tendency to fish  to fast, think too much, on neutral fish and pressured waters, that rarely works, IMO, by far and away worms are the best producing baits even in the toughest of situations and conditions for both the angler as well as the fish.

[J._Bricker]

On March 27, 2016 at 6:38 AM, Dye99 said:

Just get out and enjoy yourself. All these things mentioned are excuses. I fish heavy populated water on occasion and always catch something. I just appreciate the silent time on the water even if I do get skunked a day. Thats one of the reasons I went from a bass boat to a Kayak ten years ago. I was getting flustered spending so much money on days that I wouldnt catch fish. Now if I do have a real slow day, I write it off to exercise with a paddle!

In the end, we all love to catch fish, but its the act of fishing itself that keeps us out there, lines in the water. Enjoy your time throwing baits, the weather, the scenery, its a gift!

Iectricbassman, as previously stated above just go fish and enjoy your time on the water.  The conditions you mention on your home waters are typical of those experience by many around the country as more people enjoy fishing, and bass fishing in general.  One day I fishing with a friend on his boat when he pulled up on a bank that had 4 boats on it.  I mention the bank had been pounded all day and our chances of getting bit weren't good.  My friend replied they didn't catch them all, and he proceeded to wack 'em dropshoting a baby brush hog to prove his point.....

The fish are there, as evident by those fish carcasses which will benefit the ecosystem as they break down.  Maybe a longer cast, a different lure, bait, area, or technique applied at a different depth (deeper or shallower) might be the ticket.  Then again, sometimes they've got lockjaw....

'Good luck and good fishing, JB

[scaleface]

I take it as a challenge . 

[Airman4754]

Throw a bottom contact lure than you absolutely know will catch fish so you don't have to wonder if you're at the wrong depth. Then run whatever technique you are most confident in (jig rig, T-rig, C-rig, drop shot, shakey head).

Next hit only high percentage spots. 45 degree slanting points, transition spots on banks, cover, etc. 

You'll catch fish. 

[BassMaster17]

On 3/26/2016 at 10:19 PM, flyingmonkie said:

Grab a case of beer and throw out some juglines.

Might not help your confidence, but it's a good coping mechanism.

I love jugging, didn't know many others did it, sadly its illegal here in MI.

[Bluebasser86]

On 3/26/2016 at 9:35 PM, Snakehead Whisperer said:

Spoken like a true Oklahoman.

 

Was looking for this video. This style of fishing has always tripped me out when I go to Oklahoma.

https://youtu.be/lfz29bBirfQ

All that work for that little thing?? That's some pretty creative thinking to get it all done, but I better be catching something big enough to eat that one to go through all that work. You can catch them that big on accident all the time fishing for bass. 

[Catt]

Slumps are something we all deal with; I've found through the years the best way to handle them is to get back to basics. I know what my strengths are and fish towards them; I suggest you should do the same. If you are good at Flipping/Pitching, Texas Rigs, Cranks, Spinners, or what ever concentrate on those techniques. If you are good at shallow water, deep water, or grass concentrate on those areas. 

I've learned to down size my tackle to just the basics, it is extremely hard to be a master of all the available techniques. I'm very good at Jig-N-Craws, Texas Rigs, & Spinner baits so I fish where I can maximize these strengths. I'm not that great with Crank baits so when in a slump I don't waste time fishing them. I don't try new techniques either when in a slump.

[stkbassn]

On 3/26/2016 at 9:24 PM, lectricbassman said:

 I fish a lot of pressured water but it seems that there are more anglers than usuall now.

I am so glad to see our sport grow and to see more interest in it period but with that comes more and more people so I agree there are more anglers now than I've seen before. We went out last Friday and the lake we went to is not the most convenient or easiest lake to get to. The weather wasn't good at all which for us is perfect because it usually means we get the lake to ourselves. Well not that day! People just kept rolling in....we were mostly annoyed. Seems like you can't escape people anymore even in the more remote spots....I can't help it, I don't like it !!!  We still had an awesome day and the folks around us didn't so that was satisfaction enough.