Lost that loving feeling ...

[Zachh Nute]

I've had a terrible tournament season thus far. For exception of a 36th place finish at the Northern Open on Oneida Lake. But other than that I haven't cashed a check in a single tournament out of like 15 or 20. I've lost the drive to wake up in the morning, but I do anyways. I do it because with struggle, comes success.

[Preytorien]

I think from time to time we all do, and that means me, in almost every endeavor. Most of the time I get burned out late in the summer, the dogs days, when the fish shut and lock their mouths. It's really irritating. I moderately alleviated it by finding a couple of out-of-the-way fishing holes that just flat out catch fish. They're small, every one of them, but it puts a bend in my rod and that keeps me coming back. 

I used to do cycling races. It was a lot of fun when you win, but soon the other guys and larger field started making it more competitive and soon I wasn't winning like I used to. I almost stopped riding, and had to step away and re-evaluate why I even rode a bike. Turns out it's more fun to do it on my own, no pressure, just enjoying the long isolated country roads. Then I got my dad into it, he started riding with me, getting in shape, now we ride almost every ride together, thousands of miles each year, with my best friend. My passion for competition turned to fun.

When you can make having fun your passion, you've got it figured out 

Keep at it Felix, you're a wise fisherman, your fishing-mojo will return

["hamma"]

  This subject is near and dear to me as my best friend went through this many years ago, and I helped him through it. I hope this helps someone here.

   Distraction coming from anything at all, will take you out of this bassfishing game. Your health, personal life, love life, business, anything like a flat tire on the way to the ramp, breaking a rod, etc. ANYTHING that distracts you, will ruin your concentration, which is more important than one may think. Whether you are tourney fishing, or fishing for fun. Once you allow distraction to interfere with your recreation, instead of using recreation to be the distraction needed from the daily grind ..its only a matter of time

  Tourney fishing can do this after just a short while. As time goes on you may "burn out" as your passion fades, things dont seem to be the same as it did when you found this seemingly endless entity to your recreation. Recreation is spelled out just as it should, "re-creation". With all this sport offers, many anglers will begin amazed at all it offers, Its "re-creation" if you will,.. and will put forth a effort and passion they have never attempted before in a pastime. Re-creating with every new technique learned, every new lake fished, and so on. As you "re-create" your gameplan towards something that "was" fun,.. towards something thats as demanding as a job. Things change, what you once saw as fun?,.. now may become tedious. Some tourney anglers overcome this "fun to job" situation. And go on for years without being burnt out, instead,,.. they may eventually get tired of the same grind of prefishing, fishing, prefishing, fishing, prefishing, fishing. etc.,... Its physically demanding. Something as small as changing clubs, or fishing a different organization can rectify this, as rules and direction changes.

 As for "burning out" as a funfisherman? I believe the repetition of fishing the same lakes, same spots, same scenery, same lure, will bore anyone eventually. This sport offers one the option to fish many different ways, even on the same lake. Most fun fishermen will just fish what they know, say a senko. It works for them and thats what they use. It offers the chance to disconnect from work, or home, or whatever maybe on their mind at the time. Offering a doorway from "distraction" to "re-creation" in their own little way,... But that right there is the pathway to boredom, eventually they get stuck in that track and dont change it up to say a jig and pig, or some other lure. Which in turn would change their perspective, and open a new and exciting "re-creation" to their downtime.

  Is there a way to avoid being burnt out in either fun fishing or tourney angling? I found that, just like changing a lure. Change your approach to bass fishing. It isn't as easy as snipping your line and re-tying a new one on. But its what worked for me.

  When I fished tourney's I fished more of draw tournies, than team T's. Learning new techniques and tips from every boater I could. This changed my approach to fishing bass, therefore keeping me interested, avoiding being "burnt out" from tourney fishing. My demise in tournies was from something else.

  What kept me from burning out while funfishing was a decision to fish as many different lakes, ponds, rivers and streams as I could. The different scenery, situations, terrain, all aided in keeping me interested,...I started my quest from my hometown and spread throughout my state from there. Then I did the surrounding states and so on. Also, I had bought a small 8' basshunter boat as a teen, and that was my bass fishing platform until I stopped tourney fishing (approx. 20 years). When T fishing ended, I bought a 16' deepv tracker, this opened a huge doorway to bigger waters and kept my mission to fish all the lakes and rivers I could, on the right track. I actually worked at keeping my fishing interesting, no matter what stood in my way,.. I found a way to continue my love for this sport. And now that I think of it.,... 

If you truely "love" bass fishing, burning out isnt an option, you will find a way

[bighed]

Felix, I agree with those suggesting backing down the fishing a notch or two till it's fun again.  I love the competition but after a dozen years of it I may sit next year out or at least throttle it back a bit.  I think for me, picking and choosing when and where I go would be refreshing after so many years of going where the club goes.  Imagine not having to get up at 3 am to drive 100 miles to fish a lake that's not all that on a cold rainy day with guys you are fishing against rather than with.  How bout picking a nice refreshing morning on a lake you actually like that is fishing well?  A good fishing buddy, as hard as they are to find, really adds to the experience for me.  What if every fishing trip was like the Roadtrip?  Fun, challenge, time in nature, fellowship, etc.. Pretty easy to get excited about!

[Fun4Me]

I find that winter is a long enough break for me to recharge my fishing batteries. If I could fish year round I'd probably get burned out, or at least not do it as much..

[Fisher-O-men]

The pressure of tournament fishing is a kill joy IMO!   In many ways it has killed the sport.  I'm an old guy that just likes to fish, ya know?

[J Francho]

I burned out a few years ago.  Came back with a fresh attitude to do my thing, and above all, HAVE FUN.  I top three'd every event I entered as a boater, which wasn't many.  They were all team style events (best five from the boat), and I fished maybe a half dozen of them.

[Jaderose]

This whole thread is EXACTLY why I don't mess with trying to get into the tournament racket.  Nothing against it I just have a very stressful job that keeps me very very busy.  While I am VERY serious about my fishing, it will never be a job for me.  My job is what I do....A Fisherman is who I am.  I'm not above a friendly wager or 2 when on the water with a buddy but nothing more than that.

 

[whitwolf]

On 9/12/2016 at 2:23 PM, Dwight Hottle said:

You might just need a rest. Maybe it's time to just fish for fun. You can always go back to tournament fishing if the desire arises. 

A lot of wisdom in the quoted post Felix.

[Further North]

Yeah...back in '87, my best fishing partner...my Dad...passed away.  Couldn't get the zip back into it.  No one else fished like Dad...had the balance of when to talk, when to fish...when to talk and fish...

Life got busy...got a real job, got married, did a lot of upland hunting (always my first passion), got into SxS shotguns and shooting clays, played a ton of volleyball...11 years went by...our daughter arrived in the fall of 1998...moved up north in late winter 2004...in 2009 our daughter...always a water baby...said, "I want to go fishing, Dad!"

And we did.  The die was cast, the path set...I was re-hooked...Haven't looked back.  Wouldn't change a thing.