What did you learn or where did you improve at in 2016 .

[IndianaFinesse]

1 hour ago, scaleface said:

One of these days you will probably have to  pull one in by hand.  LOL   A lot of us has done that at one point . 

Done that a couple times.  Got a wind knot while throwing a ned rig, a few minutes into untangling it I felt a bass tugging on the end of my line.  I had to bring it in hand over hand, which was actually kind of fun.

[Spankey]

My biggest obstacle I had to overcome was the head game I had rolling around between my shoulder blades with topwater fishing. 2014 and 2015 seasons i could not get it together don't know what it was, what i was or was not doing but my confidence was shot fishing a way that i enjoy so much. I by no means am a topwater master but I pulled it together for this past season got that confidence back like that problem never existed. Over thinking it did not help. Putting an unnecessary stress to fishing didn't help. It was something that just came together for me on its own. Hope I don't run into this again and if I do I'll take it in stride. 

I did not jerkbait fish as much as I like to, fish salamanders and jig & pig fish the amount as I normally would. Got hung up on fishing a few new colors of good baits patterns and wormed fish a bit more then in the past few years. Nothing all that new just just a different cycle.  

[shimmy]

Great question. Was fun to think about. I learned that reeling a crankbait at lightning speed can trigger some GIANT bass. Always thought that was a smaller fish/northern pike type presentation.  Also learned the importance of fishing seemingly less productive water slowly and meticulously. This is more for smaller bodies of water. Basically, if you choose to fish a spot that seems "seemingly less important," fish it the right way with the best approach you got. This spring, summer, and fall, most of my big bass came from spots that usually aren't productive. Was another reminder to fish your best at every spot and not to speed through if you CHOOSE to fish it. I know it is good to generally focus on more productive waters, but there is something about the 300 acre type lakes where there can be some interesting surprises if you are strategic with your explorations.

[dwh4784]

I learned to use a leader on my T-rigs instead of tying direct to braid. Also learned to seek out waters that can't be touched by a bass boat. A couple of my best fish came when pulled up to the shore way back in the thick stuff and parallel casting along the bank.

[Jagg]

Learned to fish the swim jig. 2017: Ned Rig. Seems pretty similar to Slider fishing so it shouldn't be a huge learning curve.

[frogflogger]

Float n fly -  yahoo

[DoDFire]

23 minutes ago, frogflogger said:

Float n fly -  yahoo

http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/new-hot-weather-technique

http://www.bassmaster.com/blog/float-n-fly-when-its-hot

[Onvacation]

After watching my kids grow to adults, it took raising my five year old nephew to teach me this. When young kids are involved, unless you want to ruin the day for everyone, fishing with young kids means you are there to help them fish, not act like they are your co-angler. 

[the reel ess]

I learned to downsize to catch fish when it's really hot in the middle of the Dog Days. I reverted to the ol' Do-Nothing split shot rig. Later I changed it to a light weight C-rig with a T-rigged Zoom finesse worm. I learned that the loud colors like bubble gum and lime don't work as well as pumpkin and watermelon when the bite gets tough.

27 minutes ago, Onvacation said:

After watching my kids grow to adults, it took raising my five year old nephew to teach me this. When young kids are involved, unless you want to ruin the day for everyone, fishing with young kids means you are there to help them fish, not act like they are your co-angler. 

This is really hard for me because I LOVE to fish and don't get to nearly enough by my estimation. My 12 YO daughter has a kayak as well and I like for her to go with me. But she bumps into me, slaps the water and makes a general racket. She's just not into fishing and she told me she was just about done kayaking with me because all I do is fish and it makes me sad. She was so excited when I first bought the kayak for her in the late winter that she would go outside and sit in it.  I asked her if we could do one more trip when it warms and leave the fishing rods at home. 

[Scarborough817]

13 hours ago, IndianaFinesse said:

Done that a couple times.  Got a wind knot while throwing a ned rig, a few minutes into untangling it I felt a bass tugging on the end of my line.  I had to bring it in hand over hand, which was actually kind of fun.

sticking to your name on that one eh? 

[WIGuide]

2016 was the year of the jig. It took me a while to to gain confidence in it, but when all was said and done, the majority of my bigger fish I caught this year came on the jig. Since I improved using jigs, I started experimenting more with other baits that I don't use as often and even though I didn't devote a huge amount of time to them, I was far more willing to step out of my comfort zone and experiment. I worked to get better using my electronics and put in quite a bit of time mapping uncharted lakes that I fish on a regular basis. It's definitely a nice feature for me and has paid off.

 During the summer months I worked on my deeper water structure game and it improved some. It's not where I want it to be yet, but it's improving. Overall, even though 2016 was different, I think it was a pretty darn good year. 

[crypt]

fly fishing for bass more. best year yet for it.

[reerok]

Great topic.

1) learned to effectively utilize drop-shotting horizontally in shallow water.  This became one of my favorite techniques. 

2) I spent a lot of time using crank baits and learned a lot through that process

3) mostly I learned that I have a ton to learn.  Especially in understanding reservoirs, the importance of studying maps and sonar charts, and how to spend time identifying high percentage areas before getting to the water instead of wasting time fishing unproductive areas once on it.

[Onvacation]

13 hours ago, the reel ess said:

I learned to downsize to catch fish when it's really hot in the middle of the Dog Days. I reverted to the ol' Do-Nothing split shot rig. Later I changed it to a light weight C-rig with a T-rigged Zoom finesse worm. I learned that the loud colors like bubble gum and lime don't work as well as pumpkin and watermelon when the bite gets tough.

This is really hard for me because I LOVE to fish and don't get to nearly enough by my estimation. My 12 YO daughter has a kayak as well and I like for her to go with me. But she bumps into me, slaps the water and makes a general racket. She's just not into fishing and she told me she was just about done kayaking with me because all I do is fish and it makes me sad. She was so excited when I first bought the kayak for her in the late winter that she would go outside and sit in it.  I asked her if we could do one more trip when it warms and leave the fishing rods at home. 

 My son is 23, my daughter is 21, and my nephew is 5. My daughter in particular, since she lives nearby, always reminds me about events in our past together that she sees that are similar to events with my nephew. My daughter and nephew are the fishermen in the family. Kids don't have bad days fishing, they have bad experiences with us as parents. Yea it sucks when they aren't as into it as we are, but I can tell you now, it's pretty cool when that 12 year old turns 21 and calls you up and asks to go fishing.  Hang in there.  

[Luna2406]

Worms! I had a heck of a year focusing on my worm game haha wacky rigging a 4" worm was my go to bait for the year. I really had to slow down and that was my hardest challenge. After seeing how productive wacky was, I tried shakey heads, and I caught some of the biggest bass of the year that way. I still have trouble figuring out what to use when, but I know how to use certain baits to make them work for me. This year I definitely used more baits that I have in the previous three. The only one I have no confidence in but I know I need to work on is jigs. That's my goal for this next year, is catch more than 1 fish on a jig. Gotta start small!

[Will Wetline]

I'm back in from shoveling as much snow as I care to, and will now turn my attention to observations from the 2016 season.

 

Don't know that I learned anything new but rather reaffirmed, gained more confidence in baits that I had previously shown to smallies and refined my presentation of them.

 

Let's start early season with small hair jigs when the water temp was in the mid to high 40ºs. In an earlier post I used the term "dawdle" because that describes the speed of the retrieve in water this cold. Save the hoppin' and boppin' for warmer water and a different type of jig.

 

 

Vibrating blade baits showed me some decent cold water smallies too. If you missed it, check out the recent post about this extremely effective cold water bait:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/183746-a-difference-between-blade-baits/

 

Still early on a bright June morning, the topwater bite died. I was sitting on a favorite rock hump and noticed a hatch had started. Opportunists that they are, smallies eat just-hatched bugs that are making their way to the surface. Opportunist that I am, I wacky rigged a 4" Senko on a #1 Gamakatsu circle hook, cast, let it sink for a two or three count and twitched it back to the boat. The smallies ate it as long as the hatch lasted. Here's one of six:

 

 

Can't say enough about Duo Realis' Spin Bait 80 which worked for me consistently in water that ranged from 55º - 75º.

 

 

This June day had been very slow overall and at 3:00 I was hot and bored. Why not amuse myself with a popper? I was working the edge of a steep breaking flat thinking maybe, maybe a hungry cruiser would take notice.

 

 

The boat you see in these photos is one from the rental fleet that the Massachusetts Division of Conservation and Recreation maintains at Quabbin Reservoir. One morning, when I was in the middle of this sizable body of water, I spotted a stowaway!

 

If I were fishing a pad field for largemouth this creature would have been in big trouble but, being a smallie guy, I had no use for it and deposited it on shore at the end of the trip.

 

 

This season I used 6 lb. line, both Seaguar Tatsu fluorocarbon and Silver Thread AN 40 copolymer more often than the 8 or 10 lb. lines that I also use. That's because I often used light, subtle presentations. (1/8 oz. hair jigs, 4" Senko, Duo Realis Spin Bait.) Even used it toward the end of my season in late June for T-rigging a a small bait on a 1/0 EWG hook. And I'm thinking through this recap of the season's memorable events that 6 lb. works fine to properly balance an outfit/presentation and may make a difference on a "tough bite" day. Here's the biggest surprise of the season. On 6 lb. Tatsu:

 

 

Got my jig back!

 

Hope you enjoyed this ramble through my 2016 smallie season.

[Oklahoma Mike]

Back in the hottest days of the summer, I was targeting big bass in some highly pressured bodies of water. Sometimes covering water right behind other anglers who'd power fished right through it without landing a thing, even though I knew they were there. I learned to find my patience again, and to really slow down - way, way down - pretty much "stitching" my bait back along the bottom excruciatingly slow. There were some tough days when this was the only way I could find success in some of these places. 

 

Not a new technique to me, but I think over the last couple of years I've often been too impatient and would cover an area too fast, then move on to another spot, etc., and at the end of the day I'd have little to show for it. This year I forced myself to slow down, and it was very rewarding. 

[Dreadhead47]

This year I learned a lot about crankbait and jerkbait presentation. For soft plastics, I learned to slow down and adjust bait size till I find what work that day, rather than throwing the same bait all day and basically burning it back. I Have always resisted fishing deep and I feel I made good progress this year. On to equipment. I learned spooling my spinning reel with braid and using a leader is a whole lot easier to work with. Micro guides are terrible when faced with cottonwood(I think it's called), and during winter. Most important thing I've learned is to periodically check my line for any abrasion. I Learned that the hard way, several times this year.

[JT Bagwell]

I started doing some Spybaiting this year. I had never done it before but I got some of the Lucky Craft Screw Pointers and was told that was the technique they were designed for.

 

It was actually kind of fun. Normally I don't pick up a spinning rod unless I have no choice but I caught some good fish on this technique.

[slonezp]

What did I learn????......

I learned how precious spending time with the ones you love really means. I learned how I miss fishing with my son. He has decided to become a grown up. He's in a serious relationship and now has to find time to fish rather than just show up at the ramp. With any luck, I'll be well enough to fish tournaments next year, because it's the only time I fish with him anymore. I learned my dad is getting old. Losing his memory old. Can't remember which lid is for the livewell old. Needing to hold onto him as he gets in and out of the boat old. Having "accidents" on the boat old. Gotta hand it to him. That old man will fish from sun up to sun down and then some if he could. I learned how important it is to my mother, that I take my dad fishing. She thanks me every time, because he always comes home happy. I learned that even though I don't want to filet dozens of crappies or bluegills, to just suck it up and do it because my folks love eating them. I learned that even buying my ol' lady a set of Carhartt bibs, she still won't join me on the boat when it's below 50* out. I learned the ol' lady no longer loves me. I bought a second boat and she never said a word about it. Had she loved me, I surely would have never heard the end of it.

 

and I learned that Senkos flat out catch fish. I already knew this but I haven't fished them for years. They were my goto bait this year.

 

 

[RLP]

I learned that sometimes you just need to take time off and to go fishing. Many times all you need is a half day and you can enjoy what feels like a whole day around or on the water!  2017 will be filled with many more weeks searching for tight lines. Can't wait but until then mods on the boat and time spent organizing my tackle will have to do.

 

Really nice post above by slonezp! Especially the part about sucking it up.  Sometimes fishing is more about others than ourselves.

[Mike L]

14 hours ago, slonezp said:

What did I learn????......

I learned how precious spending time with the ones you love really means. I learned how I miss fishing with my son. He has decided to become a grown up. He's in a serious relationship and now has to find time to fish rather than just show up at the ramp. With any luck, I'll be well enough to fish tournaments next year, because it's the only time I fish with him anymore. I learned my dad is getting old. Losing his memory old. Can't remember which lid is for the livewell old. Needing to hold onto him as he gets in and out of the boat old. Having "accidents" on the boat old. Gotta hand it to him. That old man will fish from sun up to sun down and then some if he could. I learned how important it is to my mother, that I take my dad fishing. She thanks me every time, because he always comes home happy. I learned that even though I don't want to filet dozens of crappies or bluegills, to just suck it up and do it because my folks love eating them. I learned that even buying my ol' lady a set of Carhartt bibs, she still won't join me on the boat when it's below 50* out. I learned the ol' lady no longer loves me. I bought a second boat and she never said a word about it. Had she loved me, I surely would have never heard the end of it.

 

and I learned that Senkos flat out catch fish. I already knew this but I haven't fished them for years. They were my goto bait this year.

 

 

What did I REALLY learn??...

That tho we are all different people from all over the country who may never meet, one mans life experience is not unlike others, and that there is more in our lives that we may have in common than just fishing.  

 

Thanks Slone

 

 

Mike

 

 

[Bait Runner]

Being rather new to bass fishing, I would say that I learned I have a lot to learn. Road Warrior had posted on my introductory thread about some things to try if you're not catching fish and I decided that this was the best place for me to pick up during Spring 2017.

 

I also learned to really appreciate the beauty of the local lakes and surrounding areas. I think that is sometimes overlooked.

[fishingfan25]

I got good with something that I've been wanting to do for awhile, i got good at fishing big baits. The key for me was being able to put down the smaller stuff that "catches" a ton of fish and focus on only getting a few bites a day. i pulled fish of size out of places i had no idea had them. i rarely picked up conventional gear this year and I'm more than happy that i made this choice. it resulted in a lot of big fish and some great memories 

[Alan Reed]

Well this list is pretty long. I started the year not having seriously fished in my life. So I started with the basics in the winter. Wife got me a nice pole and a baitcasting reel which was my preference.

I got out on the water in the spring and it was a struggle. I was trying different things and different locations but just couldn't put it all together to catch fish. If I did catch one then I might get 4 fish in entire time we were out. 

When I started fishing it was with Texas rigged worm. Then I started to venture out to RAT-L-Traps and spinner baits but never really had much success.

 

In the midspring I got medium light rod with spinning reel. That opened up the option of the Ned Rig and that really started to get things clicking. Went out my first time with the Ned and caught 7. Now that I was catching fish I could start developing patterns. Once I new where the fish where I started going back to the TX rigged worm and was catching bigger fish consistently 

Several of the lakes around me have a large amounts of Pads and Hydrilla so to cover water I started using a white fluke. First time out I was fishing the edges of the channels in the hydrilla and caught 17 LMB. Now I was dangerous I could catch fish on a moving bait and could finesse around cover and structure.

 

As things progressed I starting catching fish on Spinner baits, buzz baits, and different types of soft plastic worms.

 

I did my first fishing tournament and got 9th out of 63 which I was proud of but then I learned all the top performers caught the big ones on frogs. So I made a point. To go out and catch a fish on a frog. Let me tell you it was a struggle. I would have fish blowing up on it. Either they  pulled it under slightly and I reacted and pulled it out before they really had it or many many times the fish just knocked the frog but didn't take it under. It took me a good 3-4 times going out focusing on the frog until I caught my first one and it was about a 3lber. 

Late summer I started fishing a chatterbait. That turned out to be a big fish bait for me and I was regularly catching fish 2.5 to 3.5 lbs with it. As fall started to set in I started working a square bill crankbait. I loved fishing it around wood and it was amazing how I could almost always tell when the bait was reacting in a way a fish wasn't going to be able to turn it down. It would bang into some wood and pop around or over and would stop for a second while I either paused or had to get get the line caught up. And as soon as it was start to move again a fish would wack it.

I also got a fish finder on my Kayak and started to figure out how the fish relate to the underwater features.

 

The combination of everything coming together and cementing the fact that I feel I moved from being someone that fishes to an angler occurred on the Friday before Thanksgiving. That's when I fished a new body of water and found an underwater creek channel with my depth finder. I then swam a chatterbait on the edge of the drop off into the channel and hookuped with my 4.75 PB. Which in Indiana is a really good fish.

It's been a really good experience and learned so many things throughout the year.