Anyone ever "started over"? (Philosophical musings itt)

[fishwizzard]

 As I am trying to get myself motivated to give my tackle corner a greatly needed cleaning, I find myself thinking "I wanna start over".  

 

I am about to begin my third year of bass fishing and only last summer/fall did I really begin to get a handle on things and feel confident.  When I would catch a fish I started to understand why I caught it, rather than just chucking a lure in and hoping for the best.   I now find myself with piles of lures, mostly plastics, that I am, if I am honest with myself, am never going to use.  I have so so many lures that will never see water.  And now that I am getting a hang of things and figuring out what styles and techniques I really enjoy and work in my waters, I want to buy more tackle, but it feels silly to do so when I have so much already.  I also am so distracted by wanting to try everything that I never get really good at any one thing.  

 

So more and more I am thinking about selling everything and starting over.   I would keep my rods and reels and the dozen or so "kits" I build in 3600 boxes for grab-n-go trips, but get rid of everything else and, once my kits become depleted, start over just a limited selection of lures to focus on.  So like, get rid of the piles of worms I have just buy a few of the "classics" and really learn them, so like buy a two colors of Trick Worms, Culprits, Robos, and Senkos.  Just those four worms could keep me busy for an entire season.  Same thing with other plastics, just pick a proven brand/color and only fish that until I learn it and develop conference.  Hardbaits will be done the same way, a few proven lures/colors.  It will be hard to get rid of it all, but if I just pick and choose I will never get rid of anything.  

 

I know I will loose a ton of money selling everything off, but I think a more or less fresh start with the bit of knowledge I now have will make me a more focused and productive fisherman.  My most productive and enjoyable days are when I bring the least amount of tackle with me, so I think I would really benefit from a refresh.  

 

Has anyone ever done something like this?  Am I crazy with cabin fever from the currently rainy weather?  

[Ratherbfishing]

1 minute ago, Bunnielab said:

 As I am trying to get myself motivated to give my tackle corner a greatly needed cleaning, I find myself thinking "I wanna start over".  

 

I am about to begin my third year of bass fishing and only last summer/fall did I really begin to get a handle on things and feel confident.  When I would catch a fish I started to understand why I caught it, rather than just chucking a lure in and hoping for the best.   I now find myself with piles of lures, mostly plastics, that I am, if I am honest with myself, am never going to use.  Between the exuberance of a beginner and maybe a year or so of both LTB and MTB, I have so so many lures that will never see water.  And now that I am getting a hang of things and figuring out what styles and techniques I really enjoy and work in my waters, I want to buy more tackle, but it feels silly to do so when I have so much already.  I also am so distracted by wanting to try everything that I never get really good at any one thing.  

 

So more and more I am thinking about selling everything and starting over.   I would keep my rods and reels and the dozen or so "kits" I build in 3600 boxes for grab-n-go trips, but get rid of everything else and, once my kits become depleted, start over just a limited selection of lures to focus on.  So like, get rid of the piles of worms I have just buy a few of the "classics" and really learn them, so like buy a two colors of Trick Worms, Culprits, Robos, and Senkos.  Just those four worms could keep me busy for an entire season.  Same thing with other plastics, just pick a proven brand/color and only fish that until I learn it and develop conference.  Hardbaits will be done the same way, a few proven lures/colors.  It will be hard to get rid of it all, but if I just pick and choose I will never get rid of anything.  

 

I know I will loose a ton of money selling everything off, but I think a more or less fresh start with the bit of knowledge I now have will make me a more focused and productive fisherman.  My most productive and enjoyable days are when I bring the least amount of tackle with me, so I think I would really benefit from a refresh.  

 

Has anyone ever done something like this?  Am I crazy with cabin fever from the currently rainy weather?  

 

Yes, you are crazy.  Understandably so (weather-wise)

 

If you sell it ALL off, you'll wind up buying SOME of it back-at new lure prices?  Why would you want to do a fool thing like that?   If you must, just sit it aside and incorporate it back into your arsenal as you see fit.

 

Or you can give it all to me and I'll save you the trouble of deciding.  :  ) 

[NHBull]

If you find your yourse mid summer feeling the same way, there is no downside to thin the herd.

  That said, since your rerun on investment is going to be slim, considering donating it to a fishing club and get the deduction and feel better doing so.

 

 

[Turtle135]

I think you are on the right track particularly if you are targeting larger bass. Minimize and master a limited number of big fish presentations.

 

 

[fishwizzard]

44 minutes ago, Ratherbfishing said:

 

If you sell it ALL off, you'll wind up buying SOME of it back-at new lure prices?  Why would you want to do a fool thing like that?   If you must, just sit it aside and incorporate it back into your arsenal as you see fit.

 

It's an issue of self control, once I start picking, I will keep it all.  But as I said, I will top off all my little kits and keep them, so I will still have a ton of lures to work through, but when it comes time to refill, I will be far far more selective.  For example, this is my "6-8 inch t-rigged worms" kit;

There are like 10 different brands/styles of worms in there.  Is a Rage Recon that different from a Culprit? Is a Producto Tournament really that different from a Mann's Jelly?  Sure, there are difference, but right now I don't have the experience or knowledge to know when to use one or the other.  I have maybe 11-14 other kits like this, for different plastics.  The plan (as I am currently thinking) is to fish each kit and actually keep track of what is catching and what isnt.  Then, when I go to restock (and condense it down to like 6-7 kits), I will only buy what has worked for me.  

 

Donating it isn't a bad idea, I travel for work a ton and if I control my eating and drinking, my left over per diem money goes right into the tackle fund.  I have already donated some rods and tackle to a local fishing charity, it might even be more of a sure thing to just throw it in the mail rather then try to sort and photo it all, that gives me less time to change my mind.  

 

30 minutes ago, Turtle135 said:

I think you are on the right track particularly if you are targeting larger bass. Minimize and master a limited number of big fish presentations.

 

 

 

Even if I want to target numbers, the diminishing returns on dozens of presentations has to kick in rather quickly.  The Ned rig, a Robo on a Slider, and a Bubbling Shaker on a worm hook has accounted for most of my great numbers days, why am I keeping all this other stuff around? 

 

A lot of this comes from fishing out of a kayak or on foot.  In both cases I can only carry a very limited amount of tackle, so it's not like I will ever have even a fraction of my collection on hand to react to new or changing conditions.  

[lo n slo]

I'll take that box full of worms bro ?

[Deleted account]

4 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

 As I am trying to get myself motivated to give my tackle corner a greatly needed cleaning, I find myself thinking "I wanna start over".  

 

I am about to begin my third year of bass fishing and only last summer/fall did I really begin to get a handle on things and feel confident.  When I would catch a fish I started to understand why I caught it, rather than just chucking a lure in and hoping for the best.   I now find myself with piles of lures, mostly plastics, that I am, if I am honest with myself, am never going to use.  Between the exuberance of a beginner and maybe a year or so of both LTB and MTB, I have so so many lures that will never see water.  And now that I am getting a hang of things and figuring out what styles and techniques I really enjoy and work in my waters, I want to buy more tackle, but it feels silly to do so when I have so much already.  I also am so distracted by wanting to try everything that I never get really good at any one thing.  

 

So more and more I am thinking about selling everything and starting over.   I would keep my rods and reels and the dozen or so "kits" I build in 3600 boxes for grab-n-go trips, but get rid of everything else and, once my kits become depleted, start over just a limited selection of lures to focus on.  So like, get rid of the piles of worms I have just buy a few of the "classics" and really learn them, so like buy a two colors of Trick Worms, Culprits, Robos, and Senkos.  Just those four worms could keep me busy for an entire season.  Same thing with other plastics, just pick a proven brand/color and only fish that until I learn it and develop conference.  Hardbaits will be done the same way, a few proven lures/colors.  It will be hard to get rid of it all, but if I just pick and choose I will never get rid of anything.  

 

I know I will loose a ton of money selling everything off, but I think a more or less fresh start with the bit of knowledge I now have will make me a more focused and productive fisherman.  My most productive and enjoyable days are when I bring the least amount of tackle with me, so I think I would really benefit from a refresh.  

 

Has anyone ever done something like this?  Am I crazy with cabin fever from the currently rainy weather?  

 

"Experience is the comb life gives us after we loose our hair" 

 

 

 

 

[Subaqua Adinterim]

You're not alone, I have the same crazy thoughts.

Right now, I'm just trying to buy less stuff - that's a start. 

 

You never want to be a slave to your possessions; but somehow if you accumulate too much stuff, it happens - you end up wasting time in various ways because you have too much stuff.

 

Best of luck in your effort.

 

[RoLo]

 

You're not crazy, you've just reached the inescapable conclusion that bass are unpredictable.

 

"Anyone ever "started over"?

Frankly, at the beginning of every fishing day I feel like I'm 'starting over'.

Do not sell your stuff, you'll only wind up buying it back a second time.

Make your new decisions & apply your new ideas, but keep all your current stash (NO,  not pot)

 

Roger

[Team9nine]

Go for it! There is a surprising amount of "freedom" that comes with starting over, once you get past the initial grief  Just be smart about it. Keep and stock up the boxes and stuff you know already works, then sell the other stuff online, either here or on eBay. Take any monies from those sales and stash it in an envelope and hold it for future purchases, which will eventually come. The future purchases will cost you nothing this way, and you'll be going into them with a new found discipline. Any new baits that don't pan out, sell them and add back to the envelope. If you stay in control  you could go years before you ever have to "come out of pocket" for another bait, and to top it all off, you'll be feeling better and catching more fish - what's not to like? 

 

-T9 

[Columbia Craw]

You are not crazy. Lures are tools and having options is a good thing.  Wanting to simplify is not a bad thing either.  Over time you gain confidence in specific lures and gravitate toward them and the stuff that worked okay gets shelved.  Bass fishing is incredibly trendy.  I got caught up in wanting to try that new thing and try that other new thing thinking it must be better than what I was using at the time. I could dump 70% percent of my hard baits and not miss a thing. You have matured and reached a point that you understand it's not the Lure, it's the angler's thought process as to when and how to apply it that is most important.  Now, when you come up on a new angler who is starting out, be a giver and let them benefit from your reserve stocks. 

[camo]

I think maybe what you're getting at is you feel you're over complicating your fishing. That doesn't mean you need to go and get rid of your stuff just bring less and work on mastering particular techniques then you can decide for yourself the differences in the various types of worms you have and the place and time to use them. 

[Raul]

6 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

 As I am trying to get myself motivated to give my tackle corner a greatly needed cleaning, I find myself thinking "I wanna start over".  

 

I am about to begin my third year of bass fishing and only last summer/fall did I really begin to get a handle on things and feel confident.  When I would catch a fish I started to understand why I caught it, rather than just chucking a lure in and hoping for the best.   I now find myself with piles of lures, mostly plastics, that I am, if I am honest with myself, am never going to use.  Between the exuberance of a beginner and maybe a year or so of both LTB and MTB, I have so so many lures that will never see water.  And now that I am getting a hang of things and figuring out what styles and techniques I really enjoy and work in my waters, I want to buy more tackle, but it feels silly to do so when I have so much already.  I also am so distracted by wanting to try everything that I never get really good at any one thing.  

 

So more and more I am thinking about selling everything and starting over.   I would keep my rods and reels and the dozen or so "kits" I build in 3600 boxes for grab-n-go trips, but get rid of everything else and, once my kits become depleted, start over just a limited selection of lures to focus on.  So like, get rid of the piles of worms I have just buy a few of the "classics" and really learn them, so like buy a two colors of Trick Worms, Culprits, Robos, and Senkos.  Just those four worms could keep me busy for an entire season.  Same thing with other plastics, just pick a proven brand/color and only fish that until I learn it and develop conference.  Hardbaits will be done the same way, a few proven lures/colors.  It will be hard to get rid of it all, but if I just pick and choose I will never get rid of anything.  

 

I know I will loose a ton of money selling everything off, but I think a more or less fresh start with the bit of knowledge I now have will make me a more focused and productive fisherman.  My most productive and enjoyable days are when I bring the least amount of tackle with me, so I think I would really benefit from a refresh.  

 

Has anyone ever done something like this?  Am I crazy with cabin fever from the currently rainy weather?  

 

Every year, then I talk myself out of such insanity and organize all my s*t, I may not use it and 95% of it has never touched the water but at least now it looks cool.

[MassYak85]

I've encountered the same issue. It's a combination of buying lures and not liking some, finding that some are junk/don't perform, finding that I prefer some over the other, etc. etc. What I wind up with is a pile of perfectly good lures I know I will never use again mixed in with the lures I do use.

 

I've had the same thought you have, "I wish I could take what I know know and just build my lure arsenal from scratch". But instead of literally doing it like you seem to want to do (not that I blame you), I've sat down with all my gear, and picked through it. It takes some willpower to take a perfectly good lure or bag of plastics you paid good money for and toss it in a bin never to see the light of day again (until you sell it), but I've found that it really helps to open a box and see only lures that you've built confidence in instead of saying "I should try X because I need to get my money's worth out of something I've never caught a fish on". 

[Catt]

Ya really wanna start over?

Here's where you need to start!

 

Understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and then fish it effectively.

 

Understand what the predominate prey species in your lake and how that species relates to structure with each season...morning, noon, and night.

 

Understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

 

Understand that to consistently catch bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive.

 

Understand the #1 key to consistently catching bass is between your ears not between the folds of your wallet.

[roadwarrior]

9 hours ago, Raul said:

 

Every year, then I talk myself out of such insanity and organize all my s*t, I may not use it and 95% of it has never touched the water but at least now it looks cool.

 

Not...

My cave has pegboards and shelves for everything.

Then I have a large Plano tackle bag with all the stuff I think I might need.

Next is a smaller Plano which contains the tackle I plan to use on a particular day.

And finally, my rods are rigged and ready and sometimes I never open the tackle bag.

 

[Deleted account]

Most anglers progress through a circular cycle where they have (or should have) eureka moments. So while "starting over" is in itself, not a bad idea, understand that just like you look back 3 years or so and think "what was I thinking?", it will most likely happen again, and again, and its not related with what or how much tackle you own or not. KISS and simplify is where most advanced/very good anglers end up, but like most things in life, do what works for you.

[Gundog]

OP I'm in the process of doing the same thing only on a smaller scale. I've got about 15 tackle packs of lures I haven't used and am selling them at an upcoming auction. Mostly soft plastics but a few crankbaits and jerkbaits that have never seen the light of day. I think its good to shed the clutter, downsize the collection and concentrate on the baits that work for you. Having said that, I still have about 50 tackle packs of lures that won't be going to auction. 

[Paul Roberts]

19 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

Is a Rage Recon that different from a Culprit? Is a Producto Tournament really that different from a Mann's Jelly?  Sure, there are difference, but right now I don't have the experience or knowledge to know when to use one or the other.

Short answer is, No. I break worm boxes down to Straight-tail, Swimming-tail, Stick, Finesse. That pretty much does it. I have favorites but am happy to mix em up.

 

That said, there are advantages to certain... Straight-tails, for example. I have some that are heavy and cast well unweighted -Jelly Worms and a Boone worm used to fit that scenario. But, stick worms have pretty much filled that niche since.

[fishwizzard]

14 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Understand the #1 key to consistently catching bass is between your ears not between the folds of your wallet.

 

That is sort of what I am trying to do.  Learn the fundamentals better and unclutter my life a bit.  

 

I think I am going to start by going through all my plastics and NIB hardbaits and culling everything I have yet to even fish and see what I am left with.  

[jr231]

I'm always trying new baits ! And somehow most of em work! That's what I love about bass fishing. So many ways to catch em. 

[Catt]

2 hours ago, Bunnielab said:

 

That is sort of what I am trying to do.  Learn the fundamentals better and unclutter my life a bit.  

 

I think I am going to start by going through all my plastics and NIB hardbaits and culling everything I have yet to even fish and see what I am left with.  

 

Getting rid of tackle aint what ya need to do

[Zeeter]

I think selling it and starting over is a bad idea. Even if you keep your most productive gear. Just because you have all these lures and equipment doesn't mean you'll never use them. 

 

When I got back into it I went on a spending spree. Now I have too much gear. Yet I'm a rider in tournaments and the boater suggested I try chartreuse baits because it was overcast. 

 

I'd never used them because they didn't look natural. Thankfully, I had something on hand and managed to get some bites. 

 

Point is, you never know when you'll need it. Maybe scale down on trips, but have a little of everything just in case. 

[Raul]

7 hours ago, Catt said:

 

Getting rid of tackle aint what ya need to do

 

[WRB]

It's time to buy a boat.

Tom