Your worst fishing habit

[Stratocat_Joe]

Honestly, I think my worst habit is I try to learn too much. With all of the various techniques, baits, lures, electronics, etc., not to mention the ease of access to information of all sorts through internet forums and YouTube videos, it's easy to get lost chasing the proverbial rabbit down the trail.  Then, I feel like I have to chase those rabbits when I'm out on the water.  I heard Greg Hackney make the comment that he used to catch them better before he knew too much about bass fishing.  I can sort of relate to that.

[Spankey]

On 8/3/2022 at 2:09 PM, Hook2Jaw said:

I don't reach for the power baits that should be working often enough.  Typically, I'll power fish the first hour or two of the day.  Around that time I pull the finesse tactics out and typically catch them, and sometimes I get a good one.  I feel like I could be creating reaction strikes but I'm always dragging a slow bait.

This is the dilemma I'm in right now but just the opposite in my bait choice. I'm pretty much a river rat and my fishing history tells me a nice smallie is gonna come off a crankbait in these dogdays but it's not happening. Been a real struggle as of lately with my hardbaits. I love to fish soft plastics don't get me wrong but the smallies have been dink and runts. Maybe I should stick to the soft plastic finesse approach for a few outings and throw a trap in and around heavy structure. Light T-rig finesse worms, tubes and grubs have been saving the days. Just looking for a few respectable fish to get my mind back right. 

[dodgeguy]

14 minutes ago, Spankey said:

This is the dilemma I'm in right now but just the opposite in my bait choice. I'm pretty much a river rat and my fishing history tells me a nice smallie is gonna come off a crankbait in these dogdays but it's not happening. Been a real struggle as of lately with my hardbaits. I love to fish soft plastics don't get me wrong but the smallies have been dink and runts. Maybe I should stick to the soft plastic finesse approach for a few outings and throw a trap in and around heavy structure. Light T-rig finesse worms, tubes and grubs have been saving the days. Just looking for a few respectable fish to get my mind back right. 

Ned rig

[WVU-SCPA]

At times I keep too much tension on my line trying to keep in contact with baits.  When drop shotting I have to remind my self I don't need to feel every little sunfish nip and at times slack line is necessary to get bit.  After 5 minutes I'm back to full tension trying to feel for every peck and pebble.

 

 

[Darth-Baiter]

headed to my garage right now to tighten down my drag!!

 

I just loosen it to peel off the old line.  I never free-spool it anymore.  I always forget to tighten it down!!

[InfantryMP]

Mine would be trying new techniques or adjusting as well. 

 

I am set on like 5 different baits if you will it seems. If I cannot get them jerkin, crankin or one of my other moving baits I am not going to have a great day. Also I am like a KVD as far as power fishing goes, I hate drop shotting etc. If I slowed down I would probably be more productive. 

[Junk Fisherman]

Great topic.

1)  I fish too slow.  

2)  I don't change lures enough.  Granted, I do think there is something to be said about fishing the baits you have confidence in.  

3)  I fish too often in the spots that have been productive in the past.  (this goes along with #1)

4)  I don't fish fast-moving baits enough.  

5)  I don't fish topwater enough.  

[Hook2Jaw]

3 hours ago, Junk Fisherman said:

Great topic.

1)  I fish too slow.  

2)  I don't change lures enough.  Granted, I do think there is something to be said about fishing the baits you have confidence in.  

3)  I fish too often in the spots that have been productive in the past.  (this goes along with #1)

4)  I don't fish fast-moving baits enough.  

5)  I don't fish topwater enough.  

Is this me?  Am I you?

 

3 hours ago, WVU-SCPA said:

At times I keep too much tension on my line trying to keep in contact with baits.  When drop shotting I have to remind my self I don't need to feel every little sunfish nip and at times slack line is necessary to get bit.  After 5 minutes I'm back to full tension trying to feel for every peck and pebble.

 

 

I just saw a video by Brian Latimer where he was imparting action to his shakyhead with slack line pops of his rod.  It was eye opening for me, so I'm going to start working a lot of my bottom contact with this in mind.

[Boomstick]

I would say my worst habit is the same, or trying to get a bass on a lure that other people get in the same spot, in the same lake and I can't get a bite on but still don't give up.

[Darth-Baiter]

my worst habits to be honest with myself are my fishing slangs.

 

Biguns!  really?  that isn't even a word!!  "choked it".  "smoked it".  I need to stop.  

 

I am so happy I quit saying, "now that is what I am talking about!!"..  

[Jmilburn76]

I kayak fish 98% of the time and my worst habit is fishing in the same area far too long without getting any bites. I grew up with my grandpa bank fishing and he only used live bait. We would cast out with a bobber and just let it sit indefinitely. I guess this made me a natural finesse angler now. My kayak is pedal-driven so I really need to get into the habit of covering more water and casting much, much more.

[the reel ess]

I'm guilty of stubbornly throwing a topwater when I should be doing something else.

I'm also guilty of forgetting a lure that I really needed/wanted to use or a paddle or to charge a battery or to put a plug in.

On 8/3/2022 at 2:35 PM, Bankc said:

I'm with ya!  I almost never get a good hookset on the first bite of the day.  And if it's been a few hours since the last bite, I usually miss that one as well.  I tend to get focused too deeply on the retrieve and where I'm going to place my next cast, that I go blank when I finally feel a bite and it disrupts my trance.  

My dad used to call that the head-in-the-butt syndrome. You cast so long without a bite that you are on autopilot.

4 hours ago, Darth-Baiter said:

my worst habits to be honest with myself are my fishing slangs.

 

Biguns!  really?  that isn't even a word!!  "choked it".  "smoked it".  I need to stop.  

 

I am so happy I quit saying, "now that is what I am talking about!!"..  

I'm guilty of saying "we" when talking to myself while fishing alone.

[scaleface]

On 8/3/2022 at 9:18 PM, CrashVector said:

Fishing the exact same spots despite not catching something in that spot, but because I caught fish there ONE time, I keep trying 

Several years back I caught two huge bass off this one offshore spot . I have spent a lot of time there trying to repeat and failed . I'll keep at it . "I catch smaller fish there so a big one should take up residence ," Thats what I keep telling myself .

[TnRiver46]

On 8/3/2022 at 10:11 PM, Darth-Baiter said:

I have a friend that says, “I have a cold beer and a hot wife at home.  I’m getting home before either one reaches room temperature “.  
 

 

[gim]

1 hour ago, Jmilburn76 said:

We would cast out with a bobber and just let it sit indefinitely.

That's essentially what 95% of the ice anglers here do in the winter.  They literally park on a spot, wait, drink a beer, and then wait some more.

[Koz]

Mine is being stubborn with baits and techniques when the bite is slow.

 

This is probably the ideal time to try something new or that I rarely use.

[crypt]

sometimes I lose focus on what is in front of me. I need to stay sharp by paying attention more to what is going on.

[Columbia Craw]

Leaving my binoculars in the truck.

[Deleted account]

Hustling folks' tackle, no wait, that's my best habit....

[scaleface]

If you have lures that you want to try but you keep putting it off for whatever reason , tie them on at home . Do it right now .

[Sphynx]

Letting my mind wander while fishing jigs, and other bottom contact type presentations. One of the curses of owning a small business is that whatever else you might be doing, some part of your brain is ALWAYS involved in the business to some degree...occasionally that leads me to fish nothing but moving baits even when probably not appropriate for conditions simply because I don't have to focus as much on the fishing part.

[throttleplate]

Forgetting that this day i am wearing hip waders instead of the usual chest waders and then going to deep.

[12poundbass]

I have several.

 

1: Information overload. I read and read and read, then I get overwhelmed and go back to what I’m comfortable with.

 

2: I stick to my few comfort baits. I did break this habit and try other baits…..but then I get comfortable with those and tend to stick with them. Vicious cycle. ?

 

3: Second guessing. I’ve always struggled with this, from sports to life decisions. 
 

[AlabamaSpothunter]

Maintaining confidence in myself, my approach, and the baits I'm using when I'm getting skunked.  I find once you lose confidence, or feel you aren't going to catch a fish on a particular cast....you indeed won't catch one.     Call me crazy but I think confidence is the most important aspect to Bass fishing.  It takes a ton of confidence to do an activity where the success rate is less than a MLB batting average.

 

Second would be fishing to slow, fishing to many T rigged things

[Jessco87]

Beating the bank with the same technique. Every time I go to the lake I make plans to find offshore spots ,use crankbaits, build confidence in something other than visual targets. But I always catch myself trolling 20 yards from the bank.