"Mental Tournaments"...Does anyone else do this?? How do you practice????

[Catt]

I know the structure I'm fishing holds kicker bass because I've fished them for 36 years catching numerous bas from 8-11 lbs off of each.

The only new lures invented in resent years is the Senko & some swim baits, there are variations of spinner baits, crank baits, & worms but they basically all are the same as the original with slight modifications or meticulously painted or patterned. Toads-N-Frogs have been around for years, as highly productive as Rage Tails are they are only a modification of an existing lure.

Now let's look at techniques the only one I can think of that has not existed for 30 or more years are the Wacky Rig.

Y'all keep confusing the issue with this talk of tournaments like y'all only fish with that mentality during a tournament; my brain is in that mode of thought constantly & if y'all want to become a proficient angler you better adopt it to.

Instead of concentrating on learning new baits try concentrating on learning your body of water, its structures, cover, & bait fish.

Man often responds to failure and frustration by over-complicating theory and technique. As much as it helps our egos to regard a difficult task as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success. Consistently catching bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate waters and patterns that are productive.

Yelp it's that dang simple  

[SDoolittle]

   Catt, I have agreed with most of what you're saying, but you're still not answering my question. You know your lake, its structure, cover and baitfish because you've been fishing there for 36 years. You are satisfied that there are no new lures or techniques for you to learn. What are you learning? I'm not asking you this to be a smart aleck, I'm really trying to figure out what I'm missing here.

   As an active duty service member, I have to pack up and move every few years. I don't have 36 years to learn a lake. I'm not complaining because fishing all over the country has made me a very versital angler. Last year I spent a couple of days on the lake fishing nothing but drop shot. This may be an old tactic, but it was new to me and something I felt like I needed to learn. If I had treated those outings as tounaments, that drop shot never would have come out of the rod box. I'm sure that I could have caught more fish using one of my confidence baits, but now drop shotting is one of my confidence baits. If I never took the time to try to learn something new (to me), I would still be fishing with beetle spins on a zebco 33 like I did when I was 6 years old.

   You said "Man often responds to failure and frustration by over-complicating theory and technique. As much as it helps our egos to regard a difficult task as complex, this type of thinking is often the biggest obstacle between you and your fishing success." I agree and I addressed my own failure and frustration in a thread last week. I overcame those issues and placed well in that tournament because I simplified things.  But it didn't happen during the tournament. It happened in the days leading up to it when I just went fishing. By slowing down and removing the pressure I had put on myself, I started catching more fish and regained my confidence.

[Catt]

First off name me one new lure other than the ones I mentioned & I don't mean a variation of an existing lure?

Second name me one new technique that is not a variation of an existing one?

Third it doesn't take 36 years to learn a lake with the detailed topographical maps available today. Study the structure first, studies predominate bait fish second, & study the available cover last.

What am I learning on every outing? A more complete picture of Toledo Bend, its bottom structure, bottom composition, all available prey species, various types of vegetation and their relation ship to different type's bottom composition and how available prey relate to all of the above. Oh yea I even learned some new honey holes!

Learning techniques are the easy part, it so easy my 7 year old grandson has learned them all but flipping/pitching.

Again I will repeat for those of y'all who didn't read every word of every sentence; it is not about techniques, lures, rod-n-reels, boats, lines or who wears which kind of underwear. Consistently catching bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate waters and patterns that are productive.

By slowing down and removing the pressure you uncomplicated the theory and technique thereby making you a better angler.

[SDoolittle]

First off name me one new lure other than the ones I mentioned & I don't mean a variation of an existing lure?

Second name me one new technique that is not a variation of an existing one?

  For those of y'all who didn't read every word of every sentence; I've already agreed with you (twice) that there are no new lures or techniques! What I am saying is that I am not proficient in all of them. If you are, then congratulations! And thank you for finally answering my question.

  By the way, this has been one of my more enjoyable debates, so thank you for keeping it civil.

[SDoolittle]

Hey Catt, would you consider this a new lure/technique?

[Catt]

Hey Catt, would you consider this a new lure/technique?

I call that a kid's toy

Define what you mean when you say proficient & why you feel a need to be proficient with every lure/technique ever made?

[Bassnajr]

I like that answer Catt!!!!!

AndI have learned this mindset VERY quickly!!!!!!

ajr

[SDoolittle]

I call that a kid's toy

That was a joke!

[SDoolittle]

Define what you mean when you say proficient & why you feel a need to be proficient with every lure/technique ever made?

From Merriam-Webster Online "Proficient implies a thorough competence derived from training and practice". I don't feel like I need to be proficient in every lure/technique ever made. I never said I did. But there are lure/techniques that I have little or no experience with. Last year it was the drop shot, this year I have been experimenting with swimbaits. If I'm trying to learn something, I'm not going to jump straight into tournament mode. I'm going to develop a thorough competence through training and practice. C'mon man, this is no different from any other sport. You have to practice before you compete.

[Catt]

I think too many times anglers get hung up on trying to learn ever technique available when it is completely not necessary. On any given day on any given body of water there will be multiple patterns available that produce bass & there will be multiple techniques that will produce bass from those patterns. No professional angler on the circuit is proficient with every technique available not even the mighty KVD; they all are proficient at locating patterns that lend themselves to techniques that they are proficient at.  

[SDoolittle]

I think too many times anglers get hung up on trying to learn ever technique available when it is completely not necessary. On any given day on any given body of water there will be multiple patterns available that produce bass & there will be multiple techniques that will produce bass from those patterns. No professional angler on the circuit is proficient with every technique available not even the mighty KVD; they all are proficient at locating patterns that lend themselves to techniques that they are proficient at.

Carolina Rig what can I say except it produces year round; I'm not a proficient it as I should be and am working on that.

I rest my case!

[Catt]

I think too many times anglers get hung up on trying to learn ever technique available when it is completely not necessary. On any given day on any given body of water there will be multiple patterns available that produce bass & there will be multiple techniques that will produce bass from those patterns. No professional angler on the circuit is proficient with every technique available not even the mighty KVD; they all are proficient at locating patterns that lend themselves to techniques that they are proficient at.

Carolina Rig what can I say except it produces year round; I'm not a proficient it as I should be and am working on that.

I rest my case!

Proficient by definition when used as a noun: An expert; an adept.

Proficient by definition when used as a adjective: Having or marked by an advanced degree of competence

Bird dog you ever watch the movie Quigley Down Under - The Final Gunfight?

I said I'm not as proficient as I should be with a Carolina Rig; I never said I didn't know how to use it.

I rest my case

[fourbizz]

I hope someday I can know as much about one thing, as Catt knows about everything.

[Catt]

For a 23 yr old you know quite a bit so just add 33 more yrs