One Thing That Makes You Better

[WCCT]

Be confident on each cast.  Visualize that a fish is in each spot you cast to.  This will in turn make you slow down and present you bait in the proper way.  It will also help you stay focused on those slow days when the bite is extremely tough.  It can really pay off when in a tournament and you have gone a few hours without putting a bass in the livewell.  It can all turn around on the next cast, and if you actually believe that, it just might

[Triton_Mike]

I got more than one thing that has helped me become a better angler.

1.  Time on Water.  Nothing replaces it

2.  Versatility (know the strenghts and weakness of every tactic and know when to use them)

3.  Keep a log of ALL your fishing trips (Patterns repeat themselves every year)

T Mike

[roadwarrior]

I'll add another suggestion:

Learn how to fish deeper water.

[Kana]

awareness to your surroundings!  its number 1 in my book.

but time on the water follows a close #2.  i could go on about the areas in which i need to improve, but ill leave PRACTICE for #3

(apparently there seems to be no one thing that makes us better, but a combination of skills in which we put forth in locating, selecting lures and presentations, and catching fish.)

[Upnorth]

Time on the water.  I am lucky that I work about 10 days a month.  That, coupled with no kids, gives me lots of time on the lake.

[kbj3579]

Man, what do you do Upnorth?  I want your job!

[senko_77]

knowing your baits actions, and knowing how to succesfully acheive the action you want, visulaizing what it is doing under water.  i ussually spend hours in an under ground pool lookin at my worm or jigs action when i move this way, or twich that way.  i beleive knowing this and repeating this action on the water makes me better at wormin

[senko_77]

The one thing that has made me better recently is focusing on my technique rather than thinking about if I am using the right color, shape, brand, weight, pro endorsed, scented, trophy winning, bleeding neon rattlin' glowstick etc....

For the past few months I put the bait monkey in serious restraints. I decided to just use my several standard go to baits and really try to refine each technique.

I have spent hours in shallow clear water watching actions and re-actions of baits. How they bounce off structure or are dragged, twitched and stopped on a rock pile. Actually paying attention to retrieve speed, line tension, the flex of the rod tip, vibration through the blank......

Ultimately I learned how my baits feel and what they look like in action. I've built more confidence in each because I can envision what a lure is doing even though I can't see it. I am actually "feeling it".

For me, changing my attitude and approach, then getting back to the basics has been the one thing that made me better this year.

i agree with sealand on this one, i have 3 baits in my boxes.  rapala dt cranks in 3 colors, all diving depths, spinnerbaits- terminator super stainless in different sizes, blades, colors, and only xoom trick worms for soft plastics in 3 colors.  i am going to learn how to fish these lures perfectly by next tourny season so i have confidence in them.  those 3 baits will catch any fish anytime.  and, it doesnt cost as much cuz im buyin one brand in each category.  confidence is everything

[chevy]

I try to read alot on bass biology and behaviour. It helps me to understand about reaction strikes, spawning, seasonal patterns etc...

It's helpful to know why they do something rather than merely being aware that they do it.

You must be at "one" with the bass. Think like the bass. Be the bass.

[Upnorth]

kbj, I'm a firefighter.  I work about 10 days a month, but those are 24hr shifts.  Averages out to about 56 hrs a week.

[2_Poppa]

Fishing deep water with a depth finder,[move] s-l-o-w... 8)[/move]

[Guest avid]

Heres another one.

Maintain your equipment.  Nothing makes a day on the lake more frustrating than equipment problems. I can enjoy a fishless day, but I need a blood pressure check when things start breaking down because I didn't do some preventive maintenence.

[Fishie]

Attention to detail.

I think you got to watch to make sure baits are straight on hook and rigged perfectly for best action. I heard this from Aaron Martens too.

[Gatorbassman]

Set goals at the beginning of each year and post them somewhere where you can read them every day.

[gopherbass]

Keep all rods rigged-up and out of the rod locker while fishing.  Over the course of a day it gets easier and easier to find excuses to not dig around the rod locker to find a different rod for a follow-up cast or a new presentation.

[Guest the_muddy_man]

Using the log in the tacklebox section of the forum I did this year, I customized it to where and how I fish and it has really taught me a lot about where I consistantly catch them, seasonal differences in baits etc... But the rebel in me will still spend some time fishing where they are not supposed to be just to prove that I can do it OH well But for real Keeping a Log has been the best tool for improvement this year.

[Dirk_Jig-lure]

If there was 1 thing I would say makes me a better fisherman, I would say it is,........fishing.

Seriously, I try to learn somthing with every cast.  The more I fish, the more I learn.