Bass Tidbit .20

Honing your 'skills'...

I know it's hard to do, but if you want to get 'better' at catching bass with certain techniques, you have to actually USE those techniques.

AND, you should do this when the fishing is 'good', NOT when your 'normal' techniques aren't working.

What happens all too often, we get into a rut. We are catching fish on whatever we 'usually' use, so we keep doing it, precisely because it's working. Once we are no longer catchng fish, THAT is when we are willing to try something new...usually won't work.

It takes discipline, or 'commitment', or a real desire to actually learn something. It's hard to stop fishing during a good bite, and 'change' to something you aren't confident in. But, if you don't, then you'll never become confident with it (at least not without some help).

This is where you may have some options. If there are bass fly fishing guides in your area, see if they are willing to 'teach' a technique, rather than just 'put you on fish'. Often, if you request it, a good guide can tell you when a certain technique is most likely to be effective on your local waters, and can set up a 'lesson' for that time frame.

Another option is 'private water'. If you have access to one of those heavenly places where the water is under lock and key and only a priveledged few can fish it, THIS is the place to try out new stuff. Unpressured fish tend to be more forgiving as you get the nuances of a new technique down, and nothing builds confidence like sucess.

Of course, if you can find another fisherman that knows a certain technique and you can get him/her to take you fishing, that's also a good way to pick something up. Being in the boat or on the bank next to someone that is catching fish on a technique is the next best thing to catching them yourself as far as building confidence goes.

Good Luck!

Buddy

Hey Buddy,

I agree with what you've said. I enjoy learning new techniques and trying new flies, and I usually try them when I know that the fishing is good. In fact, there's a spot on a local river that my wife simply calls, "The Lab." It's a spot where the bass are small (usually around 12-15 inches) and willing to bite. When I emerge from the basement with a new fly and a smile on my face, my wife always asks, "So...you headin' out to the lab again?" I've learned so much out in "the lab" - not just because the fish are willing to bite, but because the water is usually clear enough to watch how they behave.

For me, learning to flyfish involved a similar process to what you are describing. I put away my spinning gear (which I knew produced fish day in and day out) and spent the next few years fishing with nothing but my fly rod and flies that I tied myself. I found fly fishing to be much more of a challenge, and often found myself pining for my old "rod 'n reel" - but I stuck with it. Now, I rarely pick up my spinning gear. I still enjoy the challenge that fly fishing presents and I look foward to learning something new each time I'm on the water. And, to be honest, I catch about the same number of fish with the fly rod.

Cheers,
Andrew

Couldn't have said it better Buddy. When I go out to try a new pattern, I always wait until I know that I can catch them with my go to pattern. That way I know if the pattern is a success or not.

Kevin

Buddy,

I spent one solid year taking nothing but one lure with me because I wanted to learn how to use it. It built a tremendous self confidence in using it. I have been able to transfer that experience into fly fishing. It was one of the more valuable experiences I have had.