Slumps

[catt951]

Slumps are something we all deal with; I’ve found through the years the best way to handle them is to get back to basics. I know what my strengths are a fish towards them, I suggest you should do the same. If you are good at Flipping/Pitching, Texas Rigs, Cranks, Spinners, or what ever consecrate on these technique. If you are good at shallow water, deep water, grass consecrate on those areas.
I’ve learned to down size my tackle to just the basics, it is extremely hard to be a master of all the available techniques. I’m very good at Jig-N-Craws, Texas Rigs, & Spinner baits so I fish where I can maximize these strengths. I’m not that great with Crank baits so I don’t waste tournament time fishing them. I don’t try new techniques either when tournament fishing, I do this when I’m play fishing.
I use quality equipment, I consider them tools of my trade and therefore I want the best. My personal chooses are just that; if you are comfortable with yours don’t change. If you don’t have a problem hitting your target when flipping, casting, or pitching why change. I stick on an average of 90% of the bites I get (landing 98%), if you are sticking/landing less than 75% consider changing.
The most common mistake I see my students make is with the hook set. They are not sure if they had a bite & so they use somewhat of a lazy hook set. I cannot over stress the importance of a solid hook set; speed is the key not strength. If you are a smaller person or woman use a heavier rod to gain the power needed, if you are a larger person use a medium rod to limit pulling the bait away from the fish.
With Crank baits or Spinner baits it easy because the fish is hitting moving bait. With Jigs, Tube Bait, Texas Rig, Carolina Rig, or Wacky Rig it is a little harder for a beginners to feel. I completely believe in the “3 tap theory” I learned years ago from Ken Cook. Ken put it like this “The first tap the fish has inhaled your bait, the second tap the fish has exhaled your bait, & the third tap I’m tapping you on the shoulder asking you why you didn’t set hook?” I teach when you feel a bite immediately drop the rod, reel the slack, & set the hook! It’s free so when in doubt set the hook!
So when in a slump I would look for small things to change, like timing of the hook set, speed of the hook set. My favorite buddy & I have been fishing together for about twenty years & we don’t hesitate telling the other when he is not on top of his game. It is not a major change that is usually needed you are not getting bite.

[johnnie crain outdoors]

Catt951,
I've found that when I'm in a slump its ninety percent mental and thirty percent something else, I forget what!!
When fishing a familiar body of water and slumping, I usually will dig out the old trusty lake map and look for new places, new areas to fish, I may or may not break the slump, but I may find some useful water for another time. I do this even in tournaments, I too don't like to waste valuable fishing time in tournaments, but if things are going wrong, you are wasteing time anyway, why not try to learn something or somewhere new. Either way, I don't let slumps bother me. Sure, I won't sleep for several days and go off my feed, but other than that I'm okay. Good luck, keep on postin' Johnnie Crain Iowa Pro Staff. :rolleyes:

[catt951]

Johnnie
Thanks for the reply, I'm not in a slump this is the subject of my last class. I threw it out here to see if I could get material for the next class. One of the biggest trends in the world of bass fishing is returning to basics. Run-N-Gun & other fast fishing is losing out to slower methodized techniques (something I never left). Rick Clunn is teaching it, Larry Nixon had to re-think his techniques due to slumps, Jay Yelas has made a huge come back, Shaw Grisby is certainly back. What do all these guys & many others have in common? They have figured out to slow down, relax, & enjoy fishing again. I teach throw out have of your tackle & quite trying to master every technique. Find your strong points & fish to these, if you work a technique properly it doesn't matter where or when you'll catch fish. Keep in touch Dudes

[MMT]

Johnnie, I agree with you that it is all based on mental aspects and confidence. clear your head and you will fish better.

[MMT]

Cat, in response to throwing hlaf of your tackle out, I too subscribe o that theory. I pick out one or two baits from each genre and get by with them. I do think that you need to try and master each lure. It is not feasable to do in one or even 5 yrs. I take one method or technique or bait and try real hard to get a hard working knowledge of it in a season's time. It has made me more proficient than not.

[catt951]

One teaching method I use is to take the student out on the lake with just one type of lure. I'll do this for three or four trips or until I'm confident they know the bait. My point is most people try to fish every technique in one day, in doing so they spend more time changing techniques than fishing. I beleave fully in "K.I.S.S." Keep It Simple Stupid!