Maintaining Concentration

JoeMo · Post by **JoeMo** » Wed Sep 25, 2002 10:26 pm

DanBass- With great comments like that you're likely to put Anthony Robbins out of business. lol

I know that you do practice what you preach.
Go get 'em. Excellent post!

RedSS · Post by **RedSS** » Sun Jan 12, 2003 10:54 pm

I'm fidgity and suffer from lack of ability to concentrate, especially when the action is slow, or the weather is getting to me, or any of the other problems that can pop up occur. This pertains to work, fishing, hunting, or whatever else I happen to be doing. So I've got a few tricks that I use to keep me focused.

First, I try to visualize what my lure is doing under the surface. Practicing in a swimming pool with various lures is a great way to actually see what your lure does when retrieved in a certain manner. If you can manage throwing in a milk crate or other objects, you can witness how, say a spinnerbait, deflects off of cover. Whenever I twitch the rod tip or crank the handle, feel the lure hit an object, I think hard about what exactly the lure is doing. This forces me to stay focused on what I'm doing instead of zoning out.

Next, if something just isn't working for me, I'll change something. If I'm not getting bit on a white spinnerbait when I really think a spinnerbait is the lure of choice, I'll change a variable, such as blade size or color, add some other color to the skirt, or go to painted from polished blades. I may retrieve faster, slower, impart a twitch to the spinnerbait, bring it across cover on a different angle. If something I'm doing isn't working, there's little sense to keep doing it. We all tend to zone out and chuck-n-wind after a while. Changing up things a bit causes one to break the monotony of a slow day, regain some confidence in the form of a new color, bait, or presentation, and if it's not the key to catching fish, it might give you a better clue as to what to do next.

If all else fails, I tell my partner to take the bow, sit down, take a swig of water, and take in the surroundings. Maybe there's some other variable that I missed, like the wind getting up a little more, current starting to flow, or a tinge of color starting to form from boat traffic. Lastly, I always trust my intuition. When I was a lot younger and didn't know much, I couldn't really form some feeling in my gut. Now I've been bass fishing for quite a few years on a variety of water bodies, I'm developing the feeling of when "something just isn't right", and knowing what to do to change, be it changing colors, baits, location, and so forth. That's just hundreds of hours of experience talking, and I listen. It pays off to trust your instinctive thinking.

We've all had crappy days and 8 hours of a bad tournament, at the same time, can't end fast enough and is over too soon.

6.54BASS · Post by **6.54BASS** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 2:08 am

What works for me is to think about where I am and where i've been. When did I stop catching fish and what changed. I try to at least go back to the last spot and start over, and pay better attention. I am a very impatient person and know that, remind myself that, and do the best I can to slow down and settle down, don't let me be my own worst enemy.

midwest · Post by **midwest** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 5:50 am

There are two different ways I prepare myself and get my mind set for fishing tournaments. It all begins in the off season. Being from Nebraska, and for those of us up North, there is winter where fishing is nonexistant. But for me it continues even without being on the water. I keep accurate logs of every day my line gets wet. I review these logs and compare them to the years past. With all this information I prepare myself for the upcoming year. I mentally picture the tournaments, their locations, time of year, weather scenerios, water conditions etc.. Each tournament will be played out in my mind as to how I will approach it. I don't get caught up in the mind play of catching fish but what locations, lures and presentations are most likely to work. It helps pass the time and regenerates my enthusiasm for the sport.

As for the tournament day, I do a couple of things. Streching of the body and mind. Before I put the boat in the water on those early mornings I will loosen my body by doing several different stretches. You will be amazed at the amount of energy you will have by getting your blood flowing and those muscles loose. When I finally reach my first fishing spot I do a quick mind relaxation. With the trolling motor in the water and before I pick up my rod, I close my eyes, take a deep breath and relax. For me, starting the day with a relaxed and knowledgable mind makes the concentration throughout the day easier and longer lasting.

Rodney Birditt · Post by **Rodney Birditt** » Mon Jan 13, 2003 5:55 am

I try to make my tournament fishing just like i'm not in a tournament. Take for example the first tournament that I won, at 12:00 noon time had no fish went to marina ate lunch for 1 1/2 hours went back out with 3 hours left caught 12.75 lbs. I treat it as if fishing for fun, because if you let the pressure get to you you will never win. Also since battling Chrohn's and anxiety attacks nothing about fishing can be that much pressure. So what I try and tell people is relax have fun and when the pressure is getting to ya sit down eat a bite and start over.

Roger Spaulding · Post by **Roger Spaulding** » Tue Jan 14, 2003 3:55 pm

Good post guys....I try and get everything possible out of the way before the tournament starts. The clearer my mind is the better choices I make on tournament day. With that being said, once the tournament starts I try and keep things very simple. Proven baits and techiques on the given body of water and FAITH. To many times I have had little or nothing going on around 12:00 only to finish in the money or win. Trust your pre-fishing info. Trust your own experiences. And trust that its not a major problem in not catching fish. Only minor adjustments for that particular day. I try and tackle all major issues before the tournament starts. When all else fails, I try and revert back to the K.I.S.S. method. Keep It Simple Stupid. How have I caught fish under these conditions in the past? What is different about today that has effected the fish? Above all else, never give up and keep that bait in the water. Its hard to catch fish without a lure in the water.

Roger Spaulding
Bassin' USA ProStaff Indiana

MMT · Post by **MMT** » Wed Jan 15, 2003 4:40 pm

Three tips I can give are 1- don't put pressure on yourself and 2- fish to your strengths. tournmament day is not a good time to be experimenting with a bait you have no confidence in. 3- don't let anyone physche you out by feeding you misinformation.