when you lose faith in ole' faithful

so as i posted before, i hit cedar creek on sun. i usually fish jig and trailer when i hit this lake due to the fact that it usually produces big fish and is good for pitching into the timbers. this is primarily my go-to bait when fishing gets tough anywhere. however, i didn't so much as get a bite.

so needless to say i was pretty upset, that my best plan didn't produce, and i seriously started doubting my ole' faithful. so tonight, i had some time to kill, so i went to owsley fork and hit the dam from the bank. i took one rod, and one type of bait.....my flippin stick and a box of jigs. i fished for an hour with no bites. then the magic hour hit, this in combination with the right spot(grass line leading into deep water off the dam), i caught 2 fish (missed one). the first one, about pulled the big 7.5 ft stick out of my hands, and put up a really nice fight. the second was a a dink.

i guess what im getting at is even with your proven, tried and true technique needs a tune up every now and then. with confidence restored, im ready to head back out into the big water and give it another try. and, by the way, the first fish was only a 3lb'er, but not only fought like a champ, but eased my mind. losing my jigging felt like losing a best friend.

[QUOTE=patrick_campbell17;384452]so as i posted before, i hit cedar creek on sun. i usually fish jig and trailer when i hit this lake due to the fact that it usually produces big fish and is good for pitching into the timbers. this is primarily my go-to bait when fishing gets tough anywhere. however, i didn't so much as get a bite.

so needless to say i was pretty upset, that my best plan didn't produce, and i seriously started doubting my ole' faithful. so tonight, i had some time to kill, so i went to owsley fork and hit the dam from the bank. i took one rod, and one type of bait.....my flippin stick and a box of jigs. i fished for an hour with no bites. then the magic hour hit, this in combination with the right spot(grass line leading into deep water off the dam), i caught 2 fish (missed one). the first one, about pulled the big 7.5 ft stick out of my hands, and put up a really nice fight. the second was a a dink.

i guess what im getting at is even with your proven, tried and true technique needs a tune up every now and then. with confidence restored, im ready to head back out into the big water and give it another try. and, by the way, the first fish was only a 3lb'er, but not only fought like a champ, but eased my mind. losing my jigging felt like losing a best friend.[/QUOTE]

Well you know, when I started fishing CC all you had to do was pull up to a line of trees any line and flip a 3/16oz black and blue jig and catch fish all day. I also could catch them on a Wiggle Wart in certain places. Now I cant buy a fish on either one.

It is a confidence thing. I have been throwing a jig only to have a friend of mine come up behind me and clean house from water I just fished. That don't help either. But I throw something now I have complete confidense in and I have caught a lot of good fish on it.

But like you I need to keep fishing it and rebuild my faith in it.

Also keep in mind guys the honeymoon phase is just about over for that lake. Fishing pressure is now starting to be a factor. And you are gonna have to roll with the changes and not throw what the other 5 million 585 thousand 689 hundred fisherman that fish that lake each week are throwing. Good luck and keep chunkin.

of i definately agree on the honeymoon phase, however, i still believe it was just more of me and not the lake. when the other guy in the boat pulls 3 out back to back, its a little disheartening. but it wasn't really about the lake or sun, it was just about getting back in touch with the bait that i used to put a lot of confidence in. basically, to let myself know....i still got it.

[QUOTE=patrick_campbell17;384508]of i definately agree on the honeymoon phase, however, i still believe it was just more of me and not the lake. when the other guy in the boat pulls 3 out back to back, its a little disheartening. but it wasn't really about the lake or sun, it was just about getting back in touch with the bait that i used to put a lot of confidence in. basically, to let myself know....i still got it.[/QUOTE]

I hear ya Bro.

Every fishing trip ill have at least 3 jigs tied on,because like you its my confidence bait and ill win and have won more money on a jig than anything else...but what makes a great angler and not so great of an angler is when one guy can make that change to a shaky head,crankbait, spinnerbait or whatever and catch em on something else other than there confidence bait...a good example would be KVD,who loves throwing crankbaits but can always pick something else up when he needs too

I've always said if you can't catch em on what your used to throwing, try to offer something that you don't think they have see. Patrick knows exactly what I'm talking about.