does everyone go thru a fishing slump....

[RC5]

Ryan i can offer some help for an outstanding amount of money...

[BassNNutt]

Ryan i can offer some help for an outstanding amount of money...

My first question would be... This is from experience, Are you fishing for fun or are you fishing strictly for the money or the limelight of winning a tournament?

I stopped fishing for about five years due to a 4 wheeler accident. but before then when i was fishing way too much, I was fishing 3-5 days a week mostly little local tournaments. Everytime I would fish a big tournament (based on my budget with 4 kids) such as a KBF I would do awful, I would get so worked up because i wanted to do good and more often then not i wouldnt. Now my son (11 yrs. old) started DVR'ing fishing shows and got me fishing again. but my approach now is lets go have some fun, what ever happens, happens. And the nice thing is I am having the best Spring of my Life. 7.03 LM at Barren in KBF (1st place Co-Angler side and my Biggest Bass of my life so far) and when we go to a local lake by the house we have caught fish every trip and good fish.

Does this make me better than the next guy? NO
Am I having Fun? YES
When i fish a tournament is becoming a job? NO, Not going to let it do that to me because if it does that too me again its time for me to quit.

I personally think with this mindset has done wonders to my fishing.

"When fishing becomes a job its no longer fun"

[ryan_ekubass]

Richard, i will see you on the lake sunday in our eku bass tourney.... and for everyone else i never look at fishing as a job but when i do fish a big tourney like the BFL i want to win it and try so hard that sometimes i do forget about the fundamentals of fishing and try all this new fancy crap like swim baits and shakey heads i have slowly been workin my way back to texas rigs and jigs.. but i dunno sometimes i do over analyze fishing... i do think fishin is fun and stressful too becuase when i go i try every way in the world to catch fish and if i dont i come home all pi$$ed off. But when i set down in my lazyboy for fifteen minutes i am ready to load up and head back to the lake and try it again.... its like fireworks they go bomb look cool and cost money and your like dang why did i spend money doing that then u remember how much fun it was and off to the stand u go again.....but i just need to clear my head get rid of this fishin funk and go out and have fun... i know i can catch fish but sometiems i admit i go to far and get away from what i am comfortable fishing....

[BassNNutt]

Richard, i will see you on the lake sunday in our eku bass tourney.... and for everyone else i never look at fishing as a job but when i do fish a big tourney like the BFL i want to win it and try so hard that sometimes i do forget about the fundamentals of fishing and try all this new fancy crap like swim baits and shakey heads i have slowly been workin my way back to texas rigs and jigs.. but i dunno sometimes i do over analyze fishing... i do think fishin is fun and stressful too becuase when i go i try every way in the world to catch fish and if i dont i come home all pi$$ed off. But when i set down in my lazyboy for fifteen minutes i am ready to load up and head back to the lake and try it again.... its like fireworks they go bomb look cool and cost money and your like dang why did i spend money doing that then u remember how much fun it was and off to the stand u go again.....but i just need to clear my head get rid of this fishin funk and go out and have fun... i know i can catch fish but sometiems i admit i go to far and get away from what i am comfortable fishing....

We all get caught up in all the latest and greatest but if you sit back and look at the big scheme of things, "I think a high percentage of tournaments are won on the old school Jig and pig, and plastic and basic color crankbaits"
Try not to get caught up with colors with the jig and pig and plastics. a good example: stick to basic colors such as BLACK instead of Junebug because both are dark colors both should work, and yes i know there are times a color might mean the difference between 11" fish and 15" fish.


G'Luck and Hope you start catching some Hawgs.

[mhall]

Been in one since 1970, LOL.

[ttwigg]

It seems like everyone goes through it. It seems like you can also go through a hot spell. I will sometimes go back to when I was a kid and try an ol' touchdown worm or a rooster tail. Bam!! Back on fish!! I think people get caught up in the new crap too much. I have a garage full of just in case baits. I should have a garage full of old proven baits...Go back and bluegill or crappie fish, it seems to help get away from the pressure of tournament fishing. Fishing should be fun not stressful. My two cents...

[BassNNutt]

"Fishing should be fun not stressful. My two cents..."

Amen Brother