6 hours ago, Zcoker said:

 

That'd be some wade fishin right there, getting in the thick of it. My first thought: ain't gonna happen down here in the everglades! 

 

 

2 hours ago, rgasr63 said:

Plastic man

 

Elegantly spastic. 

Evaluation and adjustment 

Fun Fishing, Tackle junky

Spastic with moments of brilliance.

 

Stubborn.

 

I like to fish a handful of baits (even though I have a ton of baits) and fish shallow water along the banks. When those don't work I get the "Paralysis of Analysis" and throw everything, none of it with confidence or a real plan.

 

With my purchases this winter, I will TRY to change that this year. First off, I purchased detailed maps for my electronics. Second, instead of my old pedal kayak I now have an Autopilot 120 that should change everything.

 

First off, I can cover more water and I won't be dead tired when I get there, especially in the summer heat. Second, spot lock will give me the ability to fish more and pick apart areas without having to constantly re-orient my kayak.

 

I also plan to take limited tackle on some trips and force myself to use certain baits and techniques that are not at the top of my list.

 

While this sounds great in theory, there's still a 50/50 chance that I'll still be stubborn.

Run & gun

Adaptable Junk Fishing.

 

I usually start with 4 or 5 different baits tied on.  I'll change baits and presentations until I something that works. If I'm lucky I'll hit on 1 or 2 baits that will start producing bass.

 

 

Seat of the pants

Play it by ear. 

Off the wall

 

I don’t always throw what you should throw when you should throw it. I fish the baits and colors that I want to, last year fishing a really clear lake throwing black and blue all the time paid off. Why you ask ? Because all I ever see people throw there is green pumpkin or watermelon variations, gotta show them something they have seen a million times in a different color. It’s just like I tell people that I don’t have any secret spots, I will tell you where I catch them. Most people think that is nuts, but it’s all how you work it. Be that traditional or off the wall.

optimistically confused

 

always trying to figure it out but looking forward to learning from both right and wrong guesses.

ADD.....oh look! a butterfly!

Quote

optimistically confused

 

 

35 minutes ago, Craig P said:

ADD.....oh look! a butterfly!

 

 

From the bank:

 

Junk Tweaker—find the cover and throw all the baits you need until you catch (unless you catch them on the first one…often happens)…but only after changing the presentation 3 different ways at least…and if that doesn’t work, throw where there doesn’t seem to be cover. Then switch baits.

 

From the boat: 

 

Planner—I know what (usually new) places and (sometimes new) lures I want to try and why: time of year, conditions, etc.
Makes it that much sweeter to me when I catch a decent bass, because it means I made the right guesses.

 

I’m not yet settled in my ways enough to really have “confidence baits.” Just baits I know I am willing to grind with.

Versatile Thoughtful Grinder!   Think, try, grind.   Think, try, grind.  Repeat.   

Camp & Grind

 

It's the opposite of run 'n gun which, as I've found, doesn't yield the same results in my particular spots. The ones who can't help themselves but to fish this way get their souls crushed consistently around here, just like I used to until I wised up. Since I figured this out, I'm able to find something more often than not in places where it's hard to find anything at all. It doesn't mean I never switch spots, just not until I've sifted through one area almost painfully, slowly. I've learned to like it, fishing this way, even though it's against my nature. There have been so many times where I was about to give up on a zone but didn't and the hunch paid off nicely, and occasionally very nicely. They're mostly hard-earned moments, but adrenaline is an amazing anesthetic.

Stuck on Confidence

 

I'm horrible on sticking with a confidence bait for way too long. This winter has been the stickbait set up weedless and weightless. I almost never change lures. Definitely never change colors just for the heck of it. I keep the same stickbait on the hook until I lose it or it gets beaten up so badly that I have to change it.

 

I bring two poles with me when beating the banks. One with the stickbait and another with a finesse/trout worm wacky rigged with a #8 hook incase the panfish are biting the large stickbait and I'm not catching bass. 

 

 I gotta say, it works for me. I've been skunked only once on the coldest day of the year and have fished every week since the beginning of October. I'm just as happy catching a large redear or crappie as I am a bass, so this simple set-up covers the farm ponds I fish pretty well.  

Catching trees. 

 

If there is a tree near me, It's highly likely I can hook it. 

Slow, soft plastics, shallow.

@PhishLI in my experience, the people who really suffer are the medium speed anglers.  I've found the  key is to not mistake medium speed for fast or slow.  Most of the lures bass see are presented medium speed and presented one maaaaaaybe two times and then on to another cast.

 

I fish fast but systematically.  It's almost more methodical in some ways than when I fish slow because I can saturate 1/4 mile of shoreline in 5 minutes instead of hoping my worm or jig is near a curious fish.

 

When I fish slow, I almost always know there's fish relating to the structure I've chosen first.

 

I completely agree slow almost always works better most days on heavily pressured fish, the tough part for me, is finding them in +/- 1 hour I usually have to fish the bank.

 

I find that during the winter when fish are grouped up and on the move, I catch more fishing fast and when it gets nicer and lots of people are bank fishing and fish are guaranteed to be all over the place up shallow, fishing slow pays off big time.

 

Then there's the whole aspect of reaction vs studying a bait aspect and I just flat out think there's days when they absolutely won't touch an artificial bait unless it's whizzing past their face too fast for them to see.

 

I've gone back and forth on this many times with the same groups of fish and I think it boils down to time of year and what fish are keyed in on.

Find. Catch.

 

How? Whatever it takes to accomplish the above. 😉

"Up a Creek without a paddle"

 

Explanation: Paddling upstream in a creek.Water rising.4lb smallmouth spinning you out of control in a kayak.You feel the Devil bite your butt.

 

"Chase the herd not the cow"

 

Explanation:When pursuing a nomadic critter like creek smallmouth you should pattern the school not the individual.

 

"Jack of all trades,Master of none"

 

I would rather be a Master at working 3 baits than mediocre at 10.

I'm not good enough to be a Master at 10 baits lol.

 

 

Fast but slow.

1 hour ago, SDoolittle said:

Fast but slow.

 

If another angler is fishing "slow, but fast," which of your two is faster?