If you want to get good at something new, go out with nothing but the set you want to improve.  When things get tough we all want to go with our confidence baits and techniques.  With only the bait your hoping to improve, you will be forced to experiment with changing speed, dragging,  hopping, swimming, and dead sticking this new technique.  There is nothing to fall back on to give you comfort.  Just work that new technique until you master it.

As a word of caution, dont make fishing suck by trying to be better. Been there, done that. I tried to hard for a few years to get better, and I did. But at the cost of enjoyment. Im 3 years into unfu*king myself and it's been so much more enjoyable. 

The best way to improve on a given technique is to just do that one technique until you figure it out.  However, as Osummerer23 pointed out, don't get so singularly focused on getting better that you take the fun out of it.  That's the path to burn out and then you ruin something you used to love, because you lost sight of why you fell in love with it in the first place.  The most important part of fishing is the enjoyment of fishing.  Don't forget that.  

 

Also, it's not important to get good at every technique.  Most pros have one or two things they're really good at, maybe a dozen other things they're comfortable with, and everything else they rarely go to.  Typically, if the bass will bite one lure, they'll bite a few other lures as well.  And, if you do ever find yourself in a situation where they will only bite that one lure, what are the odds that you'll get around to trying that lure on that day?  With thousands of types of lures out there, you'll never pattern the bass if you attempt to try them all every time you go out.  

 

1 hour ago, Glenn said:

 

What Brandon P said really hit the nail on the head , I thought. 

On 3/20/2024 at 8:46 AM, osummerer23 said:

As a word of caution, dont make fishing suck by trying to be better. Been there, done that. I tried to hard for a few years to get better, and I did. But at the cost of enjoyment. Im 3 years into unfu*king myself and it's been so much more enjoyable. 

So very true, do what makes you happy and forget the rest.  Unless your trying to hit the circuit, just have fun!

2 scenarios I implicate and 1 i use most of the time.

 

1. when i want to get better at a technique i bring that and only that technique.  forces me to fish that.  yes, i have days where I do this and realize ya this isn't going to work but it teaches me to learn that bait, how to work it, ya know the ins and outs all while dedicating myself to that technique which is why i have so much faith in 6-10: swimbaits.

 

2.  i bring that technique with and old faithful senko style bait or fluke style bait.  the first scenario may be too much for someone, i have no issues doing it which is why sometimes i do scenario 2.

 

3....the one i use the most.  for my trips i always bring my search bait, my slow down pick apart the area when i find fish bait, a finesse bait, and a top water.  This way im not limited but have choices.   Now at least 1 of these sometimes 2 will be something I'm not great with.  may look like this:

1. crankbait - jig - ned rig(working on this) - plopper

2. spinnerbait - big texas baits 12" or bigger(to be more confident)  - tiny 4-5" shakey(I dont like small baits for shakey)- frog