i have one local reservoir that i fish and it has some of the thickest nastiest weeds and brush, and i know i should be using braid instead of my fluro but i just cant get the nerve to change out. I have used braid a couple of times and i didnt like it, seems the line always wrapped around the rod tip and i just never got accustomed to it. I know one day it will bite me in the butt but i just cant force mtself to change it. Are their any changes you know you should do but just cant commit to?

Yes, and I am going to give it a try this year.

Take only three (3) rods and reel setups with me in lieu of 12.

I will take different reels to change the setups.

One baitcaster will have braid on it, just in case.

I also plan not to take 200 pounds of plastics and all of my hardbaits on the boat.

And I promise to retie after each fish.  Maybe.

 I know I should fish jigs more often. I hear so many good things about them but I have never caught a thing the few times I have tried.

Also I need to fish more deeper water than what I do. Now that I have a fish finder maybe I will be a little more successfull at both.

Put down my jig and fish a stickbait more. I'm affraid of falling into that "Senko Drownding Fool Club" my state is known for. Second would be to sit in areas a little longer. It has cost me a lot of $$$.

Brent,,,

fishy ??????? :-/

I also find myself throw-in plastics all day.( well, I usually only fish mornings, hard to get a whole day on the lake ) when I know I should try a hard bait , jig or spinner or what ever...when the bite is slow on plastics..

also,

I do not retie enough and it has cost me some fish.. worse than losing the fish.. I feel bad That the hook is still in the fish.. its bugs me bad to leave a hook in a fish.

I try to remember to retie every -3- fish.. but I do not do that enough..

I know there is something else.. but I have not been fishing since

late fall.. :'(. so I can not remember what it is..

fishing crankbaits, the lake i fish thats a good thing to use. but i never get into it. and fishing with deep cranks. i usually fish in 1-5ft with square billed cranks if anything.

The lake i fish if very "fishy".

We're talking hardwood with foliage still on it, rock legdges, grass is now making it to the surface. Half the lake is gin clear, the other half murky as all get out. For the most part though, the lake is Deep. Usually 30 ft deep if your 20 ft from the bank. Everything is so fishy though, that I find myself pitching a flipping (moslty plastics; go figure) ALL day long, whether their biting or not. I know what I should: FISH OUT THE OTHER SIDE OF THE BOAT.      I say it EVERYtime I go, but i haven't done it yet.

b

Brent, with the exception of me throwing jigs instead of plastics, we fish exactly alike.

cajun1977, in my most humble opinion, I think you should stick to Fluoro for the nasty stuff. I made the switch last year from braid. I got tired of the braid getting all those nicks in the thick stuff. I still use braid on my flipping rod (50lb.) but use Fluoro for all the pitching I do and couldn't be happier. My bites have increased dramatically after the switch.

I have 2 things:

1.Try harder with crank baits.

2.Have used Stren mono for 25+ years, really need to try one of the

  other types of line

                                 As Ever,

                                  skillet

I flip and pitch too much as well.  I also should put something on a reel besides P-line CXX 15lb test.

What I should do??

Work more and fish a little less.Oh well you will have that sometimes.

Start keeping a log religiously.

Spinnerbaits and Cranks

TUBES!!

I think their simplicity throws me.

I'm not slowing down enough as I should.

We give the same advice to others in the winter.   When you think you have slowed down, slow down some more.

Well, I know I could dead stick alot better.

How many have ever back lashed  and while picking it out, you reeled  in and had a fish on there.    That is dead sticking at its best.

Deadsticking really works, and thats is one of the best examples I can give.   Happens alot.      

   KVD said, You never catch a bass on accident,   there was a reason for that bass being there.

Slow down.    Thats me.   Slow it down another gear.  

call my mother every Sunday.

For me I should fish more topwater and I really don't use swimbaits that often.  One things for sure, I need to respool my reels more often.

Learn to fish a baitcaster.

I do everything on spinning gear and I don't have a problem with it at all. But I should learn to use one.

I catch 97% of my fish in water under 8 feet I would like start fishing deep water more to start being more versitle.

In-Fisherman has been running several articles on fishing spoons. I think I'm going to try to develope some skill with this lure class. In the past I have had some luck fishing for trout, but never really persued this technique for bass.

If you consider yourseld skilled in this area, please start a new thread on the subject.  There are probably a few other members that would find this interesting, too.

8-)

x2

oops that didn't work.  Swimbait- Matt's Bluegill

Go back to fishing spoons, get some basstrix style swimbaits, stop being a POWER fisherman all the time.

Hmm.. I should learn how to get to some of the bigger lakes around NJ, instead of fishing my small local ponds.

Quit fishing hardbaits, when I know soft plastics would do better.

try harder with crank baits and jigs!!!!