"Time on the water".  If you observe and are willing to learn IMO this is the best tip ever.

I think it was Buck Perry who said "Not all structure will relate to bass but all bass will relate to structure."

This has remained very true in my fishing--and oh yeah --- s l o w down. 8-)

Thanks everyone, nice to feel welcomed.  Everything looks good here.

I also have a new bit of advise I wish I would have followed while fishing 6 months ago (which is going to affect my hooksets for a while longer)

Watch Your Footing

When I was in 6th grade, some 30 years ago, my teacher tossed me an issue of Fishing Facts and gave me a copy of "Lunkers Love Nightcrawlers". Tht little book on structure fishing is with me today, and I just gave it to my 14 year old.  He's on his way!

Enjoying the thread.

This isn't something that has been shared to me, but something I have been trying the past couple of years.

Whenever I go somewhere that I know I will catch fish (example, a local stone quarry that is loaded), I only take a small tackle box full of lures/baits I have little confidence in...this FORCES me to use my least favorite baits, have a good chance for success, and build confidence in new stuff that make me more versatile and that I may NEED to fish to put them in the boat down the road.

When I was in the army ,I used to fish with a great jig fisherman.This was done with a 14ft. saltwater blank and 40lb. test.It was kind of a forerunner to flipping.He once told me the best he ever met at the technique was an old man.The guy told him to imagine he was rabbit hunting,and to look for those kind of areas.This was pre-spawn in Kentucky,and that information served me well as I tried to master the art of "jig fishin".

By being here, I think we are all on the right track...Educate, Educate, Educate...

An old pro once told me:

"The harder you work at your skills, the more luck you seem to have."