Getting Discourage

[arniejl]

[atbdrummer]

Well... cause I'm stubborn... I went fishing today. Before heading out to the lake, I got a bunch of 6-8" worms with some of the offset hooks. Also got a couple plastic frogs and one frog that collapses when a fish bites on it, exposing two hooks. I had a much better day... much better meaning I had fun yet still not really catching fish. Oh well. I felt tons of small bites on the worms, had a couple bites on a rooster tail, and.... a bite on my Rapala Original Floater! Believe it or not, crankbaits are definately not my forte. I was extremely excited to get a bite on that! Now I'm off to youtube to look at more vids on bass fishing.

[islandbass]

You just have to pay your dues, that's all. I am a shorebound angler and do not have the luxury or pleasure of fishing from a boat, and if you think fishing from the boat is hard, it can be downright brutal from the shore those times you know they're out of reach.

Try to take something away with you from each and every trip and learn from it. When you use a lure, don't work it half-a$$ed if you know what I mean. Focus on how you're working it. Work it fast, work it slow, work it smoothly, work it erratically. Not working? Change your cadence, change the depth at which your working your bait, or did you not make note of that first hand (That's one I tend to forget)

Take a look around you on the water. Do you notice anything unusual or something that might be an attractive spot for a bass? And even the ones not? Sometimes our first guess of a bassy area can be incorrect or not what we expect!

Anyway, don't get discouraged. One of my brothers fished for over a season and a half before he landed his first bass on his own. That is definitely a very long time. The point is he might have gotten discouraged, but he didn't give up and that has since been my benchmark for whether or not I should get discouraged when I smell a skunk coming on.

All this I say as one who still has a lot to learn. I am not even close in experience to many here, but what I wrote I share with you from what I have learned being out there fishing even with the constraint of being shore bound.

[basser90]

Discouraged I'm extremely discouraged right now. All I needed was at least 1 largemouth at Silver Lake to weigh last Saturday to make the state team. 6 shorts to 11 inches. All I needed was a 12" fish for points, instead I weighed 0. I expected much more. 2 weeks prior pre fishing I got at least 12 lbs. I'm very competative at everything, so I expect a lot out of myself, but I'm not a quiter. All I can think about even at work is what I could or should have done differently. With me the glass is half full. 20 some years of bass fishing 50 some years of fishing trout, salmon and steelhead. To me the trout species (still love them) are very predictable. Maybe I just learned thru the years to read the water but... with bass, for me, it's so much more complicated and rewarding and interesting. It's very humbling for me also. When things don't go so well for me (discouraged) it just lights my fire, and a need to get back after it. Although If I just fished bass with plastics, without every using reaction baits (including cranks) I'd be missing out on some of the true beauty of bass fishing. I love to feel the thunder. My 2 cents

[rwl]

Doesn't look like this has been mentioned, and you may be already doing this, but it doesn't hurt to make sure you are getting all scent off of your hands and lures by rubbing hands and gear with something like smelly jelly.

also, there are times when less visible line helps a lot, perhaps a good all around inexpensive line would be 10-12 pound PLine flourocarbon.

[edge540]

Dont be down, keep trying. Id be happy to to take you out and show you what I know(Not much)

Your in luck though Russ and Chris are planing some bass seminars down at Limit Out Marine and I think its gonna be a big hit. Check these guys out, they always give great advise and NEVER try to sell you crap just to get your money. There Bass Guys and they will help you be a Bass Guy

[spindog]

atbdrummer-
Bass fishing is all about figuring out the Bass, that's what makes it fun for me. I usually
have several rods rigged to clear water. I start in the shallow zone using jerkbaits, Topwaters
then work the flats all the way to the drop offs. Slow tapering flats from 8-12' can be really
productive, a wide variety of lures work here. On some lakes, the Bass stay tight to the bank
because thats where all the structure is.

Being discouraged is part of learning, if you catch a bass pay careful attention to exactly what
were and where you were doing it to get that bite and try and duplicate. Remember the bass's attitude
can change daily or hourly. Figuring them out is a big part of what makes it a challenge and fun.
"Don't ever give up, try something different"

Goodluck and stay with it!

[Bass Woody]

color, presentation, cadence, and patients.

wierd weather the last couple years has changed there activity. the bass up around here are spawning way later then they usually do. right now the bite is getting better. One thing that has helped me is knowing what colors to use when, meaning if the water is clear and the day is sunny to if the water is stained and overcast and so on. there is charts on this that will help, sorry i dont have a link to it maybe another here does. I think there is a book called "what fish see". frustration is hard to deal with but there will be a day when you will land a fish where everyone on the lake will hear you screaming with joy! keep at it this is part of the addiction, you will be happy when you get your fix.

[atbdrummer]

Well, bass may not like me but I went to my secret spot and landed a 19 inch cutthroat. This has gotten me pumped back up. I think I'll be heading up to Kitsap Lake later today. I'm just gonna be fishing from shore due to me having to be at a meeting. Anyone have any luck at either of the boat launches or Camp McKean?

[basser90]

I'm with you spindog, it's all about getting back after it. I've had a chance to get to know Russ this year and in my opinion he's a good angler and has a lot to offer thru his knowlege and Limit Out Marine. In fact last weekend I believe he pulled in about 18 lbs (not an easy feat) to secure first place at the qualifier at Siver Lake and will be team captian for the TBF Washington state team next year in Idaho. Congrats Russ, but I'm gunnin for ya now Larry

[swayner23]

I just got into bass fishing last year and have been "hooked" ever since So, glad to know it's not just me getting discouraged this year. I would watch YouTube and fishing shows all the time atbdrummer to get just a little bit more information on what to use, presentations, yada yada, so now I have about $1000 dollars in bass tackle. This year has been so very slow, I was not even motivated to go out. But bass season around here seems to have such a short window of opportunity so I've been getting out a lot more lately. Now, I haven't caught many more fish or any of any size, but I've been really focusing on retreives, speed, jerks and such that it builds confidence and I learn a little something every time out. So, just keep at it and do like Mikanelli does...Never Give Up!

On a side note, most these shows and YouTube vids are in the south and east and such; anyone know if the bass here in the PNW act differently than bass in other parts of the country? Because of cooler temps, rain, etc. Just curious.

Tight lines

[clarkhess122]

I'm about a hundred percent sure they do. I've bass fished in Kentucky and its a completely different animal down there. Thats one of the reasons I've had such a hard time in washington. I think they're alot smarter up here but I'm not sure why...

[tagwatson360]

Great posts, everyone.

I would argue that the bass aren't necessarily "smarter" up here. I don't believe bass "think", as much as "react" to their environment and changing conditions. Outside of the spawning season, bass are in search of three primary things, which contribute to their location and activity level: food, oxygen and cover. Keep in mind that smallmouth often prefer higher dissolved oxygen levels than largemouth, but may not always be as cover oriented and so forth.

We typically deal with smaller overall bass populations per acre in our bodies of water in Western Washington. Another factor to consider is that shad is the major forage base in many lakes, rivers and reservoirs in other parts of the country, which can significantly affect the dynamic of the fishery. A large percentage of the patterns in those bodies of water are focused around the concentration, location and migration of the shad.

I have bass fished in California, Florida, Tennessee, Kansas, Mexico, Oregon, etc. and I believe a bass is still a bass. While Northern Strain and Florida Strain fish may have a few different tendencies, always be thinking food, oxygen and cover as your first areas of focus, no matter where your bass fishing adventures take you.

I will admit that our unpredictabe, often unstable weather in the PNW can contributre to some challegning conditions more ofen than not. Fortunately, Northern Strain fish are less affected by frontal conditions that Florida Strain fish, which works in our favor.

[crappiemaster]

Not an expert by any means, but fishing has soooo many variables that will may a great day or a crappy day to the best of them. Presentation, water level, weather, water temps, etc, etc, etc. My thing is that I can go to lakes and rivers that I know like the back of my hand and know that I can catch fish and be OK. Take me to a place I have never been before and struggle to catch a keeper. I guess what I am saying is to know your water and the tendancies of the lake (spawn, water levels, etc) takes time. Don't get discouraged at least your fishing.

[ChrisB]

Some great posts coming your way on this subject. Look at it this way, and this is what I thought for years and I still believe it: If you go out and get nothing, you're still fishing, you're having fun, staying out of trouble lol, getting your tan on (3 months out of the year) and most important Casting Practice. If you make one GOOD cast where you think a fish is going to be, thats all it takes. Skip a bait under and dock perfectly and watch that line start moving, make your baits enter the water with the least amount of splash possible when you are near cover. ETC It takes a lot of time spent to see the rewards.

[atbdrummer]

NO LONGER DISCOURAGED!!!!! Yay!!!:cheers: I just caught a 14 1/2" Largemouth today! (Don't know how much it weighed due to the lack of owning a scale.) The thing was a beauty! I guess watching all those videos on youtube and the outdoors channel really do pay off. Thank you for all your suggestions and support! I can't wait to get out there again![thumbsup]

[BassDood]

Some great posts for sure. As usual, what Tag says is dead on. Try and learn from every outing, make notes i.e. weather, water conditions, tackle/baits used. Don't give up. It's all part of the puzzle and what keeps most of us coming back for more. Good luck!

[bob johansen]

NO LONGER DISCOURAGED!!!!! Yay!!!:cheers: I just caught a 14 1/2" Largemouth today! (Don't know how much it weighed due to the lack of owning a scale.) The thing was a beauty! I guess watching all those videos on youtube and the outdoors channel really do pay off. Thank you for all your suggestions and support! I can't wait to get out there again![thumbsup]

Your 14 1/2 inch bass, caught at this time of year probably weighed between 1.5 and 1.8 pounds:)