Do We Try And Do To Much?

[Bill Babler]

In watching this years Classic, I think I have learned more this year from these guys than in any other year that I have ever watched any type of a fishing show.

Some of what I have learned is we all probably do way more than we should and do not fish to our strengths.

Did you buy this bait? Did you get that bait in that color? How big and what kind of jig are you fishing? Man, I tried everything in the tackle box today and just could not get a bite.

That is not the way the pro's are playing the most important game in the world to them. They are not swinging at down in the dirt curve balls, they are not taking close pitches, they are all, everyone of them cutting at the fast ball right down the middle. They are fishing to their strengths.

They are not reading the play book of the opponent and trying to come up with a game plan, they are saying this is what I do the best, the very best, and if that is not good enough, I'll try it again and again until it is good enough.

Reese for the most part is swimming a Kietech, that is his deal. The Jerkers are a jerkin, the jig guys are jigging. The dock fishermen are dockin and the shallow crankers are crankin. They all want to either win or lose doing what they do best. 15 guys most doing different things within 6 pounds. Going to be a great finish.

Just shows you no matter what the water temp is, you fish to your strength with the bait you have the most confidence in regardless with in reason what it is and you got a chance.

[Feathers and Fins]

Maybe why I could never be a pro. If it aint working I will switch it up to find what is, My strength without doubt is Spoon-Fishing I love and have so much confidences in it I just know it will get a bite. BUUUUUTTTT if it aint working I will go to plan B throwing a crank and then to a Jig. Now granted I fish multi-species but im in it to catch fish not sit around all day wishin I was catchin

[jackman724]

Loved being able to watch the live coverage the last couple days...totally believe that how I fish is not wrong after watching these guys live as opposed to seeing pieced together clips.

Watching guys swing and miss (just like me), fish too fast (just like me), stay with one thing too long (again just like me). Just really cool to watch them did what they do (just like me).

Granted I don't make my living fishing, but it is good to know and gives me more confidence in what I do when I get the chance out on the water. To see those guys humanized and scrambling like me when I fish a tourney, makes me feel that much better.

Not sure the point of this, but sure have enjoyed the last couple days watching The Classic!

[willyfish]

Unfortunately Bill, your profession doesn't allow that train of thought. You gotta be on them and keep an open mind.

[Jim Elam]

Well said.

[abkeenan]

Bill,

Well said. I thought the same thing when watching the live coverage of Ike, Skeet and others today. Most of them are sticking to their guns and lots of guys struggling. Some guys didn't get a bite for HOURS. Some of these Elites didn't weigh in a single fish today. Makes me not feel so bad when I don't have much success on a particular trip. Sometimes fish just aren't going to cooperate like we want them to. We kick ourselves and second guess ourselves when things don't really go according to plan. But reality is fishing is hard and you have to really appreciate the days when you figure them out and try to forget the days when they beat you down.

[merc1997 Bo]

i will add this. when, in your mind, you are sure there are bass in the area, why not try different approaches to get a bite instead of just continuing to beat a dead horse?? when you have caught bass in an area, especially this time of the year, they are not ever very far from where you caught them the day before. you might have to change depths or space in the water column, and/or presentations.

for me, when i am dead certain, there are bass in an area, i just keep changing presentations and speed, if am dialed in on depth. here is a prime example of that point. we were fishing an underwater point that the graph showed plenty of fish on. we had fished through it three different times, each of us with a different presentation, and not one bite. my partner wanted to go, but i insisted that we should give it at least one more try. my next switch of speed and presentation was the key and i caught 5 bass over 5 lbs. now, if i had the mind set, that i was going to catch them on what my strength was, i would have never caught the first bass.

what worked one day, often does not work the next. you might catch them in the exact same spot, but have to change presentation some what to get a bite. i will say this about watching this classic, and that is the fact that there are usually different ways that bass are caught on the same day. but, those that are catching have found the right keys for the place they are catching, and that can vary from one place to another.

for me, i will continue to be flexible each time out and try to find what the fish are wanting, instead of finding a fish that wants what i want them to want.

bo

[gitnby]

Can't help but think that Skeet Reese should have thrown the Ned in between all of those docks he was fishing?

3 more decent K's (5-6 lbs) would have put him in the lead.

[Champ188]

There's a big difference in fun-fishing a lake you've been on all your life and fishing for a career-defining world championship on a lake you know very little about.

What little confidence you may may have in any area is very fragile and can evaporate fast when you go 30 minutes or so without a bite. So the smart ones cling to what they DO have unshakeable confidence in, which is their personal ability with certain techniques. At least then they know that when they do get around the fish, they'll be able to catch them instead of bouncing around from one technique to another and introducing another variable.

At times, the best thing you can do is eliminate variables --- simplify, simplify, simplify.

[fishingaddiction]

Can't help but think that Skeet Reese should have thrown the Ned in between all of those docks he was fishing?

3 more decent K's (5-6 lbs) would have put him in the lead.

Watching Skeet yesterday, he was just fishing way too fast, as were most of what I saw. Appeared that he was moving from place to place after making just a few cast in an area. He would engage the reel and start the retrieve just after the swimmer hit the water and then just crank like crazy.