Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

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Pointer 78

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Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

I'm Bummed out. No, bummed out is when you discover that you're not getting as much back from Uncle Sam on April 15th as you thought you would, or your favorite college football team loses to a 1-AA school from Louisiana. Nope, I'm downright in the depths of a major league, grade A, government inspected, type FUNK.
The first half of 2007 was the best 6 months in my, (at least in my mind) semi illustrious fishing carreer. During that time, I cashed two checks in 2 of the first 3 BFL Tournaments, was sitting in the top 6 in my bass club, won a couple of small dogfights, caught the largest sack I've ever had in 5 fish, and was developing a sure-fire plan for world peace through the joys of fishing. Heck, even my wife was talking to me.
Since then, fishing has become my nemisis. My enemy. My Waterloo....where is that exactly? Beginning in July, I have zero'ed in every club tournament, zero'ed at the BFL Super Tournament on Guntersville which caused me to fall from the Top 25 to 62nd place, my wife no longer is talking to me and may in fact be planning my demise, and except for a good practice last weekend, ( yes, I zero'ed in yesterday's club tournament) the last 5 months have been a Nightmare on _ _ _ _ _ __ _ _ <----- insert lake here. I took a friend and his son fishing back in October and was beaten by a 3 year old with a Snoopy rod.
Whether I'm making the wrong decisions, fish no longer like me, the fishing gods are displeased, or I just smell bad, fishing has become something akin to genital herpes.
What I'm asking is.......are fishing slumps real and have you experienced them? What can be done to get rid of these demons? I'm asking, no PLEADING for some advice from all except Bbass and Flip. When they're calling ME for advice, their fishing demons need a personal exorcism from the Pope himself. <-------- I'm kidding guys. emoBigsmile
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

Hey Pointer,Seems like you need to sit down and refocus for a while and remember what got you where you are today,remember what used to work and not try to over think the fish and what they are doing.Used to fish BASS years ago and had a simular time and went back to the basics,and what I knew and applied that,winning sometimes puts so much pressure on a person that it will mess your skills up and you may be rushing and not staying with a spot long enough and let the fish have a chance to bite.It will all come back and good luck the rest of the year. Taylor
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

Fishing slumps definetely exist. It has been a fairly tough year for me as well. Mainly because I don't get to practice a lot anymore. I also think the lack of rain this year has really changed the fishing. Getting a zero on Guntersville is actually pretty easy. We worked our tails off yesterday to catch two fish all day down there. We are generally ok when plan A works but when that doesn't work we don't do worth a shiznit! I would also say to do your own thinking rather than relying on others. Everytime we take someone else's advice we really struggle.

Lance
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

Hmmm? That is good food for thought. emoScratch When athletes are in a slump I can understand... it's all on them. It's hard to blame someone else when you once could hit a 95 mph fastball, and then you can't. But when you can't catch fish, do you blame yourself... or do you blame the fish??? I have felt rather "slumpish" as far as the catfish this year... not bad enough to say slump, just "slumpish." As for me, I definitely blame it on the fish! emoBigsmile I'd do the same if I were you and just keep fishin' (assuming it is still fun). When it quits being fun, take up golf.emoBeer Oh, and as for the wife not talkin' to you... some might call that a good thing. emoBigsmile emoBigsmile
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

The fish still feed everyday, rain or no rain. Excuses are only a crutch for those who have lost confidence in what they are doing. Whatever it takes to restore the confidence is what you need to do, if it is going back to an old reliable technique, lure, or lake. You must come to the place where you believe that you are going to catch a limit everytime that you go out. It may not happen every time, but believing that you will is the first step in overcoming this funk that you have found yourself in.

Fishing has to become fun again or you will come to the place that many of us have come to and that is to stop tournament fishing. I like to catch bass, but I don't like the pressure that comes with tx fishing. It ceased to become fun for me and therefore I ceased tx fishing.

Have you gotten caught up in reading all the latest bass mags and trying all the hottest lures, techniques etc.? Sometimes that can mess you up really bad. Good luck and hope you get out of this quickly. emoBigsmile emoGeezer
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

Good advice all. My missive was written more tongue-in-cheek than anything else and I really still love bass fishing, but the slump I'm presently in is real and discouraging.


Unfortunately DK, I've already commited to my partners to fish next year's Music City and Bama Divisions of the BFL. If I do indeed perform poorly next year, it'll be nothing but Crackerfests from then on.emoBigsmile
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

Hey Pointer look at the bright sideemoCool emoCool You could be like me I stay in a slump when I am fishing a T.emoBang emoScratch emoDoh Don't worry there is always another tomorrow and things will get better. If there is no tomorrow then it really will not matter.
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

pointer i have had the same problem this year,i started out hot and since june have really had problems staying on and caching fish.what has helped me a little is going back to lures i have confidence in,that usually helps put atleast a couple of fish in the boat.after all the biggest thing is to have confidence in what your fishing.i hope both of us gets out of our slumps soon.
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

been there and done that pointer. Fishing got to be a chore for me, just was not fun anymore. Just don't be so hard on yourself, and try to remember the thrill it once gave you, just to catch a fish.

I am starting to read up on some spoonplugging after Tarheels reports. Kind of gets you back to the basics, which makes it more rewarding
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

<font color="#ff0033">I kinda doubt that she has stopped talking to you....cause I know her and she ain't stopped talking since she was a year old.....now, to get this funk off of you......<font size="4">YOU NEED TO SACRIFICE A GOAT. </font><font size="3">It has worked for me.  besides, if that don't work you can BarBE Q the goat and that makes for some good eating....and you know good eating.... like Drumking said....fishin is supposed to be fun...Tx fishin ain't too much fun if you ain't catchin fish....that is why I stopped Tx fishin a long time ago..... just some random thoughts for you....smile..FA</font></font>
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

The one trait common to all "true" fishermen is OPTIMISM.</p>

I have not nor do I expect to reach the level of this sport as many of you. It has been, other than the occasional good day, a tough summer for me as well. </p>

I think that the 2 best pieces of advice so far have been A) step back and go with your instincts (confidence DOES matter!) and B) sacrifice a goat. Since I don's have A, I'm personally going with B.
smile_big.gif
</p>
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

just by some dynamite and dont be nervous when useing it just have fun that is all that matters i will be glad when blazer gets out of his slump so i can stop blaming him for my slumpsemoBang emoBang emoHoppingmad emoLaugh
 
RE: Fishing slump: Fact or fallacy? A cry for help but I'll settle for some good fishing spots.

I would expect that there are lots of people that haven't done as well this year as in years past. I would expect this because the average flow on the main lake has been way down on all of the TVA lakes and probably most of the lakes in the Southeast. Because of this it will make spots where the fish usually stack up when there is consistent flow less productive. The fish in many cases have probably gotten to where they follow bait balls rather than waiting for the bait balls to be brought to them by the flow. If I were you I would think about looking for consistent flow, like areas around power plants and such. Other places that you have found on maps that are associated with channels but have not beenn productive in a typical year might be hot this year. Looking for new areas to fish may be your best bet too. Some of the joy of fishing for me is not the catching but the hunting meaning the map study and the fantastic feeling of finding a bunch of new fish that I never knew were there before, whether it be close to where I've found them in the past or on the other end of the lake.

The other question that I would ask myself is whether or not every year it is more typical that I do better in the spring and early summer and my late summer and fall fishing tends to be worse consistently. If this is the case you may want to try changing tactics for the slow time of the year. Some fishermen are much better pre-spawn and spawn fishermen and then they have a tough time after that. It happens often in the pro ranks for sure. Many fishermen are more shallow water oriented and they tend to do better in the spawn related periods of the year and not do as well after that.

Do you tend to be a person that looks for new spots frequently or do you usually fish the areas that have been good to you in the past. Find a few new spots and it will help your confidence but remember that next year if we have a more typical rainfall year that your usual spots may be more productive again and your new spots may not be because of the average flow.

I hope it picks up for you soon.
 

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