how to get really good at NOT catching fish:
Keep doing the same thing.
Don't be afraid to change what you're doing. We all have our 'pet techniques' or favorite lures... hell, if I could catch bass on nothing but a spinnerbait, I'd be as happy as a pig in $%^&, but that's not always gonna happen. Learn from your experiences, but don't get locked into repeating the same thing over and over and expect it to ALWAYS work like last time.
Two fishing trips ago I caught 7 fish in 2 hours all on the same lure - a decent day by anyone's standards(except maybe KVD
). The last trip I went to that same area(a narrow cove with steep banks, submerged weeds, and a light current), fished that same lure and got... NOTHING. Not a single hit. So, I changed - I moved to a nearby but completely different type of area(a sandy flat area near the mouth of that narrow cove w/ flooded grass), switched to a similar but different lure, and caught 2 fish. Not a 'barn burner', but at least I didn't get skunked... I again moved to another area with a different type of cover(lily pad field), fished a completely different type of lure, and while I got several bites, I didn't manage to land any more. (top water frog fishing is like that sometimes 
)
If I got stuck with "hey, I wracked em up with this last time!" I would have gone fishless. I did give it a shot, but after a short time, I didn't hesitate to throw that away and try something new.**
Learn about the fish you're after - that's the biggest thing you can do to increase your success. You wouldn't shoot your shotgun up into the sky and expect a duck to fly into your shot, would you? But that's how ALOT of people fish.
Learn how to 'walk the dog' with a Zara Spook. Learn how to flip jigs or worms into thick cover. Learn how to wake your spinnerbait... learn how to be VERSATILE.
The only constant is change.
**I know sometimes it just not possible to move about here and there. In that case, the rule still applies - pick an area apart, but change up if things aren't working. Start with horizontal 'search' type lures(top water, buzz/spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, etc.), going for aggressive fish first, then slowing down if/when we need to... many lures can be worked both fast and slow - learn how to use them in more than one way.
Keep doing the same thing.
Don't be afraid to change what you're doing. We all have our 'pet techniques' or favorite lures... hell, if I could catch bass on nothing but a spinnerbait, I'd be as happy as a pig in $%^&, but that's not always gonna happen. Learn from your experiences, but don't get locked into repeating the same thing over and over and expect it to ALWAYS work like last time.
Two fishing trips ago I caught 7 fish in 2 hours all on the same lure - a decent day by anyone's standards(except maybe KVD
). The last trip I went to that same area(a narrow cove with steep banks, submerged weeds, and a light current), fished that same lure and got... NOTHING. Not a single hit. So, I changed - I moved to a nearby but completely different type of area(a sandy flat area near the mouth of that narrow cove w/ flooded grass), switched to a similar but different lure, and caught 2 fish. Not a 'barn burner', but at least I didn't get skunked... I again moved to another area with a different type of cover(lily pad field), fished a completely different type of lure, and while I got several bites, I didn't manage to land any more. (top water frog fishing is like that sometimes )
If I got stuck with "hey, I wracked em up with this last time!" I would have gone fishless. I did give it a shot, but after a short time, I didn't hesitate to throw that away and try something new.**
Learn about the fish you're after - that's the biggest thing you can do to increase your success. You wouldn't shoot your shotgun up into the sky and expect a duck to fly into your shot, would you? But that's how ALOT of people fish.
Learn how to 'walk the dog' with a Zara Spook. Learn how to flip jigs or worms into thick cover. Learn how to wake your spinnerbait... learn how to be VERSATILE.
The only constant is change.
**I know sometimes it just not possible to move about here and there. In that case, the rule still applies - pick an area apart, but change up if things aren't working. Start with horizontal 'search' type lures(top water, buzz/spinnerbaits, rattlebaits, etc.), going for aggressive fish first, then slowing down if/when we need to... many lures can be worked both fast and slow - learn how to use them in more than one way.
I hope no one mistakes my intention is this post - I absolutely, positively am NOT trying to sound like a 'know-it-all', far from it... there is always something more to learn, no matter what the subject.
years ago, I had a computer that would choke on a cool video game I wanted to play(anyone remember the PC game "Unreal"? That was groundbreaking stuff back in the day!)... well, dammit, I wanted to know why... fast forward about 2 years and I was able to build my own computer to my own specs(and I did!). That's just the kinda guy I am - if I'm into something, I am into something. LOL
So please, don't mind my geekiness - but there is ALWAYS a way to get better at what we do.
years ago, I had a computer that would choke on a cool video game I wanted to play(anyone remember the PC game "Unreal"? That was groundbreaking stuff back in the day!)... well, dammit, I wanted to know why... fast forward about 2 years and I was able to build my own computer to my own specs(and I did!). That's just the kinda guy I am - if I'm into something, I am into something. LOL
So please, don't mind my geekiness - but there is ALWAYS a way to get better at what we do.