fishingtips's Gallery

Fishing is a very fine science, and the best plans are based on probability, using your best guess as to how and where a fish will feed. There will always come a time when the fishing tips dries up, the bite stops, and the pressure to succeed leads you to that eternal question: Should I stay or should I go? In this situation, there are many factors to consider, but you should seriously consider the following three possibilities. *Fish present and feeding but the method used is incorrect. * There are fish but they don't give food at that time. * No fish. Only the third scenario means you should leave and try somewhere else. If there is no bait and other indicators are gone, such as pelicans and waterfowl, this is a fair indication that the fish are also gone. If an important condition, such as water clarity, is clearly very poor, it's time to leave. But don't leave the fish looking for fish. I'm a big believer in having a few "drop-in" spots adjacent to my main fishing spots so I can fish a nearby spot for 10 or 15 minutes and "rest" at the main spot to actively recruit more bait. Fish "drop-in" spots are usually small areas, single snags, or weed beds where you can catch an active fish or two before heading back to the main honey hole. Some spots will be "lost" by fishing pressure because there will be so many active fish, and in a big tournament, it's unusual to see a spot for more than two days, unless it has a steady flow of fish. When fish become gun shy it is often a time for finesse. Light leaders, small lures, and slow retrieves can often unlock a shutdown bite. If you know the fish are there but not biting, change lures and lure types often. I've seen a single lure change get bites multiple times, but only use lures you're confident in and have fished before in tournament conditions. If you're going through a rough patch and find you're trashing some odd places on your line, pat yourself on the back, cut out the odd lure and stay sane!