What I want to know is what was/is everyones biggest hurdle in Bass Fishing. For me its the excitement of learning a new technique and only wanting to focus on it, even though its not what the situation is calling for.

For example: I was fishing Swan Pond a few weeks back and was so excited to get a bunch of new trash bombing equipment that I had tunnel vision on going out and using only that. I proceeded to catch fish, but noticed I spooked more then I caught. So after getting a bit frustrated I needed to take a step back and think what was happening. It was obvious, the 1 oz. weight was making the lure hit the water too hard and thus spooking them. Taking that into account I put on 1/2 oz. jig with jumbo pork and fished the same shorelie again after the spot had about an hour to rest, and sure enough I started bailing fish left and right. Also the fish were not spooking at all. Its days like those when you learn alot.

I understand frustration. I am still considered a beginner, even though I have improved a lot in the last year. I get excited when I am going to use something different or new for me. I listen but I expect a lot to happen right away. Right now the hardest obstacle I am having is weeds, vegetation, I have some other choice words for it, whatever you want to call it...i tend to stuggle and miss a lot of fish or drop them while struggling through the weed. I even lose lures. I have gotten better, but it can be rough when you are with another who makes it look real easy. I get so frustrated that I'm no longer fishing, I am just casting getting stuck and reeling really fast to get out. It's definitely one of those things that I have to work on..just like jig fishing.

I can agree when stepping back and trying to relax I have learned more in that moment at times than at other times when I am catching and things seem to be going smooth.

I'd say one of the hardest things for me is trying out new techniques because I won't catch a fish on it after fishing it for a little bit (hour or so), then I will want to switch to something else that I have a lot confidence in already.

buying too much stuff im not gonna use

wanting to fish old spots that have done good in the past when its a new time period

"buying too much stuff im not gonna use"

This is one of the problems that I have faced many times! I got all wrapped up in having the latest and greatest!!

I have now taken a step back and just fish basics. What I mean by this is I just buy very few colors of the baits I have confidence in. Don't get me wrong I see things that I want to try and I buy a few of them, but I want to use them in times when the fish are biting well so that I develop that confidence in them that they work.

Learning electronics: this was another big step I needed to take! I took many fishing trips on small lakes and learned to use my electronics! Some days I did not even fish just looked at the electronics and used weights on a line to learn bottom "Feel" for the things that I was seeing.

The old saying of "TIME ON THE WATER" is the best learning tool that there is. A day on the water that you don’t learn something is a wasted day! (Well maybe not a wasted day but you should learn something every time!!!!)

Coming up with great excuses to skip and go fishing!!!!!

For me it was learning not to take 200lbs of tackle and 10 rods. Now it's 6 rods and I change my tackle according to the season and the lake I'm fishing. Studying the lake and seasonal patterns has helped me a great deal. But I would say tournament fishing has taught me more than anything. Learning from the guy in the front of the boat. Then practicing it on my own till I have it right.

I have been fishing for fun and in tournaments for a while now. Still to this day, the hardest thing for me to overcome while fishing is maintaining my concentration and focus when the bite is slow. Its easy to when the bite is on, but when things get slow and the bites are far between, I really have to fight the urge to let my mind wonder. This is the time when you really need to key in and stay focused so you arent slow on setting the hook since you are probably only going to get a few bites and you need to make everyone count.

For me I would have to say it is keeping up with general maintenance on my boat. I don't mean the big stuff, I mean checking wire connections, tightening screws, cleaning battery terminals, etc. I had a problem during a tournament a few weeks ago that can directly be attributed to my "neglect" for these simple things. When the cranking battery went dead and my fishing partner and I were stuck in the middle of the lake, well let's just say it was not a happy moment. The best part was that my jumper cables went bad too, so I couldn't jump from one battery to another. In the end, we had to disconnect the 36 volt trolling motor series and use one of those batteries to start the big motor. Nothing like sitting there with no trolling or gas motor "a drift". The root of the problem is that my boat is not stored at my home anymore and it makes these simple tasks a bit more time consuming. Regardless I paid the price and now need to make the adjustments moving forward.

Avoiding equipment failure was one of the first lessons I learned in tournament fishing. Be prepared, always... because when you slack off, the problems are there lurking around the corner.

I have to agree with Brendan. I have the same dilema. It makes it a little difficult also when you are on a tight budget. By not having a back up pump on my boat (usually for the live well) my boat took on over 150 gallons of water. The neck snapped on my bilge pump and it was raining 2 to 3 inches an hour during the tournament. I watched my boat drain for a good solid twenty minutes after the tournament. Maintenance and preventive maintenance is very important. When running into these situations it can pull you right out of your game. We all know how important it is to have the right mind set and confidence when fishing tournaments. Guess what it is not easy to just wing it.

Tight lines everyone.