My son and I went fishing in Iowa last weekend.

I was whacking fat bass on a Senko. My son was rigged with the same Senko but no luck. Same rod, same reel, same technique.

We changed rods and he started catching fish. My bite stopped.

I noted the rig catching fish had a wire hook and fluorocarbon line versus a heavier hook and braid on the no-catch rig.

I changed to a wire hook thinking the bait would fall slower and tried again....no luck. Changed to fluorocarbon and started whacking fish again.

We both beat up fish the rest of the weekend.

Sometimes, small things matter.

Good fishing.

Fish are smart little creatures,at least you figured bite out so you and son could fish.

Sometimes it certainly is the little things. A friend of mine, who I used to fish together with all the time, and I were fishing Saline Lake in Winn Parish years ago. I was fishing a White Ghost Poe's RC-1 and was killing the fish. One stump in particular held a fish or 2 every time I went by it. At that time, the limit was 15 bass per day. When I got to around 10 or 11 (yes, I was keeping them. But I haven't kept a bass in probably 15 years or more) and my partner only had 1, I offered to let him use my rod, the lure, or whatever he wanted. He was ticked (we have all been there) and wouldn't fish with it and had fished about every crankbait he had AND most of the ones I had...lol. Nothing worked. I was even letting him make 3 or 4 casts at the coveted stump that was holding a lot of fish. Finally, when I got to 14 I told him I was going to go as soon as I caught my 15th fish. He gave in and took my rod and the Poe's crankbait. I trolled over to THE stump and circled it. He made 6 or 7 casts at it, no fish. Aggravated, he handed me the rod. I cast to the stump and caught a fish the 1st cast in there after he had hit it from all angles. As much as I was trying to tell him HOW I was retrieving the lure, there still had to be a subtle difference that the fish were wanting. Never have forgotten that day and it's lesson. Yes, sometimes, small things matter.

It's all confidence and presentation.