How do you get back in the zone after not fishing for a few months? Do you practice your casts in the back yard or do you just jump right in and start going after the big ones?

Go get after em.

Fish only power plant lakes through the winter.

I used to fish all of the time. I haven't fished much the last few years and I can tell you that nothing replaces just time on the water. I walk around my property all of the time with a flipping stick in my hand flipping at all kinds of things. The dogs, fence posts, tool shed, plants, trees, water hose, plaster angels. I have always had a blast spending time doing it. But I can also tell you that nothing you can do replaces being on the lake fishing. Even in my club tournament this past weekend there are so many things that used to be second nature to me that just have disappeared. Being in tuned with how fish hit certain lures and how to put the baits where you need to and the one thing that really stands out in that my hook sets SUCK! I used to really be good setting the hook on Carolina rig fish but now I am lucky if I don't knock my hat off of my head I am so out of control when I get a bite. It was a really tough day for me and even in the last hour of the tournament with only 1 short fish to my name for the day I finally flipped my CrawTube at the edge of some reeds and when pulling slack out my line was already 2 feet from where it entered the water. I about fell out of the boat trying to set the hook since I was caught so off guard. Came back with my bait all balled up on the hook and no fish. So all I can tell you is if you have spent some time off of the water the only way I can see getting back into the zone is getting on the water as much as possible as often as possible. I guess I am lucky that I really love being on the water fishing so much that it offsets how bad of an angler I am now. But that is what is great about bass fishing is that it isn't an easy sport. It is really challenging.

Not on Belton this past weekend. Think I lost a years worth of confidence this past weekend.

Can't make up for time on the water

Roger That about Belton Lake this weekend .

Watch good fishing shows.

After not fishing for a long time, I start out throwing a cast net and pulling my gill net. Then I slowly work in live bait like minnows and water dogs. Once I have caught a freezer full of fish then I switch to lures.

I also fished 2 hours this afternoon, Sunday afternoon and Friday afternoon on Stillhouse without a bite and had been doing pretty well. It happens. That and I'm a hard-head.

Try taking a 15 year break. I cant even find the buggers

^^ This

Just get out and fish until you figure out what gives you confidence and then run with it.

Pick a lake that you know will provide lots of bites and roll back on board asap... the spring bite will be here in a blink of an eye.. usually Feb for me...

Fish somewhere you can get bites