Why is that from one year to the next things can change so quick?

Last year I caught 7 fish over 6 pounds from September to December and these first couple of tournaments i have fished i have gone out and zeroed on practice fishing and just not caught any good fish.

You ever feel like you are in a slump, if so how do you get out of it??

Keep fishing. Fish different techniques. Study your graph and find new areas. Be willing to adapt.

I'm in a slump to where I go out and smash them in practice, and then on tournament day they're shut down. It happens.

Forget about past susscess. Go fish new water.

I was in a bad slump last year, my fix was to forget what I thought I knew about any body of water and just fish. Like stated above fish new water, be patient, and fish the conditions.

I'm right there with you, Luke. Going on a year now since I have had what I would call a truly successful tournament (doing the best I felt I could have). I joined a second club this year to expand my knowledge, and the lakes we fish. I may have to do some other things too, like not constantly second-guessing myself!

Yeah my big thing is that over last year I would go out and have a gut feeling of this is where i should be fishing then this year i always have that second guessing that im not sure if i should be here and thats the worst thing i think for an angler

I'm having a really good year after two miserable years. Fishing new water and techniques has been huge, as well as taking an area and finding them in that area as opposed to running all over the lake to little bitty spots. This is the first year I feel like we have found where they are going as opposed to where they have been.

Not enough time on the water for me and when I have been able to get out, I have fished way too fast.

You usually get many different responses to this issue. Don't go for 3 - 6 months, don't prefish, etc. Try 3 straight days on the lake you have the most confidence in and you should get back in a grove. Either that or you'll quit...

Fish your strengths and what techniques you have the most confidence in. You'll get back on track.

Hell I don't think I'll ever quit fishing!

I think when you get in ruts like this, going to a different lake kind of helps you stop doing the same old same old and makes you fish a little differently. I would find myself fishing the same spots with the same techniques over and over and then wondering why I am not catching fish. Then you go to a different lake and fish a little differently and catch some fish and it opens your eyes. Monotony can kill you without ever knowing it.