+1000

Trust your insticts. If you are fishing an area you know are holding fish then fish that area thoroughly. If the bite is tough then slow down and make repeated casts, I have worked a single piece of cover for over an hour before the fish I knew were there would bite before moving on.

I have been fishing with my partner (Mr Backlash) for about 30 years now and it used to drive him crazy how he would think it was time for me to move on because he thought I was fishing too slowly. He is pretty much over that now and sometimes helps me to get myself in check and re-focused. This dosent mean you should waist a whole morning on an unproductive area, just make sure that you havent left anything behind before you pull the TM up.

Great idea for a post

1. when checking your line for abrasions run it through your lips as opposed to your fingers - much more sensive than calloused finger tips

2. When buying a new rod make your wife/girlfriend put her throat to the rod tip and hum.....you can really tell the difference in sensitivity thus feel more fish....if your girlfriend does this in the middle of the store for you, marry her immediately....if your wife doesn't - think about getting another - see above.

3. echo the ideas of fishing slow. especially after you feel your soft plastic pull out of brush/weeds.....just let it set a minute and watch your line....put in a dip, have a drink of soda whatever, then raise your rod tip slowly to test....if you feel even the slightest weight set the hook. All my biggest fish on plastics have come this way.

4. When in doubt set the hook...its free, and even if someone give you crud about it, its worth that one big fish...I have pulled slowly off a "tree" a couple of times only to have the rod almost jerked from my hands...always wondered how big those fish must have been

This will be an interesting thread

Tip of the day !..."get stoned"...LOL, what I mean by that is get a good hook hone - I like the Eagle Claw hook honing stone you can buy at Dick's for about a buck...as already mentioned check your line for nick's often and re-tie frequently and keep the hook sharp and you will land more fish guaranteed...

This will definitely be beneficial to all readers. . Thanks for the props on the good thread idea guys, it just came to me when i was reading another thread and someone chimed in on their thoughts of a lure and i thought, what if all of TFF posted some of their best tips over the years that they have learned. .

in the fall and spring i like to fish a dinger the same way i would a suspending jerk bait. throw it and let it sit for a few seconds then 3 quick fairly violent twitches and let it sit for 3-8 seconds (play with pause length til they tell you how long) then 3 more twitches. tx rig on a weightless 4/0 or 5/0 ewg hook. favorite color is watermelon red flake of course with about an inch or so of chartreuse spike-it on the tail. for this technique the yum dingers work best for me cause they have a better action and move side to side more than the stick baits out there, almost an underwater walk the dog action. check it out, good luck, and great thread

Slow down. Even your traps, spinnerbaits and crankbaits. This is widely known , but I know when fishing plastics, use the lightest weight you can get away with.

After you catcha nice fish...kiss her on the lips, then watch her swim away, then look up at the awesomeness surrounding you, say thanks, and get yourself right back out there in it.
Oh, and i discovered a split shot rigged fluke kicks a$$ in the grass.

What's not there at 9am,.........might be there in numbers at 1pm. I don't like to give up after just one pass through an area, especially one that has produced for you in the past.

I don't fish enough to do this but if I were to become more of a "regular", I would rely heavily on documenting every trip, good or bad (temps, clarity, pressure, lures, etc.) Recognizing tendencies can certainly maximize your efforts in more "likely" spots.

Cut the front hook on the front treble off of your squarebills. You'll get hung up less, they go through vegetation easier, and you wont see a big difference in your hook-up ratio.

This is a good thread.
Wet your knots.
slow down.
Re tie often.
Imo use the lightest weight that you can in the situation your in.
Hook sets are free.
don't snap hook set with flouro.
Don't cast onto someones dock.
Spool your string on with the proper spool orientafion I.e. baitcast with the spool where it can roll(if the spool rolls toward you when winding string your doing it right) and on spinning reels tilt it on the side and match it up with the direction your reel puts on string.
re tie often.

Dont be a douche bag to people.

always done good with fluke and watermelon worms, sometimes a good jerk bait depending on clarity and time of year.

I second this. I know since i love Crankbaits and spinnerbaits so much after i put that down and grab a slower presentation bait i always catch myself still chucking and winding even though i should be simply letting it set and twitching. Sometimes just the water movement alone provides the perfect amount of action to a bait aswell.

BUY LOW-SELL HIGH

Bigger bait=Bigger bass is a myth. All it does is eliminate the smaller fish. Big bass will eat very small prey.

And most use line and rods that are too heavy.

I have 2 double digit fish, numerous 6/8/9, and countless 3/4/5s. I don't have anything heavier than 10lb test. (except a jig rod for flipping into very heavy cover-which I've yet even catch a fish on). All of the largest fish have come on 6 or 8 lb. test.

I think the most important thing is detailing great days on the water date weather conditions location bait everything. don't keep a log of bad days, its counter productive IMO.