[Rob F]

Like Hull City, and Reading before them, I'm suffering from that difficult second season syndrome! I think I'm starting to get the plugging "Yips" as these blanks are beginning to get to me!!!

Had one schoolie in March on a daft lure that looks now like it was a complete and utter fluke and one small Sea Trout to show for my season so far. Went up to the Lake District this weekend to a mark that was teeming with life in the bitter cold of early spring with a resident seal (!) and fished it hard. Tides were nigh on perfect, lows just before dusk and dawn with plenty of water movement in the hazy light, good water clarity with just a hint of silt, temperature showing as 11 degrees... But NOTHING. For the first time this year I never felt confidant.

Spent the whole winter researching lures, techniques, practicing using them at any opportunity but the force is growing weak now. On Saturday, I gave up. Turned over a few stones and had a rummage around in the estuary silt for Harbour Rag and used an Abu Toby with a short hooklength to use as a baited spoon! Had 8 flounder and a plaice in about an hour and a half!

Was my success last year purely beginner's luck? I think the problem could be that I'm trying too hard, or over-thinking things but can anybody help with this crisis of confidance? I'm thinking about splashing out on a guided trip or something to see where I'm going wrong! Anybody else experienced this, how do you break the cycle?

 

[Andy Marquis]

Well all I can say is that one bass and a sea trout is a darn sight more than I have caught this year!!!

Just keep at it, keep yer pecker up and it will get better. Keep telling mysef that so I actually go fishing. 3 times a week since January and not a single anything other than pollack (save one garfish and 2 wrasse) on the lures, and the biggest pollack was all of 1lb...

 

[Dave Irving]

Rob F,
Chill, trust me this years season has been a slow starter. Normally see bass by mid march here in Sussex. They have finally arrived in number within the last week or so. I gather from some of the reports that things have been late in south wales as well. Stick with it, the bass are coming-Honest.

 

[Tim Griffin]

Rob, been there already this season (this is only my 3rd season so I am right on your page), and had to talk myself out of it. Don't over-analyse your fishing, just enjoy the trips you have and don't obsess about catching. Just relax, do what you know works and all will be well. Of course, do your best with all the usual factors when making a trip but don't flog a dead horse when conditions are just plain wrong.. It's not like the fish are jumping on most people's lures right now.
I just love fishing with my son. Catching is even better, but even just fishing is good.
Once you have a couple of fish to your name you'll wonder what you were worrying about. For sure, spending more money on gear won't solve the problem! I bet you are doing little or nothing wrong it's just that there aren't that many fish interested in lures in your area when you can get out. They are still quite shy down here despite there being plenty of fish to see.
Or, come back down to Wales for a weekend :-D

 

[trev richardson]

Me Too Andy......

The answer has to be YES! Rob...:shock::shock:

Now send me that crappy red rod you have and all those cheap nasty lures and the Twitching and Yips will stop... Well they will if you drink enough Guinness anyway.....:wink::wink::wink:

There is a cure for that you know.........another Welsh Bumble..

 

[Ben Field]

Keep at it Rob. Just written a bit in the catch reports section about how confidence can be lost. Keep at it, don't over analyse stuff and eventually you'll start putting a few together.

 

[Tim Murphy]

Don't panic Mr Mainwaring! I've been out for 10 or 12 blanks this year - admittedly not on the Shirlies - with only two wee whiting to show for it. Maybe try, as Keith says, something different. SPs for wrasse etc. If Andy Marquis's having a hard time down in Guernsey we surely will be oop north.

 

[Dicky Smith]

Yep, pretty pants (?) here too in Alderney.

Had a pollack of 4lb or so on a SP, but naff all on the hard baits.

Plenty of turbot in the the boat though, just eaten a fillet with the first home grown spuds!

Slow year from the shore, to be sure.

 

[alan mce]

just enjoy what you are doing you will get fish sooner or later

 

[Gwyn Edwards]

Me in same boat as you Rob, 15+ blanks so far but reading this forum makes you try harder and make you think like a fish (if that makes any sense!!!)

 

[Marq]

Crikey Some of you have blanked only 15 times this year A blank for me is a day when i dont go fishing Truely i have fished most days since xmas and only have 3 Bass to show for it Loving every second

 

[trev]

keep at it and it will come good,think its just been a slow start after the coldest winter for 36 years or so, and the fact that there has not been a single catch report for scotland,not many for the north of england either tells you alot,here in north wales there are quite a few getting caught now,unfortunately there are more people who lure fish and arent on any forum ,and never report ,than there are on here, i know of lure caught fish of up to 8 lb on Anglesey that have not been made public, dont get worked up about it !! in a months time you will be wondering why you posted this ..........................i hope lol

 

[kevin white]

these blanks are beginning to get to me!!!

and most others in the same boat but won't admit it, i'm sorry but how many times are you prepared to blank before you give up.

Tides were nigh on perfect, lows just before dusk and dawn with plenty of water movement in the hazy light, good water clarity with just a hint of silt, temperature showing as 11 degrees... But NOTHING. For the first time this year I never felt confidant.

how did you come to the decission of them being perfect tides, if your not catching fish ?.

Spent the whole winter researching lures, techniques, practicing using them at any opportunity but the force is growing weak now.

this is good, but you'd have been better off spending the time researching the area's you fish.

I'm thinking about splashing out on a guided trip or something to see where I'm going wrong! Anybody else experienced this, how do you break the cycle?

this can give you a good step up the ladder as long as you learn how to catch fish as opposed to put on suicidal fish that will hit any thing thrown at them.

Don't over-analyse your fishing, .. It's not like the fish are jumping on most people's lures right now.

not picking on you tim as there's been a few comments like this, if you don't analyse what your doing, then you have no idea where your going wrong or right.

Maybe try, as Keith says, something different. SPs for wrasse etc. If Andy Marquis's having a hard time down in Guernsey we surely will be oop north.

totally agree, if what your doing ain't working do something different or expect the same results.

Me in same boat as you Rob, 15+ blanks so far but reading this forum makes you try harder and make you think like a fish (if that makes any sense!!!)

yes, reading and learning some techniques will help, but only when applied.

guy's don't think i'm picking on any one here, just pulling out a few things for people to re-think what there doing.

all the best

kev

 

[Rob F]

Not at all Kev, reading the recent posts in the Channel Islands section gave me the much needed kick up the jacksey! I think the main issue has been differenciating between perfect conditions in past experience (ie bait fishing or Summer/Autumnal plugging) and gaining a base level of current early Spring plugging knowledge to improve in coming years. At the moment it's blindly plugging but I have been trying to focus on a couple of venues and learning how to approach them instead of galivanting off here there and everywhere in the persuit of bass. They are there, they're taking bait, they're just not taking plugs at the minute. Nathan's recent article about leaving things for MINUTES with an occasional twitch because (I presume) of the colder water forcing the bass to have a slower metabolism and being more lethargic was another thought provoking post here on TLF! I'm still a noobie to all this really, good anglers catch the bass all year round whereas I don't have that base level of knowledge (lure related watercraft) in place myself yet.

Bottom line is there's no shortcut to achieving that, apart from to quit bitching and put the hours in until I can fathom the most productive times/methods!

 

[trev]

sometimes we can all get a bit OTT when trying to work out where we are going wrong,even though you have caught well enough in previous seasons, fact is that this year most people would agree that its been a late start........one experienced plugger i know who i met this time last year and was partly to blame for me going down this avenue ,was already on 35 bass this time last year............this year he has had "one" to date ...think that says alot.............just wait and it will come good.........

 

[trev richardson]

Don't worry Rob it'll come mate.....

A bit of bitching now and again doesn't do anyone any harm and feels greeaaat.....Now go away in short jerky movements and catch that double figure Bass you keep dreaming of.....

See the tourettes is almost *#@**** cured..Must be the dementia making me forget......]