Finally got my Mojo back !

[Mojo]

Tell me if this ever happened to you:

After a while a trail just loses it's appeal..... And not much to go to based on your work schedule? So that was me, until I teamed up with an ol friend from Ohio. We joined a trail with a payback worth the money that needs to be spent when practicing on big bodies of water. I think the NBAA made more sense on inland lakes but the 38% keeper fee hurts them on LSC.

So I went to the FLW, and has a great time. I would be meeting a new person and then going after my 5 fish. I think i missed pre fishing and planning with a team mate.   Plus I get to hunt GIANT smallies  together !! And for BIG payouts ? Anyone else have the excitement gush over them after kinda just going through the motions ?

YES  Im going to Sandusky. Maybe its the newness of the water.... Maybe its the quality
team mate. Maybe its finding new treasures out there. But I'm geeked!!  Thanks to Dave Griffon (Riverwalker) and Brian Clarke for doing this.

Anyway, what changes have you made to get geeked about fishing ?

[dartag]

Good luck on the new direction you are going.   Be waiting for your reports...

[Mojo]

Wow..... So 50 people read this, but just 1 replied ? No one has ever switched trails ? No one has gotten burned out on a tournament trail ?

[TheFishinPollock]

I have been '"donating" to both trails I'm on this year.  I'm halfway burned out.     Oh .
Which guy is yer buddie ( so I can follow him like a shadow). That way you won't actuallyyyyyyy be giving me any specific info 

[Mojo]

I have been '"donating" to both trails I'm on this year.  I'm halfway burned out.     Oh .
Which guy is yer buddie ( so I can follow him like a shadow). That way you won't actuallyyyyyyy be giving me any specific info 

Let's wait until we get to the scales for my first shot at Erie before any of tthat shadowing goes down lol.

[Firefighter Jeff]

   Never fished a trail, never switched one either.     

[Mojo]

   Never fished a trail, never switched one either.     

I'm so captivated.... Please continue .... 

[TheFishinPollock]

That's cause everyone knows Ind. has no good fishing water 

[TimH]

My buddy and I fished the same inland trail for three years and hated it.  We hated the lakes, most of the people, and just about everything about it.  After the first year we would just show up and fish.  No pre-fishing, no new approaches, just the same old stuff.  Well Einsteins quote about insanity , "doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results," certainly applied to us, so this year we made a switch.  We are now fishing a different trail as well as some other opens, and are not only having a much better time, but have had our two best tournaments.
I highly recommend switching things up if you find you are no longer having fun, or performing up to your expectations.

[Hooksetter]

Wow..... So 50 people read this, but just 1 replied ? No one has ever switched trails ? No one has gotten burned out on a tournament trail ?

Guilty as charged! I did quit fishing in a club, but not because I was burned out. I did not join another club or fish another trail after that. Priorities change. Life's about changing, nothing ever stays the same.

For me now, I would rather drown worms and minnows with my grandsons. I find it much more enjoyable and relaxing.

I still fish for bass, just on my terms.

Just my .02

Willie

[bob o]

it sounds like we got both sides of the coin chimming in. good to see keep on keeping on both the tourny guys and make sure to give the grandkids a great and safe time on the water 

[Mojo]

Good luck on the new direction you are going.   Be waiting for your reports...

Practiced Thursday and found (3) 5 lbrs in 3 different spots so we went back... here is blow by blow:

waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves 10 miles of waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves, waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves 10 miles of waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves,pull up, drop rain gear (soaked) first cast BAM ! 3.5 lbr, 3 lb, 2.5 lb, 7 lb drum 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, 3 lb 3.5 lbr, 3 lb, 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, 10 lb drum 2.5 lb, 3 lb   fell down  9 fow, 10 fow, 12 fow, 18 fow, 22 fow 5 fow, back up on the flat, 3.5 lbr, 3 lb, 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, got knocked around by 4 ft waves, 2.5 lb, 3 lb 3.0 lbr, 3 lb, 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, 3 lbr........ that was Pelle.

Going to a reef, waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves 10 miles of waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves, pull up, 5 ft waves, fell down twice, got blown off our spot too fast, wind sock no good, sooooooo its waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves 10 miles of waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves, 4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves 10 miles of waves, waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves, pull up other side of point on Pelle - 1st cast BAM !! 2 lbr, 3 lb, 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, got knocked around by 4 ft waves, used a Kustom Kicker Jig - Great Lakes Series prototype with a 2" trailer and pounded em 2.5 lb, 3 lb 3.0 lbr, 3 lb, 8 lb drum 2.5 lb, 4 lb drum 2.5 lb, 2.5 lb, 3 lbr... almost as good as a tube, then, with 5 min left to fish - a huge bite ! Our kicker nopr a 6 lb CATFISH ...... really ?

WHERE are they !!  10 fow, - 25 fow, they they are,... on the graph .... drop on their head, no bite, and that was the holy holy frustration moment ...... 50 fish, 8 hours later, graphing tons of fish, threw the house at them..... and came home with 16 lb. Did I forget to mention we had to run 30 mph for 1 solid hour on 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  6 foot waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves 4 foot waves waves 5 ft double waves  waves, 2 ft waves waves  4 ft waves 5 ft waves  waves  waves  waves 3 ft waves waves 1 ft, nope 5 ft waves waves waves waves waves.

That should encourage everyone to fish Erie. Had a great time though, and will do it again !!!

[YpsiBass]

You mentioned last year some problems with your neck and back.  Wondering how the waves affected that and what you changed in order to deal with that kind of abuse on the water...

[Big dreams]

Great post Mojo!  Thanks for publishing this.  I am in a rut now and am ready to sell the boat.  All year has been pretty dead for me.  I just can't get into it this year.  I find fishing the club is not as fun for the same reasons you posted....same lakes, same patterns, etc...  I find my enjoyable days come when I take the day off work and fun fish with the wife on the back.  I think I need to switch things up a little bit next year...

[TimH]

Yep, switching things up is definitely a good thing.  Fishing is supposed to fun and enjoyable.  There is nothing wrong with fishing being intense, focused, and high pressure when in tournaments, but it has to be fun.  With the exception of a few people, fishing is hobby and a passion and not way to earn a living, so why put the same stresses of your job on fishing.
Last year I was miserable fishing more than I was happy and it showed.  I fished the worst I have in years, and was usually in a real bad mood after tournaments.  This attitude then spilled over when I would just "fun fish", although it wasn't much fun.
Now not to sound like an endorsement or infomercial, but this past winter, I attending Gerald Swindle's Positive Mental Attitude seminar at the Ultimate Fishing Show in Novi.  I went to it because I have been a big fan of the G man for a number of years now, but it turned out to be the best fishing seminar I have ever attended.  I enjoyed it so much, that I stayed at the show another four hours, just to attend the other Positive Mental Attitude seminar he did later that evening.  Gerald made so much sense with everything he said.  You wouldn't think comments like "its just fishing man.  Its not like your crawling throw Iraq with a M16 on your back trying to poop in the sand", would make a big difference but they did.  I know its going to sound cheesy, but that seminar not only improved how I view fishing and tournaments, but my life as well.
This year I have approached my fishing with a completely different mindset, and it has been the best year I have had.  Fun fishing is once again fun, and I have had the best tournaments.  When Swindle talks about Positive Mental Attitude, or when KVD finishes every article he writes with the phrase "Its all about the attitude", they are completely right.  People pay thousands of dollars to counselors and therapists, but fortunately for me, all it took was a funny pro fisherman from Alabama to make things right in my head.

[Mojo]

Tim H - that has got to be post of the year ! Thank you so much for sharing !! We've all been there. And you sound like you got your Mojo back too !

Anyone else get burned out ?

[Skulley]

I think that "trail burnout" can happen to anyone. I got burned out on a couple of trails over the years for lots of different reasons. I always went back to why I do fish and as it was said in an earlier post, fishing is supposed to be fun.......and relaxing. So I would stop fishing tourneys for a few weeks or fish a different one that I hadn't fished. Checking out what other trails had to offer helped a lot. The biggest thing that helped was "just going fishing". No tourney, no pressure, no stress. These days I don't fish many tournaments as all that time to prepare and practice and then fish the event is taken up by travel soccer. As soon as my son can start driving himself, I'll fish more events. Right now, if I fish 5 to 10 a season, which is where I'm at right now, that's pretty good for me. I only get one shot at bringing up my son and watching him develop. I don't want to miss it. So the only burnout I suffer from is driving all over Michigan and the Midwest in the fall and spring going to soccer games. The driving can really take its toll over time.



BD.                           

[TimH]

I hear you on how the driving can really take its toll.  I have NO idea how the pros drive all over the country to fish for 2/3rds of the year.  Driving is one of those things that gets to me if i'm driving long distances week after week without much of a break.

[Mojo]

UAW has a song written about him by Gary Alan. One of the best songs written about man



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xvo1DfLXgG8&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Good post!

[Mojo]

You mentioned last year some problems with your neck and back.  Wondering how the waves affected that and what you changed in order to deal with that kind of abuse on the water...

Well, I haven't quite figured it out yet. I know I HAVE to hydrate before during and after the tournament. I wear a mouth guard and tried a neck brace. The neck brace didn't work. I still get a concussed, or woozy the next day or 2, so I know Im rattling the ol peanut around up there. I feel if I could find something that cupped the back of my neck and skull, that would solve the issue. For now, I hold my back skull as we run and that seems to help, plus when I fish I don't hunch over each cast for hookset like I used to.