Lessons learned from 2011

[storminsteve]

:learn:Some of the things I learned:
You need to be versatile on where you fish if you want to increase your hookup ratio.
You need to pay more attention to the specific bait and the times fish are feeding (thanks Dark)
What things have you guys learned?

[fishinmission78]

Island Beach can hold some fish in the fall.;)

[Monty]

You need to be versatile on where you fish if you want to increase your hookup ratio.

Storminsteve, Im with you on the versatile thing. While I'm not going to be like Dark and hit 17-23 different places in a night looking for bait and bass, I fished a few different areas this year and had OK results, enjoyed the new/different water. So I need to fish a few more areas. Some other things I learned this year.
Make sure I fish troughs better than I have in the past. Darters (Mag Darters and Choppy), work on their presentation and when/where to use them, they caught fish for me at times this year when I other artificials would not.

[jigfreak]

Poachers come in all shapes and colors.

[hookset]

Darters (Mag Darters and Choppy), work on their presentation and when/where to use them, they caught fish for me at times this year when I other artificials would not.

Darters are great, esp the SS.
As for lessons learned. I learned if you weigh in a fish, lie about where you caught it or the next day there will be 75 guys there, each with 4 rods.

[ledhead36]

I know you plugging guys are going to jump on this, so be it - clams work when the water is cold and the fish don't have any other food to eat. We got some very nice fish in the RB this November using clams. Believe it, or not.

[cowherder]

I have to agree with ledhead on this. Before I knew about plugging, clams were what I used to catch fish. They worked for me. I did eventually get tired of that but I don't see why someone who fishes clams should be looked down upon. My .02.

[finchaser]

Continue to fish up wind of Dark stay away from snot slingers in a blitz