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                   Sharpen Confidence for Fishing Success

                              By Kevin VanDam

     (EDITOR´S NOTE: This is an excerpt from VanDam´s new book,
     KevinVanDam´s Bass Strategies. To obtain a copy, send $14.95
     plus$3.50 shipping and handling to KVD Publications, P.O. Box
     174,Jones, Mi., or call (800) 544-9343 with a credit card.)

     Watching fishing videos or reading books and magazines may make
     you more knowledgeable, but knowledge doesn´t guarantee success.
     You still have to piece together the puzzle of a fish´s location,
     depth and the lure presentation that will catch him. That´s where
     most anglers veer off track. The mental side of fishing is the
     single most importantaspect in becoming a consistent angler. All
     of today´s top fishermen have one thing in common; they are good
     thinkers. Their ability to recognize changes and adapt quickly
     sets them apart from others who are equal in experience, ability
     and equipment. It´s not easy to become mentally strong, nor is
     mental strength easy to teach. It comes from within and goes
     hand-in-hand with confidence. Unfortunately, confidence is easy
     to gain, but easier to lose. I begin every day with confidence,
     regardless of the fishing conditions. I look for something
     positive in each situation, no matter how insignificant it is or
     how dreadful the conditions are. My confidence carries me through
     a tough day of fishing, as I believe that the next cast can
     produce a strike when other anglers have given up. Sharpening
     those mental skills is no easy task, but here´s what works for
     me:

        * Think positive. Never dwell on the negatives, as they will
          rob you of confidence. If you lose a big fish, forget it.
          Use what you learned to get another one to bite. If your
          first stop of the morning doesn´t produce, use the
          information you gathered to choose the next spot. If that
          one fails, try again. Remember:every failure brings you
          closer to success.
        * Avoid dock talk. Unsuccessful anglers prepare themselves for
          failure by talking about why bass shouldn´t bite. Associate
          with fishermen who have positive attitudes and it will rub
          off on you.
        * Keep an open mind. Just because someone claims a pattern was
          working, that doesn´t mean that it will work for you. Avoid
          preconceived notions before you get on the water, but don´t
          ignore your instincts. Keep your eyes open for any subtle
          on-the-water observations that may lead to the best pattern
          that fits your fishing style. Confidence will soar once you
          can rely on the whispers coming from the back of the mind
          that urge you to do something different. The more you´re
          aware of what´s going on around you that affects the bass
          environment, the more accurate those instincts become and
          the sooner you´ll react to them.
        * Utilize your strengths. Confident anglers know their
          strengths and weaknesses and therefore rely on their
          strengths to maintain an even keel of confidence. I'm not
          saying anglersshould become one-dimensional or that
          versatility isn´t important. But there´s nothing wrong with
          utilizing your speciality when confidence in other
          techniques begins to wane.
        * Work on weaknesses. There is a time and place to work on
          weaknesses and refine skills in other techniques, such as
          when the fish are actively responding to that technique. It
          takes time to build confidence in something new and you
          should never force it, especially when fishing conditions
          are tough. That will only lower your confidence and make it
          tougher to overcome.
        * Be aware of natures clues. I have honed my perceptive skills
          through years of hunting. I´ve become more aware of the
          little things that affect the animals and cause them to do
          the things they do. Fishing is no different. Recognize the
          variables that affect fish and adapt with them as they
          change throughout the day. Those variables may be as simple
          as increased boat traffic, a change in wind direction, or
          the sun passing behind clouds. Good anglers think about how
          changing conditions influence fish and will refine their
          techniques and lure presentations accordingly. Being
          perceptive and reacting to your observations isn´t easy, nor
          can you develop it overnight. It is a trial and error
          process that is refined with each day you spend on the
          water. As your awareness and confidence increases, the
          demons of negative thinking are less likely to interfere and
          your fishing success´ will soar.

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