Perhaps your comfort zone is a 6-inch curl-tail worm fished on 12-lb. test line, with a 1/8-ounce unpegged weight, unless you happen to be skipping the bait. You probably use other techniques, too, but will keep this worm rig within easy reach on the deck and ready to go in a split second, even if you don't start with it.
The idea behind fishing in your comfort zone is so you can make adjustments quickly and efficiently when necessary.
As noted by bass pro Bill Lowen, "It becomes a part of your nature. If/when the fish move, you move with them. If/when they change their mood, you change your presentation."
Granted, pros often have to move outside their comfort zone (e.g., such as when they have to fish an unfamiliar lake). Lowen admitted that making adjustments in these situations can be confusing, but you have no other choice other than to learn when you're fishing at the pro level.
"You simply cannot be successful here as a one-trick pony," he explained. "It's not that we can't be successful when we're out of our comfort zone. It's that we do better in it.
"I'm never afraid to start shallow," he continued. "I believe in myself and my shallow-water skills. I encourage you to do the same, whichever bait or technique puts you in your comfort zone."
In bass fishing, little to nothing compares to that feeling of working your favorite stretch of water on your home fishery. Whether it's a farm pond, stream, river, or major body of water, anglers find it hard to match the comfort and confidence of fishing their "juice" on known waters. No matter the conditions, you constantly expect to feel that tug at the end of your line.
Imagine having a similar comforting feeling all the time, on any fishery, all over the country. You'd think an angler who harnesses that comfort and confidence would be able to catch them most anywhere and everywhere, and for the most part, you'd be right.
Seasoned anglers don't try 20 different lures and/or techniques that the fish should be biting. Instead, they stick to what they know and make it work, regardless of the body of water, the conditions, or time of year.
Whether you favor shallow-water power fishing like some pros, or you would rather use your electronics and fish offshore, make a habit of giving your comfort zone a chance next time you go fishing...regardless of where it is. The time of year and transitional phase the fish are in certainly moves them around, but it's worth trying to fish with what you're confident in, no matter the conditions or the fishery.
You're likely to find that you can apply "a little home cookin'" to most any body of water throughout the year. It will give you confidence to stick with proven techniques longer and find ways to apply them to different bodies of water. Many guys in professional bass fishing go on stretches of top finishes because they carry one technique from lake to lake and keep making it work through confidence and that comfort with what they are doing is the right thing for their fishing.
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