snip I have fished behind a couple of
them using identical and also different techniques depending on my mood and
watched them bag fish while I am not,


I think you might want to try fishing in front of them : -)

Seriously, I had a day out with Harry where we both sat on a bank on the
susquehana river and used the same exact crankbaits, I nailed smallie after
smallie while he couldn't get one to bite for his life. IT could be
something so slight that you might not even notice, a slight jerk on the
retrieve, a pause, a different retrieve speed. All could be contributing
factors to why somebody would catch fish while someone else would not.

I believe it was Steve Huber that caught big fish in the SC by popping a
secret weapon spinner bait when it hung some grass on it. Would he have
caught that fish without the pop? Maybe, Maybe not. Someone else posted in
here about retrieving senkos fast and killing fish on that fast retrieve
instead of the usual do nothing approach. But analyzing what might work as
opposed to what might not work can cause you to over fish, especially when
you see other people catching fish. So relax, have fun and experiment,
keeping a log is real helpful also. Conditions, and lures that caught the
fish under those conditions, are extremely beneficial to any angler looking
to become more consistent. I was reading a field and stream bass fishing
book and the managing editor summed it up great, " Bass fishing is a
lifelong adventure in learning. The smart angler never stops his quest for
knowledge". So while you continue to seek answers(which is great), continue
to have fun, I catch way more fish fun fishing then I ever do in a tourney.
Either that or come to the NWC, you can see others not catching fish as
well, then again after Florida that's suppose to change this year..... psst
bring minnows


Randy-