Teaching an “old dog” new tricks

[ronaultmtd]

Happy Thanksgiving Snaggedliners...thinking about the 2019 season...it was one of my better years even though the “tried and true” lures, methods were not producing fish like years past. It was hard fishing, but...it was a learning experience...we never learn anything from success, only failure is a teacher...because it was a down year, I was forced to change up lures, methods and try new things...one big “new” thing was the Pearl/chart 4 inch Gulp shrimp...fished slow, bouncing it occasionally on a 1/8 oz jighead...killer lure, Stripers, Speckled Trout, Big White perch- all ate it up! Yeah, kept it quiet, didn’t think too much about it at the time, but when others were not catching fish, I was...not because I am special or anything...the real secret was shrimp are here...it was as simple as “match the hatch” advice of fly fishing...large schools of shrimp moved into backwater creeks and flats in Southern Maryland...Buzz Marina caught shrimp in a cast net off their docks...nice, eating size white shrimp! The other lure that was doing well was the gold 3/8 oz. Kastmaster with single hook...when nothing else was working, throwing the Kastmaster and letting it sink for five seconds before cranking with a jerk, jerk, jerk retrieve was killer, especially for Bluefish and school Stripers...caught two nice Spanish Mackerel doing it...Thanks, Bill Connelly for showing me this...looking at my fishing log this morning...2019 was a pretty amazing year for me...but it was definitely not a normal year- I learned a lot...and at 73 and a life long fisherman...yeah, no one knows it all...you can teach old dogs new tricks!

[J.A. Veil]

Ron - Your experience and willingness to try something different when the usual methods are not working is an important component of why you are a good fisherman. 2019 has been a tough year locally. Like you, I tried new techniques and new spots in search of better fishing. Lets hope for a successful year ahead.

[Memory Maker]

Old dogs don’t learn new tricks ............ Guess you are not an old dog after all !!!

[Mark]

I suspect I'll stop learning only when the inevitable happens. You know, that condition we equate with taxes. I hope I have a lot of learning left to do with much of it being on the water.

[belairfishing]

Thanks to all of you "old dogs" that continue to share you knowledge and experience with all of us here.

[DuffDynasty]

My dad always says ......... as long as you stay active , you will never get old. Based on your adventures on here, I’d say you definitely fall into the “active timer” category and not the other one. Hope you stay active and continue to share your adventures and knowledge with us.