Don't fall in love with a particular pattern (shad, bluegill, trout) unless you always fish the same lake. Otherwise you might find yourself fishless someday because you insisted cranking a bluegill pattern through a fishery with a shad forage base. It helps to match the forage's size, too.

Variety is not only the spice of life, it's the way to approach retrieves with any given lure. Vary them until something works and if nothing does, switch baits and start over. And the best retrieve on a given day may not be the way the bait was intended to be fished.

Resist the temptation to strike immediately when a bass explodes on a buzz bait. Drop toward the fish for half a count before you let it know you're there and you'll hook more fish.

Did you know that surface baits win fewer B.A.S.S. tournaments than any other type of lure? Does that mean you should ignor them? Not at all. But if you don't catch fish quickly don't waste much time before trying something else.

When using an up-close presentation like pitching or flipping, it helps to make sure the prop on your trolling motor is free of nicks. Rough spots will make more noise themselves and they'll also pick up more weeds and debris that increases commotion, which will spook fish.