Information Overload!!

So remember way back when you were new to freshwater fishing?  Everything was new and exciting.... And super confusing!  How do you keep it all straight? Swimbaits, crank baits, dodgers, flashers, live bait, sardines, water temp, time of the year, muddy water, murky water....holy *#^%!

Anyone have any suggestions to keep it all straight besides years of experience?

  NOPE Read, study, buy, fish, skunk, @&$%&^$%@, read more, fish
 more, buy more, cuss more!!! Then...


  You get fish! Or you can stalk Bird or Great bass at a tourney Welcome to the MADNESS that is NCKA

Hahaha this is funny thread. My suggestion...Find Morpheus and get him to hook you up to that machine from the Matrix so you can just instantaneously learn how to fish.... Or just participate in as many hookups as you can and make a lot of friends. The folks here are very willing to share info.

-FF

I know trout-fu...

Here is my suggestion... Narrow down your selection  ...and then study 

But seriously, I understand your overload cause it's happening to myself as well   

So many fish, so little time 

Get you self a fishing diary, and write in it every time you go fishing. Time of day, place, weather, traffic, baits, catch, record everything. By this time next year you'll have some thing to compare you putting to and you can look for patterns, and what days will be better to fish. It amazing the things you can teach your self by just going back through your books and studying. 

Figure out what kind of fishing you will be doing the most.
Like Al said, narrow it down.
Keep it simple. Once you think you have that figured out move onto another species the same way.
Over time it will all come together.

Ron you forgot buy beer or soda

A Rapala J7, bucket of secret agents and an A rig should be all you need. 

Get you self a fishing diary, and write in it every time you go fishing. Time of day, place, weather, traffic, baits, catch, record everything. By this time next year you'll have some thing to compare you putting to and you can look for patterns, and what days will be better to fish. It amazing the things you can teach your self by just going back through your books and studying.

Hmmm... You got one of those? Crib notes for fishing Do publish!!!!

Soda for me and beer for our horses Definitely forgot one thing... Get Adam (AUBURNTROUTDUDE) to bring tasty sandwiches!!!!

I laughed out loud at the replies to this thread! I was thinking about making an excel spreadsheet that had all the info in it (I'm a tech guy, figures), anything i throw together I'll share

use google, You Tube and the NCKA search feature

I remember be overwhelmed not too long ago. I read most of the fishing reports and paid special attention to the time and type of fish being caught.  My trips would be planned a week in advance, so I'd have enough time cram for that species. Afterwards, I'd try to figure out what went wrong  followed by more studying.

Also, don't be discouraged by skunks! Learn from them instead.

I also keep a journal which helps tremendously.  Remember that 90% of the stuff you see in the catalog and at the shop are designed to catch fishermen, not fish.  Keep it simple, develop a network of buddies to learn from, and keep tabs on the reports forum and you're set.

Books help.  I re-read fishing books constantly, to remind myself what I forgot.