[bulletbob]

I am NOT a "bass master pro"... However I catch a lot of bass, mostly Smallmouth these days, because they are the most abundant bass in my area... On any given day, you can " hit it big" if you find the right lure, color, temperature,retrieve, area, etc, etc.. It is highly variable,,,
You are gaining experience, and here's what happens with experiencce.. You will learn how to rule out quickly what isn't working depending on the day you are fishing and conditions on that day.. You will also start to find patterns as to what works best in general terms,,
You KNOW that the lipless crankbait you used is a good lure correct?.. At least it was on the day you scored big.. So, now it can be assumed that given similar conditions, in similar water, similar temps,for similar fish, this bait might be a good starting point.. See how that works???

Some days it won't matter.. They won't hit much of anything.. Then you try tiny lures, oddball lures, trying to find a successful pattern for that day...

Other days the only pattern will be that the fish are taking a whack at anything you throw, spinnerbaits, top water, plasics, jigs, plugs etc... Doesn't happen a lot, but it does happen... Keep fishing, try and go with guys with experience, and you will be fine... You KNOW that you can have a good day. There wil be plenty of them, have confidence.. However, we ALL have days where we just can't get it together, and think that we now suck, and have lost our skill... That only lasts as long as the time it takes for another nice bass to latch on to one of the lures you are throwing.. Just keep fishing as often as you can, and you will catch plenty of bass... As well as any other fish you target.... bob