This "hook shy" topic is interesting. Another thread talked about frequency of fishing in a smaller pond. I have no clue about this because currently my pond doesn't get that much fishing pressure and so the fishing is almost always fairly good.
What I wonder about is varying tackle a lot. Because of a short attention span I am constantly varying tackle. Sure if a lure is really hot one day I'll fish the lure but once it starts to slow down I'll change up. Throw something completely different. I wonder if constantly varying tackle (lures and line) could lessen the "hook shy" problem. Don't know just speculating.
Another thing that I do is talk to the fish when I'm fishing. "Hey Mister Bass, look at me innocent little fry swimming in the shallows, oh, and I'm wounded, can't swim very fast, probably be an easy meal for a studly bass like yourself." If that strategy doesn't work I go for the taunt... "Hey Bass, what are you a Girlyman, think you can take this swimming lizard out, you want a piece of me, I'll bet you can't even swallow a lizard as big as me, go back to your momma and tell her you're hungry, and they call YOU a predator?"
Kinda drives my wife crazy but it works. I didn't do this when DIED was teaching me to fly fish. I figured he was questioning my mental stability enough as it was and why push my luck.
