I'm glad you wrote this! I noticed the downward spiraling trend a couple years ago and just prayed it was weird weather patterns, water conditions, etc.
At this point, I'm thinking that's not the case. The last few years have gotten progressively more difficult. Two years ago I got really, really lucky. I rediscovered (with my buddy Big Matt) a lake that had seemingly slipped everyone's mind. That worked out great until every pre-teen with a swimbaitnation handle called it home. :D That's ok, it was a unique experience and a fun year.
After that it was back to the drawing board. Correct me if I'm wrong but here is the trend I'm seeing... the little lakes SUCK! (Or it could just be that I vowed to never pick up that 12 foot boat again.)
It seems like any lake that has had more than 3 years experience with a hudd is a NIGHTMARE to land fish.
Let's take my first swimbait lake for example (most of you know where that is)... I gave up on it and here is why: When you guys introduced me to throwing huddlestons that lake was a joke. Pure and simple... a monkey (like me) could catch those fish. But over time they started getting a little more conditioned... they wouldn't eat as readily. One day I had one go "tick" "tick" "tick" "bite" on a steady retrieve. I wasn't sure what had happened until a few weeks later when I WATCHED a fish do it. That tick tick was the fish running up, bumping the bait, then cutting to the side to WATCH HOW THE TROUT REACTED! That's INSANE! They would just bump it over and over again until they either destroyed it or swam off a little more educated than when they came. That was all fine and good until I was out there on a new moon, creeping my bait along and it went "tick" "tick" "tick" and then NOTHING. Those fish were so conditioned to the hudd that they could, under a NEW MOON, decide that it wasn't the real deal. That's when I threw in the towel and started to look toward new options.
For me its been big water and TONS OF TIME to get it done. I'm very blessed to have a bigger boat now that lets me get around easier than before. Although, with all that said I still can't get another teener to save my life... I just don't like to fish the way they want it. That style of fishing bores me so I chase 9-12 lbers with quicker retrieves to keep my attention.

Nico, I have no idea what you've done this year but I've seen years past. You're a teener catching machine and you deserve everyone's respect. You've got mine, as does Rob. There are a lot of people who stick big fish because of insights you guys gave us, or forum posts you made. (I'm sure you regret them all now that the bite is tough, but I thank you for the early inspiration and insight.)

Matt Allen