Ten days since I last fished. This afternoon I had it all planned. The major feeding period was around 5:00, I’d get to the lake at 4:00 and load the boat. Right. I was on Lake Chicot at 4:00 and went straight to a spot where the fish have been schooling. There were plenty of shad around and plenty of least terns diving on them.  Not a schooling fish to be seen. That’s OK, I’ll just wait them out. Up and down that stretch I went. No fish chasing shad, not even a nervous shad. Before leaving that spot, I “dipped and dunked”, as Richard calls it around a dock with a shaky head. Did not feel a thing, but my line moved off to the side a little. Up came the first fish.  I always try to do something I’ve never done in a lake where I don’t fish much so I put on a 6XD and visited the deep side. There is a great drop off from 7 – 8 feet to 20 just past the end of the docks. I got my exercise for the day but caught no fish along a 300 yard stretch. Fished another dock or two catching another fish and then returned to the “good” spot. Still no activity and no bites. One thing I have learned this terrible fishing year. If it’s not going on and not getting better, don’t beat a dead horse, just go home. I hate to give up, but go home I did at 6:30.