Have you done your homework ? Part I

[Raul]

Why do you fish ? some fish for $$$ like the pros, they make a living out of it, others fish for food, not common nowdays, but still, as sad as it sounds, there are still people that need fish for food and I don 't mean taking a few fish for the table every now and then, other 's fish for sport and fun, actually I think that 90% of us do it just for that reason, we practice fishing as a recreational activity, plain and simple and to some a recreational activity can become a way to make a living.

Fishing is as much science as it is art and when combined in the right proportion the results can be magical, some anglers approach fishing as a science and there 's nothing wrong in it, others approach fishing as an art and there 's nothing wrong in that either, but approaching fishing on the scientific side makes it lacking in "spirit" ( art ) also approaching at it from the artistic side makes it lacking in "mechanics" ( science ), and for "magic" to happen it needs both elements.

Fishing success can be measured by many ways, it may mean number of fish caught, it many mean size of the fish caught, it may mean money and/or prizes with the caught fish like in tourneys; actually to me catching fish is just a bonus to the pleasure of being out there doing nothing, but still, I 'm not there sightseeing, I 'm there to fish so catching fish even though it 's not the quest per se it forms and rounds up part of enjoying being there doing nothing.

All around and in every forum the most numerous threads have to do with tackle in every form, cranks, spinnerbaits, soft plastics, you name it, depending upon how good the thread is you will see that good threads get lots of replies while bad threads have one or two replies, some get lots of good advices others don 't, but one thing is for shure, tackle is just that, tackle in other words, tackle is what we are focused in and the rest can take a hike, having Glenn pinning a thread about Senkos alone it 's just a good example of what I 'm saying because we have discussed about senkos ad nauseum and every newcomer to the forum asks about them, but gentlemen, tackle is nothing but a tool, tackle by itself doesn 't catch fish, your tackle is only as good as the money that bought it.

Tackle like any tool has to be learned first, each piece of tackle has a function and it 's designed to perfom that function, you have to learn the function of it and how it develops that function in order to work with it, once you have learned how that tool works you have to practice with it until you really know how to work with it, and like in tools even though there are many ways to nail a nail some hammers are better than others in performing the same tasks depending upon what you are doing and what you 're trying to acomplish. Also, everybody is different, what may work for you doesn 't necessarily mean it will work for somebody else, each one of us has a different way, each one of us imparts it 's tool it 's distinctive style, the way we cast, we retrieve, the action we give to our baits is completely personal and inherent to us, our "personality" is tied to the other end of the line, one play played by different performers don 't sound alike.

But one thing is for certain, no matter how good your tools are and how skilled you are in handling them, if you 're not casting them in the right spot you 're not going to catch fish.

The old say: 90% of the fish are in 10% of the water is true to a certain point, it 's not that much but the principle applies; the other old say: 90% of the fish are caught by 10% of the anglers is also true to a certain point, also, it 's not that much either but like in the previous case the principle applies.

The correct blend of tackle, weather conditions, presentation and location is what makes you catch fish, the four of them are so linked together that you need them all for the "magic" to happen.

The worst lure in the right hands in the right place is better than the right lure in the wrong hands in the wrong place.

Lessons to learn:

1.- Know your GEAR

2.- Know your PREY

3.- Know how to LOCATE your prey

Have you done your homework ?

[roadwarrior]

#1 The most difficult part of fishing is simply finding fish. The more you fish, the more you read and the more attention you pay to details that have proven successful in the past, the easier it is to find the right spot at the right time. Still, finding the fish is challenging.

#2 Attitude and concentration are important aspects of every endeavor. The importance of these two attributes to fishing success is a function of your expectations. If you are just there for fun and to enjoy the outdoor experience, your attention to detail is of little concern. However, if the goal is to catch numbers or if your are after a true prize, your approach must be more focused and your concentration on the task more intense.

#3 Selecting the right lure for the specific conditions you face is the next challenge. As Raul noted, the wrong lure in the right hands is usually far more productive than the right lure in the wrong hands. Both the knowledge you gain from this forum and other literature, combined with your experience on the water will help weigh the odds in your favor when the lure selection is made.

#4 The importance of presentation cannot be underestimated. This involves learning the correct action for any given lure and practicing your cast, retrieve and cadence. Every lure or certainly every category of lures has their special idiosyncrasies. Practice makes perfect only when your practice is perfect.

#5 Lastly is your equipment. Again, as Raul pointed out, there is a "right" tool for every job. An all purpose hammer will work for 90% of your tasks, but when your done building the frame, a finishing hammer completes the job. I'm not saying you must have technique specific equipment to be a successful fisherman. All you really need is dependable equipment that can be used for that 90% of the fishing you really do. Buy the best you can afford, it will pay dividends over time.