How to get better at what we do.

[Chris]

What are some things we as fishermen can do to make us a better angler and can help us catch more fish?

[IrishJig]

Practice makes perfect.  And if my wife would let me fish as often as I would like I would definitly be better at it.

[duncast48TN]

1. Take care of the environment. Its THE #1 thing. If we don't have clean,litter-free waterways, then we will not have a place to fish. Its as simple as that.

2. Take a kid fishing. Show him the right way to fish and have fun doing it.

3. Do unto other anglers as you would have them do unto you. In other words don't blow by them at 50mph within 10 yds and don't horn in on the spot that they are fishing. I could write volumes on the times this has happenedto me!

4. Practice,Practice,Practice.

[Trivib1]

I feel that a lot of Fishman's put the cart in front of the horse.

To start out with. a bass fishermen must learn all he can about bass, how it lives, how he reacts to the elements  of the weather,   how bass use their eyes, hearing, lateral line, taste, smell,

how they feed. Fishermen needs master each and every lure he intends to use.

By taking only one lure or type of lure with him to the water, for example.  I want to learn how to use a jig better.  Do not take any other  lures  with you to the water this will prevent you from using a lure that you may have more confidence in.  Spend the whole day fishing with that one type of lure.

This will help you learn what you can  or cannot do that  lure.

This will also help you learn what Rod and what line is best for that lure.

It has been said, if you're going to break in a new outboard motor.  Don't take your tackle with you.  

This holds true when you want to learn to used a new lures.  Don't take your old lures with you.

least, but not last , spend as much time on the water that you can, in summer, spring ,fall and winter.

When these objectives are met, then you are ready to apply presentations ,techniques that you may read about, to fit your needs best.  Because you will know where they are best suited for.

The key to successful bass fishing, is using the right lure, right presentation, at the right time and right place.

[Marty]

The obvious answer is to maximize your time on the water and fish with better anglers than yourself.

Otherwise, soak up as much info as you can. Books, TV shows, magazines, videos, seminars, internet articles and message boards.

[AUTgrPilot]

3. Do unto other anglers as you would have them do unto you. In other words don't blow by them at 50mph within 10 yds and don't horn in on the spot that they are fishing. I could write volumes on the times this has happenedto me!

I agree whole heartedly, keep your distance from other fishermen best you can. However, I will add this, I would rather someone blow by me at 50 creating a small wake than to cruise by at 10 throwing the biggest wake the boat can possibly throw.

I've had this problem more with pleasure boaters who think they're doing me a favor by moving at less than "plane-off" speed.  Most fishermen know their boats and are fairly courteous.

[Chris]

I would agree you gotta know your tackle. When i started bass fishing i didn't have much money as a kid and i would save up and go to the store and buy just one bait. I would then learn how to fish that one bait a million different ways. After awhile i would save up and get another then learn how and where to fish it and learn where not to fish it.  My Dad was a live bait fishermen so i was self taught. Later i read as many books and articles as i could. I fished all the time to learn as much on the water as i could. I spent hours casting and learning how to place lure where i wanted and not in the trees. Today a cast is everything and many of the fish i catch is because of the cast. Later in life i started fishing club tournaments and learned alot from other members. You learn the most when your always asking yourself why? Why was that fish there? Why did it hit on top instead of on the bottom? You gotta always ask the hard questions and be willing to answer them This is how you learn and become a better angler.

[Nick]

Marty has a very valid point. I know of one very fortunate fellow with limited bass fishing experience who was able as a non-boater to fish the Everstart Eastern, Northern, and Central tours along with the FLW tour all last year. In addition he prefished a few days for each event with pro's also. His fishing abilities skyrocketed as he gained years of experience in 9 months in all sorts of waters and conditions fishing for both large and smallmouth bass. Can you imagine how his fishing improved by fishing with some of the better anglers in America on different waters? Furthermore, he is going to do much of the same again this year.

[Pond-Pro]

            I think that experiance on the water is the best way of learning, next to reading Bassmaster, websites, and other information sorces.

[L.D.]

Put your time in on the water, thats the best way. And like Marty said, take along someone that you think is a better fisherman. I'm lucky my job keeps me on the water six days a week, however I'm always looking for something new to add to the tried and true.

                         L.D.

[Mainer]

I agree that time on the water is the key.  To get the most of that time taking notes that you can review later is valuable.  I don't want to be bothered with a note pad on my boat so I got a cheap recorder so the note taking is quick and painless.  I can transcribe the noted later.

[reellittlephish]

Got stuck in traffic this afternoon on the freeway and had time to think about this

To make yourself a better angler it helps to set some specific short term goals and then break that down into achievable portions incidentally I hate motivational speakers..  Say improve your boat control, increase your casting accuracy, increase hook ratio, learn everything about how the bait you are fishing performs in different circumstances, get better with your electronics, learn your water, etc.  Confidence and observation with internal feedback is so much of the game..

Then, as a continuing process, learn more and more about your quarry and its environment.  Work to become more sensitive to changes throughout the day as you are fishing.   Keeping a log worked for me.  I am not keeping one right now, but I am always trying to learn more about the environment I find myself in when fishing.  For instance; if you find yourself in a boat group watch the fishermen around you.  Before the internet, I learned a productive jig fishing technique just by watching a regionally famous jig fisherman do it in the boat right next to me.

If you learn by reading get a couple fishing subscriptions, archive them and read the articles more than once. Written works by Bill Murphy, Chuck Brauer , Jay Yelas, Don Iovino, Ken Cook just to name a few.  The internet has become an excellent source for techniques and products. Some of the forums discuss leading edge topics. Just hanging out here you are already getting better.  If you learn by watching, then purchasing a couple instructional videos (for instance Yamamoto grub/senko secrets) may lead to a breakthrough in technique.  Maybe you can rent them or your library or bass club has them to loan. Doesn't matter if you already watched it or read it. Something will be remembered or something new learned.

If your bass fishing moves towards tournaments then you'll fish with a lot of different people some more knowledgeable and skilled than you. Everyone has something to teach you like Nick says.

Practice on the water right from the moment you start your trip.  

The weather, the season; when you get to your water, how is it what you expected, how is it different?  Bill Murphy said he likes to wake up with the lake he's going to fish. I like to fish in blocks.  By that I mean fish maybe 2 or 3 consecutive days; or fish one day, rest one day, fish third day.  Then like the people who play the stock market you can see trends easier.  When you end the day, think back over what you did and what you could have done better.  Like Chris says, gotta ask the hard questions. It is important you do this criticism promptly; your skill level will benefit and you will have the next days starting plan. I think it helps to compare notes as long as you stick to the facts and your companion does likewise.

Chris is on target with the casting accuracy.  It is key.  I started seriously bass fishing in southern CA where the fishing pressure is intense and the lakes are crowded.  We used to joke on opening day you could walk across Lake Hodges and never get wet just stepping from boat to boat. And Lake Perris, I caught a lot of bass with hook holes in their mouths.  These boys and girls were educated!  By making a presentation that no one else is doing you will catch fish. And you can do that because your casting skill is such that you can with dispatch and accuracy. When you can go behind a skilled angler and successfully fish the used water you are there in your thinking.  Sometimes this really aggravates them.

Discipline.  Concentration.  You've gone all day without a bite and you are still 100% confident that if you get bit he is in the boat.  It happens and you do it.  This performance level doesn't come as the result of reading, taking a seminar, or watching a video.  Go fishing when it is poor fishing; go fishing at all kinds of times and seasons; go fishing in exactly the same spot you were in the previous day and try to approach everything about it differently; go fishing when the weather sucks long as it is not dangerous; go fishing when the bite window may be 30 minutes or less sometime during the day if you are in the right place when they go on feed. Go fishing knowing you are fishing all day for one bite. Do not go fishing with someone who will distract you.  Once you attain this level, work to increase the time you can maintain it. Like learning a musical instrument the master makes it look easy.

Be self taught and self guided.  Takes a little longer but sticks well, you might fail often when starting, but with experience fail ratio will dwindle. Failing is learning.  And you can do it by yourself which simplifies planning.  I see this in the dock and club talk someone brings in a big bag on some lure at some depth and next day the group is fishing like that completely ignoring personal experience and their feedback.  

Be attentive and learn to listen.  Years ago my regular partner was a master at getting info out of the locals.  He'd just sit there and let them talk with occasional encouraging question; shortly they would be showing him their best spots.  Then he'd take what they told him and apply it for himself. Apply it for himself that's very important..

[Bassin_Nutt]

One thing I have learned, be very attentive to your surroundings.  If I see baitfish rising or swirls I know something is going on and I have caught many bass that way.  Watch my surroundings as I fish.

[JHall]

Yeah, What reellittlephish said.

[roadwarrior]

Wow!  That's some good stuff.  I don't disagree with anyone, but on a lighter note, here's a short cut that has improved my fishing a lot.  I got real lucky and met a guy that likes to fish as much or more than I do and he's a great fisherman.   We have been fishing together now for about four years and I 've learned a lot.  But what's really cool is fishing with several guides around the region that are exceptional.  My buddy has spent 40 years fishing with guides all over the country and now I just fish with the best!  So, when I hire a guide I know he's good and I fish HIS WAY.  Do your homework and hire the best guide on the water you are going to fish.  This is especially fun when you go to water that's new to you. This old dog can learn a new trick.  

[Chris]

I spend a lot of time between tournaments testing out new stuff. While I am give a lure a run through I am trying to figure out its potential and if it fits into my style of fishing. Sometimes you stumble onto great stuff and other times they are duds. The main thing I look for is if it catches fish and if it has enough appeal or potential to tempt bigger fish. For me its an on going process to tweak my lure selection and weed out stuff. I am always trying to find something that does a better job.

[Will]

During the warmer months you can always just get out on the water and fish. During the winter I really get down reading hundreds of articles, cleaning equipment, sharpening hooks, and practice flipping/pitching in the hallway.

[L.D.]

While I don't offten get to fish by myself except very early and very late in the season, which for me gives me some rare clear water conditions on the river. I will use my underwater tv camera and see how the fish react to the way I fish certain lures. And fish and fish and fish. I love it and I can tell the wife I'm working.

L.D.

[Klinger988]

I think it is good to make a point of learning something new everythime you go fishing.  I myself fish with someone that is much more experienced then me and i am luck that he was so willing to teach me everything he knows. The knowledge i have gained is pirceless and would have taken years of trial and error on my own to figure everything out.  I think it is also good to make a point to learn and become good at one techique a year. Last year was jig n' pig and plastic, this year will be spinnerbaits.  this is a good way of being able to realy concentrate on one thing and learn to ish it in all situations.  We cant always rely on our cofidence lures!

[JHall]

Why of course, the most obvious answer....

Endlessly scour the archives and forums of BASSRESOURCE.COM

[crankbait]

Family and friends first...

Yourself after that...

Then EAT, SLEEP, and FISH!!!

[Shad_Master]

Another thing you can do is join a local club.  Attend a few meetings as a visitor and maybe even fish a tournament as a non-boater.  Once you have found a club that isn't so cut-throat that no-one will give you any tips, you will be surprised how much you learn by watching these guys and trying new things.

[Chris]

Bump!

[Raul]

Lessons to be learned:

1.- Know your prey,

2.- Know your tackle

Know three things that will tell you with what, where and when to tie a particular bait:

Water clarity

Water temperature

Light penetration

The three are highly inter-related, a change in one dramatically affects the other two.

[Madhouse27]

Wow, what a great bunch of posts. Some good lessons here for sure. I was thinking along the lines of what LD said. At least once a week I like to get out fishing by myself. In some ways it's not as much fun as going with a buddy and having a few cold ones, but in many ways I get more out of the solo experience. I feel more comfortable trying new approaches and presentations when I'm by myself. I can dub around and let the boat drift out of position while I'm retying without worrying about someone else in the back. I can slow down and work a small area methodically knowing I'm not boring anyone else to tears. It gives me a chance to do something over and over again until it is just the way I want it. Fishing alone for me is a more quiet cerebral experience and it's when most of my major breakthroughs have occured. If this doesn't work, go fishing with somebody good and just do what he does.