What's the secret to your success?

Some people just seem to have a natural ability to catch fish. Fish Wisperers I call them. It seems that where ever they go they catch the most fish. What's the secret to your success? Knowing what lure to use? Knowing the best honey holes? Knowing the best times? Or do the fish just feel the love and swim to you?   Seriously though, what would you recommend to those of us that want to up their game in 2014? I know spending time on the water is very important, but it seems there must be more to it.

Definitely not a fish whisperer but I do a few things to try and up my game. The main one is research. That is done by finding new areas to fish with different structure patterns and using different techniques to catch the same fish. The key to that research is fishing with other anglers that have the same passion for the target species. For example I learn tons from divers. If you love lingcod as much as I do then we can certainly teach each other a few things even if it's just a new area to fish.

Broaden your horizons too. I grew up bass fishing and that was all good and fun but I lost interest. Kayaking the ocean brings an entirely new element that upped my passion greatly. I've added trout, striped bass, and ocean perch the last few seasons and there's no off season now. I perch in the winter months and find shallow rockfish spots that I come back to in May and often score big.   

Having the utmost confidence in your gear and lure are also key. If you don't believe the lure will get bit it wont most of the time. Properly preparing and organizing the gear gives me a much better feeling about the day than having mismatched stuff with the wrong line on the reel and the wrong rod.

Good luck and tight lines.

 


         

There is a lot of research that goes into catching a fish (at least for me) many of the pros have spent hours upon hours upon hours researching the lake they will be fishing on top of that there is knowing your fish behavior for example if it's late fall the bass (or any other kind of fish) are not going to be in the same spot as they were in early spring
So I guess what I'm saying is it is a little bit of everything you have to know what they are feeding on then know where they are at then know how to present your lure then know how to work the lure do all of these things right and your odds of catching a fish will improve

having fun regardless of how the bite is usually helps me start catching fish.
also, braid for RF jigging, simplified tackle, and a nice wardrobe of landing tools so that I'm ready for anything.

"WWMD?"
There was a day in October when I was not going to fish due to the reason we were all gathering, but then I thought "Mooch would fish". So I brought my rod. I also almost left all the landing gear in the truck, but then thought "Mooch would go big or go home". So I brought it all (grippers, gaff,net, bonker, and clip).
I would have lost the halibut I caught that day otherwise.

I certainly can’t speak for everyone, but I think Meathunter and Vanilla-Gorilla are spot-on when they say you should research your fish.  When I’m targeting a specific species, first thing I’ll do is research the snot out of them: where they live, where and when they spawn, their primary forage, preferred water temperatures, etc.  Once I have a feel for their biology, I’ll look into how I could best imitate their primary forage (or, in the case of river salmon, how best to piss them off without spooking them).  Then, I’ll try to line up where they’re most likely to hang out according to the season.  If I’m looking for brown trout in late fall/early winter, I’m going to look for places I think they’d try to spawn because that’s their typical spawning season.  If I’m looking for the same brown trout in mid-summer, I’ll know that I have to fish deep near the thermocline or inflowing springs/rivers because they’ll be seeking out cooler water.

For many species, you can carry over certain lures or techniques across multiple bodies of water and find success.  For example, a Kastmaster is likely to catch a trout just about anywhere, and a lingcod will probably smack a Big Hammer regardless of whether he lives in SoCal or Alaska.  But then you have those special techniques/lures that can be particularly deadly in some select places, but probably won’t get much (if any) love beyond those select spots.  Case in point: trolling orange curlytail grubs can work amazingly well on Eagle Lake for EL strain rainbows, but good luck getting any trout to hit such a thing on Lake Almanor.  So it helps to research your particular water body to see if there are already some ‘proven’ techniques specific to that water.

Fishing with other, more experienced anglers who are willing to share their techniques can dramatically shorten the learning curve.  I remember how much of a newb I was when I first started to legitimately target steelhead: my gear was too heavy, I didn’t know what an ‘egg loop’ was, my roe baits were the size of golf balls, etc.  It only took a couple trips with a friend who was experienced in steelheading to get me on the path to success.  When you have the opportunity to fish with those who are experienced with the species and/or water body, take it!

Know if your target fish is a stickler for presentation, or if they’re line-shy.  Catfish don’t give a damn if you use fluoro or tuna cord, but an old brown trout in clear water may require 4-pound line to coax him to bite (or even lighter).  Same thing with gear: if smallmouth bass are hot on ripbaits, you’d better have a rod that can successfully rip a 5 inch plug, otherwise you’re out of luck (not saying you won’t catch smallies on ripbaits via a straight retrieve/troll, but ripping is 10x more effective).

Finally, you mention time spent on the water.  That’s a biggie.  You’re able to learn not only about what works and what doesn’t, but also the nuances of your target fish and the water body you’re fishing.  Stuff that perhaps NOBODY else knows about.  Case in point: my absolute favorite spot to throw ripbaits for mondo brown trout in the spring on Lake Almanor was found on accident.  A long time ago I spotted browns chasing smelt in less than a foot of water.  Their backs were actually on the surface as they corralled the smelt in the shallows.  It was a spot that, upon first glance, hardly looked special.  So shallow.  But now I return to that spot every year starting in March, and although some years are better than others, it always produces.  Over the years I learned more about the spot just through fishing it, and I think I figured out why the big browns like it so much.  But I’ve NEVER seen anyone else fish it.  It’s one of those things that you’d never read about in a book or online.  It was the result of time on the water.

Wow, this thing got a little long-winded  .  Hope it helps in your fishing endeavors in the new year!

It is all about maximizing the time where the right bait is presented to feeding fish, and then having the skill and appropriate equipment to land those fish.

Research
Appropriate landing and fishing equipment (heavy enough line for big fish, changed out if abraded)
Preparation (tie leaders beforehand etc.)
Skill (reducing hangups, using appropriate drag, bait presentation)

A lot of people will say study species, water, seasons, patterns, baitfish activities, invest in quality gear, etc.  That's all well and good, but not so secret.  Like most other things, you get out of it what you put in to it.

The most important thing is probably the most obvious:

Be there.

A lot of people will say study species, water, seasons, patterns, baitfish activities, invest in quality gear, etc.  That's all well and good, but not so secret.  Like most other things, you get out of it what you put in to it.

The most important thing is probably the most obvious:

Be there.

Agreed


I don't think there are any big secrets to catching fish.  "Secrets" and "luck" are words you hear frequently from people who don't necessarily know what they are doing.

A lot of people will say study species, water, seasons, patterns, baitfish activities, invest in quality gear, etc.  That's all well and good, but not so secret.  Like most other things, you get out of it what you put in to it.

The most important thing is probably the most obvious:

Be there.

+1.

I'd say the same for diving too...if you aint in the water you aint finding fish. Even on cruddy water days you can usually find a sheltered spot to hole hunt....every hole you look into has the potential to house a monster....

I do spend a LOT of time lookng at aerial pics and thinking about different places to paddle to and explore...sometimes it has really paid off, and sometimes been a total bust. But if you never go, you never know.

 

Sincerely,

Jim

If you want to be a good angler, then follow the methodology of some of our great anglers:

Steveislost's posts: He is really good at site research.  His port and sturgeon posts are great examples.

Scott's (Great Bass) articles illustrate gear preperation and research among other things. His WSB writeup is superb.

Wingshooter's guide to fishfinder use.

Time on the water and remembering how and why you caught that last fish.

And don't forget to keep a fish journal. Write everthing down from your trip, weather conditions, calm, windy, storm coming, storm leaving, sunny, air temp water temp etc. Where you fished, time of day, what you used, what worked what didn't. Did the bite lick up at a certain time or tide level. Moon phase, season etc. The more records you keep the easier to go back andcind patterns, Cameron

Have fun.  Catching fish is only a bonus. 

There really are people who seem to attract fish. They can read water, seasons etc. They have a handful of search lures/tactics that cover all the bases and can go from water to water and replicate success in short order. They use the process of eliminating water.

They study their target species. And study some more. They pattern their gear for proper presentation. They keep an ear out for any local knowledge. They learn their home water through the seasons. And they learn from the skunks.

They watch the banks/shore for a change in slope. They watch the banks/shore for a clue on bottom content. They watch the color of the water. They look for spots that have some form of cover with access to both deep and shallow in relative proximity. They are mindful of light levels, especially on clear water and fish the appropriate depth/location.

They fish prime water for the species they are targeting. Watch the AOTY top guns as they move around targeting the checklist of species. They maximize the seasons/species/locations and they pay attention/stay open to new ideas. They build from their base. They got good one species at a time.

And when nothing works, don't take it personally. Use the day to explore and enjoy the experience. Go back and anchor in some fishy looking spot. Have a sandwich. Lick your wounds. Prop the pole over the side and relax. Sometimes the fish will feel sorry for you and come over to visit.

I once did just this on a frustrating day and found the mother of all walleye spots in Minnesota. A long/very gradual slope on a main lake point. Sandy/clay. I saw a VERY slight lip (21 to 22 feet) on this deserted looking (nothing on FF at all) spot. Put on a Jig-a-Whopper and started snap jigging. One walleye after another. Filled the boat. Nothing showing up on the FF. Evidently, the walleye were in tight on this very slight clay lip. Went back two more times to this "spot" and filled the boat again and again w/2.5 to 4 pound walleyes. Limits for two people in less than a half hour. Big cooler full of walleye. Boats going by laughing at us for fishing out in the middle of nowhere. If they only knew.

Good luck!
     

Well put mistral wind. Always have confidence in what ever your using. Be observant, don't be afraid to try something new or off the wall. Perfect your presentations. Learn from the poor days, don't give up. Talk to others. I wish I was disciplined enough the log everything. I know it would be my most valued possession  I still highly recommend it tho.... Learn different techniques don't get stuck in a routine. Always fun to learn something new. When someone else is railing em, pay attention!  It's hard to do sometimes, but when the bite is on try different things. Too many times we stick with what's working and won't throw something else at em, when the best time to do that is during a good bite. Too often we resort to that when we aren't getting bit. Become very skilled with your gear. Fish for many species in different places. A skilled angler can go anywhere and narrow down the playing field pretty quick and start hooking up. Learn to read the water. There's just no substitute for time OTW.  And finally, never stop learning and have fun!!!