What's the secret to your success?

Like what most people have said, spend time on the water. For me it's not about catching fish, it's about the fishing itself and enjoying myself. When I have this attitude I always catch more fish.

Lots of great replies. Study is high on my list. I have watched some YouTube videos and read some books. Lots of great info on this site and others as well. I agree about the steveislost info. The link in my sig is to his write up on the Port O Sac. I think a journal is a good idea. There are so many details. At my age it gets more difficult to learn and remember it all.

For me, fishing is about catching fish. Otherwise I leave the poles home and go kayaking, which I do on occasion. That doesn't mean I don't have fun if I don't catch fish. Anytime I am outdoors, camping, riding quads, backpacking, boating, fishing, kayaking or just driving in the countryside, I always enjoy just being outdoors. I imagine fishing is, or can be, an ongoing learning experience. You can learn something new every time you go if you are open to it. If you know what to study, the learning process can be improved. It can take a long time to figure out if what you are doing is wrong, compared to it just being unfavorable conditions. One area I need to strengthen first is locating fish. When fishing from a kayak you can cover a limited amount of water in a day. Having a good understanding of where to find the fish can be a big help. Then if they aren't biting, you know you should change your presentation rather than your location. I have a little understanding of locating Bass at high tide, but I haven't figured out the deep cover they are in at low tide. I also don't understand how the shallow water nest works in tidal waters. For Stripers I have yet to locate any schools and learn to recognize it if I did. I'm sure I need to learn more on recognizing good structure when I see it on the FF. I understand that a break in a levee is a good fishing spot, but I need to learn more about lure placement to know I am fishing it correctly. For Sturgeon there are deep holes and shallow flats. Is one better than the other for different conditions, or just when the fish happen to be in one or the other.

Having confidence in the location you are fishing seems to be an important secret to success. Then you can spend your time trying different baits, lures and presentations instead of paddling around wondering where the fish are. I look forward to fishing with everyone and enjoying the experience while hopefully soaking up some of the knowledge the guys in this group have. Good luck to everyone in 2014!

The key is talking to people you see catch fish, and researching the location and time of year. Using factors like wind direction and water temperature help a ton with bass and larger trout and predatory fish. I also use the birds at trout lakes with baitfish pods. The birds feed on them and so do the big fish in the lake. If you just analyze what you see around you and the lake, for the time you rig up, launch, and get to where you want to be in the lake you will have seen something that should give you a half decent idea of what would and would not be good spots to go to or to troll. Use your eyes and your gut. A fish finder is beneficial, but those are not bulletproof by any means at the same time. The hardest part for me to master is depth of fishing and finding the perfect depth. who has secrets for that?

. Preparation... Its huge!! Have your rigs dialed before u hit the water!!. Never ceases to amaze how many people i see wasting time on the water rigging... Be as dialed as possible to maximize time on the water..

Know your fish.

Here are 12 things that have worked for me.

1. Master one species at a time
2. Read everything you can find on the web and books
3. Prepare yourself mentally, physically and tacklewise. Study maps/cartography and check the WX the night before your trip. Have a game plan and backup plan. Practice casting in your backyard.
4. Pay attention to details, line, knots, hooks, drag setting, reel maintenance
5. Fish early, long and frequently. This is probably the most important tip. There is no substitute for time on the water.
6. Pay attention to the time of day, moon cycle and environment (weather, water temp, water clarity, cover and structure, bait/bugs, boats). If you see a bunch of boats fishing an area, check it out. When you catch a fish, mark it on your GPS and keep a journal of the lure, presentation, environment and any other factors. At the end of the year, analyze your journal to see if patterns emerge. Eventually you won't need a journal and fishing becomes intuitive.
7. Don't let the skunks get you down, keep a positive attitude and keep getting out there and trying new things. Don't lose your focus because your not catching fish. I had over 12 skunks on the chrome hunt last year and I can't wait for the opener.
8. Learn from other anglers and teach other anglers
9. Be confident in your skills and tackle. It is better to have 2 or 3 lures which you know how to fish well instead of a dozen lures which you have less experience with. We all start out with too much tackle but as your skills improve eventually a couple of lures will get the job done.
10. Enjoy and be in the moment. We fish in some of the most beautiful places and with some of the nicest people in the world.
11. Build good fishing karma. Teach others to fish, gift a brother some fish if he is having a slow day and don't take more fish than you can eat. Be gentle with fish you are going to release. it will all eventually come back to you.
12. Celebrate your success. Catching fish is fun, doesn't matter if it's a bluegill or WSB. JAI BOI!!!!!!!

Here's another "go-to" tactic that I use for all kinds of fishing, both saltwater and fresh. It's helped me salvage MANY fishing trips targeting everything from trout in a mountain stream to halibut in the ocean.

*If you are confident there are fish in the area, but you aren't getting bit, DOWNSIZE your offering (bait or lure). You might think this will just result in catching smaller fish, but often this isn't the case.*

Also, going along with the downsize theme, I you are using a lure that creates a lot of noise and/or vibration, try something a little more "mellow".

The other big factor is confidence. Use baits and lures that you have confidence in; you will be much more alert and ready to set the hook when you KNOW you're gonna get bit any second.


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Another one that I find helps (as others have mentioned):

Pick one or two techniques for each fish species and master them. I fish swimbaits for rockfish/lings/halibut. I fish black Rooster Tails or black/gold Panther Martins for stream trout. If I'm trolling for trout, I've probably got a Kastmaster on the end of my line. Surf perch? You know there's a motor oil/red flake Kalin's grub on the end of my line. Etc, etc, etc.

Now that I have a lot of experience fishing these certain lures for certain fish, I can usually catch them without trying new, unfamiliar tactics.


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Become passionate about your pursuits.  Just going through the motions won't cut it when it comes to consistent fishing success.  Time spent thinking about your plans and desires is useful time.  Preparation of mind, body and gear is essential.  Knowing the weather and water conditions is essential.  Familiarity with locations is huge - geologic, biological and social histories are so valuable and work to link us to areas over time.  Dedication of time to your passion gets to a point of "lifestyle" more than "hobby"...

Not a secret, but a huge factor:  Big Net!     Be prepared with the correct gear.  NEVER go into a trip thinking, "I probably won't get bit by _____ today."  Believe!

I have become guilty of being generally uninterested in trips where I can't have at least a chance of catching a significant fish for the region or species.  That's not all bad...  I can rephrase it:  I make sure that I have opportunities to catch memorable fish and have top notch outdoor adventures in the process.

Last point, and I believe heavily in this one:  put yourself out there.  Expose yourself and your practices to others.  Take the feedback and decide what to do with it - there's infinite possibilities for improving your life on many levels.

...and smile a lot.   

all of the above, and focus on the moment.  paying attention to whats going on around you can make the difference, birds, bait, water conditions....

You guys have it all wrong, the secret to good fishing is using a kastmaster.

My 3 go to tactics:

#1 stop by the local bait shop.  Don't go straight to the guy behind the counter and ask, "Where are the fishing biting?"  Start up a real conversation, something small maybe not even fishing related.  If not a lot of people are at the end of your conversation they will most likely offer you a tip, if they don't, drop a subtle hint like, "I love fishing this (body of water) but I never seem to have any luck..."  Trust me it works!

I went to Tampa recently for business.  Went to a local fishing pier and watched a lot of people catching nothing.  I went into the bait shot at the pier and struck up a conversation.  We weren't chatting about much but eventually we got around to fishing.  I told him I was going to get his cheapest pole and any lure he would recommend.  He cut me a huge deal for a pole (about 50% off) spooled it with 15 lbs test for free and pointed to a silly silver pencil lure and said, "take that just outside the shop on the corner, cast it out as far as you can, let it hit bottom and then burn it in as fast as you can constantly twitching the pole."

I walked out to some stink eye from locals, I was dressed business attire as I had just got out of a training and blasted straight to the pier as fast as I could to catch last hour or two of daylight.  Walked up to the wall and fired it off.  Burned it in for nothing.  A couple of the local guys watching laughed then went back to their fishing.  2nd cast I started burning and the rod loaded up big time.  A nice 19" Spanish Mackarel.  I proceeded to catch fish after fish after fish using the technique the guy said.  Later the week I went to a different pier and used the same technique and caught croaker, more Spanish mackerel, blue fish, and some other weird fish I had never seen.  All because I asked . One of my favorite sturgeon holes has a similar story as that is how I heard about it.

#2- And it's a theme I saw mentioned above but I have a very specific approach, when all else fails I down size to a collapsable spin cast with 6 lbs test to a #12 bait holder. If you fish with me, I ALWAYS bring a tub of jumbo redworms.  It is rare when you can't scratch something up!  I find just by catching a small fish (red ear, small juvi bass, bluegill, hell even mud suckers) I build up mojo and often start catching larger fish using the same technique.  I spent an afternoon in Half Moon Bay a few years ago and we just couldn't get anything going.  Switched over to the redworms in the ocean, lol, and started catching rock fish!  Sometimes you just have to make them bite!

#3 If you aren't catching fish doing whatever you are doing, usually the first thing I try is going shallower.  Most fish are found at the plane boundaries of the environments:  bottom, top, or on the bank shallow.  The "hard edge" is what predatory fish want and use to trap baitfish up against.  Not that you can't catch suspended, but it is always a riskier game with greater chance of skunk IMO and if I am bottom fishing or trolling deep or near top and am not getting bites, I'll start to move in as close as I can to the bank.  Obviously depends on what your targeting but it is a good rule of thumb for most freshwater fisheries.


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For me it's about being in nature, I know I'm going to catch fish. It doesn't matter if I don't. I just want to be on the water. It's very Zen for me, gives me power, gives me serenity, gives me strength.

I love using small night crawlers, have since I was very young. I have caught more fish on worms than on anything else.

Here is a few things that work for me.

- Attention to details... everything fishing.
- Make a plan and stick to it no matter what.
- Come prepared. You can't catch fish if your line isn't in the water.
- Understand your fish finder and Google maps.
- Understand the WX and tides and how it effects the bite.
- Have three types of baits/styles for each fish you're pursuing.
- Never leave good fish to go find better fish.
- Above all believe in yourself and the baits you choose.

Mike

Don't forget to bring bananas