The process of becoming a better angler is a long and sometimes frustrating road. So many variables constitute a good or bad day on the water. Where are the fish? I was fishing this exact same spot yesterday and now nothing, what gives? Well folks there is no easy answer are there.

There is no substitute for time on the water. Experience and observation become second nature when you spend the time to get to know each body of water you fish. I have been in "training" for three years now to step into the tournament circuit and I have found out a few helpful lessons that will get you there faster.

LESSON ONE

For years I fished with only one person and one person alone. We were both basically at the same skill level and the learning process was very slow. Three years ago my partner no longer had the same amount of time or desire to progress as a fisherman. Slowly I started fishing with other anglers and I really paid attention to what they were doing right and making note of the mistakes. The more people I fished with the more I learned and progressed as a fisherman. It did not matter what skill level the person was at; I still managed to learn something. Then I had the great opportunity to fish with individuals from the tournament circuit. I soon became a sponge and my skill levels sky rocketed. So, lesson one would be….. FISH WITH AS MANY DIFFERENT PEOPLE AS POSSIBLE.

LESSON TWO

Soon I became obsessed with fishing and I could not learn fast enough, so I needed another source to tap into. I started a journal and a video library. I bought fishing magazines, I searched the internet for any article I could find on fishing and I started taping fishing shows every Saturday. Every fishing trip I started logging all the information such as weather conditions, depth, water temperature, water clarity and lures that caught the fish that day. I even started a binder summarizing the lessons I learned and list of things to experiment with from all the information I had researched. So, lesson two would be ….. LOG AS MUCH INFORMATION AS POSSIBLE.

LESSON THREE

When I first started seriously fishing I had to get new equipment. I looked at the prices of Curado's and St. Croix rods and thought to myself, how am I going to afford this stuff. I need at least four to six combos to start and that will cost me $1800 to $2700. So I cut some corners and bought some Cosairs reels and Convergence rods and only spent $800 to $1200. What a good deal! Not. Don't get me wrong, these are decent enough combos but limited in application. I should have just bought one or two good combos for the same price. Now I have more Cosairs and Sedonas then I know what to do with. I wasted my money. So, lesson three would be …… BUY GOOD EQUIPMENT.

LESSON FOUR

I used to fear tackling a new body of water. I would blindly venture to a new lake, launch my boat and hope for the best. Now, anytime I hit a new lake, I do my homework. The first must is to get some kind of map. Study the map, make photocopies and create a game plan. Circle the areas that look promising. I always start off by looking for areas where the fish have access to deep water, that is usually a better starting point then to aimlessly fish the shore line. Then I would look for points, humps, flats, anything that looks different. I then mark the areas that I have caught fish on my photocopy for reference the next time I visit. Next I would ask anybody who has fished the lake before what their thoughts were on that lake. (Though some people can be pretty tight lipped) If there is a tackle store in the area, pick their brain, these people usually love to talk. So, lesson four would be … DO SOME RESEARCH BEFORE FISHING A NEW BODY OF WATER.

These four lessons will help you grow faster as you become more serious about becoming an angler who wants to put fish in the boat on a regular basis. If you apply these rules and spend time on the water, you will be on your way to becoming the next Izumi.

MacFish

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