Getting better as an angler

Getting better and catching more fish is a topic I enjoy discussing with others. It's always interesting to hear their experiences and learn their approach. Here are some things I've found over the years for developing and refining angling expertise. Define your goals Start by identifying the skills you need to improve. Select a few of the most important ones to focus on first to built experience where it's needed the most. Stick with just a couple things to start. Otherwise, you risk spreading yourself too thin and delaying progress. Keep it fun When writing down your fishing goals for the upcoming season, spend a few days thinking about what defines a successful day on the water to you, along with ways to increase these enriching moments. Getting better at fishing shouldn't feel like optimizing a retirement savings portfolio. It can't all be business. Commit to a fish Another productive strategy is to choose one species to target for an entire season. This is an approach fishing guide Greg Amiel often recommends to beginners. “If you’re new to fishing, it’s easy to get caught up chasing hot bites, but jumping from pike to walleye to smallmouth can limit your learning about each species. On the other hand, picking mainly one species to fish over a season provides great learning about their preferred habitat and diet, as well as what fishing techniques work best to catch them. It requires discipline, but those who follow this approach become good anglers at the end of the season, and even better multi-species anglers within five years." Learning new fishing techniques Long ago, a high school buddy shared some solid advice when I asked how he got so good at flipping. To improve, he left all his other rods at home and only took flipping sticks in the boat, creating a flipping-or-bust scenario. I still use this approach to fast-track learning and resharpen skills, and my son is also doing this to get better with a baitcaster. Keep an open mind Stay curious as an angler. Experiment with new lures and techniques, and go explore different parts of a lake. The results might surprise you. I’ve been out-fished and humbled in the past by assuming the hype surrounding a new lure was largely marketing-driven rather than based on its true fish-catching potential. I’d like to think I’ve learned from these mistakes, and now strive to