Control what we can control is part of fishing success!

[MuskieBait]

Don't get me wrong. Patterning is good. If you established a pattern, it could last days, weeks and sometimes even months.


There are certain things that I agree with you, but there are finer points that I see differently.

(09-21-2012 06:12 PM)fishfight Wrote:  My goal in a fishing day is to find a pattern. Fishing with another experience angler and no fish in that area means it is also a pattern to be avoided.

The only constant in life is that change will happen. What is a pattern one day does not mean it will work the next. Not catching fish today does not mean it is a pattern to avoid. It could just be the conditions are slightly different and you have not figure it out yet. Sometimes, there are just no reason...fish are animals...not machines...and as such, they can be unpredictable.

(09-21-2012 06:12 PM)fishfight Wrote:  A Pattern is what we want to establish. If we keep on failing on one spot, with the same technique, than that pattern or area is not good for us. Some anglers are talented and work hard to gain experience, we have to decide sooner or later if we can duplicate that similar pattern, or it is not for us to acquire. If we keep on failing, then it is about time to stop and ponder on what works and what doesn't work. A common mistake of a novice angler, they kept on trying to fish the same conditions, at the same spot, since other anglers landed, they assumed they can do likewise. Unless they know their strength and weaknesses, they will just be committing the same mistakes all over again, for years to come. Knowing our limitation is one step closer to success!

Keep a keen eye and ears and pay attention to detail. If others are catching and you are not, pay attention to what they are doing different. It would be that they are retrieving a lure a quarter of a turn slower. It could be that their jig is 1/8oz lighter. It could be their bait is fresher. Instead of trying to invent sometimes, try to replicate their success first, understand why they are successful, then explore on your own after knowing the basis of success.

(09-21-2012 06:12 PM)fishfight Wrote:  10. Having the right buddy of the same level, to learn together.

Fish with not just the same people, or people with similar level of experience, but different people of different abilities. Fish with people who are familiar with different techniques so you can learn from them. Fish with people who are more advanced so they can shorten your learning curve. But at the same time, fish with people who are less advance than you so you can teach them. When you need to explain why your method works, it takes quite a bit of experience and knowledge of your method to explain clearly to others. In the process, it helps you to clearly understand the workings of your method. Sometimes you get challenging questions that you have to further explain, analyze or justify to the less experienced person, such that it forces you to reevaluate what you know, or things you know. Even less advanced people may have learned new techniques you have never heard of, or fished in other conditions you have never tried, or fished in new spots that you were not aware. Never underestimate anyone, and learn from everyone.

(09-21-2012 06:12 PM)fishfight Wrote:  12. Bring only limited tackle for the day use, especially to lighten our load during a day's hike.

That may be true sometimes. But it depends on what you wish to do. Are you targeting just one specific species of fish for the day? Or are you just out trying to catch fish? Even if you are just after one species, are you certain they will behave the way you expected? I am always prepared for multiple conditions. I bring generic lures based on my confidence on those lures, but I have a trove of confidence lures. If you are hiking to Niagara (which I have done multiple times), I'm sure you would kick yourself if the steelheads are hitting 4" pink worms and you have none in your pack. I'm always ready for any conditions. My pack is usually about 30lbs. When I travel, Michael has seen first hand the amount of ridiculous tackle I had with me. If you are not prepared, you miss opportunities. Sometimes a few extra lures can get you things you have never expected on your day of fishing.

(09-21-2012 06:12 PM)fishfight Wrote:  13. Try to master only few lures, rather than changing lures every time. Line not on the water is the worse way to fish.
14, Learn to tie different knot fast and efficiently.

Confidence is important. It gets complicated here.

Yes, you need to be confident on techniques or lure and establish a few that you know and trust. It is from this confidence that you can experiment to know what works and what doesn't. If you are confident on spinnerbaits and they are not catching you fish, then you need to try out a different location using the same bait that you're confident in. This is the only way to gain knowledge. Or, if you are confident that the location holds fish and they are not biting your bait, instead of second guessing yourself on location selection, experiment on different baits based on previous experience and sound analysis of the situation. If you change everything at once, you don't have a baseline for experimenting. So establish some things that you are confident about, then try new things from there.

Sometimes anglers falls into established patterns and fail to look outside the box. They rely on old experience that tell them if they are under this conditions, at this time of day, using this lure, they will catch this fish. If they are confident with a few lures they should catch fish. This is not always the case. Once you gain a little bit of success, and established somewhat of a pattern, then explore other ways to catch fish. Keep an open mind of what could work. Try other similar locations, similar conditions, similar time of day, similar bait..etc. Notice that I say "similar" and not "same". Only when you experiment would you be able to tune in to subtle differences that makes the 10% of angler catches 90% of the fish.

Learning different knots is great, but rely on just a few. Repetition is the only way to learn to tie a knot properly and fast. Learn to recognized a badly tied knot. If you even remotely doubt the knot, retie it properly. It takes maybe 20 seconds to tie a knot properly, but it only take a couple of seconds for your knot to fail...and usually it is the big fish that will show you that the knot was faulty. Once in a life time chance...20 seconds to tie a knot...you do the math. I have stood at stream side, hands frozen in January, tying the same knot 5 times because I don't trust my knot. Even if my hands are turning purple, I retie until I'm satisfied.

I have just a few knots that I absolutely trust. Uni knot (or uni-to-uni for connecting line), slim beauty/PR hybrid knot, palomar knot, dropper loop knot, Rapala loop knot and perfection loop knot. Each has its time and place, but that's all that I rely on. None of them has seriously failed me yet. I don't need to know a dozen knots that I can't remember how to tie properly. I just need a few knots that I can tie with my eyes closed or in the dark...and tie them quickly when you are on a hot, blitzing bite.