Practice Makes Progress

 Nothing replaces time on the water. No book, magazine, video or seminar will ever replace doing the work. I once heard a man say "A man with experience is never at the mercy of a man with a theory." The best mechanics I know turn wrenches all day then go home and work on cars on the side or have cars or motorcycles of their own they wrench on. The point is this; because they spend their time doing those things they have become proficient at most all mechanics.

 They are not intimidated by a piece of equipment whether it's a piece of industrial equipment or a lawn mower. Because that machine becomes just another machine regardless of it's size, shape or application. They have built confidence in their skill set. That confidence came through the practice of being a mechanic and the same goes for any occupational field.

 Even though my blog is mainly about fishing there are principles in life that are universal. Practice in any field is necessary for growth and advancement. You have to build not only muscle memory but the mental and emotional capacity to thrive in any given field. When it comes to fishing you've got to develop the mental and mechanical proficiency to make accurate casts, read the water, understand boat positioning, bait selection, etc. Most importantly though, is the belief and confidence in yourself and your abilities to catch fish.

 Being able to catch fish isn't luck, it is a skill like any other and it takes practice to get good at it. Yes I want to catch fish every time I go out but I also go to practice. I practice things like casting, learning new baits or techniques. I also like to fish new bodies of water on occasion not just for the change of scenery but also to learn a little about a new place.

 One thing that I don't do enough of is target multiple species. I will tell you it is definitely a short coming in my game. I have friends that are by far better anglers than I am and they each have a couple things in common. One they target all types of fish from bluegill, bass and catfish to inshore and offshore species like redfish, snapper and tarpon. Two they also fly fish. Having the ability to fish completely different styles for completely different types of fish I believe has made them the best anglers I know.

 Last but definitely not least. Many moons ago I heard or read somewhere that the way to get good at fishing a jigs was to leave everything else at home and take one rod and a few jigs and go fishing. That has been some of the best advice I've ever heard or applied. It forces you to focus on one technique and doesn't give you the backdoor of doing what you're comfortable with. It applies across the board and can be used for any technique. It has given me as much confidence in swimbaits as any other type baits, to the point that a lot of times I use certain swimbaits as search baits and are some of my favorite topwater baits over traditional tackle.

The Price

The Price

  
  Are you going to fritter away the hours? Or are you going to fish each cast with a purpose? Do you stay mentally focused or are you thinking about any and everything but the task at hand?

 It's ok to kill time and hang with family and friends but that's not what I'm talking about. I'm talking about doing this for a reason, a purpose and that purpose may impact more people than just you.What if this "fishing thing" is what saves you from yourself?  What if its the one thing in this life you actually feel like you're good at? Good enough that when you stick a good fish you know its not luck.

 What if? What if???!!!

 You actually get good enough to consistently put fish in the boat? Make something of yourself and make a mark in the industry? There's only one way to get there and that's to put in the time and energy to make it happen. So you wake up at ungodly hours, drive ridiculous miles and trade time with family and friends for time on the water. You spend free time that should probably be used for something else to tinker around with tackle, reading fishing articles and watching videos.

 Those are just some of the things that help make those dreams and wishes come true but nothing really happens until the rubber meets the road.

 To get good at this the single most important thing you can do is fish. You must, absolutely must, practice catching fish. There is nothing that builds more confidence and belief than the act of landing fish. The other thing that makes you good, not catching fish. It's in those moments that you need to think about what happened and if there was anything you could have done to change your outcome. Sometimes there maybe nothing you could have done differently, other times you've probably made a tactical or mechanical error. Figuring those things out and learning from them is what improves you as an angler.

 With that in mind. I have noticed that the single hardest thing for me to do especially when it's slow going is to stay focused. Three or four hours into a day of grinding big baits and the old mind starts to wander. That's the last thing you want because you normally only get a handful of bites as it is and nothing is more frustrating when you blow the one shot at a fish you get that day or even week. That's where a little positive self-talk and a picture in your mind's eye comes in.

 I remind myself out loud that I'm only there for the biggest fish in the place and I only need one bite to possibly make not only my day but maybe my year. Hero or Zero baby keep grinding. Who else is doing what you're right now? F'in' nobody! That's right. Let'em laugh then watch'em cry. Keep Grinding. You can do this. Keep Grinding. Keep Grinding. Keep Grinding.......

Why?

  Do you have a reason in being out there or are you just killing time?

Last Time

 I talked about people having no drive and doing shoddy work in my post https://finstalker.blogspot.com/2018/06/half-measures.html. So now I'd like to cover The beginning of turning that corner and getting better at this game we call fishing.

 What Is Your Why

 When you close your eyes what do you see? Can you see yourself holding the giant check or netting THE FISH? Can you feel your heart pounding in your ears? Can you feel the adrenaline dump causing your hands to shake uncontrollably?
 Something so vivid so real that in your mind's eye you can't tell if it's real or tale.
 Having a dream of a tournament win that can net you thousands of dollars or Angler of the Year that can put a boat in your garage. A double digit bass or 50"+ esox that would be the fish of a lifetime for 90% of the angling community are all things worth getting excited about and dreaming about. Having those dreams and goals is what drives us as anglers.
 So what is it you're shooting for? Do you have a dream trip you'd like to see happen? A new species to remove from your bucket list. What is your why?

Your Bucket List

 I'll tell you I don't have a long list of fish on my personal list in fact I think it's truly modest. I want to catch all nine black bass species. The Esox family and a handful of saltwater fish with tarpon being at the top of that list. At the opposite end of the spectrum is a friend of mine that has almost four hundred separate species to his name and is shooting for five hundred. So whether you're just getting started and wanting to break the three pound mark on bass or a seasoned angler and wanting to go to Africa or South America you need to have something that gets you excited enough to get out the door.

Wheat From The Shaft

 I will tell you with 100% certainty that the people that win tournaments or consistently catch trophy fish have one thing in common. They know why they are out there doing what they do. Now they may not say I dream about or visualize winning a tournament or landing double digit number 50 but they do. They think about it and picture in their mind's eye holding that trophy or netting that fish. It's how it happens that's the first step, know what you want get clear about it. Then put in the work. It is that that separates the winners from the whiners.
So what is your why?