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.