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?

Half Measures

 I see it at work everyday. We see it in the places we shop and the restaurants we patronize. People doing sorry work and not taking any pride or responsibility for the garbage they put out.

 We had a department manager that was a total jack-wagon by every measure of people skills you can think of. He was rude and disrespectful; he birddogged his people and even got put on the street for thirty days for being his bright and cheery self.

 I would get mixed reports about the guy. Polar opposite reports (imagine that). Now me being me I decided to ignore all the stuff I was hearing and do a little thinking for myself. I also started keeping an eye on the guys he was in charge of. I learned some things.

1. Yes the the was a jerk and probably went too far on occasion.
2. There was no way he could be wrong all the time (I figured that going into it).
3. He probably had a reason to be harsh at times.
4. I also found out the guy cared about his people and wanted the best out of them, he just didn't
    have the people skills to get a losing team to pull themselves out of a self imposed hell.
5. The most important thing I learned is the man just wanted his people to show up on time and do     their jobs correctly and efficiently. That's it.

 So what's this got to do with fishing? Let me tell you what it has to do with fishing. If you take it seriously then you need to treat it like a job like you actually care about it. Not that it isn't a fun activity or that you need to be uptight and rigid, that's not what I'm saying.

 What I'm saying is this. If you're going to spend your most precious resource (your time) on it you may as well be serious about catching fish. Learn from your failures and fine tune your  successes. There are going to be days that you get to take sunset pictures and days you're shooting fish porn faster than you can say Ron Jeremy.

 Now I mentioned work because I see the same behavior on the water. Folks want to go out drink beer  and listen to music instead of focusing on a game plan and working that plan. No they'd rather get drunk and sun burnt then make excuses as to why they don't get their desired results or at least the ones they say they want. Or call it luck when the guy at work lands bigger fish than him rather than asking for tips (mentorship).

If you want to get past where you're at you need to do a few things.

1. You need to know why you're out there.
2. You need to fish with a focus and purpose.
3. You MUST put the time in.
4. Find a role model and do what they do.

Over my next four posts I'm going to handle each of these topics individually. Until next time.

Tight Lines
H

Pimp My Vest

 I'm going to be blunt and honest and some might think I'm being rude but that's not my intent. 

 I don't like to wear a vest. They're hot, uncomfortable, cumbersome and mainly in the way. Yet I still wear one. Admittedly not 100% of the time but a solid 90%. There are times when I've just got to get out of it to cool off.

 I'm not here to try to guilt you into wearing your PFD (life vest). In fact if you drown or one of your kids drown it's not my problem. You're an adult and should be allowed to make your own decisions. By that same token you get to live with the decisions you make.

 Now we've all heard that that if you point out a problem but don't bring a solution to the table all you're doing is complaining. So here is my solution.

    PIMP IT OUT!

     Make your PFD something you like to wear. I call mine my BAT VEST.

 I carry what I think are cool items but definitely useful and used tools in my bass fighting adventures. Looking at the picture above you can see my safety whistle, line snips, boot knife (WAY COOL by the way) hemostats and a couple lights. Make it stuff you like but will use. Plus being on your body like that it is very handy and I've noticed that I feel naked without it if I'm on a boat and not wearing it.

 This idea might work really well for kids, especially if you give them their own little flashlight and whistle. Then they'll probably want to wear it. Don't come looking for me if they really enjoy the whistle. This is just a suggestion.

 If you have a PFD now try rigging it with a couple tools you use on the water anyway and see if this idea works for you. If you don't have one or the one you have isn't comfortable go to your local kayak/canoe dealer and have them help fit you in one that will fill your needs.

 Until next time.
 Tight Lines.

Bigger Bait Bigger Fish

Check This Out

                               
                                           Don Moorman With Double Digit Bass #62

 I have a friend who has 63 double digit largemouth (six of which are teeners) to his credit. 63! That's insane; most folks would be happy with one or two in their lifetime but 63. Just an insanely awesome accomplishment. Now this isn't about just pumping up Don and what he has accomplished (although the accolades are deserved) this is about you and I doing some things differently to have better results on the water.

 For this discussion better results isn't about more fish in the boat but better quality fish i.e. bigger fish. Now let me say this before I say anything else catching big fish isn't an accident and it doesn't happen by chance or luck. Guys like Don do specific things that others don't or won't do.

 First they fish where big fish live. Now that doesn't mean you have to pack your bags and move to Texas, Florida or California but it does mean you need to fish the waters in your area that are either known to hold bigger fish or you suspect hold bigger fish. It's all relative. It also means having realistic goals and expectations when you set out. Even in California it doesn't rain ten pounders.

 Second they put time on the water. You can not catch fish and gain an intimate knowledge of your fishery watching tv. You MUST put the time in there is no way around it.

 Third they throw proven big fish baits now that's not saying don't throw traditional baits if that's what's working but when specifically targeting big fish larger profiled baits rule. Some folks that know me think that when I say big baits I'm talking about swimbaits but that's not completely true, I refer to all above average baits as big baits. Swimbaits just happen to be something I enjoy fishing with. Swimbaits are a tool just like jigs or soft plastics.

 Forth and quite possibly the most important is you have to be willing to fail and fail a lot especially if you plan on throwing swimbaits exclusively (which I don't do or necessarily recommend). Your willingness to fail repeatedly will separate you from the crowd. I'm not talking about blind ambition and not learning as you go along. I'm talking about learning from your failures while on this path. The most important lesson is perseverance.

  Both fish in the pictures above were caught on larger profiled baits. The fish in the top photo was caught on a 7' swimbait while the one in the lower picture was caught on a 7'' stick bait (Big Senko) two completely different style baits but similar results. (Side note: they were caught in completely different parts of the country too). Another thing these fish have in common is I put in several hours each of the respective days before landing either fish and they were both the last fish of the day and not because I quit fishing after catching them.

 Swinging for the fences isn't for everyone and to do it even kind of right is going to take a financial commitment too. For most of it you can get by with standard rods and reels but once you cross over to the Dark Side and start chunking Big Baits (I mean 4oz + baits) you're going to need some heavier job specific gear. There is too much info to cover on that subject to get into here just be prepared to drop a little cash on rods and reels if you choose to go down this path.

 As for baits everybody has their confidence baits so I'm not going to get into specifics just too much to cover but I will touch on a few general types.
1. Jigs
2. Big Worms
3. Big Stick Baits (jumbo Senkos)
4. Swimbaits
5. Big Crankbaits

 Fish the right waters. Fish!. Fish the proper baits and above all be willing to go home smelling like skunk.

Tight Lines

Dress For Success

Dressing For The Conditions

 Can make all the difference in having a great day on the water or a not so great day. Being prepared for at least some of what Mother Nature will throw at you will not only help you have an enjoyable day but it may well save your life.

 I'm not just talking about wearing your PFD what I'm talking about is the best quality clothing you can afford for the conditions of the day and time of year.

 We're coming into summer and there are a lot folks out there that take sun exposure with a grain of salt but I'm here to tell you for first hand experience you do not want to be a heat related casualty. I've had two severe sunburn in my and suffered from heat exhaustion a couple times too. I'm not sure which was worse not being able to sleep or the nausea, vomiting and diarrhea. Not to be graphic but just to explain just a little of what can happen with too much sun and heat.

 So this summer try to stay covered up while on the water with at least a hat, sunglasses neck gaiter, long sleeved shirt and pants. You can work on your tan at the beach or pool. Don't let overexposure ruin your weekend.

 Lastly drink plenty of water. I try to down a gallon a day and it makes a difference. I can't comment on limiting caffeine intake since I'm drinking coffee while I write this. Sports drinks are good in small doses but don't over do it. Water is your friend.

Tight Lines