I don’t know how many times I’ve heard it over the year when one angler describes the success of another angler. The words and phrases like, “lucky”, “golden” or “everything goes their way” and many others, tend to be used in describing that success. While I am the first to admit there are many times luck does play a role in some people’s fishing success, the people that are consistently successful benefit from a little bit more than luck.
Most of the successful anglers I know, first and foremost, are humble and eager to learn. They are people that are always willing to listen to others and pick up any knowledge that they can. They are generally open to hearing new ideas and techniques that they can add to their skill set and never feel like they know everything there is to know.
Along with this willingness to learn, most of these anglers are very methodical and planned out. They don’t wait until they hit the water to figure out how they will fish. Tide stage, wind direction, moon phase, barometer and many other factors have gone into the plan for the day with the understanding that if the initial plan is not working it is ok to move to plan B or even plan C if needed. Making a plan, but not being so stubborn that they are not willing to change or modify that plan is key to success.
The next time you are around that “lucky” angler who always seems to catch the most and the largest, swallow your pride and take a moment to pick his brain. Try and find out what they do that allows them to enjoy success on the water. You may find there is something small that you need to modify in how you are going about it or you may find that you have been going about it totally wrong and you need to take the time to learn more from others. The one thing I find with fishing is, once you think you have it all figured out, it will bring you up short. I think that challenge is what keeps us all coming back for more.
Andy Pickett
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