One good season of fishing can make you believe you have it all figured out. Several years ago I put in many more hours on the water than I had in previous years. I learned a few areas very well and had a very good year. I thought to myself, I have finally learned everything I need to know to catch fish every time I leave the landing. That season I caught more than my share of inshore and offshore fish and the remarkable thing about it was that I was catching the fish that I was targeting and not having to fall back on another species to have a good day. Well that season ended (unfortunately) and the following year the same spots did not produce like the year before. The bottom had shifted in a few areas and the fish were just not there. I was humbled very quickly.
Ironically this is one of the things that keeps me coming back for more. The challenge of trying to catch the fish you set out to catch on a consistent basis is a great challenge. I have found one of the best ways to accomplish this task is not only to put in your hours on the water, but also to swallow your pride and ask other anglers. Sure you may expose to others that you are not the fishing guru they may have thought you were, but you can become a much better fisherman when you do ask. One of my good friends and one of the best fishermen I know always ask a ton of questions. When he first moved to South Carolina he had no saltwater experience. He had been fishing since childhood in freshwater lakes and rivers and knew anything and everything you could possibly want to know, but the saltwater environment was foreign to him.
On our first few trips out I thought I was going to pitch him out of the boat. I felt like I had taken a two-year old fishing. He wanted to know why, why and why. What I did not realize at the time was how much he was exposing himself in order to learn. He asked me everything from very basic rigging questions to more complex questions. As we continued to fish together his questions got harder and harder for me to