02-06-2007, 01:29 PM
You and tuben2 have got me by a few years, but i've got near 20 years targeting big game, and I also find myself learning each trip. I may just glance over at a nieghboring boat, read something in a magazine, or someone might just pass on the info. Everyone does it differently, especially when you compare anglers in differet location. The more tactics you learn, the more capable of adapting to hard conditions you become.
There are going to be days that no matter what you do, you're not going to get a bite; unless you've got an explosive. [
] But the more we learn about our target species and the techniques for them, the more we can cancel out days like that.
This is why many anglers specialize in one or two species. If you only target a couple species, and you take detailed fishing logs, you can narrow tactics down for all conditions to a science. The chances of a skipper, that has targeted trout for 25 years, of having a bad fishing trip is nearly nonexistant. Chances are he's studied thier migratory patterns, studies thier spawning habbits, food habbits, prefered habitat for each time of year/water and air temp/water clarity, barametric pressure, and even thier favorite type of candy. You can't be this detailed when you're targeting 100 different species.
There is a fine line between common knowledge and advanced skill. There's an easy way to rate your skill level. If you can go out on a day when everyone else leaves thier boat at the house, and then be successful at landing fish when no one else or very few can; than i'd say you've got skills. [cool] There are 2 or 3 species of fish only that I can accomplish this feat with. Many others the conditions have to be pretty close to spot on for me to be successful. We all have our little tricks, and any good captain has a few tricks that he'll never admit to knowing; for those days when it really gets hard. We've all got those secret GPS numbers of honey holes that always produce; just for a rainy day. Usually those "secret honey holes" aren't very big, and are only honey holes just because of that fact; no one knows they are there.
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There are going to be days that no matter what you do, you're not going to get a bite; unless you've got an explosive. [
] But the more we learn about our target species and the techniques for them, the more we can cancel out days like that. This is why many anglers specialize in one or two species. If you only target a couple species, and you take detailed fishing logs, you can narrow tactics down for all conditions to a science. The chances of a skipper, that has targeted trout for 25 years, of having a bad fishing trip is nearly nonexistant. Chances are he's studied thier migratory patterns, studies thier spawning habbits, food habbits, prefered habitat for each time of year/water and air temp/water clarity, barametric pressure, and even thier favorite type of candy. You can't be this detailed when you're targeting 100 different species.
There is a fine line between common knowledge and advanced skill. There's an easy way to rate your skill level. If you can go out on a day when everyone else leaves thier boat at the house, and then be successful at landing fish when no one else or very few can; than i'd say you've got skills. [cool] There are 2 or 3 species of fish only that I can accomplish this feat with. Many others the conditions have to be pretty close to spot on for me to be successful. We all have our little tricks, and any good captain has a few tricks that he'll never admit to knowing; for those days when it really gets hard. We've all got those secret GPS numbers of honey holes that always produce; just for a rainy day. Usually those "secret honey holes" aren't very big, and are only honey holes just because of that fact; no one knows they are there.
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