Novus to veteran anglers are always looking for ways to work on and perfect their craft. But when you are trying to make up ground in the fast paced world of fishing you can look over the basics pretty quickly. How do you get better at fishing? How do you keep up with all the trends? Below are 5 tips that can help you stay ahead of the game and lead you towards becoming a better angler.

#1 Study

The topic of studying will always be number 1 on the list of becoming a better angler. With the internet studying has become better than it has ever been with a plethora of website articles, lake maps, satellite images and videos. There is enough information for fishing online to last a lifetime but it takes the time and sit down and sift through it. It may even feel a little overwhelming because there is so much information out there.

My advice here is start with Wired 2 Fish; they have information from top pro’s across the board and have even started doing some kayak fishing videos. W2F has seasonal categories such as Fall Fishing Tips that cater to the specific time of year. There will always be power in knowledge.

#2 Sign Up For Monthly Tackle Subscriptions

As anglers we often get hooked on specific lures and they become safety nets. These safety nets keep you from buying outside of your comfort zone when you go into the tackle shop. You walk in, get what you need and walk out. What happens when the fish become wise to a specific presentation? After all have you seen how many kayak anglers are all throwing a NED rig?

By singing up for a monthly tackle subscription you are putting new lures, colors and techniques in your hands every month. This pushes you as an angler into learning those lures you walk past at the tackle shops. It’s a great format for new anglers as well as seasoned anglers to help build an amazing tackle selection and most of all its fun to receive new tackle in the mail monthly.

#3 Fish With Someone That Has A Higher Skill Set

One of the best ways to learn is visually and for fishing that means seeing it 1^st hand. One of the best things that I have done personally is fishing with people that are better than me. It teaches you so many things that you just can’t learn from your PC or Smart phone. There is so much being offered in those moments, things like hand placement, casting, how to approach structure, breaking down what they see on a depth finder and most importantly learning to read the water itself.

It’s easy to read it on screen but it’s another to physically see how someone else breaks down the process. You will find some things that you really like, some you don’t and have your own ways to improve upon what you have seen. Obviously calling a buddy to go fishing is one way to do it but look at other options like team tournaments or the FLW BLF and Costa series. You will learn a lot and get your skills tested at the same time. Most of all don’t be afraid to ask questions.

#4 Fish New Water Often

Everyone has a lake they tend to favor more than others but fishing the same body of water too much can be a bad thing.  For example you show up to your favorite lake, you go to the same stump, make the same cast and with the same lure. What did you learn? How did you push yourself? How did you become a better angler?

When you fish new water you open yourself up to the idea of having to find fish and trying different presentations. When you do those things it allows you to grow and expand your knowledge. The fish on Lake A might not be on the same pattern as Lake B. Lake A may be a deeper clearer body of water while Lake B is shallower and has stained water. There are so many different variables out there and each body of water is its own private eco system. Getting to know them on an individual basis will only help you in the long run.

#5 Fish As Much As Possible

The best way to get to the stay on the fish and get to the front of the pack is to fish as much as you possibly can. It goes back to the old saying that practice makes perfect and it really does. The more you are out there the sharper your skills will stay and the more you will be in tune with fish movement. Knowing those travel corridors during big transition times is something that you have to stick with. Catching them between patterns can be tough but if you are willing to put in the work you can pretty well follow them from one location to the next.

When you talk about sharpening the skill it can be several things that make the difference. In kayak fishing it can be as simple as keeping your paddling / pedaling endurance up all the way to skipping docks. The more you do these things the better you become at them and the better you are the less frustrated you will be when it counts most. You just can’t replace having actual time on the water.

This list could easily go from 5 to 10 different items but this is what I view as my core, these are the things I am going to use at all times to help me become as efficient as I can. Take these tips make them your own and elaborate on how you use them. The sport of fishing will never stop growing and that means you the angler should never stop learning.

Keep It Fishy-

Chad Brock