:exp: are you Insane ? only ?

Live eels produce better quantity and quality bass over plugs 99.999% of the time.

Keep hook in water--long time

be confident in yourself and your methods

Doing your homework
 

Proper preparation prevents poor performance by instilling self confidence.

Check the drag, sharpen the hooks, tie on a new leader, choose the right plugs for the conditions, know what conditions you will encounter, etc..

I always do better and have more fun when I am confident.
Selfdoubt and worry have never lead to a good catch or a good time.

If live pogies are available. get them and fish them.

reliable information.the ocean and bays we fish are huge in size. by knowing charter captians, commercial fishermen, divers,surfers, life guards and anybody else who is on the water on a consistant basis,your odds of finding fish are greatly increased.

Surfcasting has been around a long time, follow in the footsteps of better fishermen :boots:

Have fun and enjoy being alive. Don't get frustrated.

I agree with "putting in your time". Another important thing I did learn the hard way as I was starting out is that daybreak is much earlier than sunrise :o, after missing the bite a couple of days in a row :wall:.

Wind is the most underrated of natural conditions!!!!!!

Its the have the drag set right and how you play the fish to bring them in.

Curly

have a good friend thats a "know it all"that talks, and has a boat..aka flaptail....

Something an old-timer told me years ago that changed my perception in the beginning - rocks are game trails for fish - and they haven't changed very much in hundreds of years...;)

Approach (between the ears).....think (decide/prepare), observe (conditions when you get there), think again, then fish. Kind of like measure twice, cut once. Repeat often!

Just have fun and be glad you're not at work

1. CONFIDENCE
2. learn a handful of spots and fish the piss out of them

It's not all about the catching.

1. A boat.
2. A fishing partner whose company you enjoy.

Have fun and enjoy it.

If you can't enjoy it - find something else to do :alien:

That said - time on the water, time to learn, law of averages, opportunities....

If i could have one thing it would be more & better time on the water...

Think like a fish, it's not like they're all that smart.

That may sound obvious, but I find one of my biggest problems is doing things that don't make a lot of sense simply because of habbit or being lazy.

I'm sure Laptew would agree :uhuh:

-spence

Shut up, listen, and do as your told when in the company of better fisherman.

Breathe in, breathe out, everything else is gravy. Patience and Pay attention.

all serious fishing methods aside, when im out there, i always remember how lucky i am to be doing what i am doing and having a great time

being ready..knots/ equipment
 

:Dlearning all the right stuff knots/ line /rod/ reels/plugs and how to work them...the fish will come.....with time....being ready was a big step learning how to fish:D

Time on the water and the ability to adjust, not be a one way player.

Enthusiasm only gets you so far.

I asked this question because I don't think there is really "one thing". I have tried over and over in moments of reflection on how and why certain things have or not happened while involved in my favorite recreational activity.

If I had to list the top three though it would be :

a. Confidence in your ability and what you know.
b. Experience you have have had in many differing fishing situations.
c. The determination to succeed, as in life in general, you won't succeed unless you will yourself to do so.

Thanks for all your input and answers, tight lines and many fish in your season ahead.:btu:

Flap

Any time of day is a good bet to catch......as long as its Dark.

"Stay curious" is a saying that you may have heard on the public television commercial. You need to have the inner desire to think about the situation in front of you and come up with a better solution to reach a higher level of success or knowledge. Curiosity is a natural trait and is beneficial in all professions and many areas of life.

The most talented people I have met in the science and engineering fields all have a natural curiosity that motivates them to look around the next corner to uncover the mystery and figure out a solution.

The best fisherman I have met all have an active mind that motivates them to assess the conditions to increase the probability of success. All kept open minds and could engage in conversation with a natural desire to contribute and learn at every oportunity. Without that natural curiosity you will hit a plateau very quickly and become just another grunt fisherman going through the motions that somebody else showed you. The goods ones are always cutting new trail combining knowledge, experience and desire to figure out a better way to get a fish.

"Curiosity killed the cat" is one we've all heard but it also makes for a better and more successful fisherman who will be catching when noone else is.

Ed