How to Catch More Fish by Changing Your Mental Approach

OK so you're ready to be a fisherman huh? Or maybe you've fished for years but have experienced spotty success at best. Let's see, you got your expensive gizmo's, fancy lures, trendy fishing attire, and top of the line tackle. Check. Now you drive up to your favorite fishing spot, which incidentally is everyone else's as well, and you walk right up, make a few casts, and curse the day because they fish aren't biting. Does this sound like someone you've observed, fished with, or worse, does this sound like you? If it does then please direct them or yourself to this article as I have the cure for the fishing woes.

Sure top of the line fishing tackle and gear are great, but they will not catch you more fish and make you a successful fisherman. They act as more of a hindrance, or a crutch for novice anglers, who were sold on the idea of having to own the latest and greatest. I have been fishing my whole life and have enjoyed years of success wherever I wet a line, but I do not in any way claim to be an expert in any way. Nor do I rely on spending thousands a year on cool gizmo's and fancy tackle. What I have developed over many trials and errors, much research, and many lessons along the way from anglers who are experts, is a particular set of skills that has made my angling more versatile. Having this knowledge has allowed me to dramatically catch more fish and catch fish on a frequent basis on any body of water. And it's not the typical tips and advice from your old timers at the local bait shop. It's much more than that and it will give you a totally different outlook on your fishing.

In order to catch more fish, you have to change your whole mental outlook on fishing. Yes I said your mental outlook. It may sound strange, or foreign, to speak of mental attitude and fishing in the same sentence. However, once you take what I've discovered to heart I will guarantee you will catch more fish.

You must be aware of how a fish thinks, what a fish needs, and what a fish does out of habit. But most importantly, you must become aware of your surroundings in each and every location that you fish. Yes it is very important to have the proper tackle and master some basic techniques, but I'd challenge to say that fishing is much more mental than physical technique.

Regardless of the type of fish you are attempting to catch, I guarantee if you follow these three simple rules you will catch more fish, plain and simple. Each of my three rules will be discussed in length for the remainder of this article.

Rule 1: Your approach to your fishing spot is critical in catching more fish. Always approach your chosen fishing spot silently and try to remain undetected, almost as if you are stalking the fish. Fish are very in tune to their surroundings and the slightest foreign noise may shut the bite off for a few minutes to a few hours.

Rule 2: Natural lure presentation is critical to catching more fish. Fish may not be the smartest animals in the animal kingdom, but they are far from dumb. They are crafty animals that, as mentioned before, are extremely wary of outside disturbances. They are always aware of their surroundings and what is natural to them day to day. Present your lure as one of those day to day natural items, as if you didn't have a line attached, and you will catch more fish.

Rule 3: Movement in fishing is key. You must be willing to walk, or hike, long distances to catch more fish. If you fish streams, lakes, or ponds by foot you must be willing to fish each spot thoroughly but know when it is time to move on. Same principle applies to boat anglers. Shoot out a few casts, work the spot, and then move on. Sucking up your pride and abandoning your favorite 'spot' will do wonders for catching more fish. Just because you caught fish in that location on a previous trek does not mean they are willing to fall your prey or even inhabiting that location any longer.

Rule 1: Approaching a Fishing Spot

The biggest mistake I see beginner or inexperienced fisherman make is they will literally saunter on up to their chosen spot to fish and throw in a line. They show little to no regard to being quiet, to being stealthy, and do not realize that they already doomed that location for catching fish. Nobody has a magic fish wand, at least not yet, to where you can wave it and catch more fish. As I said before, fish are not the brightest animals but they are not dumb so give them a little more credit. The fish do live there 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year, and you do not.

Now granted, some species of fish are a bit spookier to outside disturbances than others, and it also depends on the habitat, water clarity, and depth of the fish. Bass, sunfish, and catfish in a dingy, muddy pond will spook less than trout in a crystal clear mountain stream, but the principles remain the same folks.

You must make an undetected approach, or as best you can. Fish sense outside disturbances through sight and sound. Your shadow along the water, an image of yourself, your rod casting through the air, and so on all will spook fish. There is also a little known phenomenon of image refraction to fish underwater looking out. What I mean by that is a fish may be able to see you much earlier than you will even know its there due to the refraction. It is a convoluted scientific explanation that I will spare you from, I wasn't much on science or math either, but it essentially boils down to fish being able to see images on shore at a lower angle. So, for example, if you walk up to a creek and spot a trout and you are looking at a 45 degree angle when you spot the trout, chances are the trout spotted you probably around a 25 to 30 degree angle before you even detected his presence. Now he will sit there acting as if he doesn't exist in hopes that you will leave. Believe me this is true I have done this inadvertently on many occasions. Quite frustrating, so now you understand the importance of stealth.

Noise is another killer for those who cannot seem to be able to catch more fish. All fish have what's called lateral lines running along the length of their bodies. These lateral lines detect vibrations in their environment. So you kicking rocks on the stream bed, a loud splashing cast, or even your footsteps will alert the fish to a foreign presence and to a fish that might as well mean get the heck out of there, danger is coming. Not good for catching more fish if you spook them all away with them seeing you or detecting you before you even begin fishing. You must act as a hunter would stalk their game. Walk softly, mind your footing, pay attention to potential things ahead of you that could cause disturbances, keep your shadow off the water, and make lower motions in your casting.

Here is a real life story for you so you can truly see a stealthy approach will allow you to catch more fish. A few years back I was fishing a new creek I had discovered while driving my Jeep through the woods. I was rigged for trout and fly-fishing tackle that particular day so I decided to pull off the road and observe the water. Soon I saw trout rising to eat caddis flies off the surface of the creek. I rigged a presentation and slowly made my way down to a spot I identified as a good one. As I was headed down the canyon a fisherman stopped on his way up and said he didn't have a whole lot of luck today and that the fish were turned off by something. Having seen him fish before I knew why, his approach was entirely too noisy and didn't factor in what I discussed earlier. I continued down. Once I got to the bottom I crouched behind a tree probably 45 feet from where the trout were rising, 15 feet from the edge of the creek, and began my casts. Because I was smart about my approach, used appropriate cover to mask my presence from the trout, and stayed well back from the water, I was able to land 4 trout in that spot alone. Needless to say by the end of the day I had landed close to 15 trout on a mile stretch of creek. Much more than the guy who said the creek had nothing to offer. Do you see my point yet?

Rule 2: Lure Presentation

This is just as crucial to catching more fish as your approach. Your lure, bait, or fly must appear as natural as possible as if it was the real thing. Fish will not strike was doesn't appear natural to them. Seems like a simple concept yes, but there is more to it than you may think.

There are so many lures on the fishing market right now that look so much like a real bait fish or food item. It is truly amazing. However, the most realistic looking bait will not catch any more fish than simple, unrealistic looking baits if you do not have the proper presentation.

There are so many different retrieval styles and methods in use today that have proven time and time again to produce fish. The mechanics of line, rod action, lure movement, and so on can get very complicated so I will stick to the basics of lure presentation.

Let's use the example of a mountain trout stream. Trout in a moving water environment always face upstream. Why? Look at how a trout it designed. It is a narrow, streamlined fish which is perfectly suited to face into the oncoming currents of a moving body of water. A trout will sit in a 'dead spot,' discussed later, of water just off the edge of a current so they can lay in wait virtually motionless while the current acts as a conveyor belt buffet for the trout. Insects, injured fish, fish eggs, and so on, all flow or float downstream. This is why a trout faces upstream so it can view the moving buffet and choose what is to its liking. So think about that for a second, what would reasonably make sense when talking about fishing a trout stream? If you said casting upstream you are correct. So making a cast upstream and letting it gently drift downstream with the current to the feeding trout will appear much more natural to him. You will in turn catch more fish. A cast downstream and retrieved upstream is unnatural for the trout because its food items do not fight the current upstream and it will not be able to spot your lure or fly when you are reeling it up from behind him.

As you can see the proper presentation of your lure, bait or fly plays a major role in catching more fish. The simple act of recognizing the body of water you are on and the most likely avenue of approach for a fish's prey will greatly increase your chances of catching more fish.

So now that we have covered the first two golden rules, your approach and your presentation, let's move on to the final rule that will allow you to catch more fish and dramatically change the way you view your fishing.

Rule 3: Finding Your Spots and Moving If Necessary

This is the culminating rule needed to catch more fish. Without being able to identify likely spots for fish to inhabit, and being able to identify when it is time to move on, you're doomed from the start. You can have the most ideal approach and perfect presentation but never catch a fish if you do not know where to look or how to fish a good spot once you identify it.

A rule of thumb I was told a long time ago when I first started out is that animals will tend to congregate where there is a distinct change in the habitat. Keeping this rule in mind this is where I will always begin my search for fish, especially if I am fishing an unfamiliar body of water.

Look for places where fish can have cover from larger predators in addition to having a location for them to ambush smaller prey. This is not meant to be an all inclusive list but the following will give you a high probability of catching more fish if you have a good approach and proper presentation:

Ponds and Lakes:

-Rock piles
-Submerged logs, stumps, and trees
-Underwater grass mats
-Lily pads
-Natural springs
-Flowing water into the pond or lake (i.e. creek, brook, river)
-Coves
-Points

Brooks, Creeks, and Rivers:

-Riffles pouring into small pools (riffle is the moving water, not rapid whitewater though)
-Rocks and boulders in the middle of riffles
-The beginning and tail end of pools
-Dead water on the edge of rapid moving water
-Behind the tail end of trees
-Undercuts of shoreline banks
-Submerged logs, trees, and stumps
-Mouth of feeder streams (i.e. smaller brooks that feed the larger creek or river)

As I stated before this list is not the all inclusive of possible spots to find fish, but I guarantee these are the majority of prime real estate locations to a fish. Assuring you use a silent approach and proper presentation these locations should be areas to catch more fish.

Being more aware of your surroundings while you fish and becoming mentally prepared for your next fishing trip will do wonders for the amount of fish you catch. Utilizing a stealthy approach, the proper and natural presentation, and combining both of those with the likely fish habitat will guarantee you catch more fish. If you properly follow these three easy rules you may even catch fish on a body of water where you once thought there were little to no fish to begin with. Fish are resilient creatures and are found in all types of terrain, waters, and locations. Having now armed yourself with this knowledge you will be better prepared to face the challenges of hunting down these amazing animals.

I hope you enjoyed this article and were able to find the information not only useful and informative, but possibly slightly different from what you once thought it took to catch more fish. Simple changes in your mental approach to fishing will be just the ticket for many long and exciting days on the water.