Tips & Tricks: Learning things from the internet.

Post date: Dec 5, 2016 4:54:56 AM

The internet is nothing new. In today's information age; news, information, data is doubling in size at break neck speeds. As a bass angler, learning how to decipher useable information is key to any successful modern angler... the key phrase there is, "learning how".

I recently read a blog on Bassmaster that did a photo slideshow showcasing the inner workings of Steve Kennedy's boat. You can find the story here. Steve Kennedy has always fascinated me with his ability to fish at the highest level without corporate sponsorships. He runs a 2005 Stratos with corresponding Yamaha HDPI, no power poles, runs new and old electronics, fishes with 10-14 year old green Shimano Curados... yet he cashes a check in 3 out of every 4 outings, has amassed over $2.1mil in career earnings and continues to compete with consistency against the youngest up and comers in the sport. He has business model, keep costs down and everything he wins goes to his pocket book. Fishing is truly his profession, not his "brand" and marketing appeal. Steve, in a lot of ways is just like us; fishing for the sake of fishing and not corporate sponsors.

So how does all of that help us with learning things from the internet as an angler? Quite simply, look for the finer details of the story. Let's look at the recent photo blog referenced above. At first glance, you'll notice he has a TON of gear. He fishes brands he knows will put fish in the boat, not just to sell something. What I take from that, don't be afraid to use what works for you, not what someone is saying they bite on. Have confidence in what you throw and when to throw it. We all have tackle that sits on our shelves collecting dust... buy what works and stick with it. How about the picture with all of his rods in the locker? How does he get so many in there? Well, he uses rod sleeves instead of tubes. Some guys like rod tubes/racks, but the reality is you can fit more rods inside a locker with just rod sleeves. The photos also show his shallow anchor system. Most guys can't afford a shallow anchor, let alone two. Steve has a push pole system that doubles as his shallow water anchor. He has improvised with a small bracket in the fore and aft of his boat. A simple solution that could easily be overlooked if you just clicked through something quickly.

That's just one example to find several gems in the details of an article but there are many more like it out there. When watching a fishing video, learn to watch the anglers hands and/or rod movements or how they fight/land a fish at the boat to wear them out vs. forcing them to the boat. Pay attention to boat positioning; it's something that many can take for granted. For example, the best dock fishermen don't just fish down a bank of docks. They systematically approach from the right angle. If you are right handed, approach docks on the port side and vice versa for lefties. Why? Because you can use a natural roll cast vs. a backhanded cast for skipping a bait up under a dock or pontoon. When you read about a pro's success, little things like line size or even what kind of line used can be key. For instances, crankbaits dive deeper on thinner line and when to use braid, fluro, or mono. As you can see, it's often the finer details of a story or video that will make you a better angler, so watch closely.

Another key to learning as much as you can from stuff on the internet is to narrow your focus. An example of this would be to find resources that you trust, enjoy, and then check back there more frequently. I posted an article a couple years back titled "Fishing Websites". It had a number of sites I visited and/or followed via social media. I read the Bassmaster mags, subscribe to YouTube channels, etc... but some of the best content on the web can be centralized in a handful of quality websites. Narrowing your focus, just like eliminating dead water on a lake, will help you be more efficient with your digital learning.

Lastly, learning is all for not unless you get out and put it into practice. Knots are a perfect example... anglers need to know how to tie a handful of knots well. Anyone can tie a palomar with ease but what about a double-uni, San Diego Jam, Loop, etc. If you want to learn how to skip docks better... learn as much as you can, then go out and practice it. Go back learn some more, then fine tune it (size of your bait, colors, cadences, where and when, etc). The principle is simple, the more time you practice, the more efficient and proficient you will be on the water. Good fishermen are good fishermen because they are continual learners who take what they have learned and apply it in their boat and on the water.

Hopefully a few little things in this article have given you a few more tools to help you learn just a little faster.