by Gary Spencer

Created on: August 14, 2010

Freshwater fishing is a popular and diverse sport. There are those who will spend days waiting for a bite to catch the fish of a lifetime. Others will spend a small fortune on bait and equipment and fish competitively. Most people, however, are hobby anglers and enjoy the sport when they can. Whatever level you are at, there are many ways to improve your game. These are just a few of them.

Research

Read all the information you can find. There are plenty of magazines and publications covering all aspects of angling, find a favourite and read it. Just one publication a month will teach you plenty of new ideas and probably remind you of some old ones. The Internet is another tool with a myriad of information on fishing. You can find out where the fish are, how to catch them and what bait to use. All of this is there, so get clicking. The best way to improve knowledge is by visiting a tackle shop near the venue you intend to fish. Ask what bait they would recommend and buy some. Ask for any advice they can give. Local tackle shop employees talk to local anglers, they know their stuff. If you are planning a fishing trip it is always worth telephoning the local tackle shop in advance. They can advise you on best times and seasons, local rules and licenses. Always utilise your local tackle stores, they are worth their weight in gold.

Walk

Don’t just fish the venue, walk the venue. If the location is near where you live, visit regularly. Walk the banks and talk to other anglers. Most anglers are happy to share their wisdom and, when fishing, all ideas are good. Take a pair of polarized sunglasses and look for signs of fish. Before you start fishing you should always take a good look at the venue. Unless you know the spot inside out, never turn up and start fishing immediately. If you are travelling a long distance to fish a venue, try to arrive early, give yourself time to look around.

Experiment

You have read the book, chatted with the guy at the tackle store and compared notes with the anglers on the bank. You know what to do. What if you still struggle to catch? If nothing is happening, try something else. Most venues allow the use of multiple rods, use one the recommended way and use the other a different way. The more you experiment the more chance you will have of finding the right method. Give each method a chance, changing the set up every five minutes will achieve nothing and if you are already catching keep doing what works. However, trying something when all else fails, cannot hurt.

Feed Around

Always feed multiple swims. Even the smallest spots have at least two areas that can be fed. The more swims you feed, the better the chance of finding the fish. Also when one swim dries up there are always subsequent swims that are fed up and ready to go.

Conclusion

There are infinite amounts of ways to improve your freshwater fishing. These are just a few basic suggestions. They will all help; however, probably the best way to improve is to practice. The more you fish the better you will get.

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