By observing some very good anglers through competitions or by rubbing shoulders with them, I realized one thing, they all have one thing in common. They all try to reduce the "luck" factor of fishing to its minimum. And that's what we'll learn here.
1- Match the hatch or imitate nature
If you watch American fishing videos, you have certainly heard that: "Match the hatch". This anglicism that could be translated here as "imitate nature" implies that you must be inspired by its biotope to choose your lure and its animation.
To do this, there is nothing like a little biology. You will find on the Internet tables showing the species of fish and their reproduction periods. This first thing will give you a clue as to the vulnerability of certain species according to the season.
Let's take the following example: a friend invites you to fish the Gardon River (in the south of France) in May. This river is known to have a nice population of sun perch (calicoba) and this is good news because this fish reproduces at this time of the year. There is therefore a good chance that the carnivores will focus on this species. Choose "high" lure profiles as well as sunfish or bluegill style colors, then target the reed beds and shallow grass beds.
2 - Opposite bank syndrome
Far from being lethal, this syndrome affects, nowadays, a large part of the fishermen. I don't think I need to explain it, the expression is enough.
The problem with this practice is that you no longer pay attention to what is happening at your feet and pass by many fish. In the future, stop 2 - 3 meters before you get to your spot, and make a few casts on the bank before you get closer. You'd be surprised how many fish you can scare away by coming to your spot too fast.
I see the boat fishermen coming from afar, the problem is the same for you, when you stay in the boat for a long time, it happens that fish come to shelter under your boat, so it is very important to keep this in mind.
3 - Face it
Whether it's the wind or the current, you need to have these elements constantly at odds. For the current, it comes from the fact that the fish are constantly facing upstream to see their food being carried by the current more quickly.
For the wind, it comes from the fact that the micro-organisms and fry are not strong enough to fight against this element. An "ecosystem" is then created on the exposed bank and attracts, thus, the carnivores. In practice, this means that a west wind will make you fish the east bank.
4 - Comfort
This may seem off-topic, but I am convinced that wearing the â??wrong clothesâ? can decrease your chances of success. Not in a direct way of course, but feeling uncomfortable can lead to fatigue and fatigue to unfocusedness. And this is where you'll start to get hung up on pitching, missing shots, and getting your nodes stuck¦
So take the time to watch the weather and choose your equipment in condition. In the choice of your clothes, the color of these last ones could be a factor to be taken into account also. Provided you fish in relatively clear water of course.
I assume that fish perceive us from an angle of more or less 30 °, I opt for colors close to what is behind me. A flat environment with little vegetation will push me for example to choose a top of the color of the sky while if I fish the Breton coast, I will tend to choose rather dark shades like black or brown to get closer to the color of granite.
5 - Equipment on hand
We remain in the equipment, but here we will talk about equipment. Keep in mind that to increase your chances of catching fish, you must optimize your fishing time. Do not waste 5 minutes looking for this or that lure or hook. Prioritize your equipment. The most important stuff at hand and the other stuff in the background.
Thus, I keep in my priorities: a pair of pliers, hooks, lead and 3 lures that I prepare according to my biotope. The latter are always the same, a Worm, a Rubberjig and a Topwater. These lures have often allowed me to make fish bite after a failed attack or to make a posted fish react. It is typically this kind of moment when you have to be reactive and organized, a missed fish rarely leaves more than 2 chances.
So, that's what can help you make the difference between an average session and a great session. Remember, the key to fishing is to reduce the "luck" factor to a minimum.
