4)     Learn to read the water. Depth finders and fish locators are nice, but the information you can observe with your own eyes is often more important.  Tell me what place is better to fish.  Location number one is a weedy section of water 8-10 feet deep. As you slowly move you boat through the area you notice several fish indicated on your fish locator.  Location number two is a similar area; you only see an occasional fish on the locator. You do however notice a great deal of surface action.  You see fish, not just bass, actively feeding on insects and breaking the surface of the water.  Your answer to this question needs to be location number two.  Even if there are more fish in the other location the surface activity alone is enough to tell you which place to fish. A small group of active fish is better than a large group of fish suspended and not feeding actively.

5)     Keep your equipment in working order.  This includes making sure your reels are oiled and all of the guides on your rod are in top shape.  It also means checking your line condition for any damage.  Inspect each of your lures to make sure they are tuned.  Over time spinnerbaits, crankbaits and many other lures can become untuned and not move through the water correctly.  Most important of all check all of your hooks. This is in fact perhaps the number one tip I can give you.  You must fish with sharp hooks if you want to optimize your hook set percentage.  I recommend sharpening all of the hooks you may use the night before you go out on the water.

These five tips will make anyone a better fisherman. There is a fine line between the fishermen who catch most of the fish and those who have occasional success. These tips will help you become the former and not the latter.

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