M
aybe you’ve 
caught a few big 
snapper, landed a 
kingfish or two, or 
even won a prize 
at the local fishing 
competition. 
You may also 
have shared the usual brag shots 
on social media, posing beside a 
marlin at the weigh station with 
rod in hand and looking the part.
But here is the real question: 
how do you get better? 
Some anglers are happy to plateau, 
but if you want to improve, it takes 
more than expensive tackle. Here 
are a few tips drawn from more 
than 50 years on the water, along 
with lessons from anglers who 
have consistently outfished me.
Listen More, Talk Less
Listening is an easy skill in theory, 
but hard in practice. In your fishing 
circle, think about who does the 
talking. The introvert often has the 
advantage here; they aren’t busy 
filling the air with their own voice.
In an age where we are 
bombarded by "influencers" and 
tackle wholesalers promising 
instant success, effective listening 
is about filtering the turds from the 
gold. Take a leaf out of a charter 
skipper’s book. Every skipper 
I’ve spoken to says the same 
thing, that women are often the 
best anglers on the boat. Why? 
Because they listen to the advice 
given, whereas the blokes often 
assume they already know it all. 
The skipper spends more time on 
the water than anyone, so ignore 
their advice at your own peril.
Always have a Plan A and a Plan 
B, fish around the tides, remember 
your goals, and methods before 
you leave the driveway. 
A good angler has confidence in 
their knots and uses hooks that 
are fresh and blemish-free.
Feature
46  FISHING IN GODZONE MAGAZINE

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