Beginner's Tips: The Importance of Confidence

[cchobot]

There's nothing like the self-perpetuating cycle of getting skunked and losing your confidence to set the neophyte angler on a miserable and often-times fishless road. One can begin thinking there isn't a fish within 500miles of the end of their line. Let's call this guy "Angler C" for sake of discussion.

Conversely, the best anglers seem to believe that a quality fish looms at the end of each cast and there's a distinct probability they're going to catch it. This is the angler that seems to catch fish, be it many or just a few, each and every time they go out. We can call him "Bob" for example.

How large of a role do you all feel confidence plays in catching fish? Any tips on how to keep your confidence level high? Any stories to tell regarding the subject? Pitfalls to avoid? Please chime in with your thoughts on this week's beginner's tips thread.

[Seajay]

Many times I have experienced a slow outing only to have the one hit I get be a good fish. Expect that fish to show.

When the going is slow, I try to slow down and concentrate on quality presentation as opposed to endless castings. I will toss a surface plug and just watch how the wind and surface currents are moving the lure about. Rarely does the bait move opposite the currents so ensure your presentation is natural and moving with the water. Change spots, move. It is easy to get married to a spot and insist the fish come to your location.

Keep the trip shorter. It is easy to get stubborn and stay too long. For me not much else ruins the fishing experience worse than casting for 3 or 4 hours without even a hit or only small fish. You can only rationalize so much fresh air and exercise before that confidence killing mantra comes to mind, THIS IS A WASTE OF TIME. If your not enjoying yourself you won’t have much confidence.

[patfly]

Confidence vs. wishful thinking...?

I'd say that after 20 hours of fishing with the same equipment and the same spots..."Bod" and "angler C" will have the same chance at catching fish!

Confidence may increase your attention on your line which increases your chance of setting the hook properly...
It may makes you cast better with better presentation and retrieve...
It may also makes you fish longer...

But I doubt the fish care if you're confident or not!
Fishing is not like golf where the game is mostly in your head!!!

[cchobot]

Originally Posted by patfly

Fishing is not like golf where the game is mostly in your head!!!

Maybe we can coin the phrase "Be the Swim Shad" when talking about jigging the bottom in heavy current

[7milebridge]

I am not going to say fishing is all a head game; however, each sport has a huge element of head game. Fishing's got it just like golf. Your odds increase if you throw at the right spot in a wave, or jig a jig the way it was meant to be jigged, or casting a eel the way it should be casted. Those three things do help when someone's more confident with doing those.

A side note is throwing chunk bait. That is when sitting like a bump on a log till you feel a bite is not considered a brain game.

Golf certainly takes more head game, but I am just stating the obvious I think.

[chom bucket]

hey lets face it you can write down your logs which i do .big into that,but it's the confidenes you have in you or your lures .i have been to spots that you would not think of fishing at all and they have been some of the best fishing this yr would i have confidense in them next yr maybe not .i have fished this area only for hold overs in april early first week just to wet a line .peolpe who fish for the first time or just your weekend fisher really don't see a luers and go hell ya this is going to catch me some fish or spots for that matter .some times i think its beening there at the right time right place .

[Kevin J]

to me, it's all about confidence. Confidence keeps you thinking positive. Once you start to doubt, move to another spot (maybe your mojo spot?) or go home. If not, you'll go from doubting to bored to miserable in a short amount of time. It's important to try to end on a positive note. In that regard it's similar to golf. You can suck all day but hit that one good drive or approach shot and you remember that until you head out again. You selectively don't remember the 95 other shots.

[chom bucket]

well if it was a great shot you will remeber it all the time and that its what brings you out the next day or week confidence that you can repeat

[rijimmy]

I would hate to be starting out fsihing in the "internet age" I grew up in a fishing family and I realized that most of the best fsiherman get skunked often. On the web, you see constant pictures and reports of fish, but you dont have any context to how much time was put into catching them. There are a bunch of guys that regularly catch fish and report on the web that have huge networks of other fishermen so they always have a pulse on teh fish and also some that don't have regular jobs so they can fish whenever they want. More power to them, but you cannot basleine the fishing based on their success. I see a lot of people becom disheartened that they are not catching a lot of fish.

[Pete_G]

Originally Posted by rijimmy

I would hate to be starting out fsihing in the "internet age" I grew up in a fishing family and I realized that most of the best fsiherman get skunked often. On the web, you see constant pictures and reports of fish, but you dont have any context to how much time was put into catching them. There are a bunch of guys that regularly catch fish and report on the web that have huge networks of other fishermen so they always have a pulse on teh fish and also some that don't have regular jobs so they can fish whenever they want. More power to them, but you cannot basleine the fishing based on their success. I see a lot of people becom disheartened that they are not catching a lot of fish.

Amount of time on the water is something we talk about often at the shop.

It's tough to come up with an actual mathematical equation but the more time spent on the water the more your results from it grow exponentially.

I figure for starters your line is in the water more. And even more importantly you're learning and gaining experience at a faster rate. It just all multiplies into results.