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Weekend Warrior
Tactics
Got limited time for fishing? Here are some things to help maximize your
odds of success.
Background
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Fishing Reports
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Moon&Sun
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Maps&Stuff
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Put It Together
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On the Water
So the day has finally arrived, and you're finally at the ramp. Here are some
things to think about:
Be Safe
 If
you get to the ramp and things don't seem right, do yourself and your crew a
favor and figure out what's wrong, or go to "Plan B". When
you don't get out a lot, the temptation is ignore those little warning bells in
your subconscious.
We once had a tuna trip scheduled for the peak of the season. We did the
boat prep, put the boat in the water, and headed out. The engine felt a
little off, but we decided to head out anyway. After getting a couple of miles
offshore, we thought the better of it, changed to Plan B, and headed back
inshore for the day. It turns out we had a blown head gasket, which could
have been a big problem offshore.
Don't Have Blinders
on...
Courtesy Sid Wales
Playing the Crowds...
Keep in mind that if you read it on the Internet, it will probably be you
and a few hundred of your closest friends on the same "hotspot"
the next day. In these situations, the boat traffic
may scatter the fish, so try fishing around the outside of the crowd.
Many times the fishing will be better out on the edge.
When Things Aren't Going
Quite the Way You Want...
Once you've developed a gameplan, give it a chance to work. While you need
to be adaptable, remember these truisms: "Never leave fish to find fish",
and "You can't catch a fish if your line's not in the water".
With fast boats and electronics, the tendency is to move too soon, and too
often. If you can see signs of fish, but they're not hitting, keep your
confidence up, and give your plan a fair chance to work before going to Plan B.
And at the End of the
Day...
So, with all this preparation, are you guaranteed to catch fish? No, of
course not. There are too many variables. Errant weather fronts, fishing
pressure, all sorts of things can compromise the best fishing
conditions. But don't let it get you down.
Even though the fishing may not be great on the day you get out on the water,
you should measure your performance compared to other people fishing the
same day, not to the outrageously good reports from last week.
When you can only get out on a limited number of days, the odds are high that
you will not be on the water during that 2 hour
bluefin tuna blitz..That's life.
By the way, being in this situation really underscores the need
to keep on top of your terminal tackle and fishing gear.
You may not get a lot of shots, so make the most of them by tying
good knots and keeping your tackle in tip-top shape.
Remember - keep everything in perspective. Relax and have fun, and above
all, keep learning !
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