Quickest Way To Becoming A Better Angler……Avoid Bad Info

Fishing tackle and lures are very much unlike most other products we buy. Unless you buy a print fishing magazine, watch a fishing show on Sunday morning, or follow an online fishing magazine like Saltwater Angler & Sportsman…..thank you very much, you will likely never see an ad for fishing gear or lures. You’re far more likely to see an ad for say, how to get your dog or cat enrolled in college. Or how that $100,000 electric car is just right for you. As you probably know, fishing is totally different. We oftentimes get our fishing advice from places like Facebook, a kid working at the tackle shop, or a guy bragging at the boat ramp. First off, the kid working at the tackle shop stands the greatest chance of giving you the best information.

We also depend on our friends or a guy we spotted at a recent fishing seminar we just attended with the logo of the lure he recommended splattered all down the side of the massive 4-wheel drive sitting outside the venue. Let’s not forget YouTube where this guy or girl in a bikini is telling us all about the great lure or tackle they used for catching a 1500-pound Wahoo of Redfish that’s too big to get in the boat.

We can also set all the fishing records by trial and error by choosing fishing lures based on the premise that you’re sure the fish will fight over it just because of the way it looks. And if it doesn’t catch a fish after a few months, there’s always another pink and red lure with 4 eyes and 6 fins that has to work, just waiting on a swipe of the credit card. After 15 years of that great trial and error tactic, you catch a 5 oz. Pin fish with it. The next thing you know is that there’s a large box sitting on the curb in front of your house that’s filled with your old trial and error expensive lures, some never opened. You’re fed up and now take them there to be picked up by the trash man. To add insult to injury, the trash guy picks up the box, but not before dumping all the worthless lures in your driveway. His cat was having kittens, and he needed to save the box.

Captain Ozzy Osbourne

I like solving problems, so I went to one of Saltwater Angler’s contributing writers, Captain Ozzy Osbourne, to get his take on this ongoing problem. And no, he’s not that old long-haired freaky rock singer from England who bit the head off a bat. He’s an extremely talented young fishing guide based in Topsail Beach, NC. This kid comes to the table with fantastic fishing knowledge, but most of all with a commonsense perspective.

I called him on a recent cold winter’s day and posed the ever so important yet mystical question, “What are the biggest mistakes saltwater fishermen make?” He paused for at least 3 seconds and then said. “They don’t fish enough, and they listen to the wrong people.” Now that sounds like it’s too simple to be worth anything, but it’s not, and here’s why.

When Ozzie went into more detail, I learned what he was trying to say which is this. Don’t listen to sources that stand to have a monetary gain when it comes to making your lure and tackle decisions. Instead, seek out a source you know and can trust that has a high level of fishing experience and success. Outside of telling you their fishing locations, they’ll love to help you. As a matter of fact, they’ll be honored that you ask. Get opinions from multiple people that you trust and go from there. Always follow up and tell them how you did when you used their suggestions. They’ll appreciate it and recommend other suggestions if you weren’t as successful as you had hoped.

Ethan Bilderback, Fishing Guide

The second half of the advice was to go with a guide. Check and make sure they are reputable with lots of experience and willingness to share it. Not one that takes you to a creek, casts the line for you, and hands you the rod and reel hoping a fish bites. There are plenty of good and not-so-good ones out there. You need one that will teach you the art, and there is an art to fishing. Yes, it will cost, but so did that pile of worthless lures dumped in your driveway. A great guide is one of the best investments you can make. Captain Ozzie is an example of that. You spent loads of money in college to read poetry, dissect frogs, and get drunk at football games. A fishing guide costs a whole lot less and what you learn you’ll use for the rest of your life.

There’s no shortcut to great fishing!

Click To Contact Captain Ozzy Osbourne