Many people who head out onto the water are in search of the best way to catch fish, but is this question even possible to answer? Probably not, seeing as how there are hundreds, if not thousands, of variables that go into catching a fish from the species of fish that you are fishing for, the time of year that you are fishing, style of fishing that you are engaging in, and the type of water that you are going to be attempting to catch fish in. So, with all of these (and many more) variables there is obviously no single answer to the question posed in the title if this article.
There are however, certain things that you can do that will help you not only catch more, but also bigger fish and in this article I will outline some of these things. In more than two decades of fishing I have learned that the best way to catch fish will vary from fisherman to fisherman, but there are certain principles that hold true almost no matter what species of fish you are targeting, where they are being targeted, and what type of water they are swimming in. In this article I will discuss some principles, or tips if you will, so that you can begin to catch more and bigger fish.
The first tip to discuss is the size of the fishing gear that you use. Most anglers tend to use rods, reels, and line that is much too heavy and it costs them a ton of opportunities when fishing. Do your best to match your rod, reel, and most importantly your line to the type of fish that you are targeting. Using line that is too heavy is one of the biggest reasons that fish tend not to bite when you are fishing.
The next of the tips that I want to discuss is when you are on the water fishing. There are many factors that go into determining when fish will be "in the mood" for feeding but two of the most important are the weather and the moon. More to the point whether or not the barometric pressure is rising, falling, or stable (due to the weather) in the area that you are fishing and what phase the moon is in at night during the time that you are going to be fishing. I realize that this might sound strange, but the weather and moon have a lot more to do with fish biting than you might have guessed, and paying attention to them and planning your trips accordingly will help you catch more and bigger fish.
Finally, the best way to catch fish is to become as proficient at your craft as you possibly can. This means spending as much time on the water fishing as you possibly can. Whatever your favorite style of fishing is, get out there as often as you can. Nothing will increase your bite, and thus catch rates like practice will. The more proficient you become at your favorite style of fishing the more success you will have, it's as simple as that.
