Top 10 Fishing Mistakes You're Making Out on the Water

Fishing can be hard. There are days when nothing seems to work. The fish aren’t cooperating and every hooligan from miles around showed up to burn your fishing spot. It’s even harder when we miss out on the one thing we could all do better: look at our mistakes.

Since I worked in outdoor education for many years and have spent the last couple as a guide, I’ve had plenty of people point out my shortcomings. Not least of these were my teachers and fellow instructors who let me know what I was doing wrong.

I might not have noticed them if someone didn’t point them out. So, I thought of a good collection of these in hopes you can be more aware of these common mistakes you might be making on the water regularly. Hopefully, you'll be able to recognize these fishing faux pas more easily the next time you hit the lakes, rivers or oceans.

1. Not thinking like a beginner

Regardless of the years you’ve spent fishing, there’s always something new to learn. Whether it’s a technique, a species, or a new spot, there are moments in an angler’s life when we’re a beginner all over again.

Thinking that you know everything puts you at a distinct disadvantage, cutting you off from new opportunities for growth. Instead, think like a beginner— ask tons of questions, explore all your options, take others' advice and embrace the fresh challenges that await you with an open mind.

Coming at each experience with the beginner’s mindset is also an opportunity to think back to mistakes we’ve made and overcome them. Remember assumptions you’ve made, lessons you’ve learned and forgotten, or the comments another angler made that you didn’t think would come in handy. Continuing to learn from our mistakes and applying those lessons will make your time on the water more enjoyable.

2. Using what worked yesterday

I can’t tell you how many times I had a great day of fishing and called a group of friends to tell them the bite was hot. But the next day the conditions changed and we had to start from scratch.

A guide friend of mine likes to say, “Mother Nature is my business partner.”

---

As anglers, we should always hit the water like it’s a brand new day. Using what worked yesterday could mean using a technique that’s wrong for the present condition. If we insist that it’ll work, we’ll fail to notice the new signs leading us to the right technique. To combat this, I recommend studying up on how to read the water, fish with the tides and understand how wind conditions affect fishing your region.

3. Sticking with what you’re familiar with

Like using what worked yesterday, sticking with what we’re familiar with means we’re not challenging ourselves. While it feels good to cast “old reliable,” we don’t learn anything new from fishing that way.

Use a new rod, a new lure, or fish a new spot. These break-ups with our grooves help us become well-rounded anglers. Here are some bait, lure and rigging suggestions you can test out: saltwater fishing plugs, live & artificial bait and new rigs you need to know.

4. Reading the wrong signs (or signs wrong)

I was once fly fishing a lake in Colorado and watched as trout made big, splashing rises on the surface. I thought the fish were looking up and made cast after cast with surface dry fly patterns. Nothing.

I switched to a floating Rapala on a spinning rod. When I cast, I set the rod down to grab a drink of water.

Wham! My floating Rapala got smoked by a 20-inch lake trout. I found out that the feeding trout were busting on baitfish. In my excitement, I failed to notice that every time a fish would splash, there was a half-second burst of minnows on the surface.

Misinterpreting signs is easy. Especially if we expect certain behavior. I thought from experience that if these fish were rising, they were eating adult insects. I never noticed them busting on young of-the-year trout fry and almost missed my chance.

5. Missing the food chain

Members of the same species key in on different prey depending on their area, the time of year or the changing yearly conditions.

It’s important to know how the food chain works in a new fishing spot before spending too much time committed to a certain bait or lure. The snook on dock one might love a Carolina-rigged pinfish, but on dock two, they prefer a cut bait. The bass in pond A might love crayfish and eat a jig and trailer all day, but in pond B they feed on bluegill and prefer a big swimbait. If we don’t fish the food chain, we won’t catch a fish.

For #4 and #5, we recommend simply taking some time to observe the fish, bait and feeding activity before wetting a line. Know when certain baitfish have their runs and keep track of their movements. If you live in Florida, listen in to our Action Spotter Podcast to keep a finger on the pulse of bait migrations.

If the tactic you decide on isn't working, take some time to explore the water column (see the video above) to find out where the fish are feeding as well as utilize hard-bottom fishing techniques where possible.

6. Trying to catch trophy fish

Any sports fan knows that players swinging for the fences in every game can make for some entertaining viewing. But athletes know that’s a quick way to get hurt and make mistakes.

The same is true for fishing. If we take every trip too seriously and try to catch a trophy fish on every outing, we’ll get in our own way.

If we are using the right techniques at the right time, those trophies will come. Trying to catch one on every trip will only lead to frustration and simple mistakes. Working our way up to it will make the reward that much sweeter.

7. Not reading creel and management reports

Ignoring homework is a big mistake anglers make. There is a broad selection of incredible resources that will make your next trip a wild one. With the rise of social media, forums and hundreds of different YouTube channels, there is more information at our fingertips than ever before.

Creel and management reports from game and fish agencies are a great resource. Some anglers get proficient at predicting cycles and time their trips for certain events.

These agencies make many of their reports and investigations public knowledge. Reading through a 10-page management report isn’t the most entertaining fishing media, but it can pay off handsomely for the diligent angler.

8. Prepping for the worst (or best) case scenario

Let’s face it, we all have stories where we forgot the net, grabbed the wrong rod or prepared for a snook trip only to have the mangrove snapper fishing light up.

While we don’t need to bring the kitchen sink on every trip, not having gear to choose from means we impact our flexibility for other events.

I like to prepare for a little of everything. This way, even if one plan doesn’t pan out, I can switch gears to salvage a trip.

Prepping for ideal situations makes us fail if conditions are less than perfect, while grossly overpacking makes the trip a chore. Finding the perfect balance will keep you and the fish happy.

9. Fishing in groups

There are group anglers and there are solo anglers. While each has its benefits, sometimes fishing in groups gets in the way of our independence. We could be over-relying on other people, letting someone else make decisions or not giving ourselves enough water to fish.

Especially in high-pressure areas or small bite windows, fishing in groups can affect the angling experience. Furthermore, fishing in areas with a lot of people and even alongside people you generally like can be grounds for disagreements and sour conversations.

Solo fishing trips put the captain’s wheel in our hands.

10. Fishing alone

Fishing alone is wonderful. The solitude, independence and waters all to ourselves can make for some incredible stories.

But, when we fish alone we lose out on the moments of insight, expertise and community that fishing in a group provides. We all come to the water with different skills, techniques and instincts. Fishing in groups spreads these abilities out to the whole party.

Taking time to do a bit of both fishing with friends and exploring on your own will, again, strike that perfect balance.

The #1 biggest mistake you didn't know you were making...

Fishing is a great activity to pass on and is often done so through a mentor, friend or family member who took the time to share what they were taught with someone else. The number one mistake I see anglers make on the water is not fishing with more beginners.

My outdoor education professor always told us, “You never know something unless you can teach it.”

Teaching others how to fish requires us to know something so well that we can break it down for a new angler. Looking at it this way reveals new things that we could be changing. It helps us get back to our roots and find our way back to the beginner’s mindset from which every amazing trip came in the first place.