What’s luck got to do with it? BRISBANE
Sean Thompson
Well, it’s the holiday season. A time during which so many people go fishing as part of their once or twice a year fishing ritual. While it might be a little bit of fun with the kids or some mates winding down, unfortunately so many of these holiday anglers can’t understand why
the fish. They might laugh begrudgingly and consider this is pure luck. But is it? IS FISHING SUCCESS REALLY LUCK? I don’t subscribe to there being ‘luck’ in fishing. Never have. To me, there is always a reason for fishing success, at least consistent success over a fishing session, trip or season. There is always a reason or reasons why some anglers catch more fish consistently or on any particular day.
right row in Mastermind). Eventually you will line up all you’ve learnt and bingo, you’ve cracked the code of the fish you are targeting! Achieving this sort of success takes time though. The better anglers will invest time by keeping a fishing dairy or at least GPS timestamped locations of success. These anglers will begin to work out the right tide, time, moon, wind strength, water colour and more for success. Then of
do to change your results. We will go through a few hypothetical case studies in several areas of focus (such as tackle, location and having an awareness of your surroundings) to highlight the reasons why some anglers have more success. CASE STUDY 1: TACKLE SUCCESS AND FAILURE Choosing the right tackle for your target species can be very important. With some wily target species and techniques, this is even more so than others. First, let’s take the scenario where ‘Old Mate’ is heading out for his once-a-year fish down the beach over the holidays. Of course, when it’s time to pack he simply throws his cheap 9’ multi-purpose beach rod and reel in the car. He has pulled it out from its usual spot leaning up against the brick wall of the garage and he is happy it is still rigged up from last summer. Along with his rod and reel he throws in his assorted tackle box of odds
Avoid rust by washing hooks and swivels used in saltwater before returning them to your box. and ends which he hasn’t opened since last summer. This is where old mates perceived ‘luck’ or success starts to go astray. A closer inspection of his rod and reel would have revealed
that the line on his thick trace or rig is frayed from the last time he used it, his spool is only a third filled with heavy thick line (which he hasn’t replaced in 6-7 years) and the drag
Leave the servo freezer-burnt bait alone and catch your own live bait for more success. they are not getting the same results as their mates who go fishing much more regularly. But these holiday anglers aren’t on their own. Even some regular anglers subscribe to the myth that fishing success is like a wheel of fortune, a matter of luck rather than good management. For instance, a group of mates fishing side-by-side in a tailor picket line, off a charter boat, or off a busy jetty, might have one guy who is catching the majority of
Then of course there are reasons why you haven’t had success. These are the days I find most frustrating but also the ones I can learn the most from. Basically, it is a like the old Mastermind board game. During your session, you might try various baits, lures and tackle to try and land fish in a particular location. Some of these work and others don’t. The trick is to put it all together as you learn from your success and failure (like putting the right colour peg in the
course these anglers will know that when something isn’t working, what they should try instead. Consistent success can take time from trial and error, but can be expediated by more research. That is research from reliable sources such as this magazine or respected fishing social media or websites, or indeed your local tackle shop. But now let’s talk about some of the key areas where good anglers stand out from the pack and what you can
Bigger fish, like barramundi, will soon test out any weakness on old line or rigs.
Pre-made rigs mean more fish caught, as you’ll have your line in the water longer. 8
JANUARY 2023
on his reel is sticky and set way too tight. Likewise, a look at his cheap rod guides would have revealed his top guide has some nicks and cuts from resting the rod up at an angle on the brick wall. An inspection of his tackle box would have revealed a rusted mess. Those lures and hooks that he used last summer and put straight back into his tackle box without washing with freshwater first, have spread rust throughout his tackle box. In the meantime, his keen regular fishing mate ‘Jim’, who is joining him and his family on holiday, has taken a very different approach to his pending
