Anglers try to answer the question, “Why?” The closer we get to understanding why a fish chooses a certain spot or a certain bait, the more likely we are to duplicate success.
I’ve often realized, after the fact, there was a reason for fish catches that seemed random at the time. I just didn’t fully understand at that moment. Even with lost fish that seemed random at the time, I later discovered there were things I could have done in rigging or technique that could’ve prevented the loss of the catch. So in short, constantly trying to answer the question “Why?” makes a better angler.
kAm%96 7:CDE E:>6 x D2H 2 492EE6C32:E H2D 2C@F?5 a__d] p G6CJ 8@@5 2?8=6C x H2D 7:D9:?8 H:E9 @? {2<6 tF72F=2 E@@< 2 C@5 @FE @7 9:D 3@I 2?5 92?565 :E E@ >6] xE 925 2 H6:C5 32:E E92E =@@<65 =:<6 2 DH:> ;:8 >:?FD E96 H665 8F2C5] |@DE ?@E23=J H:E9 2 DBF2C6\=@@<:?8 3=256 2E E96 7C@?E] |J 7:CDE :>AC6DD:@? H2D E92E :E H2D @55] w6 E@=5 >6 E@ E9C@H :E 2 4@FA=6 @7 E:>6D 2?5 D66 H92E x E9@F89E] (96? x DE2CE65 E96 C6EC:6G6[ E96 32:E 925 2 G:@=6?E G:3C2E:@? E@ :E – D:>:=2C E@ 2 4C2?<32:E[ 3FE >F49 >@C6 AC@?@F?465] xE H2D D92<:?8 E96 H9@=6 C@5]k^Am
kAmx AFE E96 C@5 5@H? 2?5 E9@F89E E@ >JD6=7[ “%92E’D :?E6C6DE:?8[ 3FE x 5@?’E E9:?< E92E’D 8@:?8 E@ H@C<]”k^Am
kAm%92E 2>@F?E @7 G:3C2E:@? H2D 4@>A=6E6=J F??2EFC2=] x E9@F89E :E H@F=5 D42C6 2 7:D9 @77 367@C6 :E EC:886C65 2 3:E6]k^Am
kAmq@J[ H2D x HC@?8P p?5 3J ?@E 8:G:?8 E92E 32:E 2 C62= D9@E E@ AC@G6 :ED6=7[ x >:DD65 @FE @? E96 3C62<@FE J62C @7 E96 492EE6C32:E] x? 724E[ :E H2D ?62C=J EH@ J62CD =2E6C 367@C6 :E C62==J E@@< @77[ 2?5 6G6CJ@?6 H2D @? E@ :E] k^Am
kAm$6G6C2= >2;@C E@FC?2>6?E H:?D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ E92E J62C W3J @E96C 2?8=6CDX 4@?G:?465 >6 E96 32:E x E9@F89E E@@ @3?@I:@FD E@ 6G6C 42E49 2 32DD H2D 24EF2==J 2 7:D9\42E49:?8 >249:?6] $@[ x 3682? E9C@H:?8 :E 2?5 42E49:?8 D@>6 8@@5 BF2=:EJ 7:D9] k^Am
kAmp== E96 H9:=6[ x DE:== 925 8C62E DF446DD @? 2 DA:??6C32:E[ 6DA64:2==J 96C6 2E {2<6 |2CE:?] pD 2 J@F?8 E66? @? {2<6 |2CE:?[ x 925 2=H2JD 42F89E ?:46 =2C86>@FE9 2?5 DA@EE65 32DD @? 2 DA:??6C32:E] %96 3=256D @7 2 DA:??6C32:E 4C62E6 2 =@E @7 7=2D9 D:>:=2C E@ 2 D925 2D :E C@==D :ED 3@5J F?56CH2E6C[ C67=64E:?8 DF?=:89E] (:==@H\=627 3=256D 2C6 D92A65 2=>@DE 6I24E=J =:<6 2 D925 3@5J[ 2=D@ AC@G:5:?8 2 >@C6 ?2EFC2= 2AA62C2?46] k^Am
kAm$A:??6C32:E 3=256D 92G6 G2CJ:?8 568C66D @7 G:3C2E:@? 2?5 H2E6C 5:DA=246>6?E E92E 42? EC:886C 32DD E@ 3:E6 :? DE2:?65 H2E6C] %96 7=2D9 @7 E96 3=256D 2AA62=D E@ E96 D:89E\7665:?8 ?2EFC6 @7 32DD] p?5 E96 G:3C2E:@? 2AA62=D E@ E96 32DD’ 23:=:EJ E@ 766= F?56CH2E6C] (96? 4@>3:?65 H:E9 2 D925\4@=@C65 D<:CE 2?5 D@>6E:>6D 2 EC2:=6C[ E96 7:?:D965 DA:??6C32:E :D =:<6 2 D49@@= @7 32:E7:D9 :? 2 D>2== A24<286 E92E 42? 36 C6EC:6G65 E9C@F89 4@G6C =:<6 EC66D 2?5 C@4<D] k^Am
kAm~G6C E96 J62CD D:?46 >J :?EC@5F4E:@? E@ E96 492EE6C32:E[ x’G6 DH:E4965 36EH66? E96> 2?5 DA:??6C32:ED 2E G2C:@FD 7:D96C:6D 2C@F?5 E96 4@F?ECJ] p=E9@F89 x’G6 D66? DF446DD H:E9 2 492EE6C32:E 96C6[ :E DE:== D66>65 E92E 2 8@@5 DA:??6C32:E H2D >@C6 AC@5F4E:G6] %92E’D 366? 6DA64:2==J ECF6 H96? E96 H2E6C H2D 72:C=J 4=62C] pD H6 <?@H[ {2<6 |2CE:? 92D D@>6 @7 E96 4=62C6DE H2E6C :? E96 DE2E6 @7 p=232>2] p?5 {2<6 y@C52? W2?@E96C =@42= =2<6 x @7E6? 7:D9X 92D D@>6 @7 E96 4=62C6DE H2E6C @? E96 r@@D2 #:G6C C6D6CG@:CD] %96D6 EH@ =2<6D 2C6 E96 @?6D x 7:D9 >@DE @7E6? E@ 9@?6 D<:==D 2D 2 AC@76DD:@?2= 2?8=6C] &?7@CEF?2E6=J[ x’G6 4@?4=F565 E96J 2C6?’E E96 36DE 7:D96C:6D E@ 3F:=5 4@?7:56?46 :? 2 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8]k^Am
kAmqFE H9Jnk^Am
kAmxE D66>D E92E E96 492EE6C32:E 6I46=D H96? G:D:3:=:EJ :D =@H 7@C E96 7:D9] |@DE @7E6?[ E92E’D H96C6 E96 H2E6C :D DE2:?65 E@ 6G6? >F55J] v:G6? E96 EC24< C64@C5 @7 E96 492EE6C32:E ?@H[ a_ J62CD =2E6C[ :E H:== FDF2==J @FE7:D9 2 DA:??6C32:E :? DE2:?65 E@ >F55J H2E6C] qFE[ 2D H2E6C 4=2C:EJ :?4C62D6D[ E96 25G2?E286 D9:7ED :? E96 5:C64E:@? @7 E96 DA:??6C32:E] %96 492EE6C32:E 2=D@ 5@>:?2E6D @? A=246D H:E9 G686E2E:@?[ =:<6 u=@C:52 @C 6G6? {2<6 vF?E6CDG:==6] (:E9 56?D6 G686E2E:@?[ DF49 2D 9J5C:==2[ >:=7@:= 2?5 4@@?E2:=[ E96 7:D9 @?=J 86E D9@CE 8=:>AD6D @7 E96 32:E] %96 D@F?5 2?5 G:3C2E:@? @7 2 32:E =:<6 2 492EE6C32:E 42? 96=A E96 7:D9 =@42E6 E96 32:E :? >F49 E96 D2>6 H2J E92E 2 =:A=6DD 4C2?<32:E W#2E\{\%C2AX H@C<D] k^Am
kAm~?6 4@>>@? 7CFDEC2E:?8 492C24E6C:DE:4 @7 2 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8 :D H96? 7:D9 3:E6 2?5 5@?’E E2<6 E96 H9@=6 32:E[ C6DF=E:?8 :? >:DD65 7:D9] $@>6 @7 E9@D6 >:DD6D 4@F=5 36 C6>65:65 H:E9 C@5 24E:@?[ C66= DA665 2?5 E649?:BF6] |@C6 @7E6? E92? ?@E E9@F89[ :E D66>D D>2==6C 7:D9 2C6 E96 4F=AC:ED] %96J 5@?’E 92G6 E96 23:=:EJ E@ 6?8F=7 E96 32:E @? E96 DEC:<6 =:<6 2 =2C86C 7:D9[ D@ E96J ?:A[ ?:A[ ?:A 2E E96 32:E 2?5 ?6G6C 86E :E] p DA:??6C32:E @? E96 @E96C 92?5 92D 2 >F49 36EE6C 9@@<FA C2E:@ A6C 3:E6j =:<6=J 3642FD6 :E’D EC24<:?8 :? 2 DEC2:89E6C =:?6 C2E96C E92? E96 6CC2E:4 ?2EFC6 @7 2 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8] $@[ D>2==6C 7:D9 2C6 23=6 E@ E2<6 :E 36EE6C]k^Am
kAmw625\E@\9625 24C@DD E96 4@F?ECJ[ :E A2:?D >6 E@ 25>:E E96 492EE6C32:E @FE7:D96D 2 DA:??6C32:E E96D6 52JD] $A:??6C32:E DA64:2=:DED @? E96 AC@76DD:@?2= =6G6= FD65 E@ D66< @FE DE2:?65 H2E6C E@ H@C< E96:C >28:4] ~G6C E96 A2DE D6G6C2= J62CD[ E96 ?6H6C 86?6C2E:@? @7 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8 DA64:2=:DED 2C6 5@>:?2E:?8 :? E9@D6 4@?5:E:@?D] k^Am
kAmu62C ?@E[ {2<6 |2CE:? DA:??6C32:E DA64:2=:DED] {2<6 |2CE:? :D H92E x DE:== 4@?D:56C 2 DA:??6C32:E =2<6] %96 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8 H@C<D[ ?@ 5@F3E[ 2?5 :E H:== 42E49 BF2=:EJ 32DD] qFE E96 @G6C2== 4=2C:EJ @7 {2<6 |2CE:? 7C@> E@A E@ 3@EE@> <66AD E9:D =2<6 >@C6 4@?5F4:G6 E@ DA:??6C32:E 7:D9:?8]k^Am
kAm|@DE @7 E96 J62C[ 9:89 G:D:3:=:EJ :? E96 =2<6 >62?D E96 7:D9 H:== =62? >@C6 E@H2C5D D:89E 7665:?8 E92? 766=] %96 7=2D9 @7 2 DA:??6C32:E :D 2 >@C6 DF3E=6 2EEC24E:@? E@ E96 7:D9 E92? E96 962GJ G:3C2E:@? @7 E96 492EE6C32:E :? >@DE =@42E:@?D E9C@F89@FE E96 =2<6] p?5 7@C E92E C62D@?[ E96 7:D9 :? {2<6 |2CE:? 2C6 =:<6=J E@ 3:E6 DA:??6C32:ED 36EE6C E92? G:3C2E:?8 ;:8D 7@C J62CD E@ 4@>6]k^Am
kAm%92E 36:?8 D2:5[ x’5 DE:== C64@>>6?5 92G:?8 2 G:3C2E:?8 ;:8 D6EFA C625J E@ ECJ H96? =@H G:D:3:=:EJ 4@?5:E:@?D 2C6 C:89E[ 6DA64:2==J H96? :E 4@>6D 5@H? E@ ?665:?8 @?6 @C EH@ 3:8 3:E6D]k^Am
kAmk6>mvC68 ':?D@? :D 2 7F==\E:>6 AC@76DD:@?2= 2?8=6C @? E96 |2;@C {628F6 u:D9:?8 q2DD !C@ %@FC] w6 =:G6D :? (6EF>A<2 2?5 8C6H FA 7:D9:?8 @? {2<6 |2CE:?]k^6>mk^Am