It seems every year we find ourselves looking for that competitive edge to help us catch more fish. Well, the best way to increase your catch rate is to know your prey and then track your steps.

There is an old saying, “that history repeats itself”.  And this scenario occurs on a regular basis in nature and in angling.

A possible explanation is that fish like other wildlife are creatures of habit. And in nature, this habit doesn’t just happen by chance. It is dialed in to each species DNA for survival.

If fish can be so predictable, then why don’t anglers catch fish on a regular basis? Why do they spend hours on the surf, pier or bridge being skunked? Or occasionally hooking up but for no other reason than luck.

To help improve our catch rate, let’s look at our target. The fish are not in a particular location by accident. They have found a place with a comfortable environment, good food source and protection from predators.

But it is much more than that. So many additional conditions come into play to hold a fish in a specific location or entice another fish to relocate there when one is removed or leaves on its own. Several reasons the location holds fish could be the water temperatures, water movement, moon phases, time of day. And probably one of the more reliable and mostly overlooked is the barometer readings.

To be successful, the angler must be able to predict when and why a species of fish is there and what motivates them to feed. And the best way to gain that edge is to document each trip. And that’s where an anglers log comes into play.

An anglers log can be a small spiral notebook or an elaborate spreadsheet with graphs and charts or anything in between. Either way, this log and the entries will help the angler predict when, why and how to target fish on their next trip. Over time these logs create a pattern and begin to paint a picture showing you the precise information you need to be successful.

So the best way to increase your catching success is to create a log to track your catches and develop trends for the angler to use on future outings.

And now during this “preparation season” is the best time to set up your new system.

The Walkingangler has created a comprehensive “Anglers Log” that we use on every trip whether we catch something or not.

If you are interested in receiving a copy, you can email at captaintonyobx@gmail.com and I will email you a copy.

Until next time – Tightlines – Capt. Tony