| FOUR FISH |
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Tips For Growing Your Fishing Knowledge
When people start fishing they often think it's a sport or hobby that simply involves picking up a bag of frozen prawns and a Coke from the local servo, heading down to the closest body of water, throwing in a line and waiting for the fish to hook themselves.
In these situations some people will catch fish but the numbers are low because fishing is more complicated than it may initially seem.
Many of the things you should consider are thoughts you might have if you were purchasing a new car. You might ask "where is a good place to buy a Toyota?" Well in the same way that not all car dealers sell Toyotas only certain types of water hold certain types of fish. "What is a good time for me to go and buy a Toyota?" you ask - well just as you're more likely to buy a car during business hours as opposed to 2.00am the chances of catching certain fish during their business hours, for example feeding time, also increase.
 Different species like different habitats - don't try here for snapper!
This sort of information can take a while to learn because each species has so many different variables. Sure some are the same or have very similar characteristics, but let's face it, they are all individual species and so there are differences between them. Some fish feed at different times, some prefer a high tide and some the change of tide, some will prefer fish baits and others worms and some you'll only find in summer while others will appear in winter. And that's only some of the variables.
Obviously the best way to pick up this information is to get out there and give it a go - repeatedly! If you pay attention to your fishing over time you will notice trends in catch rates which can then be used to trace back to what those variables are - suddenly you realise you caught more of this species on a full moon, others matched a certain time and tide combination, others with that colour lure or this type of bait.
At the same time this doesn't mean that fishing needs to be complicated either. Arming yourself with some knowledge on what type of fish you're hoping to catch and what the best sort of location is to find them are simple steps in the right direction. Then areas such as baits, tides, rigs and other topics can come into it.
There are other ways to build this knowledge though and this article is looking at those outside of actually putting a line in the water or going out and buying the latest magazine or DVD.
SCOUT WHEN YOU'RE OUT
Whenever you're near the water never waste an opportunity to look around for tell-tale pieces of evidence that can tell you about the body of water you are near.
Finding these pieces of information can give you clues as to whether you are in a reasonable spot and what people have caught there previously. It's amazing how much you can learn about a spot by the (unfortunate) garbage that people leave around. Fish frames, hook sizes, bait packets and other junk that shouldn't be left lying around are all clues that can help you know more about a spot - and the people that fish it.
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