July 7, 2012

Being a Good Angler: It’s a Mindset

This defines a fisherman and how well he fishes. Fact is, your mindset will make or break you as an angler long before you set the hook on anything.

Mindset

Awhile back a 19 year old kid was talking a tough game on the Louisiana Sportsman forum. He was openly betting anybody to a fishing match, despite failing to commit to a local fishing tournament.

Even if his trash-talking was all in jest, he still ought to know much is lost in translation over the Internet. My perception is that he was a smart aleck.

For me, words are empty without action and his incessant nagging is indicative of his shortcomings. Read: I doubt he is as good an angler as he would have the world believe.

If he can't have good manners then how can he overcome the psychological hurdles that come with fishing?

Mindset is Everything

Mindset goes further than manners:

  • What are you thinking when you launch your boat to go fishing?
  • What will happen if you don't catch anything?
  • Will you get frustrated and quit?
  • Or will you drive on?

There have been days I ran all over the marsh, only to get on a great bite as the sun was getting low in the sky. All the while I kept the mindfulness to pay attention as to why it was I got onto those fish. That is how I became better as an angler.

Conversely, on same days I didn't do so well, yet learned the serenity to accept it, learn from it and begin anew on my next fishing trip.

There is a reason "Angler's Mindset" is an entire category on this site. If that angler is easily defeated inside her head, then her fishing trip is subject to become derailed as soon as the first thing goes wrong.

The best tackle and fastest boat are only as good as the angler putting them to work.

Forget fishing reels or knowledge of the tide. The most powerful tools in an angler's arsenal are things like:

  • fortitude
  • determination
  • mindfulness
  • gratitude
  • and more

These go a long way in the world of inshore fishing, to not only succeed in the marsh, but in all aspects of life.

Summary

The very best tackle in your boat is your mind. Everything else is a tool.

Captain Devin

About the Author

Devin is a former fishing guide and lifelong inshore angler. He founded Louisiana Fishing Blog in 2012 to share his ideas as a charter captain and still writes in it today. Since then he's created a fishing university — LAFB Elite — where he teaches inshore anglers how to safely navigate Louisiana's coast and catch more fish.


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