Best way to accelerate learning

I have had to basically teach myself how to fish. I'm still trying to learning and was wondering what is the best way to self teach ? Any suggestions?

Read everything you can. Take some guided trips. And nothing beats time on the water.

Time on the water. Experiment. Plenty of youtube videos about seasonal patterns, presentations, lures. I'm a researcher so I spent a lot of time reading and watching but there really is nothing better than just getting out there and fishing.

Go fishing with others and trips with guides.......best ways to learn that I have experienced

Nothing beats time on the water. And time on the water is wasted if you're not focused 100% of the time on learning something.

Fishing is a lifetime of learning. You'll never conquer the entire facet of fishing. I suggest breaking it down and learning one aspect at a time. For example, if it's summertime, then choose to learn to fish a jig and a top water. Fish the top water for 2 hours in the morning doing different things and constantly making mental notes of what works, what doesn't, what's easy for you, what's difficult, etc. When the sun comes up good, go to the jig and learn to flip the outside edge of grass. Do this for countless hours during the summer. When fall comes around, pick a couple techniques that work on your lake and start to learn them.

The primary thing is to be patient. There are many 50-60 yr old men that have fished their entire lives that still learn things every time they are on the water. But no matter what, be sure you're enjoying each and every day you're out there.

I have recently gone through this. I grew up fishing Walleye and Crappie, but it was spinning reels only doing pretty specific things. Caught some bass while Crappie fishing and I would throw a frog or spinnerbait in ponds.

July 2010 - My first artificial bass trip and using a baitcaster. Had a 101 lesson with Clint Wright at Fork. Clint told me ahead all the equipment I should buy. We worked through things all day and then we got 2nd in a JC Outdoors nighttime tourney. That gave me bug for tournaments.

2011 - I did several guide trips with JR Howard, Skeeter Fowler, and Cody Malone. I also got in back of my insurance agents boat on Grapevine, who use to fish tournaments. Also did my first FLW event as a coangler.

2012 - More guide trips, caught the 12.18 at Fork with Cody, great trips Falcon, and did complete season of FLW Texas as coangler.

2013 - bought boat first of year, fished entire BassPro Grapevine Series with GrasshopperJim, and did another complete season of FLW Texas as coangler.

2014 - did complete season of FLW Tour as Coangler, complete season as boater in BLT Solo, and continued guide trips.

2015 - will be same as last year.

2016 - no more coangling.

I think I've done a good job getting up to speed quickly. I owe most of the fundamentals to Clint Wright that first trip and then continuing with Cody Malone for dozen trips or more. Coangling and the additional guide trips have taught me tournament fishing and opened up a variety of techniques. BLT Solo is teaching me how to tournament fish as boater. The fishing forum has taught me a little about baits and techniques, but more about the industry, politics, organizations, and personalities.

Fish tournaments with your lunch money. You will either learn quick or go hungry. Lots of lower priced tournaments out there to hone your skills.

All good advice above.

I'd add:
keep a fishing journal. This will force you to be more focused on the water. When you are more focused, you will catch more fish, which will improve your confidence and enjoyment. After a while, you will notice trends and patterns of big and small bass behavior. You will experience and learn seasonal and weather change bass movement/advancing and retreating higher and lower in the water column, into cover and out of cover.

Fish a variety of lakes. Learn to fish lakes with grass, lakes with timber, lakes with rock, deep lakes, shallow lakes, lilly pads, cat tails, etc. This forces you to learn new techniques and how to modify techniques you already know to adapt to your surroundings.

Fish in a variety of conditions. Safety first, but don't just fish when its 80 degrees with low winds. Learning what the fish do under different conditions can help you make adjustments for when you are faced with similar conditions in the future.

My wife packs my lunch

Plus one

Also plus one

It Helps to be Patient, or stubborn, or both.

Time on the water and try some draw tournaments as a co angler like BFL or weekend series those will help the learning curve more than u would think

If its a certain technique you're wanting to learn, only take that style bait with you in the boat.

Lets say an angler wants to learn a jig but has zero confidence. Only load the boat with jigs and trailers, take all other lures out and leave them at the house. This will make the angler throw that particular bait all day and not switch back to their lures/techniques that they're confident with.

Also, reading everything you can on the Internet and in magazines. Watching instructional videos on the Internet. Go to seminars. Join a bass club

Trial and error. Lots of it. That's the best way

Man Chris, you must eat BIG lunches...
God Bless

Beer, be sure and take a few cold beers, and bacon sandwiches. Take your time and have fun!

Cheers,

George

. +1!!

Fish ponds with lots of fish in the beginning. Gain confidence in a few presentations, lots of repetition. Give these presentations a shot on tougher ponds with less fish, catch fish there, gain more confidence. Then your local lake, more confidence,and so on. Fishing,in my opinion, is a lot about confidence and practice. It's not easy tricking them to bite, if it was it wouldn't be any fun.

Fishing with many people that are better than you at a young age and than having one or two partners that put you to the test every second on the water. The atmosphere on my boat is ferocious and the only people that step foot on my boat are as hungry as I am. It's like russell wilson practicing against his defense every day. Dedication is also the key. I breathe this chit 365 24/7.

NO to fishing ponds, except if you are 10. Real lakes offer challenges that require...yes you guessed it...TOW!!!!!! Pay your dues by learning everything around you. It starts with a local lake, a small bass club and then as much time as you can afford. Its a great trade off because you will never be bored, if you are really into fishing and not just out to win a tourney. Many opportunities that were not around when I was a kid but nothing beats experience and...Time On The Water!!!!!

Time on the water and like any thing else try to surround yourself will people that are better anglers and learn to pick up every last thing you can from them. I have done this over the past 1-2 years and has done me a lot of good. I think it's a very affective way to go about it

Man, Sean where in the world did you get off to? Haven't seen or heard from you in forever!!
Ok, I know you haven't spent the 'winter' without further modifications to your rig. So, what have you done to it now? Big ol' 45HP engine!
Glad to see you back on the board,
BTW: your PM limit is maXXed out!
God Bless

Sounds like you are a younger guy. If so,for learning the basics of everything from boating to fishing you may be able to find an older fisherman to take you out and share his experience. Ask around and find a couple. Some older guys are more than willing to teach and share. Offer to pay for gas and lunch even if he declines. Be sure to watch and listen. I've learned a bunch when I was younger by doing this.

Be careful though and not assume "time on the water" will fix all. If you constantly do the same thing each trip or do the same things wrong you might not learn near as much as you would hope. It needs to be quality time on the water.

I'm actually not that young (35). I just recently got into fishing from a boat and none of my buddies like to go or have any useful knowledge. I read and look online for knowledge, but going at it alone I feel really slows down the learning process, with no one around to tell me if I'm doing it right or wrong: shrug:. I feel like I can catch fish when I'm around them, but struggle mightly to find 'em. I definitely haven't figured out how to make the electronics work for me.so I end up just blind casting to where I think they should be (which hasnt worked well for me).. Great info in this thread. Thanks for all the replies!

This is how I feel my trips go exactly!