If you’re listening to the podcast, and reading In the Wash, you’re almost certainly an exception among most casual surfcasters. That is, you’re really investing in continuing to learn and develop your skills and techniques and pushing yourself to be better. I know we’ve introduced all kinds of new lures and gear, tactics and skills, and perhaps also opened up your mind to totally new ways of thinking about the surf.
Surf fishing is a “thinking” pursuit. Most of fishing is, if you do it seriously. Almost all non-anglers just assume you walk to the water, pick a lure, and have at it- but we all know that’s not even remotely true. That it requires a lot of knowledge and dedication- and planning. Lots and lots of planning.
Planning now- in March and April- has been a core component of my success in the surf. There’s just way too much to do if I was to wait until the day before, or even the week before, my first tide. The list of preparation is extensive, but one small piece I want to encourage you to consider: spend time visualizing your spot, and how you’re going to fish it.
It may sound silly, but I spend a lot of time when I’m running, walking the dog, brushing my teeth, zoning out watching some dumb sitcom, etc. thinking about my spots and what my plans and hopes are for the season at each one. I think this forethought helps prevent me from ever being surprised- if I’ve spent hours meditating and visualizing when, how, where, and with what I’m going to cast, it sometimes almost feels like I’ve already lived a tide, a bite, or even a trophy-sized fish when it happens. I can’t be surprised, because I’ve already thought it all through.
It’s an easy thing to do with very little commitment, too. Just think about your fishing the next time you’re commuting. Really think about the past experiences, why everything went the way it did, and what you’ll do different- or the same- next time. It’s another layer of spring prep that could pay off months down the road.
A little sneak peak: we’ll be doing our season goals episode very soon- if you want to go back to our first year and listen to our goals from 2 years ago, you can find that at Season 1, Episode 22.
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As usual, an excellent thoughtful and thought provoking piece.
I often think of those really good nights when everything fell together, but I also think about the majority of nights that you have to grind and find some other way to turn it around .gear is almost all ready a couple more weeks and I should be on my first . I hope you all have a great season .
I’ve always been kind of bad at this and always kind of go where my gut tells me but this year I’ve been making it more deliberate to set goals and not be last minute dude this season
Find myself doing this all the time. Always mapping out how, where, when to go. If I present the lure different. What would this different style or make of plug make a difference.