How to Catch More Fish: 6 Things That Actually Made the Difference

So here you are several hours into a fishing trip. In all your planning you had pictured a livewell or a stringer full of fish, but now you're standing there struggling to get a single bite. We've all been there! And if you're honest, you've probably wondered if the fish just hate you personally.

They don't, lol. The truth is that catching more fish usually comes down to a handful of small things most people overlook. Not secret lures, not a magic spot, just habits. Here are the six that moved the needle most for me.

1. Fish Where the Fish Are

Sounds dumb, right? But I can't tell you how many hours I wasted casting at pretty water that held nothing. Pretty water and productive water are not the same thing.

Look for the stuff that holds fish. Structure, current breaks, drop offs, points, the edge of the weeds, anything that gives fish a reason to be there. Once you're on water that holds fish, patience is key. Give them time to move through and find your bait instead of picking up and running at the first slow stretch. Confidence in a good spot puts more fish on the bank than constantly chasing.

2. Be Observant

The difference between a good fisherman and a great one is the ability to make small adjustments. And you can't adjust to what you don't notice.

Pay attention to everything. Where are the birds working? Is there bait flicking on the surface? Did the bite die the second the sun popped out from the clouds? When you caught that last fish, what were you doing differently? Fishing is a giant puzzle and the clues are right in front of you if you'll just watch.

3. Use Sharp Hooks and Good Line

This is the boring one nobody wants to hear, but lets face it, you can do everything else right and still lose fish at the worst possible moment. A dull hook bounces off. Cheap line breaks at the hookset or frays through on the first rock.

I run Atko Leviathan braid because I got tired of losing the fish of my dreams to gear I couldn't trust. Zero stretch means I feel the lightest bite and drive the hook home. Check your hook point against your thumbnail. If it doesn't bite in, sharpen it or change it. And if you're chasing cats, match your circle hook to your bait size so the point stays clear. Little stuff, big difference.

4. Give Them a Reason to Bite

Sometimes the fish are right there and they just won't commit. That's when scent earns its keep. A little Slay Sauce on my bait puts a scent trail in the water and keeps fish on the hook longer once they find it.

Don't get me wrong, scent won't save a spot with no fish in it. But on a tough day when they're being picky, it has turned a lot of lookers into biters for me. Every edge counts when the bite is slow.

5. Slow Down

I'm guilty of this one more than any of the others. When the bite is tough, our instinct is to fish FASTER. Cast more, cover more water, hurry up. Usually that's exactly backwards.

Slow your retrieve. Let your bait soak. Give the fish time to find it and decide. A lot of days the fish are there and willing, they just need you to quit yanking your bait away from them before they can eat it. Patience catches fish. This is also one of my biggest ways to avoid a skunk on a slow day.

6. Stay Positive and Keep Casting

I put this one last but it might be the most important. Your head is the most powerful piece of gear you own. If you decide the trip is a bust, you'll start going through the motions, and a guy going through the motions doesn't catch much.

Believe every cast is the one. My world record flathead came ten minutes before the pack up time we had given ourselves. Any fishing trip can change in the blink of an eye. If I had quit early, I'd have missed it. I dug deeper into the mental side of this in my post on mindset hacks to catch more fish, and if it's bigger fish you're after, my 5 ways to catch bigger fish goes right along with it.

Put these six together and you will catch more fish. Not because of any one trick, but because you're stacking the odds in your favor on every single cast. Now get out there and put it to work. And if you want to test your skills, go find some catfish tournaments near me and put these to the test. I'd love to hear which one helps you the most in the comments below.

Tightlines,

Jason Atkins