Why a Fishing System Will Catch More Fish

I have been a fishing system guy since the 90s and it's why my fishing has always been consistent

I caught this trout on a recent trip with a Trout Magnet D2 jig, part of their trout system

I have been a fishing system angler for more than 30 years. I started learning to apply systems to my fishing at a young age and that small thing has created lots of repeatable successes in fishing for me for decades.

The concept is simple and I think the Lindners ultimately got credit for coining the system idea although anglers had been doing it for years before that without actually giving it a name.

I think it’s important to understand why a system is necessary and why it will matter to you as an angler. Then we can talk about the best ways for you to develop your own systems and chances are you already do it in some form or another and don’t realize it.

Common Mistakes Beginning Anglers Make

For a lot of anglers, most probably, fishing is a form of escape. Because of that I think a lot of fishermen aren’t focused on a specific outcome, but that also leads to a lot of fishless days. Don’t get me wrong. Fishing has been an escape for me for a long time. It’s why I often fish alone. Because I want the time alone with God in nature.

But I also like to catch fish. I think where anglers create struggle in fishing is by just “hoping” something good happens today and doing the same thing they do every time. Eventually this approach will connect with the fish doing something in a place you are fishing and you will have a good day. But often, you won’t cross paths with them. So you’ll have a lot more unproductive days.

A lot of anglers are guilty of spot bias in fishing. Spot bias is just the tendency of anglers to return to a place they caught a good one or caught them good one time. That’s not a terrible approach in an of itself. But that good spot was probably good at a particular time for a particular reason. It likely won’t be good every month and every time you go.

Anglers also get hung up on favorite lures. Trust me I am guilty of it all the time. I love to swimbait fish. I will try to force feed a swimbait all the time. Sometimes it’s the best tool for job. Sometimes there are other things way more effective if I would just put that dang swimbait down a second.

The Conundrum of Fishing Time

The other issue for most everyone comes simply in the form of time. We generally have a limited amount of time on the water. So it would be nice if we could maximize our small windows of time to have better odds of success.

The last few years I’ve not had any free time, working 60-80 hour weeks trying to keep up with deadlines, commitments and obligations and keep a bunch of other folks on task. This year I’ve made a concerted effort to carve out more purposeful time on the water. So now my 2-hour and 4-hour trips are turning into 6-hour and 8-hour trips.

But I still try to be systematic to maximize my chances.

Systems Provide Structure to Be Consistent

So a system just provides a structured approach to fishing. It’s basically lining up variables with seasons and what you know of fish behavior and the choosing the right tool for all of that. It can be complicated if you make it that way. But for me I simplify everything I can and then apply those simplified pieces to variables for an easy system.

Whether I’m chasing bass, or panfish or crappie or even fly fishing for trout, I am applying a system.

Now I’m not an advocate of having preconceived notions. I often make a lot of my system decisions on the water. Not at home the night before. I might rig up some things but I may have changed everything I had tied on in the first hour.

Looking at the water color, water temps, water level, activity from forage and insects, current and other things I might not have anticipated before I got to the water will give me an idea of what to do. It’s one of the reasons I’m a big advocate of having good sunglasses so you can see into the water and get a feel for what you are dealing with.

Keys to a Good Fishing System