1.      Work on techniques I have little confidence in. For me this will be centered around the drop-shot rig. Though I have fished it a bit, my confidence is not high when I am using it. My game plan for improving with the drop-shot will be to hit the lake with nothing but drop-shot stuff in the boat. This will prevent me from switching gears if the drop shot does not produce quickly. By forcing myself to fish it all day I can really learn how to fish around cover, different presentations, what bites feel like, even how to hook and land fish. The bottom line is that you have to spend time with a technique on the water to improve at it, and by focusing on it for a full day there is no distraction.

2.      Do more to help conserve our fisheries. Sometimes making the effort to do this requires a bit of work, but if we do not do it as fishermen, then who will? I plan to take better care of my fish when handling them in the boat, being careful to preserve their slime coating as best as possible. Also keep my boat free of aquatic vegetation when pulling my boat out of the water. Spreading exotic vegetation is a big problem in many fisheries. Get someone new started in fishing, the greater the interest in the outdoors, the easier it will be in the future to conserve the resources.

3.      Take better notes when out on the water as well as at the end of the day. Keeping track of conditions and how you adjust to them is a great learning tool, especially on bodies of water where you spend a lot of time. Tournament fishermen may have year pass between trips to a lake, and a lot of information can be forgotten over that time. Keep notes on anything that stands out to you, I really pay attention to water clarity and temperatures, water levels, weather patterns, GPS waypoints, and techniques that were successful. Then when I go back, I have some references that give me some confidence in how I prepare and pack.

4.      Eat better when on the water. This is a big one for me, as I like to eat. When you spend day after day on the water, if you do not eat right it takes a toll on your performance. The problem often lies in trying to conserve time while eating, not many snack foods are good for you. I have had luck with taking extra time preparing a couple sandwiches for each day along with some fruit. Though these take a bit longer to eat on the water, the diet is worth it. My biggest downfall is drinking sodas on the water, empty calories. By substituting a water for a couple sodas I should save a few hundred calories.

5.      Finally is to have more fun on the water. Fishing tournaments is a business and can take some of the fun out of fishing. Remembering how much I really like to fish can keep my focus during tough fishing days when the bite is tough. The old cliché of a bad day on the water is better than a good day in the office should always apply.