Fish every chance you get. Nothing beats time on the water, but be smart about how you use that time.
Take a trip every so often with the sole purpose of trying something totally out of your comfort zone. Try a technique you’ve never tried, or maybe a stretch of river you’ve always avoided.
You can fish shallower than what is normal for you, or maybe go deeper. The main point is to not to get stuck doing the same things over and over.
When trying out new things, know that you will strike out more often than not. However, if you keep at it, sooner or later something new is going to click, and when it does, you’ve learned something you can use over and over to keep catching fish.
Editor’s Note: Rob Benninfield teamed up with Ricky Eiselt to claim the top prize and bragging rights at the 2018 Mississippi River Monsters. They brought a limit of five fish to the scales that weighed 142.36 pounds to finish first and claim the championship belts.
