I’ve been a professional angler for almost 5 years now, and I must thank my dear friend Bobby who introduced me to this marvellous sport. I work as an investment banker and the stress I was going through every work day drained my entire life force, which eventually resulted in me being constantly cranky and negative. Bobby took me to shore and introduced me to the magical world of complete silence while concentrating on how to catch fish. It was like I’m doing a trick with my mind while being totally still and calm. Of course, that was the beginning, but as I started to get serious about the task I developed not just real techniques for successful catch, but also immense love for the sport. And as such, I started signing up for tournaments which the fishing Australia community often organized. That’s when I really connected with the fisherman in me.
After a few experiences, I can say I’ve gathered significant knowledge, and as the Hagane Challenge is at the centre of attention of the fishing Australia world now, I decided to share a few tips for those of you who are looking to join this wonderful adventure.
Start the journey locally
Look for the nearest fishing club and join it ASAP. You can’t be calling yourself a fisherman if you’re not a member of a fishing club. The club serves for people with the same interest and passion to meet and discuss the matter without being distracted by various for them – completely unimportant stuff. Besides meeting some awesome fishermen and learning a thing or two about the sport and the community as a whole, a club exists to arrange and schedule the competitions. And trust me, you want to participate in as many competitions as you can before you claim your ‘pro’ status.
Learn and start practising
As a beginner, you’ll want to hang out with the pros as much as possible and listen to what they say and how they describe their techniques, how they pick the tackle and other equipment. Also, you’ll want to arrange a boat trip with someone who has one so you can see how everything is done first-hand and practice a little. Make a plan before you go on your fishing trip with a pro; ask him everything you want to know and make sure you’re precise in your questions.
Concentration also needs practise
You can go fishing and simply stare at the water and catch nothing; that’s relaxation at its finest for us fishermen. But, if you want to compete, you’re going to need to start training your mental stamina. Fishing is the kind of sport that requires a lot of confidence in your moves and an ability to make snap decisions and choices because when the moment of truth comes, you’re going to need to be able to pull a move in a matter of seconds.
All in all, once you start competing, you’re going to get hooked on the feeling and you’ll want to do more, achieve more and simply evolve as a fisherman. As you perfect your techniques and strategies and as you learn more about the sport, you’ll start climbing the tournament ladder in the pursuit of more achievements and advancements.
