What is the Secret to Catching Fish?
The universal secret to catching fish is the same as real estate, "location, location, location". There are three different locations you have to consider while fishing and we will also cover the bonus "when".
The first location you have to consider is the body of water itself. If you are already in the open ocean like the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean, this is a bit obvious but for freshwater fishing, this is where you have to start your analysis. Although it may be surprising to most people, fish can be found in most bodies of freshwater, including the tiniest of ponds and creeks. There are some exceptions to this that you have to keep in mind though. Both ponds and creeks can be devoid of fish due to pollution from industrial activity (mine tailings for example). Ephemeral (temporarily existing from precipitation) streams and ponds will rarely hold any fish. Headwater creeks that feature manmade blockages like dams can also cut off fish populations. Man-made ponds and lakes (impoundments) that don't have a stream connection to another major water body will typically rely on human stocking efforts to hold fish populations. In any case, by scouting out the water body with polarized sunglasses you should be able to see fish and confirm their existence.
The second location you have to consider is where on or along the water body you will cast to. Fish are not just randomly distributed throughout a water body, where you choose to cast matters. Some of the factors that impact fish location include water temperature, oxygen levels, hard structure, and soft structure. Hard structure includes physical objects like sunken trees, rock piles, or water plants. Soft structure includes things like current seams, temperature gradients, or depth changes. Fish associate with all these typically because it gives them an advantage in consuming food sources or an advantage in staying alive against the threat of predation. Anglers will either have to research or gain personal experience on where the best places are to target a specific species of fish.
The third location to consider is where in the water column you will choose to place your lure or bait. Some species of fish are biased towards the bottom or the top of the water. Other species of fish are flexible and will feed on both the surface and off the bottom. Your target species and local conditions will dictate where is the best place in the water column to try to fish.
As a bonus, the when should also considered. For migratory fish, if you are trying at the wrong time of year you cannot catch what is not there. For non-migratory fish time of year should also be considered as fish are sensitive to water temperature and too hot or too cold will influence their willingness to bite. Finally, some species of fish are biased to only being active at certain levels of daylight. (hard time trying to catch a generally nocturnal fish at midday)
These tips are truly the secret to fishing because even if you have the best tackle money can buy, if you don't consider these locations you won't catch anything.
Fishing Advice for Beginners