Avoid Dock Talk

Fishermen like to talk. It's hard to pass up a good fishing story – dock talk – at the boat ramp or tackle shop. Often times, however, dock talk can do more harm than good if you pay too much attention to what is being said. This is especially true on the days leading up to and on the morning of a tournament day.

If I'm about to get on the water, I try to filter out any dock talk I've heard recently. Fishing conditions and patterns constantly change. Things that may have worked the day before, may not be the ticket to success today.

Perhaps fishing was particularly tough for a group of anglers getting ready to go home, and they say you'd best do the same. Don't listen! I can't tell you how many times I’ve had a difficult day on the water only to discover the guy next to me was catching them left and right because he was doing some different.

So the next time a group of anglers are chatting it up at a ramp, sometimes the best advice is to skip the conversation. You don't want anyone robbing you of your confidence, or steering you in the wrong direction.

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