3 Costly Fishing Mistakes (Even Pro Anglers Make)
- By: Joseph Simonds
- on
Hey, Salt Strong family—Joe Simonds here, and I’ve got a confession: even experienced anglers like us mess up. Big time.
Recently, my brother Luke and I sat down to uncover the three most common mistakes that even seasoned anglers make out on the water. These aren’t just rookie slip-ups. Nope—these are the sneaky missteps that can creep into anyone’s game, no matter how many years you’ve been fishing.
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The Mistakes
If your lure isn’t at the right depth, especially during winter when fish are hugging the bottom, you’re missing opportunities. Add mismatched gear—a cheap rod with a flashy reel—and you’re losing sensitivity and power where it matters most. And let’s not forget the biggest trap: heading to your “trusted spots” without checking the trends. Conditions change, and sticking to old habits often leads to wasted time and empty lines.
What’s Next?
If any of this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. The good news? These mistakes are easy to fix when you know what to look for—and we’re laying it all out in the podcast.
Tight lines, my friends!
Joe Simonds
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
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STOP WASTING TIME ON THE WATER!
Do what the “SMART ANGLERS” are doing and join the Insider Club.
Here’s what you’ll receive today when you join:
- Weekly fishing reports and TRENDS revealing exactly where you should fish every trip
- Weekly “spot dissection” videos that walk you through all the best spots in your area
- Exclusive fishing tips from the PROS you can’t find anywhere else
- Everything you need to start catching fish more consistently (regardless if you fish out of a boat, kayak, or land).
Great discussion. Thanks, I am guilty of #3 at least….
Thanks for this! I noticed you had some plastics pre-rigged on the rods behind you. I would love to do that but always worried the plastics would kind of dry out. What do you recommend?
Most soft plastic lures do not dry out… the only ones I know of that do dry out are Gulps. I rarely use Gulps anymore so I now always just keep my lures rigged and ready in between trips.
great inf
Terrific reminders guys! Good stuff!
Great video that gave good advice on ways to fix the three common mistakes. Like many others I never thought that the rod is more important than the reel. Thanks.
Great reminders!
Three great points that I know I have overlooked before. This is a wakeup call for us as is back to basics. I really like the way you guys put yourselves out there for us, identifying past mistakes that even the pros might overlook. Thanks for a great reminder.
Thank you for the kind words. Always learning!
Thanks! Great info!
Thank you, David
I appreciate the podcast. I need to make some adjustments.
Good stuff, Wil. We appreciate you taking the time to comment
Just hit more over the head with a 2×4! I will get it sooner or later. I didn’t fall into the Battle III trap, I went one level higher (more money) Spinfisher combo. The reel is great, very smooth, a little heavy but great. I did know it was going to be, so no pointing fingers on that. Now the rod, I had no idea, just assumed they would put a decent rod with a good reel for the price. I guess I now know the real story. Thanks guys. Looks like a new rod in the very near future.
Yes sir! Thanks for taking the time to comment, my friend