Worst Fishing Advice Ever!

Fishing is full of wisdom but also full of nonsense. Honestly, it’s pretty much just full of nonsense lol. Every angler has heard at least one (or more) pieces of advice that are so bad it almost counts as sabotage. Today, I want to discuss the worst fishing advice ever and exactly why it is terrible. If you’ve ever been handed one of these “tips,” don’t worry. You are not alone.

Below is a giant list and table of terrible fishing advice paired with real explanations of why the advice fails. Some entries are funny, some dangerous, and all are absolutely awful in practice. Let me know how many you have been told. Also, maybe add some advice that you were given to this list. SO let’s get into some of the worst fishing advice ever!

Bad Advice	Trouble With This Advice
Fish only bite when the moon is perfectly full and aligned	Moon phase alone does not drive bites; other factors matter more. The light from the moon actually affects the fish
Cast as hard as you can every single time	Reduces accuracy, increases tangles, and scares fish. I know people that do this and not only does it scare fish away, it also looks ridiculous
Use the cheapest fishing line you can find because it is all the same	Weak line breaks easily and loses fish. Sometimes getting more expensive line is the way to go. It also lasts longer so well worth the money.
Hook a baitfish through the stomach because it swims more naturally	This kills the bait instantly; dead bait does not swim. Learn how to hook bait by watching YouTube videos.
Fish do not care about leader visibility	Visibility absolutely matters in clear water. This is especially true with mangrove snapper fishing. They just look at the bait and won’t bite because they see the leader.
If the water is muddy, use tiny subtle lures	Murky water needs vibration and visibility, not subtle little baits. Focus on making as much vibration as possible.
Only fish locations where you’ve caught fish before	Fish move constantly with tide, season, forage, and temps.
If you want big fish, never move during a trip	Mobility increases success; staying put rarely helps.
If the bite is slow, just keep casting into the exact same empty spot	If no fish are there, more casts will not help. Time to move on.
Always set the hook as hard as possible	You will rip mouths, miss hooksets, and break line. cough, cough, bass fisherman
Drag should always be locked down tight	Fish will snap your line instantly on strong runs. I’ve seen rods snap this way as well. Don’t lose a big fish this way.
You don’t need pliers. Just use your teeth	Dangerous and unsanitary. However, my dad is really good at cutting leader with his teeth.
If the water looks calm, assume nothing big is there	Calm surface can hide cruising predators. I’ve seen monsters in calm water. It’s kind of creepy.
Expensive lures always catch more fish	Presentation and location matter far more than the price tag.
If you see a storm coming, fish through it	Lightning kills anglers every year.
If a lure hasn’t worked in five casts, throw it away	No lure performs in only a few casts consistently.
Keep all fish no matter the size for practice	Usually illegal and always unethical. Stay legal.
Ignore size limits because they’re only suggestions	Size limits are law and protect fish populations. Download an app to keep track of fishing regulations.
You don’t need to check regulations if you are only fishing for fun	Regulations still apply no matter what.
If you cannot see fish, they are not there	Many species stay deep or blend into their environment. This is especially true with snook.
If fish are schooling, cast right into the dense center	This can scatter the school and kill the bite. Instead, cast outside the school and let the fish go to your bait/lure.
Use only one knot your whole life	Knot choice affects strength and performance. Look up various knots and how to use them.
Never sharpen hooks because factory hooks are perfect	Factory hooks are often dull.
If you lose a lure, dive in after it	This can be dangerous especially in currents or murky water. Though, I have gone in for custom-made lures.
Fish only feed at sunrise so mornings are mandatory	Many species feed all day under the right conditions.
If you don’t catch anything in 10 minutes, the entire spot is worthless	Patience and adjustments matter. Give it some time, but don’t stay 2 hours if you don’t get any bites.
The heavier the weight, the better	Too much weight ruins the natural appearance of bait.
Only rookies change lures	Experienced anglers adapt constantly.
Bass only eat worms	Bass eat a huge range of forage. I’ve caught them off worms, top water lures, slugs, crickets, and a ton of other lures.
If another fisherman is catching fish, get as close as possible	Poor etiquette and reduces both anglers’ success. Too many people in an area can drive away fish.
Cold fronts do not affect fish behavior	Cold fronts drastically affect feeding patterns.
Warm water always improves feeding	Too warm decreases oxygen and slows feeding.
Color does not matter at all	Color can help match clarity and light conditions. Als, color can match with bait that the fish are eating.
Fish are too dumb to notice shadows	Shadows spook fish constantly.
Cut bait should always be huge chunks	Many species ignore large oversized chunks.
Hooks do not get dull in saltwater	They dull very quickly.
You don’t need to rinse gear after saltwater	Salt causes rapid corrosion. Don’t be a fool like me.
Never follow tide charts because you can overthink it	Tides are one of the biggest factors in success.
Throw lures at dolphins to make them push fish toward you	Illegal and dangerous.
If fishing is slow, always speed up the retrieve	Sometimes slowing down is the answer, especially in colder weather.
Winds do not matter	Wind direction and speed affect bait and current.