Fishing is a constant learning experience, there will always be something new or old to which can assist you become a better angler. A new knot or rig that will blow your mind, an old lure that raises fish. Read on to see the benefits of fishing and learning from your mates.

With so much information readily available online, there is nothing that can stop us from growing and learning tips and techniques for our piscatorial pursuits but there is no substitute for spending as much time wetting lines and catching fish out in the open sea. Reading and watching can only take you so far, but when you fish with mates or other people, you will be surprised as to how much more you can learn from them. Let’s discuss a few reasons on why fishing with mates can make you a better angler.

Be careful, “Experts” are often educated by books, but not educated through experience.”
– Robert Kiyosaki (Rich Dad Poor Dad)

Reason #1: You’ll learn from THEIR mistakes!

This is a twist on the old favorite – learning from your mistakes. Nothing more fun than seeing your mates stuff up (as long as no one gets hurt!), breaking rods, busting off, getting their faces slapped by a tuna tail… All these funny situations will get embedded into your brain, gaining valuable knowledge and experience about what NOT to do. There will always be mistakes, and you’ll get your fair share of getting laughed at, but these mistakes and bloopers are what will turn into valuable fishing skill in time.

Reason #2: Motivation

Let’s face it, it will always turn out to be a pissing contest sometime during the day, and the one who catches the least or nothing at the end of the day gets his gluteus maximus a beating. If you’ve ever been on a chartered trip with people you have just met it will be a bit jovial at first but the more you spend time together, the closer you get and things will turn out pretty much the same. Getting back on track with motivation, these blokes with you on the boat will motivate you to keep casting, keep jigging, keep fishing until you get one that you are happy with. Fishing with mates will definitely keep you going for longer versus just fishing alone. At times, testosterone takes over and we become quite competitive, which is good if under control, then there will be times when you want your mates to catch a fish, you want to see them hook up and experience physical pain, you want to get a photo of their face when they lose the fish of their lifetime.. Fun times…

Reason #3: Education

We all have that mate that is always above us in terms of knowledge and skill in fishing. It may be you, you just don’t know it. But this friend will have racked hours and hours of water time, catching fish all over the world, becoming your gang’s fishing pro. Sometimes, this person is your fishing guide who will eventually be your friend midway through your trip. These guys are valuable sources of information and when fishing with them, it is the most opportune time fast track your fishing skill upgrades. They’ll show you casting techniques, rigging techniques, knots, boat maneuvering tips, fish cleaning tips, so on and so forth. Be a sponge and make the most out of your trip with them. Face to face instruction and demonstrations are some of the best ways of learning, then applying these new techniques yourself during the trip will just cement these skills into your bag of tricks.

Reason #4: Camaraderie

Fishing alone is all fun and good but having mates with you just makes fishing so much better. Apart from the three benefits discussed above, being in the company of your mates old or new just makes being in a remote fishing island adventure just a bit more special. The travelling, the misadventures and the experiences will turn into memories you’ll make together that will be passed down through generations (or maybe not). Having company may help keep the pressure off and will allow you to just enjoy your time out on the water without stressing about catching your targeted fish, leading to reason’s 1 and 2 above.

Reason #5: Photo and video evidence

Most of us will have our phones handy when on the water and it is not uncommon to see at least one person on the boat shooting video or taking photos on their phones. After each fishing session, getting to review what went wrong or right on film can further speed up your growth. Thinking that your posture is good versus seeing what you look like when fighting a fish is gold, getting to see a slow motion clip of you casting will allow you to figure out why you keep getting those irritating wind knots and tip wraps, and one of our favorites, seeing if you really high sticked or not when you broke your precious new jigging rod you got from Japan. Get ready to swallow some bitter pills but expect immediate improvements after reviewing the film and photos.

Conclusion

These are just 5 amongst hundreds of reasons to fish with your mates but there is no denying that having mates around you not only improves your fishing but also makes it more fun, which is the main reason why we go fishing.

Still not convinced to invite Kenny or Jimmy on board for a fish? Check out Al Mcglashan’s show, Fishin’ with Mates. Al exemplifies the learning and having fun part so well while also sharing his knowledge and expertise to his viewers. An awesome show to watch, Fishin’ With Mates kicks off 11.30am on Channel Nine this Sunday. This week, it’s all about big Bull Red in the deep south of Louisiana. Al heads into the bayous in pursuit of some of the biggest bull reds in the USA. Teaming up with his old mates Eric and Moe, Al learns the intimate art of ‘popping corks’ as well as hooking into some serious heavy weights.

Watch Al this Sunday and if you’re interested in fishing with Al and getting on TV, jump on board Al’ McGlashan’s Vanuatu adventure this coming January.