The goal of any fishing story you ever see with my byline is to help you become a better fishermen.

Whether it is discussing how to use a particular kind of lure or digging into to philosophical side of fishing, a personal goal of mine is to help other anglers and myself become better at the sport we love so much.

A big part of that is taking an honest look at mistakes made on the water so we can avoid those and use our precious time much more efficiently so today we begin a three part series on mistakes anglers make.

Staying Too Long: This is one I do not tolerate much and that cripples many anglers. If the fish are not biting at a particular location and you have a limited time to fish, then move. The fish are not necessarily at your location. A prime example is when you hear a report from friends of catching a limit of trout in Johnson Bayou for example. You return the next day at the same time to the same location and strike out.

What happened?

There’s a good chance they simply followed the food source elsewhere which is why I am much more about patterns than hotspots. If the fish are feeding on shad in the mornings, then finding the shad is the first key because if you are able to find enough shad, you will eventually find the trout. There is a time and place to grind it out at a spot but for the most part if you have worked an area over and found nothing, move until you do.

Ignoring the Pressure: Barometric pressure is a huge factor in fishing but it is greatly misunderstood. It would take several columns of this length to give it a full explanation but the important thing to know is rising and high pressure are generally bad for fishing and falling pressure is better for fishing. This is why fish bite good right before a cold front comes in and when the sky is clear the day after it hits they have lockjaw.

The best time to fish is when you can and that does not always jive with the right barometric conditions but if you are able to fish when you see conditions lining up to your advantage, avoid the “bluebird sky” days and seek out right before and two to three day after a front hits for best fishing.

Lack of Fish Knowledge: Most anglers know their gear fairly well and are familiar with a set of fishing techniques however many lack in a knowledge of the actual fish they pursue.

By doing a deep study of the diet, metabolism, mating cycles and behavior of fish anglers can avoid simple mistakes and greatly increase opportunities to score, especially on super-sized specimens.

Take speckled trout for example.

To this day I talk with many anglers who believe trout migrate into the Gulf in winter and will not come back until early spring.

The reality is there is no mass migration to the Gulf and trout remain in the bay and channel systems throughout winter, typically staying in the deeper areas and moving shallow when things warm up.

By simply knowing that, an angler can open up a good three months of trout fishing they weren’t bothering with and at a time when catching a big one is highly likely.

In the Thursday edition we will look at specific mistakes made by saltwater anglers and finish with a look at bass fishing no-nos.

(To contact Chester Moore, e-mail him at cmooreoutdoors@gmail.com . You can hear him on “Moore Outdoors” Fridays from 6-7 p.m. on Newstalk AM 560 KLVI and watch his WebTV series at www.Godsoutdoors.com.)