How one Canuck angler got to the world championship of bass fishing—the Bassmaster Classic

#5: Avoid Mistakes

Having first fished competitively as a non-boater, then later as a boater, Sim has seen anglers from both groups demonstrate plenty of bad habits and avoidable mistakes. At the top of his taboo list is hyper-focusing on the importance of colour.

“I think way too many anglers spend far too much time changing baits because they’re convinced a different colour is the key,” Sim says. “Yes, sometimes a colour change might make a difference, but more often, success is about getting your bait in front of the fish.” If he believes he has the right bait for the conditions at hand, but he’s not catching fish, Sim says it’s time to either move or keep covering more water—not change colours.