The Art of Successful Fishing

1. Spend hours online looking at how the pro’s set up their line
2. Do something totally different because I can’t figure out the knots
3. Place bait on hook and cast line
4. Recast line because it only went three feet
5. Hope that bait stayed on hook
6. Sit down and expect fish to already be biting
7. After a few minutes wonder if bait is still on hook
8. A few minutes later, realize I have to pee, but can’t leave because once I do the fish will bite
9. Sprint someplace to pee
10. Walk back out of breath
11. Wonder if the bait is still on the hook
12. Resist the urge to bring in the line to check the bait
13. Try to find cell service to find out how to tie the proper knot
14. Pray
15. Get mad at the person who drove their boat on the other side of the lake causing a small wake because it scares all the fish
16. Pray
17. Check my line to make sure it isn’t snagged
18. Look at the directions on the bait
19. Look at my watch to see it’s already been 20 minutes
20. Act happy for the guy that just showed up and caught a fish
21. Bait must have fallen off
22. Reel in the line
23. Find the bait is still on the hook
24. Hook the camping chair
25. Hook my pants
26. Hook my shirt
27. Cast the line out
28. Watch the bait fly 10 yards further than the hook
29. Reel in the line to put on new bait
30. Get the hook snagged in the weeds
31. Break line
32. Set up new line using the new knot
33. Forget the new knot after trying three times
34. Recast to the exact same spot no bites were happening
35. Tell someone who just asked that you haven’t caught anything, but you’ve gotten a ton of bites
36. Pray
37. Decide the fish aren’t biting, time to go home
38. See fish jump right where your bait is
39. Wait five minutes with no bite
40. Bring in line because bait obviously fell off
41. Notice bait is still on
42. Recast to same spot
43. Miss bite while sitting back down
44. Rebait and recast
45. Catch fish

After four hours of fishing, consider it a good day.