PALMETTO -- If you think you need big, live bait to catch big fish, Captain Joe would say you are wrong.
Fishing lovers -- men and women alike -- came to the Bradenton Boat Show for more than just a look at new boats. They were looking to learn some tricks of the trade from professionals.
"Fishing is about finding what works for you," said Capt. Joe Hebert during Saturday afternoon's Throwing Artificial Lures for Reds and Huge Trout class.
To the couple dozen who attended the session, he explained the logic in catching a big fish with a small artificial lure.
"When you put the little bait out there, the fish will still try and eat it even if it's full," he said.
Keep your fishing line tense, he cautioned, because the fish will try to spit the artificial lure out but will likely turn around as he is swallowing, allowing for the fish to be caught.
Herbert also stressed that there is no such thing as the right color when picking an artificial lure, a common misconception. Picking a color you are comfortable with is more important.
"When you are not comfortable with something, you won't have confidence and you're probably not going to catch anything on it," he said. "Every single bait works."
Among those who attended was Tom Bigger, a seasonal resident. He sat through most of the day's worth of classes trying to absorb as much as he could.
"I feel like I learned a lot," he said. "Some of it I probably won't retain, but that's old age."
Jessica De Leon, Herald law enforcement reporter, can be reached at 941-745-7049. You can follow her on Twitter@JDeLeon1012.
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