Mike Genoun's key to better fishing is awareness, learning to see the water in three dimensions and picturing the reefs, wrecks, and structure on the bottom instead of just the flat surface in front of you. In this How 2 Tuesday, Captain Mike Genoun of Florida Sport Fishing returns to explain how envisioning the sea floor, studying your fish finder, and learning species behavior, much of it off the water, makes you a far more successful angler.
Listen now: press play in the player above and follow along.
Mike Genoun means not just looking at the flat surface of the water, but picturing what is happening on the bottom, the reefs, rubble, wrecks, and structure the fish relate to. Most anglers look out and see water everywhere and stop there. He uses the fish finder and chart plotter to break down the bottom so anglers can envision it and have the awareness to truly succeed.
Mike Genoun says the physical act of holding the rod and dropping a bait is only a small part of fishing. The bigger part is understanding why a fish is where it is, why a mutton snapper sits a hundred yards off a wreck, or why a shark lives on the wreck itself. Reading the whole environment as one connected system lets you capitalize on those factors and make the most of your time on the water.
Both on and off the water. Mike Genoun points out that the world is at your fingertips, you can sit at your computer or phone and study the habitat and the characteristics of the species you target, then learn how those two factors correlate. Understanding why a fish is or is not in a spot makes a big difference in your actual angling.
Not a physical one. Mike Genoun makes mental notes, but his favorite tool is his phone's photo library, because every photo is dated. He can scroll back to a given day, even January 2022, and see exactly what he caught and where. That dated record is how he learns from history without writing anything down.
Because fish return to the same places. Mike Genoun's example is flag yellowtail, if you catch big ones off the patch reefs or the edge, remember that spot, because you will catch them there again, year after year, if the conditions allow. Building that memory of productive areas pays off over seasons.
He thinks knowing the moon phase is important, but he refuses to let it dictate whether he goes. He has had some of his best wahoo catches far from a full moon. His advice is to be aware of the moon and other factors, but not to skip a trip just because the phase is not what people say it should be.
I walk through each step in the episode. Press play in the player above.
Mike Genoun came back on to talk about something I do not hear enough anglers discuss, awareness. He finds that a lot of people, even on his fishing courses, could become far more successful simply by looking at everything in a three-dimensional format. Most folks see flat water and stop there. He explains why that surface-only view holds anglers back in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The fish we target relate to reefs, rubble, wrecks, and structure, so Mike Genoun trains anglers to envision the sea floor. He will pull it up on the fish finder and chart plotter and show exactly what is down there, then ask the right questions, why is that mutton snapper a hundred yards off the wreck? Holding the rod is only a small part of fishing. He breaks down the bottom in the episode, so press play in the player above.
Mike Genoun says yes, and the world is at your fingertips. From your computer or phone you can study the habitat and the characteristics of the species you chase, then learn how those two factors correlate. Knowing why a fish is or is not in a spot makes a real difference once you are out there. He explains his research routine in the episode, so press play in the player above.
When I asked about keeping an angling journal, Mike Genoun gave a great answer, he does not write much down, he uses his phone's dated photos. He can scroll back to any day and see what he caught and where, and that is how he remembers productive spots like flag yellowtail off the patch reefs. He also warns against letting the moon phase keep you home. He explains his thinking in the episode, so press play in the player above.
The day after this talk, what stays with me is how much of fishing happens before the cast. Mike Genoun's three-dimensional awareness, picturing the bottom and studying the structure, is the work that quietly stacks the odds in your favor.
Start seeing the sea floor, research your species off the water, and let your dated photos remind you where the fish were. And do not skip a trip over the moon. Mike Genoun shares where to find his shows and courses in the episode. Press play in the player above.
How 2 Tuesday is my weekly series where I break down one fishing skill at a time, from knots and casting to gear, tactics, and the habits that make you a better angler. Watch and listen to every How 2 Tuesday episode from Tom Rowland.
Tom Rowland · Mike Genoun · Florida Sport Fishing TV · Captain Mike's Rigging Station · World Fishing Network · Sportsman Channel · mutton snapper · flag yellowtail · wahoo · fsftv.com · How 2 Tuesday · Saltwater Experience
Captain Mike Genoun is the host of Florida Sport Fishing TV, which airs on the World Fishing Network and Sportsman Channel, and of the instructional series Captain Mike's Rigging Station. He runs the Florida Sport Fishing TV Plus streaming platform at fsftv.com, home to more than 400 instructional videos, and leads all-inclusive, hands-on fishing courses.
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