To many anglers fishing is simple. It's not much more complicated than dangling a shrimp or fishing a jig in any likely spot. Like other human activities, the level of involvement ranges from the simple to the insane. Most fishermen fall somewhere in between, while some live and breathe life on the water. They dream of rigging rods and reels, sharpening hooks, consulting charts, and exploring tackle shops and online forums for the next great lure or fly.

Some anglers steadily graduate from cane poles to graphite spinning rods and fly tackle. Some never consider killing a fish, epitomizing the catch and release ethic. Others sport stickers on the back of their trucks that read, "I Kill Fish." Once again most of us fall somewhere in between, content with our fishing method, respecting our catch and enjoying an occasional fresh fish dinner. Fishing develops into an individual passion, one that's much more than catching. Some of us can have a great day on the water and never catch a fish; others may be disappointed if they don't fill the cooler, but we all profit from our time on the water.

Whether we're just relaxing on the boat or are on the alert for the action of the tides, the subtle movements on the water's surface and the birds that inhabit the oceans and bays sharpen our senses and take us away from our day to day lives. Whatever kind of fisherperson we might be, everyone benefits from being immersed in the natural world. The important thing is to enjoy the experience and come back to shore in a better mood than we left.

Of course, not every day on the water is as relaxing and enjoyable as we'd like it to be. Sometimes the weather doesn't cooperate, the fish don't bite and engine and tackle problems intrude on our interlude. A fishing trip after all isn't immune to the unpredictable. The best advice is to expect the best and be prepared for the worst. Be flexible. I know anglers that wouldn't think of picking up anything other than a fly rod, and to be honest I might have been one of those.

After more than my share of frustrating days, I learned a valuable lesson and flexed. Now I seldom venture onto the water without a spinning rod or two, outfitted with a jig and or a top water plug. When the wind makes it just too much work to fly fish, I switch to my spinning tackle, a move that has paid dividends more than once.

If you are a live bait fisherman, try artificial lures, particularly top water plugs. Sometimes when the pinfish are stealing your hard won bait faster than you can get them on the hook, artificial lures can save the day. The important part is to make the best of your day on the water. Be OK if the catch is less than you hoped for because if you keep your eyes open, you'll learn lessons that will pay off on future trips.

Taking a kid fishing is a great way to break out of too narrow a focus on catching. They'll be thrilled to land fish, but will also notice the rays, dolphins, manatees, birds and other creatures that inhabit the watery world. Whatever your experience, make sure that you are able to break the experience down to simply fishing!