One year on from my initial experiments using artificial intelligence (A.I.), progress has been rapid in terms of what we have at our finger tips. What I’m focusing on here is A.I. use to help you improve knowledge acquisition. If you’ve not read the first part of this series, I’d suggest doing so . You can find part 1 here.
Recently I’ve been playing with Google’s A.I. Bard (now Gemini). One area of exploration has been writing prompts for general fishing advice, the sort of thing you might write when looking to progress. Here’s an example: –
My prompt was ” Give me 7 tips for finding feeding fish.”
Result: –
7 Secrets to Finding Feeding Fish
Finding feeding fish isn’t just about casting a line and hoping for the best. It’s about understanding their behavior, habitat, and the clues they leave behind. Here are 7 key points to turn you from a casual angler into a fish-finding master:
1. Know your water: Different fish prefer different environments. Research the species you’re targeting and their preferred habitats: shallows, weed beds, drop-offs, or rocky structures.
2. Time your fishing: Fish are most active during feeding windows, often at dawn, dusk, or during low-light periods. Consider water temperature and seasonal changes that affect their activity levels.
3. Follow the bait: Where there’s food, there are fish. Look for baitfish like minnows, insects, or crustaceans. Birds diving and feeding on baitfish are another telltale sign.
4. Read the signs: Look for surface activity like boils, splashes, or feeding frenzies. These indicate fish actively chasing prey. Pay attention to ripples, disturbances, and current breaks where bait might be concentrated.
5. Utilize technology: Fish finders can reveal underwater structures, fish schools, and even baitfish concentrations. Use them to target specific areas and adjust your approach accordingly.
6. Be mindful of the weather: Wind, rain, and barometric pressure can affect fish behavior. Observe how they react to different conditions and adjust your tactics.
7. Don’t be afraid to experiment: Different techniques work better in different situations. Try various lures, baits, and presentations to see what attracts the fish you’re targeting.
Bonus Tip: Observe experienced anglers. Watch their techniques, where they cast, and what they use. Don’t be afraid to ask questions and learn from their wisdom.
By incorporating these tips and adapting them to your specific fishing grounds and target species, you’ll be well on your way to consistently finding feeding fish and reeling in a successful catch!
My Notes: –
My prompt was very general and not specific to fly fishing. I did this because a good basic answer to this query should be equally relevant across various fishing disciplines and species.
Gemini’s results were really good high level answers. The draft I’ve included above was scripted in the most appealing way to me, however the results were broadly the same for all three versions the A.I. returned.
Some of the results include scope for further investigation. For example tip 1 includes the recommendation to “research the fish species you are targeting” and suggests preferences you should look for. This is great for drilling down further, to fine tune your knowledge.
Overall A.I. is at a point where for this type of knowledge acquisition, it’s very good. Your prompts have to be very relevant to what you are looking for. Though it’s easy to refine them as you go. Doing this you can get in very concise form, all the key information you would find in a good how to style book. The positive difference is results from the A.I. are optimised from a huge database with many contributors, rather than one or two people authoring a book. Yes, both are open to errors. However, on average, for foundation skill type knowledge that has a big fundamental impact, the wisdom of crowds is probably most reliable.
On the other hand I won’t be clearing out my library. Sitting in a favourite chair in front of a fire, on a cold winter night, reading a good fishing book, is one of life’s simple pleasures!
As I said in part 1, view A.I. as just another useful tool in your kit. Remember you are limited only by your own imagination! (The page header artwork was generated using a graphics generator called “Craiyon”).
Bonus Point: – If you found the fish location information in this post useful? You might also like to read this post!😉 (This is the sort of thinking you don’t get from crowds. It’s either a high value gem or a complete failure. I will let you decide which).
Thanks for taking time to read my work!
SY