Written By - Ted Takasaki & Scott Richardson - 05/12/2007
Link to Original Article here

One fishing season is over.  The next will soon begin.  Now's a great
time to ask a very key question; How can I become a better fisherman?  It's a query that's important to tournament anglers and weekend warriors alike no matter what species they prefer.  For one group, it means the chance to win more cash.  For the other, it means more fun on the water.  Everybody likes to catch more fish.
For Jason Przekurat, the answer is summed up in just one word;
"Versatility," said the 2003 RCL Angler of the Year.  Too many fishermen excel at one or two techniques, he said, but what
happens when those tactics fail? "If I have to stand on my head and do cartwheels from the front of the boat to the back to catch a walleye, I will," said Przekurat, 33, who works at Gander Mountain in Wausau, Wis.  His boss is Tom Keenan, the RCL Champion for 2003. "That's the attitude you have to have.  It's really about being open-minded. If you want to be versatile, you'd better be willing to use any tactic there is.  There are no rules in this game," he said.
Przekurat grew up fishing the Wisconsin River at Stevens Point.  He
bought a boat after his high school graduation.  After time spent as a
muskie fanatic, he decided to broaden his fishing knowledge and
concentrate on learning more about walleyes.
 
From his boyhood, he knew how to handle current and how to slip jig
below the boat. He also knew how to cast crankbaits or drift slip-bobber rigs with one-sixteenth or one-eighth-ounce Fuzz-E-Grubs or bare hooks and minnows and leeches over flats where walleyes feed and spawn.  But, that's about where his walleye knowledge ended.  So, he created his own version of Walleye University;

He read every article he could find on walleye fishing.  He paid
particular attention to new tactics and to fish locations at various
times of year

He built a library of walleye-fishing videos

When he saw someone catching fish, he wasn't afraid to ask how they did it

He attended tournament weigh-ins and listened when the top
competitors talked about what techniques they used
Next, came time on the water with a twist.  If he wanted to learn how to troll lures on leadcore in rivers, he left the jigging rods at home.  In
that way, he avoided the temptation to resort to tried-and-true methods if the new ones didn't pan out as fast as he thought they should.  After all, it took time to learn the nuances, like using long monofilament leaders with leadcore in clear-water lakes and reservoirs and shorter leaders of braided line in rivers to control depth and to see when debris fouled the hooks