My dad is full of old sayings he keeps on hand, waiting to disperse them at opportune times. “Push hard, comes easy,” is one of my all-time favorites. Growing up, he would offer these subtle words of wisdom when we had a difficult chore or heavy lifting that called upon our collective manpower. His words have stuck with me. No matter if I’m honing my lesson or fishing plans, my father’s advice has served me well.

Taking my own kids fishing is a perfect example. They will only see the end result: hopefully a live well or camera full of fish. They will miss the push hard phase. In pla...