I think about my failures, especially those times when others caught fish and I didn't.

I'm sure I've cast over the fish too many times. Pannie snapper can be in the 'ditch' when the sea is very flat. On the other hand, fish may be farther out if the sea is rough, as it was at the last Snapper 1000. On that night, my baits were too big and I wasn't confident in my casting due to the waves. I've since invested in some light waders, not so I can wade any distance but so I'm not psyched out by sweepers at night that fill gumboots.

Possibly another casting mistake is to wade the first channel on a surf beach and then do a mighty cast into the second channel. Maybe the snapper or gurnard are just over the bar you're standing on. I've been outfished on gurnard by short casters who can wade as far as I can, and with considerably more comfort because they had waders. Now I have waders, I might just hold a smaller rod on the bar and move my bait around.

The X-factor is an illusion. Those who seem to have it are those who have all the factors sorted—where, when, casting, bait, rigs, being organised.