Why are you a better fisherman. Well, for me I believe it's about persistence, willingness to listen and learn from others (including on this forum) and patience. When I started as a newbie, 4 years ago, the dealer that I bought my boat from took me on the water and showed me the in's and out's of the boat and then showed me how to set-up the rods, flasher and downriggers etc for trolling as I had never done it before. From there it was lots of trips, mostly solo, as being new to the island I didn't know anyone. Gradually I met a couple of folks at the Esquimalt docks who were willing to share tips and I continued to read about wind, tides etc. Lost lots of lead and downrigger cable, snapped off a couple of rods etc etc in my first year of learning.
I have a limited supply of tackle, have low end rods and reels and still manage to pick up a few fish while enjoying my days on the water. I believe that I learned very early (in my mind anyways) that there is a ton of fishing tackle available in all colours, sizes, shapes and prices and for the most part they will all catch fish,,,,,if the fish are there and they are biting. I truly believe that what you have on the end of your line is not as important as many make it out to be. Reading reports you will see that one guy used this, another used that and yet another guy used something else, all in the same day and same area. The particular piece of tackle that caught you the most fish is the piece that you use the most. So if the fish are there and you find them, and they are biting, you will get your share.
Knowing where to look and understanding the conditions, best tides, best locations etc is where experience comes in and I truly lack in this area which is why I spends hours and hours on the water to increase my chances of hooking up. Putting in my time doing what I love to do still leaves me with many skunk days but the day where a friend, me or one of my grandkids land a fish, well that makes it all worth while. (Those are the days when I got lucky)