The number one question at seminars is how to locate fish, "fishy" habitat, and learning to navigate an area. The answer comes down to time on the water. Hiring a guide, looking at charts, scanning Google Earth, and all of the fishing applications in the world are no substitution for time on the water. Even more important is proper time on the water.
What is proper time? That is the time you put in to doing more than standing on the platform actively fishing. Some call these scouting days, but to me, you cannot properly scout until you have some knowledge of the area. Proper time means standing on the poling platform, easing your way through an area, taking notice of all you can: subtle cuts through the flats, changes in the bottom structure, underwater structures that could represent hazards or cover for fish, shoreline make-up, and the list goes on. I have been to new areas where the outboard was never started. Instead, we spent the entire day poling (of course you have to be in the right area for this type of day, but they are available). Yes, it makes for a long, slow day. But the information gathered allowed us to know where we could safely run, what type of fishing area we were dealing with, and gave us some idea of where to look for fish.
The major problem in today's world is most don't want to do that work. It's a shame too. Everyone wants instant gratification. So, they hire a guide and then go back to the spots the guide took them, they follow other anglers (affectionately referred to as Potlicking) and make their spots, the go to online forums and requests spots, or they venture to a local shop and try to overhear conversations or get spots from the employees. Sure, a new angler may pick up a spot or two by doing this. At the same time, they will pick up a few enemies and they will not have gained any knowledge about the area or why they are fishing a spot. So, when that spot or those two spots stop producing, the new angler in the area has no idea what to do; they just start the process all over.
There are no shortcuts in the outdoor world; fishing or hunting. Yes, you can hire a guide for trip to an area you are visiting and I highly recommend it. But not for your home waters or hunting location. This needs to be done by putting in the work and time (proper time). Besides, if you think fishing and hunting is all about catching and killing, you still don't understand; sure, it is a fun part of it, but it is the journey to that final part that keeps drawing true sports enthusiasts back.