I used to try and fish everything, at any time. It took me awhile, but I realised this doesn't really work that well. As I've gotten older, I've narrowed my species, and hence my gear to suit.
I fish:
boat offshore> summer=pelagics, winter= bottom fish
boat bay> squire, whiting, mackerel, sandcrabs
boat estuary> flathead, cod, prawns, mudcrabs
Out of these, a few I'm still very much learning, others I'm quite confident in. For me, it's about recognising patterns and achieving what I set out to catch, always learning.