That was right after I first met Charlie, and he was setting me up for my initial lesson in fishing his now-famous Slider lure. I didn't understand the comment, but came to realize very soon that 'do-nothing fishing', in the way Charlie practiced it, was a great way to catch a LOT of fish. But, the real meaning of the term 'nothing' and its effectiveness in fishing did not become really clear for 30 more years. A year after Charlie Brewer's passing, I think I now have figured it out.
Fish are dumb as rocks.
You can dispute that comment all you like. Fishermen, on the other hand, are 'smart'. We spend small fortunes and the kid's shoe money trying to find that one 'magic' lure that will answer all our prayers. That one bait that fish cannot resist. We know what it must look like, too, and we know its characteristics.