Archive for February, 2012

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KNOTTY FISHING

Wednesday, February 29th, 2012

No matter what type of fishing your doing anytime you are around the water it is important to know how to tie correct knots. Whether you’re tying a hook or lure or are securing a boat the proper knot and ability to tie them can make all the difference in the world. Knot tying is a skill that is good to be mastered in whatever you do not just fishing but if you don’t know how to tie knots properly it can often result in hooks coming loose and losing many fish. Basic knots such as the sailors knot, the slip knot and the square knot are knots everyone should know and will provide themselves practical not just in the fishing world but in everyday life.

Tying a hook properly will allow the line to stay attached to the hook without the line slipping and no matter how hard the fish fights the knot will not come undone. The line may break and the fish will get away but if the hook is tied properly the hook will stay attached to the line and increase your chances of bringing in your fish. Knowing other basic knots is helpful if you are on a boat and need to secure an item or items. On a boat, ropes are called lines and knowing how to tie down cargo or even your boat to the dock is extremely important. Knot tying is definitely a valuable skill and anyone who has been on the water long will agree.

P.S. By the way, while you are on my site please feel free to check out my shopping page. There are 50 stores from which to buy and window shop from. There are items from books, printing needs to jewelry. It also includes Home Depot for all your shopping needs.

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Different Knots, Live Bait | 34 Comments »

CASTING PRACTICE

Tuesday, February 28th, 2012

In the world of fishing there are many things you cannot practice but the one thing that can be practiced is the art of casting. Anyone who has spent any time with a rod and reel are well aware that proper casting is truly an art form. Learning how much weight needs to be on your line to get a cast where you want it, what ones rod and reel are capable of are both valuable lessons that can be gained from practicing casting. Probably the biggest advantage to practicing casting is learning how to pinpoint your cast and make the lure or bait fall exactly where you want it to go. Fly fishermen practice casting to get their timing down and a memorable scene from the movie “A River Runs Through It” shows a father teaching his two sons how to practice fly casting on a timing system. Casting is very important in almost every type of fishing and the better the ability to cast the better your fishing results should be. Learning to cast out overhead, side arm from the right and from the left side of one’s body will become invaluable as you continue your fishing journeys. Learning to cast far as well as spot casting can make the difference in being skunked (not catching any fish) or getting your limit and as long as the fish are there and your using the right bait casting is an extremely crucial skill to master to enjoy fishing.

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Rods And Reels, Weighting Your Fishing Line | 7 Comments »

Snake in the Boat

Monday, February 27th, 2012

I got an other story from my early years of fishing. Do any of you have a young brother or sister that seemed to come up with ideas that sounded good but turned out not so good and you being the oldest, you get the idea. Well, I had a brother who was two years and ten months younger than me and to this day, I still do not know why I let him talk me into going into the inlet of the lake that our folks own a place on. OK, so this is how the day started. We up and one the lake by 6 AM and where having pretty good until about 10 AM when the fish just quit biting so we decided to go in for a bite to eat before heading to our spot that we fished when this would happen. After lunch, we decided to head across the lake to our spot. We were there about an hour and nothing was happening so my brother decided that we need to move to an other spot that was over close to the inlet. So we stopped at that spot and fished for about a half hour and nothing. My brother started to get antsy and he said to me, “You know, now would be the time to try out the inlet like we have been talking about doing.” I thought OK nothing happening on the lake maybe we should just try it since we are right here. So up anchor, and away we went with me at the ores, we did not have a motor, rowing up this lily pad lock water way. The brother was in the front of the watching to make sure we did not hit something and put a hole in the boat. After a lot of work we got to a hole in the pads and decided to see what we could catch and the day being what it was, nothing. So I said lets go so we can eat before we come back out to fly fish a little after 5 PM. We always had good luck for pan fish in the evening. So I rowed us back out of the inlet onto the main lake where my brother took over to row us back to the trailer. We were about to the pier when I heard something behind us. I realized that it was snake and had plains of joining us in the boat which I did not think was a good idea. So I told my brother to move and I replaced him at the orrs and rowed as fast as I could.I just got to the pier when in the boat came the snake and out of the boat we went and up to the trailer.We waited awhile before go back to the boat to see if the snake was gone, it was.  Let me tell you that was first and last time we thought about getting off the main lake.

Have a great day and happy fishing,

 

William

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Posted in Lakes, Safe Boating, Stories and Tall Tales | 1 Comment »

CORRECT CASTING

Monday, February 27th, 2012

For the fisherman who wants to spend his time in fresh water the ability to cast is as important as what one uses for bait. Although most salt water fishing is done without casting there are several times that casting comes into play such as surf casting, fishing off a jetty or even casting out a plug out from a boat. If one is casting in a river the proper way to cast for the most part is upstream allowing the bait or lure to drift down into a hole where the fish are laying. There are some instances where one might cast directly across from them but in most cases one should always cast upstream and allow the line to work its way through the water until it goes below you and starts coming into the bank. The proper weight on the line plays an important role not only getting the bait or lure down in the water but also preventing the line from going too fast down the river or stream. Another role the weight plays is that without weight it is hard to get the proper cast because the line and lure alone are not heavy enough to get your gear where it needs to be in the water. Proper casting is an art and even more so with fly fishing which operates on a completely different system than regular river and lake casting. For the angler practicing one’s ability to cast is extremely important to their fishing success.

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Live Bait, Rods And Reels, Weighting Your Fishing Line | 6 Comments »

HEAVY WEIGHT

Friday, February 24th, 2012

No matter what kind of fishing one wants to pursue the use of weights or weighted line is a necessity. Fly fishermen for example use a weighted line to get their casts where they want them to go. In river fishing, depending upon the current of the river or stream and the speed at which it is flowing will determine the amount of weight you will need. In order to cast across large rivers one also needs to use the appropriate amount of weight to make the cast effective. The trick to using weight is to put enough on that you can cast and get your lure or bait down to the fish without putting too much weight on that will hang up on the bed of the river or stream. Even in the ocean weight is used to get lines down deep enough when trolling or if an outrigger is used even heavier weights are used to keep the lines down. Whether you are casting out or trolling or just dropping a line in a lake weights usually made of lead are used to get your bait where you want it and help you cast the line where it needs to be. The skill of knowing how much weight to use is not difficult it just takes time and practice to figure out what works best for the angler. If one is unsure of how much weight to use check with a fishing store whose staff is usually very knowledgeable.

 

PS: We have added a donate button to the page for those of you who may wish to donate to the site. It is located at the top of the page. We thank you.

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Live Bait, Rods And Reels, Weighting Your Fishing Line | 4 Comments »

POWER OF SMELL

Thursday, February 23rd, 2012

Every fisherman has his or her favorite type of bait or lure to use and although it may vary from the type of fishing all artificial lures and live bait can be used for almost any kind of fishing there is. Another type of bait used is scented bait. Scented bait is used in a variety of ways. When fishing for shellfish such as crab often times things such as liver and chicken meat is put in the cages (traps) to attract the crabs. Chum is used for example to attract sharks. Chum in this case is guts and blood of other fish or animals that is dropped into the water to attract the fish. Chumming is also used with other large trophy fish like marlin and spearfish. Corn is a popular scented bait to use to catch trout and bass and although at first glance one would think it is because of the color it is more the scent of the corn that gets the fish’s attention. Dough balls a spongy scented item that looks like a cluster of eggs is also used on many river and lake fish and is used in some places to catch fish in the ocean at the base of a river. As long as there is a strong enough odors the fish will be attracted to the bait whether it is a predator like the shark or a docile fish like the trout. Scented bait is an excellent choice of bait for whatever you are fishing for.

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Live Bait, Scented Baits | 3 Comments »

CREEPY CRAWLERS

Wednesday, February 22nd, 2012

They are squishy, squirmy and just not necessarily great to handle but for the fish and the fishermen who use them live bait is the best thing since creamy peanut butter. Some of the most squirmy of all creatures are popular favorites for live bait for fishermen. Night crawlers, or worms as most of us know them are a favorite of lake fishermen trying to catch their limit of trout in lakes across the country and many fishermen are dependent on those little blood sucking leeches to catch fish. Just don’t fall asleep and let them attach themselves to ones skin. Live bait has always been a favorite of fishermen and long before the spinner, hot shot and other artificial lures entered the market live bait was the only option for the angler. Live bait is used for all types of fishing from large trophy fish found in the ocean to the smaller fish found in the lakes and ponds. Live bait comes in a variety of forms from worms and leeches to minnows, herring and even in some cases small ocean fish like certain species of tuna. Depending upon what you are fishing for there is a choice live bait to use to get what you want. Often times the bait can be found in any bait shop near ones selected location to fish and they will carry a variety of live bait options for one to choose from. Live bait is considered the best bait by many anglers.

P.S. By the way, while you are on my site please feel free to check out my shopping page. There are 50 stores from which to buy and window shop from. There are items from books, printing needs to jewelry. It also includes Home Depot for all your shopping needs.

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Posted in Live Bait, Scented Baits | 62 Comments »

A GOOD BET

Tuesday, February 21st, 2012

Most fishermen are a little bit superstitious. They may want a certain meal, have a favorite lure or bait maybe it’s their special fishing hat but one of the things they are sure of is that their favorite hole will garner them what they are looking for. Fishing spots are not necessarily a superstition fish lay in certain areas and depending on the currents or way the water is running these fishing holes actually do carry more fish than other spots but the typical angler armed with his superstitions will always feel that if he can fish his favorite spot plenty of action is guaranteed to happen. Almost every fisherman has a favorite place to fish where he might have caught his first fish, his biggest fish or just seemed to have his best luck their when he fished the hole in the past but make no mistake there is or will be a favorite spot to fish where the fisherman will see plenty of action. On every river, stream, lake, and pond or even in the ocean fishermen have favorite areas where they believe they will catch their prize. And no matter what type of fishing one is doing over time favorite spots will start to develop along with a few fish tales about how great that spot might be and how much fish were caught there. With plenty of action the favorite hole will always be a place of joy and contentment for the happy angler seeking his catch.

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Posted in Favorite Fishing Spots, New Fishing Spots | No Comments »

“Wallhanger Smallmouth”

Monday, February 20th, 2012

It has been a few days since I have added a new article so here we go. I was reading the other day about “Wallhanger Smallmouth” tactics. Me being a fisherman who is into fishing for the fun of it my ears kind of perked up so I thought you might like a summary of what I read. They were talking about five different tactics. They talked about when, where, water conditions, lures and presentation.

 

#1 Jerking for Prespawn Giants

Where: Main lake prespawn staging areas like points, rockpiles, dropoffs and the like

When: Late winter/early spring

Water Conditions: Moderately stained/Temp 48 to 52 degree water/Sunny to partly cloudy/Windy the better as this bring the fish shallower and they can see the bait from longer distance

Lure: Suspending jerkbait/10 pound fluorocarbon line

Presentation: Long cast with the wind past the target/reel the bait as quickly to maximum depth/Pause than snap the tip of the rod a few times and pause as the fish will smack the bait on the                             pause

#2 Sight Fishing for bedding Giants

Where: Sand or pea gravel flats 3 to 12 feet

When: Spring/early summer

Water Conditions: Clear 61 to 64 degree water/Sunny/Calm winds/with polarized sun glasses

Lures: Tube bait or twister grub on 3/16 to 3/8 jighead kook exposed/8 pound fluorocarbon line

Presentation: Case pass the target/hop, swim or drag to target/if can not see the fish use fan cast method

#3 On the River

Where: Main River/long stretches of 25 to 35 foot

When: Late summer/early fall

Water Conditions: Clear to moderately stained/68 to 72 degree water/fast current/sunny/light wind

Lure: Small creature baits, realistic colors/1/2 ounce sinker with 2 foot leader/ 15 pound fluorocarbon line

Presentation: Cast upstream/boat drift downstream/hole rod tight

#4 Dragging the Depths

Where: Great Lakes/Glacial or highland reservoirs/35 to 70 feet depths

When: Midsummer/early fall

Water Conditions: Clear 70 to 75 degree water/light to moderate wind/presents of bait fish

Lures: 3 to 4 inch drop shot lures/rig with No. 1 drop shot hook with 3/8 to 1/2 ounce sinker/ 8 pound fluorocarbon line or 10 pound braid and 8 pound fluorocarbon leader

Presentation: Look for deep structures or bait fish on bottom/cast pass target and weight for sinker to hit bottom/slowly reel toward target stopping ever little bit and shake the rod tip

#5 Cranking Mules

Where: Highland/Flatland lakes

When: Fall/Early winter

Water Conditions: Stained 65 to 55 degree water/strong south to west wind/cloudy skies

Lure: 1/4 to 5/8 ounce diving crankbait/10 pound monofilament for the stretch

Presentation: Cast tightly to shore and crank quickly so the bait bumps and grinds on the bottom

I hope you can get one for your wall.

Great fishing and be safe,

 

William

 

PS: We have added a donate button to the page for those of you who may wish to donate to the site. It is located at the top of the page. We thank you.

 

 

 

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Posted in Artificial Baits, Water Clearity, Weighting Your Fishing Line | 5 Comments »

THE ACTION HOLE

Monday, February 20th, 2012

Whether you’re a guide, an advanced angler everyone has a favorite spot they feel gives them the greatest chance to catch fish. It might be a deep hole on a river, a certain pond or a particular area in the ocean that an angler just feels more lucky than any other spot. Even the beginning fisherman will quickly develop a favorite spot amongst all other fishing spots that will produce plenty of action for the sports fisherman. Ask any long time fisherman where the best place to fish is and they will usually crack a smile and name their favorite fishing hole for whatever type of fish you are searching out. Sometimes the crafty veteran will be a little hard pressed to give you exact directions wanting to keep his favorite hole a secret but more often than not they will give you an area where they have caught many fish. There may be several fishing spots on the particular river or lake or ocean that produce fish but anyone who has fished for awhile will have that one hole where the action was happening or they hooked a particularly large fish that plays again and again in their memories. In river fishing that could be one hole or a couple on the same river but when the fisherman is there they know something is going to happen and the game between fisherman and fish will begin. No matter what type of fishing there is always a favorite hole to fish.

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Posted in Favorite Fishing Spots, New Fishing Spots, Water Clearity | 14 Comments »

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