If you're learning how to surf fish, then you know that a good cast is very important. This is a quick instruction guide on how to do that for the best results.
For surf fishing, you need to cast long. This will get your bait out there to where you need it to be for the best catch.
It begins with your choice of rod. The longer the rod, the further the cast. But, don't go out and just buy the longest rod out there. Winds are strong on the beach and you'll have more trouble keeping control of a really long rod. So, compromise and get yourself a 10' medium action rod. This gives you good control with the best casting ability. Also, be sure the guides on the rod are large enough to let your shock leader knot go through unhindered when you cast.
Now, for how to surf fish cast. Follow these simple steps:
1. Stake your reel holder in the sand right above the water line.
2. Bait your hook.
3. Take your rod and start wading out in the ocean. Wade until you get to the crest of the first sandbar.
4. Point the tip of your reel toward the area in which you want your bait to land.
5. Lift the point of the rod up at about a 45 degree angle. (Consider this your starting point.)
6. Swing the top of your rod backwards over your shoulder until it is parallel to the water.
7. Fling the top of your rod forward until you return to your starting position while releasing your line about half way through this motion.
8. Wade back up to the beach and set your rod in it's holder.
9. Relax and watch your line for the first bite!
Surf fishing is the most exciting type of fishing, in my opinion. It doesn't require much money to get started and almost anyone can do it. Learning how to surf fish is fun and relaxing.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The Art of Fishing - How to Make the Most of Your Fishing Adventures
The art of fishing has many aspects. There are quite a few steps to take before you cast to ensure a safe and successful experience. The first thing anyone should do is acquire the appropriate licensing. You always want to be legal, as the repercussions can be extreme. You also want to be familiar with the fishing regulations for your area. After this you have to decide whether you are going to fish in saltwater or freshwater. Both have their pros and cons, which will be discussed later. Once you pick where you will fish, you need to get equipped. The equipment available today is vast and can be confusing, but once you have your target, it can be quite easy.
As I mentioned, acquiring a license should be your first action in preparing for a fishing trip. Most bait and tackle shops as well as some sporting good stores and chain superstores will offer licensing. If you attempt to fish without the proper credentials, law enforcement officials can fine you, arrest you, and in extreme cases seize your equipment/vehicle/boat(if you are using one). The same goes for adhering to the fishing regulations. These regulations let you know what species of fish are harvest-able, and of those species, what size limit you need to reach before harvesting. Some species also have a bag limit, which is the amount of said species you can keep.
After getting licensed, you need to decide where you will fish. Both fresh and salt bodies of water offer different experiences. If you choose freshwater, your typical query will be large mouth bass, small mouth bass, different breeds of catfish, bream, crappie, and other panfish (ie: bluegill, sunspot, etc.). In some fresh water bodies you can find striped bass, brown trout and rainbow trout(different than the saltwater species). In my opinion, the striped bass is the best fight available in a freshwater fish, especially as they can get quite large. Those are most of your southern choices. If fishing in the north, you can expect to catch perch, walleye, pike, muskies, some salmon, and sturgeon. If you choose saltwater, the query varies vastly.
With too many species to list here, I will list a few that I enjoy fishing for. Some common catches are snapper, grouper, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, members of the jack family, as well as others. The former are most commonly found inshore/near shore. The more sought after inshore fish are the redfish(red drum) and the sea trout. There are also a variety of fish offshore, if you have a boat or charter one. They can include(but are not limited to) dolphin(mahi mahi), tuna, cobia, amberjack, bluefish, kingfish, mackerel and wahoo. There are many more, but I am only listing the more common species.
After you have selected your destination and your target, its time to get equipped. You want to choose a rod strong enough for your target, but not overly so as to make for an enjoyable fight. The reel needs to also be strong enough for your target, and able to hold the pound test line that you choose(the lighter the test, the weaker). Finally you need to pick your bait. There are many artificial lures made to target most species. You may also choose a real bait, either live or frozen. If this is the case, you need to get the appropriate hooks and weights.
When all these steps are finished, all that's left is the fishing. The best way to learn the art of fishing is to practice, practice, practice. I hope this has helped you with your fishing questions, now get out there and catch something.
As I mentioned, acquiring a license should be your first action in preparing for a fishing trip. Most bait and tackle shops as well as some sporting good stores and chain superstores will offer licensing. If you attempt to fish without the proper credentials, law enforcement officials can fine you, arrest you, and in extreme cases seize your equipment/vehicle/boat(if you are using one). The same goes for adhering to the fishing regulations. These regulations let you know what species of fish are harvest-able, and of those species, what size limit you need to reach before harvesting. Some species also have a bag limit, which is the amount of said species you can keep.
After getting licensed, you need to decide where you will fish. Both fresh and salt bodies of water offer different experiences. If you choose freshwater, your typical query will be large mouth bass, small mouth bass, different breeds of catfish, bream, crappie, and other panfish (ie: bluegill, sunspot, etc.). In some fresh water bodies you can find striped bass, brown trout and rainbow trout(different than the saltwater species). In my opinion, the striped bass is the best fight available in a freshwater fish, especially as they can get quite large. Those are most of your southern choices. If fishing in the north, you can expect to catch perch, walleye, pike, muskies, some salmon, and sturgeon. If you choose saltwater, the query varies vastly.
With too many species to list here, I will list a few that I enjoy fishing for. Some common catches are snapper, grouper, flounder, sheepshead, black drum, members of the jack family, as well as others. The former are most commonly found inshore/near shore. The more sought after inshore fish are the redfish(red drum) and the sea trout. There are also a variety of fish offshore, if you have a boat or charter one. They can include(but are not limited to) dolphin(mahi mahi), tuna, cobia, amberjack, bluefish, kingfish, mackerel and wahoo. There are many more, but I am only listing the more common species.
After you have selected your destination and your target, its time to get equipped. You want to choose a rod strong enough for your target, but not overly so as to make for an enjoyable fight. The reel needs to also be strong enough for your target, and able to hold the pound test line that you choose(the lighter the test, the weaker). Finally you need to pick your bait. There are many artificial lures made to target most species. You may also choose a real bait, either live or frozen. If this is the case, you need to get the appropriate hooks and weights.
When all these steps are finished, all that's left is the fishing. The best way to learn the art of fishing is to practice, practice, practice. I hope this has helped you with your fishing questions, now get out there and catch something.
Fishing Tips For Largemouth Bass
The following article is for anyone who wants to learn more about Bass Fishing. If you need to know more about Largemouth Bass or if you just need some more fishing tips in general, then read on to find some more help.
Largemouth Bass love to eat insects and other various types of critters. They are huge eaters and are constantly eating all the time. This means that you can be sure that they will most likely bite anything that you put on your line.
You could probably increase your chances though if you try using Worms, Crank baits, or Jigs. All three of these lures work really well when it comes to catching Bass.
You can also try using live bait as well as artificial bait. Many fishermen report that using live bait works very well when it comes to fishing for Bass. Many other people will also tell you that artificial work just as good if not better. This means that ether or could work for you really.
My advice for you would be too try both type of tackle before you come up with any kind of solutions. This way you can be sure to find out which one will work for you.
Remember that Bass love deep cooler water, so if you happen to be fishing sometime in the summer, then try heading for the deeper waters instead of the shallow end. You will have a greater chance of catching some big lunkers in deep water.
This article is only meant to be a little snippet of information on fishing for Largemouth Bass.
Largemouth Bass love to eat insects and other various types of critters. They are huge eaters and are constantly eating all the time. This means that you can be sure that they will most likely bite anything that you put on your line.
You could probably increase your chances though if you try using Worms, Crank baits, or Jigs. All three of these lures work really well when it comes to catching Bass.
You can also try using live bait as well as artificial bait. Many fishermen report that using live bait works very well when it comes to fishing for Bass. Many other people will also tell you that artificial work just as good if not better. This means that ether or could work for you really.
My advice for you would be too try both type of tackle before you come up with any kind of solutions. This way you can be sure to find out which one will work for you.
Remember that Bass love deep cooler water, so if you happen to be fishing sometime in the summer, then try heading for the deeper waters instead of the shallow end. You will have a greater chance of catching some big lunkers in deep water.
This article is only meant to be a little snippet of information on fishing for Largemouth Bass.
Drizzle Fishing in Saltwater Or Freshwater
What the heck is that you might ask? Well, let me tell you. Drizzle fishing is a great fish catching opportunity after a rain storm, and is all about taking a break and getting side-tracked from your normal daily activities towards the end of an afternoon or evening thunderstorm, even if only for a brief period of time. Just after the storm moves through, grab your fishing rod and head for your nearest canal, seawall or beachfront and make a few casts with your favorite fishing lure.
Keep it simple. Do not make an ordeal out of it. Get to the nearest body of water you can reach. It could be saltwater fishing off of a dock, beach or jetties for snapper, trout, redfish, flounder, tarpon or snook; or a fresh water river, pond or canal for bass. Just take a spinning rod and reel, and a couple of easy fishing lures like soft plastics and topwater plugs.
This type of fishing is pleasurable, relaxing and productive. On many occasions such as this my work day will suddenly stop! I then get up out of my chair which is perched in front of my work computer, immediately grab my fishing rod and head off down to the fresh water canal behind the house and start throwing a soft plastic lure or worm. I often concentrate my casts around the storm drains since noticing that the bass will often times congregate around these after a storm, possibly waiting for their next meal to wash out of the drain.
Depending on when you make it to the water after the rain storm, you may find yourself standing and fishing in a rain drizzle. That is ok. Just relax, cast, take long deep breaths and enjoy the moment. Just be careful not to be out during any remaining lightning.
Fishing this way is not only therapeutic, you will catch fish too! Not being a scientist, I can not tell you why, maybe it's the change in pressure, but you will probably notice that many times after a storm moves through the bite will turn on during the calm period. Take advantage of this fishing opportunity time when you can. You will be glad you did. It will enable you to clear your mind of the strains and tensions that your normal work day puts you through, sometimes catch a few fish, then get back to your day feeling just a little bit better.
The inspiration for this modest writing came from my own recent drizzle fishing experience and yes, was even lucky enough to catch six bass in a short period of time. After the bite was over, I quickly returned back to my computer and typed these thoughts. Give it a try yourself.
Keep it simple. Do not make an ordeal out of it. Get to the nearest body of water you can reach. It could be saltwater fishing off of a dock, beach or jetties for snapper, trout, redfish, flounder, tarpon or snook; or a fresh water river, pond or canal for bass. Just take a spinning rod and reel, and a couple of easy fishing lures like soft plastics and topwater plugs.
This type of fishing is pleasurable, relaxing and productive. On many occasions such as this my work day will suddenly stop! I then get up out of my chair which is perched in front of my work computer, immediately grab my fishing rod and head off down to the fresh water canal behind the house and start throwing a soft plastic lure or worm. I often concentrate my casts around the storm drains since noticing that the bass will often times congregate around these after a storm, possibly waiting for their next meal to wash out of the drain.
Depending on when you make it to the water after the rain storm, you may find yourself standing and fishing in a rain drizzle. That is ok. Just relax, cast, take long deep breaths and enjoy the moment. Just be careful not to be out during any remaining lightning.
Fishing this way is not only therapeutic, you will catch fish too! Not being a scientist, I can not tell you why, maybe it's the change in pressure, but you will probably notice that many times after a storm moves through the bite will turn on during the calm period. Take advantage of this fishing opportunity time when you can. You will be glad you did. It will enable you to clear your mind of the strains and tensions that your normal work day puts you through, sometimes catch a few fish, then get back to your day feeling just a little bit better.
The inspiration for this modest writing came from my own recent drizzle fishing experience and yes, was even lucky enough to catch six bass in a short period of time. After the bite was over, I quickly returned back to my computer and typed these thoughts. Give it a try yourself.
Big Carp Fishing Secrets You Cannot Afford to Miss!
How often do we hook big fish and never ever realise it? This happens all the time and is especially a problem where big wary fish are concerned and is a problem every angler needs to become aware of and focus on solving. Yesterday I visited a small water with a large stock of small fish and only a few big carp; within hours I hooked and landed one of the biggest; an upper-thirty pound mirror carp. But how did I do it? Read on to find out!
In so many big carp waters today you have fish cleaning up on free baits and avoiding the vast majority of hook baits, very frequently by actually ridding themselves of your hook without running or often without giving you even a single bleep on your alarm. In fact if we truly appreciated how frequently this happens we would be more than alarmed - very shocked is more like it! Just because you hook fish and you see lots of big carp caught in the angling weeklies and monthlies does not mean you cannot improve drastically upon your own catch results compared to your fellow anglers and some edges will treble or quadruple your catches if only you truly appreciated their true power!
Over the years I've tried all kinds of ways of converting more bleeps on the alarm to landed carp and it really does come down to refining every aspect of your fishing in many ways so you are able to maximise every opportunity at a take you can create. I can categorically state that non of the hooks I have used straight from the packet have converted as many carp bait bites into fish for me as my own extreme-sharpened hooks. Of course you might think this sounds like I have not used the sharpest chemically sharpened hooks in all their patterns, but in my case I have used probably all the leading brands and patterns over the years and deliberately tested them.
(Please note I have not tested the new circle style carp hooks recently introduced by a British carp tackle company; the reports of bite conversions on these sound fantastic.)
For a number of decades I lived in Essex time and often combined sea fishing from the beach alongside my carp fishing and catfish fishing activities. Fresh eels from the sea are very good eating and a great saving on supermarket bills! (I happen to have a great taste for eels especially when fried; they are like chicken to me, but I detest jelled eels!) Between 20 and 30 years ago I used to catch a number of eels from the shore during the warmer months often while carp fishing ponds and lakes near the sea side. Often eels really seemed to be a pest - that is until I tried frying and barbequing them!
Since then I have determined to eat every legal size fish within the limit (and within acceptable reason) that I catch from the sea, and this has included bass, sole, dabs, eels, mullet, codling, whiting, (and even a lobster) among others. I have also been lucky enough to sample fresh sea trout and also wild brown trout and rainbow trout that I caught from Scottish rivers during a period I lived in Scotland. (I even hook a twenty-plus pound salmon in a spate river (the river Girvan.)
The idea for purposely testing hooks abilities to avoid hook shedding and converting bites into landed fish came from an unusual experiment in itself. So I gradually increased the number of hooks on more paternoster booms of various lengths in theory to improve the number of fish hooked on a single cast when left out for longer. Please note that in more recent years eel numbers in our rivers have been very significantly declining and these days conservation is vitally important; the illegal poaching of elvers has been a big reason for this as well as over-exploitative commercial fishing and barriers to spawning stretches of rivers and pollution of the sea and rivers.
I the tests what happened was the eels simply shed the hooks. I recall waiting while a series of bites indicated another eel taking the worm baits on a 10 hook rig casts. Guess what happened? Just 1 or 2 eels were landed upon reeling in. The hooks of the rest of the rigs had all been twisted and the hooks had been shed leaving a bare hook and no fish! Now you might say this was no big deal as eels are slippery customers and can ties themselves up in knots to get off the hook literally tying themselves up in knots in the line and pulling themselves off.
But I noticed some hook were massively more consistent at preventing eels getting off the hook and there were the sharpest hooks of the sharpest patterns that I had specially sharpened. Over all the faster and deeper a hook penetrates the harder it is to shake free. I found that the hooks with the longer thinner points were the most successful. (This I have applied with indisputably better measurable results in carp fishing.) But there are very few hooks suitable with ideal characteristics and even these need specially sharpening!)
For example even the short and long shank Nailer type hooks convert many more bites into landed fish when very finely and skilfully sharpened. The greatest test is when using barbless hooks which so many fisheries demand these days; lost fish due to a non-maximised hooks are completely unnecessary. In the odd extremely rare occurrence that I have lost a big fish due to a hook point breaking or bending over I know the chances are I would never had achieved a take from the fish in the first place had the hook not been so skilfully honed!
Very much comes down to the thickness of the hook wire used in the region of the first 4 to 5 millimetres from the end of the point. The next incredibly important point is the thickness of the point. When I sharpen my hooks I hone them using a diamond hook sharpener and aim to get the first 4 5 millimetres thinner than needles and thickening out more only as the bend is approached.
Such hooks are supreme in performance to such a degree that without such hooks I know I will be missing out on at least 2 thirds of fish picking up baits (as they can simply mouth baits and slip the hook with ease and this is no exaggeration because I have measured this over 10 years of testing ultra sharp hooks beside chemically sharpened hooks straight from the packet!)
At the start of my many years of testing I did not use ordinary Cyprinus Carpio carp to test hooks - but crucian carp. These are very well known to be even more notorious for playing with baits and for being especially good at not getting hooked; even hitting fish mouthing baits when float fishing is a highly developed skill requiring endless hours of practice!
My testing originally involved ground baiting a shallow slope in the waters edge with bread paste. A series of 4 feet long lengths of line were tied down to bank sticks out of the water and small hooks of various patterns were attached and baited with bread paste and soft pellets. The crucian carp would come along feed on the ground bait and take the baited hooks and guess what? They could get off 9 out of 10 hooks of different patterns tried - every time! Any hooked fish were immediately returned as I was observing and making notes of all that was happening.
The results were so surprising and the implications were so shocking that it lead me to a big re-think about hooks completely. I discovered that just because a hook has what appears to have a sharp point it most certainly does not mean a carp cannot slip off the hook very easily and often so fast it is as if they were not actually initially hooked and often the sharper the hook the more easily it came off because the hook pattern simply did not do anything but allow this to happen - which rather defeats the point of it!
Bent hooks have obviously one solution but various hook patterns used like this are well known to have caused carp damage and as such are unethical and banned on pretty much all UK carp waters. The more flexible fish-friendly approach came in the form of line-aligner rigs, but these certainly do not do not work as great as anglers think and just because a hook turns due to the angle created it certainly does do mean the hook holds achieved are ideal even where a rig designed to penetrate the flesh of the bottom or scissors is used!
Even today thousands of carp are still lost on line-aligner rigs and anglers still keep suffering the either lack of bite indication due to fish instantly slipping the hook or get single and double bleeps on alarms where carp still shed the hooks anyway due to years of practice 24 hours a day in avoiding hooks! No-one I know claims a 99 percent conversion rate even with special (ethical) stiff rigs and stiff Withy Pool type rigs and so on.) Even so-called high profile anglers are still assuming chemically-sharpened hooks straight from the packet perform well enough compared to hooks skilfully honed to perfection by diamond sharpener in both in advance and before every single cast!
I hope this all makes you think! If you doubt the veracity of my testing why not get highly skilled with a diamond hook sharpener and do your own very strict tests fishing unsharpened hooks against the very thinnest finest of hand-sharpened hook points (sharpened at least for 5 millimetres) and the difference in your big fish results will become very well proven to you too!
You can design the best carp bait in the world but if the carp can get off your hook is all wasted, but an incredibly sharp hook in the correct pattern combined with a truly great unique bait is proven to catch more big fish. This is the explanation to why when I visited that small fish water yesterday I was able to hook that that rare upper thirty within hours. For more information on the sharpest big fish edges that can double or treble your catches, why not take a look at my uniquely researched and big fish catches-proven bait secrets bibles on line at my Baitbigfish site now; see my biography or Google for much more!
In so many big carp waters today you have fish cleaning up on free baits and avoiding the vast majority of hook baits, very frequently by actually ridding themselves of your hook without running or often without giving you even a single bleep on your alarm. In fact if we truly appreciated how frequently this happens we would be more than alarmed - very shocked is more like it! Just because you hook fish and you see lots of big carp caught in the angling weeklies and monthlies does not mean you cannot improve drastically upon your own catch results compared to your fellow anglers and some edges will treble or quadruple your catches if only you truly appreciated their true power!
Over the years I've tried all kinds of ways of converting more bleeps on the alarm to landed carp and it really does come down to refining every aspect of your fishing in many ways so you are able to maximise every opportunity at a take you can create. I can categorically state that non of the hooks I have used straight from the packet have converted as many carp bait bites into fish for me as my own extreme-sharpened hooks. Of course you might think this sounds like I have not used the sharpest chemically sharpened hooks in all their patterns, but in my case I have used probably all the leading brands and patterns over the years and deliberately tested them.
(Please note I have not tested the new circle style carp hooks recently introduced by a British carp tackle company; the reports of bite conversions on these sound fantastic.)
For a number of decades I lived in Essex time and often combined sea fishing from the beach alongside my carp fishing and catfish fishing activities. Fresh eels from the sea are very good eating and a great saving on supermarket bills! (I happen to have a great taste for eels especially when fried; they are like chicken to me, but I detest jelled eels!) Between 20 and 30 years ago I used to catch a number of eels from the shore during the warmer months often while carp fishing ponds and lakes near the sea side. Often eels really seemed to be a pest - that is until I tried frying and barbequing them!
Since then I have determined to eat every legal size fish within the limit (and within acceptable reason) that I catch from the sea, and this has included bass, sole, dabs, eels, mullet, codling, whiting, (and even a lobster) among others. I have also been lucky enough to sample fresh sea trout and also wild brown trout and rainbow trout that I caught from Scottish rivers during a period I lived in Scotland. (I even hook a twenty-plus pound salmon in a spate river (the river Girvan.)
The idea for purposely testing hooks abilities to avoid hook shedding and converting bites into landed fish came from an unusual experiment in itself. So I gradually increased the number of hooks on more paternoster booms of various lengths in theory to improve the number of fish hooked on a single cast when left out for longer. Please note that in more recent years eel numbers in our rivers have been very significantly declining and these days conservation is vitally important; the illegal poaching of elvers has been a big reason for this as well as over-exploitative commercial fishing and barriers to spawning stretches of rivers and pollution of the sea and rivers.
I the tests what happened was the eels simply shed the hooks. I recall waiting while a series of bites indicated another eel taking the worm baits on a 10 hook rig casts. Guess what happened? Just 1 or 2 eels were landed upon reeling in. The hooks of the rest of the rigs had all been twisted and the hooks had been shed leaving a bare hook and no fish! Now you might say this was no big deal as eels are slippery customers and can ties themselves up in knots to get off the hook literally tying themselves up in knots in the line and pulling themselves off.
But I noticed some hook were massively more consistent at preventing eels getting off the hook and there were the sharpest hooks of the sharpest patterns that I had specially sharpened. Over all the faster and deeper a hook penetrates the harder it is to shake free. I found that the hooks with the longer thinner points were the most successful. (This I have applied with indisputably better measurable results in carp fishing.) But there are very few hooks suitable with ideal characteristics and even these need specially sharpening!)
For example even the short and long shank Nailer type hooks convert many more bites into landed fish when very finely and skilfully sharpened. The greatest test is when using barbless hooks which so many fisheries demand these days; lost fish due to a non-maximised hooks are completely unnecessary. In the odd extremely rare occurrence that I have lost a big fish due to a hook point breaking or bending over I know the chances are I would never had achieved a take from the fish in the first place had the hook not been so skilfully honed!
Very much comes down to the thickness of the hook wire used in the region of the first 4 to 5 millimetres from the end of the point. The next incredibly important point is the thickness of the point. When I sharpen my hooks I hone them using a diamond hook sharpener and aim to get the first 4 5 millimetres thinner than needles and thickening out more only as the bend is approached.
Such hooks are supreme in performance to such a degree that without such hooks I know I will be missing out on at least 2 thirds of fish picking up baits (as they can simply mouth baits and slip the hook with ease and this is no exaggeration because I have measured this over 10 years of testing ultra sharp hooks beside chemically sharpened hooks straight from the packet!)
At the start of my many years of testing I did not use ordinary Cyprinus Carpio carp to test hooks - but crucian carp. These are very well known to be even more notorious for playing with baits and for being especially good at not getting hooked; even hitting fish mouthing baits when float fishing is a highly developed skill requiring endless hours of practice!
My testing originally involved ground baiting a shallow slope in the waters edge with bread paste. A series of 4 feet long lengths of line were tied down to bank sticks out of the water and small hooks of various patterns were attached and baited with bread paste and soft pellets. The crucian carp would come along feed on the ground bait and take the baited hooks and guess what? They could get off 9 out of 10 hooks of different patterns tried - every time! Any hooked fish were immediately returned as I was observing and making notes of all that was happening.
The results were so surprising and the implications were so shocking that it lead me to a big re-think about hooks completely. I discovered that just because a hook has what appears to have a sharp point it most certainly does not mean a carp cannot slip off the hook very easily and often so fast it is as if they were not actually initially hooked and often the sharper the hook the more easily it came off because the hook pattern simply did not do anything but allow this to happen - which rather defeats the point of it!
Bent hooks have obviously one solution but various hook patterns used like this are well known to have caused carp damage and as such are unethical and banned on pretty much all UK carp waters. The more flexible fish-friendly approach came in the form of line-aligner rigs, but these certainly do not do not work as great as anglers think and just because a hook turns due to the angle created it certainly does do mean the hook holds achieved are ideal even where a rig designed to penetrate the flesh of the bottom or scissors is used!
Even today thousands of carp are still lost on line-aligner rigs and anglers still keep suffering the either lack of bite indication due to fish instantly slipping the hook or get single and double bleeps on alarms where carp still shed the hooks anyway due to years of practice 24 hours a day in avoiding hooks! No-one I know claims a 99 percent conversion rate even with special (ethical) stiff rigs and stiff Withy Pool type rigs and so on.) Even so-called high profile anglers are still assuming chemically-sharpened hooks straight from the packet perform well enough compared to hooks skilfully honed to perfection by diamond sharpener in both in advance and before every single cast!
I hope this all makes you think! If you doubt the veracity of my testing why not get highly skilled with a diamond hook sharpener and do your own very strict tests fishing unsharpened hooks against the very thinnest finest of hand-sharpened hook points (sharpened at least for 5 millimetres) and the difference in your big fish results will become very well proven to you too!
You can design the best carp bait in the world but if the carp can get off your hook is all wasted, but an incredibly sharp hook in the correct pattern combined with a truly great unique bait is proven to catch more big fish. This is the explanation to why when I visited that small fish water yesterday I was able to hook that that rare upper thirty within hours. For more information on the sharpest big fish edges that can double or treble your catches, why not take a look at my uniquely researched and big fish catches-proven bait secrets bibles on line at my Baitbigfish site now; see my biography or Google for much more!
Monday, May 18, 2009
Walleye Bait Guidelines - Best Live Bait For Walleye Details Here!
The walleye or Pickerel for you Canadian folks , is one of the most sought after freshwater fish in North America today. These tasty fish are caught on a Variety of different walleye baits. What I want to give you today is a general set of guideline to use when you are live bait walleye fishing. These guideline can be excellent reference material when you want ot organize your next walleye fishing trip.
Guideline #1 Live Baits To Use In the Spring It is very important to understand that not all live bait for walleye works well in the spring. Foe example ribbon leaches and night crawlers are not a good choice to use in early spring. The best live bait for walleye to use is minnows. Make sure you contact a local bait dealer in the area you plan to fish to find out what type of minnows make the best bait for walleye. Do not overlook this simple tip because it could make a difference. Why take a chance? Your fishing time is very valuable so make the best of it. Here's a list of minnows that work well for catching walleye: Golden Shinner, Spottail Shiner, Redbelly Dace or Rainbow, Horny Head Chub, or Red Tail Chub, Fathead minnow or Tuffy, or Mudminnow
Guideline #2 Live Baits To Use In the Summer As the water temperatures rise and the seasons move from spring to summer your favorite walleye bait selection will need to change too. Normally spring time is the best time of year to use minnows, but in the summer time your walleye live bait selection could be ribbon leaches or night crawlers, or in some special fishing situations some other walleye baits. Don't skimp on your walleye baits! Make your bait s for walleye look attractive as possible. The other live baits for walleye that work well in special fishing situations are: Mudtom, or Willow cat, larva tiger salamander, or waterdog, and the leopard frog.
Guideline #3 How To Keep Walleye Live Baits Fresh Fresh and lively bait is a must when you are walleye fishing. These Fish love walleye baits that squirm and swim naturally. Regardless of the type of bait for walleye you use make sure you keep it cool. Heat will always be the main cause of your best bait for walleye dieing prematurely. There's' nothing worse then being out on the water and find your live baits for walleye dying. Always use a flow through minnow bucket to store your walleye minnows overnight. You can place them in the water at your dock and they will be fresh for the next day. Also place your overflow bucket in your live when you move from place to place if you have one. If you don't have one try to limit the amount of time the bait is out of the water. When you are using a minnow bucket to store your minnows make sure you have a portable aerator in the bucket at all times. Ideally purchase a submersible pump that attaches to a 12 volt battery if you can. Pour your ribbon leaches into a Styrofoam bucket half filled with water from your fishing location (not the water facet chlorine will kill them. The leaches will last last several days if you do this. Night crawlers should be kept in commercial bedding and a damp cloth placed over the top of the container.
Guideline #1 Live Baits To Use In the Spring It is very important to understand that not all live bait for walleye works well in the spring. Foe example ribbon leaches and night crawlers are not a good choice to use in early spring. The best live bait for walleye to use is minnows. Make sure you contact a local bait dealer in the area you plan to fish to find out what type of minnows make the best bait for walleye. Do not overlook this simple tip because it could make a difference. Why take a chance? Your fishing time is very valuable so make the best of it. Here's a list of minnows that work well for catching walleye: Golden Shinner, Spottail Shiner, Redbelly Dace or Rainbow, Horny Head Chub, or Red Tail Chub, Fathead minnow or Tuffy, or Mudminnow
Guideline #2 Live Baits To Use In the Summer As the water temperatures rise and the seasons move from spring to summer your favorite walleye bait selection will need to change too. Normally spring time is the best time of year to use minnows, but in the summer time your walleye live bait selection could be ribbon leaches or night crawlers, or in some special fishing situations some other walleye baits. Don't skimp on your walleye baits! Make your bait s for walleye look attractive as possible. The other live baits for walleye that work well in special fishing situations are: Mudtom, or Willow cat, larva tiger salamander, or waterdog, and the leopard frog.
Guideline #3 How To Keep Walleye Live Baits Fresh Fresh and lively bait is a must when you are walleye fishing. These Fish love walleye baits that squirm and swim naturally. Regardless of the type of bait for walleye you use make sure you keep it cool. Heat will always be the main cause of your best bait for walleye dieing prematurely. There's' nothing worse then being out on the water and find your live baits for walleye dying. Always use a flow through minnow bucket to store your walleye minnows overnight. You can place them in the water at your dock and they will be fresh for the next day. Also place your overflow bucket in your live when you move from place to place if you have one. If you don't have one try to limit the amount of time the bait is out of the water. When you are using a minnow bucket to store your minnows make sure you have a portable aerator in the bucket at all times. Ideally purchase a submersible pump that attaches to a 12 volt battery if you can. Pour your ribbon leaches into a Styrofoam bucket half filled with water from your fishing location (not the water facet chlorine will kill them. The leaches will last last several days if you do this. Night crawlers should be kept in commercial bedding and a damp cloth placed over the top of the container.
Choosing Fighting, Fishing and Captain's Boat Seats
Boat seats can be known by a variety of alternate names. Regarding single-person, swivel action sitting for fishing from a boat, or for navigation from the cockpit, these are usually known as fighting or fishing chairs, or as captain's boat seats.
Captain's Chairs, also known as helm's seats, are most commonly designed to be used on a center console or on a flybridge. There are many types of captain's chairs, and quality as well as price can vary wildly. Most luxurious captain's chairs usually have advanced characteristics such as UV stabilized polyethylene construction, cushions which are extra thick and comfortable, padded armrests on aluminum mounting brackets, and high quality pedestals and foot-rests.
Usually the pedestal has a sliding mechanism, allowing changing the height of the seating to the size of the captain. Also, the seats often have leather covers and brass details, and in some cased there may be the provision to add instrumentation into the armrests as well as a personal stereo system in the headrest.
Further down the price ladder, captain chairs include lower quality, but still acceptable seats and cushions, and the base pedestal is still adjustable in most cases, but the materials tend to be more common and there are no provisions for the inclusion of electronics.
Budget captain chairs usually have fewer metal parts, snap-on cushions, a fixed pedestal and no footrests, and are thinner in construction. They are still adequate on most pleasure boats, although they ten to be uncomfortable for longer trips.
Fishing chairs on the other hand are a kind of chair specifically designed for fishing rod use, allowing the sportsman using them to be rested and well supported while trying to pull aboard a fish that got caught. They are usually more accessorized than Captain's chairs, and trade in some confront for stability.
Usually, fishing chairs also swivel around a rod mounted on a central pedestal, but due to the position of these chairs on the back of the boat, they tend to be removable with the help of a quick release mechanism. These swivels are a relatively fragile part of the seat - when buying a fishing chair, make sure that the swivel is self-lubricating and made of non-corrosive metal.
Some fishing boat seats are designed for mere comfort, but others are specially designed for deep-sea fishing seating, and for catching big and combative fish such as tuna or swordfish. These are sometimes known as fighting seats, and are characterized by increased sturdiness as well as by a big footrest plate that the fisherman can use to support himself while tiring out big fish.
Captain's Chairs, also known as helm's seats, are most commonly designed to be used on a center console or on a flybridge. There are many types of captain's chairs, and quality as well as price can vary wildly. Most luxurious captain's chairs usually have advanced characteristics such as UV stabilized polyethylene construction, cushions which are extra thick and comfortable, padded armrests on aluminum mounting brackets, and high quality pedestals and foot-rests.
Usually the pedestal has a sliding mechanism, allowing changing the height of the seating to the size of the captain. Also, the seats often have leather covers and brass details, and in some cased there may be the provision to add instrumentation into the armrests as well as a personal stereo system in the headrest.
Further down the price ladder, captain chairs include lower quality, but still acceptable seats and cushions, and the base pedestal is still adjustable in most cases, but the materials tend to be more common and there are no provisions for the inclusion of electronics.
Budget captain chairs usually have fewer metal parts, snap-on cushions, a fixed pedestal and no footrests, and are thinner in construction. They are still adequate on most pleasure boats, although they ten to be uncomfortable for longer trips.
Fishing chairs on the other hand are a kind of chair specifically designed for fishing rod use, allowing the sportsman using them to be rested and well supported while trying to pull aboard a fish that got caught. They are usually more accessorized than Captain's chairs, and trade in some confront for stability.
Usually, fishing chairs also swivel around a rod mounted on a central pedestal, but due to the position of these chairs on the back of the boat, they tend to be removable with the help of a quick release mechanism. These swivels are a relatively fragile part of the seat - when buying a fishing chair, make sure that the swivel is self-lubricating and made of non-corrosive metal.
Some fishing boat seats are designed for mere comfort, but others are specially designed for deep-sea fishing seating, and for catching big and combative fish such as tuna or swordfish. These are sometimes known as fighting seats, and are characterized by increased sturdiness as well as by a big footrest plate that the fisherman can use to support himself while tiring out big fish.
Early Summer Great For Galveston Beachfront Fishing
May and June can be prime months to fish the Galveston surf. A late cool front with light north or northeast winds between 5 and 10 mph or just a calm southeast wind less than 10 will lay the surf almost flat. These conditions along with an incoming tide will bring the "green" water to the beach. Large schools of Speckled Trout and Redfish will roam the beachfront working bait in the first few guts.
A "gut" is a valley between the sandbars on the shoreline which occur naturally from the rolling surf. These guts change in depth and location from year to year from the surging tides associated with the storms that bare down on the gulf coast. They may vary in depth from 1 to 3 feet even more at times so be very careful if you choose to wade the surf.
An easy ambush for Specks and Reds in the surf is to wade out about waist deep through the first gut and stand on the first sand bar. Using live shrimp fished under a popping cork about 2 feet down, cast into the second gut. You can visualize the guts and sand bars by watching the waves. The "swell" of the wave will occur over the sandbars and dissipate in the guts. For the best action, give your line a quick and deliberate twitch every 5 -10 seconds to make the cork slosh in the water. This is called "popping" the cork, thus its name, popping cork. This sloshing sound mimics the sound of a fish attacking a bait on top of the water and will attract the curiosity of the fish to your bait. The cork serves three purposes: 1) It is used as a means of attracting the fish 2) It suspends your bait at a predetermined level in the water column, and 3) As a visual aid. When the cork goes down, "FISH ON"!
Here are some tips on fishing the Galveston Surf that you should know. First of all, what to wear. I would recommend an old pair of blue jeans or pants specifically designed for wade fishing to protect you from Jelly Fish stings and water shoes or wading boots to protect against jagged shells or crabs. I would also suggest a white t-shirt to protect your upper body from Jelly Fish as well as the sun. A ball cap and a pair of polarized sunglasses to cut the glare off of the water.
As far as tackle, I would not take my top of the line $400 rod and reel into the surf. It's going to get wet, and unless you know how to clean it properly, you may ruin it. I use an older reel that is easily maintained on a 7 foot medium action popping rod (about $150 for the pair). I spool my reels with 12 or 15 pound test line and use 20 pound leader material with a #4 treble hook. I set my popping cork anywhere from 24 to 36 inches depending on the depth of the water I'm fishing. Although not a necessity, I use a wading belt that has a small tackle box and "D" rings to attach a stringer, dip net and a bait bucket.
You may also choose to fish off of one of the many rock groins that jut out into the beachfront as an alternative to wading. Use the same technique. Walk out until you can cast into the second or third gut. Set up camp and get to it. To fish the rocks you will need: An aerator to keep your bait alive, a long net to reach the edge of the rocks to land your fish, and a cooler (48Qt) with ice to throw your fish in. It's a little cumbersome for one person, but not a chore at all for two.
Popular hardware (artificial lures) that works well in the surf include Mirro-Lures, 3/4 ounce Gold and Silver Spoons, Top-Water plugs, as well as soft plastics fished on a 1/4 ounce jig head.
A "gut" is a valley between the sandbars on the shoreline which occur naturally from the rolling surf. These guts change in depth and location from year to year from the surging tides associated with the storms that bare down on the gulf coast. They may vary in depth from 1 to 3 feet even more at times so be very careful if you choose to wade the surf.
An easy ambush for Specks and Reds in the surf is to wade out about waist deep through the first gut and stand on the first sand bar. Using live shrimp fished under a popping cork about 2 feet down, cast into the second gut. You can visualize the guts and sand bars by watching the waves. The "swell" of the wave will occur over the sandbars and dissipate in the guts. For the best action, give your line a quick and deliberate twitch every 5 -10 seconds to make the cork slosh in the water. This is called "popping" the cork, thus its name, popping cork. This sloshing sound mimics the sound of a fish attacking a bait on top of the water and will attract the curiosity of the fish to your bait. The cork serves three purposes: 1) It is used as a means of attracting the fish 2) It suspends your bait at a predetermined level in the water column, and 3) As a visual aid. When the cork goes down, "FISH ON"!
Here are some tips on fishing the Galveston Surf that you should know. First of all, what to wear. I would recommend an old pair of blue jeans or pants specifically designed for wade fishing to protect you from Jelly Fish stings and water shoes or wading boots to protect against jagged shells or crabs. I would also suggest a white t-shirt to protect your upper body from Jelly Fish as well as the sun. A ball cap and a pair of polarized sunglasses to cut the glare off of the water.
As far as tackle, I would not take my top of the line $400 rod and reel into the surf. It's going to get wet, and unless you know how to clean it properly, you may ruin it. I use an older reel that is easily maintained on a 7 foot medium action popping rod (about $150 for the pair). I spool my reels with 12 or 15 pound test line and use 20 pound leader material with a #4 treble hook. I set my popping cork anywhere from 24 to 36 inches depending on the depth of the water I'm fishing. Although not a necessity, I use a wading belt that has a small tackle box and "D" rings to attach a stringer, dip net and a bait bucket.
You may also choose to fish off of one of the many rock groins that jut out into the beachfront as an alternative to wading. Use the same technique. Walk out until you can cast into the second or third gut. Set up camp and get to it. To fish the rocks you will need: An aerator to keep your bait alive, a long net to reach the edge of the rocks to land your fish, and a cooler (48Qt) with ice to throw your fish in. It's a little cumbersome for one person, but not a chore at all for two.
Popular hardware (artificial lures) that works well in the surf include Mirro-Lures, 3/4 ounce Gold and Silver Spoons, Top-Water plugs, as well as soft plastics fished on a 1/4 ounce jig head.
How to Catch Largemouth Bass - Tips to Catch More Fish on Your Next Fishing Outing
Most bass anglers are looking for ways to catch more largemouth bass, and in this article I'm going to provide 3 tips that will help anyone be more successful while bass fishing. In my more than 25 years of fishing experience I've found that in most cases the simplest things are the most effective when it comes to trying to catch fish. If you pay attention to the details, and don't over complicate things, you'll catch more bass; it's as simple as that.
You'll notice that these 3 tips to catch more largemouth bass aren't complicated. In fact they are quite simple, which means they cam be extremely effective. The first thing we need to understand about largemouth bass is that they are ambush predators. This means that they prefer to ambush their prey from the safety of cover. In many instances largemouth bass are found in and around underwater cover such as timber, heavy weeds, and/or underwater shelves or creek beds. The bottom line is that, although it sounds incredibly simple, we want to fish where the bass tend to be.
Let's get down to the tips to catch more largemouth bass, shall we?
* Fish At The Best Times - What do I mean by "fish at the best times"? I simply mean that when bass fishing you want to be on the water at the best times (when the bass are the most active). You see, when bass (or any other fish) are active they are feeding, which is when we want to be trying to catch them. The easiest way to determine when fish are going to be the most active is by paying attention to the weather and moon and planning your fishing trips accordingly. These two forces of Mother Nature have an amazing impact on the activity level of fish. One of the best ways to learn how to catch largemouth bass is to be on the water at the best times.
* Use The Proper Fishing Line - I'm not referring to a particular fishing line manufacturer for this tip, just that you use the proper fishing line. Many bass anglers use fishing line that's much heavier than they need to. Use fishing line that's as light as possible for the conditions that you intend on fishing. If you are going to be fishing heavy timber, obviously you'll need heavier line for getting the bass out, but if your fishing a light weed bed, lighter line will be better. The bottom line is to match your line to the conditions and size of bass you expect to catch. The lighter the fishing line you use, the less visible it will be to the bass, and thus the more bites you will receive.
* Use Realistic Bass Fishing Lures - This sounds stupid, but you want to use fishing lures that are as realistic as possible when fishing for bass. The more that your fishing lure looks like the food the bass normally eat, the more bites you will receive. If you want to catch more largemouth bass, one of the best ways is to use realistic fishing lures. Some great choices are the Rapala jointed minnow, the KickTail minnow, and the Jitterbug. These lures are all very realistic and effective for bass fishing.
These 3 tips will help anyone catch more largemouth bass on their next fishing outing. Employ one or all of them sooner, rather than later and you can find out for yourself.
You'll notice that these 3 tips to catch more largemouth bass aren't complicated. In fact they are quite simple, which means they cam be extremely effective. The first thing we need to understand about largemouth bass is that they are ambush predators. This means that they prefer to ambush their prey from the safety of cover. In many instances largemouth bass are found in and around underwater cover such as timber, heavy weeds, and/or underwater shelves or creek beds. The bottom line is that, although it sounds incredibly simple, we want to fish where the bass tend to be.
Let's get down to the tips to catch more largemouth bass, shall we?
* Fish At The Best Times - What do I mean by "fish at the best times"? I simply mean that when bass fishing you want to be on the water at the best times (when the bass are the most active). You see, when bass (or any other fish) are active they are feeding, which is when we want to be trying to catch them. The easiest way to determine when fish are going to be the most active is by paying attention to the weather and moon and planning your fishing trips accordingly. These two forces of Mother Nature have an amazing impact on the activity level of fish. One of the best ways to learn how to catch largemouth bass is to be on the water at the best times.
* Use The Proper Fishing Line - I'm not referring to a particular fishing line manufacturer for this tip, just that you use the proper fishing line. Many bass anglers use fishing line that's much heavier than they need to. Use fishing line that's as light as possible for the conditions that you intend on fishing. If you are going to be fishing heavy timber, obviously you'll need heavier line for getting the bass out, but if your fishing a light weed bed, lighter line will be better. The bottom line is to match your line to the conditions and size of bass you expect to catch. The lighter the fishing line you use, the less visible it will be to the bass, and thus the more bites you will receive.
* Use Realistic Bass Fishing Lures - This sounds stupid, but you want to use fishing lures that are as realistic as possible when fishing for bass. The more that your fishing lure looks like the food the bass normally eat, the more bites you will receive. If you want to catch more largemouth bass, one of the best ways is to use realistic fishing lures. Some great choices are the Rapala jointed minnow, the KickTail minnow, and the Jitterbug. These lures are all very realistic and effective for bass fishing.
These 3 tips will help anyone catch more largemouth bass on their next fishing outing. Employ one or all of them sooner, rather than later and you can find out for yourself.
Pike Fishing Tactics
Many people think of the northern pike as a aggressive fish that attacks game fish and is seen as a monster. Well, this may be true, but the pike is often a target of just being the big fish in the lake. Yes, they eat other fish, what is so bad about that? The trout and other game fish people get upset with the northern pike, but I feel every fish for themselves. I am here to offer some advice to catch the monster water wolf.
Northern Pike fishing starts soon after ice out. You should use slightly smaller lures than you would in the summer, but still use larger baits that will get their attention. The key here is to start in the back bays that warm the fastest. Here you should be able to catch a few if you take my advice. Occasionally, you will see a trophy just sunning in the warm shallow water. Be careful, as they spook easily, and cast past the pike and reel toward him. Hopefully you will get a quick strike. Also, live large minnows or other bait fish work great early in the year when the pikes are not as active. I have caught a few big ones this way.
While this fish may not be appreciated as much as trout, bass, or crappie, it is still a great species in many peoples eyes. Give it a chance and instead of walleye fishing next time take a few casts for a big northern.
Northern Pike fishing starts soon after ice out. You should use slightly smaller lures than you would in the summer, but still use larger baits that will get their attention. The key here is to start in the back bays that warm the fastest. Here you should be able to catch a few if you take my advice. Occasionally, you will see a trophy just sunning in the warm shallow water. Be careful, as they spook easily, and cast past the pike and reel toward him. Hopefully you will get a quick strike. Also, live large minnows or other bait fish work great early in the year when the pikes are not as active. I have caught a few big ones this way.
While this fish may not be appreciated as much as trout, bass, or crappie, it is still a great species in many peoples eyes. Give it a chance and instead of walleye fishing next time take a few casts for a big northern.
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