Dog Training Club: 2014

Monday, September 29, 2014

Spinner Fishing Tips for Steelhead

The professional fishing guides at Piscatorial Pursuits in Washington State report success in getting steelhead to strike using modified size 2, 3 and 4 brass vibrax spinners. They recommend taking a lit candle and a pair of pliers, then hold the spinner with the pliers while holding the propellers over the open flame to char and discolor the spinner. The end result should be a bronze-looking spinner, something the guides report success with steelhead.

When fishing with spinners in moving water, remember this adage, "the faster the water, the slower the retrieve." Steelhead tend to congregate in the faster moving water and rapids, because the water there is rich in oxygen. As the water speed increases, cast out the spinner and slowly begin the reel-in. The guides at Piscatorial Pursuits write this is a successful method of steelhead fishing that they teach to their clients and use themselves.

The folks at Steelheader.net, a site dedicated to steelhead fishing, state that using a Single Siwash hook is better than using a single or triple hook because the Single Siwash holds the fish better. They suggest tying a small piece of yarn to the hook and scent it to attract steelhead. The Steelheader.net experts also suggest not using nickel spinners in murky or cloudy water because the nickel will appear black under two feet of murky water and will not attract steelhead.

Mille Lacs Lake, Minnesota Fishing Tips

Chapmans Mille Lacs Resort & Guide Service is located on the southeast corner of the lake and provides private half-day, full-day, and overnight packages.

630 West Main Street

Isle, MN 56342

320-676-8664

Millelacsresort.com

McQuoids Inn is located on the east side of the lake. They offer half-day and eight-hour guided fishing trips for one to four persons per boat.

1325 Highway 47 North

Isle, MN 56342

800-862-3535

mcquoidsinn.com

Nittis Hunters Point Resort is located nine miles north of Isle, MN on the east side of Mille Lacs Lake. There are eight guide services associated with this resort to fit your fishing needs.

5436 479th Street

Isle, MN 56342

320-676-3227

hunterspointresort.com

T and T Guide service is located in Isle, MN but will bring you anywhere you want to go on Mille Lacs Lake. Enjoy the half century of combined experience during all-day and half-day fishing trips and fall night fishing.

255 115th Lane

Isle, MN 56342

320-224-1731

tandtguideservices.com

Nelson Guide Service offers Mille Lacs Lake fishing at its finest. Choose from half-day, full-day, or sunset cruise fishing trips for up to five individuals.

3421 Vista Road

Isle, MN 56342

763-234-0057

nelsonguideservice.com

Twin Pines Resort offers launch service for open fishing and private charters aboard spacious launches or a deluxe pontoon.

7827 U.S. Highway 169

Garrison, MN 56450

800-450-4682

twinpinesmillelacs.com

Hunter Winfields Resort provides launch/charter services out of Isle Bay on Lake Mille Lacs. Choose from three- to five-hour launch fishing trips and private group charters for four- to eight-hour trips.

510 West Lake

Isle, MN 56342

800-414-4298

hunterwinfields.com

Fishermans Wharf Resort has 1800 feet of protected inland harbor and the Captain of the launch has a reputation for finding the hot fish spots. Choose from two launch boats that accommodate 30 passengers or more.

5101 Whistle Road

Isle, MN 56342

800-645-3593

wharfmn.com

According to Millelacs.com, You can do it yourself or take advantage of the ice fishing packages around the lake, offering anything you want from overnight lodging and transportation to and from the ice house, to bait, tackle, and meals.

Chapmens Mille Lacs Resort & Guide Service offers half-day, full-day, and overnight ice fishing packages. Guides, fish house, and fishing equipment are available for day trips.

630 West Main Street

Isle, MN 56342

320-676-8664

millelacsresort.com

Captain Hooks Guide Service provides fishing rods, bait, and a portable ice house, and will guide you to where the fish are biting, all in a day trip.

5357 Whistle Road

Isle, MN 56342

320-679-4295

fishmillelacs.com

Phils Myr-Mar Marina offers ice house rentals. There are holes drilled for ice fishing, a heater is included, and the ice house provides enough room to sleep up to eight people comfortably.

44033 Conifer Street

Aitkin, MN 56431

800-892-5539

philsmyrmarmarina.com

How to Ice Fish For Pickerel

Instructions

When fishing for pickerel, the time of day doesn't matter as they will hit a shiner from morning until nightfall. Pickerel can hit in spurts, meaning there will be a flurry of action and then a down time, or they will attack your shiners with regularity during the day.

Hook your shiners right behind the dorsal fin on the back, an inch from the end of the tail. Medium-size shiners are sufficient to attract pickerel. Pickerel are pigs and will sometimes eat like there is no tomorrow. Pickerel have been caught on a shiner and found to have a full-grown sunfish still in their gullet! They also will attack and eat other smaller pickerel.

Concentrate your tip-ups where you are having success. Ice fishing is all about location, regardless of the species you're targeting. If you have six tip-ups in the water and two are seeing no hits at all, move them to other areas. Every time you catch a pickerel, grab a tip-up that has not been producing and set it up 10 yards from your last catch.

Set your shiners shallow. Pickerel will grab a shiner that is right under the ice and, when fishing in this manner, you won't have to worry about measuring your line to have the bait a foot off the bottom. You also avoid dealing with weeds in which your shiner can become entangled. You will find that you can catch pickerel with the bait just 2 feet beneath the ice.

If you get a bite but the shiner is gone, or if you have the pickerel on for a brief time but the hook isnt set properly, dont sweat it. Pickerel will return. Reset the tip-up with another shiner and dont stray too far from it. That flag will be up before you know it in most cases.

Dont be fooled if the flag trips on a tip-up but the line isnt moving when you get to it. Pickerel will often grab a shiner and go into the weeds to eat it. Just because the line isnt flying off the reel doesnt mean a pickerel isnt home. Set the hook if the line doesn't continue to not move and be ready. Even large pickerel, those over 20 inches, may not necessarily take off after grabbing your shiner. Take nothing for granted!

Watch out for those teeth. Pickerel have tiny razor-sharp teeth designed to grab prey and not let go. Your fingers will bleed for quite a while if you put them in the pickerels mouth after hauling one onto the ice. Stay clear and use a hook remover or needle-nose pliers to get the hook out. Pickerel almost never swallow a hook, so they can be removed and the fish sent back down the hole or brought home for dinner.

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Tips on Bank Fishing Salmon in Alaska

Plunking for salmon means bottom fishing near the shoreline. Experienced plunkers rig their 1/0 to 4/0 sized hook with cured salmon eggs, the bait of choice. Just above the snelled hook (a hook pre-tied with a loop of fishing line that attaches to your main line), many anglers like to add a Spin-N-Glo, which is a short plastic spinner blade in fluorescent colors that creates both water movement and visual enticement for hungry salmon.

Short casts into pools and ebbs in the river are good plunking strategies. The idea is to get the bait near the river bottom in areas of slow-moving water. During the migratory months, cast to the downstream end of the pool, so your bait is the first thing incoming fish will encounter as they move upriver.

With plunking, you can use a rod holder and a strike signaler such as a small bell on the rod tip.

Casting from shore with a spinning reel is an effective way to cover large areas of water from a fixed position. Lure choices expand beyond salmon eggs to include spoons and spinners resembling bait fish and surface plugs that may resemble wounded bait fish or insects. Vary your retrieval between a steady crank to a slow, jerky, stop-and-go motion to make the lure twitch.

This variation of casting is really a drift-fishing method. Thread a red plastic bead onto the end of the line and tie a short piece of yellow-green (chartreuse) yarn to your bare hook. Add a few split-shot sinkers about 12 inches up the line for a bit of heft when flipping to the salmon.

To flip, peel off enough line so that your lure is off the ground when holding the rod straight up. Pull off more line with your free hand and hold the line out from the rod so your hook remains off the ground, then swing your rod tip toward an upstream position, releasing the line in your free hand at the same time. With a correct flip, the line will straighten and drop your hook upstream so it can drift past you and downstream again. Aim your rod tip at the line and follow it as it passes by you moving downstream.

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Tips on Catching Bass in Ponds

It is vital to keep quiet when fishing in ponds for bass. Approaching the pond from shore will require some stealth. You do not want to alert the fish to your presence. You should speak in a low voice or not talk at all.

Often a pond will have a good amount of vegetation surrounding its edges. Being able to wade through the shallows without alarming the fish can give you access to spots that you may not be able to access from the shore. An inner tube or a small inflatable boat also gives you the advantage of fishing the pond from the middle and lets you cast toward the shore and the weed beds without raising too much commotion.

Try to match your bait with what creatures the bass feed on in a small pond scenario. Crickets, grasshoppers, minnows and crayfish all fall victim to bass in a pond. Keep your offerings small and do not bother to bring along your larger lures such as stickbaits.

Downsize lures such as plastic worms. Rig them Texas style to make them skip through the weeds that invariably grow in ponds. Slip a bullet weight onto your line with the tapered end facing away from the end of your line. Tie on an offset worm hook and stick the point of the hook through the very end of it. Cause the point to come out through the side of the worm just 1/2-inch from where it entered. Turn the hook toward the worm's body. Push it all the way up snug to the eye of the hook, and jam the sharp point into the worm's body. Make sure the worm is dangling straight down when you do this and push in the hook in the middle of the worm.

Floating lures like surface plugs and plastic frogs can appear very life-like to bass in a small pond. Fish these slowly with a single jerk of the line followed by a wait of as long as 20 seconds before making the lure move again.

Bass are the type of fish that likes to ambush its prey. Finding spots in a pond that bass can do this from is important to your success. These may not be the obvious places in a pond that there are in a lake or river. By looking at every structure carefully you can determine if it is cover that is capable of holding bass. Remember that a small insignificant bush growing halfway in the water may not hold bass in a river or lake but could be a major hiding place in a small pond. Rocks, overhanging branches that provide shadows and shade, and any type of water weeds or grass are all likely spots for a bass to be planning its next attack.

Do not overlook a small pond if you are an ice fisherman. These ponds can be covered much more thoroughly than a larger lake. They also will tend to freeze quicker and offer safe ice long before a larger body of water. By drilling holes near the same places that offered cover to bass before the ice came along can give you a chance to catch bass. Use small- to medium-size minnows and shiners and keep moving around on the pond until you find where the bass are holding. Late afternoon is the best time for small pond ice fishing.

Tips for Main Lake Fishing Rigs

Select the rod and reel combination that best suits the type of fishing you plan to do. Anglers who target species like crappie, perch, sunfish and walleye should use a spinning rod and reel, while those who target muskie and northern pike should use a baitcasting combination. Bass anglers can use either a spinning or baitcasting combination, depending upon individual preference.

Artificial lures are staples among fishermen who chase bass, muskies and pike in main-lake areas. If you fling lures for muskies and pike, it is a good idea to attach a wire leader to the end of your fishing line, and then attach the lure to the leader. If you do not use a leader when targeting these species, you run the risk of their sharp teeth nicking the line and causing it to break. Bass anglers rarely use steel leaders, primarily because they do not have teeth like muskies and pike do.

Main-lake areas structure , such as drop-offs, humps and reefs are the domain of walleye fishermen. The best way to catch these fish is with a live-bait rig known as a Lindy rig. The rig includes a No. 4 or No. 6 hook, a 36- to 48-inch leader, swivel and a sliding sinker heavy enough to keep the rig on the bottom. Leeches, minnows or nightcrawlers are the best live baits to attach to the rig. Troll or drift Lindy rigs slowly through areas that walleyes are likely to be.

Beginning anglers, or those who pursue crappies and sunfish, should consider using a bobber rig. These rigs are especially productive around the beds of vegetation that grow on main-lake humps and reefs. The bobber rig includes a hook, split shot sinker and bobber. Attach the bobber so it suspends the bait at the level at which the fish are holding. If they are five feet below the surface, for example, there should be five feet of fishing line between the bobber and the hook. A variety of live baits work on bobber rigs, but waxworms, crappie minnows, small leeches, and bits of nightcrawler tend to be best.

Select a snap swivel to fish with artificial baits. The snap swivel lets you change baits as often as you like without retying your line. If you plan to use the same artificial bait for extended periods of time, tie the line directly to the hook.

How to Land a Fish on the Rapala Fishing Wii Game

Instructions

Select Boat Mode to drive your boat to the fishing location of your choice.

Go into the fishing mode by pressing the -- button on the controller.

Go into casting mode by holding down the reel release. Adjust the direction of your cast using the four way directional button on the Wii remote.

Cast your line. Swing the Wii remote up and down and let go of the reel release to cast. The perfect cast takes practice.

Slowly reel your line in to attract fish to your lure. The Rapala Tournament Fishing Instruction Booklet suggests you try moving your line at different speeds and experimenting with lure movement to make your lure appear to be live bait. The better your bait looks the more fish you will attract.

Set the hook by jerking your Wii mote up all the way up. This motion will set the hook in the fish's mouth. You will know when it is time to set the hook based on the Set Hook Timer that pops up when you get a bite. If you wait too long the fish will spit the lure out.

Reel the fish in by moving the Nunchuk in a circular "reeling in" motion. Keep an eye on the Tension Indicator as you reel your fish in. Adjust the drag and reel as needed to keep the arrow in the green to avoid losing the fish or breaking your line.

Press the number two on the Wii remote to view the Livewell and see the fish that you have caught.

Ice Fishing Tips for Panfish

When they're in the biting mood, you don't need much. You'll need a jigging rod, some small jigs or Swedish pimples, some bait and an auger or ice spud to make a hole. For those looking to expand on their ice-fishing experience, consider using a shanty to stay warm and bobbers to help you identify when the fish are biting and a chair or inverted 5-gallon bucket to sit on.

Before you're sitting out on the ice with your gloves off and your fingers fumbling with a jig to tie onto your line, consider doing your rod setup the day before. Choose a brightly colored jig that will attract the attention of a panfish. Many colors that have been successful through the ice include hot pink, chartreuse, bright green and blaze orange. Tie the jig onto the end of your line and you're set for a typical excursion. If you're planning on using a bobber, make sure to side it on your line before tying your hook. In addition, if you know you'll be fishing in deeper waters, you might want to consider adding a few clamp-style sinkers to your line a few inches above your jig.

If you've chosen to use a shanty, set it up on the location where you want to do your fishing. If it's a site where you'll be fishing all year, consider leaving your shanty on the ice for the duration of the season. Pile snow up at the base of the ice shack to help insulate it and keep out the sunlight that is glaring on the ice all around you. Using your auger, or ice spud, make your hole and scoop out the ice floating in it. If you're using a bobber, check the depth of the water you're in with a depth-finder sinker, to make sure your bait won't be sitting on the bottom of the lake, and make a small knot in the line where you want your bobber to stop. Add bait to your hook, anything from bloodworms to grubs to wigglers to minnows, and drop it down the hole. Once your jig is at the depth you want, or the knot has reached the bobber, you're ready to start.

There are several styles of jigging and none of them are wrong. The idea behind the process is to attract fish to your bait by getting their attention. For crappie, this might involve quick up and down and jerky motions. Try twisting the line between your fingers and letting it go, causing your lure to spin in the water. Another technique, which has been known to work on low-swimming perch and bluegill, is to bounce the jig off the bottom of the lake. This will cause a small puff of sediment, which will attract aggressive fish. Movement is key, but so is patience. Like any predator, the movement draws the attention of the fish, but letting it sit for a few moments without jigging can give the fish a good time to bite. Change your jigging technique and, if needed, the jig size and color if you're having trouble getting bites.

While jigging is considered the most successful tactic in catching panfish, many anglers use spoons, spinners and plain hooks at times. Spoons and spinners are known to attract aggressive fish out of the schools swimming through and this tactic can prove to be successful throughout the day. Try a combination of lures and baits until you find one that works for you and catches plenty of fish.

Several factors combine to make fish hungry, including ambient light, water temperature and food supply. If your fishing doesn't go well one day, don't give up. Come back out at a different time of day and with different lures. Talk to the local bait shop about what's been getting the bites and what techniques seem to be working. Persistence pays off when going after panfish.

Friday, September 26, 2014

How to Cast Far in Flick Fishing

Instructions

Play the game in an area where you have a lot of room to move your arms.

Set the game to default, which is flick casting.

Begin with the tip of your rod in front of you. Pull back slowly with the gaming device over your head (use two hands if playing on an iPad).

Use a smooth, flowing motion to cast. Slowly flick your wrist forward in front of you, with your hand ending up in a handshake position. For the iPad, flick forward slowly with both hands. Your thumbs should be on top and pointing straight ahead.

Practice continually. Choose an easy location such as the Old Pond location to practice. Once you are able to reach the edge of the old pond with your casts, you can long cast anywhere within the game.

Thursday, September 25, 2014

How to Attach Fishing Line to Tip-Ups

Instructions

Purchase a spool of 30- to 40-pound test braided ice-fishing line from your local tackle shop. These types of lines come coated or braided to be much thicker, more visible and easier to handle than the typical monofilament lines. Choose a colored line that you will be able to see easily as you look through the hole drilled in the ice. Tan is one of the more visible colors and a good option for beginning ice anglers. You will be able to look at it as it comes off your tip-up's reel and tell if a fish took the bait.

Hold the tip-up reel spool so that it cannot spin or move and tie the end of your ice-fishing line around the spool with an arbor knot. Clip back the end of the knot with a pair of nail clippers.

Place the spool of new ice-fishing line at your feet between your legs and sit down in a chair. Hold the tip-up's reel spool with your thumb tightly on the point where the knot meets the surface of the spool. This will permit you to wrap some line around the spool without the knot or the line spinning around the smooth spool's surface. Make about five or six wraps with the line before releasing your grip on where the knot meets the spool.

Grip the edge of the tip-up's reel spool with one hand so that the spool cannot spin and begin to wrap the new line around the spool using your other hand. This method will assure that you evenly distribute the line around the spool. Go slowly to avoid the line twisting as it comes off the new spool. Wrap the new line tightly around the tip-ups spool.

Wrap the line around until you have at least 25 yards of line on your tip-up's reel spool. You can be exact with this amount by measuring a foot of line when you first begin to wrap it around after the first few wraps. Once you know how much line is in a foot, determine how many wraps it takes to get that one foot around the line. Do the math to figure out how many wraps you will require to put 25 yards of line on the tip-up. For example, if it takes four wraps around to put one foot on the spool, you will need 300 wraps around to put on the 75 feet that makes up the 25 yards.

Cut the line when you have enough on your tip-up and tie on any terminal tackle such as leaders, swivels and/or hooks.

Tips on Catching Rockfish

Time is an important factor to consider when going on any fishing trip, rockfish included. Depending on what month it is, certain points in the day are better to fish than others. Check solunar tables to determine what are the best times to fish. It is believed that the moon phases shown on the solunar tables is way of estimating prime times to fish. There is usually any time listed in both the morning hours and later in the day for optimal fishing.

Water temperature is a big factor when it comes to fishing for rockfish. Typically rockfish stay near areas that are cooler in water temperature. Finding a spot that is always cooler, like in Northern California, or a fishing spot with heavily shaded areas should be considered when fishing for rockfish.

Rockfish typically eat crustaceans and other small fish, so that needs to be considered when selecting a bait to fish with. Minnows, shrimp, anchovies, sardines and squid are all good choices when it comes to fishing for rockfish. Occasionally on beach areas or areas with lots of rocks, there are crustaceans and sand crabs crawling all over that are perfect to fish with and free for the taking.

Rockfish have a tendency to strike their prey quickly, so it is important to focus when fishing for them. The slightest tug on the line could mean that a rockfish has decided to try for an early lunch. Remaining focused but not overzealous is an important part of almost any fishing activity.

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Tips for Striper Fishing in Las Vegas

Lake Mead is the Western Hemisphere's 16th largest man-made lake. It was created by the Hoover Dam next to the Colorado River and has 820 miles of shore line.

If you decide to fish during the winter in Lake Mead, note that from November through February you should be able to find striped bass at depths of 25 to 40 feet. This is also peak fishing time for crappie.

Fishing in coves is recommended, according to the River Lakes website section for Lake Mead fishing. Fish swim near the lake wall perimeter during this time as well.

As the water warms from March to May, you can find striped bass in coves at depths of 10 to 25 feet. From June through August, find stripers at depths of 35 feet. As the water cools from September through November find stripers in 10 to 20 feet deep water.

Lake Mohave is considered an excellent fishing lake, according to the River Lakes website. The upper lake area is a prime fishing area where the lake is actually a river coming out of the Hoover Dam. Cooler water temperatures and the river current make an attractive fish environment. The current is especially favorited by stripers.

The water is much colder than Lake Mead from March to November and has water at 53 degree temperatures flowing from the Hoover Dam year round. The water that travels 15 to 20 miles south of the dam warms up but is still cool enough for good fishing.

In the winter stripers are found in depths of 10 to 20 feet near cliff areas and coves. In the spring and summer, the water in the northern areas of the lake are still cool enough to attract stripers. Find stripers in deeper water in the fall at depths of 25 to 40 feet.

Stripers tend to feed at night. Anchovies are a favorite form of bait for stripers as are live eels, frozen mackerel or other chunk bait. Eels about 20 inches long can be used if you are looking to catch bigger stripers.

Layer warm clothing and wear gloves when fishing in colder temperatures. Try to fish on clear nights with low wind.

Look for current breaks or areas where the current changes due to large rocks or other objects. Current breaks create seams, or an area where water meets from two different directions. Stripers tend to hang around these areas or within a 30-foot radius.

Bass Fishing Tips for Michigan

Spinnerbaits, crankbaits and plastic worms are your best baits during the spring. During this time, bass move into shallower and warmer weather for spawning and for a greater food supply. For bigmouth bass, fishing in murky water or on cloudy days are best, along with using a shallow-water flip technique. For smallmouth bass, gravel points and submerged hump locations will be your best bet for finding a school. Lake Huron, on the east border of Michigan, with more than 23,000 square miles, and is home to bass, walleye, crappie, and many other species of fish.

During the hot summer months, crankbaits, jigs and plastic worms will be your best baits. Both small and largemouth bass will be in shallow water during the morning, and move into deeper water as the sun rises. Largemouth bass may need to go as deep as 60 feet, depending on the depth of the lake. Smallmouth bass will be drawn to lures that resemble crawfish, as it's their favorite prey during this time of year.

Largemouth and smallmouth bass will hide in shallow to moderately deep water during mornings and evenings, and during the day move into deep water. Spoons and jigs are the best bait to use in deep water. Lake St. Clair in Northern Michigan is a popular destination for smallmouth bass, with some caught coming in around 6 pounds.

During colder weather, bass are less active and moving your lure in a slow motion will draw the attention of the fish. Jigs, pork baits and plastic worms are the best baits for large and smallmouth bass. Again, fish will collect in shallow water during mornings and go deeper into the lake as the day continues.

Ice Fishing Tips & Tricks

Experienced ice fishers, like Steve Ryan of the fishing website Lake Link, prefer plastic to live bait when ice fishing. Panfish in a frozen lake will generally respond well to plastic finesse lures. Using plastic also eliminates the need to cart live bait out onto the ice, lightening your load. Just be sure to bring along a wide range of plastic bait, as you'll likely want to change lures as the session progresses.

Ice fishing reduces your access to the water, and this may tempt you to stop adding variety to your technique. For example, it may seem adequate to use a single vertical jig and pull it up and down in the water at a given depth. If fish stop biting a vertical jig, insert a horizontal jig through the ice and try moving it in a spinning motion by twisting your line with your free hand. Change colors and jig styles to introduce even more variety until you find what works for the fish below you.

Ice fishing in a cold, clean lake should give you a good view into the water from the light that enters through your hole in the ice. Instead of sitting back from the hole, position yourself directly above it and look down into the water. You'll be able to see fish approaching your bait, giving you more time to prepare to make the catch. At the same time, you should be able to see how fish respond to different types of lures and different motion in your line.

Besides relying on your lures, add chum to the water, This may help attract fish to your general area, making them more likely to end up on your line. Take along a variety of materials for chum. Each ice fisher has her own preferred mixture. Ice fishing chum ingredients can include worms, dried oats, uncooked rice and minnows.

Ice fishing in the winter is directly related to how many fish were caught in the summer. Because the fish haven't yet had a chance to repopulate, you'll have better luck on a lake that wasn't extensively fished during the summer. This may mean finding a lake without a boat launch, because it would have been less accessible during the summer months. Remember that the best spots for spotting fish in the summer may actually be among the worst places for ice fishing.

White Perch Fishing Tips in the Chesapeake Bay

According to Maryland&039;s Department of Natural Resources, white perch may reach a mature length of 19 inches. However, white perch are most commonly caught around 7 to 10 inches, weighing eight ounces to a pound. These fish are silvery in appearance and frequently have dark longitudinal lines that run all along their bodies. They are often mistaken for striped bass. Additional, identifying features of white perch are a lower jaws extending slightly outwards and three protruding spines within their dorsal fins. In addition, white perch do not have teeth.

According to southernmarylandfishing.com, adult white perch eat insects, zooplankton, crustaceans, shrimp, crabs, worms, small fish and fish eggs from other species. While fishing in the Chesapeake Bay, the best baits for white perch are bloodworms, although, shrimp, minnows and even earthworms are highly effective when employed in certain situations. When fishing for white perch, anglers should use small pieces of bait, as white perch have problems chewing and securing bait, due to not having teeth.

If anglers choose to use a motor boat, kayak or even canoe, when fishing waters that hold white perch make sure the vessel is equipped with a fish finder. A fish finder device allows anglers traveling across a river, reservoir or tributary the ability to find exactly where white perch are schooling. Locating these pockets, allows anglers to avoid wasting time and concentrate on spots where there are fish. In addition, a fish finder provides levels in which white perch reside. With this invaluable knowledge, anglers can fashion their lines and rigs to reach the depths where white perch are swimming.

The tactic of trolling involves throwing artificial lures behind a canoe while paddling. As the canoe moves forward, the lure travels behind the watercraft, until a hungry fish comes along and hammers it. The speed of the lure can vary, as it is dependent upon how fast an angler paddles. According to Bass Pro Shop, a silver color, Rapala floating minnow, works well when fish in medium to deep water. The Rapala lure resembles a small baitfish common found in the Chesapeake.

While fishing the Chesapeake Bay for white perch look for large rocks, sandbars and submerged trees. According to In Fishermen Magazine, white perch naturally lurk only a few feet away from water obstructions. Anglers throwing a lure or allowing their bait to drift along side of obstructions can entice white perch to strike as they lay waiting to ambush prey for a quick meal.

How to Repair Broken Fishing Poles

Instructions

Repair a broken fishing rod that has been broken in the middle of the rod by trimming the ends of the break square and placing a ferrule in the break. One side of the ferrule is cemented to the top half of the rod and the other side of the ferrule is cemented to the bottom half of the rod. Ferrules can be obtained at sporting goods stores or fishing supply stores.

Replace a broken guide with a similar guide that can be found at sporting goods stores. The guide is re-tied to the rod in the place where the old guide was. If the old guide is still on the pole, cut the string that has the guide tied to the pole and remove both the guide and the old string. Re-tie the new guide in place and coat the new string with lacquer to cure it and hold it together.

Restore a broken tip by trimming the end of the rod square and cementing on a new tip that can be bought at most hardware stores. Be sure to align the tip with the rest of the guides.

Yellowtail Snapper Fishing Tips

Proper chumminga crucial element to catching the yellow snapperkeeps a steady stream of snapper coming to your boat. Although many chumming techniques exist, the recommended variation involves one, or preferably two, chum bags. Prepare the chum bag and include oats and sand to the mix, which will provide a clouding effect to the water. However, before adding the oats, soak them in water for up to two days, according to the website Keys Fishing 101. After preparing the chum, ladle the mixture into the water on a regular basis. Another option is to ball up the mixture and put in on the line and wrap the line around the ball of mixture several times.

The yellow snapper has a remarkably keen sense of sight that allows them to recognize line within the water. Using a clear monofilament line and a fluorocarbon leader, each of 12 to 20 lbs. of test, will help reduce the fish's advantage, according to the website Keys Fishing 101. Attach the leader directly to the line and use a blood or uniknot; forget using a swivel knot. After preparing the leader and line, keep an ample amount of slack in the line, providing a slow drag effect. Let it out without any resistance, letting it flow at the same speed of the current, allowing the bait to sit in the middle of the chum. After a bite, the line will escape rapidly. Allow it to run for several seconds, then close the bait and reel.

When fishing for yellow snapper, look into the water for any signs of reef structures; coral heads, edges, outcrops and reef patches tend to attract the fish. A depth finder is an invaluable tool for this fish; they change depths during different water conditions. If the water is clear, expect to find snapper at depths of 60 to 100 feet, but if the water is cloudy the fish often swim to shallower water and are found in depths of 40 to 60 feet, according to the website Tortugas Fishing. Lastly, before starting to cast out any lines, leave the boat motor running for 15 minutes; the sound of the engine attracts yellow snapper. After years of heavy fishing, the snapper associates the engine noise with food due to the chumming technique that many commercial fishing boats use, which feeds many snapper at once, according to the Tortugas Fishing website.

Tips on Shore Bass Fishing

Often times when fishing for bass from the shore, using a bobber which only allows the line to hang a certain distance below the surface is a good idea, so that the hook cannot get caught on anything lying in the shallows along the bottom of the area in which you are fishing. While bobbers may effect the way some lures move through the water and won't be able to be used with certain lures, they will keep most of your hooks from getting stuck on underwater foliage, felled tree trunks or other obstacles beneath the surface that you don't know are there. These bobbers can also be darkly colored, so as to blend into the water and not frighten the bass from striking.

When using bait like minnows or worms to catch bass, the hooks should be hidden within the bait itself so that they won't hook on anything when they are being reeled-in beneath the surface of the water. The hooks should also be hidden so that they don't stand out to the fish before they strike, as certain things which look unnatural can dissuade a bass from eating it. When using live bait, it should be checked regularly between casts, to ensure the minnows are still alive or at least look natural when being pulled along through the water. With worms, make sure they haven't begun to fall apart due to the water or nibbles fish have taken off of them.

For places to fish from the shore, look for areas where bass would hide and wait for smaller fish to swim by to strike. These places consist of dark, cool areas where smaller fish may feel safe feeding, like felled tree trunks in a lake or river, slower or still areas of water where there are lily pads or large rocks, or lagoons where there are tall reeds where the water doesn't move. Lures or bait should be run by these areas when reeling them in, so that the bass will notice them and strike out of the shadows.

Tips to Catch Bass Off a Lake Pier

The majority of the bass population in any lake will be in the shallows during the spring when they are spawning. As the water temperature increases into the 70 degrees Fahrenheit range, some bass stay in the shallows but others move to deeper water. As a result, piers tend to be most productive before the water moves above 70 F. Once the water is above 70 F, the best time of day for fishing piers is around sunrise and sunset when bass feed actively in the shallows.

The location of the pier plays a role in whether bass will be in the area or not. The best piers for bass have a few common features: they are near deep water; they have vegetation or partially submerged trees or brush around them; and they are over a hard bottom. Local governments often put piers in areas where people have a chance to catch fish, but fishermen who target bass exclusively should choose the pier they fish carefully.

Cast quick-moving baits like buzzbaits and spinnerbaits from your pier early or late in the day -- or under low-light conditions -- when bass are roaming around and feeding actively. Use a long fishing rod to help you cast farther. Make your casts from a variety of spots on the pier so you can cover as much water as possible. Also cast at a variety of angles. If you are standing near shore, for example, cast parallel to the shore but also toward the end of pier. The bass around piers receive a lot of fishing pressure, so presenting your bait from a direction they do not often see could trigger a bite.

If you fish on piers at midday on sunny days, focus on fishing the heaviest cover available with slow-moving baits like plastic worms. Cast your lure into the cover repeatedly and allow it to sit on the bottom for 10 seconds or more. Shake your rod tip slightly so the worm vibrates but does not move.

Many bass fishermen do not fish with live bait, but it can mean the difference between catching bass from piers and not catching them. Given the amount of fishing activity on many piers, bass in the area probably have seen almost every lure. A piece of live bait fished below a bobber is a natural presentation that may coax a bite. Leeches are especially effective for bass, though minnows will work too. Cast the bait in and around cover and then wait for the bobber to go down.

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Tips on Channel Catfish Fishing

Heavy-duty fishing rods and reels are proper tackle to use when fishing for channel catfish that weigh 5 lbs. or more. Channel catfish place a tremendous amount of stress on a rod and reel. Anglers should consider a long rod--between 5 to 7 feet in length--with a stiff backbone but a flexible tip.

Amateurs, as well as many veteran anglers, often overlook fishing line. An angler's line must be stout enough to fight and land large channel catfish. Choose a 15 to 25 lb. test line for fishing big lakes, rivers, and streams. Large channel catfish weighing 10 to 20 lbs., will find it hard to break the line.

According to All About Fishing, natural or live bait is the most effective way to catch channel catfish. Minnows are a natural food which channel catfish cannot resist. When fishing, a live minnow a fishermens hook is either inserted in their mouths or through the fleshy area of its back. When in the water, the minnow will make erratic darts and wiggle as it struggles to get free. The resulting movements catch the eyes channel catfish, as well as other predatory fish. Anglers may find it difficult to keep other species, like bass, off the hook before a channel cat bites. Therefore, anglers should cast live minnows in locations where channel catfish would most likely, lurk.

According to Field and Stream, the most common catfish style-fishing rig is the standard two hooks and sinker. Two-hook catfish rigs are effective when fishing under in deep murky water. Anglers tie two hooks 6 inches to 1 foot apart on a leader, which is then tied to a three-way swivel. A heavy lead weight is attached to the bottom of the swivel. On completion, anglers can offer channel catfish a choice of baits because the rig has two hooks.

Tips on Catching Creek Bass in the Summer

The saying goes that big baits catch big fish, but bass in creeks are more likely to strike a downsized offering. Stream smallmouths are accustomed to eating crayfish, insects and small minnows, and baits that match their natural forage typically outproduce the big, chunky lures that you might throw in a lake or reservoir. Try jigs, crankbaits and soft plastics in natural-looking shades of brown, olive and black and fish them with a subtle, lifelike action. Live crayfish, minnows and nightcrawlers also excel in streams.

Low water makes summertime ideal for wading, and this tried-and true tactic for trout fishing is just as effective for creek bass. You can wear expensive waders if you want, but a pair of shorts and some old sneakers are really all you need. To avoid spooking fish, stay in shallow water and move slowly and quietly, sliding your feet along the bottom. Also, start downstream and work your way up. Stream currents carry a lot of things downstream, including the mud you kick up and the sounds you make.

Smallmouth bass in creeks tend to stay near some type of cover, especially when they are actively feeding. Rocks and boulders, fallen logs, undercut banks and bridge abutments are usually productive. Deep pools often hold the greatest number of bass in summertime, especially pools that are directly downstream of fast-moving water. Smallmouths typically congregate at the upstream end of the pool, facing into current, waiting for crayfish and other aquatic critters that get caught up in the fast water to come tumbling right down into their mouths.

In most creeks, smallmouth bass outnumber largemouth bass by a considerable margin. But largemouths are also present in many creeks, and when they are they typically gather in fairly predictable areas. While smallmouths thrive in current and prefer cool, clear water, largemouths have a preference for warmer, stiller water. In creeks and rivers, you can usually find them in the slowest-moving sections. Backwater areas are best, especially those where the current is slow enough for significant vegetation to grow. Largemouths prefer slightly larger baits, and will strike jigs, topwaters, soft plastic worms and spinnerbaits.

Tips on Fishing in Lake Cumberland, Kentucky

To legally fish at Lake Cumberland, you must have a valid fishing license. Both residents and non-residents of Kentucky must have a valid fishing license on them at all times while fishing. The fishing license gives the owner the right to catch fish by rod-and-reel, pole, line or other legal fishing methods. However, if you want to fish for trout you must purchase a trout permit. All fishermen aged 12 and above must have a fishing license. Children under the age of 12 do not require a license to legally fish.

Fishing on Lake Cumberland can be done from either shore or boat. Lake Cumberland offers many fishing charter companies that will take you to spots on the lake that have a high rate of catch success. If you would rather sail the lake without a guide, boat rentals are available for those with a valid driver's license.

Striped bass, also know as rockfish, are typically caught from April to June and then again in September through October. They are most prominent in the Beaver and Otter Creek area of Lake Cumberland. Striped bass hit on spoons, crankbaits and large jigs. Largemouth bass can be found in the major tributaries throughout the lake from April to October. Largemouth bass are successfully caught on worms and spinner bait.

Catfish, such as blues and flatheads, grow to unusually large sizes for freshwater fish. Catfish are most active during their non-spawning season which is between April and November. Catfish hit on shad minnows, bluegills, night crawlers and chicken liver.

Crappie is caught throughout the lake's tributaries during the months of March to June and then again in October. Crappies respond well to small jigs and minnows. Walleye inhabit the Big South Fork Head and Tailwaters are of the lake, and can be caught on minnows, jigs or a combination of the two.

Tips for Smallmouth Bass Fishing in the Spring

First, you can usually find smallmouth bass in clear, cool water. Typically this means rivers and spring-fed bodies of water, but some of the biggest smallmouth bass have been caught from Lake Erie and other lakes, so don't discount them. Since smallmouth prefer cooler water, look for shady areas in late spring after the fish spawn. Smallmouth like hiding in protected areas, so if there are outcroppings of rock in the river, tangles of roots, or a fallen tree with deep water beneath, you may find a good casting place for reeling in a smallmouth.

Smallmouth bass are fighters, meaning they won't simply give up and allow themselves to be reeled in. They can be challenging to catch, and they put up hardy fights in the spring. Although the type of fishing rod isn't imperative, a good, sturdy fishing line is non-negotiable, since smallmouth bass are strong and feisty and can easily break a line. Nodak Outdoors recommends using orange or pink ball head jigs for baiting the fish and, as the site reads, "if the fishing gets tough, add a fathead minnow or half of a night crawler to the presentation." Grub lures, with tails that twitch in the water and shimmer--catching the light--look mouthwatering to a hungry smallmouth.

Before the water temperature rises too much, smallmouth bass will head for the shallows to spawn, and their hunger will drive them to bite on a variety of lures. According to the Smallmouths website (smallmouths.com), when the river water begins to rise above 50 degrees, the smallmouth bass tend to move down into deeper, cooler waters and shaded areas. Cast your lure back into the deeper water and steadily reel it back toward the shallower water. You may catch a glimpse of a smallmouth following your lure with interest. Be patient if it doesn't bite right away. In later spring, smallmouth bass can be hungry but more cautious. Loud noises such as splashing or a revving boat motor will scare them away. Carefully and quietly approach an area where you suspect the bass to be hiding and try to tempt them out with a delicious-looking lure.

Catch and release so the spirited smallmouth can live to strike a lure again.

How to Catch a Sucker Fish

Instructions

Target suckers in spring or autumn. This is the time of year when many other species of fish are either not biting yet or beginning to slow down in their feeding. Once the temperatures warm up in the spring above 50 degrees F suckers will bite.

Find a slow running river that is not that wide and fish there for suckers. Suckers move along the bottom of a waterway and "suck" up whatever food comes their way. Their teeth are actually in their throats and they are able to take in and grind up many different types of organisms and vegetable matter. But they need the current to be slow enough so that they will not be swept downstream too quickly. Suckers tend to congregate in large pools where the water is still but somewhat deep.

Use night crawlers to catch suckers. Although suckers can be caught on corn and doughballs much like carp can it is much easier to use a night crawler. Hook the night crawler through and through so it cannot wriggle off the hook.

Rig your line with a number four snelled hook and two or three split shots when fishing for suckers. The mouth of the sucker is very fleshy and once hooked the fish rarely will be able to spit the hook out. The weights will serve to keep the night crawler on the bottom where the sucker can find it. The weights also allow you to cast your bait a good distance.

Cast your night crawler out into the current and then let your fishing pole rest against a forked stick. Set the pole down and watch the rod tip. If you see either your line going taut or the rod tip beginning to move back and forth grab the pole and set the hook. Be aware that sometimes a sucker will simply take in your night crawler but then stay still, causing no movement. It is a good idea then to check your line every now and then and be prepared to have to set the hook.

Play a sucker with great care after you hook it and try to get it close to shore. A sucker puts up a great fight initially but they tend to tire quickly.

Reel it in once it stops thrashing about but be careful as you get them close to shore. While they won't get off the hook they are strong enough still at this point to break the line, which they can accomplish by rolling over and over.

Use a net to scoop the sucker up and then carefully remove the hook with pliers. Release the sucker unharmed to perhaps be caught another day.

Winter Flounder Fishing Tips

It's hard to catch winter flounder in the summer when they live in the deeper parts of the ocean and blend in with the ocean floor. However, in the winter they move to shallow water close to land. If you are familiar with the waters, you can track the fish and where they spend most of their inland time. When just starting, contact local guides or talk to other anglers to learn some of the migration habits of the winter flounder. As soon as the temperatures hit 50 degrees or higher, the large, adult flounder head back to deeper water, so if you want to catch winter flounder, you have to brave the cold and ice.

Like most fish, winter flounder have favorite colors. Winter flounder prefer yellow and anglers do well with yellow grubs attached to sinkers. They have favorite foods, too. Flounder like clam, mussels, bloodworms, or sandworms. If you have no other options, nightcrawlers will work. Use a 6 to 12 pound test line for flounder and a size 8 or 9 flounder hook. Flounder are bottom fish that lie flat on the river or bay floor. Bait floating in the water won't attract them away from the safety of their camouflage on the bottom. Sinkers keep the bait down at the bottom where the winter flounder live.

Keep your boat extra-steady when fishing for winter flounder. Both of the flounder's eyes are on the top side of the flattened body, which "faces" the surface of the water. This is unlike most fish, which have an eye on each side of the head. Flounder have an excellent view of what is going on directly above them and movement will spook them into not moving. In their world, movement means possible detection by predators above, so they will lie still. This means they won't go for bait even when it's right in front of them. Trolling that works with other types of fish will not go over big with a flounder. Use a chum pot to put the scent of their favorite food in the water and stir up the mud around your boat. This will attract flounder to the area thinking there are bait fish in distress.

Monday, September 22, 2014

Tips for Pre-Spawn Bass Fishing

The pre-spawn period takes place in spring, but the exact timing varies by latitude. In Florida it may start as early as February, while it may not occur until May at the northernmost tip of bass&039; range. Water temperature is the deciding factor. Generally speaking, pre-spawn behavior begins to take place when waters are between 50 and 58 degrees Fahrenheit for smallmouth bass, or between 53 and 63 degrees for largemouths. But bass may begin to invade shallow water even sooner in many cases, so it would be wise to start fishing early in the season rather than start later and risk missing some pre-spawn action.

During the pre-spawn period, bass are actively moving between deep and shallow water to feed, often several times a day. The best places to fish often feature structure that runs from deep water to shallow water, offering bass a route to travel to shallow feeding grounds. "Deep" and "shallow" vary from lake to lake, but bass can winter as deep as 50 feet, and come to shallows less than 15 feet deep during the pre-spawn. Looking at a good topographical map of a lake can give you a better idea of where some of the prime fishing spots might be.

Bass are feeding heavily during the pre-spawn period, foraging on energy-rich baitfish, crayfish and other aquatic creatures to bulk up for the energy-draining spawn season. Find out what bass eat in your lake and try to imitate it as closely as possible. Crayfish colors vary from differing bodies of water, so use jigs that closely resemble the crayfish specific to your lake. Shad, perch, bluegill and shiners are among the top baitfish bass eat. Find out what the primary baitfish are in your lake and use lures that match them in color and size.

Sometimes fast-moving lures will provoke an instinctive reaction strike from bass. During the pre-spawn, however, bass strike out of hunger rather than aggression, so triggering reaction strikes is rarely necessary. Slowing down your presentation and using natural-looking lures is usually the way to go. Jigs and plastic worms are popular pre-spawn lures, and the way to fish them is by crawling and hopping them along the bottom. Suspending jerkbaits work as well. Add long pauses to your retrieve with jerkbaits, allowing them to sit perfectly still in the water column.

Sunday, September 21, 2014

Tips on Catching Striped Bass in the Chesapeake

Striped bass are an inshore fish that can be found in the Chesapeake and its rivers and estuaries. They are not usually found more than 5 miles offshore and prefer deep, clear water between 65 to 70 degrees. Use a fish finder to tell you water depths and temperatures to target striped bass.

They migrate from salt water to fresh water in the spring to spawn and are found in the bay's deep channels in the summer and winter, so fish the rivers and estuaries in the spring and progress into the bay waters in the summer, fall and winter.

Striped bass feed at night, typically eating any kind of small fish, crabs and squids. They go for live, excited bait; shad, herring, eel and shiner have all been used with success. Use a cast net to catch fresh live bait; soft plastic jigs, crankbaits and spoons are also good options.

The steep edges of the shipping channels at Bloody Point, Thomas Point, Breezy Point, Cove Point and Hooper's Island Light have been known to produce a good catch when the Chesapeake surface temperature begins to warm up. Use a nautical chart to locate shipping channels and these landmarks as well as deep water where striped bass are known to live and feed.

How to Ice Fish for Yellow Perch

Instructions

Fish just off the bottom of the lake. Yellow perch are known to eat the worms and grubs that live on the bottom of lakes and ponds. They wont stray too far from the bottom in most cases, since that is also where the warmest water is in the winter months. Set your tip-ups to be 1 foot to 6 inches off the bottom, and if you are jigging for perch with an ice rod keep the bait just off the bottom of the body of water you are fishing.

Find the middle of the lake and fish for perch there. The midsections of most lakes and ponds are what are known as the basin area, meaning there is very little vegetation there. The muddy bottom is home to many of the creatures that perch like to eat and they will be cruising these areas in search of food. Yellow perch can be found in shallower water as well, but those tend to be smaller than the ones taken from the middle of lakes.

Be ready to be taken to school. Once you catch one yellow perch, chances are excellent that it is just the beginning of the action. Perch travel in schools, meaning that you will more than likely have lots of willing takers once you hook into one. Yellow perch will take shiners and really go for small jigs, tiny lures designed for panfish. Put a piece of a dead shiner on one and see how the perch respond.

Move around on the lake. If you are not catching fish in one spot, drill holes in some others and move your tip-ups and jigging action to those. Do not stay in an unproductive fishing spot for more than 15 minutes. Watch the action around you. If ice fishermen in another spot are catching perch, consider moving your operation in their direction without crowding them. Keep drilling holes every 10 or 15 yards until you find the perch.

Bounce it off the bottom. Perch will take jigging lures presented in this way as they are accustomed to feeding right off of the bottom. Let your jig lie on the bottom for as long as half a minute and then start to bounce it up and down. Keep your jig moving for a while and then let it go back down to rest on the bottom for a few more seconds before repeating the jigging action.

Tips on Using Sardines as Bait for Fishing

Sardines can be used for deep sea fishing bait, but they must be alive when they are baited, otherwise they won't be very effective. The way to properly bait a live sardine is by taking the fish in your hand and insert your hook just below the fish's spine, so that it can still swim with the hook through it and can look like a normal fish swimming through the ocean to the hungry fish you are trying to catch. However, this bait will only survive for so long with this technique, whether bigger fish are feeding on them or not, so be prepared to rebait your hook regularly.

Catfish are the notorious bottom feeders of lakes and eat incredibly stinky things. This is why packaged sardines work so well as bait for catching catfish. Chum the water to draw the catfish in by dumping a couple of cans of sardines into one area, along with the liquid they were packaged with. Then bait your hook or hooks with particularly large sardines or chunks of sardines which you can then drop into the water where the other sardines have been dumped. Allow your baited hook to sit on the bottom where the catfish will feed and unsuspectingly eat your hook.

Take large sardines and filet them like you would any other fish. With these pieces of filet meat, cut them into solid chunks which can fit on the hooks of a lure which are attractive to steelhead and salmon. Make sure to insert these chunks of bait in a vertical way, so that the meat won't fall off as you reel it in through the water or a rushing stream. The smell of the meat will draw the salmon and steelhead to the lure, if the color and movement of the lure don't draw the fish already. You can also insert this meat into a plug lure, which will draw the fish by scent yet not allow them to tear it off when they strike it.

Tips for Using Rubber Worms for Bass Fishing

Like everything else in fishing, technology is constantly evolving the lures. As simple as the rubber worm appears to be, some companies have begun producing rubber worms that are more advanced and therefore more effective in many instances.

Selecting a rubber worm made with "bio-salt" will help you attract more fish and make that wiggling worm irresistible to bass. According to the NGC Sports website, certain rubber worm lures are coated in this substance making them particularly flavorful to the fish. The bio-salt simulates the salty content of baitfish that bass prey on in the water. The fish will be attracted to your lure and be more likely to take it if you choose one of these "scented" or "flavored" versions.

If you've been to any bait shop and looked at the artificial lures you have noticed the rainbow of colors that rubber worms and other lures are produced in. This is not a fashion statement. The colors are actually useful for attracting fish in different water conditions, although most people just experiment with them until they find one that catches a fish.

Save the trial and error effort and go straight for the right color. It's a good idea to have several types in your tackle box, but pull out the ones that fit the conditions at that moment.

If the water is clear, go with a green worm, pumpkin seed worm or a black or blue variety of rubber worm, according to Fishin.com. If the water is a bit cloudy and dingy then go for the purple or red worm. If the water is extremely muddy, it is a good idea to choose a worm that will cause some vibration in the water. Try a worm with a fat ribbon tail that will allow the fish to feel the movement even if they can't see it.

Tie your worm on with a method known as a Texas rig and fish it in shallow water for best results, according to Family-Outdoors.com.

Make a Texas rig by sliding a small bullet sinker on the line with the wide part facing the end of the line. Tie on an offset worm hook at the end of the line and clip the excess line. Slide the head of the rubber worm onto the hook and ease it over the hook until the head completely covers the hook. The hook will protrude from the worm below the head when it is slid into place. Take the barb of the hook and stick it back into the belly of the worm without letting the hook break the surface on the other side. This rig will keep the lure from hanging in weeds or other objects.

Fish the Texas rig very slowly across the bottom near good cover in depths of two to 10 feet for best results.

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Saginaw River Ice Fishing Tips

The website All About Fishing recommends jigs, spoons and crankbaits, which work well in the deep structure of the river. Walleye prefer Swedish Pimples, Jigging Rapalas, Rocker Minnows and leadhead jigs, which work best from Vets Park to the Tittabawassee and Shiawassee Rivers' confluence.

The website Travels recommends fishing for walleye after dark or at dusk along the shallow flats near the sides of the river's mouth. The website All About Fishing recommends trying shallow depths in the morning, but as the sun rises, moving into deeper waters, while the website Saginaw Bay finds that fish will bite all day on the Saginaw River, but early morning and late evening are best.

Ice fishing for walleye and other fish on the Saginaw River is best in early- to mid-January, but it can be at any time of the year that occurs after several weeks of subfreezing temperatures, according to the Michigan Sportsman magazine website. Some walleyes enter the Saginaw River from the Saginaw Bay in the fall and spend the winter in the river, while others travel to the river throughout the winter. The website Saginaw Bay recommends late December through mid- to late February, as long as weather conditions are right.

When ice fishing on the Saginaw, one of the safest bets is Wicks Park, which is near the Shiawassee and Tittabawassee Rivers' confluence. According to the website Saginaw Bay, areas near other ice fishermen are usually the safest to fish. Other popular access areas include Vets Park in Bay City and the Department of Natural Resources ramp at the mouth of the river.

The Bay City Power Company area of the Saginaw River should be avoided during ice fishing season, according to the website Travels, which reports that the power company discharges warm water into the river up to five miles east of the city, which warms the water and makes ice fishing difficult.

The website Travels recommends staying close to the bottom of the Saginaw River and Bay when ice fishing, with six inches or less from the bottom a good rule of thumb.

Tips for Rock Cod Fishing

The right equipment for rock cod fishing depends on the depth of the fish. You will find rock cod in shallow waters, but more often, in depths up to 400 feet, so gather your equipment accordingly. Some rock cod live in so-called hard bottom areas such as reefs. Rock cod are often found hiding under rocks. When fishing for rock cod, use sliding sinkers, 5-inch-long bait and a medium to lightweight rod. Rock cod respond better to pieces of squid rather than the whole thing. Anchovies also work well and you should never use sardines. If you are using artificial bait, use the scented kind.

Since rock cod often go deep, the line's length may depend on the depth of the fishing area. Always have extra line. Heavy-duty sinkers will help the line move down faster. Selection of the right bait is essential. Create a rhythm. Sink the line, pull it up a few times, then move a little away, and repeat. This will lure the fish. The right lure is also very helpful and berkeley gulp lures seem to have a good standing.

Drop the jig a few times and take it out of the water. If it has not lured any rock cod, there may not be any around. Controlling the slack is essential. Experienced anglers can feel the jig go down. Once it hits the bottom, the hook is ready for setting. Make use of a woven line to ensure that there is no stretch. If hit on the way down, pull out immediately; fish often like to explore and end up getting snagged. If there is a wind blowing when throwing the jig, throw downward of the wind.

Tips on Lake Trout Fishing in Washington

Trout fishing in Washington lakes is best during spring and fall when the water is at a desirable temperature---cold but not frigid, according to the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This is especially true for anglers who prefer to catch rainbow trout in lowland lakes. However, larger and deeper lakes in Washington can be productive all year. To increase your chances of a strike, fish in shallow waters in the spring and fall and cast in deeper waters during the warmer summer months.

Washington trout fisheries stock many alpine or high elevation lakes with cutthroat, rainbow and golden trout between the months of June and October. Planted trout tend to linger in the surface, about three to five feet of water for about a week after stocking. You can improve your success rate by shallow-trolling with small lures or baits for trout during this period, advised the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

Lake Roosevelt has a phenomenal trout fishery with trout ranging from 15 to 24 inches in size, according to the state department's biologist Chris Donnelly. Other lakes with productive trout fishing include Sprague Lake, Williams Lake, Badger Lake and West Medical Lake advised the Washington Game & Fish Magazine. Different types of trout you can expect to find in these well-stocked lakes include rainbow, cutthroat, brown and brook trout.

Artificial lures such as spoons are used by local Washington anglers to catch trout.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that rainbow trout is widely distributed throughout the state and is also the most popular game fish. The rainbow trout's natural diet consists of plankton, insects, smaller fish and other invertebrates. Favorite baits used by local anglers in Washington lakes include worms, cheese, salmon eggs, marshmallows, natural insects and artificial baits. You can also try many artificial lures such as wobbling spoons, small diving plugs and spinners as they work well for attracting rainbows.

How to Catch Steelhead Trout

Instructions

Determine how the steelhead trout will be fished. Many methods exist for catching these fish, including fly-fishing, lead fishing and float fishing. Typically, flyfishing the clear, cool streams of the Pacific Northwest yields steelhead trout.

Consider drift fishing for steelhead trout. This entails tying bait to an octopus hook with a leaded float about 10 inches from the bait. The weight, when cast, drifts along the water's bottom leaving the bait to float downstream freely. Set the hook the moment a bite is felt.

Create a float fishing rig. This method is the simplest of techniques that regularly lands steelhead trout. Suspend bait and hook about a foot from the unbreakable float. Place a swivel mid-point between those two. Cast the float rig upstream and allow it to drift downstream. Set the hook as soon as there is a bite.

Use smaller spoons and spinners near rocks and brush snags. Tip spinning lures with bait to make them more appealing to the steelhead trout. Apply scents and oils to the lures Use a single, small hook.

Black Bass Fishing Tips

Crayfish are one of the primary forage items of smallmouth bass. Since crayfish often are found around rocks, that is the place to begin searching for smallmouth bass. Rocks that are close to--or extend into--deep water are best. The smallmouths will feed over the shallow rocks early and late in the day under low-light conditions and then slide into deep water when the sun is out.

Cast 3/8-oz. yellow spinnerbaits and retrieve them quickly over rocks. If there are smallmouth bass in the area, you will know shortly. Once you have located an area that holds smallmouths, tie on a 1/4-oz. jig and a plastic trailer shaped like a crayfish. Retrieve the jig over the rocks, as if imitating a crayfish.

Both largemouth and smallmouth bass have an affinity for topwater baits. Perhaps more than any other species, largemouth and smallmouth bass are quite willing to hit a lure that is retrieved on the surface of the water. The best times to use topwaters are when bass are in the shallows around cover like vegetation and rocks, and under low-light conditions. Poppers work well for both species; buzzbaits do too, but tend to be more effective for largemouth bass. Something to keep in mind: When you are throwing a topwater bait, a bass often will hit the bait without getting hooked. Instead of casting the topwater again, instead throw a plastic worm into the area where the fish hit.

Many lakes have homes along the shoreline. Many people who live on lakes, rivers or reservoirs also put out a boat dock. Bass, especially largemouths, love this kind of shallow cover. The best docks are near deep water and have a complex structure. When the sky is overcast, bass will head to the edges of the dock to feed. Otherwise, they tend to stay far underneath docks, where they rest in the cooler water and wait to ambush prey.

Tie a tube jig on to a spinning rod and reel and skip the tube as far underneath the docks as you can. While many anglers fish docks, few get far underneath them. As a result, those bass are less pressured and more likely to eat your bait.

Bass anglers who target big bass of both species often use large lures. Their thinking is that big bass are likely to eat bigger meals. And they are correct. But big baits often mean fewer overall fish caught. So the angler who wants to catch a bunch of bass, but also have a chance at catching a big bass, should tie on smaller lures.

One of the best: Jigworms that weigh 1/8- to 1/4-oz. Jigworms consist of mushroom-head jigs and 4- to 7-inch worms, which are threaded onto the shank of the jig. Casting jigworms around weed edges and drop-offs will trigger bass of any size to bite. Begin by bumping the lure along the bottom. If that does not work, or the fish seem more active, let the jigworm sink to the bottom, then retrieve it steadily so it stays about 12 inches off the bottom.

How to Make Homemade Ice Fishing Tip-Ups

Instructions

Make a cross. Place the center of the thick dowel across the thin dowel at a point approximately 4 inches from the end.

Wrap the fishing line around the dowel and then tie a knot to keep the dowels together.

Tie the strip of cloth to the long end of the 1/4-inch dowel with fishing line.

Attach the line to the short end of the 1/4-inch dowel.

Tug the line to make sure the dowel tips up and raises the flag.

Friday, September 19, 2014

King Salmon Fishing Tips

Due to the potential mammoth size of chinook salmon, heavy fishing equipment must be used. Anglers should use a fishing poll that is rated at least 25 lbs., preferably heavier. They should also make sure to use a reel and line that is rated to the same weight as their poll.

When fishing on a river, or near the mouth of a river, use weights to keep your lure/bait near the bottom. The stronger the current, the heavier the weight you will need to use.

Use large, flashy tackle when fishing for chinook. Big fish require big targets to attract their attention.

As with any form of fishing, knowing the behavioral tendencies of your prey will give you an edge. In the spring and fall, chinook can be found closer to shore, away form deeper open waters. Also, Alaska king salmon are, like many fish and most animals, most active just before/after sunrise, and just before/after sunset.

If fishing in a river during salmon spawning season, be aware that chinook salmon stop eating until they have spawned. Use spoons to irritate the fish into striking or salmon eggs that the fish will attempt to carry in their mouths. Be aware that fishing with salmon eggs is illegal in some areas. Additionally, when possible, always fish in overcast or rainy weather, as chinook have been shown to strike more readily in these conditions.

Locations and water conditions can have a big impact on which angles and lures are best, as well as which fishing techniques will be the most effective.

While trolling in deeper ocean water, use herring or herring attractors as bait, as these are the prey king salmon are typically looking for in this environment. Use a slow trolling speed to simulate the behavior of the herring. Fish finders can work wonders in this environment. Keep in mind that a higher tide calls for a slightly longer trolling line and a slightly higher trolling speed.

When shore fishing, use heavier weights and a large spoon type lure. Vary your reeling speed to make the spoon to appear to bounce back and forth off the bottom to attract the attention of the chinook.

There are a number of popular and effective lure types that should be considered when trolling near the mouth of a river, or near a shallow bar in open water. Bait egg clusters, wiggle warts, Kwikfish, flatfish, t-spoons and tadpolys have all been proven effective in these areas. Go prepared will all or at least several, and try different lures until you find one that works--different days and water conditions will call for different lure types.

Thursday, September 18, 2014

Making Ice Fishing Tip-Ups

An ice fishing tip-up is a simple tool that allows you to see when a fish is biting your line. Most fishermen use them in areas where they can set up more than one pole. The device signals a bite by raising a colorful flag that is easy to see against ice and snow. You can purchase ice fishing tip-ups at any sporting goods store, but you also can make one easily with inexpensive materials.

To make your own, get a 1/4-inch thick wooden dowel between 18 to 24 inches long, a second dowel of the same length but slightly thicker (about 1/2- or 3/4-inch thick), a piece of brightly colored cloth, like a strip torn from a bright red shirt, some heavy braided twine and fishing line.

Take the thinner, lighter dowel and attach the cloth, flag or even brightly colored strip of tape to the end of it. Attach it by nailing it in, securing it to the end of a flexible wire (as shown above) or with a strong adhesive.

Then, use the twine to bind the dowels together at right angles to form an uneven cross. The lighter dowel should contain most of the length, meaning the thicker dowel only extends a bit past the thinner dowel. This allows the thinner dowel to raise the flag into the air when a fish bites the line.

You can add a second thicker dowel to form an "X" that will be a little more secure over the ice hole, as shown in the picture.

Attach your fishing line to the non-flag end of the thin dowel; on the shorter side. You can use screws or nails to do this. Place the ice tip-up over the hole, with each end of the thicker dowel(s) resting on the ice on either side of the hole. Let your fishing line fall into the hole. When a fish bites the line, it will pull on the line and on the short end of the dowel, raising the flag on the longer end into the air and letting the fisherman easily spot which line has a fish on it.

Note that some areas do not allow ice fishermen to set up more than one hole.

Tips for Salmon Fishing in Sacramento

Salmon are migratory fish, which travel upstream from the coasts to spawn. Because Sacramento is approximately 100 miles from the coastline, it is important to plan your fishing trip for a time when the salmon will be upstream in bountiful supply. According to Trails.com, the high season for salmon action in Sacramento starts around mid-July or the beginning of August and peaks during October and November.

The city of Sacramento lies predominately on the eastern shore of the Sacramento River, known colloquially as the Sac. The 384-mile-long river should be your primary location when fishing for salmon in the area. According to Bay Area Fishing, the mouths of small tributaries or streams that branch off of bigger rivers, like the Sacramento, are prime locations for salmon fishing. Try finding spots like this in and around the city. Ideally, you will want to fish in water that is between three and eight feet deep.

When fishing on the Sacramento River, you will want to use durable equipment, as the current can be strong and salmon can be heavy. For a fishing rod, use a variety that is at least 6 feet long. You will also want it to be flexible, to cope with the weight of your catch. Spin-cast and bait-cast reels are both good options. While the former has a spinning metal top, and allows you to cast further distances, the latter has a button release and is better for aiming your casts.

One of the best techniques for salmon fishing on Californian rivers is drift fishing.
The technique requires that you cast your lure or bait upstream and then allow it to drift naturally with the current back downstream and past your location. The natural movement helps trick fish into thinking your bait is a live prey item, caught in the current. A variation on the technique, which also works well for catching salmon, is to attach a bobber above your bait, and then cast it out. This will allow you to more easily track your bait, as the bobber floats downstream on top of the water's surface.

How to Set Up an Ice Fishing Tip-Up

Instructions

Open the tip-up up from its closed position. Typically with a wooden tip-up, this involves unscrewing a nut that allows movable arms to unfold into the form of an "X." The arms criss-cross over the hole in the ice, while the reel arm with the reel on one end and the flag and its trip mechanism on the other run perpendicular to the folding arms.

Lock the nut to keep the folding arms in an open position. Do not tighten the nut too snugly--this will make it very difficult to turn when you are done fishing at the end of the day and the tip-up is potentially frozen from the winter chill.

Bait your hook. Let out some line from the tip-up's reel and then attach your bait to the hook. Most ice anglers employ the use of live bait, such as minnows, shiners or meal worms on a tip-up.

Pull the flag up until it is as high as it can go on the tip-up. Traditionally a wooden tip-up has a thin long metal strip to which a flag is attached. One end stays attached to the very top of the tip-up's reel arm while the end with the flag is bent. This allows the flag end to fit into the part of the tip-up that triggers the flag to go up. In some cases it is a short bit of metal that the spinning reel dislodges the flag from, sending it into its upright position. On other tip-ups, the trigger is one long piece of wire with a catch on one end that moves in unison when the fish takes the bait and spins the reel. This movement dislodges the flag from the catch.

Attach the flag to the trip mechanism and carefully take line off the tip-up by hand. Simply pulling the line off the reel will cause the tip-up flag to go off. Take as much line off the reel as you desire so as to have your bait at whatever depth you decide.

Place the tip-up into the hole without causing the flag to go off. Be alert so that if the flag does go off from the tip-up being bumped that it does not whip up and slap you in the face. This is most unpleasant on a cold day. Your tip-up is now set up with the bait down in the hole and the flag ready to go up if the mechanism is triggered by a bite.

How to Fish With Tip-Ups

Instructions

Spread out your tip-ups to cover a large area. Cover as much of the water you are on within reason to give you better odds of getting bites from fish. In some cases, the fish will bite so often that you will not have to place your tip-ups far from each other to get plenty of action. Start by placing your tip-ups between 10 and 15 yards apart. If fish seem to be in one particular area, move all your tip-ups to cover that spot.

Vary the depth of your bait. The majority of ice anglers will use some sort of minnow as bait on their tip-ups, from smaller shiners to those as large as 8 to 10 inches, like suckers and chubs. By deploying your bait at different depths, you will learn at which depth the fish are at once they start to bite. Put some of your shiners just below the ice--about a foot or two. Let out enough line from the reel to have other shiners swimming a foot above the bottom. If you discover fish seem to bite on the tip-ups only at certain depths, change all your tip-ups to correspond with the ones getting the action.

Deploy your tip-ups while keeping in mind what kind of fish you want to catch. For example, crappie in the winter will be in deeper water and suspended in schools of fish near the bottom in many ponds and lakes. By lowering your bait to be close to the bottom, you increase your chances of attracting crappies. Conversely, northern pike like to chase the smaller baitfish located in the weedy shallows when ice covers their habitat. Set your bait just under the ice in the shallow water when targeting pike--from 3 to 6 feet deep--and try to keep it just above any weeds.

Move the tip-ups that are not getting any bites. Think of your tip-ups as individual fisherman. Someone who is getting no bites in a certain location will certainly move to another. Do this with your tip-ups as well, expanding your territory and moving those that fail to produce to another spot on the ice. Drill holes with your ice auger in spots you have yet to try while waiting for a bite. Then when you decide that a tip-up is better off somewhere else, carry it to the newly drilled hole and deploy it.

Observe proper ice fishing etiquette with your tip-ups. Do not deploy your tip-ups close to those of other anglers; a good rule of thumb is to stay at least 20 yards away from other fishermen. Refrain from using the holes drilled in the ice by other anglers once they move their tip-ups to another location. Only use others' holes after they leave the ice. Stay vigilant and quickly attend to any tip-ups of yours on which the flags go up. Avoid making loud noise on the ice or causing a ruckus when fishing with tip-ups around other anglers, as this can frighten the fish.

Monday, September 29, 2014

Size Matters

Moving Water

Spinner Hooks

Guide

Launch

Ice Fishing

Instructions

How To Ice Fish For Pickerel

Sunday, September 28, 2014

Plunking for Salmon

Casting to Salmon

Flipping to Salmon

Saturday, September 27, 2014

Quiet

Baits

Cover

Ice Fishing

Proper Equipment

Artificial Bait Rigs

Lindy Rig

Bobber Rig

Snap Swivel

Instructions

Bring the right equipment

Set the rod up before going out

Hit the ice

Jigging for panfish

More than just jigging

Don't give up

Friday, September 26, 2014

Instructions

Thursday, September 25, 2014

Instructions

Time

Temperature

Bait

Focus

Wednesday, September 24, 2014

Lake Mead

Lake Mohave

Additional Striper Fishing Tips

Spring

Summer

Fall

Winter

Use Plastic

Add Variety

Observation

Use Chum

Find Remote Lakes

Characteristics

Use of Bait

Fish Finders

Trolling Fishing

Submerged Obstructions

Instructions

Chumming

Proper Line and Technique

Locating the Fish

Use a Bobber

Hide Hooks in Bait

Places to Fish

Timing

The Right Piers

Lures and Casting

Saturation Baits

Live Bait

Tuesday, September 23, 2014

Heavy Duty Fishing Rods & Reels

Using Strong Fishing Line

Live Minnows

Standard Two-Hook Rig

Downsize Baits and Lures

Get Wet

Cast to Cover

Target Largemouths

License/Permit

Boats

Bass