Nature's Clues for Fishermen

By Bob Long


Every lake is unique; the results of a great number of long term environmental factors that shape its development and ultimately its fish population. A typical guide for fishermen is that on any lake 90% of the fish are found on 10% of the water. As the seasons pass , fish react due to the natural changes in their environment particularly the level of absorbed oxygen and water temperature. When a fisherman looks at an unfamiliar expanse of water, he sees only a featureless surface. So choosing a fishing location can be tricky because every lake is different, but nature does provide some clues to the observant angler that will improve the chances of choosing a time and a location when the fish will be present and biting.

Experienced fishermen diligently watch what is happening around them looking for these clues to help unravel the mysteries of fish behavior. The seasonal activities of fish often correspond to the blooming of certain plants, bird migrations and other events. As an example, white bass often begin spawning when the dogwood trees start blooming. But this spectacular event may vary as much as 3 weeks from one year to the next based primarily on the timing of S pring and the subsequent change in temperature. So planning a fishing expedition strictly by the calendar will not regularly find white bass on their spawning grounds but waiting for the dogwoods to flower improves the chances of being there at the proper time. Bearing this in mind many anglers keep a logbook of their discoveries to help them on future outings.

Another example is too find hints of the fall turnover in a lake by studying a sudden decline in water clarity. Turnover is the natural way of re-oxygenating the water but it also stirs up the bottom of the lake producing floating waste and drastically increasing turgidity. Oxygen levels will decrease for a short period and the fish typically turn off from feeding and scatter across the lake from surface to bottom. This situation typically lasts from 1-2 weeks, but when the turn is done, oxygen levels rise swiftly and the now hungry fish begin to feed again heralding in some of the finest angling of the year.

Knowledable anglers are always alert for the indicators of fish activity and search for crappies building their nests, large bass or pike feeding in the shallows or small fish dimpling the surface of a quiet bay. Polarized glasses help catch more fish because of their the ability to eliminate glare so that the angler can see under the outer surface of the water and more easily identify these activities.

Whether fishing from a boat, or from the shore or exploring the water with chest waders, there are numerous natural clues which can often be invaluable to all fishermen. The facility to identify and act on these natural events is what distinguishes the great angler from the average one and nearly always leads to catching more fish.




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No Luck While Fishing Then Check This Advice

By Darlene Skubik


Coming up empty handed when fishing with kids isn't fun. If you would like to impress your loved ones with an amazing catch of the day, you need advice from the most expert sources. Read on to snag some versatile new fishing tips.

Remember that your prey will be affected by the phases of the moon. Fish are usually more active during a full moon. However, this will make you even more visible than normal, so you'll have to take the precautions against this.

If you plan to fish from a boat, make sure the flooring is as dry as it can be. The last thing that you will want to do when fishing is trip or fall, as you may have sharp objects around you. Stay vigilant, and mop up spills and puddles as soon as you notice them.

Choose a fishing spot wisely. Consider which types of fish are your target, and study their unique habits and preferences. Some fish are bottom-dwellers, while others are top-dwellers. Some fish spend most of their time in shady areas, while others enjoy the bright warmth of the sun. Understand the fish that reside in the area you are fishing, and research these fish's habits in order to have the best results.

Keep your line in the water at all times. You can waste a lot of time untangling knotted line, changing your lures, sharpening your hooks, and so on. Remember that the only way you're going to really catch fish is when your line is actually out on the water.

Make sure you know what the weather will be like before going on a trip. You might be surprised by a bad thunderstorm, winds, or hail, if you don't check first. Things could turn dangerous if an unexpected storm pops up. So be very safe and check the forecast before you go fishing.

Try fly fishing! There are numerous benefits when you are fly fishing, and you have to remember that fly fishing is much different from other types of fishing. You will have to buy different equipment and clothing if you want to be a fly fisher.

Think carefully about what bait you need. Nothing is as bad as spending a day fishing and catching nothing. Take time to read about the right bait for the fish you are trying to catch. Catfish and trout are attracted to different things. When you use the proper bait, you will be in a better position to take more fish home.

If you are doing catch-and-release fishing, take care not to fight with the fish you hook. In many cases, the fight injures or exhausts the fish. If you are not reeling in the fish to keep it, release it without a fight rather than risk killing it.

You should almost always use a sinker whenever you are fishing in the winter. By using sinkers, your bait will go to the warmer, deeper waters where fish live during the colder months. The amount of weight you use depends on how deep the water is and what type of line you are using.

While sunny days are often thought of as the best time to engage in outdoor activities, the opposite is true for fishing. When you have overcast in the sky, it is a great time to go out and fish. Some rain showers can even be of assistance! When the weather is crummy, get out there and fish!

The memories you can make while out fishing will last forever; that look on your grandkid's face when she gets her first bite can't be beat. Your talent at fishing will help to create beautiful memories with them, lasting their entire life.




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Want To Improve Your Fishing Skills?

By Ustim Rehsif


Fishing can be a great way to get out and enjoy nature, but you still want to be able to catch those fish! Fishing is an art form and you have to be able to know how to get those fish to bite your hook. Here are some wonderful tips that will help you to catch more fish.

Watch your manners. Although it isn't directly related to fishing, it is a rule for all sportspersons of any type - avoid littering. Just as you enjoy being in the great outdoors, there are many other people who get away from stress by relaxing in a clean, natural outdoor environment. Remember this before throwing your can in the water.

Take some shine off of a new line with a black marker to avoid alarming fish when fishing in murky waters. This is best done the night before to avoid a strong marker smell. Simply run the marker from the bait up for several feet to make your line less conspicuous to fish.

Enjoy your whole fishing experience. Do not just go fishing to catch all of the fish. Take the time to find the right gear, the right spot, and the right set-up for you to have the most fun. When the evening comes, you will have had a good time, no matter how many fish are in your bucket.

One of the most important things that you must do before your fishing trip is, to map your entire route. This will help to organize your day so that you are not spending valuable time deciding on where to go. Also, you should find hot spots for fish to maximize your results.

Do your research on the types of fish you are trying to catch. Contrary to popular belief, fish are often very cautious, even strategic, on how they approach food. And each type of fish has its own characteristics. Learning the nuances of these fish prior to fishing can make your day much more successful.

Talk to the locals. If you are fishing in a new area, talk to the local fishermen, in the hope that they will share information with you. Another great place to get advice about where to catch the most fish is at a bait and tackle shop - just make sure to buy plenty of equipment before asking for recommendations!

Fishing is a noble pursuit, whether for fun or feast. What you've read here has equipped you with all the knowledge necessary to figure out how, where and when to fish for the best results possible. So make use of what you've learned and enjoy your new found success in the water!




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Modified Carolina Rig

The Carolina rig. Various soft plastic fishing...
The Carolina rig. Various soft plastic fishing rigs and methods have evolved through anglers targeting specific fish species. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Modified Carolina Rig


My fishing buddy Gary showed me this rig and it really works.


This is a fun way to catch Crappie, Bluegill and other fish under lily pads or in weeds.  It can also be used as a regular Carolina rig.

Rig your Carolina rig up the normal way with the egg sinker or a "no snag" type of sinker if you have lots of rocks in your lake.

Tie a drop shot hook about 8 inches to a foot from the end of your line - upside down.  This distance will be a guess - you will probably have to experiment.

Tie the swivel end of the line to the swivel.

TIE a very small bobber to the other end of the line.  Please tie it on or you will lose the bobber eventually.

Bait the hook with a small plastic worm or small GULP worm either nose hooked or the the end of the hook Texas rigged to keep it fairly weed free.

Toss the rig into some tall weeds or some lily pads.

You should really try to keep the worm at the same depth, this means slowly reeling in the worm parallel to the bank.

Fish that live in the pads or weeds are use to pulling tasty (to them) creatures from the stalks of the pads or weeds.  Your rig just presents the lure or bait at the level they are use to feeding.

You may need a bit heavier line in this case because you a pulling the fish out of the weed stalks and the fish will wrap your line around the stalks.

Fish in weeds and pads don't seem to be as line shy as those on flats.  I believe it is because there is so much stuff in the water they really can't tell the difference.

You might try this with the hook just 6 inches from the sinker as you will stir up creatures living in the muck also.

Once again you may catch bass, catfish and even walleye with this rig.

Good Fishing!
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Pomoxis nigromaculatus
Pomoxis nigromaculatus (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Using a Carolina Rig for Crappie


A Carolina rig is nothing more than a sinker, a bead, a swivel, hook and bait or lure.  You put your egg sinker (or any sinker with a hole for the line) on your line followed by a small bead then tie on a small swivel.  To the other end of the swivel tie a 1 to 3 foot piece of mono about 2 pounds less than your main line.

Tie on a floating hook or floating lure to the other end of the line and you ready to go.  Bait up and toss it out.  Slowly work the rig back to you.

The best time to fish these rigs is during the hot "dog days" of summer on flats if you can get to them.

The Crappie will move onto the cooler deeper flats during the hottest days of summer because the forage has moved there.

Crappie cannot easily get to any food on the floor of the lake or bed of the stream because of the way their mouths are angled so you want your bait or lure to float above the muck a foot or so.  Using the Carolina rig you not only allow your bait to float above the muck, but as you reel in the rig you stir up the mud and this causes the things that live in the mud to float up.

This sort of chums up the Crappie and they come running.  You just provided them with a great free cafeteria style meal which includes your bait or lure.

If you really want to get them going try casting and retrieving in a fan pattern before even tying on the line and hook.  This will really stir things up on the bottom.

I would suggest using 6 to 8 pound line as the main line and 4 to 6 pound line from the swivel to the hook.  You will lose hooks and lures with this method because you are working over the bottom and there are always things to get hung up on.

You might also try floating fly fishing lures or ones made of foam to keep it above the muck.

You will catch catfish and bass on this rig so make sure you have your drag set for that, just in case.

Good Fishing
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Tying a Tandem Rig

Flyfishing on river Sava Bohinjka, SloveniaImage via WikipediaTod Huckabee demonstrates how to tie the knot he relies on every day on the water.

I have always liked tandem rigs for pan fishing - 2 jigs about 6 to 24 inches apart depending on the depth of the water.  They are also great in holes in lily pads.  These rigs will tell you what color is good and what size jig is best for the moment.

Personally I tie knots where I can put the line through the eye of the jig, then loop the line over the jig after the knot is tied.  That way I can change jigs to determine color and jig size.

This video shows you how to tie jigs to a line very easily and this guy is a professional that uses this setup all the time.



Using two jigs you can not only determine the color and size but the depth of the fish Prospecting as it were until you find them. At times I have found that two different sized jigs are better. A smaller, lighter weight on top and a larger one on the bottom.

That way when the fish get shy of the bottom lure the top one is different and available.

I like marabou jigs because the slightest movement make the feathers move looking like something the fish might eat.

Try it and I think you will really like the way it is done and will catch a lot of fish.


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Ways To Improve Your Fishing

Boy fishing from pierImage via Wikipedia
Todd has some ideas when starting to fish or moving into a new area .

By Todd Wilkinson
Fishing is an activity that has been around for thousands of years. There are some cultures that base their diet entirely on things caught in lakes, rivers, and oceans. Fishing is more than just a popular way to obtain food. It is an extremely popular outdoor sport, although the word sport implies that rigorous and physically demanding work will be put into it. Fishing is more of a way for people to relax and unwind. There are a lot of people out there that do not take fishing too seriously. However, if you are a budding fisherman that is looking to improve their game, then here are some methods you should put to good use, and some methods you should avoid like the plague.

The very first thing you need to figure out is what kind of fish there are in your area. There are plenty of budding fishermen that make the mistake of thinking that there is a universal bait or that all bodies of water have fish that like the same thing. You need to look into the area you live in and see what kind of fish you are more likely to catch in that area.

You can get most of this information from your county or state fish-and-game or wildlife folks.  Or you can go online and get on some of your area's fishing sites and look at what is biting now.

After you learn what kind of fish are in your area, you need to consider what kind of bait you need to use to catch the fish that you want. Do not make the mistake that many first time fisherman do by assuming that a worm and a hook are all it takes. Granted, you can catch fish that way, people do it all the time, but you will not necessarily get the best fish possible with it. You need to learn what that fish likes to eat and use that for bait, or at least something close to it since certain types of baits are illegal.

One thing that you should not do is obsess over what kind of equipment you start out with. A standard rod and reel will suffice until you have developed your skills to the point of needing something better to work with. You need to also be sure that you have a good tackle box to store your equipment in. Many fishermen make the mistake of putting all of their gear into the boat without any sense of organization. When you have a bite, this can waste time, so staying organized will help tremendously.

There are a lot of different methods of fishing out there. However, there are some methods that you should never try, both for your own safety and because they are illegal. Things like electro-fishing or trying to use explosives for fishing will only kill an unnecessary amount of fish, and land you with either a fine or in jail. Not to mention those methods are dangerous.

If you want to be a great fisherman, then the extra amount of research and work you put into it will pay off. All you have to do is put these tips to good use and you will be amazed at the number of fish you catch. You will never have to tell stories of the "one that got away."


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Give Yourself An Edge And Put A Fishing Snap Swivels On Your Line

Here is a good post explaining what a swivel is and how and why to use one.

By Cathleen Lara
A snap swivel is a specialized form of equipment tied towards the hook end of your fishing line. It is a small device commonly consisting of two small rings that are connected to each end of a pivoting joint . The device is mostly made of stainless steel, although some are made of brass. The pivot joint is barrel or ball-shaped and may have ball-bearings to facilitate its twirl.

The swivel is designed to help a fishing line untwirl itself as it is being rewound back onto the reel to avoid snarls. This untwirling helps avoid tangles, a feature that is especially useful for anglers using monofilament lines. The swivel also stop a sinker from slipping up the line, far away from the hook.

The device is typically fixed to a line as follows. The length of line attached to the reel is tied by a knot to one end of the device. Next, the length of line that terminates with the hook is fixed to the other end of the device.

The devices have a clip, similar to a safety-pin, linked to one of its connection rings. This clip allows a lure to be easily fixed. Although most anglers find this convenient, some believe the presence of the device reduces the effectiveness of some lures.

The devices have a safety-pin like clip, or snap, linked to one of the rings. This feature gives them their name. The clip allows a lure to be fixed directly onto the device. However, this technique is not favored by all anglers.

In addition to two-way fishing snap swivels, three-way swivels are available. These devices have three, not two, rings attached to a single pivoting joint. This extra connection ring allows an extra line or lure to be connected. This hook and line configuration is helpful when targeting certain fish species.




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Dock Fishing With My Grandsons

English: lily pads floating in a lake in Toron...Image via WikipediaWe have been having a wonderful winter around here.  60+ degree weather and very calm days.  I picked up my grandsons a few days ago and went to a small lake with a boat dock.

The water around the dock is about 4 to 6 feet deep and has bulrushes, lily pads and other water plants surrounding it.

The boys rigged up drop-shot rigs with long shanked #4 hooks and the line from the hook to the sinker about three feet long.  This kept the hook just under the tops of the pads - where the fish were.

At first they tried 2 inch Bass Assassins and the Crappie just loved it. After about an hour the bite slaked off - the boys were getting bites just no hookups.  We finally figured out that the Crappie were tired of getting caught and the Bluegill had moved in.

We changed out the #4 long hooks for #4 short drop-shot hooks.  A small plastic trout type worm was placed lengthwise on the hook and the Bluegill bite got interesting.

When the Bluegill tried to play with the worm they hooked themselves on the short shank hook and the boys reeled them in.

They got about 20 keepers so as I took them home and cleaned all of them, stuck them in the freezer and we are going to have a fish fry this weekend.

Go fishing when it is warm enough, it is fun, relaxing, calming and good for you.  Take a kid along if you can it makes fishing even more fun!

Good Luck and good fishing.

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Why Night Fishing? Why Not?

Deutsch: Der Vollmond, fotografiert in Hamois ...Image via Wikipedia
I love to fish at night. The lakes I go to don't have the water skiers trying to fill my boat with water and because I don't get to go out and fish during the day due of my work.  I've noticed that night fishing offers you the slightly better conditions than daytime: the lakes are not as crowded, the fish don't seem to be spooked as easily and they seem to bite better.

I've also noticed that when you find a good day time fishing spot, you should try coming back to it at night and you may net even more fish, and sometimes larger ones. Although I don't really know why the fish bite at night.

One major drawback - it's harder to see your line, so I use a lighted bobber or fish using a floating light. The plankton are drawn to the light followed by minnows followed by the larger fish, Blue gill, Perch and Crappie.  Once in a while you may catch a bass, sometime a walleye and once I had a fair sized pike bite and immediately break my line!

You should really try night fishing, but be very sure your area weather forecast is good for the night. It's going to be difficult enough moving around and finding things in the dark; if you go out night fishing during bad weather, it can get dangerous. Wear you life jacket and move slowly.  Make sure you know where the dock or boat ramp is.

Here's one tip to make your night fishing even better: Watch the moon!  You may be surprised at the things you learn. One thing you're most likely to notice is that some fish hide in the shadows during a full moon. I can't tell you why because I don't know myself, but that's what I and my night fishing friends have observed, anyway. So now when you find some shadows on the water, you'll know where to cast your line.

Other time fish go on a feeding frenzy during a full moon.  Maybe they can see their prey better highlighted against a lighter surface, who knows.

I do know that fall night time fishing really picks up around where I live during a full moon.  Try night fishing if at all possible, you beat the heat of summer and it is very relaxing, the lake is less noisy and usually you are the only one out there.

Good Luck and Good Fishing

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Using the Drop Shot Rig

OK now you know how to make a drop-shot rig you need to know the best way to fish it.  Now most of the time I use a 1/8 to 1/4 ounce weight.

When fishing lily pads or floating week mats I may go up to a 1/2 oz. bullet weight with the tapered end pointing away from the bait or lure.  This helps the weight punch through the pads or mat.

Here is a video showing the best way to fish the drop shot rig.




Just remember to keep the line pinched between your thumb and forefinger, please.   I  just let it rest on the webbing between my thumb and forefinger until I had a large fish take my lure and rip line off my reel.  It took 7 stitches to close the cut the line make in my skin.
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