Jun 22, 2009

Deep Sea Fishing Rods - Purchasing the Right Fishing Rods For Your Needs

When it comes to purchasing deep sea fishing rods, it is important to know that your decision should be different than if you were looking for equipment for fishing in a river or lake. The ocean in home to much larger fish; therefore, you need stronger rods and line to reel them in. Ocean creatures such as sea bass, halibut, and sharks require thick, strong rods that will be able to handle the size of the fish, and withstand the amount of time it takes to get it into your boat.

As far as materials, the most commonly used deep sea fishing rods are made of graphite. Though it may not be as flexible as fiberglass, which is used to make lighter duty rods, it is still lightweight and can get the fish in. It is also lightweight, so that the fisherman will not get tired quickly by holding a heavy rod while fighting with a fish. Graphite is used to make other rods as well, but for deep sea fishing, you will find that the material is stronger, longer, and denser to be able to withstand the conditions.

Fiberglass is another common choice...it is sometimes preferred over graphite because of it's ability to be more flexible. These deep sea fishing rods can generally withstand the bend of a fight between a man and his catch. However, fiberglass is typically not as durable as graphite, which make them a less popular choice. Some fishermen still swear by these types of rods, as they can last for quite a while before they need to be replaced.

When researching the choices of fishing rods for deep sea fishing, it is recommended to begin by looking on the Internet. You may not choose to purchase something like this online, but you can get lots of information on the types of rods available, price comparisons, and additional equipment needed to go with your rods. Deep sea fishing is something a once in a lifetime experience, and you don't want to make a hasty, uninformed decision on what items to purchase for the event.

Deep sea fishing is quite an adventure for many leisure fisherman. When vacationing near the ocean, many enjoy taking advantage of this activity. Purchasing the correct sea fishing rods is essential if you wish to have a good day out on the ocean, and hopefully will help you land a big one.


Addictive Carp Bait Substances in Relation to Smoking and Nicotine Addiction!

If you want to catch more carp it is very advisable to put them at their ease right?! Many substances will do this in carp even as simply as by releasing more glucose into their blood (smoking does this in humans and is the first thing a smoker experiences.) Nicotine is a defence compound like hot chilli pepper compounds that stop plants from being eaten, however very many other natural compounds are addictive and are easily applied to your carp baits so read on!

You can be relaxed just by consuming food and drinks. You can easily feel the proof of this by drinking a warm sugary tee or coffee or having a beer and a smoke, or eating marmite on toast or a bar of chocolate or even eating a mixed salad very rich in minerals and other nutrients. (Now I have just mentioned far more addictive substances just in these few examples than most people will ever realise!)

Very often many of the best carp bait ingredients and additives are very obvious by completely over-looked. But everyone knows that ancient South American peoples revered chocolate (alkaloids) and took it with chilli peppers (oleoresins) and vanilla (terpenes) in particular and of course now it is universally eaten as an addictive fatty substance people consume on a daily basis. However, give a dog too much chocolate and you will kill it. In fact if you were to extract a drop of pure nicotine and ingest it you would very very quickly be dead!

So it seems that the natural substances around us can heal us, relax us, prevent and control diseases (e.g. cannabinols from cannabis plants) etc. But very many people do not realise that certain substances in cereals and milk are addictive, that fats and sugars are also addictive, but when consumed in high levels can kill you! The modern day diabetes and obesity epidemics are as much a result of sugar as anything else because it is converted into fat in the body! (It is no good eating a low fat diet if you go out binge-drinking regularly, consume loads of sugary fizzy drinks like Cola or eat loads of sugar-laden snacks.) Carp find sugars extremely attractive too and the instant energy hit it gives them is highly significant in their success quite apart from many bait palatability factors among others that are so important.

Although the bioactive compounds in hemp seed are different from the leaves of the cannabis plant one in particular is certainly habit-forming and carp respond to this in our favour; big-time! Hemp is regarded as a super food these days and hemp protein is among the best quality proteins found in the plant kingdom. But other foods can creep up on carp and become habit-forming including the lycopene in tomatoes and the cantaxanthin in shrimps and krill that give them their red colour when boiled.

But then other stimulants affect carp very well too, and the highly antioxidant pigment called carophyll in various natural and synthetically-produced forms have really proven their worth in carp baits universally and in additves such as Robin Red and substitutes for this. Robin Red is rich in sugars as is that legendary hydrolysed liquid casein product known as Minamino.

You can actually condition carp senses to baits using many of these substances to achieve competitive edges over other baits of competing anglers. Did you ever try those sugar free biscuits or sugar and salt free sweetcorn? You can taste the difference and in part your receptor cells have become adapted to expect sugar and salt in connection with so many foods. The same goes for the taste enhancer monosodium glutamate you find along with loads of salt in Chinese dishes for instance.

But the Chinese and the Thai people for example really know what they are doing when it comes to food recipes certainly in terms of what they do to your mood, mood-related behaviours, bodily responses, health implications and the way they stimulate you for example. Chinese 5 Spice is a great carp bait additive as is Thai 7 Spice. Even fenugreek, mustard and horse radish and soy source (as found in various Japanese food additives) are much more than they seem for they supply amino acids such as tryptophan which carp essentially need and which can be used to help balance out limiting amino acids in baits.

Stimulants are very interesting and often are related to antioxidants and lipids or oils used with great success in carp baits. Many of the best flavours have stimulatory effects and even blood-thinning effects which help raise metabolic rates and energy levels and promote better more prolonged carp feeding and improved bait digestion etc.

As a personal example you can apply to yourself to examine your own addictive eating and behavioural and buying habits what about this: I gave up wheat and cheese and became addicted to chocolate so I stopped that eating that and ended up started eating loads of crisps instead! I stopped eating crisps so I started eating loads of biscuits! I gave up coffee and started drinking loads of tea. One habit and craving replaces another! Peanuts and tiger nuts, Brazil nuts and almonds make great carp baits to a big degree because they have that natural chemical driven just one more factor. (They are far from being high in protein so please note that protein is not everything in carp baits and cheaper baits do work!) Note the sweet stimulatory amine substance called betaine is found in sweetcorn but this is not the end of the matter as betaine has many forms and natural origins and not just in regards to sugar cane and beets and various marine creatures either!

However diverse items such as seeds are rich in various fatty substances, certain sugars and carbohydrates in different forms plus many bioactive substances as they are live seeds (or corms) and are energy power houses designed to create new life which is very well related what so many great carp baits are ultimately all about! Tiger nut milk is used as a health drink in many countries and coconut milk is very healthy for many reasons. Its natural oils are one of the most noted in natural health circles, like those found in wheat germ and krill also!)

It is obviously hard to remove an addiction from our brain chemical driven behaviours and sensory preferences and even DNA! It takes time (and a suitable substitute,) but this all can be leveraged in our carp baits and not only on a personal level. The replacement of smokers fags for patches does not directly stop your craving but starts to recondition your behaviours making it much easier to stop. Thinking about how you can apply this stuff to your fishing, baiting applications and bait designs will certainly help your catches improve compared to your peers!

On the negative side, eating lots of white refined sugar actually alters your DNA and this is extremely difficult to achieve because food these days is poisoned with the stuff all over the place as it is with wheat but definitely not to good effect as it builds up negative health impacts and even hyper-sensitivity-related diseases etc. But then taking raw mineral-rich molasses every day is proven to slow down the aging of your hair and other parts of your body, as will antioxidant-rich olive oil on your skin! Exercise with drinking lots of mineral water is an excellent way to release those feel-good hormones, instead of binging on unhealthy stimulant, fat, sugar, carbohydrate and salt-laden foods and drinks which is all too easy to do today!

It is an hilariously habit-forming activity because your body actually begins to expect it and anticipate it to the degree you miss it when you do not do it due to the effect of those feel-good hormones released! Note: I stopped drinking caffeinated black and green teas and now I now have decaffeinated natural fruit and spice tea flavours with natural extracts. (Sure it is true that I have 5 bags in a cup, but I have not had a cold for 3 years now; all those antioxidants and other beneficial bioactives really work!)

On this point I will leave you to relax, have a smoke or another coffee and digest all this (or your curry if you are eating one,) and think a little further about the thermogenic impacts of the protein you consume because this is another very potent effect of many bait-making goodies too! For much more information on the simple basics and more advanced aspects of big carp bait making and readymade bait boosting and adapting of boilies, particles and ground baits etc, why not get my totally unique big carp and catfish bait secrets ebooks at my site Baitbigfish now!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com Home of world-wide proven readymade and homemade bait success secrets bibles more free articles and insider secrets!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Sea Fishing on Your Stag Weekend

Get ready to cast off sit back and relax on your stag weekend with some sea fishing. This is growing in popularity with stag groups who want to take to the open water, relax with their buddies and a few beers and reflect on that last weekend of freedom. Fishing is no longer a sport for old guys sitting by a lake whiling away the hours, it's a great way to hook up with friends and catch something tasty.

What is sea fishing?

There are two main types of boat fishing which are popular today, inshore boat fishing, which is usually in a lake or shallow area of water, and then there is offshore fishing, also known as sea fishing which occurs in deep water and quite a way away from land. The latter is very popular with stag parties and usually the groups can book with a company to take them out in the boat. Once out in the water, the boat will stop in an area and then it's up to you and the guys to dangle your rods over the end and see if you can catch some fish!

What can you expect?

Normally you would start off at a marina where you would meet your crew for the day. Having a crew and boat hired makes things very easy on your stag weekend as you don't have to worry about bringing the rods and tackle or finding the fish! Once onboard you'll need to find your sea legs as you head out into a prime fishing area. Here the boat will stop and you'll be shown how to use the rod and what to do if you get a bite. It doesn't matter if you've never fished before or if you're a pro as the main reasons for going on your stag weekend is to spend some time with your closest friends and have a laugh out in the middle of nowhere! Quite often the crew will provide you with some drinks or you can sometimes bring your own, though be careful as you don't want to drink too much when you're on a boat in the middle of nowhere.

What could you catch?

There are many types of common fish that you might catch some Sea Bass, Cod, Pollock, Ling, Mackerel and Tope just to name a few. Depending on where you go will depend on what type of fish you will be able to catch. You might have the option to keep or throw back the fish depending on the crew that take you out, but most will let you take it if you were desperate to go back and cook up some fish for your stag weekend!

Why sea fishing on a stag weekend?

Sea fishing is a perfect break away from the daily grind to relax with your friends and have a laugh. If you're looking for a stag weekend activity where you can sit back and relax hopefully in the sun with a few beers, then this is the perfect choice for you.

For more information about sea fishing on your stag weekend or other stag weekend ideas visit: http://www.thestagcompany.com/fishing-stag-weekends/ Or: http://www.thestagcompany.com/activities.php.

The Stag Company has been sending men on some of the most stylish and adventurous stag weekends since 2004. We have extensive experience and information about stag weekends and stag parties both in the UK and many European destinations. For a friendly, informative service don't hesitate to contact us with any questions.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Amy_E_Harrison

The Incredible Striped Bass Fishing Experience

Striped bass fishing is one of the many types of bass fishing that has become very popular in the last ten or fifteen years. Fishing for these incredible animals is both challenging and fun. Being that there is such a broad realm within the bass community, striped bass is in a category all its own.

Today we are going to discuss how you can get involved with this incredible opportunity and join the many enthusiastic anglers that have already been bitten by the striper bug.

Striped bass are most often called stripers and also rockfish because they can be frequently found in rocky areas that offer shelter and protection. There are several ways to catch these fish such as by casting, trolling and even bottom fishing. In most areas, stripers do not reproduce well requiring extensive game management and stocking. The best months for catching this game fish are late March through May. This is because striped bass begin to feed aggressively as they prepare to spawn.

Bait - Finding and using the right type of bait for stripers is the same as any other type of fishing. The more experienced striped bass fisherman will spend a lot of time looking for schools of baitfish. They know that when they find these schools that the fish will be very close by.

Casting or trolling with large plugs or fishing live bait under a bobber are all techniques that I have used when fishing for these animals. Chicken liver, normally a great bait for catfishing, has been a proven good choice as natural bait. The most effective artificial baits, in my experience, are spoons and rattle traps. Live shad are the bait of choice when using live bait because they are the primary forage food for stripers.

Tackle - You need to know the difference types of tackle used for striped bass fishing just as you need to know the types of tackle used for any other game fish. Fishermen use a variety of tackle and methods to catch these hard fighting fish. Some who enjoy the fight may use light tackle while others who prefer to put food on the table will use heavier tackle. In my case, I usually go with the heavier tackle because these bass are some of the biggest game fish out there reaching weights of over seventy pounds.

When it comes to bass fishing, striped bass fishing is one of the favorites for many and you can also find yourself hooked by this incredible experience. There is just no way to describe the exhilaration you feel when you hook into one of these monsters and you discover that you are in for the fight of your life. Good luck to you on your next fishing adventure.

If you love to fish as much as I do or just need some information on fishing techniques, come visit me at TheCompleteFisherman.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_O_Stokes

Best Hooks For Trout Fishing

What are the best hooks for trout fishing? I've been asked that question many times in the last 25 years, and in this article I'm going to do my best to explain the answer to this question. The best hooks for trout fishing have 3 very important things in common. These 3 things are what this article is about. As long as your trout fishing hooks have these 3 things in common, you're going to be in great shape.

Many trout anglers make the mistake of not thinking enough about their hooks, and it ends up costing them bites. Many times in trout fishing the simplest things are the most effective and this is certainly true with hooks. This is especially true if live bait is employed when fishing for trout. When you fish with live bait, you want the focus to be on the bait, and nothing else. The bottom line is that if you keep these 3 things in mind, you'll know that you're always using the best hooks for trout fishing.

  • The Size - When fishing for trout you always want to use small fishing hooks. This means size 8 or 10 in most situations, and rarely any hooks larger than size 6. The size of your hooks is important because we don't want them to be visible to the trout. When talking about the best hooks for trout fishing, the smaller the better. Some trout anglers even like to use size 12 and 14 hooks, which are so small you almost have to have the hands of a four year old to deal with then effectively.
  • The Sharpness - When fishing for trout (or any other species of fish) your hooks should always be as sharp as possible. New hooks are very sharp, but after being used for a while they become dull. This is why changing your hooks frequently or sharpening them with a hook sharper is so important. It's said that 50% of the fish we miss is because of dull hooks. I like to drift fish in rivers, where I bounce my bait along the bottom as it flows with the current. This means that I get snagged and/or hung up a lot. So I'm constantly changing my hooks to make sure that they're as sharp as possible.
  • The Configuration - Trout fishing hooks should be configured properly, especially when using live bait. The most effective configuration that I've ever used is a set of gang hook. Trout fishing hooks configured as a set of gang hooks are extremely effective, especially when worm fishing. Another configuration that some trout fishermen like is a #10 plain hook with a small treble hook tied behind it. This trout fishing hook set up is quite effective for Powerbait fishing.

The bottom line is that the best hooks for this type of fishing need to have these 3 things in common. If your trout fishing hooks have these three things in common you will be a successful trout fisherman. And never forget, there is no magic formula to fishing, so the more time that you can spend on the water practicing your craft, the better off you will be.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!

Gang Hooks Tied & Ready To Fish: http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp

Trevor Kugler - EzineArticles Expert Author

Make Cheap Carp Fishing Baits Using Robin Red Plus Cheaper Stimulatory Ingredients!

Robin Red is a legendary additive whose components are not all fully known but certainly turn carp on! I have used extracts of and versions of this product over the decades for repeated big carp success and save myself a fortune into the bargain by making my own homemade powdered and liquid versions! You can too by reading on!

Various companies offer this famous carp bait additive and some offer substitutes which contain parallel components that induce similar positive feeding effects on carp and other fish! I have used versions of Robin Red liquids and extracts for over 3 decades and am always very pleased with the results, especially when these are enhanced by various means. The incredible longevity of success of Robin Red demonstrates that there is far more to bait success that just protein and this should never be over-looked for the implications are staggering for all those who wish to make their own unique homemade baits as economically as possible!

To begin with I used to mix Rod Hutchinson Robin Red Extract with Minamino and a variety of mixed base Tutti Fruitti flavours and various amino acids, palatants and other goodies. This worked very well but Rod stopped selling his Robin Red product. Robin Red is not the cheapest of additves. It is extremely versatile though and can be applied to all kinds of uses, from boilies and paste baits, to preparing ground baits, PVA bag mixes, stick mixes, slop mixes, particles etc; the list goes on!

The genuine original additive components are known to some degree and can be used either individually or in combinations with each other, or even to bulk up the original or copy-cat products to cut costs considerably. Robin Red can be bulked up with all kinds of things, from hot chilli peppers and paprika extracts, to Niger, sesame and various whole and crushed small seeds like hemp, millet, red dari etc.

The naturally potent antioxidant pigments carophyll and cantaxanthin are a significant duo that you can apply, or even use those nicely bioactive wheat grass powders, fenugreek, celery extract and asafoetida powders for instance. I love using raw cane molasses nutrient-rich and packed with the carp trigger, betaine. When you put the raw granule type into the original additive it will feel very familiar! Such materials can boost all kinds of baits from boilies and pellets to ground baits and pellets and even meat and fish baits. The pigments in this additve dye the water very attractively and this effect can be boosted to a great degree. I use similar natural dyes in conjunction with various milk powders and soluble milk proteins such as Vitamealo and Lamlac and cheap 5 Pints Milk Powders etc, to cloud up the water full of nutritional triggers and attractors etc to really get the fish feeding!

The oils in Robin Red are also very important to the over all impact of this bait additive. You can add all kinds of oils to Robin Red and substitutes and when making your own versions of it. Aniseed and fennel oils are very good carp-catchers. Garlic oil is a very well proven oil that will go well with this outstanding additive and I seem to use this very much with butyric acid and liquid lecithins from my good friend Phil at Carpfishingpellets (online.) For all year round baits, the Red Venom liquid, chilli oil, Super Sweet, Lactose products, garlic concentrate and blue cheese powder for example of Ccmoore are very productive as are their specially-chosen range of essential oils for all year round performance.

Willis Worms have a very nice Robin Red Substitute at a great price too plus some very stimulating products that are pretty unique. Not too many anglers think of adding extra mineral and vitamin supplements etc to differentiate their baits with Robin Red and boost attraction, such as the Ccmoore Cyprivit for example.

Most anglers often over-look possible additions to Robin Red for widely various applications. Examples include mixed yeast powders, soluble milk proteins, and seaweeds like kelp, marine oils and other nutritionally-stimulating marine extracts, palatants, oleoresins, terpenes, concentrated sweeteners, spray-dried fruit juices and natural flavours. These and so many other products combined can all boost Robin Red and similar products in a variety of ways for special purposes in terms of attraction and biological and other fish impacts and all be made to form unique liquid extracts etc. But there is far more about all this good stuff in my totally unique homemade baits and carp and catfish bait secrets ebooks found at my site Baitbigfish - so see you there!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVOURS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com Home of world-wide proven readymade and homemade bait success secrets bibles!

Tim F. Richardson - EzineArticles Expert Author

Fish Finder Power and Frequency - Discussing the Features You Need in Your Fish Finder

One of my friends was recently choosing between Humminbird fish finder and Lowrance fish finder. He asked me about different fish finder features. That is why I chose to write this article about the features you may look at when choosing your ideal fish finder. If you are interested in other fish finder features you may want to read my previous article about fish finder displays.

POWER

Transmitter power is important in choosing a fish finder. Generally, the more powerful the transmitter, the greater the chance of getting a return echoes in deep waters or less than optimal water conditions. Basically, it produces a louder signal which will allow you to see things like bait fish and structures in better detail.

If you'll mostly be fishing in shallow waters, then transmitter power may not be on the top of your priorities when selecting a fish finder. But on the other hand, even if you're fishing in freshwater, there's a good chance that mud, sand and vegetation on the bottom will absorb and scatter the sonar signal, reducing the strength of the return echo. In other words, it's better to be in a situation where you can simply dial back the amount of power you need than to not have enough power when you need it.

Fish finder manufacturers express the strength of transmitter power in watts; but some will use the term "peak to peak," while others use RMS (Root Mean Square). "Peak to peak" can be a little misleading because it's basically a number based on numerically high values instead of RMS which is based on averages. So don't assume that a high "peak to peak" rating is more powerful than a lower numbered rating expressed as RMS.

SONAR FREQUENCY

By now, you've probably noticed that choosing the right fish finder depends a lot on knowing where you'll be doing most of your fishing. When it comes to frequency options, you'll have two options 50 kHz or 200kHz (some manufacturers will have 192kHz but basically there's "low" and "high.") Each has its own advantage and it's up to you to decide which option works best for the kind of fishing you do.

The rule of thumb when it comes to sonar frequency is to use the higher frequencies (192 kHz - 200 kHz) primarily for freshwater applications because you'll typically be dealing with shallower waters.
Generally, higher frequencies gives the best detail, typically shows less "noise", and works best in shallow water and at speed. Target definition is also sharper with these higher frequencies. This is the ability to show two fish as two separate echoes instead of one single mass on the screen. In short, it works well for depths of less than 200 feet (60 meters) and when you need to get an accurate reading while moving faster.

There are some applications where a 50 kHz frequency is preferable though. 50 kHz sonar (under the same conditions and power) can penetrate water to greater depths than higher frequencies. This is because, water absorbs sound waves at a slower rate for low frequencies and the signal can travel farther before becoming too weak to use. That's why you'll usually find 50 kHz used in deeper saltwater applications.

The beam angle is also typically wider for low frequencies, which means the outgoing sonar pulse has a wider cone and is better at viewing a larger area under the boat. However, this also means less target definition and greater susceptibility to noise. Although low frequencies can see deeper, they may not give you a clear picture of the bottom.

If you think you'll be fishing in both freshwater and saltwater environments, you can find fish finders which allow you the best of both worlds by being able to switch frequencies from 50 kHz to 200 kHz. Be prepared to shell out more money though.

TIP: Don't forget to match the frequency of your transducer to that of the sonar unit's. You simply cannot use a 50 kHz transducer or even a 200 kHz transducer on a sonar unit designed for only 192 kHz or the other way around.

A transducer must be able to withstand high transmitter power impulses, converting as much of the impulse into sound energy as possible while being sensitive enough to receive the faintest of echoes. Choose wisely and don't be afraid to ask questions.

Ensure you choose the right fish finder for your budget with the features you want. If you want to know more about Humminbird Fish Finders or Lowrance Fish Finders visit my blog today.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Nick_Norris

Crappie Fishing Tips - 3 Tips That Will Help Anyone Catch More Crappie

In this article I'm going to outline 3 tips that will help anyone catch more crappie on their next crappie fishing excursion. I have been using these crappie fishing tips with great success for more than 20 years and know that will work just as well for you. Whether or not these three crappie fishing tips are the top 3 is up for debate, but they are defiantly in the top 10.

The first thing to keep in mind with regards to crappie fishing is the fact that these fish absolutely love minnows. Minnows are probably the most effective bait to use when fishing for crappie. Small jigs are also effective crappie baits, and what is it that jigs imitate? Yep, minnows. Whatever bait you use for these fish, make sure that it at least imitates a minnow. Minnows and Crappie go together like peas and carrots.

Shall we get down to the tips so that you can start catching more crappie? Sound like a plan to me.

  1. Use Slip Bobbers - for those of you who don't know what a slip bobber is, it is a bobber that "slips" along your fishing line and is stopped using a "bobber stop". Using a "bobber stop" allows you to easily adjust the depth of your bait (or jig) below the bobber. Slip bobbers are extremely useful when fishing either from the shore, or when fishing in deeper water. Using slip bobbers effectively will dramatically increase your crappie fishing success.
  2. Use Gang Hooks - gang hooks are a pair of small hooks tied back to back, which are attached to your line by using a small barrel swivel. The swivel prevents the line from twisting when using live minnows as Crappie bait. When minnows swim around under your bobber, they can twist the heck out of your line when a swivel isn't present. These hooks also allow you to hook the minnow through the lips, which means that they will live much longer.
  3. Use Mother Nature To Your Advantage - As a crappie angler you want to be on the water fishing when the crappie are the most active, and this is determined by using Mother Nature to your advantage. More specifically the weather & moon These two forces of Mother Nature have an amazing impact on the behavior of fish (which obviously includes crappie) and the better you understand this phenomenon the more crappie you will catch, it's as simple as that. Start using Mother Nature to your advantage sooner, rather than later.

As I said earlier, these aren't the only 3 crappie fishing tips on the planet, they are however three of the most effective. Add one or all of these crappie fishing tips to your repertoire and you'll start bringing home more of our tasty little friends.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!

Gang Hooks Tied & Ready To Fish: http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp

Trevor Kugler - EzineArticles Expert Author

How to Make Homemade Carp Bait Using This Simple Big Fish Recipe!

Is this you? Too carp anglers are in the same boat in that they cannot afford to buy the very most top quality HNV ready made baits in the volumes that they really need to compete on many big fish waters! Most of us have been or are now in this situation so here are just a few tips that will set you free of this problem for good, save you a fortune and catch you many more big fish!

Many carp anglers have a highly developed brand loyalty which companies actually strive to foster and develop to the degree that you might even feel guilty if considering changing brands! There is nothing wrong with brand loyalty because successful fishing is all about fishing confidently. However there are incredible catch-boosting benefits in using products from different bait companies in regards to your bait performance especially!

The unique combined effects of unique combinations of potent ingredients and additives never experienced before by carp improves your catches and even allows you to develop your own unique methods, rigs, baiting practices and strategies that will put you ahead of most other anglers who are generally stuck in a rut of conventional thinking!

Over the past 3 decades in my carp fishing I have gone through many phases of bait testing and as a result have quite a knowledge of what to combine with what differently in order to achieve many more potent competitive edges over both the fish and in many situations over fellow anglers to seriously improve my results.

Examples are many including the following! I remember applying very many kilograms of Hinders tiny high betaine Elipse pellets and crushed tiger nuts soaked in intense Talin and Thaumatin sweetener and tiger extracts and oils to catch the biggest carp and catfish from one Essex water with a leather carp to 46 pounds and a catfish of 68 pounds. You might like to try out crushed Mainline ready made baits like Active 8 mixed with other of their baits such as Fusion and Cell soaked in betaine HCL, Protaste sweetener and Nash Squid extract. A 1 foot long rig with small double pop-up baits straight off the lead is a well proven edge of mine for catfish. Nash Whiskey liquid is a useful additive I have mixed with PPC type amino complexes to great effect for big carp and when targeting big catfish too with homemade ground baits and boilies.

Dynamite Baits Halibut pellets soaked in Richworth liquid yeast with added Honey Yucatan and Tutti Fruitti combined with pure salmon oil plus some varied gustatory stimulants and digestive enhancers from a variety of companies has really done well for me. How many angler have tried pure maple syrup and Ccmoore Feedstim XP in the Mainline Grange CSL bait base mix for instance?! (Give this unique tip a try; perhaps as crushed homemade boilie baits and pastes in your PVA bags for instance!)

You might like to try out a homemade bait that will be very different, perhaps the new Mainline Cell base mix with added Tackle Box Ming Oil for instance with added Ccmoore blue cheese powder and garlic concentrate for instance.

Willis Worms have an outstanding Robin Red substitute that some major UK bait companies now include in their ready made baits. Because its great price I can absolutely pack it into my ground baits to awesome effect along with other of their very competitively-priced products including their worm extracts, squid andronone and CP70 fish protein for example, plus some of their custom liquid protein complexes.

I have been using products from Newfields Baits for a while and their green lipped mussel extract is simply amazing. I cannot choose between this and the high-impact de-fatted green-lipped mussel extract from Ccmoore!

I have used a very special combination of high grade hydrolyzed salmon protein, with a high PC liquid lecithin and premium grade Scottish salmon oil, in a variety of baits and application. These products are all very economical yet have been incredibly effective over this last spring and summer and even in winter in the cold substituting the salmon oil for betaine HCL! All these particular additives have come from a leading premium carp and koi pellet supplier and unique bait ingredients supplier called CW Baits and Carpfishingpellets (as found online.)

I have done very well mixing together ingredients from all kinds of companies to stretch my bait money further and improve my results. I have been making my own homemade baits since I started carp fishing in 1977. In the present economic climate more and more thinking carp anglers are getting into homemade bait making in order to save a fortune on ready made baits - and who can blame them?!

I used to use very many products from Rod Hutchinson and I absolutely trust all his products as he has been designing and refining incredibly successful baits since before probably 90 percent of UK carp anglers today were born! Who has not heard of Scopex for instance? A great tip is trying his Mulberry Florentine in hook baits or his nutritional Maple Steep Liquor supplement and flavour in very elevated levels in your free baits. I can tell you that Mike Willmot Essential Baits Natural Squid is a genuine winner and by adding cork dust to his and other ready made pastes will give you the ability to produce instant critically-balanced baits that will act as though they are boilies that have been in the water and are breaking down - just like wary carp like them!

Of course pellets are very important in the bait arsenal today. Combining pellets for specific purposes not just to stimulate carp feeding and pull them into your swim, but to get them to actually make more mistakes on your baits in a very potent edge. I know from long personal experience of catching wary fish that fishing over bait that is fully broken down can be the breakthrough edge required. You might wish to fish bloodworm pellet which are so popular today, but boosted with Ccmoore bloodworm extract and Red Venom liquid or Feedstim XP or Odyssey XXX liquid.

Personally I find the buoyant behavior of Ccmoore Milkimin pellets an incredible edge for more wary fish and I recently hooked the biggest fish in one smaller Kent lake at 35 pounds. The point is that this was actually on the first day of fishing and incorporating these in various forms in my homemade PVA bag mixes, homemade boilies and pastes! Just another thought is I recall really hammering the fish at Dream Lake One in France on Squid and krill extract ground baits with blast-frozen bloodworm in my PVA bag mix. Real blood worm goes a long way despite its cost when used exactly how and where it is best applied and I believe it is often superior to so many of the processed ready prepared bloodworm baits and additives available. (You might like to try it mixed with the new Nutrabaits bait called G-Force in crushed bloodworm extract-soaked form in PVA products etc.)

I have often used Nutrabaits Addits to enhance and further predigest my homemade ground bait and boilies and pellets to make them perform fantastically well but I do use much cheaper products plus special methods to further break down my baits even more favorably. This type of preparation stretches the short and long-term effects of my homemade base mixes much further! I often bulk them up with much cheaper ingredients to save on cost and these additives and ingredients are broken down into much more attractive soluble and very digestible compounds such as organic acids and fermenting sugars - among other goodies!

Another example everyone can consider is when I used certain homemade bioactive compound special edges to hook the biggest fish in Rainbow lake; when this fish was at 84 pounds back in around 2006. Spice and herb oleoresins and various other essential oil components (plus complete essential oils in combination) were included in the preparation of my homemade baits for that extremely highly pressured big fish water. Special homemade boosted particles and ground baits preparations plus homemade boilies and boosted ready made pellets were used in this instance. All this sounds like a lot of preparation but it always seriously pays off to make the extra effort at any water where people are well known to blank on and where your goal is to tempt the biggest wary fish!

The amount of competitive edges you can produce for yourself to get around what I call carp danger reference points conditioned into carp by past and present popular carp fishing bait forms, and baiting and fishing practices are legion (but you need to be thinking differently and use your imagination! Ultimately you are never taking a risk in being different with bait because everything is priceless feedback and anything that might seem like a mistake is actually a solution to crack a different fishing problem - 99 percent of the time!

I make my homemade baits with a big focus on protein and amino acids stimulation effects both internally and externally but I do not always design baits for the long-term and instant baits by definition can be both long and short-term for many reasons. With top quality protein additives and ingredients it can be very hard to cut costs but it is possible with enough knowledge of bait and you do not always have to group together to reduce personal costs or to get bargains in bulk. It is a fact that using high levels of the most potent substances in just your hook baits are often all you need to achieve your goals, and creative uses of cheaper but potently-boosted particles, natural baits, pellets and creatively-boosted particles as free baits are very often successful in guerrilla-type fishing approaches.

Certainly not all of the most impactful protein-related carp feeding triggers fall into the bracket of expensive complex amino acids (and other amines etc,) and certain natural feeding triggers can be very cheap indeed! In fact you can make extremely competitive homemade baits that do compete extremely well against ready made baits but with no fish protein, no milk protein and no sign of conventional expensive ready made amino acid complexes at all. With the right bait making knowledge you can make all these and more including making homemade flavors, flavour components and unique flavour-infused oils too all for yourself and save a fortune!

Now you might think that knowing much more about fish senses in regards to exploiting them with bait substances is not really needed today with the amount of commercial quality bait available now. But I can assure you that if saving a fortune in your bait costs (literally for life,) improving your catches, and staying ahead of the fish and competing anglers are your goals, then this fish senses and bait substances exploitation (of all fish senses) knowledge all combined is a huge advantage over less aware anglers!

This is something very many anglers will never understand nor appreciate the true power of because so many will simply be lazy and ignore it - so offering you a huge gaping area to exploit in order to always stay ahead!

For much more information on bait making and other big carp secrets see my resource box now!
By Tim Richardson.
Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "BIG CARP FLAVORS FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!" "BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!" And "BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.baitbigfish.com Home of world-wide proven ready made and homemade bait success secrets bibles!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Tim_F._Richardson

Formulating Big Carp Bait Recipes For More Economical Fishing!

A bait edge for many carp anglers means all too often simply buying a new expensive ready made bait. But you do not need to do this when you can easily make your own homemade liquids to adapt and boost them to differentiate them from every other bait your carp have ever experienced - so achieving more bites from warier often older and much bigger fish! So read on and discover how to catch more (cheaper) big carp now!

When you read the magazine articles or advertorials you so often find a high profile angler raving on about what is or will become the next big thing, the must-have additive that will change your life. But why bother with these when everyone else is going to use them when surely the big point of bait is to put fish at ease to get them to make more mistakes on your hook baits, not scare them by using what everyone else has already hooked them on!

You might be all too aware of the high publicised additives such as halibut pellet oil, tiger nut oil, salmon oil, and hemp oil etc. But just consider for a moment how frequently carp come into contact with free baits and hook baits of so many forms that contain these. Most frequently just one individual oil is used in a bait so it is very easily distinguishable to carp and may well put them on there guard far more than a new substance will!

So how do you make a unique substance that works really well? The options are so vast you would be amazed. Oils vary in just how miscible or not they can be with other substances and to the exact degree they will actually mix with water and other substances. Sometimes it depends on temperatures and amount of time applied to the mixing process as well as other factors such as solvents, surfactants or lecithins etc. There is a fraction of oil that does mix with water in special ways even if only tiny and the same goes for oils mixed with very different substances.

I discovered over 30 years ago that when mixing homemade base mixes very wet that I came up with unique liquids and runny pastes that I could apply to almost any bait to make it completely unique. Getting back to oils, all you need to do is literally experiment with mixing ones you might know are popular. But there is far more advantages in using oils and combinations you simply will not find offered by any bait company.

The quick list of the most popular oils include various plant and marine oils plus others. The list includes fish and other marine oils of various origins and grades, herb and spice oils, vegetable oils such as those from seeds and nuts and fruit oils from berries and citrus fruits for example. There are very many others that will really give you a great edge against all those over-used ones!

If you are on a tight budget lazy you might simply add sunflower oil and mixed nut oil or peanut oil together and add a proportion of liquid lecithins to the mixture. The one from Carpfishingpellets and CW Baits is a very potent form and is like a thick viscous treacle and contrasts highly with some from other bait companies which basically look more like glycerine and are clear and far thinner.

In my special bait secrets ebooks series I really go deeply into things like making bioactive natural flavour-induced oils and even include a table of substances that mix together to what degree including things like sugars, terpenes, oleoresins, amino acids, essential oils etc. Just to be a little different you might add salmon oil to halibut pellet oil, or add garlic oil to hemp oil. Note; the tinned tuna oil that some high profile anglers have raved on about is well over 90 percent sunflower oil which happens to be very healthy but is not the same as pure tuna oil which cost a lot more!

Adding vegetable oils to marine oils is a very beneficial thing because you can achieve a balance of nutritional factors. The ratios of omega oils from 3, 6 and 9 all have various impacts on fish and you have probably read on tins of fish like tuna about the benefits to your heart and circulatory system of omega oils. In long-term baits this ratio is very important and impacts on lipids levels within the body of fish when fed regularly with baits.

Of course there are very many oils you might have heard of like the fish feed-inducing oils, Nod Oil, Nutrabaits Complete Food Oil, and Lee Jackson Ming Oil and so on. But very often either the price is extraordinarily comparatively high and you can make your own much cheaper oil mixtures to match these or the fact is they are already in widespread use and fish may well be wary of them! (Please keep oils refrigerated and avoid any oil oxidation which may harm carp - this includes using less than totally fresh pellets too!)

You might decide to use cheap roasted sesame seed oil or wheat germ oil and add a few things to really make these very different. You might go for cod liver oil or krill oil which is a specialist highly potent antioxidant supplement and an extremely powerful oil - one of the most powerful in the world. Coconut oil is a very nice oil too and again it has outstanding well proven antioxidant benefits. I mention antioxidant benefits here and especially in regard to anti-inflammatory properties of oils as very many great carp bait ingredients, liquids and additves have similar impacts when consumed by the fish and apart from being feeding triggers they actually wean fish onto baits so the fish begin to seek them out but for not just for instinctive health benefits!

Mixing oils is easy but so many carp anglers overlook this edge. I always use a liquid lecithin from my good friend Phil at Carpfishingpellets which is a nutritionally-stimulating feeding trigger and potent emulsifier of oils that improves bait performance and digestion and is a great price too!

Oils are addictive but if you happen to not believe me; just consider how addictive oily crisps and chips are; the salt just enhances what attraction is already there because the body is instinctively drawn to the most energy-efficient food sources and oils are at the top the list although I love to use sugars in carp baits for similar related reasons among others! (Note; every single cell in our and carp bodies is truly self-intelligent and DNA is not necessarily a fixed static thing and it is well-proven that consumption of sugars changes DNA.)

I noticed at least one fishing match has been won by a boy using micro-waved chips! Like us humans, carp are extremely sensitive to the energy-efficiency of their food. But then this is no surprise when you realise that we are the long-lost descendants of ancient teleost fish; of which Cyprindae fish are a part. Oils are very definitely one of the greatest sources of energy for carp in carp baits although oil levels in baits should be kept very low at a maximum of around 5 percent only. Amino acids and protein digestibility factors etc have quite some bearing on the balance of the impact of baits in the long and short-terms too (as well as carbohydrates significantly,) but this get out of the range of this article, but carp process amino acids to a massive degree better in many ways than humans, who by contrast derive far more energy from carbohydrate food sources than protein ones. (The thermogenic impacts of protein in carp baits is a very important aspect of bait design that can be exploited.)

Needless to say carp and humans essentially require energy sources simply in order to breathe and stay and maintain our body functions to actually stay alive; oxygen is part of the reaction with food energy that makes metabolism so important. (This is related to temperature of water in carp in contrast to our highly developed bodily temperature regulation in us warm-blooded humans, but this system actually robs us of energy too so is does have disadvantages compared to carp!)

Catfish love halibut pellets because apart from pre-digested fish protein for instance they are high in oils. But these pellet were designed for fish with much higher lipid requirements and most sea fish and salmonids such as salmon and trout need more lipids or oils and energy requirements than carp do. The emphasis of low oil marine proteins and low oil boilies is obvious as more and more carp anglers become aware of the health implications of using baits with too much oil content. I hate it every time I catch a big carp which has been damaged by the excessive use of oils. Many carp anglers still glug their free baits in excessive oils which is completely irresponsible.

Many carp anglers completely overlook the already significant oil content of their base mixes and unfortunately it is most often the oily fish meal type baits that get the oil glugging treatment. Just so you realise this in terms of the future longevity of our big fish stocks, high-oil halibut pellets and high oil salmon pellets and others are a big cause of fatty protruding livers bulging out of the sides of carp!

The same goes for fish like wels catfish whose rate of metabolism rises much more per 5 degree increase in temperature than carp; in the States in air temperatures around 100 degrees various catfish species really feed well but can you imagine the effect of such temperatures on carp?! There are very powerful reasons why mixing oils to gain not just uniqueness of smell and taste and nutritional benefits are great but other factors too. These are varied but include the ways certain components of oils will impact upon the physiology of carp and other fish, even to the extent of altering mood and behaviours significantly.

Just for example peach and strawberry oil, cranberry and citrus oils have very interesting bioactive effects and these can be added to other oils easily to differentiate them. Palatant oil complexes are a useful starting point to mix with various other oils ensuring the range of enhancers, and varied types of feeding triggers are in your mixture and exploit various internal and external carp sensory receptors simultaneously.

Various receptor cells exist all over carp from the fins, barbells nostrils, flanks and lateral line etc, to inside the roof of the mouth, in the lips and throat and deeper still inside the digestive tract and even in parts of the brain; all working together in highly significant biofeedback loops! (Think about it this; just how do you decide which flavours or brand of flavour of crisps turn you on the most and, once you have discovered one you most like because usually one stands out for you, do you ignore the rest and primarily go looking for the one your senses prefer?)

Similarly, a carp can decide for itself if it really needs or wants to consume your bait, long before it has actually physically picked it up. The old saying about a carp having to sample a bait by mouthing it because it does not have hands is simply misleading! Carp and other fish will often actually rub their bodies against baits in order to more safely detect what they have to offer and often you will get single bleep line bites from wary carp doing this and using other tricks such as physically picking baits up and moving them on their fins which have various densities of specialised receptor cells on their surface!

Many times fish will roll for long periods over baits simply filter-feeding on dissolved substances and other less soluble substances leaching from baits. This is a very significant area to exploit in pulling fish into your swim, and chilli oils and paprika extracts etc are not the limit of long-range attractors! Read my biography to find out more!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: "big carp flavours feeding triggers and carp senses exploitation secrets!" "Big carp and catfish bait secrets!" And "big carp bait secrets!" For these and much more now visit: http://www.Baitbigfish.Com home of world-wide proven readymade and homemade bait success secrets bibles!

Tim F. Richardson - EzineArticles Expert Author

Trout Fishing Tips - Fishing Live Bait

What is your preference when fishing for Trout? Live bait? Or Lures? For this article I'm going to focus mainly on fishing small Trout streams with 3 different types of live bait that Trout absolutely love.

Understand, I like to use lures as much as anyone else but when it comes to Trout Fishing, whether in a stream or spring fishing in a lake, I will always choose live bait over lures.

Why? Because fishing live bait is more natural. Live bait will work more often than Lures, and likely so because when Trout get up in the morning and head out to their favorite set of rapids for breakfast this is what they will normally eat, and you can get live bait free if you want to go to the stream for crayfish, field for grasshoppers or dig up your own earthworms.

So first choose a bait you know trout normally eat everyday. Second, serve it to them in a way their used to having it served to them.

EARTHWORMS - a large earthworm is about 2" long and works great for Stream fishing Trout. When hooked properly they can be deadly. They aren't as popular in the bait shops as nightwalkers but some bait shops do have them. This weekend I was doing some landscaping and found tons of earthworms just under the sod as I was digging up my lawn. Also you can find them under rocks and dead logs. Nightwalkers will work, not as well, but they will work. If you have to use nightwalkers cut a small piece off- about 1/2" to 1" and use that.

Crayfish - early in the spring when the water is cold it's better to use small crayfish about 1"long. Once the water warms up and the Trout are more active they will be more apt to attack larger bait. If you can find soft shelled crayfish then you just hit the jack pot. Trout love um.

Grasshoppers - are fun to use as bait. Watch for rising Trout, hook a grasshopper through the back without any weight so he floats and watch for a Trout to come to the surface and nail him. How exciting is that. If you don't want to catch your own grasshoppers you will probably need to go to a pet store to find them. Pet stores usually sell them for reptile food.

These are just three of the most common live baits used to fish small streams for Trout. Other great live Trout bait to consider include: Caddis Larvae, Stone Fly Nymph (best used in mid summer; look under rocks) mayflies, minnows (use all year;especially for brown trout who generally eat more fish as they get older) and Hellgrammites (Dobsonfly Larvae; best used in spring & early summer).

So....Are you ready to go fishing? Have you been thinking about a good place to try out some live bait?

I remember as a young boy my best friend Gordon and I would ride our bikes to our favorite fishing hole. We didn't have money to buy bait but half the fun was digging around the creek, creek banks and fields for the same bait mentioned in this article. If you are interested in more Trout fishing Tips I'd like to invite you to Check This Out
Proven Methods for Catching Trout ~ http://www.KillerFishingTips.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Ken_Ayers

How to Catch a Brook Trout

I've often been asked how to I catch a brook trout. And I usually answer with a line and hook. Now most of them know that I'm just kidding around with them, but if you think about it, that is the basis of catching any fish. Now the big question is what kind of line and what's on the hook. Also in what water to put the line and hook.

As far as line goes I prefer to use 4lb. monofilament. That is of course, when I am spinning or bait fishing. For fly fishing I prefer lighter weight of fly line coupled with a light smaller fly rod, and a reel to match the rod. When running monofilament line I prefer to use an ultralight rod and reel.

For hooks I prefer to use the smaller variety most times. Spinners and spoons I will use in the #0 to #1 size for most of my fishing. But obviously if you're going for bigger Brook trout like record size, much bigger lures will be needed. Considering the average Brookie in most streams will be between six and 8 inches with the odd one finding the 12 to 14 inch mark,the smaller spinners and spoons will be fine.

I do however tend to use larger bait hooks when I'm fishing for Speckles. The reason for this is that the trout have less tendency to swallow the bait completely. But if they swallowed the bait down there gullet it's almost impossible to release them without seriously hurting them. So the larger bait hooks prevent the brookies from swallowing the bait completely.

Brook trout can be found in clear cool streams. Also in bigger rivers and lakes that have the right temperature. For the Brook trout to survive they need temperatures of 60°F and below. So if you can find these conditions you may find some Brook trout. Now do not overlook smaller streams, some only a couple feet wide, because you never know if the temperature is right and there's lots of cover, there very well could be some nice trout for you to catch.

Now if you would like to learn more on how to catch Brook trout, like were to go, what to look for and also what to use please visit http://www.squidoo.com/ontariofishguide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rolland_Meigs

Fishing Trip? Why Not a Fly Fishing For Brook Trout Trip?

Fishing trips are great way to spend some time alone, or with family members. Trips can range from a weekend getaway to a full-blown vacation up in the northern woods of Ontario. You can spend a little bit, or you can spend a lot staying at one of the many five-star resorts that cater to fishing.

You can rough it in the woods sleeping in a tent alongside beautiful wilderness Lake, or fly into a rustic cabin that sits on the point that juts out into a wonderful lonely lake. Either way you can make memories that last a lifetime.

Personally for me and I love taking a fishing trip into northern Ontario chasing after Brook trout. One of the most satisfying methods of catch these beautifully colored trout, is with the use of a fly rod. Now do not get me wrong I've caught many more trout using a spinning rod with lures and natural bait.

But something has to be said for catching a trout on a fly that perhaps you've made iand designed yourself. I know lots of fly fisherman who spent most of their winter's nights, designing and tying flies for the upcoming fly fishing season in the spring.

Nothing is more amazing than sitting out on a calm evening night, on a late spring night, on a lake where the Brook trout are breaking the surface of the water feeding on insects. There are thousands of such lakes in northern Ontario just waiting for someone to take a fishing trip there, and to make memories that will last a lifetime.

Ontario has some of the best trout fishing in the world. But to be honest trout can be quite finicky. Personally I have seen them go off feeding several days to a week at times. The nice thing is though even if the fish aren't biting, you will be surrounded by some of the most awesome rugged landscape in Canada.

Anyone interested in finding out more about a fly fishing fishing trip into the northern Ontario woods, or would just like to know more about how and where to catch these magnificently colored trout that are a member of the char family. Please visit http://www.squidoo.com/brooktroutflyfishing

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Rolland_Meigs

Jun 13, 2009

Crappie Fishing Jigs #2 - Learn to Catch Crappies With These Simple Crappie Jig Tips!

To Improve as a crappie fisherman it is very important that you learn to fish with artificial crappie baits. When you are first starting out fishing for crappie many beginners start fishing with live bait for crappie, but I recommend the best way to start your involvement in the sport of crappie fishing is to make your own jigs. However if you want to take your fishing for crappie efforts to the next level you need to learn the art of fishing with artificial baits. The intention of my article is to provide you with some basic crappie jig information that you can use a starting point to train yourself on the art of catching crappie with artificial crappie jigs.

#1 How is a jig used for crappie constructed?

A jig is made up of three parts which include the following:

1a. The hook

The hook can be a variety of sizes ranging from #6 to a #2 light wire hook.

1b. The head

A jig head is made usually from a molded led or other metallic material and ranges in size from 1/64oz up to 1/4oz and may or may not include a spinner blade. My favorite size is the 1/32oz size.

1c. The body

A body is the plastic material that is slid over the hook shank up to the head and has dozens of different colors, and body styles.

#2 What are the different types of Jigs Used For Crappie Fishing?

2.a Bait fish or insect Imitation jigs:

The most common of these jigs is what is called the marabou crappie jig. It is made up of a head molded to a hook and wrapped with a feather, or real or artificial hair. These jigs can sometimes have spinner blades molded in the head and normally range in size from 1/32oz to ¼ oz. They are made to imitate either insects or minnows and other bait fish.

2.a-1 A tube with a jig head is another common jig combination used to imitate a wounded bait fish. The tube is manufactured to have multiple tentacles that dart through the water, and slides up the shank of the hook to the head. These jigs come in many different colors and range in size from 1/64oz to 1/4oz.

2.b Minnow or shad imitation jig:

These jigs are made up of a plastic material that slides up the shank of the hook up to the head and looks like common bait fish that crappie eat. They are manufactured in a variety of sizes from 1/32oz to 1/4oz, with 1/16oz being the most common size used.

2.c Grub or Maggot imitation jig:

This crappie fishing jig is designed to imitate a insect grub, or maggot. Their construction is of a variety of different color plastic molded together with different color real or artificial hair, or feathers. The molded combination is slid up the hook shank touching the head. These jigs come in a Variety of sizes the most common to be in the smaller sizes of 1/64 to 1/32oz.

#3 The knot you use to tie your crappie jig is very important.

I recommend you tie your crappie jigs with the trilene knot. Follow the steps below to tie the trilene knot.

3.a Run approximately 6 inches of line through the eyelet in the crappie jig hook. Loop it around and pass it through the eyelet again. Pull on the line until you reach a small ¼ inch to ½ inch diameter.

3.b Wrap the end of the line around the standing line 6 times.

3.c Pass the end of the line back through the loop, and then pull the line snug tight by pulling the standing line, and the hook in opposite directions.

3.d Trim the left over tag about ¼ inch from the hook.

I hope the information I have provided about crappie jigs. will help you on your next fishing trip! God bless and a good day to you.

Mark Fleagle has been fishing for over 30 years. Check out his website to get some amazing fishing information and fishing articles loaded with fishing tips about crappie jigs for crappie that really work! Also don't forget to get your free copy of "78 Fishing Discoveries Unleashed" at: http://www.oldfishinghole.com Get Your Free Fishing Tips About crappie jigs for crappie Here!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Mark_Fleagle

Walleye Fishing and Weather Conditions - How Does the Weather Effect the Location of Walleye?

It is critical to watch and understand local weather reports for the area you plan to fish for walleyes. Weather conditions play a big part in how walleyes act, where they are located, and how they feed. For example if it is a warm and sunny day walleyes will head for deeper waters or underwater structure to stay cool, and shield their light sensitive eyes.When the sun is out with no overcast and very little breeze, the walleye will head to the thick weed beds and underwater structure and deep for cover because the surface water is way to warm, so you will have to do your walleye fishing in these areas.

If when you get out on the water the sun is bright overhead but there is a good wave chop, you will find walleye anywhere. The waves cool and turn the water and they redirect the suns rays. One of the very best times to catch your walleye limit is right before a storm when the sky is dark and overcast and the waves are active. Walleyes tend to become very aggressive at these times. The walleye fish is a very unpredictable species of species to fish for sometimes. Using the weather conditions of any particular day is a good way to decide on your walleye fishing starting point for the day.

The weather is just one indicator when you are trying to locate walleye. It is by no means always 100%. You should still use your GPS fishing finder also. But if you use these two methods to put you on fish you can save time and increase your chances of getting your walleye catch limit. Just remember that the walleye species of fish is sometimes very unpredictable. Many times you need to think out of the box, you can't put all your eggs in one basket and think that weather conditions and a GPS fish finder will put you on fish 100% percent of the time. Be prepared to fish in other areas if these two indicators fail. Like I have said walleye can be very finicky and unpredictable fish at times. I think this one of the reasons they are one of the most sought after game fish.

Normally, walleye will move closer to shore when the water temperature drops in the cooler months. The fish then start to move to deeper water and structured areas as the water temperature starts to rise. But this not always true, I have done my walleye fishing close to shore and caught fish in the dead heat of mid summer. Use the weather conditions and the changing seasons as indicators to put you on fish but be prepared to experiment if you don't want to go home empty handed.

I hope the information I have provided about weather and walleye will help you on your next fishing trip! God bless and a good day to you.

Mark Fleagle has been fishing for over 30 years. Check out his website to get some amazing fishing information and fishing articles loaded with fishing tips about weather and walleye that really work! Also don't forget to copy "Our Make It Yourself Planer Board Design Plans" At: http://www.oldfishinghole.com/planer-board-design.html Get Your Free Fishing Tips About walleye fishing and weather Here!

Striped Bass Fishing in Cape Cod Bay

Striped Bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay can be fantastic. There are many good areas to fish right off the beach, from jetties, from piers and of course from a boat. The Cape is well known for striped bass and is definitely one of the best locations to fish to striped bass. Race Point off of Provincetown is world famous for sport fishing. And there are many great charter boat captains on the Cape. We filmed a great striped bass and bluefish show called Fishguts, with Ed McDonough, Al Howard and Capt Rich Schelle onboard The Schelfish out of Plymouth. Many of the shows were from Race Point as well as Plymouth.

Another fantastic location to fish for stripers is Billingsgate Shoals off of Wellfleet. It seems on most days when you go for striped bass you will catch fish as long as you pay attention to the feed. This year looks to be a great year.

Stripers must be at least 28 inches to keep, and you can only keep two stripers of that size or larger per angler.

Another great spot for striped bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay is known as The Fingers. The Fingers can be a very lucrative spot in mid summer during the midnight tides. I prefer the black Fishguts Chum Tube Eel trolled at a slow speed of 2kts using lead core line. We have caught several fish over 40lbs in the area.

There are a number of ways to fish for Bass. You can cast bucktails, rubber eels, kastmasters or hopkins lures. The retrieve should be very slow. Of course the speed should be varied if you do not get any hits. An angler can also bottom fish for stripers. By that I mean he/she can use mackerel chunks and cast a weighted line out off the beach, pier or boat and let it sit on the bottom. Some fisherman prefer a float to keep your bait off the bottom and away from the crabs that will otherwise eat it.

Chumming also works very well with striped bass fishing in Cape Cod Bay. Chumming is done by setting out a chum slick of clams, pogie oil, mackerel chunks etc.. This can be expensive but it works. Remember not to over chum. Entice to fish to that boat but do not over feed them. After the chum slick is started, throw a live eel or float a fresh piece of bait similar to what your slick is and let it drift out with you chum. It shouldn't take that long before you're hooked up.
Some anglers swear by live eels and they do work well. There have been many books written on this quarry. I could go on and on about striped bass fishing but I can only give some of the pointers in this article.

My final tip is that the only way to catch a bass is to get out there and give it a try. You can catch striped bass from the beach, fishing piers, jetties and boats. And don't forget to get children involved in sporfishing. It gives them lasting memories and is an excellent alternative to drug abuse. And remember that if you are not going to eat the fish, practice catch and release.
See ya on the water.
Tight Lines
The Captain


Fishing Tips For Rivers - Especially Small Rivers Where Wading is Necessary

For more than 25 years I've been fishing in rivers from coast to coast and in that time I've learned some tips that will make anyone a better and more effective angler. This article contains some of the best fishing tips that I've learned for rivers. These tips came from a combination of factors.

Some of these fishing tips were taught to me by my fishing mentor and some have been learned through my own experiences. The point is that these tips will help anyone catch more fish, especially in small rivers where wading is necessary. There is no question that fishing in this manner (wading in small rivers and/or streams) has always been my personal favorite form of fishing. There is something about standing in a flowing river that speaks to my soul. For some reason river fishing while wading has always just felt right to me.

In any case, shall we get down to the tips so that you can add them to your river fishing repertoire? Sounds good.

  1. Learn To Read The Water - Reading the river that you're fishing is integral to your success. You need to know where certain species if fish like to spend time in and when. Knowing the difference between a run and a riffle is integral to river fishing success. Unfortunately there isn't enough room to explain "reading the water" here, so a little research will be necessary. As a generals rule runs and pools hold the most fish, but there are area within theses areas that are more productive than other. Learn to read the water and you will be a much more successful river angler.
  2. Have A "Go To" Technique - This rule is true with all types of fishing and is a great fishing tip for rivers. Although you should have two or three techniques available (such as throwing a small spinner, plug, or fly below an invisible bubble) you should also have a "go to" technique that you are very familiar with. My "go to" technique has always been drift fishing a live worm. When it comes to fishing in rivers, especially small rivers while wading, make sure that you are proficient with at least one "go to" technique.
  3. Have An Efficient Way To Carry Bait - When wading in a river, most anglers don't have an efficient and effective way to carry their bait. This wastes a ton of time baiting up, re-baiting, and trying to remember where you bait is. This is where a bait bag comes into play. A bait bag is a small bag that hands from your fishing vest or shirt and holds your bait while you fish. This way your bait is always at your fingertips for baiting up and re-baiting, and you know right where your bait is at all times. This saves a ton of valuable fishing time. The bait bag works great for carrying live worms while river fishing.

These simple fishing tips for rivers will hake you a much more efficient and effective river angler. As I said add one or all of these tips to your river fishing repertoire and find out for yourself how effective they are.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!

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Trevor Kugler - EzineArticles Expert Author

Fly Fishing For Beginners

Anglers interested in learning the art of fly fishing and practicing their skills on a half-mile section of Cold Creek at the Castalia State Fish Hatchery are encouraged to enter a lottery for beginning fly-fishing clinics.

There are 135 slots available for the popular program, which includes morning and afternoon sessions each Friday from April 24 to June 5. Anglers vertical jigging are doing OK also. Shore fishing can be decent if you get to a place where there are drop-offs, such as Block House, the Cattleguards or Spider Point. Anglers hook maybe one striped bass for every dozen sturgeon.

Anglers generally find the best fishing two hours before and after a high tide, but fish and other animals also become active around the time of low tide.

Beginners should remember they are banned from fishing for black rockfish, lingcod, greenling and cabezon, leaving surfperch and a few other species open. Chinook angling remains open and catches have been fair to good out of Brookings.

Fly Fishermen should take two or three steps and repeat this swing process after every other cast. Use this swing-step combination all the way upstream until all the water in the run is covered.

Bass Pro isn't dedicated to fly fishing, and their poor quality/selection of fly tackle is evidence of this. I would never recommend anyone go the White River route, especially for a first purchase.

Bass fishing is improving. Use swimbaits in the creek arms. Bass fly fishing has become an increasingly popular sport, and most anglers will agree that it's not just about catching fish.

Some anglers would even regard fly fishing as a kind of religion, and most consider it a relaxing pastime that can be enjoyed by people from all walks of life.

Bass fishing has picked up again, although the slow approach with jigs, dart-headed and Carolina-rigged plastic worms still is the best bet.

Bass fishing has been slow, but as temperatures climb, look for fish to go into their prespawn mode. That makes them vulnerable to sight fishing on the beds.

Wesley Beck is an author of fishing content and many other areas.

Fly Fishing is a great way to relax, enjoy the outdoors out and learn about nature. Fly fishing is a real art that is different in technique than any other form of fishing. To Learn how to master the art of fly Fishing you should visit Fly Fishing Guide

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Wesley_Beck



Big Carp Fishing Secrets You Cannot Afford To Miss!

How often do we hook big fish and never ever realise it? This happens all the time and is especially a problem where big wary fish are concerned and is a problem every angler needs to become aware of and focus on solving. Yesterday I visited a small water with a large stock of small fish and only a few big carp; within hours I hooked and landed one of the biggest; an upper-thirty pound mirror carp. But how did I do it? Read on to find out!

In so many big carp waters today you have fish cleaning up on free baits and avoiding the vast majority of hook baits, very frequently by actually ridding themselves of your hook without running or often without giving you even a single bleep on your alarm. In fact if we truly appreciated how frequently this happens we would be more than alarmed – very shocked is more like it! Just because you hook fish and you see lots of big carp caught in the angling weeklies and monthlies does not mean you cannot improve drastically upon your own catch results compared to your fellow anglers and some edges will treble or quadruple your catches if only you truly appreciated their true power!

Over the years I’ve tried all kinds of ways of converting more bleeps on the alarm to landed carp and it really does come down to refining every aspect of your fishing in many ways so you are able to maximise every opportunity at a take you can create. I can categorically state that non of the hooks I have used straight from the packet have converted as many carp bait bites into fish for me as my own extreme-sharpened hooks. Of course you might think this sounds like I have not used the sharpest chemically sharpened hooks in all their patterns, but in my case I have used probably all the leading brands and patterns over the years and deliberately tested them.

(Please note I have not tested the new circle style carp hooks recently introduced by a British carp tackle company; the reports of bite conversions on these sound fantastic.)

For a number of decades I lived in Essex time and often combined sea fishing from the beach alongside my carp fishing and catfish fishing activities. Fresh eels from the sea are very good eating and a great saving on supermarket bills! (I happen to have a great taste for eels especially when fried; they are like chicken to me, but I detest jelled eels!) Between 20 and 30 years ago I used to catch a number of eels from the shore during the warmer months often while carp fishing ponds and lakes near the sea side. Often eels really seemed to be a pest – that is until I tried frying and barbequing them!

Since then I have determined to eat every legal size fish within the limit (and within acceptable reason) that I catch from the sea, and this has included bass, sole, dabs, eels, mullet, codling, whiting, (and even a lobster) among others. I have also been lucky enough to sample fresh sea trout and also wild brown trout and rainbow trout that I caught from Scottish rivers during a period I lived in Scotland. (I even hook a twenty-plus pound salmon in a spate river (the river Girvan.)

The idea for purposely testing hooks abilities to avoid hook shedding and converting bites into landed fish came from an unusual experiment in itself. So I gradually increased the number of hooks on more paternoster booms of various lengths in theory to improve the number of fish hooked on a single cast when left out for longer. Please note that in more recent years eel numbers in our rivers have been very significantly declining and these days conservation is vitally important; the illegal poaching of elvers has been a big reason for this as well as over-exploitative commercial fishing and barriers to spawning stretches of rivers and pollution of the sea and rivers.

I the tests what happened was the eels simply shed the hooks. I recall waiting while a series of bites indicated another eel taking the worm baits on a 10 hook rig casts. Guess what happened? Just 1 or 2 eels were landed upon reeling in. The hooks of the rest of the rigs had all been twisted and the hooks had been shed leaving a bare hook and no fish! Now you might say this was no big deal as eels are slippery customers and can ties themselves up in knots to get off the hook literally tying themselves up in knots in the line and pulling themselves off.

But I noticed some hook were massively more consistent at preventing eels getting off the hook and there were the sharpest hooks of the sharpest patterns that I had specially sharpened. Over all the faster and deeper a hook penetrates the harder it is to shake free. I found that the hooks with the longer thinner points were the most successful. (This I have applied with indisputably better measurable results in carp fishing.) But there are very few hooks suitable with ideal characteristics and even these need specially sharpening!)

For example even the short and long shank Nailer type hooks convert many more bites into landed fish when very finely and skilfully sharpened. The greatest test is when using barbless hooks which so many fisheries demand these days; lost fish due to a non-maximised hooks are completely unnecessary. In the odd extremely rare occurrence that I have lost a big fish due to a hook point breaking or bending over I know the chances are I would never had achieved a take from the fish in the first place had the hook not been so skilfully honed!

Very much comes down to the thickness of the hook wire used in the region of the first 4 to 5 millimetres from the end of the point. The next incredibly important point is the thickness of the point. When I sharpen my hooks I hone them using a diamond hook sharpener and aim to get the first 4 5 millimetres thinner than needles and thickening out more only as the bend is approached.

Such hooks are supreme in performance to such a degree that without such hooks I know I will be missing out on at least 2 thirds of fish picking up baits (as they can simply mouth baits and slip the hook with ease and this is no exaggeration because I have measured this over 10 years of testing ultra sharp hooks beside chemically sharpened hooks straight from the packet!)

At the start of my many years of testing I did not use ordinary Cyprinus Carpio carp to test hooks - but crucian carp. These are very well known to be even more notorious for playing with baits and for being especially good at not getting hooked; even hitting fish mouthing baits when float fishing is a highly developed skill requiring endless hours of practice!

My testing originally involved ground baiting a shallow slope in the waters edge with bread paste. A series of 4 feet long lengths of line were tied down to bank sticks out of the water and small hooks of various patterns were attached and baited with bread paste and soft pellets. The crucian carp would come along feed on the ground bait and take the baited hooks and guess what? They could get off 9 out of 10 hooks of different patterns tried - every time! Any hooked fish were immediately returned as I was observing and making notes of all that was happening.

The results were so surprising and the implications were so shocking that it lead me to a big re-think about hooks completely. I discovered that just because a hook has what appears to have a sharp point it most certainly does not mean a carp cannot slip off the hook very easily and often so fast it is as if they were not actually initially hooked and often the sharper the hook the more easily it came off because the hook pattern simply did not do anything but allow this to happen – which rather defeats the point of it!

Bent hooks have obviously one solution but various hook patterns used like this are well known to have caused carp damage and as such are unethical and banned on pretty much all UK carp waters. The more flexible fish-friendly approach came in the form of line-aligner rigs, but these certainly do not do not work as great as anglers think and just because a hook turns due to the angle created it certainly does do mean the hook holds achieved are ideal even where a rig designed to penetrate the flesh of the bottom or scissors is used!

Even today thousands of carp are still lost on line-aligner rigs and anglers still keep suffering the either lack of bite indication due to fish instantly slipping the hook or get single and double bleeps on alarms where carp still shed the hooks anyway due to years of practice 24 hours a day in avoiding hooks! No-one I know claims a 99 percent conversion rate even with special (ethical) stiff rigs and stiff Withy Pool type rigs and so on.) Even so-called high profile anglers are still assuming chemically-sharpened hooks straight from the packet perform well enough compared to hooks skilfully honed to perfection by diamond sharpener in both in advance and before every single cast!

I hope this all makes you think! If you doubt the veracity of my testing why not get highly skilled with a diamond hook sharpener and do your own very strict tests fishing unsharpened hooks against the very thinnest finest of hand-sharpened hook points (sharpened at least for 5 millimetres) and the difference in your big fish results will become very well proven to you too!

You can design the best carp bait in the world but if the carp can get off your hook is all wasted, but an incredibly sharp hook in the correct pattern combined with a truly great unique bait is proven to catch more big fish. This is the explanation to why when I visited that small fish water yesterday I was able to hook that that rare upper thirty within hours. For more information on the sharpest big fish edges that can double or treble your catches, why not take a look at my uniquely researched and big fish catches-proven bait secrets bibles on line at my Baitbigfish site now; see my biography or Google for much more!

By Tim Richardson.

Now why not seize this moment to improve your catches for life with these unique fishing bibles: “BIG CARP FLAVOURS, FEEDING TRIGGERS AND CARP SENSES EXPLOITATION SECRETS!” “BIG CARP AND CATFISH BAIT SECRETS!” And “BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS!” For these and much more free information now visit: For secrets of making money-saving big fish baits see baitbigfish.COM (Home of world-wide proven readymade and homemade bait success secrets bibles and further free articles!

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