Fishing - Just the Basics by Jack Phillips

I've been fishing for over 50 years and even more frequently in the last 10 years; during this time I have learned a lot of countless things about fishing in general. The most important is that you can never know it all. Even a novice can show an old timer a trick or two.

Over the years I've seen hundreds of anglers come to the areas I fish full of enthusiasm and determination and they end up leaving frustrated and confused. With just a little advice this could have made for a better experience and more than likely created another fishing addict like myself. It may take some time to turn you into that pro, but the enjoyment of the sport would be more easily realised.

When starting out the very first thing you want is just basic information on where and when to fish. Sounds easy and generally just ask other anglers, lodge owners, bait store owners, heck just ask.

Now for the fishing equipment, the rod and reel. Sounds simple enough, but maybe not. As in most other sports, cheap or poor equipment will result in poor results. As an example I met a fellow from southern Ontario (Toronto) while fishing here at home for Northern pike and asked him how the fishing was. His remark was that he was going to rent a boat and give it a try. So I asked him if he would like to go out with me that evening and he accepted. I met him at the dock and told him to load his gear in the boat and offered him a life jacket and away we went. I did not notice what he had loaded at first except he had a nice big new tackle box, as we moved away I asked where is your rod and reel. He went on to open his new tackle box and proceeded to pull out one of those pocket fisherman rigs. Of course I had a hard time from not laughing out loud, but went on to offer him one of my other rigs already in the boat.

Once we hit the area I intended to troll he went on to politely say he wanted to use his own rod but asked what one of his lures he should use for northern pike. He had one large red and white spoon and I told him to use that and made sure he let out enough line for what we were doing. I believe I was praying for him to get the first strike and sure enough he did after about 15 minutes or so and the fun began.

Now this pike he had on was I guessed about 15 pounds, not that big but the struggle with that little, short toy he had was hilarious to watch. I did not believe he would get the fish to the boat but he did although to fast, I had the net and told him to slow down, he did not hear me as I leaned over to net the fish he had it reeled up to about 2 feet from the tip of that little rod, all that pike did was lean on the line and he was gone.

I must add here that he also had no leader on that rig. After that he was so excited and of course wanted to keep fishing, but asked if he could use one of my other rods which was fine because I wanted to see him really hook and land a nice fish. To shorten this story he did land 2 more northerns and a small walleye. Oh yes I did catch a fish, one walleye and one pike, but we had a new fishing addict here. The next day he went into town to the Canadian Tire store and got properly equipped.

I imagine that young man from southern Ontario had some great tall tales to tell when he got home. I wonder how big that one that got away is Now!

A light action graphite spinning rod and reel will handle most fish you will want to catch, plus it is light enough for the beginner to feel even the light hit of those walleye.

So just get out there relax, take your time. Bring some coffee or lunch or even better catch your lunch and cook on one of the many small islands all over these northern lakes. Mostly just enjoy it all the fresh air, wildlife and scenery. Enjoy it all while your watching that loon, deer or even a moose feeding, a big walleye might just swim up and inhale your bait sending that twitch up your line through your rod to your fingers. Set the hook and there's lunch!

Well that's enough from me time for supper and a 5 minute stroll down to the river and make a few casts and see what happens.


Ice Fishing: THE QUEST FOR PIKE

This Carp Fishing Season What Can You Do To Make It Your Best Ever ...

Do you feel you are taking too long in achieving your carp fishing goals? If so, how can you ensure you achieve all the success you dream of for less effort and time and what do very many big name anglers do that makes it look so easy? Shave years off and speed things up by reading on!

There is a vital pivotal point that is central to maximising your results in carp fishing that most anglers over-look in their rush for the most fashionable new rod or reel or latest bait. I will reveal this secret in a moment because it seems that far too many anglers on the bank misunderstand this! But possibly the first point to state is that everyone can catch the kind fish they dream of catching. It may well be that not really believing this is the first barrier. When you truly believe you can – you will because you will find yourself doing the right things at the right time in the right places! The subconscious mind works wonders when correctly programmed and Kevin Maddocks was spot-on when he said a positive mental attitude is of paramount importance (in this case when referring winter carp fishing in particular, but the principle applies all year!)

Very many carp anglers see the high profile anglers catching big fish and feel intimidated, feeling that these anglers are a cut above the rest and somehow have a bubble of huge advantages at their disposal that an average carp angler cannot match. It is certainly true that such guys have competitive advantages but it is also true that many of them have paid the price for these in advance by putting in far more effort and applied dedication to becoming much better in their sport than the average occasional or week-end carp angler!

The anglers you meet who seem to catch all the fish will generally have one thing in common and it is very simple. They are confident and they think confidently! This is their greatest competitive edge in many ways because unconsciously their minds are therefore fully open to receiving all input of every kind from every source that will lead inevitably towards further success. The fact that they might have more time, or money or bait or tackle or connections to get onto waters etc are meaningless if they do not think like a winner to begin with!

It is no secret that thousands of anglers every week fish with lots of bait, the newest tackle and on renowned big fish waters and yet really fail to succeed in comparison to other anglers around them. The fact is that carp fishing is about thinking. Only those anglers with the most open minds are flexible enough to be able to constantly change not only ho the think but the actions their thoughts produce so in turn keeping them ahead of the game in terms of the carp and their competitors.

There are creative innovations that we take for granted completely now but which have seriously boosted catches all around the world to the degree that carp fishing may well not have become the cult sport it is today without such ingenuity!

These creations include the following: the hair rig, hard over-flavoured instant boilies used with bolt rigs, long-term high nutrition boilies, polyvinyl acetate water soluble bait products, electric bite indicators and adjustable swinger indicators, use of high line capacity big sea fishing reels teamed with long–range customised rods for large water fishing, the application of sweetcorn, Robin Red, L030 fish protein and Minamino to carp fishing baits and so on. How many more can you think of?

Just think about it. Like-minded groups of disparate individuals as well as actual individuals and friends have evolved these or brought them into the carp fishing world. Each of these innovation applications were the result of belief in conquering a problem and were applied to over-coming them. But without the correct positive mind-set then many of these would simply be missed and never have been spotted or tried in carp fishing.

Many of these have made house-hold names of the originators or claimed originators of these things and applications. Sometimes there are periods when some of these kinds of special advantages you might say, are evolved or developed by numerous people at the same time without them knowing anything about the other. This can be seen in various areas such as the development of the hair rig, or the true inventors of our worlds electricity systems, the telephone, radio, TV and so on.

I was using a hook with line attached with a bait on in the Seventies originally for bass fishing and other anglers applied exactly the same thinking of improving hooking and bait presentation at the same time and long before this time to develop hair rigs for carp and other fish independently of any individual claimants of any particular rig origination. But carp fishing used to be a serious world of secrets. Just a few decades ago carp fishing secrets that are very well known now were simply not discussed unless you happened to be in the right clique or circle or group because everyone knew just how much effort goes into these things and wished to exploit them to maximum effect before the herd gets wind of them.

Now the point here is that you too can create your own innovative competitive edges and the problems that face in your fishing provide the very solutions you may be seeking. The trick is not even to event something new but to use something that already exists in new ways. You can do things just 10 percent differently and get a huge multiplication your success. For instance, being able to cast 5 yards further, being able to identify feeding spots just 10 percent better than most anglers, being able to choose and apply baits 10 percent better than other anglers.

You might think about the different characteristics of individual high profile anglers that make them that bit more successful. It might be excellent watercraft skill. It might be incredible casting acuity and acumen. It might be the ability to adapt rigs and tactics in response to changing carp behaviours and habits. It might be the willingness to move focus upon identifying finding fish and being totally willing to move swims at 3 or 4 in the morning. Some anglers may have a bottomless bait supply and through long practice know exactly how and when to apply various baits to maximum effect.

Some of these things may not seem like a big deal. But this is probably because some of these at least are easily within everyones reach. The difference between many of the higher profile carp anglers and the casual carper is that many casual carp anglers just do not seem to realise this sport and passion begins with the fish themselves and not with all the paraphernalia associated with it. In fact pretty much all the commercial oriented products do is exploit everything about the fish without actually making it very obvious that this is the key!

Success is a formula, a recipe of combining the right refinements together at the right times, consistently. Because fishing for big carp is a skill and an art that can be learned and developed this means all carp anglers with strong intention can become the kind of angler who is consistently successful and this really means always having an open mind! Remember when you were a beginner, when everything seemed magical and exciting and mysterious?

All the possibilities in terms of where to fish, what tackle to use, what bait to use; all these things with a positive mind set equal the fastest learning of all. Now I focus on the learning bit here because just a small bit of information can transform your catches completely and this goes on over and over again all the time for anglers with an open mind! But all too often the average carp angler gets caught up in a rut of thinking in ways that are out of date!

This is the biggest danger of getting too attached to what is new, what your mates are buying, what their opinions on what the best reel, or rod or bivvy or bite alarm or bait are. Do you see where this is leading? The starting point must always be the fish. They provide all the solutions you need because you and your fellow carp anglers are training them and conditioning them dynamically be everything you do and use while fishing and even your very presence on the bank trains them.

If you want most success and wish to achieve all your carp fishing dreams faster than your ever imagined, it all begins with studying your fish. As the saying goes, know your enemy better than yourself! The top anglers are doing things all the time that exploit weaknesses in carp defences that they have evolved and are constantly adapting in order to avoid getting hooked. This is the right mind set in action and is best described as thinking like a carp!

Many aspects of fishing for carp fishing are easily available to everyone including all the big fish carp waters and all the tackle and baits now available plus loads of magazines and websites on fishing. What really matters is how your mind sees all this stuff – because everyone is in a world of their own as each and every individuals perspective of reality and the big picture of things is unique to himself alone! Next time you go on a new lake and some of the locals or regular anglers say it is hard it is very often in their own minds. Beginners get much more luck because they are often employing different tactics, use of different swims, different baiting methods and tackle and rigs and a different mindset in general to those of anglers already entrenched on a water.

It is like Jim Shelley who went and fished Conningbrook for the British Record carp. The regulars had told him that using lots of bait is a bad idea. Lots of anglers these days just use PVA netting and pellets for instance. Maybe they know Jim Shelley often uses loads of bait, far more than average anglers might imagine. Either way, he fished for just a few days, baited up heavily in right in the weed I believe, and he caught the British record fish! You have to consider that here is a guy who is a pretty much full-time angler who is so in-tune and refined in his fishing he can unravel very many variables in terms of fishing pressure, fishing tactics to use and baiting levels etc based on what he has heard and seen on such a water that has seen many very good anglers over the decades.

Basically he knows how fish behave in response to anglers baits, lines, and tactics and he knows that being different even in what seems like minor ways makes all the difference; the fish themselves provide the clues. Many anglers hate fishing directly into weed, but carp can clear weed fast when feeding hard by regular baiting. Jim has been a regular at so many heavily weeds big fish water because in so many ways big fish and rich waters go inevitably together!

Some of the biggest breakthroughs in carp baits came anglers with open minds. And it is noticeable that Einstein had a way of questioning that helped constantly question conventional thinking so enabling further progress and advancements to be made.

How you noticed how you can go for long periods of time thinking something was absolutely right but finding this a limiting factor in your success? Then you might have thought to yourself, what if I consider that thing to be wrong – would this remove the limit to my thinking so I can see the light and find answers and solutions I never saw before? Imagine if you will if the boilie or hair-rig or pop-up bait had not been invented and you still had to think for yourself. (How would your mind reach the end result of the HNV or balanced profile protein bait, or pop-up baits, flavour over-dosed instant baits and so on?)

So picture this: when you have located your fish feeding in front of you, and you have a sharp hook on, what is it that will catch those carp that prevents a blank? The answer ultimately is it is the thing that delivers your hook into the mouth of the carp. It does not matter if this happens even for a fraction of a second - just long enough to enable the hook to penetrate and result in a carp self-hooking itself so deeply it cannot get off the hook before all the added pressure of lines, leads, back leads, indicators, clips, reel clutches etc kick in.

I have over the last year been testing really heavy rigs with eighteen pound monofilament line hook links and big size 4 hooks to remove any refinements. The tests were with paste on the hooks directly. In doing this I was replicating how most carp fishing was done prior to the hair rig in the immediately preceding years and this is a set-up that often produces fewer fish actually hooked even though baits may be held between the lips, pulled, and even mouthed. My tests were based around experiments with various fish feeding triggers and other things that enhance bait palatability and stimulate different aspects of the sensory systems of carp internally and externally.

Of course, when you have a really obviously heavy rig your bait has to work that much harder in convincing carp to keep trying to mouth the bait because they want it so much that they by repetition almost end up hooking themselves. The tests proved without a shadow of any doubt that the baits containing the most stimulating natural feeding triggers resulted in the hooking of the biggest fish most frequently after the fake baits and instant over-flavoured baits had been associated with danger and produced very few hooked fish by comparison.

Of course heavier leads were used with such pre-hair rig set-ups and often acted like bolt rigs, but problems still were apparent in terms of hooking and converting enough fish compared to the number of bites experienced. This was a problem the hair rig provided a solution to as the bait would enter the mouth will far less suspicion as the weight of the hook would not be noticed anywhere near so much as often the hair was 2 inches or more long.

Anglers came up with the length of hair on the original hair rig (off the hook bend) of 2 or 3 inches anglers. This distance is what they believed to be the correct length from the lips to the throat teeth that represented a safe distance of bait ingestion before a risk of bait and hook bite-offs. (But this distance can be much is longer than this.) Anyway, the long-hairs used that produced the effect of separating the bait from the hook (and so negating the weight and feel of the hook) was a huge step in getting more bites!

Equally important was density of baits, and floating baits applied on the bottom such as floating pastes became a huge advantage. Added to the development of great flavours designed purposely for carp the application of the pop-up bait made a huge difference to numbers of carp caught by individuals using them on so many waters for the very first time!

When you examine the details of why plastic sweetcorn or rubber hemp works as baits this reveals a lot of priceless secrets about carp senses and behaviours and how these work and can dynamically adapt and change over time. When you examine why balanced or high nutritional design boilies keep catching the same big fish over the years, carp senses and conditioned behaviours are implicit in this success. Far too many angler miss great competitive edges even if they are just using readymade baits by not knowing about the carp themselves! All kinds of known and yet to be discovered details of carp themselves are certainly many of the greatest secrets to successful carp fishing today they always have been and always will be!

Carp themselves provide the greatest challenges in carp fishing and but in studying them they provide the solutions to better catches!

High nutrition boilies have caught more big carp than any other form of bait over the decades. But they can cost much more than many anglers can afford to pay today. Making your own economical and unique homemade baits (and applying them in your own personal unique ways) is a leveller par excellence against anglers with more skill, experience, time, money etc!

The best starting point is not these but in studying the carp first! The British carp Study Group is a body that is a collection of highly experienced carp anglers who have proven in their own ways that they know something about carp and often then some, but most of all appreciate the fish themselves. Again, the fish provide the solution when you are designing baits because ultimately you are trying to maximise and use their own natural senses, instincts and behaviours against them in your own favour. Most carp anglers appear to make the biggest mistake of starting out with ingredients and flavours and not what will actually best exploit fish senses in ways that will give them more competitive edges over competing baits!

It took me a long time to realise that when you think of each and every carp as a unique personality and a unique genetic creation you will catch many more fish! Each fish has its own tiny or large differences in feeding behaviours, bait flavour and taste preferences or mineral needs or may have an enhanced ability to avoid certain rigs or areas of a lake or swim. Added to the fact that carp waters vary enormously you need to be able to more fully understand carp themselves in order to catch many more fish.

It is not an understatement to suggest that the majority of carp anglers on the banks today know more about the specifications of their rods, reels, bite alarms and bivvies than that of the fish sensory systems or baits meant to exploit them! So how can you get to know most about carp in the fastest way possible and exploit or even create weaknesses in carp defenses that this knowledge reveals to you that you can exploit to seriously multiply your success?  Simple, as mentioned above, KNOW YOUR TARGET.  Whether it be carp, bass, catfish, trout, salmon, or any other fish - they all have habits and individual sensitivities to baits.  Armed with knowledge of your target, you're sure to catch more of them.

By Tim Richardson.

Fishing Tips For Beginners

There are many kinds of fishing equipment in stores, numerous fishing methods in books, and fishing advice online. To make it all simple, here are the basic things you need to know for your first time fishing adventure.

1) How to fish with bait

* Tackle. To plunk the bait, you should purchase lead weights. The weight of the lead would vary depending on the current of the environment. Anglers commonly use and recommend bank sinkers with a number-two hook.

To avoid sinkers to slide, you would need a swivel to act as a stop. To protect the knot, you could use plastic beads between the swivel and weight. Using two appropriate swivels could allow you to rig the sliding sinkers.

* Bait. The commonly used bait for all kinds of fish is worms. Another popular bait is chicken liver. Remember to buy fresh bait and keep them cold to avoid them from getting soft and allowing the bait to stay on your hooks.

Some of the commonly used baits are cut-baits which include skin from fried chicken, fish entrails, grasshoppers, salmon eggs, shrimp, and crayfish tails.

2) How to fish – There are three basic methods for fishing.

* Plunking – It is the most common method used. Use a suitable amount of weight for you to be able to take hold of the bait in a position which is against any current. An option in plunking is to use minimal weight for the bait to move along with the water current.

* Back bouncing – It is done by lifting the bait off the bottom and raising the tip of the rod for one to two feet. Allowing the bait to walk with the current, you should free the back reel or spool. Repeat the steps when the lure settles down on the bottom. Back bouncing is effective in deeper water like fishing from a boat.

* Drift-fishing – It is a simple method wherein you cast upstream or downstream. This may vary depending on the current's amount. You should count the appropriate depth and start reeling.

3) How to fish from a boat – It is important to determine in which location you would perform your fishing. Deeper water needs heavier jigheads compared to fishing from shore.

* With heavy weight which keeps your bait near the bottom of the water and the line straight down from your boat, you are able to drift the boat along with any current. A good technique of fishing on boats is trolling slowly with a fishing device called bottom-walker.

Fishing is easy as long as you’re enjoying the trip. Bring some of your family and friends along and make your first time fishing a memorable one.


Bait Box tackle box

Trout Fishing With Berkley Power Bait

There are many varieties of Berkley Power Bait.  Each type has it's own benefits and rig requirements.  In order for you to use this bait successfully to catch trout, I suggest that you follow these easy guidelines.

Trout Bait/Power Bait/Gulp

Berkley bait comes in several different colors, scents, and forms.  In its dough form, it is best fished formed into a small ball around a treble hook. The treble hook allows the dough bait to retain its shape.  Use the smallest treble hook suitable for the target of your fishing adventure. The Gulp nuggets work best fished on a small single size 8 hook or a salmon egg hook.

Rig your line with a slip sinker above a swivel then attach a leader to the swivel.  Your leader length will vary by the depth and current that you're fishing in but generally for most streams I find that about 16 inches works well. Berkley Power Bait is a floating bait so using a slip sinker allows your bait to float naturally to the surface or near-surface.  Or, in the case of lake fishing, a slip sinker allows your bait to float above the structure on the bottom of the lake.

Berkley Trout Bait also works well to catch bass, crappie, bluegill, and even catfish.  Although, catfish do prefer the garlic scented doughs.  Speaking of the garlic scented doughs...use these for trout when fishing streams muddied by recent rain.  You'll have more hook-ups because the trout will still find your bait even though they may not be able to see it clearly.

I've been using Berkley's Rainbow Glitter Trout Power Bait for over 20 years now and I've never had a bad day trout fishing.  This is one that you'll want to keep in your tackle box - in original scent and garlic scent.  There are MANY different colors and scent combos of Berkley Power Bait.  I have most of them in my tackle box.  They all work well in their optimum conditions - water color, temperature, stream size, trout type, time of year - these all play a part in which color/scent will work the best.  Until you get to know "what works best when" my advice is to try a few casts of each.  I've fished many a trout stream and had a "good" fishing day, but then changed my color/scent choice and turned it into a "great" fishing day! 

Good luck and happy fishing! JD

How To Make Easy Carp And Catfish Baits With Cheap Ingredients

I'm always messing about with baits it's so creative and fun; I even make my own flapjacks too! Making instant carp and catfish baits that really work can be very easy and simple without the need for too much technical know-how! Fishermen go on about 'nutritional attraction baits' versus 'flavoured attractor baits' versus 'fake and plastic baits' and so on and the difference in the prices of these baits can be enormous. But who cares what you use as long as it's safe, does the fish no harm and really catches you fish! Here's a few 'alternative' tit-bits on making baits that will catch you fish.



Your local stores can provide all you need but you can use specialist fishing additives and attractor ingredients too. Very easy baits for carp and catfish of many species and sub-species often utilise the same ingredients to stimulate the fish which makes things simple.



(You can make yourself some flapjacks, brownies or cinnamon scones while you're at it if so inclined, all the ingredients you need for these are eggs, self raising flour, sugar, salt, margarine and a raising agent like bicarbonate of soda.) Making these things is a great fun way to practice making good palatable baits for starters! As a side note, have you noticed how addictive 'Marmite' or 'Vegemite' (yeast extract spread) on toast with lashings of butter' is? Unfortunately it makes your feel dehydrated and maybe keen to have a drink, preferably a caffeine, milk and sugar containing coffee or tea to wash it down?



This is just to remind you how easy it is to get our body and mind in a particular state just by eating a simple snack or a 'simple' beverage. In fact these foods and drinks are popular because they are literally addictive. Once you've been having these for long enough, giving them up is something your body and mind can have trouble with and even give you withdrawal symptoms!



From the monosodium glutamate and salt in the 'Marmite,' to the opiates in the wheat flour, butter and milk, these foods have strong impacts on your body and mind. Even the fat in the butter and milk, the powerful effects of the caffeine in the beverages and even the sugar and its powerful taste enhancing effects leave you wanting more...



You really want your catfish and carp baits to be like this and it is easily achievable, especially by exploiting the high-tech refined specialist bait ingredients available today. However much more simple baits can offer a level of this effect too using ingredients from your average kitchen.



You can make a wide range of successful baits by using soya powder or meal and semolina as the basic dry powder mixture, but corn flour and wheat flour can be used too as base ingredients to make paste or dough baits or even boilies, but be sure to use 'plain flour' rather than the 'self-raising' types. Your base mix powder may not be very 'nutritionally attractive' at this point but this is easily remedied as you will see... Your baits do not have to be high protein wonder baits to catch big fish. Even these marvels can 'blow' and become less effective after fish have been caught on them enough times. In fact very simple carbohydrate type baits with a couple of added special ingredients to effect the fish in powerful ways are often enough to tempt the biggest fish. But you need to know what ingredients affect fish the way you want...



Can you imagine what adding an alcohol flavour does to you bait and how it affects the fish? What about garlic; what's really going on there? Why is liver and blood so effective? What about the effects of betaine, green lip mussel extract, or honey, molasses or brown sugar? Knowing about these type of effects on the fish might seem irrelevant, or are they?



For pastes or dough baits, just add water, or eggs to help binding and bait durability. The usual number of eggs used per pound of dry mixture is 4 per pound of dry mix to 6 per kilogram of dry mix. Added eggs will enable you to make skinned steamed or boiled baits too if preferred.



Baits with added eggs will have a higher protein level than those with water and when rolled into balls can be boiled in water or steamed in a pan to make them form a resistant coagulated skin which makes the baits last longer. You will discover that experimentation is the key to making baits and recording the amounts and ingredients you use will really pay you back especially when you want to re-make that 'bagging bait' and have forgotten what it contained!



You can do a short-cut by buying prepared cooking pastry mix. This is attractive because of its sugar salt, fat and wheat content, all of which can be pretty addictive and it can work well on carp, but needs more ingredients to get the catfish biting.

You can make it that much better by rolling it out and liberally spreading peanut butter and yeast extract, like 'Marmite' or 'Vegemite' onto it, but the list you can add is endless. Liquidized chicken liver or pork liver are classic examples as are shad guts and chicken blood from a friendly butcher. However, Blood powder, liver powder and squid powder, fermented shrimp powder, shrimp and krill meal,



It may sound simplistic, but for example, yeast extract contains lots of attractive salts with those used in its production, enzymes, such as trypsin (the protein digesting enzyme,) soluble proteins, amino acids, peptides, minerals, trace elements, vitamins like B6 and B12, carnitine, chitin, yeast extract is also a major source of the infamous food enhancer monosodium glutamate for the food industry. It is also water-attracting being hygroscopic (like honey and malt extract and peptones interestingly,) and is highly soluble a digestible. Peanut butter has much going for it too including sugar, salt, high fat content, tasty oils and great palatability and even its own highly fish attractive enzymes. There are very good reasons why even the 'simplest' kitchen ingredient works.



The attractiveness of peanuts and peanut products is so well known, but fewer fishermen realise that crushed peanuts make great ground bait and cook-up well absorbing all kinds of added attractors like sugars, salts, flavours, spices, essential oils, colours and so on. Peanut oil is another great attractor too, while de-fatted roasted peanut meals can have a protein content above that of many fishmeals and are very well consistently proven fish catchers.



Getting back to your easy simple bait, a generous amount of molasses or brown sugar will really help. Many fishes love sweet smells and tastes and a quick energy 'hit' from the sugars is appreciated too. In fact 'polysaccharides' play a big part in wild fishes natural diet and are derived from ingesting mussels and shrimps and other shelled organisms.



It's a good idea to add a bit of protein to your simple flours baits. Fish can are very drawn to attractive proteins, amino acids, polypeptides and this has been consistently proven with catfish and carp etc. In fact, often the baits meant for carp or catfish end up catching other big specimens of other species including bass, big pike and tench, pickerels, eels and so on. Adding liver powder or mashed-up tinned fish, ground trout pellet powder, or any of a range of fish meals and meat meals, shellfish meals and milk powders will all make a big difference to your simple bait's effectiveness. You can even add ground-up sinking pond pellets if you want to really ensure your fish get a guaranteed 'balanced meal' if you're so inclined.



You could mix in large amounts of flaked cold-water fish food which is a very effective edge in making a very 'alternative' bait. These are high in things like spirulina, carotenes, complex sugars and daphnia. (All good stuff.) Incorporating casein and whey protein body-building powders into your simple flour or pastry mix really is an edge adding much recommended 'free amino acids' among a huge list of other beneficial attractors.



Many fishermen feel they need a boost of extra confidence by adding a flavour to their bait. While there are a handful of 'giants' than really shine through in the world of fishing flavours, just a few drops of butyric acid will do the trick. Even adding fresh juice from red or blue fruits like strawberry, mulberry, blueberry, acai berry etc adds great flavour and very powerful fish attracting acids, enzymes, flavours, sugars etc.



Even adding flavours at levels we cannot detect ourselves will work. E.g. half a teaspoonful per kilogram of bait. It is also a fact that many baits have proven to work without any added flavours at all. The best flavours are probably better called 'fish detection tools' or even 'fish mood and activity changers.' This is a far cry from the simple cake flavours many beginners start off using. The proven catches difference between using a simple alcohol based vanilla flavour compared to a fishing bait proprietary brand flavour proven for decades like 'Scopex' or 'Tutti Fruitti' or 'Monster crab' is gigantic.



Experiment kneading the mixture together into a dough. Until you have a practical bait and put into marked and dated bags, but many of these baits can quickly be made on the bank or boat which is really useful. Baits can be round shapes, square, triangles, pellets or just random shapes. You can use these baits fresh or store them temporarily in the fridge or freeze them. By noting what ingredients you add and the amounts used you will be able to make any bait in the future and associate with it any interesting results apart from personal best captures. Just putting bait into the margins where fish can browse on your baits is a very valuable thing to do to help assess their response.



Personally I'd do this with any batch of bait before bothering to fish. Watching fish feeding on your bait is fantastic. (And often the biggest fish are caught on a new bait they have never experienced before.) Testing different batches of bait like this will certainly show you the winners and dramatically increase your confidence in your new baits. You will find that some of your homemade baits will out-perform those expensive shop-bought baits and by making your own baits you will learn practical ways to enhance or alter those shop baits that are 'in' too in order to 'top' them. Although there is far more to making and enhancing baits this will get you on your way!



This fishing bait secrets books author has many more fishing and bait 'edges.' Just one could impact on your catches!



By Tim Richardson.



For the unique acclaimed expert bait making and secrets 'bibles' ebooks / books:



"BIG Catfish AND Carp BAIT SECRETS!"

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Tim is a highly experienced homemade bait maker big carp and catfish angler of 30 years. His bait enhancing books / ebooks now help anglers in 43 countries improve their results. See this bait and fishing secrets website now!



How to make Catfish/eel bait

Choosing The Proper Fly Fishing Leader and Tippet

Selecting the correct tapered leader and tippet for the type of fishing you are about to do is crucial. Nothing can spook fish quicker than an oversized tippet for the particular situation. On the other hand, and undersized tippet can result in the fly fisher losing their trophy before they even get a photo opportunity. We will start at the very basic of leader and tippet selection and then get more specific, and hopefully conclude with enough information so we’ll always have the proper leader and tippet for all upcoming fishing scenarios.


What is leader and tippet

Leader and tippet is the final connection between the fly fisher and their fly. It is the section of line after the fly line and before the fly. It’s purpose is to transfer energy from the fly line down to the fly, allow for natural presentation of the fly, and then be strong enough for the fly fisher to retrieve any fish that might strike at the naturally presented fly. Sounds simple enough, but this is fly fishing, and fly fishers have been around a long time. And as a group we seem to think about everything related to our sport a lot, and therefore probably have over complicated things a tad.

The leader in fly fishing is tapered. It is thicker at the butt section, then at the tippet section. It is usually divided into three sections, the butt is tied directly to the fly line, and is the longest portion of the leader, about 60%. The mid-section is next and its purpose is to taper down to the tippet without losing a lot of strength. The final section is the tippet, it is the actual section that is tied to the fly. It is the thinnest section, it needs to be strong, yet allow for a natural drift, without alarming the fish that your offering is connected to a person that will pull back.

Commercial leaders by and large achieve all this in one smooth product. Although there are still knotted leaders out there, by and large knotless leaders are the choice. It is possible to construct you own leaders and many people do. But that is the topic of another article. A fly fisher does, however need to know how to attach new tippet portion to the fly line, I prefer the double surgeon’s knot, but the blood knot is also popular. Learn how to tie these knots before fighting that monster! A poorly tied knot will reveal itself at the most opportune times.


X factor

Now comes the fun part. A new set of numbers to learn. Different numbers then choosing flies or fly rods. Fly fishing is overwrought with numbering systems, and unfortunately leaders and tippets you are just going to need to learn. They are sized on the X numbering system. So when you hear someone say they are switching to a 6X, you now know they are talking about their tippet. X measures the diameter of the leader minus .011. So a 6X would measure .005. A 0X would actually measure .011. One really only needs to remember the HIGER the X, the smaller the diameter. The other number worth noting the test, or breaking factor, a 4lb test leader will break when more than 4lbs pressure are applied. This is worth noting, and many a trophy are lost when violating that #.

There are many variable to consider when selecting the right X, but the two most common are the size of fish you are going after, and the size of fly you are using when going after them. A quick guide is as follows:

X Fly
0 2-6
1 4-8
2 4-10
3 6-12
4 6-14
5 12-16
6 16-20
7 20-24
8 24 and smaller


Length

One must also think about the length of the leader itself. Leaders are sold these days anywhere from 4 feet to 15 feet. There are many things to consider when deciding on length, some are variable like wind and water clarity. Other variable are static like size of fish, current, etc.

Typically the easier it is to spook a fish, the longer the leader you will need to use. So

The industry seems to have settled on 91/2 feet as a good all-around length. For everything from trout to steelhead to tarpon. It is a good length to handle for all levels of fly casters, and it gives enough distance between the splash down of the fly line and the fly as to not spook most fish under most circumstances.

From this standard we can then begin to think of reasons we might need to adjust. Spring creeks or spring fed lakes will probably require 15 feet of leader. Whereas sinking tip lines used in spring run off will use as leaders as short as 4 feet. A weed choked largemouth bass pond will require a shorter, stouter leader, and therefore you will be able to muscle your fish away from snags. But a trout caught in a spring creek will have the advantage because your leader will easily break off due to its lightness. Windy days might require one to shorten up a bit to ease in casting. When switching from nymphing to dry flies one might need to lengthen a bit.


Summary

I hope this has clarified and not complicated things a bit. What all this means is one must carry a good assortment of tapered leaders and even more importantly tippets with them at all times. There are many times I switch sizes in the same day. If I am fighting fish deep in faster current during the day, I might go down one X factor, and then in the evening if I am dry fly fishing in shallow slow water, I’ll go up two X factors.

Not having the correct tippet can handicap one’s ability to land fish, either by breaking off if too small, or spooking them if too large. It is a nominal expense compared to the rest of your equipment, and a bad place to start watching that fly fishing budget. So make sure you’re well stocked for every imaginable situation before you hit the water. I guarantee you at some point you will be glad you are.

30 Carp Fishing Tips for Beginners and More Experienced Fishermen ...

If you want a simple short-cut to carp fishing success you’ve come to the right place. This advice applies to any form of fishing because it is so vitally important. Here is a list of simple details that I wish I’d discovered when I began carp fishing when information was in much shorter supply. Over the years I have been shocked by the number of newer carp anglers who over-look the ultimate importance of their hooks and their hooking efficiency. So many unnecessary blank sessions come from anglers not realising details they’re missing on the end of their line and more awareness of aspects of the part of their tackle that truly matters the most...

Sometimes it’s very easy for a carp angler to get fixated by new products; like bait flavours, new boilies and pellets etc and the constant stream of new bivvies and ‘camo’ gear that emblazon the advertisement pages of glossy fishing magazines meant to seduce us. These products are very well designed to meet new anglers’ fashions and needs and specific purposes. However, the ability of a hook to actually hook a fish is a pretty old basic need and deserves far more personal attention from many anglers to improve the results of their fishing time and efforts spent.

The basis of the information below arrived from my use of thin wired light-weight ‘Kamasan’ hooks 25 years ago or more, which were extremely effective but occasionally opened-up on hooking bigger carp. The answer came in the form of very precisely sharpening thicker wire hooks like the ‘Kamasan’ low water salmon hooks with the longer shank. I have used this types of hook and many similar designs for years and believe their point’s angle of penetration to be absolutely ideal for my purposes. It’s proven superior in sea fishing applications for me also. (Ask England international Dion McFadden – ha ha ha!)

(You might bear in mind fishing hooks do not ‘hook’ fish by themselves, but require force, from a particular angle of line attached to make the point penetrate effectively enough to do its required job.)

In the ‘British carp Study Group’ magazine (Spring 2007,) famous angler and one of the group’s scientific advisers, George Sharman, proposes that an ideal hook point penetration angle / line angle of force of 26 degrees transferred into the hook point is about right, teamed with an in-turned eye. This has shown ideal initial ‘pricking of fish’ and secure hook hold properties with hooks of varied gap sizes. Now I’m not an engineer, but my practical trials and experiences with hooks and indication / conversion to hooked fish leads me to similar conclusions. It may be noted that I’ve fished for more than a couple of decades using bite indicators and various set-ups tuned to register the minimum of line movement since positive benefits of this were first discovered in my winter fishing especially.

I personally use a sharpened hook and I realise this sound ‘antiquated’ perhaps today. But I consider it is vital for many surprising reasons laid out below. Hooks catch fish but many benefit from a little help and close attention to maximise their effectiveness. It takes personal fishing trials and indication / catch rate comparisons over time to achieve true confidence in the hooks you choose to use. Why not use the best designed best quality hooks you can buy for your personal fishing styles and activities, which may be extremely varied indeed.

Sharpening hook has many hidden benefits on the whole of your fishing and confidence levels and even thinking and approach to everything you do to catch fish.

Fishing hooks are often an after-thought when compared to the attention brought to bear on expensive carp rods and reels for instance. By disciplining yourself into sharpening every hook you use you not only get a great feel for the action and success of any hook pattern compared over time, but ensures that no faulty eyed or blunt pointed hooks are used which definitely cost you fish.

The easiest way to lose a fish is to give it the chance to consume your bait and have a hook either inefficiently penetrate its skin, or that has the wrong design for your rig purposes or situation, size or shape of bait, hook link material action etc. Your rig is the converter of attempted bait consummation. If it is not maximised in every way possible to convert attentions to your bait into hooked fish you may as well fish with no hook or no bait for the majority of your time spent fishing.

Most fish are lost without an angler ever realising a fish was ‘on’ in the first place, which is a shame and is one area the best most detail oriented tuned-in anglers excel out. This may seem ‘over the top’ but then why should you not benefit from little differences that set the best apart from the rest? Rigs don’t need to be complicated just as with baits, but it’s the attention to details in getting the complete process refined so the right bait and rig for any given fishing situation are the right ones. This can produce above average catch consistency without an angler having the added advantage of access to better bait techniques and technology or more fishing time available.

Don’t forget many hooks bought in packets may not be as sharp as is truly needed. Mostly a carp will hook itself, but on pressured waters a hook any less that past needle sharp can well mean many lost fish you never ever imagined had taken your bait into their mouths. A diamond hook sharpener is essential to me – I’d not bother fishing without treating my hooks to a very precisely formed diameter point and length of point too. I find a hook with a longer point which is well sharpened and thinned along its length makes a massive difference to numbers of bigger fish hooked. This ‘point’ applies to chemically sharpened hooks also.

OK, I’ve over-done sharpening sometimes and lost 40 pound plus fish at the net as the point opens, but would such fish have ‘spit’ the hook anyway and not been hooked? It’s very likely. Most anglers use a heavy lead on any of a range of rigs styles and lengths. But most don’t consider the fact that we are really trying to get around how the fish are feeding in response to angling pressure and associated feeding behaviours in response to what the anglers themselves are doing. Sure a heavy lead and tight line hooks lots of fish, but very often a light lead even at range with a longer hair and hook link will produce more fish and, often more warier bigger fish too.

If you find you are ‘dropping fish’ or ‘pulling out’ of them during the fight, or even getting odd single bleeps on the bite indicators which don’t produce positive action afterwards, try sharpening your hook. I cover my freshly sharpened hook with paste and coat the hair and bait in paste. I often use 2 or 3 types of homemade paste on a rig beside other boilie or paste baits for example in order to vary the solubility and rate of breakdown of bait and give the fish more to ‘think about’. This covers the taste of a sharpened hook and glint of hook metal before it oxidises and fades. Plus paste melting produces unusual bait movement and added dimensions to a curious fish.

In fact using paste on the hook and similar paste in different states in a PVA bag can really trip up fish even better than common set-ups that just use paste on the bait on a hair alone. I like to actually draw attention to the hook itself which is unusual these days. By using fresh balls of paste, air-dried paste and scalded paste bits together with a diversity of strategically included items in the PVA bag many fish seem to lose the grip on their ‘danger reference points’ momentarily. This is after all the aim of all our rig and bait efforts right?

If you’re still not convinced, why not trial identical rigs with sharpened and unsharpened hooks and see the difference over a range of hook designs. The results will be clear; I actually refined my results using rigs and a range of hook patterns to hook very shy biting crucian carp. I could actually observe the fish taking each bait and I was shocked that many makes and designs straight from the packet rarely produced a hooked fish. Often a fish would get hooked and get off in a second, while others stayed in the mouth despite attempts to twist and shake the hook out. I do appreciate that the quality and technology and design involved in hooks has been raised over the years by manufacturers but a personally physically sharpened hook has enormous benefits.

The realities of simple peace of mind and improved confidence that you are fishing as efficiently as possible really counts especially on tougher waters and when fish are not ‘playing the game!’ Using the most important piece of your fishing tackle which you have intimately inspected and shaped yourself really does produce more fish; getting into the habit of being more detail oriented adds up and the extra effort even influences your effectiveness in fish location and swim choice, thinking and approach to bait and efforts to minimize lazy conventional fishing practices whose edge has already passed.

As its Christmas coming up why not invest in a hook sharpener and really experiment in achieving the longest sharpest hook points possible, perhaps while watching all that Christmas TV. (I have no connection with ‘Fox International’ except I used to fish alongside Cliff (ha ha ha!) But their bar shaped diamond sharpeners are the most effective tool I’ve used for many years now.) The effort of sharpening your hooks will really pay you back for sure. It did for carp fishing legend Richard Walker...

Best of all, doing this will raise your confidence when you cast your rig into those cold winter waters, where a fish may only be willing to move just a few inches to feed and an extremely sharp hook is all you may have to initially efficiently hook a winter fish. Especially at times such as this, just a few minutes in concentrated effort sharpening your hooks, could well produce for you a very memorable fish worthy of your efforts.

By Tim Richardson.



License-Free Freshwater Fishing Days 2013

Fishing Tips for Berkley Power Bait

Berkley Powerbait For Trout Fishing Review

Author: Escalure Fishing Tackle


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As with any type of trout lure, it's important to use Berkley Powerbait with the right equipment for trout fishing. A short, lightweight, and nimble rod and reel combo will provide the most success. Make sure that your rod is no longer than five feet and that your line is four pound test at the heaviest.

Berkley Gulp! Dough Trout Bait and Berkley Gulp! Dough Trout Nuggets are very similar products. The Dough Trout Nuggets are sold in preformed dough balls, while the Dough Trout Bait is a large wad of dough sold in a jar that allows its users to create their own dough balls and control the size of the bait. Both types of dough bait come in a variety of vibrant colors, such as orange and chartreuse. The best way to fish using Berkley Dough Trout Bait is to use an 8 or 10 sized hook with a portion of the bait molded onto it. A small egg sinker will provide appropriate weight to your line.

You can also use a small egg sinker with Berkley 2 Inch Power Minnows and Berkley Powerbait 3 Inch Trout Worms. Both these baits can be attached to a jig head or used as trout bait. The Power Minnows should be attached to the hook through the head. The worms can be hooked about two inches from the end. If you are using the Trout Worms, flicking your pole every couple minutes will help give the illusion of a sinking worm.

One drawback to using Berkley Powerbait is that some trout streams have restrictions against using scented bait. You will need to make sure what the regulations are for your fishing locales before heading out into the water.

There are even more types of Berkley Powerbait than the ones mentioned above. If you have never used Powerbait before, give some of these trout lures a try and you will soon identify your favorites.
Berkley Gulp Alive - Catching Surprise Smallmouth Bass

I am going to tell you a fascinating story about something I never thought would happen when using Berkley gulp alive. You will want to read this, for it will benefit you in your fishing success, as it has me tremendously. If you like to catch a lot of big fish, then what I am about to tell you will benefit you now.

I was on a lake that i have never fished before but was told it had nice over sized walleyes, so my eyes lit up and off to the lake I went. It was about a 2000 acre lake, and what I like to do is jump from point to point as great way to find fish. After i had caught 7 or 8 very large walleyes, I hooked onto a fish that gave me a much better battle. I thought I had a monster walleye on as I was using large crank baits, but after about a five minute battle I landed it, and it was a huge bronze back!

I was shocked to see a small jaw on this big crank bait, as small mouth tend like smaller lures than walleye. All I had was crank baits and jigs and so I cast my crank bait out for another half hour or so and was not catching any small jaws or walleye, but I knew the small mouth were there somewhere - I asked myself what to do?

I was panicking a little, but then it hit me: I have jigs and Berkley gulp alive minnows and leeches in my box! So I tied on a 1/4 ounce jig and put a gulp minnow on and immediately I was into my favorite fish: Mr. Bronze Back. For a period of several hours I was catching quality small mouth bass, until my arms were s sore I had to stop.

The point is the small jaws were there all along and I knew it. I was just cranking through them with crank baits, and then when I switched baits, it was an amazing transformation. And those minnows were not like live bait that you have to change every time you catch a fish. I bet I only went through 7or 8 Gulp lures in three hours of catching large bronze backs.

Some guys in a boat that were watching this asked me: 'What in the world are you doing to catch all those big tail jumpers, this lake is not known for small mouth in the first place?

I showed them the Berkley gulp alive and said they had seen it before but did not think much about trying it until now. That was one of day' I will never forget 'and there have been many days like that since, in rivers, lakes and reservoirs!

Berkley Urban Spirit Rod Review

The all new Berkley Urban spirit rod is a fully adjustable rod that allows you to extend the handle grip for extra rod length. This series of rods are designed for maximum casting ability for both plugging and spinning for Bass both here in the UK and overseas. The rod itself is made from IM7 Carbon complete with Fuji Alconite guides and a Hi-Grade EVA handle. With a price tag of under £90 it is a great buy for all sea and freshwater anglers and makes a very good all rounder in you rod artillery.

The performance is very good indeed for the money, there are no corners cut with these models as the IM7 blank performance really pushes through no matter what length you set the rod up to. If you are a keen plugging or soft plastic fisherman then this rod has superb action without losing control over plugs when combined with Braid. I tested the rod off the rocks in my coastal area and even for hard fighting 5lb Wrasse this rod still has the pulling power to pump them up from the depths and through thick weed.

The adjustable handle allows you to extend at full length for great distance or short for easy one handed underarm casts. The handle has a ruler which is marked in approx one centimeter increments for easy adjustment. The rod comes with a handy custom made carry holdall bag with a padded adjustable strap for easy transport and manufactured from a light robust material to reduce traveling weight.

Reviewing the New Berkley Vanish Transition Fluorocarbon Line

The visibility of the line was good. As we were using 2 green lines, a yellow line plus a blue line on this day, it was easy to pick out. I am sure it would be just as easy to pick out among any other line as it picked up the light very easily and reflected a golden color very useful in a tangle.

Casting was no different than any other line we were using once the line had been cast once or twice to bed it down on the reel.

We never had any problem with memory as there seemed to be very little compared to Berkley Trilene or Diawa Tournament which we were also using at the time. Memory is a major headache if you are using a fixed spool; we were testing this on 7500 multipliers but it performed so well I would use it on a fixed spool.
The only problem we found was the elasticity. Although soft to the touch and nice to feel, it was very difficult to break out the lead if you wanted to change bait. We were not sure if this was good or bad as at least we found that our bait stayed anchored to the bottom.

Proved by the fact we caught several fish on the two rods used in the competition with BVT. We did not get any rod thumping bites but bites were easy to detect using both fixed and running end rigs.

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Although the stretch level was a bit of a pain when trying to break out the lead it was a safety factor when a nice fish was close to the boat.

The 12lb line we only used as hook lengths but compared to Berkley Vanish it was much nicer to use as it felt much softer and easier to untangle and less prone to twist and kink.

We also used 17lb as hook lengths as well and this was again better than normal Vanish as it was more user friendly, using our version of knot we had no problems.

We did not take any more particular care with the 17lb BVT than the other lines used on the day and gave the line a good test probably more abuse than normal due to the terrible conditions we fished in. The view was that we would definitely use BVT in place of BV as hook trace but the price would be a major factor in using BVT as a main line.

Berkley Gulp Alive Spray Attractant Review

So what is it?

Berkley Gulp! Alive is the next generation in Gulp!(TM) scent and attractant technology. Now that technology is available in a spray bottle. Gulp!® Alive(TM) spray fish attractant will make any bait taste and smell alive. It's like a blood trail in the water that fish can't resist. It enhances baits effectiveness whether it's a soft bait, a hard bait, or a live bait. The Spray is also very good for tipping off baits such as worm or mackerel.

Does it work?

I have always been a bit unsure with other Berkley Gulp artificial products as they are a very new idea on the fishing market, plus the fact that a lot of anglers say real bait is best bait. Well this is not really a bait this time it is a bit like Rag or Lug oil and not to forget the famous Pillchard oil.

The great thing about this product is it produces a great scent trail in the water which is far stronger than natural which in turn will draw fish in a lot quicker. When tipping off other baits such as rag or Lug worm all you have to do is combine the live worm bait with a quick spray of Gulp!® Alive(TM) Squid. It is no different than using real squid to tip off the bait. Plus you don't waste any as it is a lot more practical than buying a box of squid and use just a bit and let the rest go off in your bait bag. However you can carry this easy Gulp 8 oz spray bottle around with no problems in your tackle.

I have seen anglers use this product with great effect. Some anglers are spraying it onto lures to increase there chances of catching. It works on Pollack, Bass, and most other Predatory species. At around £6 per bottle you can't go to far wrong. Or at least it's worth having a try. The most effective types in this range for most anglers is the Squid.

Fishing Tackle - Spinning Rod Review

Any fishermen like me who apply spinning rods almost always are attempting to locate new fishing gear to boost their chances of snagging a valued specimen. There is an overwhelming range of gear around, so sometimes it's tricky to select what's very best. One helpful technique to do this is to study reviews of any tackle you are considering buying. It's also vital to post your personal review of equipment which has possibly been an excellent or a negative attainment to your collection. In that spirit, I'd like to put forth an assessment of the Berkley Urban Spirit 9' spinning rod.

About the Berkley Urban Spirit 9' Spinning Rod

This is indeed one of a series of rods created with short transport lengths. This is achieved by way of a cleverly developed changeable handle. The rod as well has an amazingly speedy action as a result of the IM7 carbon blank construction. So what makes this essential? Well, though there is certainly no trade standard for spinning rod arrangement, some builders do categorize their rods in relation to what's known as the 'modulus' content. Modulus describes the ratio of a rod's stiffness to its weight. The larger the modulus of a rod, the greater its capability to keep and free the energy that is required for casting length and casting correctness. Put another capacity, an amplification in modulus implies an amplification of the rod\'s outcome rapidness and power.

Much more Concerning the Berkley Urban Spirit 9' Spinning Rod

This rod contains a top quality-grade EVA handle that gives the maximum in comfort and opposition even in challenging conditions. EVA is short ethylene vinyl acetate, a resilient, bendable and see-through sort of copolymer plastic. EVA is specifically useful for absorbing shock, is non-biodegradable and exceptionally inert. The Berkley Urban Spirit 9\' spinning rod weighs only 256 grams. The rod sports top Fuji guides and features a Neoprene transport bag. The rod is made in either 1.80 or 1.90 metre lengths, both of which contains two pieces. The rod furthermore has outstanding action. Should you fish with plugs and braid, you are no doubt going to be glad of this. In testing, the Urban Spirit showed to be quite able when fishing in an array of places, such as from rocks, on a shoreline, at significant depths or even in thick weed. It's mostly effective for wrasse.

More Aspects

The handle on this rod is modifiable for an excellent scope of casting spans, both close, far away and even single-handed or underarm. The handle offers a fitted ruler marked in one-centimetre increases. The Urban Spirit also contains a handy carry bag that has a changeable shoulder strap for effortless transport. The bag is prepared from a lightweight, easy-to-handle material that reduces travelling weight, something a highly mobile angler will appreciate. The Urban Spirit is mid-range priced at nearly £70.00 and has a status for strength and good service. It is highly advised for bass lures.

While trying to find spinning fishing gear, make sure to think about the Berkley Urban Spirit 9' rod. It won't let you down!

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Article Source: http://www.articlesbase.com/fishing-articles/berkley-powerbait-for-trout-fishing-review-4023995.html
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Sea Fishing Tips - Fishing TV

Sea Fishing Tips - Fishing TV

click here for more information

Fishing With The Right Line

There will always be challenges whether one decides to fish either in the river or in the open sea. The important thing to remember is to have patience waiting for the fish and doing the best to catch it when it appears.

To be able to fish, a person would need to get a fishing license since this is requirement by law and the regulations regarding fishing varies from one state to the other.

Getting the right equipment for fishing is also an important factor in making that experience a memorable one. Using the wrong kind of fishing line or one that is made of poor quality will cause many problems such as tangles and lost fish.

There are 4 kinds available in the market. These are monofilament, braided, fused and fluororcarbon.

Monofilament fishing line is the most popular of the four since it has been around for a very long time. It also works well in different fishing conditions. The problem with this line is that it has “memory.” This means that it has a tendency to keep to a certain shape if stored for some time. If a person does not fish often, it is best to purchase a line that is not very long and it is advisable to change it every time one goes out fishing.

Braided fishing lines are the strongest of the 4 available. These lines don’t stretch and are quite easy to see since the woven nature of the line makes it float. The bad part about this line is also about its strength that causes abrasions on other things like one’s hands, the fishing rod and the line that guides the reel. As such, one should have the right hardware around when using it.

Fused fishing lines are similar to braided fishing lines. The only difference is in the manufacturing process where fused lines are glued together with a coating applied over it instead of woven. This makes fused fishing lines share some of the difficulties with braided fishing lines such as making it difficult to cut without a sharp knife or scissors, its tendency to slide around a bit on the reel spool and its visibility to fish which will make catching fish a bit challenging.

Fluorocarbon fishing lines are getting more popular these days since fish are not able to see it in the water.

Deep Sea Fishing Tips

Deep sea fishing is a wonderful and extremely enjoyable activity. Here are some tips that will make your salt water fishing adventure even better.

1. Watch the Signs

If you see birds e.g. Seagulls that are feasting on small bait-type fishes, there are probably larger game-type fish below the surface of the water. Also, look for floating wood or debris. In most cases when you chance upon a debris float, you will find large game fish in the area.

2. Stop, Look, and Listen

Fishing for Snook and other shallow Gulf water denizens is quite similar to fishing for bass. Snook like to be around ledges, posts and rocks.

3. Crabs for a Full Moon

During the full moon use soft crab imitations as bait. That's the time when crabs shed their shells and Stripers come looking for them. 

4. Find the Dolphins

Yellowfin tuna are usually found schooling with dolphins. So if you see a group of dolphins, chances are there are some tuna in the area.

5. Cut and Burn

If you have trouble cutting through a spiderwire braid, try using a lighter or a match.

6. Good Reef

The best place to fish is near reefs since big game fish feed on fish that live in the reefs.

7. The Circle Hook

Use a circle hook if you would like a higher hook up ratio. These hooks guarantee more catch, because of the minute gap, and the reverse point. They are generally better for the fish since they do not hook in the gut, just the lip.

8. Don’t Get Sea Legs

Watch the horizon and stay on deck. These would generally help you if you're having trouble with sea sickness: Stay away from the boat fumes, breathing it only exacerbates the problem.

9. Anchors Away

When your anchor is stuck at the bottom, try attaching a float to it. Return after the tide has changed in direction. This should be enough to loosen the anchor.

10. Fish Where the Fish Are

A lot of fisherman have the idea that they should be catching their live baits over the reefs before going to deep waters. If the live baits are not in the area you're planning to catch the larger game, then why would you come up with the idea that the large fish are there. Wouldn't they be in the area where the bait fish are?

As with any kind of fishing, try different locations, baits, and presentation methods.  Happy fishing and good luck!

Winter Trout Fly Fishing

It is winter time now. One step on the frozen porch steps first thing in the morning removes any doubt of that fact. Winter time brings on many thoughts, holidays, dark afternoons, football on TV and for me some of the best trout fly fishing there is. That’s right trout fishing, winter steelhead fly fishing has been around a long time, and gets more popular every season. But the truth of the matter is trout fly fishing can be excellent, the crowds are down to non-existent, the scenery and wildlife are plentiful, and it makes those long days of early spring with non-stop rain and overflowing rivers more tolerable.


When to go:

Winter fly fishing demands a little timing and planning on your part. One nice thing is, the weekends aren’t crowded, so you really don’t need to ask the boss for time off, to really get some peace and solitude. But other planning does need to be done. The first thing is checking your local regulations. Many, many places now offer year around trout fly fishing. A good portion of this is probably catch and release, but that only helps in further reducing the crowds. Some areas allow only lakes to be fished year round, some only allow rivers, but most places will allow something to be fished year round.


After you have your areas selected, you must really get an idea on the weather. Mild winter days, specifically afternoons, can provide some shirtsleeve fishing opportunities. Coastal regions that rarely get snow or ice, need to be checked more for river levels. Three or four days of steady rain can really put a river in at unfishable levels. It is also rarely enjoyable to fish in well below freezing temperatures. Even if you can dress warmly enough, the ice on the guides make casting nearly impossible, and the slickness of entering the river is extremely dangerous. Extreme care should be taken when wading in general, one slight misstep, can send you into the river, dangerous all year, this is multiplied by the cold air temperatures in the winter. Also light is much less, making it difficult to see the river bottom while wading. So step very cautiously. And always fish with a partner.

OK, enough of the warnings, when to go is what we are after. I prefer a nice period of dry weather, with mild afternoons. I rarely fish in the early morning, in the winter, but if you can get a fogged over morning with nicely rising afternoon temperatures that reach in to the 40’s, you have a day to hit the water!


What to wear:

A few years ago I switched to breathable waders and I actually have never been more comfortable while winter fishing. I layer underneath with two or three layers of thermal wear, including one layer of fleece pants. I can move much better than in neoprene’s, and there is no clamminess to bring on chills. Socks are also important silk liners with thick winter socks work for me. I have a roomier pair of wading boots specifically for winter to allow for the extra bulk. I also don’t cinch my boots down too tight, as that seems to cut off circulation, nothing will ruin a fishing trip quicker than cold feet.

Many angler’s wear fingerless fleece gloves. I like them only if there is a biting wind, otherwise I can’t seem to keep them dry long enough to make them worth the effort. I can cast adequately with either hand, and will sometimes tuck my free hand inside my waders by my chest.

To me a hat is virtually as important as waders, and I layer shirts, remembering my vest will also provide some warmth. Don’t forget the inside, a nice hot thermos of coffee, has brought many a sigh of satisfaction.


Fishing:

Winter trout fly fishing requires some adjustments. Plan on sub-surface fishing primarily. The warm afternoons like I mentioned above will produce Blue Wing Olive hatches in many locations, and midges hatch year round as well. Some dry fly action can occur, especially on smaller streams where options are less for trout. But by and large plan on fishing nymphs. And plan on fishing them deep. Depending on the size of water, a split or two is mandatory, and perhaps a sinking tip line. I usually use two flies, one as a dropper. Good patterns include, imitations of food sources that are available year round like San Juan Worms, Chironomid Pupas, Disco Midge, and Wd-40’s. General nymph patterns like Hare’s Ear and Prince Nymphs, will work to imitate the occasional nymph that might come in the trout’s path.. Streamers also make excellent winter flies, including Woolly Buggers, Muddler’s and Mickey Finn’s. Don’t forget that like trout, small fish and nymphs metabolism is slow as well, and they are apt to stick to the bottom, and out of the main current.


Winter fishing usually means clear water. I use lighter tippet than normal, because fish seem more easily spooked. Trout’s metabolism makes them want to seek out pools near the bank that are warmed by the sun, so they are more vulnerable. I usually forgo strike indicators as well. Also remember that due to the slower metabolism, the fish will be sluggish. They often will bite gingerly, hook-ups will be primarily in the tongue. As trout may often go after several small insects in one mouthful. So rigorous setting of the hook is not required.


They are not likely to chase food down, as this will burn more calories then they will take in. Especially when fishing smaller patterns. While small pattern are very effective, in fact the first choice of many winter angler’s, they need to be fished deep, and in front of the fish. Dead drifting nymphs is my first choice. If no luck I will try swinging streamers, second. I mend my line as soon as it hits the water, to ensure a drag free drift, and wait for the gentle take. I let the fish do the setting.

Once landed the winter fish might need more that it’s usual care before allowing it to swim free. Landing fish should be quicker do to their lower energy, and then one must make sure the fish is 100% revived before it’s release.


Summary:

There you have it, like all forms of fly fishing winter fly fishing takes a little practice, and a lot of patience. But the surreal beauty of winter combined the solitude it brings, makes this an especially rewarding time of year, to flog the water.

Bluegills, Trout, Walleyes, and Catfish

BlueGills, The Basics

Bluegills are popular game to go for because they are plentiful across the continent. Another reason they are popular is because they go for a variety of natural bait and artificial bait. They usually opt for areas with clear water and reasonable weed growth.

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Typically they like water from 50 degrees up to 90, and can even be taken through ice! But, the best time to get them is when the water is around 70 degrees. It is then that they become aggressive because they are ready to spawn. You can find nests from about 2 – 12 feet deep.

When it is warmer, fish early and/or late in the day, especially if you are in shallow water. Bigger bluegills can be found in deeper water, and can be up to 20 feet below the surface. When fishing lily pads, approach it as if you were going for bass. Work the points, pockets and indentations where there is open water.

Make sure to fish with small hooks and bait. They have small mouths and have a hard time taking in larger bait.

Great baits to use are pieces of earthworm, crickets, grasshoppers, grubs, wax worms, minnows, leeches, and even sandwich meat. If you go the artificial route, use tiny jigs and spinner baits.

There isn’t really a need to use more than 2-pound test line – maybe up to 4-pound maximum. As you may know, light lines make the bait appear more lifelike.

They are easily spooked so make longer casts if you are on foot, stay a bit back from the shore. If you are in a boat, be careful and quiet.

After you get a strike, don’t act too quickly. Wait a second before lifting the rod – you will hook more this way.

Walleyes, Use Waders At Night

It is fairly well known that Walleyes favor low-light conditions. They can be found in water only 3-4 feet deep looking for perch. Using a pair of waders you can go for them.

Some recommendations are to use a light spinning rod equipped with 8-12 pound test line, and some minnow imitations.

You can find them at points where deep water is near. Scout for baitfish feeding on plankton – sooner or later the Walleyes will show up.

Trout, Midges

If your luck is not good with early season trout, try a few patterns of midges. Mosquito larva or pupa, in sizes 12-20 is good. If it is early in the season, fish it deep.

Catfish, Bait

Follow these steps to make a bait catfish just can’t resist:

• 1 pound of chicken livers (including blood)
• 1 cup of yellow cornmeal
• While mixing with hands (squeeze hard), add more cornmeal until a sticky paste forms
• Add cotton balls, pulling apart each one and add clumps to mixture (use 12, they keep everything together in the water)
• Add more cornmeal until you can make individual balls without them sticking to your hand
• Freeze until ready

To bait up, pinch some dough and set it on your hook – catfish will go crazy for this mixture!

Choosing A Fly Rod

For many reasons, it is with some trepidation that I approach this subject. As I have stated in previous articles about fly fishing gear, you ask 15 people, and you get 15 different opinions. Choosing a fly rod is no different. In fact it might be the epitome of that statement. Fly anglers are picky about their fly rods, and they love their fly rods. To many it is like comparing spouses, and if you love your spouse then you have the best one. But having said that we can lay down some truths about the fly rod industry, and then go into more specifics about the fine art of finding you a partner with which to share the passion of fly fishing.


What is it to be used for:

The first thought when selecting a fly rod, is it’s most often intended use. Are you casting for Tarpon or small trout on a creek? Most likely somewhere in between, and maybe even several uses. You first need to think about the size of the water you are mostly going to be fishing, and then the size of the fly you intend to cast. After that you need to consider the size of the fish you intend to catch. The rod size effects both the casting and the playing of the fish. The nice thing is if you are both a smallmouth Bass and a Rainbow Trout fisher, you can probably get by with one rod. The same for Largemouth Bass and Steelhead and Salmon. You might not get the ultimate choice for either, but depending on your budget you can get a very nice choice for a variety of fishing conditions.


THE #’s:

Fly rod sizes are categorized by numbers. Unlike flies, where the smaller the number, the larger the fly. Rods go by the larger the number the larger the fly rod. A number 3 rod is a very light rod, used for small trout in small streams. A 12 wt. rod is used for Tarpon, Stripers and other fish that need long distance casting, big flies. The most popular all-around rods are in the 5-6 category, here you can cover the whole gamut of trout fishing and a good chunk of bass fishing as well. A number 6 rod can also tackle small steelhead and other sea-run fish, if the angler is skilled. Most steelhead angler’s will choose a bigger rod however, in the 7-9 range, and they can also fish salmon with that range as well.

The other number to consider is length. 9’ is by far the most popular length right now. You can cast a 9’ long distances without getting tired, and have good control of the drift. If fishing smaller streams and or bushy areas, 9’ will frustrate you, as there isn’t enough room to maneuver it. Rods commonly go down to 7’ and even shorter ones can be found. If doing a lot of fishing out of a float tube, longer rods are common place, as one can get more distance with a longer rod, and the extra length helps to keep the fly off the water on the backcast.


Action:

Here it gets even more complicated, as different manufacturers call the action of their rod different things. But basically action can be broken down into slow, moderate and fast. Many manufacturers have 4 classification, but they all are based on the same concept. And that is how much of the rod will bend, when casting.

A fast (or super fast) rod will have only the tip bend, they offer the longest casting distances, they also are great if you are fishing in the wind. Allowing for tighter casting loops, they are great for shooting head lines, double-hauling casting techniques and are a treat for the skilled caster. They are however, are harder to learn on and therefore not recommended for one’s first fly rod.

The next level down is medium and is the most popular action being sold today. They flex further down the rod than the fast action. Great for beginners, it is also the choice of most experienced angler’s who don’t own a bunch of rods. For beginners they are forgiving to learn on, providing more accuracy then the super fast. They don’t cast as far however, and you will battle the wind more in this type rod.

The last level is slow or full bend, often bending all the way to the grip. These rods are dying out, which is a shame, because for fishing small creeks they are the best. They don’t cast very far, but you don’t need that on tiny creeks, but what they do best is absorb the shock, so your tippet doesn’t get as stressed, there fore your chances of snapping off the fly are reduced.


Grips:

The choice of grip is often over looked when choosing a fly rod. This is a mistake, as the grip is important in the comfort of your fly rod in your hand. Most decent fly rods these days use standard cork as the material. full wells grips are the choice if you have large hands, and half wells grips are popular with lady anglers. They both many ways you can hold the rod, and your hand seems to naturally find it’s preferred method of holding the rod. It can also be altered once fatigue sets in, so you can fish longer without cramps.


Manufacturer’s:

There are many of them, and guess what, the most common names all make great fly rods. With the advent of graphite in the 70’s the fly rod industry was revolutionized, and now one must not spend a fortune for a bamboo rod, to enjoy great fly fishing.

I, personally have fished almost every name brand on the market today. Like every other angler I have my preferences but I must admit the differences are nil, and I could probably learn to like any of them, just as well as the ones I won. I currently own rods from Scott, LL Bean, Loomis and Cabela’s, and they all have characteristics I love and some I would like to see improved, and I am a very happy owner of them all.

I do look for the lifetime warranty, and it offered by virtually all major rod maker’s today. It is figured into the price of the rod, and you must register your rod upon purchase to qualify for it. But if you have your rod for any length of time you will undoubtedly be glad you have it. Whether you broke your rod tip off fighting a fish, trying to free a snag, or in the car door, most rod makers will send you a replacement.


Recommendations:

Realize these are very basic recommendations and use them as a starting point. But for small streams and brook trout I like 3-4 weight slow action rod. They are still out there, but you may have to look. For other trout and Smallmouth Bass I like 5-6 wt. rods and medium action. And for Largemouth Bass, Salmon, and Steelhead, try a 7-9 weight fast action rod. Look for future recommendations on Saltwater Fly rods from The Big Y Fly fishing E-zine at fishingezine.html" target=new>http://www.bigyflyco.com/Bigyflyfishingezine.html



















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