Fishing Sites

What Fishing Means To Me

2008-01-03T13:16:00.000-08:00

What Fishing Means To Me

By Jason McMillin

My father started taking me fishing when I was 3 years old. He taught me so much about fishing and got me very interested in fishing at such a early age, that throughout my life so far fishing has been a big part of my life style. I go fishing all of the time and enjoy it so much. My dad was my fishing buddy throughout the years but sadly my dad passed away 2 years ago and I lost my best fishing buddy I can ever have. I started fishing by myself after he has passed away, but then it accord to me that he taught me about fishing and got me into fishing so that when I had my chance I could pass fishing on to others. I have been taking my friends out fishing, some of them have never fished before or has never caught any fish. Some of my friends can’t get into it but most of them have been really happy to be fishing and catching fish that they thought they could never catch. Fishing is just more to me now more than ever that it is not just about catching fish but enjoying time with your friends and or family and enjoying the nature around you, yes catching fish is very nice but if we go out and don’t catch anything, I can say we had a good time and enjoyed the nature around us. When I have kids I hope to be able to teach them to fish like my dad has taught me.

Jason McMillin
Jason@bigfishtackle.com

Different Types of Fly Fishing Casts

2008-01-03T12:40:00.003-08:00

Different Types of Fly Fishing Casts

The art of casting is a very important skill in fly fishing. It requires gradual, synchronized movements. It helps to think of each movement, both the back cast in the forward cast, is divided into three steps. The first is loading, the second is the momentum of projection, and the third is the pause. It takes a lot of practice to master the art of casting in fly fishing.

There are several types of casts. The most common of these include the basic cast, false cast, side and reverse casts, roll cast, and double haul cast.

In fly fishing the easiest cast, called the basic cast, is simply casting the line straight back and then directly forward. Anyone new to fly fishing should master the basic cast before going on to other techniques. Use a short length of line to begin with if you are new to fly fishing. This will help you gain sufficient control of the line, while practicing short gentle movements.

The false cast is a variation of the basic cast. It consists of the same backward and forward movements as the basic cast, and is immediately followed by another set of the same movements. The fly line actually travels backward and forward repeatedly without touching the water. Practicing this type of cast helps to build precise timing that is required in fly fishing.

In fly fishing the side and reverse casts are generally used when wind is a problem. They are also used if there are obstacles that can make a regular cast difficult.

A roll cast is generally used if the fisherman finds himself with his back to such obstacles
as a high riverbank or a wall of vegetation. When these conditions exist, a basic cast is almost impossible. You need to let out a good length of line in front of you; it's best to let the current take it a short distance. The drag of the water on the line will load the rod, and you can cast forward without needing to execute the back cast.

Using a double haul cast in fly fishing will enable you to cast a much longer line than is possible with a basic cast. In order to do this you need to have a much faster line speed. This is done by making much larger casting movements, applying more strength, and loading the rod more before the forward cast. During this cast both hands of the fisherman must work independently.

The above five types of fly fishing casts are the ones used most often. There are many other types of casts also, including the S-cast, the parachute cast, and the mend cast.

Casting is the basic physical skill involved in fly fishing. Its purpose is to place the fly exactly where you want it to be, just like any other skill it takes practice. Accuracy and the delicacy of the presentation are very important when fly fishing. Mastering the basics of fly casting first will make it easier to move on to the more difficult casts.

The Five Main Types of Fly Fishing Flies

2008-01-03T12:40:00.001-08:00

The Five Main Types of Fly Fishing Flies

Although there are hundreds of types of flies used for fly fishing, most of them fall into five specific categories, or types. These types are dry flies, wet flies, nymphs, streamers and buck tails, and terrestrials. The main purpose of the fly is to imitate an insect that the fish wants to eat.

A dry fly imitates a natural insect that is floating on the top of the water. Fish are very sensitive to any motion of their water and how currents move the insects they want for food. In fly fishing, if a dry fly is moving even slightly against the current, the fish will have nothing to do with it. The fly may look like something the fish recognizes but it is not acting the same an insect would. The fish recognizes it as something foreign in the water and leaves it alone.

In fly fishing, a wet fly is imitating a drowned, or drowning, natural insect and is fished below the water surface. No one is sure if the wet fly is seen as a drowning adult insect or a nymph from the perspective of the fish. Most fly fishermen today seem to believe that it is seen as a nymph. Because of this less and less wet flies are being sold. Wet fly fishing is the oldest form of fly fishing. It dates back to descriptions of the early Macedonian people.

A nymph is the stage between an egg and the adult in the life cycle of an insect. In fly fishing, flies that resemble nymphs are growing popularity. The nymph fly is just below the surface of the water. When a fish bulges the water without breaking the surface, he is nymphing. This means that the fish is eating the natural nymphs just as they are emerging from their shell. This is what a nymph fly imitates.

Streamers and buck tail flies do not imitate any part of the insect's life cycle. These types of fly fishing flies are much larger and represent small bait fish such as sculpin minnows. The main difference between theses two types of flies is that streamers are tied with feathers, and bucktails are tied completely with hair. Fly fishing that uses these two types of flies generally requires more rod and line manipulation. The movements are supposed to duplicate the motions of the little fish.

Although most flies represent water insects, a terrestrial fly is made to imitate a land insect that has fallen into the water. The two most common terrestrials that are imitated for fly fishing are the ant and the grasshopper.

Besides these basic five categories of flies, there are many other kinds of flies that are used for fly fishing. Some of them are a combination of one or more of the basic categories and some do not fit into any group. The most important thing to remember is that it doesn't matter how the fly looks to you, the fisherman. It matters how the fly looks to the fish.

A Few of the Best Fly Fishing Spots in the United States

2008-01-03T12:39:00.002-08:00

A Few of the Best Fly Fishing Spots in the United States

All across the United States there are many beautiful, exciting places that are excellent or fly fishing. The following article just highlights a few of them.

Sitka, Alaska is a major stopover for salmon heading to British Columbia, Washington, and other Alaskan waters. Fly fishermen at Sitka, have a higher fishing catch rate than any other marine area in Southeast Alaska. June is the best month for fishing this area.

The Colorado River at Lees Ferry, Arizona, is one of the best fly fishing spots for rainbow trout. The fish are comfortable all year round in a 15-mile stretch of cold water that flows from the depths of Lake Powell between Glen Canyon Dam and the upper end of the Grand Canyon. Fly fishermen can also book a guide and go flats fishing for 25 pound carp.

Saltwater fly fishing is at its best at Montauk Point, New York. Montauk Point is the easternmost point of Long Island and is best known for striper fishing. Fly fishermen have miles of beautiful shoreline in which they can cast their fly.

Gunpowder Falls, Maryland, is an excellent place to catch cold water trout. A deal was struck by the Maryland state authorities and Trout Unlimited to start cold water releases from Pretty Boy Dam. This has resulted in a combination of wild and stocked brown, brook, and rainbow trout. Most of the fly fishing is in Gunpowder Falls State Park.

Fishing Creek, Pennsylvania, is one of the states top wild trout streams. It generally stays cool throughout the summer. There is a five-mile stretch called the Narrows, near Lamar, that is a very popular area for fly fishing.

Driftless Area, Wisconsin, has many excellent fly fishing streams loaded with brown trout. There is excellent access to all of southwestern Wisconsin's eight counties. There are 68 streams in Vernon County alone, including Kickapoo River and Timber Coulee Creek. Most fly fishermen in this area use mayfly and caddis imitations.

Laguna Madre, Texas, is full of rivers and lakes that are excellent fly fishing locations. Texas also has its southern coast, which is among the world's greatest saltwater fly fishing areas. The saltwater flats of Laguna Madre, next to Padre Island, are full of all different kinds of fish that make for a great fly fishing experience.

Henry's Fork, Idaho, is a great destination for rainbow trout. If you are fishing the Island Park area, it is better to fish in runoff conditions.

Lake C. W. McConaughy, Nebraska, is the largest lake in the state and also has some of the best fly fishing. Another excellent fly fishing spot in Nebraska is the Fremont Lakes State Recreation Area, which is a series of twenty sandpit lakes that have been carved into the Platte River basin. Red Willow reservoir is also a favorite of fly fishermen in this area of the country.

Kauai, Hawaii, is a great spot for fly fishing largemouth, smallmouth, and peacock bass. This Garden Isle also has excellent saltwater fly fishing.

Whether you like fresh or salt water fly fishing, there are thousands of places to fish across the country that offer the fly fisherman endless opportunities and experiences.

The Etiquette of Fly Fishing a Stream

2008-01-03T12:39:00.001-08:00

The Etiquette of Fly Fishing a Stream

Fly fishing can be enjoyed by everyone. It transcends all the boundaries associated with age, status, or wealth. Stream fly fishing is known as a gentle sport and that should be reflected in our stream manner and etiquette. For the most part, the rules of stream etiquette are nothing more then good old common sense. However, they might entail things that have been forgotten, or that a beginner might not think of while fly fishing.

One of the most important things to remember is not to crowd another fisherman. Sometimes the temptation is very strong to fish the same water where someone is catching a lot of fish, but that is as rude and inconsiderate as someone cutting into a serving line at a restaurant buffet. If you come upon a spot where someone is fly fishing and having a good catch, the proper thing to do is stop far back from the edge so the fish don't stop eating. You may watch for awhile, both because fly fishing is a beautiful sport to watch and perhaps you will learn something. If the person that was fishing moves further along the stream, it is acceptable to slowly and quietly enter the water where he had been fishing. Otherwise, move well beyond the fisherman to another point of the stream

Fly fishing casts a common bond amongst all people that love and appreciate the sport. It is important to be friendly to other fishermen that you may come across. If you meet another fly fisherman who is outside the stream, take a moment to be friendly. Sometimes a little chat will give you insight as to what patterns are working best that day, or you could give some tip that will help him to have a better day. If you come upon a fly fisherman that is in the stream a friendly nod or wave is sufficient. Be friendly to all fishermen not just those fly fishing. You never know, sometimes a few minutes spent talking with a non-fly fisherman, could result in his wanted to give the sport a try.

Taking care of the environment is essential in stream etiquette. Stream fly fishing is done in some of the most beautiful areas of the country. It is essential that we do everything we can to keep it that way. No one should ever litter. The environment should look exactly like it did when you have finished fishing for the day as it did when you started. It is not uncommon to see someone who is fly fishing picking up any litter that they come across on the stream banks, or in the water, and carrying it out with them. It only takes a moment to clean up after yourself and that will keep the area beautiful.

While fly fishing a stream, always remember to respect the trout. Trout have been blessed with the natural instinct and temperament to make them a real challenge to a fly fisherman. Only keep what you intend to eat, release any others.

The basics of stream etiquette for fly fishing are very simple. By following them you will ensure that you are doing your best for the environment and you will always be a welcome stream companion.

Fly Fishing Terms You Need to Know

2008-01-03T12:38:00.006-08:00

Fly Fishing Terms You Need to Know

In the world of fly fishing there are many words that are important to know. Many of these words are unusual or have a different meaning when used in reference to fly fishing. The following list includes some of the more unusual and double meaning words used by fly fishermen.

Action: a general term often used to try to describe the feel of the rod - such as sft, hard, slow, or fast

Attractor: usually a bright colored fly that is not usually tied so that it imitates a particular type of food

Belly: the sagging portion of a fly fishing line

Blank: a rod without a handle, reel seat, or guides

Blood Knot: the common name for a barrel knot

Chalk Stream: a stream, usually found in valleys, that is spring fed and slow moving with a lot of vegetation

Complex Hatch: the simultaneous hatching of several types of species of insects

Compound Hatch: the masking, or hiding, of a hatch of smaller insects by a hatch of larger insects that occurs on the same day

Cutthroat Trout: a true trout that is found mostly in the western part of the United States

Dapping: a fly fishing technique in which the fly is repeatedly bounced on and off of the surface of the water

Down Eye Hook: a hook that has the eye bent below the shaft

Dropper: the secondary fly that is attached to the leader in a cast of flies

Emerger: a term that is used to describe any insect that moves up towards the water's surface preparing to hatch into the adult stage

Feeding Lie: where a trout goes in order to actively feed

Flat-butt Leader: a fly used in fly fishing where the butt section is formed into a ribbon shape

Freestone Streams: fast moving, tumbling streams with rock covered bottoms

French Snap: a small clamp, often used by a fly fisherman to attach his net to his vest

Holding Lie: where a trout generally remains when not actively feeding

Leisenring Lift: a technique used in nymph fly fishing where the line is lifted, causing the imitation fly to move upwards, right in front of the trout's suspected lie

Midge Rod: a short, light weight rod

Natural - a living insect, as opposed to an artificial, or man-made, insect or fly

Nymphing: any oaf the various fishing techniques in which the fly fisherman presents an imitation of the underwater stage of an insect

Presentation: the method of placing a fly where the fish is most likely to see it; includes the manner in which the cast in completed and the method in which the fly is fished

Rise: the act of the fish taking an insect from the water's surface

Run: a term used to describe a particular stretch of moving water

Shooting: a casting technique

Spate: high water

Stripping: quickly retrieving line or pulling line from the reel

Terrestrial: of or relating to an insect whose life cycle is completely spent on land or in plants

Waders staff: a sturdy rod about as high as the armpit of the person fly fishing used for support in heavy water

There are many words and terms that are unfamiliar to most people but not to those who enjoy fly fishing.

History Of Fly Fishing

2008-01-03T12:38:00.005-08:00

History Of Fly Fishing

Fly fishing has been around in various forms for many years. Early historical records indicate that Macedonian fishermen were using artificial flies to catch fish as early as the second century. The Roman Claudius Aelianus described the Macedonian anglers as using six-foot rods with six-foot line. Aelianus detailed how the Macedonian fishermen would craft artificial flies from a hook with red wool and insect wings tied on. These Macedonian fishermen were apparently quite successful with their technique. There is also some evidence that fishing with artificial flies may even predate the second-century Macedonian techniques.

Unfortunately, little else was written about ancient fly fishing methods. It was 1496 before any major work was published describing fly fishing.

It is thought that modern fly fishing probably developed in England and Scotland. Fly fishing techniques similar to modern techniques began to be developed in England in the 19th century. Around this time fly fishing clubs were also formed in England to accommodate a growing interest in the sport. Part of the interest in fly fishing in southern England was because of the prevalence of shallow, weedy rivers. Fly fishing proved to be well-adapted to this type of water course.

Fly fishing quickly became something of an elitist sport in England. Fly fishing purists insisted on fishing with dry flies only and looked down on wet fly fishing as being inferior. Wet fly fishing continued to be developed around the same time, however. The US and Scandinavia also saw fly fishing popularity increase during the 19th century. However, anglers in the US and Scandinavia did not share the English view concerning the superiority of dry fly fishing. US and Scandinavian anglers fished both dry and wet flies.

Fly fishing materials have continued to develop over the years. Significant advances have been made in fly fishing equipment, including rods, line and flies.

Early fly fishing rods were made from a tropical wood known as greenheart. Bamboo replaced greenheart as fly fishing popularity spread. Bamboo rods were further refined as American rod builders developed advanced rod building techniques that involved cutting the bamboo into strips before gluing the bamboo back together around a solid core. Following World War II fiberglass became a popular material for fly rod construction. The fiberglass rods were more affordable than their bamboo predecessors since bamboo rods may take as much as 100 hours to build. Modern fly fishing rods are usually made from a graphite compound. Modern rods are less expensive than earlier rods and perform exceptionally well.

Artificial flies were originally made from natural materials like feathers and fur. Most modern flies are made from synthetic materials.

Fly line has also been improved quite a bit. Fly fishing line used to be made of horse hair. Horse hair line was replaced by silk line. The silk line was an improvement over horse hair but the line still had to be removed from the reel periodically to allow it to dry.

US interest in fly fishing peaked in the 1920s with Maine, Vermont and Wisconsin being the most popular areas for fly fishing. Interest increased again in the 1950s with the development of affordable, fiberglass fly fishing rods, synthetic fly line and monofilament leaders. These developments served to make fly fishing a more affordable sport for many people.

What Makes Fly Fishing Special

2008-01-03T12:38:00.003-08:00

What Makes Fly Fishing Special

Fly fishing is a special approach to fishing. Fly fishing is different from bait-casting or spin-casting because fly fishing uses a weighted line to carry the nearly weightless bait forward when casting. Traditional fishing tackle is designed to have a nearly weightless line carried by weighted bait on the end. Because of this important difference fly fishing has its own gear, equipment and terminology.

Fly fishing also requires some different techniques than traditional fishing. Traditional fishing may involve casting a baited hook and waiting for a fish to bite or casting and retrieving a baited hook. However, fly fishing involves casting repeatedly with brief pauses to allow the fly to float in the current.

Fly fishing rods are different than traditional fishing rods in several ways. Fly fishing rods are longer than most fishing rods with their length frequently between six and nine feet. Some fly fishing rods are even longer than nine feet, particularly those rods designed for salmon or steelhead fishing.

Fly fishing reels vary from traditional fishing reels as well. Fly fishing actually does not require much use of the reel. Early fly fishing reels were little more than storage space for the line. Fish are not reeled in when caught; rather, the angler strips line with his or her free hand. Many fly reels still are very primitive with designs very similar to those used in the 19th century.

Fly fishing line is quite different from traditional fishing line. While traditional fishing line is made of a clear, monofilament material, fly fishing line is comparatively heavy and translucent. Fly fishing line may be designed to float or to sink depending on the style of fishing it is intended for; the line also may be tapered or level, again depending on the type of fishing that is planned and the preference of the angler. Fly fishing line is available in different weights. Heavier line can be cast further and has greater wind-resistance than lighter line. However, a lighter line may provide for more precise casting by an experienced angler. Fly fishing line is normally around 90 feet long but may be attached to a backer to lengthen the overall line available for fish that like to fight.

A leader is attached to the end of the fly fishing line. The fly is tied to the end of the leader. The leader is a clear, monofilament line normally between six and fifteen feet in length. The leader is tapered to a narrower diameter an the end of the line.

Fly fishing is also special because of the variety of fishing opportunities it provides. Fly fishing techniques can be used on streams, rivers, ponds and lakes. Fly fishing works in salt water and fresh water, cold water and warm water. Fly fishing can open up many opportunities to fish new waters because the techniques and equipment are so adaptable.

Fly fishing includes an interesting history that extends back at least to the second century. Macedonian fishermen successfully used artificial flies on six-foot poles to catch fish with. Fly fishing popularity increased in 19th century England and Scotland before catching on in the United States.

Fly fishing is a historically interesting, challenging approach to fishing. Fly fishing offers many opportunities and variations to anglers. Fly fishing also includes a nostalgic element that may not be found with other fishing styles.

Fly Fishing Accessories

2008-01-03T12:38:00.001-08:00

Fly Fishing Accessories

In addition to the clothing and your balanced outfit there are many accessories that you should have for fly fishing. Some of these accessories may seem strange, but when wading, it is necessary to have all of your gear and tools with you.

You already have your fly fishing vest with plenty of large pockets, because that is part of a fly fisherman's basic wardrobe. You might want to put a patch of sheepskin on the front of the vast where you can keep alternative flies handy. You should also have a spring-loaded retractable spool that attaches to your vest to hold a pair of nail clippers. They come in very handy for trimming knots. You might want to attach a patch of rubber for straightening leaders. Ideally, the vest should have a large back pocket to carry light rain gear. Some vests also have a ring at the back of the collar, where you can attach the net to keep it out of the way.

The choice of your fly boxes is very important. One should have large compartments where you can store dry flies without crushing their hackles. You should also have one or two smaller boxes with foam linings and metal clips. These are for holding your wet flies, nymphs, and streamers. Having a couple of small vials to hold your dry of flies after catching a fish also comes in very handy.

A spare spool for your reel, already loaded with backing and line, is a good idea to have with you. Also a few spools of monofilament leader material, a leader wallet, a sharpening stone, and a Swiss Army knife are important for the fly fisherman to have within easy reach.

Insect repellent is essential when fly fishing. The main ingredient in many insect repellents is DEET, which is an industrial solvent and can damage the varnish on your fly rod, eat away the finish on your fly line, weaken your leaders and destroy your rain gear. If you do use an insect repellent with DEET be very careful of what it touches and try to limit its use. There are many products today that do not contain that solvent.

Having a good pair of polarized sunglasses will help you to see the fish and protect your eyes from the damaging rays of the sun. It's also important to have a small pocket flashlight with a flexible neck. This can be very useful for many things including changing flies at dusk or dawn. Other useful items include a thermometer, a small container of split shot, a good knife with several blades, and a small first aid emergency kit.

Many fishermen like to take a collapsible wading staff with them while fly fishing. It helps them to keep their footing if they are wading in a heavy current or on a slippery, rocky bottom. A small cotton mesh net with a short handle comes in handy for netting your fish. If you intend to keep your catch a small canvas or woven willow basket for holding your fish will work well.

There are many other accessories available for fly fishing today. Many of the choices depend on each fisherman's personal preferences.

Top Fly Fishing Spots In The World

2008-01-03T12:37:00.001-08:00

Top Fly Fishing Spots In The World

Fly fishing is a popular sport around the world with millions of men and women enjoying fly fishing each year. Where are the world's best fly fishing destinations for that dream vacation? A lot will depend on how much you want to spend and the type of fly fishing you enjoy but these are some of the world's best fly fishing locations.

No consideration of the world's best fly fishing locations would be complete without the chalk streams of Hampshire, England. This is where modern fly fishing really all began. Izaak Walton, author of The Compleat Angler published in 1653, fished these very waters. These waters are carefully managed with private, scheduled access only. But if you want a taste of authentic, English fly fishing, Hampshire might just be your destination.

The rivers of Labrador in eastern Canada are still home to native brook trout. Labrador's brook trout approach sizes seldom, if ever, seen in the United States. Brook trout of three to eight pounds are reportedly quite common with some being even larger.

New Zealand's North and South islands are well known for their fly fishing. Crystal clear waters are home to both brown trout and rainbow trout. New Zealand has opposite seasons to the United States so fishing New Zealand allows you to literally have the best of both worlds. New Zealand has been called a trout fishing mecca for the incredible fly fishing opportunities it provides anglers.

Patagonia, Argentina provides yet another reverse-season fly fishing paradise. Argentina's rivers are home to brown trout, brook trout and rainbow trout. The Rio Grande River in Tierra del Fuego is also home to sea-run brown trout reputed to be the largest anywhere in the world.

Belize is well known for its saltwater fly fishing. Fly fishing in Belize provides the opportunity to catch bonefish, permit and tarpon all in the same day. Once you have had your fill of fly fishing there is always scuba diving or just relaxing on an incredible beach. The variety of activities available during a Belize vacation can make this location the perfect destination if your spouse is less thrilled than you are with fly fishing.

Christmas Island in Kiribati is a world-renowned bonefish fly fishing location. Christmas Island's shallow flats provide some of the world's best bonefish and trevally fishing anywhere. Christmas Island has long been a popular, saltwater fly fishing destination.

Alaska offers some of the best fly fishing in the United States. The diversity of choices makes this an obvious consideration in the Americas. From streams to lakes and from rainbows to salmon Alaska is a dream fly fishing destination.

Where in the world should you pick for your next fly fishing vacation? Much will depend on your location, your budget and the style of fly fishing you want to experience. Fly fishing is a popular sport around the world with options for just about everyone. Whether you like saltwater or freshwater fly fishing, islands of mainland, there is a dream fly fishing destination for you.

Ice fishing

2008-01-03T12:36:00.000-08:00

Has anyone been out on the ice fishing yet? and if you have how have you been doing?

How Are Dry Flies Made

2008-01-02T12:06:00.005-08:00

How Are Dry Flies Made

Fly fishing is an interesting sport with a growing number of people participating. When people start out fly fishing they usually just buy all of the gear that they need, including their artificial flies. Once people get hooked on fly fishing though they often start thinking about making their own artificial flies as a way to stay involved with the sport during the off-season months. While some artificial flies can be tricky to make others are actually well within the abilities of the average fly fisher. Even children can learn to tie artificial flies and this is an excellent way to get them involved in the sport.

The earliest description of tying artificial flies dates back to the 2nd century. Macedonian anglers, fishing on the Astraeus River, had devised a method of fly fishing using artificial flies. These Macedonian fly fishermen started with a hook and then tied red-dyed wool around the hook. They would then tie small feathers onto the red wool to complete the artificial fly. Apparently these fishermen were quite successful with their primitive artificial flies.

18th century American fly fishermen took the design of artificial flies to a new level while studying the trout streams of the New York Catskill Mountains. These fishermen discovered that their success with fly fishing could be greatly improved by designing artificial flies that mimicked the native insects around the stream. These artificial flies successfully fooled the trout into thinking that a real insect had landed on the water. This knowledge gave rise to studying insect hatches to determine which artificial fly would be most successful. Different artificial flies are successful on different water at different times.

Artificial flies were originally made using natural materials like feathers, fur, wool and similar materials. Most artificial flies are now made using synthetic materials. Another recent development in artificial fly design has been the use of the barbless hook. Many fly fishers practice "catch and release" and extracting a barbed hook from a fish after landing it can be quite difficult. While barbless hooks make it somewhat more challenging to keep the fish on the hook they are easier to extract - from the fish or the angler!

Artificial flies are now made in thousands of designs and styles. The number of choices can be quite overwhelming to new fly fishers. All artificial flies have certain basic characteristics though and, despite newer materials and more choices, the basics of artificial fly manufacturing has not changed much in two thousand years of fly fishing. All artificial flies start with a hook. The hook is then disguised to resemble an actual insect that the target fish eat or to attract the target fish with color, motion, etc.

The materials that the hook is decorated with have changed over the years but some of the classic designs have not. Wool, fur and feathers were once common choices for artificial flies. Newer materials include plastic, mylar, foam and metals. These materials are either tied or glued onto the hook in special patterns to attract fish.

Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass

2008-01-02T12:06:00.003-08:00

Fly Fishing for Largemouth Bass

For fly fishing for bass can provide some of the most exciting fishing in the country. The largemouth bass is probably the most popular game fish in America. The popularity of fishing for bass is partly because no other freshwater fish has a wider distribution. Largemouth bass can be found from southern Canada to South America. Smallmouth bass are also excellent for fly fishing, but they prefer slightly cooler waters and are not as ever present as the largemouth variety.

Generally, the warmer the water, the larger the bass will grow. For example, a four or five pound bass may be large for a northern lake, but warmer southern waters regularly produce 10 pounders and better. The temperature of the water is a key factor not only in fly fishing, but in all fishing. When fishing for bass it is an especially important factor.

The best fishing will take place just after the bass have spawned, which is going to vary according to the temperatures. For largemouth bass spawning takes place when the water temperatures reached the low to mid-60s. In Minnesota for example, a female bass may not deposit her eggs until mid-June, while in Florida the female bass may spawn as early as February.

The behavior of the largemouth bass is also influenced considerably by the top temperature of the water. On hot summer days, they usually feed during the early morning hours and then again during the last few hours of daylight, when the sun isn't as bright and the water temperature is cooler. Bass are generally found in areas of the water that have a lot of vegetation and cover. They spend a lot of time near the water's edge among the grasses, reeds, and other plants.

Many fly fishermen fishing for largemouth bass use bass bugs and poppers. Poppers were designed as a surface lure to be skipped across the top of the water in a series of quick retrieves. Other good fly patterns for largemouth bass or the Muddler Minnow and the Wooly Worm. There are some fly fishermen that prefer to use streamers and bucktail.

When fly fishing for bass the fly is worked differently than it is for trout. Poppers are worked not only for their appearance but also for their sound. Generally, when a fly is cast for bass it should be allowed to remain unmoving for a longer period of time then for trout. It is estimated that 60% of bass strikes are made on a still fly. Bass tend to inspect your fly for some time before making the decision whether to take it or not. It is important to remember while fly fishing, that the warmer the water, the longer it will take the bass to take a fly.

At times fly fishermen like to tease the bass with repeated casts over the area where they think he's holding. Teasing can sometimes be a very effective method in bringing a lazy fish up for a strike when nothing else seems to work

Fly fishing for largemouth bass can be a wonderful, exciting experience.

The Mysterious Allure of Fly Fishing

2008-01-02T12:06:00.001-08:00

The Mysterious Allure of Fly Fishing

There is something about fly fishing that captures the hearts of many fishermen. To many people, the point of fishing is simply to catch a fish. However, this is not the case when it comes to fly fishing. Of course the fly fisherman wants to catch a fish. He actually devotes an extraordinary amount of energy, time and ingenuity to doing just that. But there is more to fly fishing than just catching a fish. He is interested in the activity itself. It is the act of fishing from which the fly fisherman derives so much pleasure, not just from the end result.

What is it about fly fishing that makes it so enticing? There is one main physical difference between other types of fishing and fly fishing. That difference may be the key to the enjoyment so many find in the sport of fly fishing. In all other forms of casting, the fisherman is throwing a weight on the end of his line, whether it is a lure or a sinker. Certainly, this does require a great amount of precision, but it is essentially like throwing a rock in the water. The fly fisherman, on the other hand, is casting only the weight of the line itself, which is spread out over 30 or 40 feet of line. The tiny fly at the end of the line is virtually weightless, and it provides no momentum at all. Fly fishing requires precision, delicacy, a gentle fine touch.

Many fly fishermen want to learn as much as they can about their sport, not just about fishing techniques. That includes the study of the insects that the fish feed on, studying the freshwater habitats, leaning about the history and lore of their sport, as well as the techniques of fly casting and fly tying. The fly fisherman has to be aware of everything from the cycles of the seasons to the life cycles of the insects. Fly fishing is not just another method of catching fish.

Fly fishing embraces the rhythm of nature as well as the rhythm of the rod. The rhythm of the rod carries your mind, body and spirit to the water. Whether you catch a fish are not, the water will always give you a little bit of its own, strength, some of its energy, and the wonderful feeling of peace.

The sport of fly fishing takes place in some of the most beautiful settings of the world including mountain streams, scenic lakes, the ocean's shorelines, and out on the high seas. Fly fishermen see and appreciate the wonders of nature. They care about the fish as well as the environment. Many of them take a proactive stance on environmental issues.

An anonymous fisherman once said fly fishing has a special hold on the spirit of man. This is because of all forms of fishing, it requires a perfect balance between discipline and freedom. Perhaps part if the mysterious allure of fly fishing is the feeling of harmony with nature and the gentle balance between man and fish.

Which Fly Fishing Rod Should You Buy

2008-01-02T12:05:00.004-08:00

Which Fly Fishing Rod Should You Buy

Fly fishing is different from traditional fishing methods in several important ways. These important distinctions serve to make the fly fishing rod the most important piece of fly fishing equipment you buy.

Traditional fishing uses a rod equipped with nearly weightless, transparent, monofilament line to cast a weighted hook into the water. Fly fishing essentially reverses this process by using a weighted, translucent line to cast a nearly weightless hook into the water. The action of the fly fishing rod is essential to being able to cast the fly.

Fly fishing is also different from traditional fishing in that the fly fisher never puts their rod down. Fly fishers cast the entire time they are fishing. This makes the decision of which rod to buy very important. Anglers who are fly fishing will spend the entire fishing day with the rod in their hand making casts.

The method of bringing in a fish is also different when fly fishing. While the fishing reel is very important in traditional fishing it is not nearly so important in fly fishing. Fly fishing uses a technique of stripping line by hand. The fly fishing reel is largely used as a storage compartment for spare line.

The choice of which fly fishing rod to buy is indeed a very important decision that will impact your enjoyment of the sport a great deal. Nearly all modern fly fishing rods are made from some type of graphite compound. There are a few bamboo rods still made but they are quite expensive compared to a graphite rod. There are many choices of graphite fly fishing rods available though.

Fly fishing rods are categorized by weight (for instance, a 6-weight rod - also written as 6wt). The weight of the fly rod you buy will be determined by where you intend to fish. It is important to use line that matches the weight of the rod when fly fishing. Some rods are designed to be multi-weight rods and may safely be used with several different weights of line.

One general rule when shopping for a fly rod is to purchase the most expensive rod you can afford. This advice is based on the understanding that the rod is the most important piece of fly fishing equipment in your fly fishing outfit. You can always upgrade your reel later if you decide you want a better reel.

It is always a good idea to visit shops that sell fly fishing gear before making a final decision. Even if you plan to purchase your fly fishing rod through a shop on the Internet it will be helpful to actually handle several different rods before making a final decision. Remember too that while fly fishers tend to be an opinionated bunch, fly fishing rods are largely a personal preference. If a rod just does not feel comfortable in your hand it does not matter how many experts recommend that rod. Your choice will also be influenced largely by where you intend to fish. For instance, small mountain streams in New England will require a lighter rod than large rivers in the Rocky Mountains or Utah.

Which Fly Fishing Rod Should You Buy

2008-01-02T12:05:00.003-08:00

Fly Fishing For Men And Women

2008-01-02T12:05:00.001-08:00

Fly Fishing For Men And Women

Fly fishing was once viewed as a sport for men. This may be due in part to the early elitist status of the sport. Even nostalgia tends to favor the masculine involvement in fly fishing. However, fly fishing is now appropriately recognized as a great sport fishing option for men and women alike. In fact, estimates are that there are well over one million women who now participate in fly fishing. Some estimates are that women now account for 15-20% of modern fly fishers.

Interestingly, the first book on fly fishing ever published was written by a woman. Dame Juliana Berners published A Treatyse of Fysshynge wyth an Angle in 1496. Berners is reported to have been a nun and noblewoman. Berners certainly must have tied and fished her own artificial flies. There are equally influential women involved in fly fishing today.

There is a growing market catering to fly fishing for women. Some outfitters are dedicated to teaching women to fly fish while other outfitters report that the number of women participating in fly fishing classes routinely outnumbers men. Fishing clubs for women are also becoming quite popular, particularly around popular fly fishing areas.

Fly fishing does not normally require a lot of physical strength. Fly fishing is far more about speed, finesse and style. Women actually do quite well at fly fishing.

The catch-and-release ethos so prevalent in fly fishing may be appealing to many women as well. While traditional fishing often closely resembled hunting trips with the objective being to bring home food, sport fishing activities like fly fishing often are more about the thrill of the catch. Photos and great memories are frequently the only thing brought home from fly fishing trips. The fish often stay right where they are. Many fly fishers even use barbless hooks now to make catch-and-release fishing even easier.

Fly fishing provides a great opportunity to get out in nature without having to kill anything. There are certainly women who fish to catch supper but many people, both men and women, enjoy fly fishing because of the opportunity it provides to get in touch with nature. Fly fishing is a very relaxing sport but also provides good exercise at the same time. The rhythm of the cast is soothing for many people. Fly fishing also provides opportunities to see a variety of wildlife and birdlife in their natural environment. The scenic backdrops around many fly fishing destinations are also simply incredible.

Fly fishing clubs and groups provide social networking opportunities and camaraderie. Men and women both enjoy these benefits. With the advent of specialty, women-only fishing clubs and groups many women are finding a home with fly fishing.

Manufacturers are also recognizing the significant increase in participation by women. Women can now buy waders that are actually designed for women - rather than relying on the closest mens size they can find. Fly fishing rods are also now being designed with women in mind. Womens fly rods are designed to be somewhat lighter and to have smaller handles. These improvements are good news for all women who enjoy the fly fishing sport.

Fly fishing is a great sport for everyone - men and women, adults and children. Everyone can enjoy a day out fly fishing.

Salt Water Fly Fishing

2008-01-02T12:04:00.000-08:00

Salt Water Fly Fishing

Salt water fly fishing has grown in popularity over the past half century as many fisherman experience the thrill and excitement of the sport. Some choose to don their waders and fish from the shoreline, some prefer to use a small boat as they explore shallow fishing areas, and still others opt for the adventure of deep sea fly fishing. Nearly three quarters of the earth is covered with salt water, giving those who enjoy salt water fly fishing an unlimited number of places to fish.

Understanding the flow of the tides is essential for any salt water fly fisherman. Tides affect the water's temperature and its clarity two of the factors that have an effect on the movement of the fish in the area. If you are fly fishing near an inland bay or a lagoon, the tides will play a major role in choosing the best area f to fish. For example, if the body of water is tide-drained through a narrow creek, fish will be feeding on the smaller fish that have been swept through it. The best place to fish is down side of the mouth of the creek.

On both the Atlantic and Pacific coats the tide rises and falls twice within a twenty-four-hour period. In the Gulf of Mexico, there are some places where the tide rises only once a day. There are thousands of miles of coastline in the United States which offer an almost unlimited number of locations for fly fishing.

Most salt water fly fishing is done in relatively shallow waters, or very close to the shore. This is called inshore fishing, and includes fly fishing done from the shore or from a small boat in shallow waters. Many varieties of fish can be taken while inshore fishing including striped bass, channel bass, bluefish, bonefish, flounder, bonito, barracuda, rockfish, cobia, halibut, jack crevalle, jewfish, ladyfish, mackerel, pollack, pompano, shark, snapper, snook, rooster fish, tarpon, and weakfish.

Deep water fly fishing can be extremely exciting and challenging to a salt water fly fisherman. This type of fishing is done in water more than twelve feet deep from a boat that can range in size from a ten foot skiff to a 50 foot oceangoing vessel. Deep water fly fishing is quickly becoming one of the most popular ways to fish.

Deep water fish sought by fly fishermen are roughly divided into to categories, roamers and homebodies. Roamers are mostly pelagic and move great distances in a short time. Some of the varieties of roamers that can be caught while fly fishing include albacore, dolphin, marlin, wahoo, sailfish, yellowtail, and tuna. Homebodies sometimes appear in schools, but it is not unusual to find a solitary one. Homebodies include African pompano, Great barracuda, rockfish, grouper, amerjack, and snapper. These are only a few of the many vanities that are available to fly fishermen that fish the deep ocean waters.

Whether you decide to fish inshore or deep sea, slat water fly fishing will provide an exciting, challenging and memorable experience.

My Last Fishing Trip

2007-12-27T15:03:00.001-08:00

My Last Fishing Trip
By: Anthony Thompson

Well, my son, myself and two of his friends rented 2 cabins at sunset lake, all set for 2 days fishing. My wife and her mother, who lives with us went to Kansas too see our new grandchild.

Thursday night I got in 5 minutes late and had to look up the owner at home for everybody had gone home and nobody left out the keys so we could get in. After a cheeseburger and fries we unpacked, at 85 degrees outside we had the the a/c cranked up to the max and I caught the summer cold of a life time, sick all night and half the next day.

I struggled through the night praying that the lord would still let this turn out to be a great fishing trip for us. I was up at 5:00am Friday, still under the weather, to try fishing off the dock, being that the boys were still in bed. Getting up early for them is noon...... whatever.

When they finally got up we all took both of our boats out and headed out to bag our limit. My boat was on it's first time out and had a few rough spots (motor speed, new fish finder, ect.) Little kinks to work out. Needless to say fishing was slow and not all that good the first day. That night I went out myself, the boys went to town as young men will, I got a couple of good strikes, but no fish.

Saturday I laid in bed with a small fever, slept all day and half the night. I awoke about 3:00am Sunday determined to make this last day worth something. I got all the boys up at 6:00am and away all 3 of us went, do or die this time. We pulled out into the stumps, good bass habitat and got a few strikes. The fishing was slow so we moved to the east shore, and pulled up in some lily pads and waited.

We noticed the boat sat a little low in the water, but this was our first time out in this boat so maybe it was supposed to ride low.

I was using a 6" red shad. After casting out twice and getting caught on a stump once I gave it one more attempt, "Bingo!" he hit and the fight was on. I kept saying "I got him! I got him! And he practically jumped into the boat. My son took him off the hook and put him in the live well, which was

almost over flowing. I looked down and the drain in the middle of the boat was bubbling water up, so we decided we better head for shore (about a mile away). By the time we navigated through the logs, the water was up to our hind ends and we had to put my son all 300lbs. in the bow seat to keep the stern from going under. Well we limped into shore and got out just before the back end, (stern of the boat) sunk into the lake.

Being that we were on some grass, I got the truck and pulled her up onto land a little more. Then someone got the bright idea, "why not use the bilge pump" and in 5 minutes she was dry as a bone.

I neglected to tell you that it had rained both nights we were there, first time the boat was out and first bass boat I ever had. Oh' the drain plug was a little loose also, just minor things you learn when fishing from a boat.

All in all, it was an interesting weekend and a learning experience for all involved, but for somebody who loves fishing, well worth the experience.

Nanticoke River Hot Spots

2007-12-27T15:02:00.002-08:00

Nanticoke River Hot Spots
by Steve vonBrandt
LOCATION AND RAMPS
The Nanticoke River is located in both Delaware and Maryland, and runs through several small towns all the way to the Chesapeake Bay. There are two ramps that you can access from Delaware. Phillips landing is the most popular. It has a big parking lot with room for about 30 boats and trailers. It has two ramps that can be reached by taking rt.13a to the town of Bethel, going over the Bethel bridges, and past the Bethel hole to Portsville. Take your second right after Portsville Pond, and follow the signs to Phillips landing. The other ramp can be reached by turning off

rt.13, and taking rt. #20 west, down to Shipley Street in Seaford, and following the green signs to the launching ramp. There are restroom facilities, and room for about 40 trailers. There are two ramps there with deep water and good docks.

LOCATIONS AND LURES
The best location to start searching depends on the time of the year. In the spring from April to the end of May, launch at Phillips landing, and head to the right towards Broad Creek. About 1/4 mile up, past the lily pads on the left hand side, is a series of laydowns, and underwater boulders. The sun hits this area all day, and warms the water up a few degrees more than the rest of the area. Start working all the visible structure, laydowns, etc. with a fast moving bait such as a 3/8 ounce Terminator Spinnerbait in chartruese/white, with tandem blades. If you don't get any takers in a short time, rework the same area with a crankbait parallel to the pads and in the wood. You should have a spider grub rigged on a spinning rod also, with 6-8 pound test line. Brown/orange or watermelon are a good choice. If you can't locate any bass in this area, then continue up into Broad Creek, all the way towards the Bethel Hole. Work the bridge pilings and the wood on the turn before the Bethel Hole, with a black/blue tube bait, jig, and a buzzbait. If these locations fail to produce, turn on the outboard and head back towards Phillips Landing.

Proceed past the ramps, and make a turn at the main channel towards the Woodland Ferry. There will be a series of docks and pilings a short distance before the Woodland ferry that should be worked well with a buzzbait and spinnerbait, then move in closer and flip a black/blue jig or a Senko. After working these docks, cross over to the entrance of the creek, and work the mouth with a spinnerbait and a buzzbait, then work all the wood with a jig and a Senko. Next, move down to the Ferry crossing, and throw small worms and Senkos right up against the sea wall, being careful of the ferry and the cable. After leaving this area, head up river towards Maryland to the next major creek on your right. There is a lot of wood there that should be worked thoroughly with spinnerbaits and buzzbaits first, then rework the same area with the jig and Senko. Many times while searching for bass here you will run into some decent size Stripers.

BEST TIMES
The best time to work these areas is the first two hours of the incoming tide, and the

last two hours of the outgoing tide. Three days prior to a new moon in April are best, but other times produce with a little patience. Many 2-3 pound bass are caught in this area.

WHEN ALL ELSE FAILS
When all else fails, run up into "Broad Creek," on either tide, and work the Bethel hole with tube baits and Senkos cast directly up on the bank and then pull them slowly into the water. This is a bass spawning area, and only one of a few on the river, so be respectful, and practice catch and release.

BAIT STORES AND LICENSE
A&K tackle has a variety of lures and bait, and are open year round You don't need a freshwater license in Delaware to fish tidewater, but you need both a Freshwater and Bay Sport license in Maryland. The weekends will have a lot of boat traffic, jet skis and the like, but all in all, most people are pretty respectful. There is a variety of wildlife along the river to enjoy, so take the whole family sometimes. It will keep them occupied all day.

Night Time Buzzin'

2007-12-27T15:02:00.001-08:00

Night Time Buzzin'
When it comes to catching bass at night, anytime of the summer or fall, buzzbaits are some real fun. Like in my article on Night Time Crankin', night fishing can be awesome. But, buzzbaits are very unique and can be fun to fish.

When throwing these baits, use them around any flat or any type of cover like weeds or sticks. The bass that hit these baits are the most aggressive, same as I said in the crankbait article. So you will normally find the most aggressive bass. So throw the buzzbait first at your spot, then work the spot with the plastic worm or jigs.

As for the type of buzzbaits, I suggest to use Viper Baits and Blue Fox. These make

a lot of noise and can handle a lot of big fish. Use the darker black/red, black/blue, and black colors for night. Throw these with a 6'6" to 7' medium heavy action rod, and a high speed reel, 6.3:1. This will get your bait to the surface faster and keep it up better. So I prefer to use a Shimano Series rod or G. Loomis rods, with a Shimano Curado or Chronarch reels.

So with these little tips, I hope it will help you out with your night time fishing. So go out and get yourself some buzzbaits and catch some lunkers. It is fun and a good way to catch a limit at night. Good Luck!

Night Time Crankin'

2007-12-27T15:01:00.004-08:00

Night Time Crankin'

Well when it comes to fishing at night time, there really is no more an exciting way to catch bass than on crankbaits. This is fact. I think that bass are so honed into loud noises and fast moving baits. This is my own opinion, you may have your own, but I will give you my thoughts and tips on throwing these baits at night.

If you are going to pick a good crankbait I would put all my money into 2 brands of baits. Norman and Pradco Fat Free Shads. These two baits have the best shape, color, and wiggle of all the crankbaits out there. I suggest for night time to use a darker color. I look for the darkest I can find. I think for the Norman Crank Bait, use either the Midnight Blue, Sun Texas Red, or Sun Crawfish. For the Fat Free Shad, I like the Threadfin Shad, Brown Crawfish, and Red Shad. These baits are my number one colors to throw at night. If I'm going to throw my baits, I recommend to use a 6'6" medium action rod to a 7'

medium heavy action rod. I like to throw them on either the GLoomis or Shimano series rods. They seem to work really well. Reels don't really need to be too serious. Just make sure that they either have a 5.1 or 6.1 gear ratio's to get the baits down to it's maximum depth fast. It is really important to make as long of cast as possible to get your bait in the strike zone the longest. Use a lighter line so you can get maximum depth yet big enough to handle the fish. I like and prefer to use 10-12 pound test P-Line. This is about it for the tackle you need.

Now when looking for a particular spot key in on spots where there has been a lot of bait present at the time. This will be the spot where bass are eating shad and only this. Look for any birds before it gets dark and this will give away a ball of shad or any bait activity.
Yet, if there is no bait or birds really congregating, then go to the shallow grassy flats or long points with rock and sticks. The bigger bass seem to like sticks and rocks. Work your bait slowly over the rocks and sticks. Most of these colors of crankbaits kind of look like crawfish, so if you work it slowly over the structure and it looks like a crawdad slowly scooting away. That's what you are looking for in your spots.

This might not be the most productive way to catch fish, but it will be the way to get the more aggressive fish. It is in my books the most fun way to catch the fish at night. It can absolutely scare the snot out of you. It is a really fun way to catch the fish.

The best times when the night is a full moon. This is when the bass can see and key in on your bait best. Try to plan your trip around and during the full moon. Trust me this will get you more strikes and more fish. I can admit to this, I had a tourney on the full moon and all my bites were on crankbaits and then 2 weeks after with a new moon, no bites on it. So plan around the full moon.

I hope that this little article on crankbaitin' at night will help you out and catch a few more fish at night. It is really the most fun way to catch the most aggressive bass out there. Like I said, when you get hit, the bite can be so tremendous that you will get the snot scared out of you. I promise, it is worth it though.

For any of these baits, Norman Crank Baits, Fat Free Shads, GLoomis Rods, and Shimano Rods, P-Line, look here at Bigfishtackle.com and they have the best prices and variety around.

Good Luck and God Bless! Eric Elshere

MUSKIES AND THE FIGURE EIGHT

2007-12-27T15:01:00.003-08:00

MUSKIES AND THE FIGURE EIGHT
By David Christian

Muskies can be one of the more stubborn of our aquatic friends, one of the techniques we use at Cave Run Muskie Guide Service to trigger strikes from these viscous fish is a move commonly called the “figure eight”.

This technique will trigger strikes from following fish right at the side of the boat with only a few inches of line out. It is very exciting to see a fish appear from the depths and attack a lure at boatside. Our fishing logs indicate that over thirty percent of all muskies are taken on the figure eight.

The figure eight is nothing more than ‘drawing’ a sideways eight in the water with your rodtip. The erratic action of the lure will give the appearance of a frantic baitfish trying not to be eaten. A muskie has followed the lure because it is curios and in a neutral mood, now that the lure has done something different it appears more realistic and triggers the final strike.

The proper figure eight begins as the lure comes in to the anglers sight, look a foot below and a foot behind the lure for a follower. As you go into the first turn of the figure eight it must be smooth and quiet as not to spook the muskie. Don’t stop the lure or the

fish will turn away knowing it is not real. A smooth figure eight will continue into the second and third turns as you look for the muskie. If a fish was sighted continue doing a number of figure eight's in the water, I have captured muskies on the 10th figure eight, they will sometimes reposition themselves to get a better attack angle.

When muskie fishing it is required that you perform at least one figure eight at the end of every cast, insuring that there is not a fish following deep and out of your site. Thirty-percent odds are pretty good, don't give them to the musky.

Weeds, Muskies and Cave Run Lake

2007-12-27T15:01:00.001-08:00

Weeds, Muskies and Cave Run Lake
By David Christian

Cave Run Lake is known as “The Muskie Capital of the South” and is highly ranked as Kentucky’s muskie hotspot. When we first think of a musky hunting adventure on Cave Run Lake we anticipate banging lures into some form of timber. The variety and amount of timber this lake holds is phenomenal, whether it’s standing in 30 feet of water or some downed shoreline wood, we always associate three things, Cave Run Lake, muskies, and timber.

Aquatic life is changing dramatically on this body of water. The past three years have seen major developments of aquatic vegetation (weeds). This aquatic vegetation is known as Eurasian milfoil and has produced giant beds and mile-long areas to troll.

These weed-beds are now encountered in every bay that is associated with the main lake basin. There are also small, scattered weeds in the tributary arms, which means they are expanding rapidly. This Eurasian milfoil is one of the quickest spreading types of vegetation known in our waterways and can quickly take over a lake. The depth of this millfoil growth is from the surface to 13 feet deep on our “clear water”

years. The floods and long periods of murky water will keep its growth a little shallower, nine feet is usually the maximum depth. As musky fishermen know, our quarry loves to hang around weedbeds. If you have ever ventured into the northern area of musky country, these weedy bays are one of the first places you begin fishing. Though we may think this newfound resource is wonderful, it has it's dangers and associated problems.

Eurasian milfoil was introduced from Europe in the early 1900's. It is found from mid-America eastward and also on the West Coast. It is a perennial that blooms from June through August. Milfoil grows very rapidly and forms dense mats that will grow to the surface. The plants have a long thin reddish stem about 1/8 inch in diameter with 12 to 20 small green leaflets in each leaf-section and they are arranged in groups of four down the length of the stem. Eurasian milfoil is kin to our native Northern milfoil. As with most organisms introduced into an unnatural environment they can wreak havoc once they are established, take zebra mussels for example. Once Eurasian milfoil has established itself it can become very difficult to control or remove. Because it grows so rapidly and creates such thick mats it can wipe out native plants by blocking sunlight and eventually killing them off completely. It can eventually dominate the entire water system. The method that Eurasian milfoil utilizes to reproduce is what makes it so successful. Plant fragments are its main source of reproduction. These tiny pieces can create an entirely new plant once they come in contact with suitable substrate. Eventually these single plants will form giant mats of vegetation. Most of the northern and Canadian waters warn you about the spread of organisms and request that you clean your boat and motor before putting it in another body of water. These tiny fragments of vegetation and other microorganisms are the reason for these requests.

Government agencies are trying a number of methods to control the spread of Eurasian milfoil which include hand and mechanical harvesting, water level manipulation and aquatic herbicides. Harvesting, whether by hand or mechanics is very difficult because of the fact that, any plant fragments left behind will produce a new plant and start the "spread" all over again. The yearly six-foot drawdown at Cave Run Reservoir will keep its' weeds at a manageable level, but this water manipulation is only viable on reservoirs. Aquatic herbicides are a last resort for the control of Eurasian milfoil because of its adverse effects on the ecosystem. There is an effective control method being tried in some areas. It is the use of aquatic insects such as the milfoil weevil, as the name indicates its preferred forage is milfoil. The number of considerable assets for using this insect for weed control are, that it is native to North America, the reduced costs and limited environmental impact.

As conservation conscious anglers, we need to help control this swift spreading vegetation. There are some ways we can refrain from increasing the contamination to other waters and slow the advancement of Eurasian milfoil at Cave Run Lake. Try not to run your big motor through the weeds, this chops up the weeds and the fragments will quickly root themselves in areas as the current or wind pushes them about the lake. When you fish these weedlines, try your best not to cast too deep into them and foul your lure. Every time you snag these weeds and remove them from the lure, you are assisting the advancement. Remember to check your boat before and after you leave a body of water that has any undesirable organisms such as Eurasian milfoil. If you are involved with fishing clubs, inform them of the dangers of Eurasian milfoil. Some weeds are good for the fishing and aquatic life, but too much of something can also be bad. By putting forth this extra effort you can help save your fishing hotspots and keep them from becoming weed-choked.

INSHORE FISHING BASICS: CHOOSING

2007-12-26T15:05:00.004-08:00

INSHORE FISHING BASICS: CHOOSING
TACKLE AND EQUIPMENT - EASY AS 1 - 2 - 3

Fishing is a great sport. Its popularity is increasing every day and more and more people are getting involved. The result of this continued growth is a large number of eager beginners. Beginners know that knowledge is the key to success. Reading, attending fishing schools and lectures, and asking questions of those with experience is the key to knowledge.

Traveling in the circles that I do, I usually end up talking about fishing. The people most eager to talk fishing are the beginners or those that are relatively inexperienced. The questions they ask are good questions, to the point and relevant. They want, appreciate, and deserve answers that are direct and honest. In trying to answer all these questions over the years, I have noticed that the most commonly asked questions are related to inshore fishing and specifically to tackle, the tools of the sport.

I have my theories about this observation. Fishing involves a lot more than just having the right tackle. Knowledge of areas to fish, techniques to apply, bait to use, tides, weather and numerous other things all are involved in the sport to some extent, but are not as frequently asked about as is tackle. Why is this? I believe that having the correct tackle is the best starting point for the beginner and he probably feels the same. It is something that can be immediately achieved with a modest investment of time and money. Amassing the proper assortment of tackle and related equipment provides a feeling of accomplishment and a firm base with which to begin the real job of learning how to fish. I think the beginner accepts the fact that such knowledge will come slowly with time and experience. Having the tackle however, is of immediate importance!

Talking tackle is a really big subject and often very confusing for the novice, lacking the hands on experience. In trying to provide some help, I have organized a list of what I believe to be the most important concerns for tackle and related equipment. I have tried to keep this list as simple as possible, listing only three specific suggestions. Wherever possible I give specific reference to the particular type or product that I use. I feel this is important because when people ask me questions, they want to know exactly what product I have used and been successful with.

ROD AND REEL COMBINATIONS

1. Medium/light weight bait-casting.
Penn PPG 4971 rod and 930 reel with 15 lb. Ande line. This outfit would be appropriate for flounder, fluke, weakfish and small blues.

2. Medium/light spinning.
Penn PSG 4871A rod and 722Z reel with 10 lb. Ande Super Soft line. This would take care of casting jigs and lures for blues and weaks and school size bass.

3. Medium/light conventional.
Penn PC 3801L rod and 320 GTi levelwind or 25 GLS reels with 25 lb. Ande line.

BOAT EQUIPMENT

1. Chart, navigation and bottom contour, waterproof.
"Carmark" bay chart for sportfishing. This chart provides information about fishing areas and local names. In addition, a NOAA regulation navigation chart should be aboard for precision navigation and buoy information.

2. Bait cutting board and knife.
Preferably a rod holder mounted teak or nylon version which is available in most marine supply houses or the popular and inexpensive bucket mounted board. Dexter or Russell fillet knives of 7 or 8 inches serve well for both bait and fish cleaning purposes.

3. Landing net.
I prefer a telescoping model that stores easily, with at least a 30 inch wide opening. Several different manufacturers produce such nets but be sure it utilizes a polypropylene mesh. This material is light, nonabsorbent and long lasting.

SPECIAL TACKLE BOX ITEMS

1. Fisherman's pliers.
Parallel jaw pliers with wire cutters, spring loaded, and in the smaller of the two sizes available, 5 inch. Sargent, Manley, Sampo and Berkeley make good pliers and stainless steel varieties are available if you can afford the high price.

2. Sharpening stone.
For keeping knives and hooks in top shape. Several different manufacturers, styles and shapes are available. Keep it as simple as possible.

3. Swivels.
Assorted sizes of high quality barrel and combination barrel/snap swivels should be on hand. Sampo makes excellent swivels both standard and ball bearing, in all varieties.

HOOKS

1. Pre-smelled and packaged. (various local brands) Have at least one dozen (two packages) for each of the most sought after species.

My recommendations are:

Fluke - 2/0 English wide gap.
Flounder - #8 Chestertown with yellow beads.
Blackfish - #5 Virginia style.
Weakfish - 2/0 Bait holder.
Stripers - 4/0 to 6/0 Bait holder.
Bluefish - 5/0 with 6 inch single strand wire leader.

2. Loose hooks for live bait.
I use size 7/0 O'Shaugnessy short shank Gamakatsu hooks for stripers and size 5/0 for weakfish. These hooks are exceptionally sharp right out of the package.

3. Miscellaneous hooks.
For backups, special conditions, and custom rigs tied as needed, I carry an assortment of O’Shaugnessy style short shank hooks in sizes from #8 to 6/0. Mustad hooks are excellent quality and reasonably priced for this purpose. Sharpen them before putting them in your tackle box.

WEIGHTS

1. Sinkers for still and drift fishing.
The basic variety of bank style sinker which is available in all tackle shops will suffice. Cover the range of 3 to 8 ounces with the bulk of them in the 5 ounce size. This is the weight I most often use.

2. Drails for live bait fishing.
In areas where water depth is rarely over thirty feet, 3 ounce drails will be just right in most cases. I also carry a few four ounce and two ounce versions for the odd occasion when they may be needed. Bead Chain brand is an excellent choice.

3. Small weights for special applications.
On many occasions small specialty weights are useful. I carry an assortment of Dipsey swivel sinkers, Rubbercore torpedo weights and egg sinkers covering the range from 1/2 ounce to 2 ounces in each style. Water Gremlin is the brand I use.

CASTING LURES

1. Hopkins 1 1/4 ounce no-equal #3SB with single hook white bucktail.
This is a very versatile productive lure which can be worked at all depths. It will catch bass, blues and weakfish. As with all lures, if bluefish are around, a short trace of stranded wire leader should be used to prevent chopped off lines. Berkeley makes pre-rigged leaders for just such purposes. I use the 6 inch 20 pound test version.

2. Rebel #S3001S, 5 inch sinking minnow in silver with black back.
This will also catch all gamefish but is particularly deadly for mid-water use and when fish are on the shy side. This is a super lure for big weakfish in water up to 15 feet deep. It is also a great lure for school bass along the banks and edges of channels.

3. Atom #58P, 1 1/4 ounce "Talking Atom" surface popper.
The best all around surface lure. This lure it most effective with calm water conditions, in fairly shallow water, or when fish are feeding near the surface. It also casts a long distance.

ADDENDUM
Those things that I think are a must, but mentioning them where I should have would have broken my self-imposed rule of only three recommendations.

1. Lead head hooks.
These are a must for rigging plastic lures such as jelly worms and salty dog shrimps. These are still very effective lures. Mann makes excellent lead heads in two sizes. I carry at least half a dozen of each size.

2. Diamond Jigs.
These jigs are best for working schools of fish in a vertical fashion rather than casting. Ava brand jigs are popular and work very well. For bay fishing I use the 007, 17 and 27 sizes both with white tubes and with plain hooks.

3. McClane's Fishing Encyclopedia.
This is a most informative and useful addition to any fisherman's library. I would have to consider it a part of the basic equipment required. It can provide information about the life history, feeding habits and basic behavior of the fish you will pursue, the basic rigs you should use and the knots you will have to learn to tie. I still consult it frequently and can't imagine not having it.

All that I have mentioned may seem like a lot but it is what I believe to be essential for the person that really wants to be successful at catching fish. I am also sure that other people might have recommendations that differ from mine. What I have written is not the last word, but simply my suggestion. Hopefully it can serve as a guideline for someone that has made up their mind to quit playing games and do it the right way.

How to store live eels:

2007-12-26T15:05:00.003-08:00

How to store live eels:

Find a five gallon plastic bucket with a locking top. Drill 7/16 holes approximately every two inches in the walls, top and bottom. Place about 3 inches of golf ball size stones in the bucket for ballast. The eels really like to wiggle in between the rocks. Tie a line to the handle and suspend the bucket from a dock or your boat. Keep it down near the bottom where the water is cool. Don’t worry about feeding them. Lots of little tasty creatures will drift in through the holes and provide them with snacks. I have kept eels this way for up to two months.

Catch your own Fresh Bait

2007-12-26T15:05:00.001-08:00

Catch your own Fresh Bait

Nothing catches fluke better than fresh live bait. It is worth the effort to catch some before fishing. Purchase a small seine net and drag it along the edge of any beach. You should be able to capture a nice selection of killies, spearing or other small offerings that fluke can’t resist. A small cast net with ¼ inch mesh will also work well for those a little more adventurous and it works without having to get wet.

MOVE TO GET THE BEST WIND/TIDE CONDITIONS

2007-12-26T15:04:00.000-08:00

MOVE TO GET THE BEST WIND/TIDE CONDITIONS

Work the tides and the current. The worst situation to have is a wind directly in-line or directly against the tide if you are drift fishing. Working with the wind will move you too fast and make it difficult to hold the bottom. Drifting against the wind will slow the boat so much that you will not cover ground. When this situation occurs, consider moving to and area where the wind will be at angles to the current. For example, if the wind is due west, it would be difficult to fish in front of Ocean Beach. You will move too fast or too slow. If you move to West Channel, the current moves north and south. With a west or east wind, your drift will be angled across the channel and you will drift at a moderate pace which is best for catching fish.

Sheephead Goats

2007-12-21T13:31:00.003-08:00

Sheephead Goats
By George Van Zant

Sheephead will be around when everything else is gone. Besides being great fighters on the hook and tasty when cooked, they have the ability to change their sex if needed. All sheephead are born females. When necessary for reproduction and there is a shortage of males Mother Nature very simply changes selected females to males and maintains perpetuation of the tribe.

Male sheephead or "goats" reverently referred to by old anglers are very colorfully distinctive. Their pig like bodies is banded by black, white and red coloring on a body background of orange. Large males have ponderous square foreheads with a knob on top. They have a full set of dog like teeth for grabbing things and deep in their throat is a set of bone like crunchers
meant for crushing clams and crabs. They are colorfully attractive but are grotesque and formable creatures. They can and do eat any thing that moves into their area. That is any thing without a hook in it.

They are caught incidentally whenever the angler is fishing in the kelp area or hard bottom spots where he is in pursuit of yellowtail or calico bass. The large Goats are very suspicious of hooked baits and are very difficult to hook although the smaller females can be caught easily on most any bait. Most large fish are caught when live squid is available. They love to pounce on a live squid after the massive blue perch attack has left the squid tattered and shredded. They seem to be attracted by the frenzied action of the darting tearing perch, even more so than the attraction of the squid.

If you want to target the goats specifically try some of the following techniques. The location is important. Since they live in the rocky kelp environment you have to focus on these areas. The smaller fish can be pests in shallow water to 30 feet so look for a single large rock or area deeper than 50 feet. The 20-pound plus goats usually come from a hard bottom spot at least 80 to 150 feet deep.

25 pound test mono is the minimum for your line. Sheephead are very proficient at running your line around rock and they always fray the line even if they are landed. Use large hooks to give pulling power against a hammered down drag. You cannot allow them to run off any line. After every hookup run twenty feet of the mono above the hook through your fingers to check for frays.

You can use traditional slip egg sinkers or sinkers stationary below a hook and leader. One method that¹s been very successful, especially in deep water, is a two foot leader placed 6 feet or more above the sinker tied to the end of the line. For some reason the fish like the bait presented up from the bottom. This has worked especially well at the oil well drilling platforms.

All kinds of baits can be used but live or fresh squid is probably the most popular. Ghost shrimp or live red shrimp can produce just as well but these baits have to be purchased from bait stores and some times they are not available. The easiest and one of the top baits is a mussel. Simply find a rock and pull off a clump of the clams and throw them into your bait tank. The traditional method is to carve the mussel meat from the shell and place it on the hook but the meat is soft and sloppy and very easily falls off the hook. Try crushing the shell just enough to see it oozing and hook it shell and all. The bait stays on the hook and attracts the sheephead in a more natural presentation. Don¹t worry about the hardness and the bulkiness of the shell, goats will make short work of it with its¹ internal crusher.

The following recipe is what I use for fish chowder. Sheephead is really the best of all fish for chowder because It's always very tender and less tough than other fish. The trick is to stir the potatoes vigorously, which gives it the traditional chowder thickness.

Sheephead Chowder

2 medium onions
Medium potatoes
2 cans chicken stock
1 cup milk
1 cup flour wash (1/2 cup flour-1/2 cup water)
2 1/2 quarts water
Small pack of sliced bacon, about 1 pound
salt and pepper to taste
Trapeys Mexipep Hot Sauce, small amount
4 to 6 quart kettle

Directions

1. Slice the bacon into 1/4 inch strips the width of slices. Braze it very slowly until it's solid brown. Remove the browned bits with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel to drain. When they have cooled crush them into bits. Put aside until later. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of the bacon grease.

2. Chop the onions into 1/2-inch pieces and put them in the pot. Cook them slowly until they are clear, not browned.

3. Add the water and one can of the chicken stock.

4. Chop 3 potatoes into 1/2-inch squares and the other 3 potatoes into one-inch pieces and add them to the pot.

5. Cook about one hour at a slow boil.

6. Remove the pot from the heat and stir the potatoes until they thicken. Add the remaining stock and milk return to the heat.

7. Mix the 1/2-cup flour into the 1/2-cup water stir until blended. Stir into the pot.

8. Shake in as much Mexipep as you dare and add as much sheephead as you want.

9. When the fish is cooked, serve in bowls with a spoon of bacon bits sprinkled on top complimented with oyster crackers. Freeze the left over.

Ten Cardinal Rules of Fishing

2007-12-21T13:31:00.001-08:00

Ten Cardinal Rules of Fishing

These rules were devised with one of my fishing buddies. We have discussed them for hours while fishing. Steve Woodard, my buddy, will probably disagree with the list priority but we both agree as to the content. Each rule will be discussed bi-monthly.

1. Save some for seed:
Release the fish you catch if you are not eating them. I really don't have to belabor the point, we all know the great aspects of the catch-and- release program.

Here are some tips as to preventing injury to the caught fish that you plan to release. Use hooks that will rust quickly in the presence of water. Usually the dark color hooks indicate the kind of hook that will disintegrate quickly in a fishes' mouth or stomach. Stainless steel hooks are real killers and shouldn't be used as bait hooks. They usually aren't, but used extensively on lures and trolling feathers.

If the hook is deeply embedded in the throat or stomach don't try to dig it out. This action causes more damage than simply leaving it in the fish. When you cut the mono off the hook attempt to get it all, mono doesn't rot away like hooks.

Learn how to twist away from the point of the hook by making an effort to grab some part of the hook bend with the needle nose pliers and rolling your wrist to pull in such a motion as to retrieve the hook point in the same direction as it's entry.

The air bladder in some fish cause blow up problems because they are brought to the surface so quickly the fish cannot adjust the pressurized air in the bladder. Many of the rockfishes suffer from his problem as do calico bass. If you immediately release a calico, he will swim back down without a problem. If you hold a calico in the bait tank for a length of time he will blow up. Each angler should learn how to deflate a blown up fish so it can make it back down. The best example I have seen of gas release was by a Lake Tahoe guide, John Hinson, who used a hypodermic needle (the largest there is) on macinaw trout. When he inserted the needle in the correct location a loud "pop" sounded as the fishes'' stomach deflated like a burst balloon. The point of some knives are very thin and can be used for deflation and some anglers use an ice pick. No matter what you use, don't poke the fish until you are very sure where the insertion point should be.

If you are releasing the fish don't hold it in the air by the leader. Hold it gently with a rag around its' midsection as you pull out the hook. Sometimes the fish are really tired from the battle and upon the release turn belly up and float. In this case hold the fish upright and push it back and forth just under water. Most of the time this is all it takes to revive him and he will kick out of your hands.

Why kill a large fish? Most of the time they are too tough to eat so release them and keep the just legal ones for table fare. "A large game fish is too valuable to be caught only once"

2. Fish where the fish are:
Ten Cardinal Rules (con)#2. Fish where the fish are. Some anglers think that by moving their boat away from shore, out into the ocean depths, the fish will be waiting for them. Not true. Southern California water is really a marine desert devoid of fish life. This is basically true for any large body of water. Serious anglers always investigate the scene before they head out to avoid Fishing shutouts. How? Here are a few ways.

1. Hire a guide: Especially if you are fishing strange waters. Guides can be expensive but they almost always put you near the fish. An example of a guide would be a sportboat skipper. All of these skippers are guides in the true sense of the word. The sportfishing landings up and down the coast have veteran skippers that really know what they are doing. It is really worth it to spend your money knowing that you will be around fish.( Sometimes catching them is a different story) For steelhead fishing up north it's imperative that you have a guide. Guides know where the fish are holding in the river at a particular time and can put you on them immediately. Without a guide you could spend the whole time of your trip simply trying to find them.

2. Look for the action: The word of a hot bite gets out quickly into the fishing circles. If you are a boater in Los Angeles saltwater, look for the boats. For instance during the summer sand bass spawn, you almost need a parking lot ticket to get among the armada of boats on the Huntington Flats. Last year on Crowley Lake I saw 25 boats jammed into Mc Gee bay, so guess where I took my boat? Also a large crowd of anglers fishing the shore of a lake means fish are being caught or have been caught in that area. So go look for some shoulder room and crowd in.

3. Check with local tackle stores: The proprietors will always offer current fishing information especially if you buy something. One tackle store in Mammoth has all the fishable lakes on a chalkboard with what tackle and flies are necessary for each lake. They also offer the latest Fish and Game plants for each lake. Big Fish Tackle has personnel in the store that have the latest information on the surf fishing and also the latest info for the small boaters.

4. Read the natural conditions: Physical conditions of the fishing area can show clues as to where the fish are. For example, surf fishermen can read Along-shore rip tides and recognize that where they turn out to sea is the collection point for schools of spotfin croaker. Trout fishermen in the dead of summer know that the fish will be in the fastest or the deepest water to get into their cooler temperature comfort zone. Bill fishermen watch the postures and actions of soaring gulls to show them where the marlin are. Likewise the observant angler knows where not to be. He knows not to waste time fishing in dead areas where birds are absent, no bait schools dimpling the surface, and the water is cold and dirty. To the veterans this is called a Long life area. Basically this is all learned through years of experience but each angler should always be on the look-out for something natural associated with a successful fishing trip. There is always something in nature that made it successful.

5. Journal: After each fishing trip record in your log or diary the date, weather, depth and water conditions. Record where you fished, what you caught and what you did to catch them. (bait, hooks, leaders etc.). Also relate where you were located to catch them. The most important skill for boaters is the practice of triangulating your position. Out in the vast expanse of water you cant draw an OXO on the side of the boat, but you can learn to read land bearings so that you can always get back to the spot ,unless the land is obscured because of fog or haze. Draw a picture of the bearings and write down LORAN and GPS numbers.

6. Depth finders: You must have a depth finder! All boat anglers should have a depth finder whether it's fresh or salt water. If you read it correctly, you can identify bottom structure, hard bottom areas and fish. If you are somewhere fishing that you know nothing about, a depth finder can save the day. Personally, I wont leave the dock without one.

7. Current and wind: In the ocean, currents are very important. If you had a successful trip it was mostly because you had favorable currents in the places you fished. At Catalina island on the backside of the western end, the current must be flowing north-west to produce a sea bass bite. But backside on the eastern end the current must be going south-east to get a sea bass bite. If conflicting currents are prevalent, veteran anglers don't fish for sea bass. This is true for the entire coastline and you should know the favorable currents for the fishing in advance. Needless to say, wind can play havoc on a days fishing. Believe it or not though, sometimes a strong wind can help the scene. There are places on the Horseshoe Kelp that fish better in a strong westerly. If you are a small boater make sure you're anchored up before the blow and get ready to ride it out. Once it blows over 20 knots it's difficult to get up to the bow to pull the anchor.

In conclusion, to fish where he fish are, use your head. Certain kinds of fish are in certain places at certain times of the year, day, and hour. The surf perch are most abundant in the winter and they like strong surf. Sand bass and calico bass are around structure except when sand bass move into the sand bottom areas to spawn. Trout are caught best in early spring and late fall except for the usual rise to flies just before dark in the summer time. Tightly schooled shad indicate a striper lurking nearby. In the spring, eight feet of water with tree tops will always support crappie schools. Some anglers catch their best fish by the tale.

3. Think like a fish:
Biological functions that happen to a fish, occur proportionately to its habitat water conditions. These functions happen to all fish whether they are bluegill, carp or marlin.

Water Temperature. Every fish has its comfort zone and will leave it only to change locations or to chase food. Water temperature is by far the most sought after, by a fish. The temperatures vary according to the individual species. Rainbow trout want temps to 55 degrees, brown trout want colder than that and golden trout want water in the 40's, while Macinaws (lake trout) want water temps in the high 30s' or low 40s'. Mako sharks don't appear in our offshore waters until the temps reach 65 degrees or warmer and marlin are most active around here when the water is 68 to 70 degrees.

So what you ask! What it means is that if you are a fish, 95% of your life is spent somewhere in your zone. That means simply, that's where we should look to catch what we're after. If you are rainbow trout in a shallow stream you would locate yourself in the coolest possible location which would probably be in the deepest or the fastest part of this stream.

Water Movement. One of the least known techniques for catching calico bass, is one that helps explain what water movement means to a fishes' zone. This technique is throwing iron jigs into the violent, white, foamy water around the shoreline. A calicos' life is spent in the rocky, kelp habitat and very early in the morning before the sun breaks, just before the gray, calicos' love to chase bait into shallow water. They trap the bait in the shoreline shallows where the water is turbulent. The bait has no where to go and many times will jump clear of the water to land high and dry on the shore. Large calico charge into these trapped schools in water so shallow that sometimes their backs are showing. I have caught many large fish with this method. (But also lost many jigs, you don't dare backlash) The water is only one foot deep whether it's into the shore or around turbulent rocky surf. The bite is over the minute the sun peeks, and I mean it stops cold.

There are times when fish will not bite on anything you throw at them. This is the real moment when you have to think like a fish. Since they wont move two inches from where you know they are, you have to put that bait exactly in their mouth. So if you are a trout in the middle of the day, hanging out in the fastest part of the stream, you would position yourself as close to the bottom as possible, behind a rock, not a big rock, but one that cuts the flow of the water. The position allows you cool crisp water flow but doesn't wear you out holding in the current. Mainly, you are in position to grab any morsels that swirl by. Knowing this, the angler would use the techniques to putting that bait right in front of him, so that it floats directly into his mouth.

If you were a corbina in the bay you would get most active when the razor clams raised partly out of their holes to take feeding advantage of a swift tidal flow. You would swim through the bed nipping off the clam tops before they retreated to their holes. You as an angler would drift a razor clam bumping along hopefully right into a 5 pounders mouth. If you were a big ole carp swimming around in a public lake you would immediately "wake-up" to the splashing antics of the ducks and coots, being fed bread by a picknicker. A bread ball stuck on a no.#16 treble, and floated into the turbulence would certainly get some attention by a grumpy carp.

Some fishermen wear rubber gloves to bait their hooks, not to protect their hands. but to keep the dreaded human smell off the bait. Some anglers rub their hands with oils and substances that smell and attract fish. I guess that means we should not only think like a fish we should stink like a fish too. "You can't fight nature and win". Ted Trueblood

4. Feed the fish what they want:
Rule #4: Feed the fish what they want. How do you know what they want? One thing for sure fishing techniques, tackle and bait can change in any given situation. My biggest problem is using my favorite techniques when I know that something else is called for. So, what are some things that will give you an edge, tackle wise? Tackle Preparation: As said before you have to have an idea on what tackle its necessary for the particular trip you are going on. But you must be prepared for any contingency. For example: Scenario #1. Halibut fishing in the harbor is done in shallow water with light tackle. For this trip you might have 3 rods, a spinning rod, a bass rod and a medium saltwater rod. This would cover most of the tackle needs for the harbor, including drifting. Still you might want to slide outside to the Horseshoe for a little bass fishing if the butts aren't biting. The medium rod with a backup reel with #15 pound would be perfect. Scenario #2. Off to Catalina targeting a sea bass bite calls for more preparation because you have to be ready for deep water attractions that could pop up on the way across. You should be ready to bait a swordfish, work over a kelp paddy, jig fish working birds, or to troll feathers and plugs. Don't forget the wire for a Mako that might show. One trolling rod with 50 lb on a 6/0 reel would duplicate for heavy trolling and/or baiting a swordfish or marlin. A jig casting rod could be used for both jig-in-squid sea bass bait or throwing iron at a kelp paddy. Finally, you need a medium rod for fishing the calicos. halibut, or sea bass. Of course backup reels with at least #30 and #40 pound test line is an absolute necessity for the Osmoses back yellowtail that swim by. Your terminal tackle should be prepared in advance with hooks, sinkers jigs, lead heads etc. Scenario #3. Freshwater. To bank fish a trout lake, you need a bait rod and a lure casting rod. (and a two pole use stamp from the Fish and Game). You need 4lb, 3lb, 2lb, and 1lb test line and leaders. While you soak a bait on the bait rod, throw lures or flies on a bubble set-up with the other rod. Fishing a stream means only using one rod. It also means not toting a tackle box up and down the rocky stream edge.

Travel light but carry some of your favorite flies, and carry a couple favorite lures. The terminal tackle would be aimed at mostly bait fishing unless of course you are fly fishing only. I investigate the scene: Use tackle and methods that are currently working. With your tackle prepared to meet any situation, it's time to give them what they want. As I said before, if you are like me you will probably always have to test your Favorites first. For instance, in my case, if the anglers are slaying trout in a lake using a no. #14 Royal Coachman, I first will fish my favorite fly. If it doesn't produce then I switch to the Royal Coachman. No matter what was recommended at the tackle shop my first lure into the lake is a copper Super Duper, it being my all time favorite. Otherwise, do what you are told by the many references available. Last year, in the local saltwater, it was reported that a deep running, 6 inch, fire tiger, Rapala was taking local yellowtail. Of course I trolled my favorite anchovy colored Rapala and caught two barracuda in an hour of trolling. My fishing buddy boated 5 yellows with the firetiger Rapala. Yes, I finally switched. Be observant and watch the clues. Once on anchor on one of my halibut spots, we were using the standard large sardines for bait and we had pulled in many chewed up baits but no butts. I noticed a massive school of anchovies flashing and swirling under the boat.

Also In the general area the Pelicans and gulls were on a frenzied feeding rampage on another large school of 3 inch anchovies. For kicks, I snagged 5 or 6 of the 3 inchers, with a snag gang. I threw them into the bait tank but they went belly up so I wasn't very excited about using them for bait...Mistake! Dead or not I caught a 36 inch halibut the first cast before the sinker could reach the bottom. We ended up catching 4 nice halibut with the miniature anchovies. Later when we cleaned the fish we found their stomachs crammed with the small anchovies. This happened again with grunion. A beach jogging friend of mine found enough dead grunion on the beach to fill a bucket. We fished the grunion just behind the surf line in the area of the where they were beached and caught some very nice halibut. When you look at a trout's stomach, you will always find it full of minute midge and mayfly larvae. I could never handle fishing with midge patterns which call for a size #18 or #20 hook but when I found caddis in the stomach I knew my time was near. When you see the striped bass boiling after a freshly planted trout supply you know what they are chasing. Also a real show stopper is the display put on by largemouth's pounding on a trout plant in our local county lakes.

The most famous freshwater lure of all times evolved from this action it's called a Casitis Trout. It really produces large bass in those local lakes that have trout plants every other week. Remember the tuna crab invasion in the 1980Õs? I caught a sheephead that had so many red crabs in stomach and throat the crab claws were sticking from his overloaded stomach out his mouth. He took a red, lead head, with a brilliant red Scampy rubber tail. When the grunion gather in the surf to do their thing, so do the halibut. (WARNING! There is a possession limit on grunion and they can only be caught by hand.) Believe me, its worth it to go out of your way to catch them, even if they are dead. For a bruiser halibut there's not a better bait. So, to feed the fish what they want, you have to be prepared for all contingencies, listen to the advice of the media, watch and investigate the scene and be very observant.

5. Never leave a bite: To understand this rule you have to determine what a bite is and what to do with it. The 3 most used expressions for a bite are, "it is a wide open bite", we are "picking away" and fishing "for nothing".1. "Wide open Bite". This term varies depending on what's being caught. To the sportboats it can mean 20 barracuda hook-ups going on for 50 anglers, 10-12 sand bass hook-ups, or 5-6 calico bass being caught. Absolute chaos for a wide open bite is 25 albacore hooked up with 35 fishermen. A wide open halibut bite can mean 3 keepers for 3 anglers all day. To me "wide open" means more quality fish in the boat or on the hook rather than quantities of fish being caught "hand-over-fist". I'll take 2 four pound calicos in an hour over 12 inchers caught every single cast for an hour.2. "Picking away". One or two sand bass hooked all the time for 50 anglers with flurries of 10-12 hook-ups now and then. Picking can mean catching a small halibut every cast and after catching 30 little ones, and then finally landing a keeper.3."For nothing". It's obvious. This statement refers to placing your boat over a known "hot spot and catching nothing, not even getting a strike. Or charging into a frenzy of yellowtail birds and not catching one fish. It's time to move on to another spot if you have truly fished it out. Actually a fish bite is all in the eyes of the beholder. Some anglers have ants in their pants, others wear out a spot catching nothing. The impatient ones are those that need to have a fish going every cast to keep them happy. Personally I will wear out a spot if it is one of my best spots. It's one of my better spots because it has probably been a fish producer, so it needs lots of attention. Many anglers tire of catching one particular fish in a wide open bite or even a picking bite and move on, looking for a different action. Invariably, they don't catch another fish any where else, so they head back to the original bite which has completely shut off.

Some anglers don't realize when they are well off. Catching 3 nice calicos for three guys in an hour is better than none in an hour. Impatient anglers are always rewarded with nothing. If you are with me on a bad day, you will most certainly be bored especially, if you suffer from the "impatient" disease.

If I am convinced we have anchored correctly, yet the fish aren't biting, I'll stubbornly fish until one is caught. Sportboat captains in their fishing search must move around because their paying customers demand action.

What is a bite? That's up to you. But if you have caught one quality fish, stay there and fish for more. Don't get ants in your pants.

6. Patience: Patience is the rule most broken by anglers. It's easy to haul anchor and move from place to place using the mobility of a boat to cover lots of area when apparently they aren't biting. This mobility is the main reason for the lack of patience it causes. The same happens to the shore angler who can move, an move, an move impatiently down the shoreline from one spot to the next never catching anything. The point being, that anglers shouldn't let the ease of moving around let them pass up fish that will bite with a little patience. How long you spend fishing a spot depends on the following:

1. The conditions of that spot.

2. What tackle tactics you are deploying for the type fish that inhabit the spot.

3. Your preparations before going to that spot.

Many anglers are not concerned with these tactics and are the ones usually found lacking patience. If you are one of these people on my boat you will be bored to tears. My goal is to catch quality fish not quantities of fish. So when I don't catch fish every cast it doesn't bother me. (much) Preparation before fishing a spot is important. (As mentioned in rule #4).

For instance, two rods can be deployed into a lake. One for bait fishing, the other used as an all purpose rod for casting lures and flies, or as another bait rod. Your preparations before leaving home base should include the different kinds of bait that have worked or baits that you have been advised to use. You should have all the lures and flies that are popular for the area and your own general favorites. Finally, you need the terminal tackle to fish the spot. If you go through all these possibilities you will be rewarded because you will be spending lots of time trying to catch a quality fish. Also it will take lots of time to deploy all of these tactics and keep you from the path of impatience. If you have yourself properly equipped and the boat anchored correctly, take the time to deploy all the tactics to fish it out On the shipwrecks sculpin sometimes take over an hour to start biting. They seemingly have to gather together as a group under your boat before they jump on the hooks. A calico bass rock on the Horseshoe Kelp takes a precise, methodical approach, especially when you use live bait. First, start by casting the bait flyline. As the bait drifts back, pause now and then by thumbing the spool. Hold it a few minutes, then allow it to drift back further. Repeat this process until the bait is back behind the boat about 50 yards (or more with #15lb test line, less with lighter line). If they don't bite add a 1/4 ounce slip egg sinker and repeat the process. Keep adding weight until they start biting. This procedure takes at least an hour to complete and it will further keep you from the impatience bug. Finally, you can deploy the famous method that guarantees a bite.( but you have to be in perfect position over the rock). Tie a 3 foot dropper, 3 feet over a sinker at the end of your line. Attach a 4/0 hook to the dropper, pin on a large sardine or small mackerel and lower it straight into the bowels of the rock. Put your rod in a rod holder with the reel in clicker position and pop out a sandwich. Usually by the time you finish the sandwich, some denizen has ran off with your bait.

7. Keep the rod bent and reel: Sure, there is no guarantee that all hooked fish will be landed, but you can deploy tactics that will reduce the loss ratio.... that's what this is all about.

The new hooks on the market are really doing the job. They are much sharper than the old standards and that's the major improvement. Ask any angler why they lose fish and they will tell you to the man it's because of dull hooks that do not penetrate to the bend of the hook and allow the barb to perform its function. The old standard hooks need to be sharpened even before they are used once. The new breed of hooks like the Gamakatsu, Owner, VMC, Eagle Claw etc. are chemically sharpened and they become as sharp as a hypodermic needle. But they are very expensive and you don't like losing them. The style hook you use should fit the fishing occasion and the rod you are deploying. The popular "live bait" hooks are stout, straight eyed (ringed is the proper terminology) with a sproat bend about 1X long. You can get them as small as a number #10. At one time we used to catch the schooled blue fin tuna at Catalina using "pin head anchovies" on a #10 hook. These fish were so spooky (and still are) that many anglers swore they couldn't be caught with hook and line. But with a no. #10 Mustad 9176 live bait hook, stuck into a 3 inch anchovy, 10 to 12 pound test line, and lots and lots of chum you could hook one. Most tuna at that time didn't exceed 20 pounds, but now and then a 50 pound bruiser quickly spooled you before you could talk yourself into breaking it off.

Stout hooks need a stout rod to exert the necessary backbone to push the hook to the barb. Use hooks that fit your rods bend. For trout fishing I wrap my own fly rod blank into a spinning rod. The fly rod quality makes it very willowy and slow bending. This is necessary when using running line of 2 lb test. It performs a spring like action against a fighting trout, especially a 5 pounder. I use a 2X fine, light wire, fly tying hook, because they are skinny and penetrating. Using 2lb line needs the soft backbone of the fly rod. In fact they are so light and skinny, you can bend them with your fingers.

Conversely, if you are throwing iron jigs at barracuda, you need a long rod for casting distance but a stout fast action type to set the large treble hooks of the jig into the fish.
Also, hook size should fit the bait you are using not only for hiding but also for proper penetration into your quarry. For instance, you shouldn't use a hook larger than a number #10 on a 3 inch anchovy or a number #10 on an 8 inch sardine. One leading factor for losing a running fish is an improperly placed hook in the bait. If the hook is too large it will turn around and stick back into the bait, usually into the eye socket ; thereby. burying the point so it can't penetrate into the aggressor. This happens all the time with large sardines and mackerel. Most of all fish are lost because they throw the hook out of its penetration on slack line. The whole idea is to keep the line tight... at all times! As the fight progresses a pumping action is needed to gain lost line back onto the spool. This is the way to do it. As you wind against a heavy fish (only when it's not running), lower the rod tip slowly downwards to reduce the weight so you can retrieve line, but keep pressure on it never allowing slack. Sounds easy doesn't it? One fishing trip while throwing iron jigs, I hooked 15 dorado and landed one. They kept throwing the jig because I couldn't reel fast enough to keep the line tight as they charged the boat. They would charge and leap out of the water directly at me at a 30 MPH clip, throw slack and the jig right back in my face. I couldn't keep the line tight even with a 6-1 Shimano reel. Most of the time on the pump downward, you will have to wind as fast as you can to keep the line tight.

Another important consideration for hooking a fish, is winding up slack line that has accumulated. Slack can occur when a live bait runs out and then back to the boat. This happens many times with sardines and mackerel. It also happens when your bait is picked up by the one you are trying to catch and it runs full speed back to the boat. Anglers that fish with downriggers are always retrieving slack that falls out of the clip on a strike. Bill fishermen have that problem with a baited marlin. When the marlin runs off with the mackerel an angler never knows in which direction it went. At the point of a marlin pick up they put the boat in gear and charge forward as fast as they can, going sometimes a half mile before the line comes tight. Then they actually go a little further to help set the hook.
Slack happens many times when a calico bass runs with your bait back to the boat. It can fool the angler because there is so much slack the actual entry point of the line appears to be leading away from the boat, and it is, for a ways. Down below the fish has caused a giant loop back to the boat. This is why you don't set the hook immediately when the line runs off the reel spool. Wait until your rod tip goes down before you set the hook. This means the fish has pulled out the slack and is ready to be hooked. I like to use very light, 8 lb test line when IÕm fishing for calicos. Most of the time I allow the bait to run back until it is bit, sometimes 60 to 70 yards. By the time I feel a pick up it's virtually impossible to get the hook set into the bass with so much line out. But I try with lots of gusto and set the hook numerous times on the pumping in with the fish. If he stays on the hook it's rarely penetrated to the barb. As a matter of fact, I have gone to the use of barbless hooks with all my light tackle. Also with the light line I have gone to very light wire hooks in the Octopus style.

If you fight every fish that pulls back thinking that the hook is not set to the barb, it makes you realize the need for constant pressure. That's why you keep the rod bent and reel like crazy.

8. Don't touch that drag: Most anglers adjust their reel drags before they cast and just as many forget too! One way not to forget that critical maneuver is to establish a habit of backing off the drag after each trip. The time to back them off is when you are preparing to stack your rods in the garage, just after washing them off. Also, if you remove the terminal tackle when you finish a trip that¹s the time to back off the drags. (Following the wash off). As you string the line next time, set the drag also.

It¹s an understatement to say that many fish are lost because of an insufficient drag. It¹s a fact that most fish are lost because of poor drag washers or improper setting of the drag. If your line is in good shape, not twisted, nicked or old, the condition of your drag becomes the most important part of landing a fish capable of breaking your line.

Veteran anglers usually start off with lighter drag than the breaking strength of the line. During the battle some anglers tighten the drag when the fish is completely whipped. That¹s the point when it¹s on its side and sliding to the gaff. This is dangerous though and the experienced fishermen never touch the Star Drag Wheel even if the fish appears to be whipped. They thumb the spool tightly while dragging the fish to gaff. Many fish are broken off because of tightened drags, when the fish exerts a last ditch effort after appearing whipped. Many times the gaffer misses the swipe an activates the fish into a sudden lunge which breaks the line if the drag has been clamped down. At the point of the gaff swing you should throw your reel out of gear, just in case he misses.

After the fishing trip, when it¹s time to wash down the rods, tighten the drag all the way before you put water on the rods. After the washdown back off the drags all the way. This procedure keeps water from seeping through the drag washers. Many reel manufacturers are recommending that you not wash the reels, but wipe the salt off and spray them with WD 40 or silicon based lubricants.

Reel drags must be changed periodically. How often depends on how many times a fish has tested the washers. Line must run off smoothly when you pull it at its tightest setting, without any jerking. Some anglers change their drags after every trip when they have been catching the powerful albacore. It¹s also time to change washers after catching 3-4 yellowtail. Most fishermen don¹t change their washers enough and that¹s a shame because it¹s simple to have it done. For a few dollars any tackle store will quickly replace the drags. There is nothing more important than a smooth drag.

9. Avoid contempt from fellow anglers: Southern Cal lake vendors stock trout by the tons to attract money paying fishermen to their lakes. Each lake has a group of "regular" anglers that know the lake like the "back of their hand". They know exactly where to fish
for the stocked fish. In most of the lakes the regulars are shoulder to shoulder in specific areas of the lake to catch the freshly planted fish. Their rods, stuck in the sand spikes, are sometimes 2 feet apart.

If you want to fish the lake after a fresh plant and you are not a regular, it can be dangerous trying to fit into a fishing spot. So what can you do to avoid contempt from the group and find a plot of shoreline to wet your line? You have three choices. 1. Rent a boat. 2. Force your way in to a spot. 3. Ask permission to squeeze in.

In most lakes renting a boat doesn¹t work. The planted trout move up and down the shoreline in very shallow water, 30 feet from shore. (Some say they are looking for a way out of the lake). If you pull a boat to where you can cast to the fish, the shore anglers will retaliate with verbal abuse or throw sinkers at you. On shore, if you try to force your way in, you risk hand-to-hand combat.

Really, the only way to handle the situation is to ask permission to squeeze in. Some might say "no", but somewhere down the line-up you will find a forgiving soul. When you find a spot use only one rod and cast straight to avoid crossing any of your neighbors¹ lines. Soon you will be accepted and avoid that awful contempt.

Competition can be very strict on the ocean too. The commercial sportboat skippers know most of the favorable fishing spots and the week-end small boaters know it. The best and easiest thing for prospective private boater to do in finding a fishing spot is to find an anchored sportboat and fish around it. But many small boaters have discovered the wrath of the sportboat guys by taking on the bombardment of iron jigs, sinkers and verbal abuse for
getting too close to them. Sportboat skippers continually throw over chum to attract the target fish. This is a chum line designed to attract the targets to casting range for the paying customers. The chum line usually extends a minimum distance of 100 yards, usually further and calico bass, barracuda, and yellowtail love to follow the chum up to the sportboat. When an unsuspecting boater crosses behind the sportboat, through the line, it will shut off the bite for the sportboat anglers. This is definitely a "no-no". To avoid contempt cross only in front of a parked sportboat or cross 1/2 mile behind.

Trolling contempt can come from a troller whose plugs or feathers have been cut off accidentally by an unsuspecting boater who crosses too close behind the troller. You have to be vigilant for these boats. Trolling boats can be identified by tell tale clues as they appear in front of you. If a boat is crossing in front at a slow speed, look for anglers in the stern looking back at their wake. Obviously they are watching their rods for a strike when normally they would all be looking forward. You can usually see rods sticking up from the boat and bent in a curve toward the wake. Sometimes, depending on the angle of the sun, or if there is any sun, the lines will glisten as they trail back to the lures. But if you can
see the line, you¹re too close and take emergency measures to escape crossing their wake. Trolling boats cannot maneuver quickly, so avoid contempt and give them a wide berth.

There are many situations in the angling scene that can cause contempt. I prefer to be a good guy. Yes, there are many that simply don¹t give a damn.

10. Prevaricate with intelligence: Once, in the late 1960¹s I was fishing the trout opener on the June Lake loop. I was fishing on Rush Creek below the campground. The sun was barely up as I approached the first hole. Six fishermen surrounded the hole. I got into the water and waded in from above and drifted my bait over and down the small waterfall into the hole and immediately hooked a 3lb brown trout that took me down the bank weaving over and under the bank anglers. After landing the fish at the bottom of the hole I walked back around the amazed anglers back to my starting point. I drifted another bait down the waterfall and instantly hooked another 3lb brown. Again, I struggled through the anglers
to finally land the fish. This procedure was repeated 5 times with just as many fish, 3 nice rainbows and 2 more browns. Finally it came. "What are using for bait?" Intelligent prevarication or smart lying sometimes is hard to do. Should I tell them or not? I felt very greedy though and confessed to using Velveeta Cheese. Velveeta cheese was just beginning to gain popularity at that time, so at least, I felt better about giving then a viable
substitute. I felt badly as the time went on, but I really felt worse when the only store in the area sold out of Velveeta cheese in 2 hours. If those guys found out about the prevarication I would have been lynched.

After many experiences like that over the years, I usually do not outright lie anymore about fishing secrets. It¹s hard to live with yourself especially when it involves your fishing friends. It¹s better to simply tell them nothing, or if it involves a fishing spot, be very vague about its location. I don¹t lie about hot bait or a successful fishing method anymore. It¹s easier to sleep at night.

But in some cases it is still difficult to divulge a secret. If you click on my home page "Contact Me" I just might tell you about the greatest trout bait ever! The one I used on Rush Creek.

This concludes the Ten Commandments Of Fishing. Follow them to be a better fisherman and a better person.

"SOME ANGLERS CATCH THEIR BEST FISH BY THE TALE"

The New and Amazing

2007-12-21T13:30:00.001-08:00

The New and Amazing
Braided Lines
By George Van Zant

The new braided fishing lines are truly modern miracles. "SpiderWire", "FireLine", "Magibraid Spectra" to name some have diameters so small that their line testing 20 LB breaking strength has the diameter of regular 6 LB test monofilament.

To most anglers the search for small fishing line is a prime objective. Small diameter lines allow their live bait to swim around more naturally and be less visible to their targets, yet afford the strength to pull them out of the structure.

But these lines have some drawbacks that anglers have to consider.

1. The line is so hard and sharp you must wear protective covering on your fingers to avoid line cuts. They cut without pain, until later when you discover them.
2. This line is capable of grooving the hardest of any rod guides. In fact most bill fishermen use only roller guides with the new line.
3. The line has been known to cut through anchor rope while attached to a swift running long range tuna.
4. Kinking is another problem. It's difficult to cast the line, and if you do, you cannot backlash. Any backlash will cause a kink that will severely weaken the line. Most anglers do not cast the line (in the ocean) unless they are very good.
5. Correct knot tying is important. In fact it's critical that only certain knots are used. Most fishermen add monofilament leaders to the new line and do so with an "Albright Knot". Even with an "Albright ", you must wind one inch of wrap back to the loop before pulling it tight. Normally, with mono you tie only 4-6 wraps before you snug it down.
6. Some anglers tie hooks directly to the new line. In this case most anglers use a "Palomar Knot" taking great care not to twist the knot during the wrap.

Even the expense of the line does not distract from its' usefulness. It is amazing in that it doesn't stretch, its' thin diameter cuts water drag and it is very durable.

FLUORO-CARBON LEADER WORKS

2007-12-20T18:25:00.004-08:00

FLUORO-CARBON LEADER WORKS

When fishing artificials, try using fluoro-carbon leader material. It is almost invisible underwater. It will reduce the chance that the fish will see something that does not look natural and this is most important when fishing in very clear water.

WHAT SINGLE TOOL CAN BE USED TO HANDLE FISH, LAND FISH, WEIGH FISH, AND SET DRAGS ON YOUR REELS?

2007-12-20T18:25:00.003-08:00

WHAT SINGLE TOOL CAN BE USED TO HANDLE FISH, LAND FISH, WEIGH FISH, AND SET DRAGS ON YOUR REELS?

The answer is the BOGAGRIP. This is the niftiest tool in my fishing arsenal. It is made of machined stainless steel, will not corrode and is almost indestructible. Its locking mechanism will attach easily to the jaw of any fish and will not let go until you hit the release. It has a precision built in scale for weighing fish or setting drags. It comes in two sizes; small will weigh up to 30 pounds and large that will weigh up to 60 pounds.

BRINE THE BAIT

2007-12-20T18:25:00.001-08:00

BRINE THE BAIT

Whole clams threaded on a hook will catch striped bass. Many tackle shops sell shucked whole skimmer clams for bait. The problem is however, when clams are frozen and then thawed, they become soft and are easily torn off the hook. I like to thaw the clams a day before fishing and mix them with a good helping of Kosher salt. The salt will toughen the tissue considerably making it very difficult for the fish to steal your bait. The salt does not seem to reduce the attractiveness of this bait. Any leftover salted clams can be refrozen and thawed again without seriously hurting the quality. I always have a couple of boxes of Kosher salt handy for this purpose or just for making up a brine solution for rinsing fillets. Some bait and tackle shops do carry salted shucked skimmer clams

WORKING WITH MULTIFILAMENT LINES

2007-12-20T18:24:00.002-08:00

WORKING WITH MULTIFILAMENT LINES

I use multifilament line on many of my fishing outfits. Berkley "FireLine" and Innovative Textiles "Power Pro" are my choice in this type of line. One problem that exists with such lines is being able to cut them when rigging. The cutter on a set of fishing pliers or a nail clipper will not cut them properly if at all. A sharp knife will cut them but it is dangerous to use on a rocking boat or when near others. I find that a good sharp scissors works best. Many of the available multi-purpose tool manufacturers make a model with scissors. I use the Leatherman "Micra" and "PST II" which both have scissors. They easily cut through these extremely tough lines quickly and safely. I like the "Micra" because it can be kept in my pocket and I wear the "PST II" on my belt in a leather pouch. The "PST II" also has a diamond grit hook sharpening file with groove. These tools are an indispensable part of my fishing gear. I recommend strongly that you get hold of such a tool with a scissors feature if you use multifilament lines.

CLOUDY WATER

2007-12-20T18:24:00.001-08:00

CLOUDY WATER

When the water is murky the way it is now, I always add an extra attractant to my lures. I usually tip-off the lure with a piece of pork rind or strip of squid or fluke belly. I also split the strip from the middle to the tail to create a fluttering action. This definitely will improve your catch in cloudy water.

BAD SCENTS HURT FISHING

2007-12-20T18:23:00.000-08:00

BAD SCENTS HURT FISHING

Fish like certain scents and dislike others. Two scents proven to turn off the fish are insect repellent and sunblock lotions. If you are fishing and apply these to your body, be sure to wash your hands thoroughly before touching any bait or lures.

Save the poor worms

2007-12-20T14:03:00.006-08:00

Save the poor worms

When you fish worms and have leftovers at the end of the day, dump the worms and grass they are packed in into a bucket of salt water for a few minutes. They will freshen up and it will clean away their metabolic wastes. Put them back into their container and refrigerate them. They will last several days, hopefully until your next fishing trip. You will save money ($5 per dozen) and you will conserve worms!

Dirty water? Make it smell

2007-12-20T14:03:00.005-08:00

Dirty water? Make it smell

When fishing in dirty water, (brown-tide or wind churned) fresh dead or live bait will produce better than artificials. In these conditions the fish will feed by smell rather than by sight. Natural bait produces the scent to attract the fish. If you insist on using artificials, then add a scent to them. Bunker oil is a good one to try. Chumming also will bring the fish to your offering. Anchor and chum with bunker or clam. Use fresh bait on the hook. You can catch any kind of fish that swims using this technique.

TIDE AND CURRENT ARE NOT THE SAME

2007-12-20T14:03:00.003-08:00

TIDE AND CURRENT ARE NOT THE SAME

In our area, current change occurs about two hours after the high or low tide. If high tide where you fish is at 12 noon, the current will start to ebb or run out about two hours later. If low tide is slated for 4 p.m., the current will start to flood or run in at about 6 p.m. etc.. In addition, If you are using Fire Island inlet tide information, the farther you are from the inlet, the later will be the tide change. At Ocean Beach the current will change almost two hours after the current change at Fire Island inlet.

MULTIFILAMENT LINE IS HOT!

2007-12-20T14:03:00.001-08:00

MULTIFILAMENT LINE IS HOT!

Try using the new multifilament lines. They are half the diameter of comparable test monofilament line and have almost no stretch. You can fish lighter lures and hook setting power is unsurpassed. I recommend filling your spool ¾ full with monofilament and attaching a header of about 100 feet of multifilament line using an Albright knot to make the connection. This will be a sufficient amount of line for most inshore fishing applications and it cuts down on the cost for these expensive lines. I also recommend using the gel-spun variety of multifilament line. When using this variety, normal fishing knots will work well and no glue will be needed to keep the knot from working itself loose. I use Berkley Fireline in 12 or 20 lb. test.

SCENTS WORK

2007-12-20T14:02:00.003-08:00

SCENTS WORK

Try using "bunker oil" to add scent and flavor to the waters and to your baits and jigs. "Bunker oil" is a natural scent of the Atlantic menhaden fish. I dip my bunker chunks in the oil to add extra flavor and scent. When I chum for bluefish or sharks, I add a few drops to the water to create a better smelling slick. I put some in a small squeeze bottle with a dropper tip and add a bit to my artificial lures. I really think it makes a difference. Give it a try.

MOVE TO GET THE BEST WIND/TIDE CONDITIONS

2007-12-20T14:02:00.001-08:00

Porta-Bote's Rising Tide

2007-12-20T11:06:00.000-08:00

By Erin Chambers

Porta-Bote's Rising Tide
If there's a niche, expect an entrepreneur to fill it -- men like Sandy Kaye, for example, and his unsinkable folding boat

Of all the foldable things in the world -- laundry, lawn chairs, paper airplanes -- a boat isn't exactly the first thing that comes to mind. But Sandy Kaye thinks differently, and has built a thriving multi million dollar business worldwide around the idea of a collapsible water vessel.

Yes, that's right, foldable boats. Kaye is owner and president of Porta-Bote International, a Mountain View, Calif., purveyor of dinghy-sized boats that fold down flat to four inches in height. Last year the company sold close to 10,000 boats worldwide. "People may not recognize them folded up because they look just like a surfboard," says Kaye, who was a Porta-Bote fan before deciding to buy the company in 1973. "And out on the water, the look just like an unfoldable boat."

TRADITIONAL LOOK. Porta-Bote International has racked up steady sales through grass-roots marketing to water enthusiasts all over the world. In addition to his own online outreach efforts and trade shows, Kaye says the unusual factor -- the sheer oddity of seeing owners unfolding a boat before launch -- has driven the word-of-mouth buzz for over 30 years.

Believe it or not, foldable boats aren't new. Kaye bought one for use as a dinghy on a larger boat in the early 1970s, and was less than pleased at his fellow boaters' reactions to what he says looked more like "a pregnant canoe" than a workable boat. "When people laugh at your product, that's a problem," says Kaye.

So in 1973, itching to get back to work after just two short years in retirement from a career as Executive Vice President of the world's largest publisher, he bought the fledgling company with the intention of completely overhauling it. He put his degrees in engineering to work, redesigning the boats to look more like traditional dinghies, and began marketing them overseas (no pun intended).

LIKE A CORK. Europeans, used to tight quarters and pricey gas, were particularly receptive to the space-saving, energy-efficient foldable boats. The flat design makes the various models easier to store than a regular aluminum or fiberglass dinghy (it fits on the side of an RV, the roof of a car, or hull of a larger boat) and less cumbersome than an inflatable. There is also no need to blow it up or patch inevitable holes of an inflatable boat.

It even fits on a yak. Seriously. Britain's Royal Air Force Mountain Rescue Service strapped a folded-up Porta-Bote on the back of the scruffy animal for a trek up Mt. Everest. The team wanted a lightweight, reliable vessel in case it was caught in melting glaciers, but when the expedition reached a lake they expected to be frozen, the climbers unfolded their vessel and continued. The Porta-Bote International team recently confirmed a spot in the 2005 Guinness Book of World Records as the first boat to be sailed at a height of 20,000 feet. "There's a Porta-Bote for everyone," Kaye says proudly.

Available in four sizes, from 8 feet to 14 feet, the boats can be ordered with Nissan outboard motors for those with a need for speed, Rolly Tasker sails and accessories for the skipper who prefers the wind, even in olive drab for duck hunters. Among its accolades, the Porta-Bote has passed all stability tests by the Tokyo Fire Dept.'s Water Rescue Scuba Team. Kaye says his boats are unsinkable, even when filled with water, and have exceeded the latest U.S. Coast Guard compliance standards.

SURF AND SAIL. How does the foldable phenom work? Two big words: polypropylene copolymer. Porta-Botes' hinges and patented "flexihull" are made from a resin material developed decades ago by NASA and used today in many car bumpers. Original manufacturer Dupont conducted tests and found the material actually became stronger after 500,000 foldings, and Sears uses it in their lifetime Diehard batteries because the material is impervious to acid. Kaye fields many inquiries on his company Web site, most asking how a foldable boat is going to hold up on the water. His response: "Nothing is indestructible, but this comes pretty close."

In the 1990s, Kaye noticed more people downsizing to condominiums and small cars and decided to start step up his marketing efforts in the U.S., a market he had all but ignored. Word of mouth alone would not have been enough, he says, "so we got on the Internet." His site catches many random boaters surfing the Web, but the company also uses trade shows to spread the Porta-Bote buzz.

It's an approach that has paid off with a loyal following. Since 1999, professional photographer John Petralito has owned at least one of every size Porta-Bote, using them in "oceans, rivers, lakes, and ponds from Maine down to Florida." Now a permanent Floridian, he and wife Ellen were looking for an alternative to a pricey, high-maintenance inflatable boat.

INVENTOR ENVY. "It turns on a dime, goes through the water like nobody's business, and is half the price of an inflatable," says Petralito, who has started something of a Porta-Bote fan club, operating two Yahoo! groups for Porta-Bote owners, who post information on aftermarket accessories, options, and ideas on new ways to use the boats. "When people at the campgrounds see us unfold it and ask if I'm the inventor, I wish I could say 'yes,'" says Petralito.

Since redesigning and relaunching the boats, annual sales have nearly doubled. To date over 80,000 have been sold. The boats come with a 10-year limited warranty. And this year, armed with the new optional sailing package and a bigger 14-foot model, his staff of 39 will represent Porta-Bote International at over 400 boat, RV, and outdoors-lifestyle trade shows in the U.S. alone, more than ever before. For Porta-Bote, it looks like smooth sailing ahead.

Chambers is a reporter for BusinessWeek Online in New York.

The Weigh In

2007-12-19T15:36:00.002-08:00

The Weigh In

The take off in the morning and the weigh in are the two most exciting times of a tournament and the rest is just ‘plain work.’ After a hard day of fishing, you head to the designated check in area. You load your boat on the trailer and head to the weight area. The adrenaline starts to pump and your heart starts to race in anticipation. While you’re in line, both you and your partner review your catch for the day. You discuss how much weight you think is in your boat’s live well. You wonder if you have enough weight to place in the money or even win the tournament. You look back and reminisce about the one that got away… just as you put the net in the water, or the one that wrapped you around that tree and broke you off. You talk about, if we would have only picked-up that last kicker fish (the big one for the day). You watch as your fellow tournament anglers reach into there live wells and pull out their fish, one by one. As each fish is pulled out and placed in the basket, you try to estimate the weight of each fish. As they walk to the scales you have your own estimate of what their catch weighs. Then

you hear the Weigh Master call out their total weight. This is the time when your heart races just a little harder. You think you have a good catch of quality fish of your own. As the weights are announced, one by one, you either become excited or disappointed. You estimate your own catch to be 16.8 pounds and you hear 12.3 pounds, 15.8 pounds, and 13.9 pounds. Your heart races with anticipation. You think you have a chance. Is your Big Fish good enough to win the Big Fish money? You may have a solid 6.8 pound fish of your own. The Weight Master calls out Big Fish 5.9 pounds. Your heart races a little harder with anticipation. There are ten teams ahead of you and forty teams behind you to weigh in. As you get closer to your turn, you begin to get more excited. As you pull your fish out of the live well one by one and hear the crowd that has gathered, start commenting on your team’s catches. You hear the “ooh’s and awe’s” from the crowd. You reach in and pull out a 2 pounder, then a 2.25, a 2.8, a 3.0 and finally your big fish, that you believe weights 6.8 pounds. The crowd's response with delight. You head to the Weigh Master; the fish are put on the scale. Then the announcement comes, total weight 16.39 pounds, with a Big Fish of 6.28 pounds. It is a lesser weight than you thought. You ask around, “what is the heaviest weight?” “What is the Big Fish?” So far there is a total weight of 15.39 pounds and big fish is 6.25 pounds. Your first reaction is one of great joy as you turn to your partner and say, “we’re in the money.” Now your adrenaline really starts flowing. You are giving each other high fives.

As each team heads to the weigh in area, you are there watching. Again you try to estimate the weight of each fish and total limit. You still think you are ‘in it.’ The Weigh Master announces 16.35 pounds and “Big Fish, 7.25 pounds.” You tell your partner, “well we lost Biggest Fish, but we are still in the money,” but there are still a lot of teams to come.

As each team weighs in, you are right there with anticipation. As each remaining team’s weights are announced, we discover we have dropped to 3rd place. You tell your partner, “that’s all right, where still in the money.” As more teams come in, we drop down two more places. You tell your partner, “well it doesn’t look good at this point!” We are now in 5th place with 20 teams still to go.

In the Father and Son Division we are looking good. The team that was ahead of us has weighed in and they have fallen behind. We have won that division. You say to your partner, “we maybe out of the money today, but we took the lead in the Father and Son Division.”

All the boats have weighed in. We have finished 15th out of 53 teams. You feel a little disappointed, but we did the best we could. You look back even harder at this point about the one that got away and how if we only had that one fish it would have made the difference in finishing in the top 5. We may not have finished in the money today, but what a ‘blast’ it was just being able to compete.

It is now awards time. Our team was called up to receive the 15th place and the 1st place finish certificate in the Father and Son Division. My young partner, and son Eric went up to receive our awards, and as he started to walk back he was called back to pickup a check for $140.00. This was from one of the options we participated in. The smiles and high fives started up once again. It’s great to see your son or daughter walk up to the podium and pick up an award of any kind. This makes it all worth while. The smile on their face is priceless and you will never be able to erase that picture from your mind. You may not win them all or even one, just being on the water is what it is all about, spending quality time with your son or daughter. You tell your teammate, “we didn’t get them today, but will get them next time.”

--Larry Elshere

Southern Solar Secrets

2007-12-19T15:36:00.001-08:00

Southern Solar Secrets
by David Christian

Changing daylight hours are somewhat obvious and we are all affected by it. The amount of daylight hours is significant to all creatures, it is their internal time clock. As humans we may not notice these conditions due to our homes and offices providing unnatural light conditions, but keep in mind that nature knows exactly what is going on outside.
In late February thru early March there is a time frame of three weeks when the amount of daylight hours increases by fifty minutes, that is 2.25 minutes per day. Most anglers overlook this solar edge. Is one the greatest triggering effects of Mother Nature. This is the true sign that winter has ended and the muskies will start to prepare for their annual spawning rituals. As a southern muskie hunter on Cave Run Lake I wondered if this increase in daylight hours had an effect on the muskie. After

almost ten years of fishing it appears that, despite water temps this solar change placed fish very close to the spawning areas. After talking with a number of other anglers that have early open water and learning of the big fish captured, I was convinced this is a pattern!

By mid March the days are longer than the nights. This solar alarm clock is obvious to all species, trees start to bloom, insects start to buzz, and creatures appear from the winter doldrums. These are the creatures we notice and can visually connect with, all the while the underwater species are alive again as well, from lizards, to muskies, to weeds, everything is awake and starting to move about.

By mid May we are reaching a peak in daylight hours, almost fourteen hours of sunshine. This is an edge that starts to move fish into their early summer feeding patterns. By the mid summer peak we are provided with daylight lasting over fourteen hours and these long days continue through June. Metabolic rates are at peak during this period and the muskie action is starting to increase all across the country.

Mid July starts to bring a one minute per day decrease in daylight hours. In five to ten days we lose five to ten minutes, thus triggering a genetically coded response to feed, the days are getting shorter and nature knows summer is coming to an end. This is the period we all try to take advantage of. We notice the falling water temperatures, it is something we can connect with visually (temperature gauges), the shorter days are also contributing to this feeding frenzy.

By late September we are below twelve hours of daylight, now the nights are longer than the days, triggering an even stronger response for muskies to feed. On the southern waters, surface temperatures are still relatively high (mid 70's). This slow but deliberate change in the day's length is luring big muskies onto the shallows to feed. They are following the schools of shad which are also moving up in the water column,

these movements are related to water temperature and the length of daylight hours. Deer start the rut because of daylight hours, not air temperatures!

The winter period brings ten-hour days and fourteen-hour nights. This internal clock says it is time to slow down or sleep, combine this with cold water temperatures and we can surely realize why everything has slowed down.

These are the solar edges that determine seasonal patterns and water temperature, they are as important as dawn and dusk. Musky hunters across the nation have been used to closed fishing seasons, therefore these changing conditions have not been studied thoroughly. In the Midwest these changing daylight hours are almost as important as the moon phases. Check your Farmers Almanac to see if a big fish period on your lake coincides with a major change in daylight hours, I'll bet it does and you will have some more data to add to your fishing logs.

We have learned so much more in the past few years about the solar influence of sunrise and sunset. Understanding why this period offers better angling opportunities is not difficult. At sunrise, the sun's tremendous gravitational force begins to affect our area, sunset is the point when this force leaves our area. These forces along with changing light conditions are a time frame that should never be passed up. Solar and lunar influences have a tremendous effect on all types of animals. Big fish that are located during the day can be captured during this solar edge and it has been proven time and time again. The moon phases, either daily or monthly are also "planetary" times when big fish are captured. Learning more about the planetary forces that control habits or our natural responses should become part of our arsenal in the never ending hunt for trophy game. Changing daylight hours determine major seasonal movements in nature and can trigger trophy size results. Something else to study and add to our logbook

Trolling With Leadcore

2007-12-19T15:35:00.004-08:00

Trolling With Leadcore
By David Heine

My dad taught me trolling as a way to introduce me into fishing. Trolling allowed us to cover more water and find productive areas to still fish. That was back in the day and I still troll to get fish in the boat. First off, trolling with leadcore has had it's misconceptions and it basically came from using leadcore on over-kill tackle. I use an ABU 6500 C3 for 12-15 leadcore depending upon the manufacture of the line. I will pair that up with a 6"6 fiberglass baitcasting rod, basically a spinnerbait rod one would use for bass fishing. Sometimes I will go up to a worm rod like an 843 Loomis, especially for 15 leadcore when I'm going deep. With a set-up like this, the fishing is much more enjoyable and you will fight the fish instead of just cranking them in. Other reels I use for heavier lb test leadcore include the Shimano Bantam 50,Calcutta 700 (27lb test

leadcore), ABU 5000.
Basically you want a reel that will hold a minimum of 200 yds of 20lb for 12lb leadcore to be put on. And just increase the numbers for a heavier pound test leadcore. When it comes to the rods, I use a 6 foot 6" always and will go with a longer rod when it comes to heavier lb test leadcore. After you have your set-up you will have to experiment when it comes to how much leadcore you can fit on your reel. Basically with a 6500 ABU I can fit a whole spool of 12lb leadcore. And that's with about 20 yds of 10 for backing on the reel along with a leader of 10lb at the end of the leadcore about 6-10 feet long. You can attach the leader one of two ways. You can take the lead out of the leadcore by pinching it and doing a couple of half hitches or you can attach a barrel swivel at the end and tie on you leader. I use the latter of the two but make sure the swivel can make it through the guides and on the reel or you will have a problem on your hands. I gauge my leader length and lb test based on the current lake conditions and species I might encounter. In case your wondering, I have caught walleye, largemouth, smallmouth, stripers, wipers, rainbow, brown and brook trout, huge crappie and the incidental catfish. Leadcore opens up the world of fishing when it comes to specie variation. These are some of basic lures I use which I have found will catch almost anything that swims, just change the colors to match the forage in your body of water. Rapalas - J7 - the most versatile hands down,F7 & F9 also work well. Needlefish, these baits work really well on trout. I use size 2 mostly. I will bend these baits ever so slightly and put Lucky Craft scales on the back side of the baits.

Sometimes I will also put on Gamakatsu trebles as on some of the other baits as well. Smithwick Rattlin Rogues work really well also, the suspending feature is really nice when you stop the motor and the bait stops in it's tracks. Another killer bait/combo is an Apex with a mini-dodger. A long time favorite amongst salmon fisherman, this combo will take the wary stripers and trout that have been hit hard. The key here is to troll the bait s-l-o-w-l-y. Speeds at 0.9 - 1.2 work best with the dodger and Apex. When you decide which bait you will start with the next step is making sure it works at the speeds your motor will troll at. Put the bait in the water along side the boat and vary the speed of the motor until the right action is achieved. Now comes the depth at which

you will be fishing. Lure depth will vary with trolling speed and the type of lure you are using. A graph really comes in handy, and one with a speed/temp sensor is really the best. As a basic rule of thumb with some variables of course, this is what I have found - 12 leadcore with rapala can achieve a max depth ( all colors out ) of around 30-35 feet deep depending upon speed. 15 - 27 lb leadcore will depend upon how much you can fit on your reel. One way to achieve a greater depth without using heavier leadcore is to use some of today's bass crankbaits. With some crankbaits on the market breaking the 20 foot barrier with monofilament, leadcore can achieve a greater depth. I have found the following baits to work great when I need to get down there - Bill Normans DD 22, Manns 15+, 20+, Rapala Risto Raps, and that's just to name a few.
Remember to experiment when it comes to baits to find what works best for you.

Versatility For Success!!

2007-12-19T15:35:00.003-08:00

Versatility For Success!!
By Capt. John Ford

I must admit "fly fishing" is my favorite way to fish any body of water. But the one thing I have not become is "close minded " to other forms of fishing. Light tackle plugging is one form everyone should leave room for and I guarantee it will improve even your fly fishing results!

Unlike most I'm blessed with the opportunity to be on the water almost everyday. Even when not guiding I'm searching out new holding areas and keeping up with the constant changing conditions. One way that has helped me do this efficiently is plugging. You can cover more water in shorter amounts of time helping you FIND more fish holding areas. Here are some things you should do:

1. Buy a quality rod- G.Loomis and St.Croix make some great light tackle rods that will handle BIG fish.

2. Cut the treble hooks off plugs (husky jerk baits, jumping minnows are some of my favorites) and replace them with single hooks. This will not only make releasing fish easier but will also make them semi-weedless.

3. Use QUALITY line- 14lb test is perfect and nice to cast but you better make sure its

"good" line because plugs are expensive.
4. Methodically work an area- most fish won't move very far to eat so take your time and remember the places that hold fish.

With the recent explosion in saltwater fly fishing I find that some guys who are fairly competent fly anglers cannot even operate a spinning reel and don't want to?? I say broaden your fishing skills and become a more "well rounded" fisherman and it will only improve your understanding of the sport and improve your chances of SUCCESS.

Have fun and "Dream Big Fish"
Capt John Ford
Portland Guide Service

Captain John Ford runs Portland Guide Service. Fishing Casco Bay, Maine for trophy Striped Bass with Fly and Light tackle. You can reach him at (207) 471-5858 or http//:www.mainesaltwaterfishing.com

WADE FISHING

2007-12-19T15:35:00.001-08:00

WADE FISHING
Offers Many Opportunities
By Joe Martino

One does not have to look very far in this portion of the country in order to find decent stream or river fishing. Unlike lake or reservoir fishing, stream fishing usually does not require a lengthy drive or waiting in line at the boat ramp. In fact, all that is required for a successful fishing outing on a local creek is a rod, reel, line and lure. A sense of adventure doesn’t hurt either.

The serenity of the time spent in the stream is another plus. How much closer to nature can you get than fighting a scrappy Smallmouth in his living room? The first time that an acrobatic smallie jumps at eye level or makes a run between your legs, you’re

hooked.

One of the great things about stream fishing is that it is easy to do. I enjoy getting off from work and heading to one of our local creeks for a couple hours of wade fishing. It is something that can be enjoyed on short notice, and does not cost an arm and a leg to get into. With a handful of inexpensive spinners and crank baits, anyone can enjoy this pleasurable activity.

If you plan to be in the water when the temperature is still cool you will need a pair of waders, but in the heat of the summer many people enjoy the rush of the cool water against their legs. If you are like me, a pair of waders generally does not do you much good, as I tend to get wet anyway! Which brings up another useful item when wade fishing – a wading staff. A staff is always a good bet because it enables you to feel a hazardous object before you step into it. A staff is useful for discovering rocks, logs, or holes before you step into them, thus reducing the risk of injury. When selecting a staff, it is a good idea to choose one with a soft tip. By doing so, you will greatly reduce the amount of noise and vibration that is created as the tip of the staff comes into contact with rocks, gravel, etc. This, in turn, will result in fewer spooked fish.

Whether you are fishing for smallmouth, walleye, or any other fish, nothing beats fighting them in a current. I often hear other river fisherman say "I would rather catch fish in a creek or river any day". This is because landing fish in a current adds a whole new degree of difficulty to the sport. Once a lunker bronze back makes a run and gets down stream from you for instance, you better have a lot of faith in your line!

Another advantage to stream and river fishing is that it can really improve your fishing abilities. While conditions in lakes and reservoirs do change regularly, the conditions are never going to be the same twice in a creek or river. The water level will never be the same as it was the last time you were there. Holes may be washed out, or new ones created. Logs may have drifted off or drifted in. The water may be clear, or it may be stained. There are numerous changes that take place constantly in a moving body of water. This demands that a fisherman be adaptive to any given situation. You are not afforded the opportunity to become complacent with an area. I personally believe that if a

person can consistently catch fish under these circumstances that they can catch fish anywhere.

Probably the most exciting thing about wade fishing is that you never know what you are going to catch. You may catch a mixed bag of fish containing everything from rock bass to northern pike.

Wade fishing also enables one to relax and enjoy nature at its finest. Wading in a small stream creates the chance for you to get away from it all and enjoy some quiet time in peaceful surroundings, that is until the creek explodes with a fish on!

Getting to Fish Like The Pros

2007-12-18T13:13:00.001-08:00

Getting to Fish Like The Pros
By: Mike Lundy

If you are like me, you have noticed that some people just catch more fish than others. If you talk to a number of people, you know that it is not just a matter of luck but hard won practice and experience. Countless articles have been written to help people like myself understand the techniques that work. Despite all of this very friendly help, I have so little time on the water, that I was having trouble mastering the art of catching more fish.

Perhaps it is my engineering background, but I just could not let the problem of becoming a better fisherman alone. Maybe I just don't like to lose.

When I studied the experts, I found certain elements in common. One of the common themes in all of the articles I read was to put your bait in the strike zone of the fish. Have you ever asked an expert how they know that their bait is in the strike zone? The answer I got was that they just knew where the bait was, they could just "feel it". And they could! They pictured where the bait was as they retrieved the line.

To me, that was not telling me much. I understood that fish like to be near structure and drop offs. I could use my fish finder and locate the structure. But I'll be darn if I could control my bait to make it do what I wanted it to do when I could not see or "feel" where the bait was during the retrieval.

You have heard the saying "necessity is the mother of invention". I had a need to control where and how deep my bait was during the retrieve. After some thought and a lot of experimentation, I developed a way to let me know where the bait was and exactly how deep I was fishing. The answer came from making a devise that would dispense an exact amount of line measured from the surface of the water. The devise would also allow me to retrieve and "see" right where the bait was as I retrieved the line. With this I could do what the pro's did without the skill level they

have. Since I was able to set a precise depth to within 0.1 feet (1.2 inches), I named my devise the Dial-a-Depth Fishing Float™.

I was able to do three new techniques of fishing to put my bait in the strike zone. When I found fish in a school, I could set the depth and drop my bait right in the middle of the school. I was able to precisely control the depth by setting the dials on the float to the depth where the fish were on my fish finder. This "Controlled Depth" fishing made it easy to put my bait right among the fish. This was great for schooling fish.

The second method was "Controlled Depth Jigging". Once the line was dispensed to the set depth, lifting the rod tip would cause the bait to jig up and down at the precise depth I had set. This gave the bait a life-like action. If I cast into heavy cover such as submerged trees, I was able to set the depth and move my lure near and around the branches. I could see the float and know where my bait was in relationship to the trees. This let me know I was in the strike zone without the superhuman skill of the pros. I also found that I got far fewer snags. When I retrieved the line, the lure would move primarily vertically with a small amount of horizontal motion. This action let my lure jump over branches and avoid the snags that were a common experience before.

Another method I had read about was fishing drop-offs. Here all you had to do was let you bait fall down a drop-off to where the fish were waiting. I saw pictures of just how it works. The problem I had was knowing when my bait was going over the drop-off so I could let the line go slack to let it drop vertically down to the fish. To me this was more magic of the pros who could somehow "see" though the dark water. To solve this problem for a rank amateur like myself, I set my Dial-a-Depth to a depth greater than the depth of the water. That way each time I let the line go slack, my lure would drop to the bottom again. As I retrieved my line, I could see where the float was, and I could see if more line was dispensed when I let it drop back to the bottom. The inertia of the float caused my bait to drop vertically just as though I were right above the drop-off. Once again I had found a method of putting my bait in the strike zone of the fish.

Another attribute of the above methods was that I was able to keep my bait in the strike zone for a longer period while I kept my bait moving. I was able to work larger areas to locate the fish. I was able to compensate for bad casts by maneuvering my Dial-a-Depth float to where I wanted it to go.

In some ways, this method is similar to the new method of drop-shotting with the added advantage of covering more water. I was able to make a worm dance each time I lifted my rod tip. The worm I used would rise and fall in a life-like fashion as it moved slowly back to my boat. This slow retrieval with lots of worm action keeps the bait in the strike zone for long periods of time while I walk it across large areas. I find that this is a great method to locate fish that are biting.

You may think that I have come up with a devise that has an unfair advantage. Frankly, I doubt that I will ever become a pro even with the

Dial-a-Depth Fishing Float™. I have to work too many hours to find the time on the water to master the many other things that must be done to really compete. I have found a way to make my time on the water more productive and more fun. After all, it is sport to me, not a vocation. I fish because I want to have fun, and much of the fun is in the catching. I hope that more amateurs catch more fish using the techniques I have discussed here.

Submitted by,
Mike Lundy, Registered Professional Engineer
Dial-a-Depth Fishing Float™
Wasber Industries

Increase Your Catch with the Lipless Vibrator

2007-12-18T13:12:00.003-08:00

Increase Your Catch with the Lipless Vibrator
(Basic Techniques for the LV Series of Lures from Lucky Craft)
By Jeremiah T. Bagwell

If you have never thrown an LV Series lure from Lucky Craft then chances are you have missed tons of bass. The LV Series is one of the most productive bait lines on the market. With its baitfish looking design and extremely loud rattles the LV Series lures can call bass from the depths of any lake. LV which stands for "Lipless Vibrator" is an understatement. I think this lure should be called the "Lipless Louder than a Dump Truck Driving Over Speed Bumps at 70mph Lure". This lure contains glass and brass rattles that produce a very unique fish attracting sound.

Right out the box the LV Series lures are effective baits that require no after market modifications. Each bait comes standard with a high performance split ring to ensure that the bait runs true cast after cast. It also prevents anglers from tying their knots directly on the split in the ring which would cause line breakage. These spectacular lures also come from the factory with super sharp treble hooks that can withstand the abuse from catching hundreds and hundreds of fish.

When selecting the color and size of bait to use I go by a very simple rule of thumb. This rule is just my own personal opinion and should not be viewed as the only "right" way to chose colors and sizes. When the sky is overcast or the water is overly stained I tend to use a gold colored bait. On sunny days or in clear water situations I go for silver bait. My two favorite colors of LV Series baits are Aurora Gold and American Shad.

These particular colors add a little bonus to the standard gold and silver baits. They appear to have almost a holographic design that refracts light and produces multiple colors at the same time. Three time Bass-Masters Classic qualifier and Lucky Craft Prostaff member Mike Auten would tend to agree with my method for bait color selection. While speaking with Mike he told me that on cloudy days he prefers to use painted baits that don't offer much reflection. He said the paint itself will refract any available light and make the bait more visible to the fish. On sunny days Mike prefers to use chrome colored bait that will reflect the sunlight through the water.

As far as choosing which size bait to use, 99% of the time I will throw the 7/16 ounce LV 100. If the fish seem to be a little finicky I will then downsize to a 1/4 ounce LV 70. On days it seems only the smaller fish will take the smaller baits or if I simply need to get the bait down deeper on my retrieve I will then tie on a 3/4 ounce LV 500. For those of you just starting out I would recommend buying the 7/16 ounce size. This is an all around good size that will allow you to get comfortable with the bait and at the same time build up your confidence level. Once you gain that all important, confidence in the bait by all means feel free to buy all three sizes in a variety of colors.

When it comes to retrieval speeds and techniques involved with the LV Series, I have no set in stone formula for choosing which one to use. I simply try one for a while and if it doesn't produce I simply switch it up a little. Usually I will begin with a fairly quick tempo retrieve with a few quick jerks thrown in to add erratic movement to the bait. I will also use what I call the "side to side" and "up and down" retrieval methods. These techniques are as simple as their names. As the name implies when using the "up and down" method I will simply move my rod tip up and down at a relatively slow rate. This will change the depth at which the bait is running just a little bit with each movement. With the "side to side" technique I move the rod tip from my left to my right and then back again at a slower rate. This will allow the bait to have a little variance in its course of travel.

Although these techniques seem very minor and on the verge of being dumb, they can in fact put a lot more fish in the livewell. The easiest way to explain my logic behind these simple methods is to just ask yourself "when the last time was that you saw a baitfish in your favorite lake swim in a perfectly straight line?" Now you understand my methodology don't you? Another retrieval method I use is too simply "burn" the bait through the water. There have been several cases where I will find a warm pocket of very muddy water containing a large number of bass. Usually when I come across this situation, I can only get those fish to strike the bait by

casting as far as I can over the pocket and reeling the bait in as fast as I can crank. When I mentioned that point to Mike Auten he said well that just goes to show you that fish are going hit what they want and not just what they are supposed to want.

Throughout the course of my conversation with Pro Angler Mike Auten he told me some of his favorite techniques and times to use the Lucky Craft LV Series lures. Mike said that the LV Series is great search bait because; you can cover a lot of water with the lure. He said he likes to fish the bait on large flats, flats that have a lot of grass on them and a variety of other applications. He also stated that the LV Series lures would stay in the strike zone a lot longer than other baits. Mike also reiterated the fact to me that it is very important to stay in contact with the cover you are fishing. Whether it is grass or lay downs try to keep the bait as close to that cover as you can get it. It is also very important to bump the cover as frequently as possible.

I agreed whole-heartedly with Mike Auten when he said that in his opinion the LV Series of baits from Lucky Craft is great bait even for beginners. This series of lures is easy to use and will catch an abundance of fish. Give this bait a try and I am positive you will soon find yourself in bass fishing heaven.

Jig Fishing Techniques

2007-12-18T13:12:00.001-08:00

Jig Fishing Techniques
by Steve vonBrandt
Today's soft plastic lure market is booming with new styles and colors of baits, but when you are looking for the biggest bite of the day, the fish that consistently win tournaments; then anglers in the know go to the bait that has been proven over time to catch the biggest bass; the venerable jig-and-pig.

20 years ago, this bait was reserved for the sluggish bass, or for fishing in the heaviest cover, or for bottom fishing techniques. Today, this bait is being used at all times of the year, in a variety of different fashions.

This bait has remained relatively the same over the past 30 years. It has gone through

some cosmetic changes, such as better hooks, livelier skirts, and a broader spectrum of colors and sizes, along with plastic trailers, which enable a wider variety of color options, but this bait, dressed with either plastic or pork, continues to catch bigger bass when other baits fail. Because of the popularity of the flipping technique used by most of the veteran anglers today, the jig has remained among the most popular baits in many anglers tackle boxes. Because of so many recreational anglers concentrating on the flipping technique, the jig's universal effectiveness has been overlooked.

Many people have forgotten that casting a jig is an effective technique also. The jig can be presented at a lot of different depths and around a variety of structure. You are really limiting yourself if you only focus on the flipping aspect of it. Many times during the summer months, we have come in behind other anglers flipping obvious targets, or casting more traditional summer lures, and we have caught bass making roll casts, looking for isolated pieces of cover that other anglers have missed.

DIFFERENT SIZES
Jig sizes have changed in recent years, along with skirt material and colors. The 3/8 ounce size remains the most popular, with smaller versions are being used more and more with great success. The smaller finesse type of jigs are much more effective in clear water, while the heavier, bulky versions are great for fishing stained to muddy water. Not that the heavier jig isn't effective in some shallower, open water, but a more compact 1/2 ounce bait is more effective. This is especially true when fishing some of the finger lakes of New York State, or any of the waters where smallmouth bass are also present. The heavier jig is more effective when the bass are aggressive, as it allows you to fish it faster and cover more water. When the fish are suspended, or you need to keep it in the strike zone longer, the lighter jig is more effective.

We always keep experimenting with several sizes, letting the bass tell us what they want. In the summer months, when we swim the jig around boat docks, we opt for the lighter 1/4 ounce size, with a plastic trailer, to imitate a crawfish or baitfish. Swimming the jig is a very effective technique that is overlooked by many weekend anglers. Most small jigs don't have a big enough hook to handle quality bass, which is why we use a Strike King Bitsy Bug. We have been using this bait since 1998, when we had great success with it in several local tournaments in cold water as well as in the summer. The Bitsy Bug has a bigger hook than most, and it handles larger bass well. In warmer, clear water, we like to use a grub or swimming worm as a trailer, this is very effective when you are trying to imitate a crawfish. In colder, or more

stained to muddy waters, we like a bulkier trailer, as they displace more water and make it easier for the bass to home in on the bait.

The design of the jighead is another thing you have to think about. They need to be matched to the type of cover you are fishing. A jig that has a head that is more pointed, with its eyelet coming out of the front rather than the top, is going to pull through weeds better than a broad shouldered jig. We like to use a Jungle Jig, by Northland for this. This is one of the jigs that helped us win the Big Bass World Championship several times. It was very effective here in the Northeast, in some of the heavier, weedy cover. When we fish around rocks and wood, we use a jig with more shoulders to help stop it sometimes. Many companies make this type of football or stand up jig, which is great for these situations. When you pull it over an object, the jig tips, adding more action. We have used these jigs effectively on many of New Jersey's reservoirs such as Spruce Run. You must also match the size of the line to the size of the jig hook you are using. A heavy-duty jig hook requires a stronger hook set, so you need heavier line to handle it.

Of course, it helps to know when you're getting a bite. Big bass really thump a jig with the same vigor they do a plastic worm, and many other strikes are felt simply as spongy sensation, or just like you're dragging weeds. That's why it is important to set the hook on anything that feels unnatural, it could be weeds, or it could be a 7 pounder!

JIG COLORS
While a black and blue jig seem to be the favorite, we like to match jig colors to the water conditions. A dark colored jig with a big crawfish trailer, moving on the bottom, does a great job imitating a crawfish, but a white jig swimming over cover and around boat docks does a good job of imitating a baitfish. This is great when bass want a slower presentation, or when you can't fish a crankbait or jerkbait with ease. Many times when bass are feeding on shad, but want a slower presentation than a spinnerbait, this is the best choice. It can also catch the bigger bass, that are ignoring the spinnerbait.

We like the plastic trailers in the summer months, and the pork in the winter. Pork is more pliable in cold water, while plastic gets stiff. In places where many anglers cast tubes or small finesse worms, such as clear water flats, we cast jigs in neutral colors, and catch bigger bass. Many times when bass ignore other baits, the jig will trigger a strike. This is also a great bait for night fishing.

Local Hangouts

2007-12-18T13:11:00.001-08:00

Local Hangouts
by Steve vonBrandt
All experienced anglers know that on specific bodies of water, there are always certain spots that produce the best bass year after year. When you have fished your best spot, and it is unproductive, do you move to another spot, or stay there hoping for the bass that you know are there to start hitting?

In my 35 years of experience, I have found that you should leave a reliable spot only after you have tried your best, with a variety of time proven baits. This has been proven to me over and over, on a variety of Lakes and Rivers in the country. More times than I can remember, we came right in behind another angler and caught bass

right out of the area that they just worked with only one bait, and moved on.

The top places to catch bass on almost any lake in the country are Docks, Sloping Gravel/Sand Points, Shoreline Drop-offs, and Dense Cover near deep water.

The dense cover such as hyacinth, milfoil, Hydrilla, different varieties of pads, reeds and other grasses, are one of the best areas to big bass. The drop-offs with rocky, sandy, and/or gravel points running into deeper water, with some other structure mixed in at the ends of the points, seems best, and of course boat docks and piers. Never overlook the docks and piers. We have had many a slow day on the Sassafras and Nanticoke, only to switch lures and presentations, in the marinas and boat docks, and catch that one kicker fish or sometimes the biggest bass of the day.

If you check most any pro bass fisherman's outfits, you will usually see these 5 lures tied on, (provided you can get a look at them). They will be a buzzbait, a crankbait, a spinnerbait, a Carolina and/or Drop-Shot rig, and a Jig. There will be many other rods, and other lures ready to use but, these are the mainstay of baits for most any situation in the country. The following strategies should help you thoroughly cover the water from top to bottom.

DROP-OFF SHORES / GRAVEL POINTS
I always look at the way the land around the lake goes into the water. That land usually continues out into the water the same way. Move to within about 25-35 feet from shore, and cast directly to the area with a buzzbait, cutting the water like a piece of pie, over and over, at different speeds and angles. Next, cast the spinnerbait against the shore and work the area at different depths and speeds. Then do the same thing with the crankbait. I use a deep diver for this so it can get down quickly and bounce off rocks, sand, stumps, on the bottom, or mid-depth. I then cast the same area with a Carolina rig, with a French Fry worm, a cut-tail worm, or a Senko. I change boat positions often to work this and the other baits at many angles to the drop-off shore. I stair-step the jig down any rock ledges, and crawl/hop it down the edge of the point where it meets deeper water. I use a smaller Terminator jig for this. On the Gravel/Sandy points, I do the same thing as when I'm Drop-off shores. The color of the water should dictate what color baits to use. If the water is muddy, use louder baits, in black,black/red, Black/Brown combinations; if the water is clear, I pick more natural colors for the baits, and a less noisy model.

DENSE COVER
This is my favorite type of cover to work. First I cast a buzzbait wherever possible, working it in and out of cover at varies angles and retrieves. When the water is really calm, I throw a real small buzzbait that works very slowly on the surface. I have clear skirts, pearl skirts, and other subtle natural colors that I can easily switch. I then throw the spinnerbait, working it in and out of the pockets in the pads, making it turn quickly, then flutter down, and even bulge the surface. I work it a variety of ways until the bass dictate what they want to me. When in the River I make sure I bump into every limb of the tree with the bait at every angle before going to the next bait. If

they don't hit a Fat bodied crankbait around the edges, or dead sticked in the open pockets, then I switch to a Tournament Frog, or Rat, and work this in a variety of conventional and unconventional ways. If this is a good area, and I don't get any hits with these baits, then I would throw the Carolina rig and the jig around the edges of the cover, and right into any pockets in the cover.

DOCKS
These areas always produced for us on sunny days, whether it was in the river or a lake, especially in the summer and early fall. You should approach the docks quietly, and start to work them from farther away with each lure type. Only when they don't hit these other baits first, should you then move in with the jig and Senko, and flip each piling on the dock, then skip the Senko under the dock as far as possible. There are many more tactics you could try if you aren't getting any takers from your best spots, but these are the basics that you should practice every time you go to get into the habit of doing these things. It will become second nature, and you will notice the results in your local or club tournament wins, or your recreational fun.

Wintertime Flatties

2007-12-17T14:06:00.001-08:00

Wintertime Flatties

The January and February ban on catching rockfish produced a nice surprise for Southern California anglers. Traditionally the winter months has sent the sportfishing industry out onto the deepwater banks in search of the tasty rockfish mainly because there was nothing else to fish for. Apparently, the ever abundant rockfish are in a state of decline so the moratorium was enacted. The new law states that anglers cannot catch or possess rockfish during the months of January and February. This really bent the sportfishing industry out of shape. Rockfish has always been the winter time savior for the sportboats and many landings thought they would go broke. Not so! Somebody found the halibut biting with reckless abandon.

Halibut have always disappeared in the winter time. At least that's what everybody thought. A sportboat skipper took a group of anglers into deeper waters for a fishing trip and found the halibut biting like crazy. The rest is history as every sportboat in the area is now drifting across the areas in search of the flatties. One of the clues to this discovery was the endless line of gill nets that spread for miles in the 10 to 20 fathom stretches. We all knew they were netting some halibut but really had no idea as to how many. Anglers are catching and releasing hundreds of halibut a day. One fish in 20 will stretch the 22 inches necessary by law and the fishermen are literally wading through them. But the new fishery has answered some interesting questions about the halibut habitat and introduced some new tackle techniques.

Historically, halibut fishing has always been done through the spring, summer and fall months. They were known to be located in the coastal shallow waters, some just behind the breaker line. This winter the fish are being caught from 50 to 100 feet deep. So it appears that the flatties do not disappear in the winter but move out into deeper water. This depth range seems to be the magical and each day might find the butts at a different depth level within that range. When the skippers finds that level they try to maintain all their fishing at that depth for the days fishing. The next day it may be deeper or shallower but usually not less than 50 feet. I suspect the depth level doesn't change for finding the butts anywhere along the coast. At Catalina the 100 foot level occurs less than 1/2 mile off the shore. In Santa Monica Bay it's about 2 miles off shore. In the Los Angeles area it's about 6 miles out. Anyway, catching halibut at 100 feet can be very difficult for a sportboat loaded with 50 passengers. If you fish from a sportboat take along some heavy sinkers. Remember that all the passengers will be on one side of the boat, all dragging the bottom with at least 3 ounce sinkers. You can escape many tangles by using a heavier sinker than the other anglers. The heavier sinker will keep your bait inside of all the others as you drift along and besides that, your bait will pass over a halibut before your competitor's bait arrives. If the wind is up I can't tell you how difficult it is to land a 20 lb flattie. I would suggest that you use no less than 12 pound test line and 15 pound if the wind is up.

All the sportboat skippers are recommending the use of two hook tandems or fish traps. I really believe that a halibut of legal size doesn't miss taking the bait and you really don't need a tandem. The little ones are mostly caught by the second hook. This is difficult to prove but I have seen large 20 lb flatties inhale a bait in some of my diving adventures. They do it so quick and with such force you will miss the action if you blink. The small boat angler can fish the deep water much easier than the sportboats. He has the ability to slow the drift with the use of a sea anchor. He can quickly turn the boat into the wind and chase the giant halibut, and further the anglers have more space to work in by not being jammed together. Finally he can anchor quickly over an area

where the butts suddenly attack all the baits.
One of my favorite tricks is to take a GPS bearing on an area that sustains numerous bites by the butts. Later, return to that spot and anchor. Halibut are never alone. When you get a lot of bait stops it means many halibut are ambushing the area your bait slid over. By remaining stationary on the anchor you can methodically work the area for 360 degrees using smaller weight sinkers and and much lighter line. I like to cast out as far as possible and inch the bait back. If no strike occurs cast out in a different direction working the entire area, foot by foot. When the area has been completely tested I pull the anchor and start the drift again, Slip sinkers both egg and torpedo seem to be what the anglers like. The sinkers are blocked from sliding down onto the hook with a pinched on split shot or an attached swivel. The leader is about 2 feet to 3 feet long. Hook size should fit the bait.

This season the predominant bait has been sardines. They are very large baits and you can use up to 5/0 size hooks. Lately there has been a trend to treble hooks which work very well but are brutal to a small fish that needs releasing. By far the most popular rig is the fish trap. This device is tied by placing a selective hook a short distance in front of a treble tied on at the end of the line. The latest fish trap is tied together with a small wire connecting the two hooks. I like to use a simple dropper leader with a chrome sinker on the end. The guys in Santa Monica Bay tie up their terminal tackle in this manner, so it must be suitable because they really catch the fish. The important part of this technique, explained to me once by an old veteran, is to tie in the dropper as long as the distance from the knot to the sinker. If you have a 2 foot dropper the distance from the sinker to the knot must also be 2 feet. Don't ask me why. Maybe the sinker bouncing along the bottom scares the struggling bait in such a way as to attract the butts. Knots are important. Jed Welch came up with a knot that allows the front hook on a fish trap to be adjusted up and down to fit the bait length. This way you can hook the bait in the tail and then slide the front hook to a perfect entry through the baits nose.

A barrel knot or a surgeons knot can be used for the leader, but if you use the surgeon knot it's best to have both lines of equal breaking strength. With different test lines the smaller test lines seem to break off easily with the the surgeons knot, especially if the smaller test is tied into the standing line. Also if you use the surgeons knot tie the hook to the standing line and place the sinker on the addition. Be kind to the halibut. Even though there is a minimum of 22 inches, the fish is still very small. If you already have a nice flattie, throw-em all back. One large butt produces more meat per pound than any fish swimming. By the way, when you measure a butt make sure his mouth is closed.

Basics Tactics & Techniques of Winter Gulf Fishing

2007-12-17T14:05:00.002-08:00

Basics Tactics & Techniques of Winter Gulf Fishing
By Captain Dave Pinkham

The fishing action out on the Gulf this past week was actually pretty good on the days we able to get out. Bottom fishing continues to be one of the best plans to consistently produce fish, with groupers and snappers being the main targets. There has also been a decent showing of black-tip sharks offshore in the 50' to 65' deep range. Most of the sharks have been

averaging in size anywhere from 30 to 70 pounds. These black-tip sharks put up a heck of a fight, and are an exciting addition to a day of fishing out on the Gulf of Mexico. The sharks seem to be drawn to the smell of cut bait such as the sardines we've been using for bottom fishing.

When planning a day of fishing out on the Gulf here are a few tips to help you plan a smooth and safe trip. Before heading out on the Gulf always check out the weather forecast. The weather can change for the worst in a hurry. Also before venturing out on the Gulf make sure your boat is ship-shape and that you have all required Coast Guard equipment on board. Make sure you have a working compass, a good anchor set-up, a VHF marine radio, 1st aid kit, navigation equipment such as loran or GPS, fish finder, and a good working live bait well. It's also advisable to have an up to date list of fish regulations and a ruler to measure your catch.

Before leaving the dock have a trip plan and let someone you know, (preferably someone that loves you) know what your plan is. Of course wind and sea conditions, water clarity, and what fish you're going after will play into this plan.

Always consider the variables in the elements such as tides, barometric pressures, and the solunar tables when heading out to catch fish. As fronts approach fish will often feed. Be sure to monitor the marine radio throughout the day for changing weather and sea conditions. Don't waste too much time in muddy water conditions.

Being proficient at anchoring down over hot spots plays a major role in wintertime fishing on the Gulf. Obviously the more you anchor down your boat over your fishing holes, the better you will get at it. Your anchor set-up should consist of a good setting anchor backed up with a 6' to 8' piece of chain. Don't be skimpy on your anchor rope. I carry a full spool, which by the way is 600'. Be sure to carry a couple of marker jugs to mark the honey hole when you see it on your fish finder. I also carry a float ball with a clip ring to float my anchor as I may pull the anchor half a dozen times on one fishing trip. Try to anchor the boat out in front of the where you think the structure and the fish are located. You can always let out rope to drop back.

Be sure to bring several different weight rod and reel combos. This will allow you to target different species and sizes of fish. Often when the fish are slow to bite, gearing down to lighter tackle will turn things around in your favor. Keep terminal rigs as light as possible. When bottom fishing in the winter months natural baits usually are the most productive.

To locate new areas pick a calm day and go searching for new bottom with your fish finder. This is a great time for trolling. When you see an area that looks promising, note it and return later for a closer look. Carry several marker jugs to mark new spots. When you do find good bottom check out the surrounding area as rock bottom will often spread around the general area. Seeing a turtle at the surface will often indicate hard bottom below.

Courtesy while fishing is very important. It is a no-no to pull close to a boat that is at anchor fishing. You may ask what's too close? If you're within shouting distance you're way too close! Buzzing someone to get his or her fishing hole coordinates is not cool! The exception to this rule would be fishing around the artificial reefs, or known wrecks. When fishing or diving around these locations idle speeds are encouraged for the safety of all. Please handle all fish to be released carefully. The idea is to get the fish back in the water as quickly as possible. This will greatly increase their chance of survival.

If you're not out fishin, you're wishin you were. Get out and go fishin cuz" it's good fer ya!

Capt. Dave Pinkham has been a fishing guide on the Southwest Coast of Florida for more than 20 years. His Deep-Sea Charter-Boat "LEGACY" is based at Dona Bay Marina in Nokomis, one mile from Venice Inlet. For Gulf of Mexico fishing charter information call (941) 473-4603, or visit Capt. Dave's web page at, www.charter-boatfishing.com

WINTER FISHING

2007-12-17T14:05:00.001-08:00

"WINTER FISHING -
PARTY BOAT STYLE"

To a boat owner, the approach of the holidays spells the end of the fishing season here in the northeast. Thoughts of delightful days on the water are replaced by concerns of winterizing the boat to protect it from the elements of the harsh winter to come. For me, this used to be a sad time, sort of like parting with a good friend. A few years ago, however, I discovered that I could still enjoy the rewards of a day of fishing all through the winter season. I discovered that fishing for cod on one of the local party boats was a lot of fun and very rewarding. Party boat fishing for cod in the winter is not at all like

drifting for fluke on a balmy day in July. As such, it requires some important preparation. Protection from the cold ranks high on the priority list. If one would also hope to bag a few tasty cod to grace the holiday table, then some thought should be given to tactics and tackle. Living in Babylon, I find it most convenient to patronize the boats at Captree. I have found that familiar faces and the development of a rapport with the captain, crew and regular customers from one area or boat is most valuable.

As for choosing a boat to sail with, I suggest trying a couple of different boats at the beginning. Each boat has its own particular style and attributes. When you find one that is comfortable for you, patronize that boat as a regular. Remember that it is a business in which regular customers are valued highly. Crews are more willing to go the extra distance for a regular customer. While on the subject of crews, their regular salary is nothing to brag about. They depend upon tips to make a descent day's pay. Winter weather is an important consideration in planning a trip. During this time of year, windless, warm and dry days are almost unheard of, and a certain amount of discomfort is to be expected. However, to board a boat when the forecast calls for winds in excess of 20 mph., temperatures below 20 degrees, and a possibility of sleet or snow is asking for trouble. For these reasons, I avoid long range plans. I listen to the forecasts and wait for the right day, usually finalizing my plan the night before. Concerning proper dress, the rule is light but warm. Layers of lighter weight clothing provide warmth without restricting movement. A quality set of lightweight thermal underwear, such as made by Helly Hansen, warm street clothes and a set of coveralls containing thinsulate is usually sufficient for basic warmth. Insulated waterproof boots and gloves are a must, as is a heavy duty set of foul weather gear for when conditions get sloppy or for added warmth. Don't forget that a great amount of body heat is lost from an uncovered head, so a quality woolen watchcap that can be pulled down over the ears is also in order. In addition, winter seas are usually lumpy even on windless days, so take the normal precautions to prevent seasickness.

Well, how about catching fish? In my experience, I have found that two rules pay off with fish most often. Keep terminal tackle to a minimum and get it where the other guys aren't. The first part is easy. I use a single 7/0 cod style snelled hook attached to a dropper loop three feet above a sinker just heavy enough to hold bottom under the prevailing conditions. I thread on a single skimmer clam, hooking it through the hard tissue several times and running it on up the shank of the hook. This is all that I use, and I have been high hook on the boat a number of times.

The process of getting your bait to be in the most productive spot can actually begin long before the boat leaves the dock. What I am referring to is getting a prime position from which to fish. Since this is a first come first pick affair, it might require arriving at the boat an hour or two before sailing time. I consider the stern quarter to be the best position on the boat. From this position a number of factors are in your favor. Underhand casting can be directed both to the side and astern, thus covering more territory. Baits fished astern from a boat at anchor will not be dragged by currents and are usually the first to be encountered by cod moving up current to the smells of these offerings. Your fishing line also will not run under the boat as it undergoes its normal shifting from side to side. If a stern position is not available, I would take the bow as my second choice. This area provides a degree of advantage similar to the stern, and in addition, is usually not too crowded.

What kind of tackle should you use? My suggestion is to keep it as light as possible but of high quality. Large metal spool reels just cannot cast the distance necessary. Heavy line inhibits casting and requires an excessive amount of sinker weight in order to stay put on the bottom. Double hook rigs with three skimmers on each again restrict

casting and are prone to move in the current. I have never been outfished by someone employing such gear or techniques. I use a Penn 970 reel, as it is compact but strong and made for casting. In addition, it has a high speed retrieve, and a very smooth drag system. Many people laugh when they see this reel being used for cod, especially when it is spooled with only 25 lb. test line. It has caught 40lb. cod and for that matter 40lb. striped bass with no problems in the past. I do splice in a ten foot section of 40lb. mono to the terminal end of my running line in order to prevent breakage of the lighter line at the hook and sinker connection. For a rod, I use an eight foot fast taper medium-heavy blank, preferably graphite. I utilize a minimum of guides and only cork tape on the butt section to which I tape on the reel using a number of wraps of electrical tape. This keeps the outfit light and allows placement of the reel so as to allow for the best casting leverage. With this combination, I can easily cast 75-100 feet and thus get my bait out there all alone and looking good for the first hungry codfish that swims toward the boat.

Good Fishing, Capt. Al Lorenzetti © Al Lorenzetti 1995

UPDATING OLD LORAN TD’S

2007-12-17T14:04:00.002-08:00

UPDATING OLD LORAN TD’S
TO GPS LAT/LON
Fishermen are facing a big problem; the government will probably shut down the LORAN system within the next few years. GPS or Global Positioning System will then be the only navigation system in operation. Before that time, all LORAN fixes in TD’s (time differences) must be converted to the GPS system which uses LAT/LON (latitude and longitude). A number of difficulties exist in the conversion process. Every fisherman has a collection of LORAN fixes for favorite fishing holes, wrecks etc.. With LORAN, these spots could be relocated with an accuracy of about 30 ft. using pre-established

TD’s originally set on the same machine. When the LORAN system fixes a position it does so in TD’s and converts these to LAT/LON mathematically. The LAT/LON values calculated cannot be expected to be accurate to the degree required to find a small wreck or fishing spot. The user therefore cannot simply transfer this information to the GPS memory and expect it to be useful. It will get you to the general neighborhood but be off by up to 100 meters. Not very good if you are looking for a small piece of wreckage in a big body of water.

The other problem that exists is that the GPS signals are purposely degraded by the military for national security with something called Selective Availability or SA. With this system working, GPS fixes can be off up to 100 meters. They are usually much better than this figure but 30 meters is about the best obtainable. This error may vary in any direction at any given time and is obviously much too great for precise location. The public and GPS manufacturers have been raising a stink and the government has said they are considering removing the SA degradation. If they do, GPS without SA has a working error with satellite fixes of up to 30 meters. This is still not as good as the loran system could fix a position in TD’s. In addition, you can bet if there is any military action, the SA feature would be turned back on. They couldn’t care less if you could not find your favorite honey hole for a day of fishing.

The answer to this dilemma is DGPS or Differential Global Positioning System. This system uses an additional set of broadcast stations that are land based. These stations send out signals that continuously add corrections to the GPS fixes. It requires the use of a small secondary receiver unit and antenna called a "Differential" or DGPS. This unit attaches to an already existing GPS unit that has "Differential" capability. Almost all GPS units include this feature. With a DGPS operating, fixes of less than 10 meters are guaranteed and 5 meters are common with just average price range units. This kind of accuracy is even better than loran. Some higher priced DGPS units can guarantee fixes within only a few centimeters! Getting back to the original problem of converting LORAN fixes to GPS, the only sure method is to run both LORAN and GPS units side by side. Relocate your old favorite fishing spot using your loran and then store that position in your GPS unit while using the DGPS. Once saved in this way, the fixes will be absolutely accurate and repeatable and even more precise than your old LORAN numbers. In addition, these new DGPS numbers will be just as accurate if used by another person using DGPS. In other words, you can share your spots with others or may get new fixes from friends but only if they were originally determined using DGPS.

Copyright: © Al Lorenzetti 1997 Published in "The Fire Island News" 1997

A Tale Of Two Bass Fishermen

2007-12-17T14:04:00.001-08:00

A Tale Of Two Bass Fishermen
Otherwise known as:
"THE DAY OF THE BIG BASS"
By: Captain Al Lorenzetti

"It was the best of times, it was the worst of times". Sound familiar? Well, this story has a little of both to be told. I could not tell the story of how I caught a 65 pound striped bass without there being a moral or a few lessons attached. That would be too much like bragging!

It began like one of the many fishing adventures that Len Lapsys and I have had since we have known each other. The weather was good and the anticipation for tangling with stripers was high. Our juices were flowing, we

were excited, just like kids in a candy store.

The fishing had been good and steadily improving over the last two weeks before that late October day. We had great expectations! We were loaded with excellent live bait, a dozen blackfish and at least four dozen eels. Little did I expect that this would all be needed. How happy I am that it was not eleven blackfish!

We began fishing near the inlet, on the ebbing tide, early that morning and immediately were into fish. About half the fish we were catching were legal keeper size of 36 inches. We released all these fish waiting for a big one. We had our hearts set on catching a good sized fish, one of at least 30 pounds or more. We were having a great time, enjoying all the action and glad to see the great numbers of bass that at one time had been so scarce.

This enjoyable situation did not last long, and rapidly degenerated into a nerve wracking experience. As the number of boats increased with the late risers entering into the scene, the mugging as I call it, became unbearable.

Mugging on the water is no doubt a lot more common than in our inner cities. Instead of taking your money or pocketbook, the fish muggers take away your opportunity to fish as you would like to, in a spot that you found first. Muggers do not do very much on their own. They certainly do not invest any of their time in finding a productive area where they can fish on their own. They position themselves where they see some boats and usually search with their binoculars to spot a fish being caught. Sometimes they will stop nearby and ogle you as if you were naked, waiting for you to do something that they might be able to copy. They then run right up to the boat that is catching the fish and casually drop in, close enough to have a conversation in whisper tones. They also will usually run directly over the fish, spooking them, instead of circling the area when returning to make a new drift. They are prone to short drift, dropping in on the down-tide side of your boat, so they can pass over the productive spot first. These people would probably not stare in public or invade someone's private space, but on the water they seem to think it is perfectly acceptable to be obnoxious. Sometimes I really can't keep from laughing at their foolish attempt to appear casual. In general, when this happens, things get chaotic, and fishing becomes a lot less fun.

On this particular day it was worse than ever. Although fish were being caught in several of the productive inlet areas, whenever I would move to escape the muggers and explore other promising areas, they would follow with a vengeance.

At one point that day, near the end of the ebbing tide, I dropped a small marker buoy to help me align my drift. I will sometimes do this during increasing or decreasing tide flow, when the wind is blowing across the line of the drift. These conditions make it particularly difficult to line up a drift so that the boat will pass directly over what is usually a small productive piece of bottom. On each successive drift the tidal force is changing and the wind will effect the direction of drift to some varying degree. This is common during the last hour and first hour of a tide. With a small marker buoy and a little use of the boat engine, a close pass can usually be accomplished.

I should have known better than to attempt this maneuver, but I figured that moving a good distance away from all the boats, to an area that was quiet, would get me some breathing space. I dropped my marker near a small ledge that I knew had produced fish in the past and proceeded to make some short drifts near it. Len and I each caught a fish on the second pass and marked a good bunch on the video recorder. Within five minutes however, the boats descended upon us like a pack of wolves. They surrounded us, drifted over my buoy, fouled it in their lines, and dragged it all over the place. As a result of the commotion I am sure, the big body of fish I had marked, moved from the area. I moved too!

The reality of that day and just about any other day during the peak of the bass run, is that there are fish in many spots. Almost every move that I made produced fish. Some of the places that were productive, were places I had never previously tried, others were old honey holes. Finding the fish is a very big part of the excitement of bass fishing. The bass mugger never allows himself the opportunity for this enjoyment. There is a lesson to be learned; you don't have to fish where everybody else is fishing in order to catch fish. When you do catch in your own spot, you will appreciate and enjoy it much more.

Another observation I have made over the years is that the big fish tend to group together and, the biggest of the big feed first. This is the other great advantage to finding new spots, moving from place to place, and being the first to fish a given area. When I am bass fishing, I am always looking for the big fish. If I catch a small fish or two, I will move, looking for the bigger ones. When I find them, the biggest one is usually caught first. I guess they are the best at what they do, that's how they got so big. On that day I moved more than I would have liked to, but as it turned out, it worked out for the best.

When the tide shifted to incoming, the flood, many boats headed for home. I guess someone told them that bass only feed on the ebbing tide. The same person probably told them where to fish. When the tide changed and the fishing stopped in that spot, it probably never occurred to them that another spot might produce more fish. Most likely they just didn't want to spend some of their own time learning about the ways of the bass. Instant gratification of the unearned type permeates our society.

Len and I decided that we would not quit until we had caught a big fish, ran out of bait, or ran out of energy. I continued to keep moving, trying all likely areas, but now not impeded by the opportunists that were so numerous earlier in the day. At this point, it was really Len's spirit and determination that kept us going. He is as dedicated and accomplished at the art of fishing as one could ever be. Len knows that patience usually pays big dividends. He is willing to stick it out through the slow times because experience has taught him that better times will come. "Paying your dues", "Putting in your time", these expressions are the hallmark of the successful and fulfilled fisherman. Onward we went!

It was after about two hours of no action, no marks on the machine, and ready to make the proverbial last drift, that we hit the mother lode. On the first drift through the area, we both had runoffs. On the second drift and every one after for the next two hours, we were into a fish. These fish however, were not the average size fish that we were catching all season and earlier that day, most of them were large, 25 to 35 pounds. In keeping with my philosophy, one of the first fish caught in that spot was a good keeper. I put it on my hand scale and it registered 38 pounds. Len decided he wanted to keep it but it would not fit in my aft fish box. We laid it on the deck and kept it wet during all the hot action that followed.

Not knowing how big a fish we would boat or how long the action would last made it difficult to resist the temptation to keep our second fish which would then fill our limit. We were determined however to not take anything short of a real trophy. I am sure that several fish we released were over the 40 pound mark. At this point the tide was easing up, and we were running out of bait. Eels were the hot bait that day and we had run out. Between the bluefish chop-off and other normal attrition, we were at that point down to two live blackfish. As the tide slowed to a crawl, the action died. Was it over? Was that it for a great day of fishing? Of course not, we still had two baits left!

I decided to push our luck and try one last spot before calling it quits. We still had bait and room for one more fish so we made a move and dropped in another spot, once again all alone and with beautiful drifting conditions. As soon as my bait, blackfish number twelve, hit the bottom, I had a strong pick-up and runoff. I struck the fish to set the hook and pulled the bait from its mouth. I could tell from the resistance on the line that the bait was still on the hook, so I immediately dropped back line, free-spooling the reel to allow the blackfish to stand still near the fish I just missed. In a couple of seconds it paid off as I was again picked up with a strong take and tremendous runoff. I struck, and this time set the hook in the fish. At the same time, Len got hung in the bottom. My fish took a nonstop run for the shallows near the beach. In fact, the fish nearly beached itself and was thrashing about, half submerged in about six inches of water, trying to shake the hook. He had stripped about seventy five yards of line from my Penn 25 GLS reel. Before I could concentrate on this fish which I knew had to be a good size, I had to try to save Len's bait, which was hung on bottom. I tried to maneuver the boat to free it but we ended up breaking it off. So much for any more fishing after we hopefully boated my fish.

I slowly worked the fish toward the boat from the deep water where it ran after the beach routine did not work. I knew the fish was big, and I had my hopes up for at least the upper forties and maybe, if the Gods were smiling, a fifty pounder. When the fish broke water about fifty feet behind the boat and then sounded again, its tail came completely out of the water. It looked like a broom! I new then it was really big. I told Len to get the big gaff and be ready. I finally worked the fish to the side of the boat, and we were both astounded at the size of the fish. I knew immediately it was at least fifty pounds. Len, having always seen me lip gaffing bass so they could be released and being used to lip gaffing big tarpon he fishes down south, naturally went to lip gaff the fish in its huge gaping mouth. He managed to get hold of a good bit of tissue and started to haul the fish over the side. As all of the weight of the fish came to bear on the gaff, it tore free and the fish fell back into the water. I had the instant realization that the fish would probably break off. Experience paid off as I immediately dropped the tip of the rod deep into the water to give me the split second required to disengage the drag and thumb the spool. This allowed a controlled drop-back and prevented the 25 pound test Ande line from snapping, which it would have if it had come taut. I once again slowly worked the fish to the boat, and this time we successfully gaffed and boated the fish.

When we laid the fish on the deck next to the 38 pounder we had caught earlier, it dwarfed that fish. I tried my fifty pound scale, and it smacked hard against the bottom. Len and I were both overjoyed. We had put together the finest bass fishing day of both our lives. We had more than achieved our goals for the day and for the season, despite the earlier adversities of the day. We had hung in there and kept looking, trying on our own, and being successful and rewarded all day for out efforts. We had caught our trophy fish, used up all of our bait and run out of energy doing it. It was a great adventure shared between good friends. It doesn't get any better!

Good Fishing,
Capt. Al Lorenzetti
http://www.skimmeroutdoors.com

Eagles

2007-12-14T11:43:00.002-08:00

It's time again for Arizona's bald eagles to begin their breeding activities, and outdoor recreationists are asked to help protect important breeding areas by honoring the closure of 21 areas across the state. Various land and wildlife management agencies close the breeding areas for part of the year, beginning in December, to protect the state's 48 breeding pairs of bald eagles. Some of the closure areas are located near popular recreation sites.

"Even though the bald eagle was removed from the endangered species list earlier this year, they still require the public's help to reproduce successfully and flourish in the state," says Kenneth Jacobson, head of the Arizona Game and Fish Department Bald Eagle Management Program. "Human activity near active bald eagle nests can cause a breeding pair to leave its eggs uncovered, leading to a failed breeding attempt. It can take only 30 minutes for a breeding attempt to fail."

The bald eagle was federally listed as an endangered species in 1978. The birds recovered enough to be removed from the list in August 2007. Part of the reason for the comeback in our state is the Arizona Bald Eagle Nestwatch Program, which contracts with volunteers to monitor breeding areas, educate the public about breeding area closures and identify situations where intervention might be needed to save an eagle's life.

In December, Arizona bald eagles begin rebuilding nests in preparation for laying eggs. During this time, land and wildlife management agencies enact the seasonal breeding area closures. Bald eagles nest, forage and roost at the rivers and lakes that have become some of Arizona's most popular recreation spots.

However, Jacobson says, "With the public's help and cooperation, we can all take responsibility for ensuring that Arizona bald eagles breed successfully."

Fish Department

2007-12-14T11:43:00.001-08:00

For the first time this century, the Arizona Game and Fish Department has stocked largemouth bass in Saguaro and Apache lakes.

But that's not all - at the end of October, biologists and volunteers stocked smallmouth bass in Apache and Canyon lakes.

Volunteers and biologists are building Pisces pyramids (artificial habitats) along the exposed lake bottom at Canyon Lake while the lake level was lowered for routine maintenance on the dam. In fact, more volunteers are needed.

It's all part of a two-year, $2 million effort by the Game and Fish Department to boost the fisheries at Saguaro, Canyon and Apache lakes that were severely impacted by golden alga blooms the last several years.

But the department is also getting help from anglers and others who are interested in these classic fisheries along the Salt River not far from the greater Phoenix metropolitan area.

In response to the challenges at these popular lakes, a new angler group called the United Arizona Anglers Foundation has even been formed and is assisting the department in its efforts. This group of dedicated volunteers has already raised $10,000 to pay for additional bass to stock in these popular lakes near Phoenix.

But there is no magic management wand Game and Fish biologists can employ to ensure the future of these valuable fisheries. There is no known way, currently, to eradicate golden algae in large bodies of water, such as the Salt River chain of lakes.

"We can expect golden algae to remain a fact of life at these three Salt River reservoirs for the foreseeable future. The challenge is determining the most effective management strategies necessary to maintain the best fishing opportunities possible," said Fisheries Chief Kirk Young.

The department is conducting a four-pronged approach to helping these lakes:
1. Stocking the lakes to give sport-fish populations a boost.
2. Conducting fish population, water quality, and angler creel studies to determine the effectiveness of those stockings.
3. Implementing research to better understand golden alga and to assess whether stocking fish will benefit the fishery.
4. Conducting outreach and education.
Smallmouth bass from Illinois were stocked into Apache and Canyon lakes at the end of October. Largemouth bass were stocked in Saguaro on Nov. 12.

Work on artificial habitats at Canyon Lake occurred in November and December. Last year, biologists and volunteers teamed up to install 67 habitat complexes at Apache Lake.
While a lot of work is being done, biologists also face another challenge - getting a better understanding of the biological dynamics associated with golden alga in Arizona's reservoirs.
Scientists are still trying to understand these small aquatic organisms and how they function in the aquatic environment. For instance, science has yet to replicate the toxin golden alga can produce that impacts gill-breathing organisms, such as fish. Nor is it known what prompts the golden alga to release its toxins.
The Game and Fish Department is contracting with university-based microbiologists to study the golden alga and hopefully provide answers that biologists can use to better manage the fisheries.

Fantastic Fishing

2007-12-14T11:42:00.002-08:00

Fantastic Fishing
By Captain Ray Kelly

Summer is over here on Long Island. Anglers can still get in on the fall run of Striped Bass, bluefish and false albacore on Long Island. Fall fishing is great here on Long Island. But on this adventure, we will head down to Amelia Island, Florida. In August, my son, Christopher and myself, filmed an episode of our television show, ADVENTURES IN FISHING WITH CAPT. RAY KELLY, on Amelia, Island. I must say there is fantastic fishing off of Amelia Island, Florida. There is a large variety of fish in the inshore and offshore waters in that area of Florida, which is just south of Georgia.

I contacted Capt. Ben Evans of HOT TICKET CHARTERS on the Internet and made plans to film Capt. Ben and his crew fishing. Capt. Ben told me that barracuda and king mackerel would be
the main targets for our fishing trips. He said the barracuda are very large at that time of the year. He mentioned that sharks are always prevalent in those waters also.

We flew down to Jacksonville, Florida via Southwest airlines out of Islip going through a severe rain storm in which I thought the jet might go down. I thought that this may be my last fishing trip but the pilot managed to land the plane and before long we were check into our hotel, The Inn at Fernandina Beach in Fernandina Beach which is on Amelia Island.

The hotel was great. It was only 200 yards from the beach. I got up early the next morning and walked to the beach to see Dolphin playing in the surf as well a beautiful sunrise. I was excited about the fishing trip which was scheduled for the next day.

Chris and myself wanted to check the location of the marina where we would meet Capt. Ben the next day and drove to it. It was a beautiful marina which is owned by the City of Fernandina Beach. I called Capt. Ben that night and he told the fish were biting and we should do well the next day.

The next day, Chris and I met Capt. Ben at his boat, a nice 26 foot Cobia walkaround and you could see it was a fish catching boat fully rigged with outriggers and rocket launchers. I knew we were going to have a great day. Chris filmed the beautuful sunrise as we pulled away from the dock. Capt. Ben explained about the fishing in the area as well as the ecology. I always learn so much on these fishing trips in other parts of the country. Capt. Ben headed offshore about 12 miles caught some live bait by some channel markers. The rods were hooked and baited and before long we were trolling.

It didn’t take long and the right rod was hit by a nice barracuda. Capt. Ben landed the fish with no problem. Shortly thereafter, Ben’s friend, Mark Hardrick, was hooked up and landed his fish also. It was another barracuda. Within an hour four fish were landed and then it was my turn on the rod. I was amazed at how easy it was to catch these barracuda.

The reason was simple, Capt. Ben found where the bait fish were and the barracuda were feeding on the baitfish. I must say, Capt. Ben knew exactly what to do. This was not luck this was an experienced captain at work. I might add Mark was an excellent angler himself. Chris filmed the action and I knew we had a fantastic show filmed.

Capt. Ben headed back to port and said we would try it again the next morning as now we would try to capture a giant barracuda on film. We met the next morning and Capt. Ben again
headed out the inlet. As he did he saw some other boats fishing just outside the inlet and asked if we wanted to try for some red drum or sharks. I said that fine with me and in no time at all Capt. Ben was anchored up just outside the inlet and started chumming. Within 15 minutes, a small hammerhead shark was on the line. Mark landed the shark and release it. It should be noted that Capt. Ben practices Catch & Release with most of the fish his clients catch. If the client was to eat it, they can keep it. Another variety of fish hit the line next.

It was a guitar fish which is a cross between a shark and sting ray. It was about two and half feet long and also was released. Capt. Ben battled the next fish which was big. The fight
lasted about twenty minutes before we saw that it was a big hammerhead shark of about 4 to 5 feet. The line was cut just above the hook and this amazing looking fish swam away to freedom. Chris was filming this action and I was hoping he would take a break and pick up a rod. I grabbed the rod on the next fish which was another guitar fish. Chris finally reeled in the next fish but unknown to him it was a monster and just pulled line from the reel. Chris was having a hard time getting line back and then thought the fish was caught on something on the bottom. Capt. Ben check his line and said it was big shark or a giant sting ray. Chris battled the fish for over a half hour only gaining a little line. It was at this moment, the other line took off. Capt. Ben picked up the rod and started battling his fish. I filmed the action. I thought for sure Chris would lose his fish but he kept getting line back a little at a time.

Capt. Ben reeled his fish in in about twenty minutes and you could see it was another big hammerhead shark. I was sorry I did not bring any shark tags with us as these hammerheads would have been nice sharks to tag and release. Again, Capt. Ben instructed Mark to cut the line and the shark was released.

Chris was still battling his fish and was getting the fish up off the bottom. Finally the fish was on top and you could see it was a giant sting ray of about 40-50 pounds. Chris was tired but
kept reeling. Mark was able to grab the leader and lift the fish into the boat. We were careful not to get stuck with it’s barb on the tail. Chris posed for pictures and the ray was quickly put back in the water and released. I knew this would be the highlight of the show. Chris and Capt. Ben were both congratulated by myself and Mark.

I told Ben that this was one of the most enjoyable and exciting filmings that we had produced to date. I could tell he was happy. For all you anglers that want to experience some fantastic fishing, head down to Amelia Island Florida and fish with Capt. Ben. You are sure to hook up and have a great time.

Capt. Ben can be reached at 904-321-1668 or call ADVENTURES IN FISHING at 516-744-5951 and we will make the arrangements for you. Don’t forget to check the ADVENTURES IN FISHING website at http://www.adventure-fishing.com . AND REMEMBER- "Let’s get kids hooked on Fishing NOT drugs!"

Fish Camp Snook Fishing

2007-12-14T11:42:00.001-08:00

Fish Camp Snook Fishing
BY: Capt. Ray Kelly

This past January I had the pleasure of fishing with one of the most knowledgeable and personable guides I have ever fished with. His name is Capt. Rufus Wakeman. Capt. Rufus and I hooked up via the internet. I had contacted THE RIVER PALM COTTAGES AND FISH CAMP website at http://www.riverpalmcottages.com. I wanted to see if they would be interested in getting involved with our television show, ADVENTURES IN FISHING. Capt. Rufus emailed back and said they would get involved. Capt. Rufus is the owner of River Palm and one of the best Charter boat captains in the area. He

operates a back country boat as well as an offshore boat. I knew this would make for an excellent show for ADVENTURES IN FISHING. He told me we could film snook one day and sailfish the next day. Needless to say, I was excited.

We drove down to Florida in our van. My wife, Cheryl and cameraman, Keith Cotton, were wondering what this Fish Camp would look like. I must say that I also had some thoughts that it may not be very fancy. To our surprise, we were very impressed when we arrived at THE RIVER PALM COTTAGES AND FISH CAMP. This was a resort. A beautiful resort overlooking the Indian River. The Cottages were immaculate. We would be staying in the 4 bedroom/2 bath house located on the bank of the Indian River. River Palm also has a motel, pool and an authentic Seminole Indian thatched roof chickee hut. We were greeted by soft breezes, lush tropical trees and native plants that surrounded the tin roofed pastel colored cabins. River Palm has 23 guest quarters scattered among 7.2 acres for the guests to unwind, relax and fish.

The filming was scheduled for 6:00 AM the following morning but we awoke to rain and the trip was postponed until the next day. Capt. Rufus arrived trailering his Maverick flats boat. He instructed us to follow him to the boat ramp which was 10 minutes away. He launched the boat, fired up the engine. He said the fishing was usually excellent in the area. He also said that the fish may be a little shy this day since this was the coldest day (38 degrees) of the year so far. As we motored down the St. Lucie River, Capt. Rufus told us about the area. I must say the river was beautiful with it’s wildlife. The egrets and osprey were a sight to see. Capt. Rufus pointed out a low bridge and said this was one of the best snook fishing spots. I could not wait to cast a rod. Rufus said we would be using DOA TERROREYZ jigs. He nicknamed the lure we would using as the Brown Dog because as he says it sniffs out the fish. DOA lures are like candy for a snook. He went onto say there were four species of snook that inhabit the river. The four species are the common snook, the fat snook, the tarpon snook and the swordspine snook.

On Rufus’ first cast his rod started to bend. He hooked up and battled the fish while Keith filmed the action. I asked him if he could tell what type of fish it was during the fight. Rufus said he thought it was a snook. Sure enough, when the fish came alongside the boat it was a snook. It was a common snook of about 18 inches. Capt. Rufus said he promotes catch and release with his clients. Snook have to be at least 26 inches to keep during the open season. Snook season was closed anyway so all the snook this day would be released.

Rufus explained "You just want to give little jerks of the rod tip. Make the lure just hop along the bottom." Five minutes later, I hooked into a fish. Needless to say I was hoping it would be a snook and it was. This snook was a fat snook. It measured about 16 inches. Keith captured the action with the camera.

Rufus explained the snook like to hide by the pilings of the bridge and ambush the bait as it swims by. Rufus caught another snook which was another common snook. He was right the DOA lures are like candy to snook. Rufus explained that he uses a loop knot when tying on the lure which allows it to swing freely and give it more action. He was using light tackle which allowed to have a nice fight when catching these snook. He explained that during the summer months, an angler can catch monster snook in the twenty pound class in the inlet. He invited us back to film that type of fishing which we will do for another episode of ADVENTURES IN FISHING.

Rufus decided to change locations and head further up the river as he had heard there were some big jacks in that area. Jacks are Jack Crevelle. The jacks would be 10 pounds and bigger. Jack Crevelle give an angler a fight that he or she will remember. The fight reminds me when you catch a big bluefish. Anyone who has caught a large bluefish knows what I am talking about. We headed up to marker 25 but the jacks were not there. After an hour or so of no action we decided to have lunch. We enjoyed the relaxation and the different birds that were entertaining us while we ate.

We headed back down the St. Lucie and Rufus pointed out the Route 1 Bridge and old train bridge and said that was another excellent snook location. Keith climbed onto one of the bridge abutments for a better shot and as soon as he did I hooked up with a fish. I just hoped the fish would not break me off on the bridge piling. I have to admit I am not that experienced when it comes to snook fishing and was lucky enough to land this snook. It was a swordspine snook. The swordspine is the smallest of the snook. Rufus explained how these snook only grow to about 15 inches. I have to say the fish was small but beautiful and was released. It is always a great site to see a caught fish swim away to freedom.

Rufus was explaining how sometimes they have caught as many as 40 snook in a few hours at this location and he hooked up. This fish gave him a better fight. As the fish came to the surface, you could see it was a larger snook. It was a Tarpon Snook. Rufus explained how the fins was larger and had more yellow. The also have larger eyes are are more silver in color. This fish was also released for another angler to enjoy catching some day. Snook fishing is also a great way for children to get involved in fishing so when you go, take a child with you. Needless to say, we produced an excellent television show that day.

I must say Rufus was one of the most professional and friendly captains I have had the pleasure to work with. There is no doubt you will have a great time if you fish with him also. There is only one way to do it-call him. You can call him at The River Palm Cottages and Fish Camp at 1-800-305-0511 or on the internet at rivpalm@aol.com. You can also contact ADVENTURES IN FISHING at 631-744-5951 or on the web at http://www.adventure-fishing.com. And Remember- "Let’s get kids hooked on Fishing NOT on drugs!"

Fishing Instinctively

2007-12-14T11:41:00.002-08:00

Fishing Instinctively
by Captain Bruce Peters - http://www.sportfishingcapecod.com

I found the spot almost accidentally. I was returning to Chatham light from a morning fishing the rips east of Monomoy Point, and was following along the beach just outside the breakers. Usually I would run a course from the rips to the buoy off the Chatham entrance, but today I had chosen to take a more exploratory path home. Just north of the inlet in between the two Monomoy Islands, I started noticing the bait. I could see vast schools of sand eels dimpling the surface as my skiff skimmed along. A flock of

cormorants were working offshore of me, with a scattering of gulls overhead of them. On the beach, just above the wrack line, hundreds of gulls were standing there, as if they were waiting for something. I suspected that I was a witness to either the end or the beginning of something big. Being slack water, I knew that if there were fish under all this bait they would show better when the tide started running. An occasional bass could be seen in the breakers, so I spent most of that afternoon poking around the sandbars and the beach. As the tide dropped, two or three channels became exposed where I could go in between the bars to a calmer, deep lagoon on the shore side of the bar, and I marked them with my loran. Beaching the boat , I grabbed my rod and a couple eels and started walking the edge of the bar. I saw many small pods of keeper bass that day in the surf line and I caught a couple of fish, but I remember seeing many, many more than I caught. In leaving that day, I knew something was wrong, but wasn’t sure what it was. It was if the fish, too, were waiting for something more.

Rowing out to my skiff this morning, I pondered what had been a long eight days of waiting for the right conditions to be as I suspected they should for those fish to bite. I believed the fish I found that day would bite with the ideal combination of low light and a moving tide. Suspecting the brightness of the previous day had put the fish in a finicky mood, and some connection between those gulls on the beach and the sand eel concentrations, my hunch said to go explore it. I had been there through the dropping tide in the afternoon that day with less than ideal results, so I wanted to try the rising tide in the morning. I needed the combination of the rising tide to coincide with the coming of dawn, giving me just enough daylight to see the breakers, yet not too much light to put the fish off. I hoped the big schools of sand eels would still be there. Last night’s low tide was at 2:27 am on the Chatham bar. Give or take a quarter hour or so, that put maximum flood at around 5:15. Planning to be there early, I was leaving my mooring in Pleasant Bay with plenty of time to spare to pick my way through the channels in the dropping tide. I left the running lights off to retain my night vision. Comforted by the solitude, and the tranquility of the calm night waters, yet exited about the prospects of having this beach to myself with a bucket of fresh eels, I headed down the bay and towards the cut. Once past the narrows, I opened her up towards the bluff of the golf course and Dogfish Bar. Turning the corner towards Strong Island, I could see fairly well now that I was away from the lights of the houses. The current was ebbing pretty strong, allowing me to pick my way along the center of the channel by watching the direction of the tide on the lobster buoys. Once abreast of the Chatham fish pier though, I slowed my homemade flat-bottomed skiff down. The year before, I had run aground at high speed on this bar with a dropping tide. That was a lesson I’d rather not repeat. I had to unload all my fishing gear, fuel, fish box, and battery out of the boat, take the outboard off and hump the boat back to the water, now 40 yards further away and then load all the stuff back into the boat again. Abreast of the south edge of Nauset Beach, I turned west towards the rock revetments and the channel there, and took my time to get my bearings.

The current was rushing through the narrowed waterway, looking really fishy. I noticed a brief flash of light over against the rock wall, a popular fishing spot. The skiff that was fishing there also had his running lights off, and upon hearing my engine, was flashing at me to warn me of his presence. I slowed to an idle and looked it over, thinking it looked pretty good. It even smelled fishy. There are times when I get a sense or a hunch about a spot or a place, some call it “ reading the water ” others even try to teach this skill, but mostly its the subconscious remembrances of fishing spots we’ve visited before. An important thing I’ve learned is not to discount these hunches or premonitions as they are your natural fishing instincts telling you what to do. I now noticed another boat there and with me that would have been three, so I decided to keep going. There were fish there though, and it is always hard to leave fish to find fish, but this morning I was acting on a bigger instinct that there was something waiting for me more distant.

Idling slowly till I was well out of their drift , I throttled up and headed out into the cut. Now was more than halfway out , past the lighthouse, I could hear the surf on the bar. Cutting my engine, I listened carefully for the size and location of the breakers as I drifted out the channel. I could hear the water rushing against something getting louder and louder as the boat drifted closer to it. The blackish green can buoy at the end of the beach spit on the Chatham side materialized out of the gloom. I dug the spotlight out from under the seat and plugged it into the socket. It would be needed to find the radar reflectors marking the channel around the bars and to see the breakers. The swell seemed to be a foot, with an occasional two footer, small enough to cross but big enough to not risk taking your eyes off of. The “ C “ buoy’s periodic moaning, together with the fact I could not see the interval of the blinking light, told me there was fog just outside the breakers. This is normal for the Chatham and Monomoy area in early August and I was glad to know it was there, as it kept many fishermen home and provided some cover for me. If the fish were at the spot, I didn’t want any company. The fog also reduced the amount of light hitting the water and hopefully keeping the fish biting longer.

Carefully, I threaded my way in between the bars and the breakers as I made my way out, and once past the last radar reflector, headed south and again was following the beach down towards my new found spot in between the beach and the bar. With excited anticipation, I hoped they would be there again! I motored on in the increasing grayness paralleling the beach. On occasion, I would shine the spot onto the beach,

looking for the telltale gulls that I hoped would be waiting there. I was beginning to have my doubts when I saw the first group. Then there were more!. As I went further along, I was more and more encouraged by the numbers of gulls I saw on the beach. You see, I had figured out that as the tide dropped on these bars the night before, the sand eels dug themselves into the exposed sand to wait for the next rising tide. As the gulls walked the bars feeding on the occasionally exposed sand eels, the bass were also waiting for the water to again rise over the exposed sand eel laden flats. I did not know for sure what the connection was, only that I suspected it had to do with the low light. I could now make out the darker shadows of the waves as they spent themselves against the shoreline. I could see where they formed, but did not break on the deeper runnel in between the bars. Checking the loran, I saw that I was on the numbers and turning shore ward, I passed through the opening into the lagoon.

As I beached my skiff against the sandbar in that gray August dawn, I had no idea it would be anything like it was. I could see stripers boiling on both sides of the boat as I crossed over the bar. They were here all right, hundreds of them, no thousands, and I had it all to myself ! Hurriedly I anchored the boat behind the bar, and grabbed my scrub pad and my eel container and put a half dozen into it. I’ll pass this tip on to all - I use a 3M scrub pad, (the green ones) to grab the eels. After you try it, you won’t use a rag again ! My rod, a custom 9 foot slow action baitcast and Garcia 6500 was rigged with 17 lb monofilament, a black ball bearing swivel, 30” of 40 lb leader and a 4/0 black octopus hook snelled to the leader. Gathering up my stuff I pushed the boat off the bar into the lagoon, kicked the anchor deeper into the sand and started running for the surf. There were stripers everywhere ! I could see fins sticking up here and tails out of the water there. They weren’t exited or boiling or even moving fast, it was as if they were just rolling in the shallows. I fumbled for an eel and dropped it into the sand twice in my excitement and haste. Finally, I got it on the hook, a nice lively one and lobbed it out. I didn't even have to get my feet wet as these fish were in less than 18 “ of water. I had a pickup right away and set the hook. This fish sat there for a second, as if not believing he was hooked, and then sped off through the ranks of his buddies, scattering them with his efforts. With my light outfit it was touch and go for awhile with me giving, and then him giving until I finally led him ashore in the shallows. As I fought the fish, I noticed just how many stripers were there. It was unbelievable ! In 25 years of fishing, both commercially and recreationally, on two coasts, I had never seen this much tonnage of fish in one location ! Some of the bass were in the 10 to 13 pound range, most were 13 to 18 pounders, and some like the one laying at my feet, were 22 or 24 pounds. I released that one, and probably 15 more that morning, eventually taking one home.

As the morning progressed, the behavior of the fish changed as the amount of light increased . When I first arrived, the stripers were just rolling along with their backs out of the water. Then it seemed that they were mostly in a head down position, with their tails out of the water as the feeding activity increased. On every cast I would have an immediate pickup, as if the fish were waiting for the bait. That lasted till about 8.00 am that morning. (Other days I have seen them shut off from feeding at 7:00. ) From that period on the fish became more and more selective, turning away from the bait after inspecting it. I could clearly see the fish turn, look and then reject my offerings. I tried small rubber sand eel imitations as well as the live eels and it didn’t seem to matter, the bite was over.

If there is a point to this story other than to share with you this experience, it is to affirm you to have enough confidence in your hunches or ideas to go with your instincts. On the day I found this spot, if I had kept to the original course from the rips, I would have never learned what I did about that spot. Or if I had stopped at the rock wall on the way out of Pleasant Bay that morning, I might never have experienced seeing all those stripers standing on their heads slurping sand eels off a deserted bar on a foggy Chatham morning. I have learned to take a differing way home sometimes, keep my senses open for what I may learn every day and to go with my instincts. Observations noted during the time you are on the water, are stored in the memory, guiding you to do what you feel is “ the” thing to do at that time. If you can trust those recollections or hunches to guide you, then you will truly be “reading the water.”

ps: North Monomoy is no longer an island, having closed up at the beach under Chatham Light, allowing adventuresome beach fishers to now walk to this spot.

Captain Bruce Peters - www.sportfishingcapecod.com

FLOUNDERS MUST BE IRISH!

2007-12-14T11:41:00.001-08:00

FLOUNDERS MUST BE IRISH!

March 17 is a great day for the Irish and for the fisherman. The arrival of St. Patrick’s Day marks the official start of the fishing season in New York waters with the awakening of the flounders from their winter’s sleep.

At this time in mid-March, the waters have usually warmed just enough to get the flounders moving in the deep muddy holes in which they have spent the winter months. To catch flounder at this early time in the season requires some knowledge of the bay bottom and the cooperation of mother nature. It is a necessity to be fishing in one of

the deep over-wintering areas as the flounder will not move out into the shallows until the water has warmed significantly. This will usually not occur until about mid April. The last two weeks in March can be very windy and cold. If a two or three day blast of frigid air hits, it usually will send the flounder back to bed. In this case it is best to wait for better conditions to plan your trip. However, a day or two of mild weather will probably return them to their feeding activities. Because they tend to concentrate in these deep and confined areas, the fishing can be quite good under these conditions.

I have experienced the most success at this time of the year working the deep holes along the State Boat Channel. The thirty foot hole just east of Gilgo has always produced well as does the channel around Black Bank and Squaw Island. Occasionally the Sore Thumb pocket near Fire Island Inlet and the deep ferry boat channels off Heckscher State Park can also be productive. Because the water is cold, the fish are slow to move. They must be enticed to begin to feed and therefore chumming and/or stirring the bottom is absolutely a must. I use a combination of ground clam chum in a weighted chum pot with a few fresh mussels cracked and spread around the area under the boat. I also employ a "flounder- pounder" or weighted device to churn up the bottom and free tiny morsels from the sediment. For hook bait I like to have both clam and worms available. I begin with some of both on my two hook rig and then switch to all of the type that receives the most attention of the flounder. It seems that from one day to the next, or in a different area, only one of these baits will be the preferred food for Mr. Flounder.

Presentation of the bait is all-important. A bait that is constantly moving due to a shifting boat will not catch fish. Many March days are breezy. One should be prepared to use a two anchor system. This will reduce the wind shear and lessen the shifting of the boat. Color seems to attract flounder and I prefer yellow. I use a tandem-tied two

hook rig with yellow plastic beads. A variety of these rigs can be purchased in any tackle shop. To keep it a sporting affair and enjoy the scrappy fight a flounder can give, I suggest the use of very light tackle. I have recently come to enjoy ultra light spinning gear. It is a real thrill to catch even a one pound flounder using 4 lb. test line and ½ oz. of lead weight. With only a small amount of water resistance, the flounder can swim laterally and really put up quite a battle. Keeping it a sport is really what it is all about! I know flounders aren’t really Irish but St. Patrick’s Day has passed and the flounder season is off to a good start. Grab a rod and some bait and get out there and have some fun!

Congress Aims to Protect Anglers’ Freedom to Fish

2007-12-14T11:40:00.000-08:00

Congress Aims to Protect Anglers’ Freedom to Fish
By Captain Dave Sutton

Public access to the nation’s oceans and coastal resources is being seriously threatened by the increased use of marine protected areas. In response, the American Sportfishing Association (ASA) and the Coastal Conservation Association (CCA) worked closely with congressional leaders on legislation to protect America’s 12 million saltwater anglers. Late last week, Senators John Breaux (LA) and Kay Bailey Hutchison (TX) reintroduced this legislation as the Freedom To Fish Act (S.1314).

From California to Florida, no fishing zones are increasingly becoming the marine resource management tool of choice. While recreational anglers account for just two percent of all fish landed in U.S. ocean waters, some environmental groups are calling for sport fishing to be eliminated ion anywhere from five to twenty percent of U.S. coastal waters. These arbitrary figures have nothing to do with good science contend the proponents of the Freedom To Fish Act.

The proponents are arbitrarily closing off these waters should be ashamed of themselves for short changing America’s conservation-minded anglers, says Mike Nussman, ASA vice president. Many no-fishing zones ban recreational fishing even when science clearly shows that anglers are not causing a problem to the resources. That’s just not smart management.

Nussman goes on to point out that recreational anglers are already by a strict set of regulations ranging from closed seasons to catch limits to size limits and when enforced correctly, these regulations have proven to be effective at ensuring healthy fish stocks.

Time and area closures can be effective management tools when based on good scientific data, said David Cummings, President of CCA, but arbitrary restriction of recreational anglers merely displaces fishing effort, increases regulatory confusion, increases user group conflicts and cast doubt on the entire fishery management process. It is a disservice to all U.S. citizens.

Blanket marine closures take away the single most important element to sport fishing the public’s acess to the water. The Freedom To Fish Act would establish common sence guidelines and safeguards to preserve the public’s freedom to use and enjoy these resourses.

According to the legislation, only in those cases where recreational fishing has demonstrated adverse affects could be a specific, well-defined area be closed. Further, once established targets are achieved, that area would reopen immediately to recreational anglers. Restricting public acess to our coastal waters should not be our first course of action, but rather our last, concluded Senator Breaux.

In the eyes of this angler/guide, I feel a major relief over this subject. The banning of

recreational fishing should be a last ditch effort to allow the stabilization of a resource. With the help of the CCA and the ASA we are seeing our voices herd in Washington through our elected officials. Lets keep the pressure on till the Freedom To Fish Act is passed. We as anglers can no longer just be fisherman; we are the watchdogs of our precious resource.

Capt. Dave Sutton

Peconic River Stripers & Blues

2007-12-13T12:40:00.003-08:00

Peconic River Stripers & Blues
By: Capt. Ray Kelly

Very few anglers know of the fantastic fishing in Riverhead, New York. The Peconic River is home to excellent fishing. Riverhead is undergoing major changes. One of the largest shopping malls, The Tanger Outlet Mall, is located in Riverhead. Riverhead town has refurbished the waterfront area. The town marina has dockage for large and small boats with electric, water and cable. There are picnic tables. It is really a great place to fish from the dock especially for children.

In August, snappers start to bite and any child or adult can catch them right from the

dock. Anglers may also catch a striped bass, weakfish or bluefish. I am also glad to report that the Town of Riverhead has an Annual Snapper on the Saturday after Labor Day. So mark it on your calender and come out and fish this tournament with us. It is an excellent way to get kids involved in fishing. Last year, the ages of anglers were from 3 years old to 90 years old. The 90 year old was my aunt, Anna Brennan.

I pick up my many of my charters right at the town dock. On many of the trips we stayed right in the Peconic River. You can see fish breaking water and at times, an angler can catch fish on just about every cast. When bluefish and snappers are feeding it is easy to catch them. I use a tandem rig and sometimes catch two at a time. The anglers want to stay in the river and catch these fish. There are plenty of short bass in the river. I especially like the area in and around the Route 105 Bridge. It seems the bass and bluefish like to hide around the bridge pilings and ambush the baitfish as they are being swept in or out with the tide. The stripers are averaging between 15-18 inches. These fish are fun to catch. Striped Bass must be 28 inches to keep and an angler can only catch one fish per day.

As most of you know we try and promote catch and release as well as tag and release.
Tag and release is an excellent way to teach children about the importance of conservation. Tags can be obtained from the American Littoral Society in Highlands, NJ 17732. It is interesting to see where your tagged fish that you release is caught again. You can see
where it migrated to and how large it grew after you tagged the fish. I was recently in the North Fork Grill in Mattituck and spoke with the owner, Phil who told me he recently caught a nice 37 " striped bass that had a Fish & Wildlife tag from Annapolis, Maryland. Recently, I had the pleasure of fishing with my son, Chris in the Peconic River and we tagged a bluefish. It will be interesting to see where this fish ends up before being caught again. Chris is busy broadcasting various events on the internet throughout the world. Needless to say, I love it when we have time to go fishing together.

I also have to give my son, Chris, a plug here for creating and maintaining The Adventures In Fishing Website (http://www.adventure-fishing.com). Chris did a great job on our website. He hopes to add video clips in the near future. Check out the website for more fishing information, other fish stories and information about our weekly television show,
ADVENTURES IN FISHING WITH CAPT. RAY KELLY.

The Peconic River is a great location to fish. It is not recognized as one of the best places to fish like Montauk, Shinnecock or Orient Point but it is definintely one of the great places. Another benefit about fishing the river is you can even get out when the weather just is not
cooperating. Boats are protected in the River so even when there are rough seas in the bay and ocean, an angler get still go fishing.

I like to troll for the fish or cast to them. On my charter boat, Adventures, clients have their choice. They can even flyfish as we have two flyfishing rods on board as well. This year white bucktails and Rubber grubs made by LOVES LURES and The PETRI-FISH TACKLE COMPANY are working real well. I have even landed a small bass on the new Petri-Fish PW-3.

But the only way for you to catch these fish and experience some fantastic fishing is to get out there and give it a try. Like I said, you do not even need a boat to do it. I highly recommend going out with a charter captain the first time, especially if you are with a child.
Children tend to get bored if you do not catch fish and most good captains will put you onto fish. We try and take a photograph of the child with their fish and send it to the child after the charter as a memory and keepsake.

Charters are not that expensive and we teach adults and children if they would to learn.
We even bring you to our best fishing locations. If you want to go fishing with us, all ADVENTURES IN FISHING at (631) 744-5951 or email kelly@adventure-fishing.com.

AND REMEMBER- "LET’S GET KIDS HOOKED ON FISHING...NOT ON DRUGS!"

So You Want To Be A Fisherman

2007-12-13T12:40:00.001-08:00

So You Want To Be A Fisherman
By Stan Moore

We all have visions of what it takes to be an adventurer and outdoorsman. Well, bare with me, as I tell you how you may someday catch all the trout you want and brave the outdoor life without getting into trouble as those Hollywood chaps would have you believe. First of all this is not a comedy and it is not a farce. This story is a compilation of my thirty eight years of fishing experience. I have been an outdoorsman all my life, except for the last five, which I regret, because I love to fish, hunt, and camp in the wild places of America.

It all starts on an uneventful day in the winter months. I have these fantasies of a great granddaddy of a Rainbow as it grabs my bait on the other end of a line which is floating

down to a swirl of water in front of the Rainbow's mouth. The trout is naturally swimming with its head upstream waiting for any morsel that may happen along into its unsuspecting jaws. This is the way of all fish except those in the lakes and oceans which I will not speculate on in this writing, because these fish have different habits and are much slower to feed than the trout. These trout are the ones in the thousands of streams throughout the United States and the world. These same trout are the ones which seem to be the hardest to catch and the most ferocious when they attack your bait.

The reason these trout are so ferocious is the fact that they are in a cold stream and their body temperature has a great deal to do with their activity and feeding habits. Their body temperature is controlled by their surroundings and if the temperature of the water is colder the fish are more aggressive. That is why I like to go fishing in the early spring when the snow melt is just beginning. But just beware, because if you don't time it just right you may end up not fishing at all, because the trout may seem to disappear when the big spring runoff begins. If this happens you will have to wait until the water's raging flow has subsided and small eddies and pools are formed again. Well, if you really want to catch fish, you may want to go to the lakes where the rivers and streams are just entering the lake, but my best place in this case is across the lake from there. Why? Well, I have to honestly say the trout are caught in the onrush of the spring runoff and are carried there. Even though some of you may not believe me, but I have caught a dozen two pound trout this way all in one day! If you don't believe me, now, you have never experienced the thrill of a big catch of trout. Another thing, I should mention, and that is about the fancy new lures and gadgets the manufactures supposedly say are real trout killers. Well, you are not a fisherman if you have not tried some of these. Even though most of them are a bunch of junk which should be used for designing the statue of a foolhardy fisherman. If you really want to catch trout, I know I'm going to be backlashed, for this statement by the industries that make them, but enough is enough! As I was saying, you don't need nothing to catch a trout, except a little line a hook and a worm! The bait that will catch any trout and this is guarantied. Whether you believe it or not. This is all you need, except to know where the trout are. This is the tricky part and I can not tell you all my secrets or there will not be any trout in America for me to catch, but I will tell you a few fishing stories, now, and maybe you can catch some of my pointers hidden away within the text.

It all started, like I said, in the winter. While I dreamed of this monster trout and maybe its brother. I usually catch at least two trout in the same hole, even though there may not seem to be that many. The water is a tricky subject in its own rights. I was fishing along a stretch of creek in the Bighorn Mountains, one day, when I came to a cliff looming in front of me. The shadow of the cliff was cast over the stream and I could not see the eddies and pool that was formed until I had passed them. I stopped in my tracks and backed up. As I did so, I crouched low so the trout, if it did see me, would think I had disappeared. I was almost on my knees and then I was on my knees as I baited my hook with a juicy nightcrawler. I had a couple of hours of daylight left and had only caught a couple of trout since noon. Well, let me tell you, I was not to go home with an empty creel that day! I put my bait on a single hook and then put a small sinker on my line about two feet above the hook, sometimes three. I then cast my line about five feet out in front of me and let the bait, line, and sinker float down into the pool that was formed against the cliff. I let my line dangle on my finger as I lowered the pole to let the weight of the sinker take the line under the pool. I felt a nibble! The second time, I gave the pole a slight jerk back with my wrist and the fish was hooked! With all the commotion the trout made, you would have thought I was fighting a Marlin! I didn't have

to move for another hour as I caught my limit which was ten trout! I was a happy fisherman as I went back to camp with a creel full of fish. My buddies had managed to catch a couple. I showed them the hole the next day and they began to fish in it! I told them that trout can smell man's presence and there would not be any trout there for at least another month. They could not believe me! They thought I was making up this nonsense. I told them to suit themselves, but the fishing would be better if we walked further upstream. It doesn't matter which way you walk when it comes to catching trout. I was just pulling their leg. What did matter, was when you approached a hole, you should be upstream from the trout, because the bait if flowing naturally will tend to travel down stream, unless it is swimming. At any rate, I was having fun, doing what I liked and enjoying some of the most spectacular scenery in the world.

My next experience was one of catching the trout where no man wants to go, into rugged terrain. I was walking toward this place, now, with a couple of fishing companions, whom thought fishing was an easy experience. We listened to the quietness of the surrounding woods and the chatter of the various birds and squirrels and ground chucks as we passed them. We climbed over rocks and around fallen logs and brush as we approached the creek. The rush of water could be heard down in the steep canyon as the three of us climbed even higher into the rugged wilderness of the Bighorns. The stream was located just off the main highway and passed under that same highway, but was almost impossible to see from the road except when the spring runoff reached its peak. This was late spring, and early summer as we came over a rise and saw the small river down in the canyon. I have never been to the top, except when I was fishing on the lake above, where this creek was flowing from. We made our way down to the stream and saw many pools and were excited at the prospect of bagging our limit of trout. My friends decided they have had enough climbing and went on down stream. Which goes to prove, they were simply not interested in catching trout. I walked further upstream, until I came to a huge dam which was formed by several trees fallen in a previous flood. There is where I made my catch of a lifetime, just about every year. I baited my hook and secured my lead weighted sinker, this time two, because of the swiftness of the current down stream and because of the depth of the dam. I waited patiently and was rewarded with my first strike of the day! A huge trout had bitten my bait with the ferociousness of a shark! I played him by not letting the line become slack and what a spectacular sight he was when he jumped out of the pristine waters. His rainbow of colors shone in the late afternoon sun and made my mouth water as I set my hook deeper by giving a little tug on the line. Not too much, mind you, for that would have been disastrous. I, as a fisherman, losing this prize would be humiliating. Not that anybody would know, but I would, and I was the one who counted, here, in this land where I was truly alone. My nearest companions were no where to be seen, but I still wanted to show mother nature that I was a good fisherman. I caught four more from that hole and wondered where my companions were. I have always caught at least five two to one and a half pound Rainbows from that hole. I keep dreaming of that wilderness, even now, and hope someday to return where luck and chance will play out its drama on the mountain.

As I walked down the canyon and witnessed the rebirth of spring, the night sky was upon me before I reached the bottom of the rocky canyon. I decided to spend the night on the mountain instead of chancing my fragile body among the huge boulders and

downfallen trees of the canyon. I built a small fire and went the side of the creek where I cleaned my fish and set them in a cool pool, except one which I took back to camp with me. Along the way, I cut a green bough from a willow with my pocket knife, which no outdoorsman should be without. As I made a fire and placed the fish on the willow, I roasted it over the coals of the fire I had previously made with plenty of matches. I enjoyed myself as I ate my supper and fell asleep under my coat and the stars.

In all my life spent in the great outdoors, these are among my favorite fishing holes and ways to catch trout. If you happen to come across a valley which has multitudes of mosquitoes, please, do not continue or go back. This is my gift to you as this valley contains more trout than you will ever find in your fishing experience. You have found what I term as a treasure chest of untold wealth, if you are a fisherman!

So You Want To Be A Musky Hunter

2007-12-13T12:39:00.002-08:00

So You Want To Be A Musky Hunter
By David Christian

The sport of muskie fishing is taking the world by storm. With the evolution of the Professional Musky Tournament Trail and a total of 33 states now stocking muskellunge in their waters, more and more people are becoming involved in this extreme freshwater sportfishing adventure. Catching the elusive musky is a treat in itself and capturing one of trophy proportions can be related to taking a whitetail buck or trophy gobbler.
One of the questions I am asked by my clients is, "how can I get started musky fishing?" The best way for a beginner is to hire a guide and spend the day casting your heart out. If you still feel the urge to become involved with this sport after you feel the aching back and sore muscles then it is time to get your own equipment together. Musky fishing can be a very rewarding sport but it is one that takes a lot of work and determination. Countless hours on the water throwing heavy baits with no action deter a large number of anglers from ever becoming involved, but the sight of the "freshwater

king" following 2 feet behind your lure can create urges that only a true musky nut will understand. If you are interested in getting started musky fishing then the following guidelines should help you out and give you a vantagepoint.

The Musky Rod
The musky rod can be put into two classes, the bucktail rod and the jerkbait rod. Both have their place in the industry. A bucktail rod will between 6 1/2 feet to 7 1/2 feet long with a quicker tip speed for tossing the lighter baits. A jerkbait rod will be 6 to 6 1/2 feet long and will have a much thicker tip area and will be more stout throughout the blank. These are the two basic designs of a musky rod. A good all around rod is the Fenwick HMG GTC 786 casting rod. This rod is made of IM7 criss-cross graphite and is a great rod for the beginner, it will allow you to throw both bucktails and jerkbaits There are many construction materials used for fishing rods and the technology is growing rapidly, the most common is IM7 Graphite. For the top-of-the-line in musky rods get the Lamiglass GSW7 model. This is a life-time guaranteed rod that will outperform most rods day-in and day-out. The handle of your rod needs to be made of cork. The cork handles are lighter than foam and absorb much less water. The cork also provides better feel from the rod tip, you want to be very aware when a musky strikes, sometimes it can be very subtle. A quality musky rod can cost as much as $300.00 but there are many excellent rods for under $100.00.

A Musky Reel
The reel is your workhorse, this is not an area to skimp on, your reel needs to perform flawlessly day in and day out. For the budget minded angler the Abu Garcia line of reels is perfect, preferably the UC6500C3. This reel has a bait clicker for use while trolling and will hold 200 yards of 25-pound mono line. Most of the reels that are on the market have a 5.3 to 1 gear ratio, which is fine for crankbaits, and bucktails but the higher 6.3 to 1 gear ratio is preferred for jerkbaits. The higher ratio will allow more line to be gathered during the pause of jerkbait fishing. This quality line of reels offer three disk drag system and brass gears. The musky hunter wishing to purchase a high quality reel should opt for the Shimano Calcutta CT400. This is the way to go for the smoothest reel available. There are many other reels on the market but when you are doin'-the-tango with the fish of a lifetime you don't want to take a chance.

Musky Line
There are a number of quality lines available to musky fishermen. The most popular in the industry today are the braided lines or the "superbraids". Dacron has been a favorite forever, but the new lines are taking over the industry. Berkley has introduced Whiplash, a braided line with more fibers than conventional braid and also color impregnated into the fibers so it won't fade. Whichever superbraid you purchase, you will have to remember to get a larger diameter line. The heavy lures that come with musky fishing will cause the extra-small diameter lines to dig into the spool which will cause line failure and send a lure flying. Berkley Whiplash line comes in a variety of strengths. The 100-pound test line has a bigger diameter and the strength to horse a musky from heavy cover. Also Power Pro braided line has been a proven line in the musky industry The price range of these lines will start at about $10.00 a spool for Dacron on up to $30.00 a spool for the superlines.

Some anglers use monofilament, which is perfectly fine. Berkley Big Game XT in the 30-pound class will perform well, as will all the heavy monofilaments over 25 pound test.

Leaders
A leader is the protective component for the end of your line. The leader will stop a bite-off from these toothy critters. Leaders come in a wide variety but there are certain leaders for each situation. Terminator Titanium Leaders offer more flexibility and movement for crankbaits and spinnerbaits, thus, allowing for more action and vibration transmitted from your lure. These titanium leaders also do not kink or coil. Solid wire leaders are mainly used for jerkbaits. They provide more darting and side-to-side action. The average leader will be around 10 inches long and has a test strength of 100-125 pounds. You must match your leader to the lure you are tossing though, smaller lures need smaller leaders so the bait can perform properly. Leaders will range from .50 cents up to $12.00 apiece for Titanium. Keep a variety of leaders on hand so you can match your components properly.

Musky Lures
Lures will be your most expensive investment as a group. Obviously, as with any fishing technique, you will need a wide variety. So, let's say you've gotten hooked on muskies and you are ready to fill your box. First you will need a big box, Plano's 1173 hanging tackle box holds the large plugs associated with musky fishing. For the angler who

needs a little more organization get the Plano Guide Series 3341 soft sided box. This will keep all your accessories well-organized. The bodies of water you fish will be the determining factors in lure color and selection. A general selection for the basics will consist of these favorites.

Jerkbaits, Three our four will suffice from this category.
9 " Suick
8" Reef Hawg
Musky Mania Burt
Rapala Husky Jerk

Bucktails, I'd say ten would be plenty, in a variety of light and dark colors.
Grim Reaper Mag model 1100
Joe Bucher's Magombo Combo
Ghost Tail from Hirch,s
Mepps Giant Musky Killer
Super Slayer Slippery Sam

Spinnerbaits, a variety of colors and weights are all you will need.
Grim Reaper Lure Co. offers 18 different models, from 1/2 ounce up to 3 ounces, prices start at $6.00. Most one-ounce spinners will capture the king of freshwater but remember to add a trailer hook.

Crankbaits, five will get you started, but you will add more!!
Musky Manias 'Lil Ernie and Big Ernie
Musky Innovations "Invader".
Rapala Shad Rap and Super Shad

Twitchbaits, these are needed for the shallow, finesse situations.
Musky Mania's Jake Bait
Castaic Gizzard Shad

This selection of lures will get you started banging the water and are some of the hottest lures available across musky country. Remember to check with your local musky hunters for more "lake specific" items and colors.

Big Musky Net
The only net to own is a Frabill Power Catch with a rubber coated bag. This net offers protection to the fish and the rubber coating keeps the hooks from becoming entangled in the mesh. It has a 48-inch bag, obviously large enough for any fish. This net will cost you about $125.00

Misc. Equipment
1. One of the first things you will need is a quality pair of bolt cutters. BigFishTackle.com has a pair of midget bolt cutters that will cut through any hook. This is a must have item if you are going to be a musky hunter or concerned with a fish's unharmed release.

2. A pair of long-nose pliers and a set of jaw spreaders, both of these items need to be the "oversized" versions for your own safety. South Bend makes a great pair. Add some gloves to this combination for extra protection of your hands.

3. A ruler at least 48 inches long will be needed for good, honest measurements of those big fish.

4. A hook file, I prefer The Checkpoint CP212 Big Game Sharpener because you can get all sides of the hooks much easier and you can get them very sharp.

5. A high quality pair of polarized sunglasses so you can see a following musky. Maui Jim's are the best for blocking glare and they offer prescription lenses, there are many quality glasses in all price ranges.

6. You must take care of all this equipment, especially the reel. This is the heart of arsenal, to keep it running smooth it must be cleaned regularly. Reel Saver offer cleaner, grease and oil in one convenient package to keep your reel clean and operating smoothly.

7. And finally, keep extra split rings, VMC 9649 Round bend hooks and leaders in a small tackle box for easy access.

This total of miscellaneous items will add up to approximately $75.00 or $100.00.

There it is, loaded up and ready to go, all $750.00 worth of it. You are now on the road to becoming one of the most feared anglers on the water. But before we go to the water lets go over a "how-to" run down of where you're going to start after spending this $750.00. Magazines will provide information, two of the industry leaders are Musky Hunter and Esox Angler. For more musky related tackle there is Rollie and Helens "the worlds largest musky mail order catalog". Then, decide on which lake to target. Buy a map and make the baitshop run, asking questions from the "locals", most folks are more than happy to help. Remember all that information your guide taught you? Now is the time to use it! Always focus and continue to beat the water with a vengeance! Your extreme nature has brought you to this point and there is no turning back. "The King of Freshwater" better watch out, a new musky hunter is on the prowl, adding to the growing popularity of this demanding and sometimes unforgiving sport.

Good Fishin'
David Christian/Team Bigfish

Split Shots

2007-12-13T12:39:00.001-08:00

Split Shots

We've all had those days on the water-nothing seems to be working. Your tackle box looks like the Tasmanian devil just went through it. If it were possible, you would tie the kitchen sink on the end of your line. It's time to go to the basics, something simple. I can't think of anything more basic then a spilt shot and a plain hook. This combination has worked for me
during the hardest of times while walleye fishing. It has saved many days on the water from becoming total failures. The beautiful part of this rig is how it can be fished. You can anchor with them, troll them, and cast them.
They also work extremely well in a drift situation. All baits go well on a split shot rig. My favorite bait is a night crawler. I like to use a long shank hook; the VMC 7309 worm hook is my favorite choice. I will thread the worm up the shaft and let the hook come out near the end of the worm. This will allow the worm to move freely and when a fish decides to pick up the worm, the hook will be in its mouth. This should eliminate short bites that are common with night crawlers.
Another method I discovered last summer is using plastic scented power worms on these same hooks. In situations with perch and other bother some fish it worked great! I also found this to catch some of the bigger fish of the summer. When using this method, try to keep the split shot fairly close to the hook. One to two feet is generally a good start, especially in a river, this will keep it from twirling around and becoming tangled. Experiment with different weights depending on the conditions. Depth and current will be the two most common hurdles you will have to overcome. Start light and work your way up until you feel comfortable. You don't need this rig to be heavy.
It will work best when the split shot is just ticking bottom and bouncing back up off the bottom. Walleyes will find this presentation very appealing and easy to eat. You will want to use a long and soft tipped rod when applying this application. This does two things for you, it allows the fish some give when the bait is picked up, and is better for fighting the bigger fish. With this set up you want to use light line to give the bait the

most natural look in the water. With the longer rod, fighting these bigger eyes on light line will be much easier. The line weight should be 4 to 6 pound test in the low visibility class. Try this method next time on the water and see what you think. It may pull you out of a jam and turn some of the worst days on the water into one of the best!

Spring Baits and How to use them

2007-12-13T12:38:00.002-08:00

Spring Baits and How to use them
by Jim Reaneau
I wrote this article several years ago and thought it would be a good time to redo it. The spring is and exciting time of the year. Whether you are a beginner or expert you will be able to catch fish from the bank or a boat. The shallows will be alive with all species of fish. Most all fish start spawning at the same time. Crappie, bass, perch, and many others.

First I will start with the most popular the spinner bait. This bait is the easiest to fish as you throw it out and reel it back. This sounds easy, but sometimes this is all you have to do. This bait doesn t hang up as much as other baits. As long as you keep it

moving it will slide over limbs and stumps. There are many sizes and colors to choose from. I like a three quarter ounce because I can slow roll it and it will stay down and not fall over. The lighter baits will rise quickly when retrieved quickly. This may not be bad as the stop and go retrieve is a good pattern. Colors are pretty important but I like chartreuse and white with gold and silver blades. I like willow leaf blades. This color will work well in muddy and clear water. Fish this around the grass and timber or parallel to the bank as this will be the best strike zone. I fish this on a medium heavy Falcon rod with a Shamino curado reel. When you get a strike set the hook hard and hold your rod up to get the fish coming towards you.

The lipless crank bait is the next easiest bait to fish. You can chunk it a country mile which we all do. But this is not a good ideal as with all that line out it will be hard to set the hook. Everyone thinks just because it has two treble hooks the fish will hook them selves this is not true. Bass can close their mouths over a bait and hold on till they break water and out the bait comes. This bait comes in many colors and sizes. Lake Fork is known for red baits. So red would be a good color. The fire tiger and lemon OB are good colors. Some days the fish want a half and some days the quarter ounce is the size. Try both sizes and let the fish tell you what they want. The way to fish bait is cast it out and start your retrieve soon as the bait hit s the water. Keep it moving just fast enough to tick the top of the grass or just off the bottom. If you get caught in the grass jerk the bait out and let it fall and sometimes this will trigger a strike. Some days the fast retrieve will work better than the slow retrieve. Remember when the fish hit s the bait set the hook quickly and firmly.

The Lizard is another popular bait. It is one of the fishes biggest enemies. Bass will attack this intruder on site. The salamander which is what the lizard looks like will invade the nest and eat the eggs. I like to fish the lizard on a light weight Carolina rig. I use 20 pound big game and a quarter ounce weight pegged about a foot up the line. Cast this around trees and parallel to the bank. The fish will attack this bait aggressively. Some times they will grab the bait and swim out of the nest and blow it out before you can set the hook. Their protective nature this time of year is to kill it or remove it from the nest. Colors can vary from the water clarity. I like pumpkin with a chartreuse tail, black with a blue tail, and watermelon. I use a 3/0 hook on this

bait because of the length. This is a good bait to pitch around trees and brush. Weightless baits are a good choice as they will fish over the grass and slim that invades the shallow water in the spring. These baits come in different styles.

The New Tiki Bamboo stick is a great bait for dead sticking. Lake Fork Tackle Ring fries, flukes, and big lizards are other good baits for this style of fishing. They all will come through the grass and slim. You will need a wide gap hook in the 3/0 or 4/0 size. Don t use any weight or if you do use a one thirty second weight. Finish nails can be inserted into the body of these baits to give them weight. You don t want much as this will take away from their action. Cast the bait out and let it sit for as long as you can. Then sweep your rod up slowly or twitch it slightly. You don t want to over work the bait. I fish these baits on a medium heavy Falcon six six with fifteen pound line. When you get a strike let the fish have the bait for a two count then set the hook. This will cover only a few of the popular spring baits and I hope this will help you catch more fish.

Spring Time Bassin'

2007-12-13T12:38:00.001-08:00

Spring Time Bassin'
by Charles Stuart
June is here and my fingers are itching to get bass fishing! Due to local DEC regulations, we are not permitted to fish for bass on Long Island for a few more weeks, so I will discuss the techniques I use for upstate New York and Connecticut. Despite a short, mild winter, the bass will begin their annual movement towards the shoreline in preparation for feeding and bedding. Males will bite more readily close to the shoreline, however the larger females will hold back, usually at the first or second drop-off. This annual ritual is probably the best time to catch that lunker fish you have dreamed about. Let us first look at clear water conditions. Keep your distance from your target area, reduce shoreline or boat noise to a minimum. Fish only small baits that will make as little surface movement as possible. This is the perfect time to fish light lines with a six foot spinning rod and reel combo. Pale green and pumpkinseed colors will produce well at this time of the year. As you know, I like to use dipping dye and so a small section of the tail dipped in chartreuse will certainly get a lot of attention. Jig and pork combinations are a natural presentation and will draw detectable bites from the larger fish. The best color is without doubt

black and blue. I do however like to make the jigs as close to the local crawfish color that I am trying to imitate, so remember to try greens and browns with a touch of red in the body. If I had a choice between plastic and pork trailers for bass fishing, I would have to choose plastic. The versatility of this product is far superior to pork. The buoyancy, texture and adaptability make it a number one choice. You could also consider dipping the tail of the trailer in red dye to really dress up the latter presentation.
If you encounter suspended bass, a jerkbait will catch a better quality fish. Due to the size of the lure, smaller bass are less likely to strike at the bait leaving it for the bigger fish. Of course, now I have said that you will probably catch a nine-inch bass on a six-inch lure! That has happened to me so many times, it is no longer funny. The spinnerbait fished with a Colorado / willow leaf blade combination is a very productive lure at this time of year.

Stained and muddy water will allow the angler to become more daring in the presentation. Larger baits with dark colors such as black, blue, and purple can be seen. When worm fishing, I like to add a rattle just in front of the hook point. Bass will track the sound before it sees the bait and will usually commit to the lure, once the outline can be seen. Again, spinnerbaits rolled over stumps and rocks or lipless crankbaits ripped through the water close to the emerging weedbeds will draw savage strikes from any hungry bass. I also like to Carolina rig early in the season in fifteen to twenty feet of water, for those previously mentioned, larger fish that will not come to shore until things really heat up. It is worth the slow dragging presentation of this rig to catch a monster fish.

As were are now well into the new millennium, I would ask all my fellow bass anglers and those of us who also like to catch other species, to please make a determined effort to release your fish back to their natural environment. Take home your trash, loose line and discarded tackle and please leave the places you fish in the same condition you would like to find them.

10 WAYS TO CATCH FLUKE

2007-12-12T11:51:00.001-08:00

10 WAYS TO CATCH FLUKE
By Capt. Al Lorenzetti

Fluke fishing is the staple for summer fishing around most of Long Island. Almost everyone new to the sport of saltwater fishing begins with fluke fishing. Most fishing for these aggressive flat fish takes place during the vacation months of July and August. However, in early May, these fish move to the inshore waters from the deep waters of the Continental Shelf where they spend the winter. They remain on the inshore grounds into October. Some of the finest fluke fishing can be had in those months when few

people fish for this species. Don’t overlook Spring and Fall fishing for fluke.

Fluke are kind of funny looking. They are flat and don’t give the impression of being an aggressive predatory fish. Do not for one minute let looks deceive! These fish will chase bait with all the ferocity of a bluefish. Their diet is also essentially the same as a bluefish with the exception being they feed at the bottom of the water column. Because of these similarities, fluke can be caught using many of the same lures and baits that attract bluefish. For years this fact has been overlooked by most anglers. The real fluke sharpies picked up on this long ago and kept the information to themselves. Recently some tackle manufacturers began marketing artificial lures specifically for fluke. A few fishing articles and lecturers have touted the effectiveness of artificials. As a result, the news is beginning to spread to the public and people are starting to consider trying new techniques.

Why use artificials to catch fluke when bait will also work? Artificials will actually catch more fish and bigger fish under certain conditions. If they are worked properly they present a more realistic and enticing target. They will not be affected by crab attacks as much as natural bait. Fish hooked on an artificial will fight harder and this adds to the fun. The downside to fishing artificials for fluke is the need to constantly work the lure. I don’t mind it at all because of the excitement of the strike and the action it produces. If your desire is to sit back, sip a drink and watch the rod tip waiting for a strike then this type of fishing is not for you.

The old "stand-by" squid strip with a spearing or killie will catch fish as always. For the beginner it is probably the best way to get started. For those who wish to get the most from their fluke fishing, adding artificials to your tackle arsenal will improve your catch. Bait still has a place in this fishery. How about considering some new techniques for fishing with bait? A couple of less well known bait fishing techniques will work wonders in certain conditions. Try something new and you might be pleasantly surprised.

I will review 10 strategies utilizing artificials, natural dead bait and live bait. Before getting to specific strategies, a few basics are in order.

When fishing any artificial lure I always use a short trace of leader material and a barrel swivel. I prefer one foot of 20 lb. fluorocarbon leader material. It is almost invisible in the water, adding to the natural appearance of the lure. I tie it to a small barrel swivel to which the running line from the reel is tied. This swivel will eliminate line twist that will occur during the course of jigging the lure.

I also have become a proponent of multifilament lines when fishing artificials. Gel-spun lines are best because normal fishing knots may be used. Their non-stretch characteristic makes for excellent hook setting power. Their narrow diameter allows the use of lighter weight lures in fast moving water. These are great advantages when fishing lead-head or other weighted artificial lures. All hooks must be sharpened to a needle point and checked constantly during the course of fishing.

When fishing bait it is essential that it be as fresh as possible. Do not buy freezer burned bait. If possible buy fresh dead bait or catch your own. Live bait, primarily live killies or snappers, are excellent all the time. I prefer wide gap hooks in 2/0 to 4/0 size for fishing bait. Their design produces an excellent hook-up ratio with fluke and most often the fish are mouth hooked.

With these basics in mind, let me review some strategies that have worked well for me over the years and some that are new to the scene.

STRATEGY #1 - THE BUCKTAIL

This is my all-time favorite artificial lure. I prefer white or lime-green colors in ¾ or 1 oz. size. Ball head style is fine but a sharp nosed bullet design will work well in fast moving water. I trim the bucktail to just behind the hook. I usually fish it tipped-off with a short strip of pork rind with a split tail. White pork rind or green seems to work best. I work the bucktail along the bottom with a fairly slow jigging stroke. I lift the tip of the rod about two feet and slowly let the lure settle back to the bottom, never letting slack develop in the line. I let it lay on the bottom for a fraction of a second and then begin the cycle again. The strike will always come on the drop or as the lure sits on the bottom. I am always prepared to strike the fish aggressively. Sharp hooks are a must.

STRATEGY #2 - THE "SILVER BULLET"™

This new lure was developed a couple of years ago and has earned a place of distinction as a very productive artificial. Essentially it is a chrome plated ball with a free swinging bucktail or feather adorned hook. The ball and hook are available in a number of sizes to suite fishing needs. I especially like this feature. If I must fish deep water or fast current I would have to use a large bucktail, the larger bucktails however have hooks that are too large for fluke. I can get a 3 oz. "Silver-Bullet" with a 2/0 hook which is perfect for fluke. A 3 oz. bucktail would be manufactured with a 4/0 to 6/0 size hook, much too large for the average fluke.

When purchasing tackle please be aware of imitations. When a lure becomes popular, it never fails that some "opportunist" will try to copy the original and take advantage of the market. Keep in mind that a lot of research goes into the design of the "original" and copies most often do not work as well. I recommend sticking with the real thing.

I work the "Silver-Bullet" in much the same way as the bucktail. However, I have found that this lure will catch fish if it is just dragged along the bottom or simply worked with a twitching action of the rod, much shorter strokes than with the bucktail. Just like the bucktail, it will catch any other kind of fish in the neighborhood. Bass blues and weakfish can’t resist it.

STRATEGY #3 THE "TEASER" RIG

The addition of a bucktail, mylar or feathered "teaser" hook above the primary lure began with the surf crowd a few years back. This "teaser" is usually tied on a short leader about a foot above whatever lure, jig or plug is being used. Fluke fishermen have found that it adds extra attraction to the primary offering. On some occasions it will out-fish the primary lure. I prefer the simple bucktail variety in white, black/white or olive/white colors. I use a small three-way swivel or a "Bear Paw" plastic connector to attach the "teaser" on a one foot leader slightly more than a foot above my sinker or jig. Some prefer the "teaser" on a long leader trailing behind a bucktail. This type rig is marketed as the "Terminator." When the lure is worked along the bottom, the teaser flutters with an enticing irregular motion above or behind the primary bait or jig. It’s a real attention-getter. I have caught fluke on the "teaser" which means they will come off the bottom a good distance if they are teased enough. The only problem I have had with this rig is catching two fish at the same time. When this happens they fight against each other and usually one or both are lost. I have also had two good size bass hooked at the same time and they actually broke the line between the jig and "teaser." I guess worse things could happen?

STRATEGY #4 "PLASTICS"

Who said plastics were only good for weakfish? Fluke love them. Lead heads with lime-green grub-tails are deadly on fluke. Other colors are effective as well with white working best in murky water. Remember the old "Salty Dog" weakfish jig. It really catches fluke especially in the back-bay areas. Keep the plastics on the small side. Fluke do not have a large round mouth that can inhale a long rubber offering like big weakfish can do to a nine inch jellyworm. Three to four inch twister tail grubs on a 1 oz. lead-head jig are just perfect.

STRATEGY #5 "THE CAROLINA RIG WITH FLOAT AND STOP"

The "Carolina Rig" is nothing more than an egg sinker tied above a barrel swivel and the hook with leader on the other side of the swivel. It is the most common rig used in the South. What makes this rig so effective is that the line can slide through the egg sinker allowing the fish to pick up the bait and swallow it without feeling the weight of the sinker. I have found it to be an excellent rig to use for casting with natural bait or unweighted artificials. It works especially well in shallow areas along the edges of sandbars or channels. I modify the basic rig to some degree for this application. I add a float midway along the leader to keep the bait off the bottom. The float can be eliminated if fishing rubber grubs etc. on a plain hook because the rubber floats. I also add a small split shot about a foot above the egg sinker to stop the sinker from sliding up the line on the cast. This still allows for the fish to get one foot of unencumbered drop back to swallow the bait. Try this with a live killie, it really works.

STRATEGY #6 "SLIP-FLOAT" FOR FISHING THE FLATS OR FROM SHORE

How do you present a bait to fish in shallow water especially in areas that might have a lot of debris or grass on the bottom? The answer is to suspend the bait above the bottom on some type of float. The next problem is that the water might be eight feet deep. How do you cast a float with bait on a hook, six or more feet below it? Very difficult at best. The answer to this is the slip-float. This float has a thin, hollow plastic tube running through the middle. To fish a bait at a depth of six feet I tie a knot in the line about six feet from the end of the line. The knot will not pass through the small hole in the tube but will pass easily through the guides of the rod. I thread the float on the leader then add a couple of split shots just above the hook which is tied to the end of the line. The "slip-float" will slide down to the split shot and stop above the hook for the cast. When it is cast out, the split shot will sink the baited hook until the knot reaches the tube. If all is right it will be suspended at a depth of six feet which would be just above the bottom. A live killie or worm swimming just above the bottom when fishing the flats and edges is deadly on fluke and weakfish. I know of some lunker fluke caught using this method. It is especially effective when used from shore in calm waters.

STRATEGY #7 SLOW-TROLLING DURING SLACK TIDE

When drifting for fluke, slack water means no action. Because there is no movement, the area covered is reduced to nothing and so is the fishing. Crabs usually take over during slack and try to wipe out your bait supply. During this time I usually revert to slow-trolling. I like to fish a squid/spearing combination and prefer a chrome spinner blade or "Spin-n-Glow" in front of the hook. I increase the sinker weight to about 6 oz.. I put the boat in gear and drop back the line about 75 feet and set the rod in the rod-holder. I then work the boat in and out of gear just enough to maintain slow forward motion and still have the sinker bouncing along the bottom. While doing this I watch the rod tip. When the tip indicated a bite, I take the boat out of gear, pick up the rod, drop the tip to let the fish get on the bait, and strike the fish. This technique can produce good fishing during what would otherwise be wasted time.

STRATEGY #8 CHUMMING FLUKE

This technique dates back as long as I can remember but is practiced by few. It can be extremely productive even in times of lean fishing. It will also work well when the water is churned or murky due to algae blooms. I anchor up in a promising area, preferably a distance away from all the boat traffic. I set a chum pot loaded with ground bunker on the bottom or just slightly above the bottom. A moving tide is a must as it will carry the chum back from the boat and act as an attractant to any fluke in the area. I then fish behind the chum pot with natural baits, live baits or jigs. I like to fish a live killie about a foot above the sinker on a three foot leader on a "dead stick" which is a rod in the rod-holder. I then work a second rod and bounce a bucktail or other artificial by dropping it just behind the chum pot and bouncing it along the bottom as I "walk" it back with the tide. If the "dead stick" gets a hit, I can quickly grab the rod and set the hook. This method has produced excellent catches even under the most adverse conditions and often bluefish weakfish and bass are caught in the process. It’s kind of laid back and is an excellent choice when fishing with small children. Kids like lots of action and this strategy will usually provide it.

STRATEGY #9 FISHING REEF AND WRECK EDGES FOR "DOORMATS"

Fluke are attracted to bottom structure just as is any other predatory fish. They like to cruise the edges of wrecks and reef piles looking for an unsuspecting baitfish. Very often it is the largest of fluke that inhabit these areas. This is the place that offers the opportunity to catch "doormat" fluke, fish 5 lb. or bigger. Of course this involves more boating expertise but it is worth the effort. Locate a suitable piece of structure using LORAN, GPS and your recorder. Mark the piece with a couple of buoys so you know the way it lays and where the outer edges are. If it is in water over 30 feet deep then fish multifilament line. Fish with larger than normal baits if you really want a big fish. I prefer a six inch strip of squid or fluke belly with a large spearing or smelt. If it is late in the season, live snappers are the best. Drift just off the edges of the structure to prevent snagging. Work the whole perimeter of the structure before moving to a new piece. This kind of fluke fishing may not provide a lot of action but the quality of the fish will makes it worthwhile. This is the surest way to catch a trophy fluke.

STRATEGY #10 FLY-FISHING FOR FLUKE

Most fly-fishing enthusiasts don’t consider fluke as a target. I have found however that they can be caught and provide excellent action and a real challenge. Because they hug the bottom, sinking lines and shallow water is a must. I prefer to work the edges of channels and sandbars. I like to anchor so that I can cast into the shallow water and then let the fly drop down the edge. In certain places it is better to anchor in the shallows, cast into the deep water, let the line settle to the bottom and work it up the bank. Which method to use depends upon tide, wind and weed conditions. The fishing itself is quite simple. A very slow, short stripping action usually works well. My favorite fly pattern is a "Clouser Minnow" in olive and white. Any descent sand eel imitation fly will work well. If you fly-fish, give this a try. If you do not fly-fish then I recommend you consider it for the future. Fly-fishing is very challenging and very exciting. You won’t catch as many fish as you would using other methods but what you do catch most memorable.

I hope that these strategies will be helpful to you and your fishing enjoyment. Trying different things is a lot of fun especially when it works! These techniques can definitely add to your fishing pleasure and put a few good ones in your cooler. Remember to keep only what you will use. Conservation is everyone’s responsibility.

Good Fishing,
Captain Al Lorenzetti

ADVENTURES IN FISHING

2007-12-12T11:50:00.002-08:00

ADVENTURES IN FISHING
By: Capt. Ray Kelly

It’s Sailfish Time...
Sailfishing is one of the most exciting fish to catch. Many anglers think this is only for the rich and famous. This is far from the truth. YOU can go sailfishing also. You just have to make the time. It’s sailfish time now in Florida. I love Florida. Florida is a great place to go when weather here gets cold and the snow starts. You can catch sailfish off Stuart , Palm Beach and south to the Florida Keys from November through February. My favorite is the Florida Keys. Islamorada has some of the best fishing in the world

especially for sailfish. Islamorada is known as the Sportfishing Capital of the World.

As some of you already know, we have filmed the Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament in Islamorada for the past four years for our television show, Adventures in Fishing with Capt. Ray Kelly. The tournament is held during the third week in January which is in the prime of Sailfish season in the Keys. During last years filming, we filmed on board, GONFISHIN V with Capt. Glen Miller and on CATCH 22 with Capt. Scott Stanczyk. The Cheeca Team was fishing on the CATCH 22. The anglers on board these two boats caught so many sailfish that we had to broadcast the tournament during two shows. The sailfish action was fabulous.

Julie Perrin-Olsen, Tournament Director and Director of Public Relations for Cheeca Lodge, refers to the tournament as "the most prestigious tournament in the Florida Keys." I must say the tournament is well organized and the anglers are very competiive. The captains that fish The Presidential are the best of the best. Cheeca Lodge is the most exclusive resort in Islamorada with oceanfront rooms and suites, two pools, two restaraunts, a fishing pier and boat dock. Cheeca even has a golf course. Cheeca Lodge is the place to stay when fishing or vacationing in the Florida Keys.

This filming was special as my son, Christopher, was filming the tournament with me. Chris took the time from his busy schedule to be the primary cameraman for this shoot. Chris and I work well together which makes things a lot easier. On Sailfish shoots, one cameraman tries to concentrate on filming the sailfish jumping and dancing on the water while the other cameraman will capture the action in the cockpit. The acrobatics that sailfish put on really get an anglers blood flowing. To capture these jumps and dances on film is no easy task. Chris is one of the best. Viewers have no idea how much work goes into producing ADVENTURES IN FISHING.

On the first day, Chris and I were on board, GONFISHIN V. Capt. Glen Miller is one of the best captains in Islamorada and one of the best captains that I have ever worked with. It did not take long after the bait was caught by mate Rick Gulia. Ballyhoo are the best bait to use and are caught with a cast net at the crack of dawn. The lines went into the water at 8:30 AM and the action started. Jorge Alvarez was fishing with his uncle, Tevy Wellins. Jorge had never caught a sailfish before. It did not take long before Jorge was hooked up.

The sailfish jumped and skyrocketed in the air. The sailfish danced on the surface at the boats stern and then was tagged and released. This is a catch and release tournament. There is also an award for most tagged fish. Jorge was happy and proud. Another fish came not long after and again Jorge was quick to jump on the rod. Tevy was glad to see his nephew having fun. Tevy has caught many sailfish in the past and he let Jorge land most of the fish on this trip. This fish was landed. Another fish hit one of the baits but this was not a sailfish. It was a 25 pound Wahoo. Jorge landed this one also. His first wahoo. This wahoo captured the Most Outstanding Catch award. Jorge was having a great day. Tevy landed the next fish which was a baracuda. The action was unbelievable. GONFISHIN V was definitely doing well. In the afternoon, Jorge and Tevy battled sailfish and landed both of them. What a day! Five sailfish landed. The GONFISHIN V team was tied for 2nd place but because they caught their last fish later than the others, they were in fourth place. Jorge will remember this day for the rest of his life.

We filmed on board, CATCH 22, the second day. The Cheeca Fishing Team composed of Dave Chaplin, Alan Ritter, Russell Leger and Capt. Dan McArthy were fishing with Capt. Scott Stanczyk and his mate Mark Ellis.

CATCH 22 also had a great first day. The lines were in at 8:30 AM and a double was immediately hooked up. Two sailfish on at once is a sight to see never mind film. Russell Leger hooked up first with Dave Chaplin hooking up second. It takes a team effort all around. Capt. Stanczyk coordinated the battle. Russell let his sail take drag and swim away from the boat while Dave battled his fish close. Chris and I captured the action on film. It would be great if they both landed their fish. These battles last over an

hour but they both landed their sailfish. CATCH 22 was now tie for lst place. The angler on the DEE CEE hooked up with a triple and believe it or not she landed all three fish by herself. The DEE CEE was now tie for 2nd place with 8 sailfish. Dave Chaplin landed another sailfish giving the Cheeca Team 8 sailfish putting them in 2nd place. Two tuna were also caught. It was another fantastic day.

I knew we had another great show filmed for ADVENTURES IN FISHING. The final results were Relentless-lst place with 9 sailfish, Catch 22- 2nd Place with 8 sailfish and Dee Cee- 3rd Place with 8 sailfish.

The Cheeca Lodge Presidential Sailfish Tournament is a first class tournament. I highly recommend it. Next years tournament is scheduled for January 18-20, 2001. Give Julie Olsen a call at 1-800-327-2888 or 305-664-4651 for more information. We will be there again filming another show for ADVENTURES IN FISHING. I hope to see you there also.

Even if you can not make the Presidential, YOU can still experience some of the fine sailfishing on one of the many charters boats in the area. Capt. Glen Miller of GONFISHIN V can be reached at 305-852-3427. Capt. Scott Stanczyk of CATCH 22 can be reached at 800-742-7945 or 305-664-2461. You can even try your luck by yourself by renting a boat at SPLASH WATERSPORTS in Islamorada. The number is 305-664-8892. THE POWER BOAT CLUB in Jensen Beach also rents fishing boats. Their number is 888-219-0703. But the only way for you to catch a sailfish is to get out there and give it a try. As they say, TRY IT, YOU’LL LIKE IT. Actually YOU’LL LOVE IT!!!

Give ADVENTURES IN FISHING a call at (631) 744-5951 or email kelly@adventure-fishing.com and we will make the arrangements for you. Don’t forget to check the Adventures In Fishing Website at http://www.adventure-fishing.com. And remember- "Let’s get kids hooked on Fishing NOT drugs!"

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Capt. Ray Kelly is a USCG licensed charter boat captain. His boat, ADVENTURES, is based in Riverhead, NY with charters available in Peconic Bay, Shinnecock Bay and offshore out of Shinnecock Inlet. Flounder, Fluke, Bluefish, Striped Bass, Shark and Tuna charters are available when in season. He is Executive Producer of ADVENTURES IN FISHING WITH CAPT. RAY KELLY, a weekly television show which airs in New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts and California. They are always looking for charter, party and private boats to be featured on the show. For further information, call Starlight Productions at (631) 744-5951.

A FRENZY BITE!

2007-12-12T11:50:00.001-08:00

A FRENZY BITE!

My son Cal and I took a fishing trip with Dennis Treffry across to Catalina in his 22 foot center console Chris Craft. We started out under extreme duress because we couldn't find live squid anywhere in LA Harbor. It was the day after Christmas, Sunday and the bait boats hadn't been working. So we took our 3 bags of frozen squid left over from previous trips and flew across the channel in about one hour. We were sure to find somebody with live squid at the island. Wrong! Not only was there anybody with live squid, there wasn't any boats anywhere around the Isthmus and west end. So we were stuck without live bait.

Under normal circumstances you can usually pick away at the bass with dead bait which was our plan but a sea bass attack wasn't out of the question either. In fact they are sometimes caught easier with dead bait. We went backside to one of my sons' favorite sea bass spots, anchored into an up island current where I lost my first three jig and squid set-ups to the bottom. The guys also lost tackle, so Cal moved the boat 30 yards towards the beach. With my jigs gone I tied up a dropper loop setup with both droppers about 3 feet long which is the usual set-up for sea bass. A 2 ounce sinker was on one end of the dropper and a 6/0 bait hook on the other. Cal and Dennis were using heavy 4/0 TADY jigs, all white, with a single squid hooked on. We were each using 30 pound test . Cals' reel was a Daiwa SG50 H. I used a Shimano TLD 20/40 Star and Dennis used a Daiwa SL30. We used 8' 6" Loomis rods. When we didn't lose any more tackle to the bottom, this indicated to Cal that we were "on the spot".

With both of these set-ups the perch were unmerciful so you have to persevere, because the difference between a perch bite and a sea bass bite is almost exactly none...most of the time. The first bait I dropped down was immediately pounded on by perch. I set the hook to nothing about 4 times. On the fifth hook-set a seabass almost pulled the rod out of my hands. Instantly, in unison, both Dennis and Cal hooked up. So there we were running into each other with three charging fish running in all directions. All were landed and all three were 20 pounders.

My dropper loop set-up won the battle that day as I caught a sea bass virtually every single drop down until they quit. I caught the biggest fish at 40 pounds. Cal and Dennis both got their limits (3) but didn't get near the number of fish that I got. The bite lasted about one hour from 8:00 am to 9:00 am. We released about 20 fish, all legals. The 40 pounder bit like a bottom hang-up. When I lifted the rod tip up it seemed stuck to the bottom, then it swam off to tell me it wasn't the bottom.

Two large calicos were landed in the salvo but except for those two, no more were caught the rest of the day. In fact the rest of the day was a real bust as we caught nothing until our departure at 3:00 pm. We didn't care, the hour long sea bass frenzy was the most memorable of all.

Ahoy There One And All!

2007-12-12T11:49:00.002-08:00

Ahoy There One And All!

By: Captain Smitty of the RIPTIDE

The Salmon season opened today for those of us who can fish below Pigeon Point! What a glorious morning it was for everyone! The anticipation was running high on the docks early in the morning with everyone expecting great weather. The talk was of last year's opener and how there was such great fishing and such crummy weather. There was much talk about the "wind sailor" Jelly fish (Velella velella) that float on the surface of the water. All of the old salts remember the great years ('97 and '95) when they were around and how they always foretell of a good season ahead. Even though I have been

working professionally for 27 years in the sportfishing business I still get caught up in the thrill and anticipation of that first day! Setting out the line and checking out the area to see what kind of life is around. Everyone knew we had scored today at least as far as the weather was concerned. All we had to do was find some hungry fish!

And we were sure not disappointed!!!

We ran to the line and started to look at all of the bait and birds along the line but there was some jelly fish in the water there so we ran a mile further south to get out of the jellyfish. When we got all of the lines settled into the water it was not long before we had that first bite and there was a cheer that rang out across the decks "FISH ON"!!!! Steve had the throbbing rod in his hands and was deftly caressing the fish towards the boat. But this scrappy fish had mind of his own and fought hard before coming to the net where Jeff the deckhand scooped him! A resounding "IN THE BOX" was shouted out in pure joy! No sooner had that one been pinned and put in the fish box when another reel started ripping line off! Jeff was yelling "ONE HANGING' , then DOUBLE HEADER!!! But, as happens, one of them came off the hook! Well it is called "fishing" and not "catching"!!

The morning continued and everyone was getting action from hit and runs to rods doubling over and throbbing! We put the word out to the other boats and they soon were joining us in the pandemonium!

When 10:30 rolled around I had to tell everyone we had our 16 Limits (32 salmon) and we had to wind up the gear! One of my smart alek customers (yes, Jim you) said " well Smitty it took us a half hour longer this year than last year," to which I replied "that may be true but I'll have you home in half the time it took us last year to beat our way back up the coast!" Everyone laughed as most of them were with me last year for that wet long ride back. This year after running for about a half hour across very calm waters, they were all pretty much snoozing! I guess the fish kicked their butts after all!

What a grand way to start off the new salmon season!! Interested in a trip? Call 888-747-8433 for reservations aboard the Riptide!

Till the next installment of the fishing report!

Our Alaskan Fishing Adventure

2007-12-12T11:49:00.001-08:00

Our Alaskan Fishing Adventure
By Danny Pierce

Click Here for a profile of Cody Pierce

We saw a sweepstakes on television which was being offered by, well known television fishing personality, Babe Winkelman. Chevrolet Trailblazer and Rayovac Batteries were the sponsors for the sweepstakes. There were 2 grand prizes up for grabs and you could choose the one you wanted to enter. One was a 2 Week African Safari, hunting with Babe. The second was a five day saltwater Alaskan fishing trip, fishing with Babe, at Waterfall Resort just outside of Ketchican, Alaska. The second part of the fishing adventure was that the trip would be filmed and shown on Babe's television show. We talked it over and decided a gazillion people would enter the sweepstakes. We knew if we weren't in it we could not win it so we optioned to enter the sweepstakes despite the odds.

Since both of us are IGFA members, Cody chose the Alaskan fishing adventure of a lifetime when he mailed in his entry form! Indeed, there were a gazillion entries sent in to Winkelman Productions in Brainerd, Minnesota. About 9 weeks later a man called on the phone and asked to speak to Cody. He identified himself as Babe Winkelman and the conversation began. Babe advised us that Cody's name had been drawn out of all the entries as the winner of the fishing trip and personally invited us to fish with him in Alaska for 4 days. He had never had a child win his yearly sweepstakes and he was apprehensive at best. When we told Babe that Cody was an IGFA Junior angler and a Junior world record holder he was as excited as we were about having chosen Cody as the winner. In fact, Babe asked us if he could put us on his speaker so his entire production company could hear about the boy that had just won their fishing

sweepstakes contest.

It seemed as though the next few weeks would never pass. Soon enough though, we would be on our way to fish with Babe Winkelman and his wife, Kris, in Alaska. Many of you reading this story may think Cody is one incredibly lucky kid. That may be, but he is really just like all teenagers. He loves skateboarding, BMX bikes, ATV's and video games besides his number one love of fishing.

Just a couple of days before we were leaving for Alaska Cody had the unfortunate experience of breaking his right hand in two places. We discussed our plight with the doctors and they decided that Cody could remove his bandaging and use his hand to fish. If it became too uncomfortable, the doctors said Cody would know it and he would have to stop fishing. That was not going to happen though, especially not on a trip like this!

Upon arriving in Alaska it rained every day we were there and probably averaged 50 degrees for the entire time we spent on the ocean fishing. We all fished in the rain and one day the skies did clear and we were able to fish in the beautiful clear sunshine. When that happened we got into the fish big time! During our trip between Babes crew, Babe and Kris Winkelman and us, we must have caught over 2,000 lbs. of fish in 4 days. About a third were released, the remaining bounty was split between the 10 of us and we took home 100 lbs. of salmon, rock fish, halibut and cod. Out of all three Winkelman boats only one fish was large enough to qualify for a Jr. world record, the entire 4 days we were fishing. This is how that event transpired.

The boats had stopped and our guide, Scott McKelvey, advised us to drop our lines to the bottom. It was 175 deep at that particular spot. Almost as soon as Cody's jig reached the bottom and he jigged one time he had hooked up with an enormous yelloweye rock fish. We had all taken turns catching several of this particular species of fish but none were even close to the one Cody had hooked up with. It took Cody, with a broken hand, about 5 minutes to reel in the giant fish. In front of 3 cameras filming for Babe's television show Cody caught and landed a 22.00 lb. yelloweye rockfish, A.K.A., incorrectly on the west coast of America as a red snapper. It was weighed on the boat when Scott told us it was not a red snapper, as many call them, but a yelloweye rockfish. I told them immediately that Cody's fish was a new IGFA Junior world record, even before I looked it up. It had eaten Koby Huntington's record of 18 lbs. 12 oz. by 3 lbs. 4 oz. And I pulled out the IGFA 2001 record book to show everyone.

Cody's fish measured 31.5 inches in length and had a 30 inch girth! It looks like it had eaten a volleyball or basketball! Even the state of Alaska recognizes such an incredible catch and is sending Cody an award certificate for his outstanding angling feat. They estimate the fish could be about 80-100 years old! We want to invite all to share in our Alaskan Fishing Adventure when the show airs on television in a few months. We will keep you informed of the airing date(s) and/or you can visit Babe's web site for his television schedule and programming.

Best fishes to all,
Danny & Cody Pierce

A Wish Come True

2007-12-11T10:06:00.004-08:00

A Wish Come True
By: Roger Lee Brown The Bass Coach

A few weeks ago in the late afternoon while I was re-spooling one of my fishing reels my wife had yelled down to me in the cellar and said that I had a phone call. Right in the middle of my winding I had asked her who was on the phone to which she responded, “I think you’d better get this call.” So I stopped what I was doing and picked up the phone and said hello. The voice on the other end of the phone introduced herself as Cheryl from the “Make A Wish Foundation,” she then proceeded to ask me if I was the Bass Coach?, to which I responded yes!... She then asked if I was the person that had the bass fishing school and a bass charter service located up in the Lake Champlain region in upstate New York, to which I again said yes!... I was thinking to myself (kind of dumbfounded) and was wondering why she would be calling me, so I asked what I could do for her. Cheryl then told me that a 17 year old boy by the name of Jared who presently resides in Michigan had made a wish. Now, I had heard of the Make-A-Wish-Foundation in the past and even donated to it’s foundation but I wasn’t sure how the foundation really functioned, I just knew that they had helped people with terminal illnesses make their wishes come true, but when Cheryl had told me that Jared specifically requested that he wanted to meet me in person, and especially that he wanted me personally to teach him how to fish for bass I was speechless… I then thought to myself for a moment wow!, what an honor, Cheryl said that this young man (17 years young) had been diagnosed with a terminal illness called “Leukemia”, and of anywhere in the whole world he could have choose to visit, or of anybody that he could have wanted to meet or see, he just wanted to meet me personally and to have me teach him how to fish for bass. I never in my wildest dreams expected an honor such as this one.

After the Make-A-Wish Foundation and I had set up a time slot that was open on my calendar and scheduled Jared and his father to attend my 3-Day “On-Water” Bass Fishing School, much to my surprise, not only was Jared and his father coming to the Lake Champlain area, but the Make-A-Wish Foundation made it possible for Jared’s whole family to come with

along with them and visit the Lake Champlain, NY area during the period when the school would be scheduled. The more I was learning about this foundation the more impressed I got in finding out what they were doing for the unfortunate people suffering from all the many different terminal illnesses. This Make-A-Wish Foundation is truly great! All of my life I have donated to charities of different natures but after dealing with this foundation I feel that it’s a true “second-to-none” organization that really supports its cause. Anyway, while helping with lodging accommodations I had suggested to Cheryl that a Bed & Breakfast establishment would be a great idea for Jared and his family to stay at because they would have the old “Home-Town” hospitality that would make their stay more comfortable, and she agreed. When the reservations were made, the lodging was reserved at the Crown Point Bed and Breakfast which was only a minute from Lake Champlain and about 10 minutes from Lake George (which being the two lakes that I teach on), and just minutes away from Lake Placid (NY), Burlington, VT., Rutland, VT., and Fort Ticonderoga which is located in the Town of Ticonderoga, NY. This gave Jared’s family a chance to visit the many different areas here in the famous Adirondak Mountains as well as a chance for Jared and his father to enjoy the different places after the finish of each “On-water” school day.

When the first day of the school started, I picked up Jared and his father (Ron) at the bed and breakfast where they were staying. After meeting them for the first time, the first impression I got from Jared was a good one. He was a tall, slim, good looking boy with a great personality. As the three days had so quickly moved on, while spending time with Jared and his father I couldn’t help but from getting attached to them. We had so much fun fishing together especially while catching several bass each day that we had spent on the water. Just being able to teach them how to use so many different baits that they’d never used before and consistently catching bass with them, we all had a great time. Jared and Ron didn’t realize that there were different types of baits that caught mostly big bass while other types of baits caught smaller ones (especially in numbers.) Jared used to fish with his grandfather off and on through the years while growing up, but now his father had a chance to learn not only how to catch bass, but how to spend more quality time with his son fishing together as a family should. During these three days, Jared and his father not only learned how to fish for bass, but they learned how to enjoy each other just spending time doing something they now had in common.

When the last day approached I was starting to feel a deep kind of sorrow for Jared because I knew that I probably wouldn’t have a chance to see him again. The little time that I had spent with Jared, I found him to be an amazing seventeen year old boy with a positive attitude in just about everything that he talked about. I don’t know if most of us wouldn’t just pity ourselves if we were in Jared’s situation or not, but I do know now what strength, love, caring, and having friends and family is all about. I know the Lord has reasons for everything that he does, and I’m sure that he had a reason for Jared’s condition, but, I would gladly trade places with him if I could. I just want Jared and his father to know that I’ll always hold a place in my heart for them and that my prayers will be with them always.

Lastly, I want to thank the Make-A-Wish Foundation once again for all that they have done for Jared and his family. It’s organizations like this one that truly make wishes come true! Please, help in supporting this foundation because they are truly for real.

http://www.wish.org/

Until next time….. Take care & God Bless!... “The Bass Coach”..Roger Lee brown www.capital.net/~rlbrown and www.fishing-boating.com/basscoach or you can email me at: rlbrown@capital.net or call me at (518) 597-4240

Bass Tournament "Shortcuts"

2007-12-11T10:06:00.003-08:00

Bass Tournament "Shortcuts"
By: "The Bass Coach" Roger Lee Brown

Have you ever noticed whether it be Club Tournaments, Divisional Tournaments (B.A.S.S. Federation, Red Man, Anglers Choice, etc.) and even the Pro Tournaments, usually you will see a hand full of the same anglers consistently "In-The-Money" most of the time. Then while you’re driving home after fishing some of these tournaments without much success you ask yourself "What are these anglers doing so different than I am."

There are many different reasons for these same anglers to consistently "Cash-In" or "Place in the money" fishing Bass Tournaments, and I hope that I can help you with some "In-Site" on what keeps some of these anglers successful when it comes to tournament fishing.

Bass Tournament fishing is a very competitive sport in a multi-billion dollar industry where more and more anglers every day are joining the ranks of the Tournament

competitors. With all these new competitors as well as the already established ones, the competition seems to be getting tougher and tougher thus making it harder to stay on top, or consistently in the money. Now, there are several "Tricks-Of-The-Trade" or "Shortcuts" you can use to give you the edge you need to eliminate a good portion of the field of participants. These can seem to "Stack-The-Cards" in your favor when it comes to Tournament Preparation.

The first one we will talk about is:

1. UNDERSTANDING BASS The better that a angler can understand his or her opponent the better or more successful he or she will be against it. One of the most important factors when bass fishing is understanding what a bass does during different situations and how the scenses make a difference (taste, feel, sight, smell, etc.). There is much to learn about bass especially when you have to consider some of the following:

A. Water Clarity

B. Water Temperature

C. Water Oxygen Content

D. Vegetation

E. Seasons

F. Daily Conditions

G. Pressure Changes

H. Weather Fronts

I. Natural Forage

J. Colors

K. Water Depth

L. Structures

and there’s more!....... The first rule of thumb ALWAYS to keep in mind is that a Bass needs "3" elements to survive which are: 1. FOOD 2. OXYGEN 3. COVER

By understanding these three elements and by using these 3 key elements related to some of the situations or conditions listed above should help you begin the preparation for the "Pre-Fishing" period of a Tournament and the start of putting a "Game-Plan" together. Next:

2. FAMILIARIZE YOURSELF WITH THE TOURNAMENT WATERS This can be done properly by first obtaining a map of the waters that you will be fishing. By understanding how to read a map related to bass fishing you can just about "Pre-Fish" that body of water just by knowing the; Channels, Drops, Humps, Shallows, Flats, Depth, Points, Structures, etc. and by understanding the Seasons, Daily Conditions, Water Temperatures, etc. you should be able to eliminate large amounts of water and key on the areas that would relate to the bass based on many different factors listed above. Another way to get familiarized with the water is to "Hire" Guides or Charters that fish these waters frequently. Now, depending on expenses it would be recommended to hire at least 2 different guides or charters on any given body of water. The reason for this would be to take the "Best of the two" days to help find areas, patterns, etc. Being a licensed guide as well as a bass angling instructor, I need to let the truth be known that there are very poor and very good guides on just about every body of water that holds larger scale bass tournaments. Another way to help to learn the water is to "Fly-The-Water." Go to the municipal or county airport in the area and find a pilot to take you up and fly over the tournament waters. This doesn’t cost very much (normally), but you’d be amazed of what you can see from the air that you can’t see while sitting on the water.

3. COLOR & BAIT PATTERNS Probably one of the best ways to learn the color and bait patterns of any given body of water would be to visit as many "Bait & Tackle" retailers in the area as possible. Not so much to talk to anyone, but to look and see what baits and colors are being sold the most off the shelves. If you visit several of these retailers you should be able to get a very good idea of what colors and baits to use pre-fishing based on the averages of all these different places combined.

4. WATCH THE LOCALS One of the best ways I’ve found some great "Honey Holes" in the past is just by observing the locals. While you are on the water and see a boat sitting in one spot for a while, just move off in a distance and watch. Remember, some of these locals have fished these waters all their life and are not sitting in areas just to eat lunch! And, especially in the morning before you hit the water, try to find the local

diner where most of the locals go eat breakfast. Many times in the past I’ve got some great information just by eating at the same place at the same time, and by sitting as close as possible. Many anglers like to brag! Just by sitting and minding my own, you can’t help to over hear these locals talking between themselves about the 10 pounder they caught off of Trumans Point using a Spook, etc.

5. PUTTING A GAME PLAN TOGETHER Putting a game plan together for a Tournament and especially "STICKING TO IT!" can make of break most of the anglers in the field. The biggest problem of "Most Anglers" when tournament fishing is not sticking to a game plan. Several years ago, I had the great pleasure and company of Shaw Grisby Jr. and his Father (Pops) over at my home for dinner. That evening, I asked Shaw’s father (A truly great and knowledgeable man) what he thought was the biggest problem of why most anglers can’t seem to stay consistent, to which he replied; "They always leave the fish!" What he was saying was, that if you are in an area where there are fish, WHY LEAVE? Give a spot time... The biggest part of pre-fishing is locating fish right? So don’t just give a spot a few minutes then leave..... I’ve sat on certain spots for a couple of hours without as much as a bite, then all of a sudden they turn on and I’ve caught limits just by waiting them out. Also, when making your game plan, select an area where you won’t have to run miles and miles to secondary spots. Try to keep at least 3 or 4 alternate spots within a few minutes of each other.

As I mentioned before, being a Pro Bass Instructor, I’ve had several students in the past who attended my 3-day Bass Fishing School that just wanted to learn how to "Pre-Fish" for tournaments. By teaching them a better understanding of the bass, why it does things, when it does things under the different circumstances, how to put game plans together, showing them different techniques and patterns, teaching them colors, what proper equipment to use, how to locate bass, etc. these former students are some of these "Constant Money Winners." I hope that this article will help you in all your future tournaments and make you a more consistent angler. If you may have any questions on any of the material I’ve covered, please don’t hesitate to contact me at my Email address at: rlbrown@capital.net or at any of my websites at: www.capital.net/~rlbrown or www.fishing-boating.com/basscoach

Until next time!...... Take Care & God Bless!....."The Bass Coach" Roger Lee Brown

Bass Fishing in Winter

2007-12-11T10:06:00.001-08:00

Bass Fishing in Winter
by Charles Stuart
Fishing for bass during the late fall and winter months can be a daunting task.

During the regular season, you have identifiable structure to fish, vegetation is in bloom and the sun offers you shaded areas, which will produce fish during the heat of the day. Winter however does not give you any of those visible signs. So what do you do? Well once again, you must turn to your understanding of the bass and its lifestyle during these "lean months". When I use the word lean, I am referring to the food chain which can be drastically reduced by the elements. Exceptionally cold weather can kill smaller fish and aquatic life leaving the bass only a limited diet for 3 or 4 months. You will often hear bass fishermen talking about the "big feed" prior to winter, when bass will eat anything and everything to carry them through till Spring.

Bait selection at this time is critical. A bass when in very cold water, will move only a minimal distance for food, so the bait of choice has to be something that is equal or

greater than the energy expended. Compare your own lifestyle during the winter months, you store up food and fuel for the winter, to avoid unnecessary trips to the store, and you really hate clearing the driveway and brushing the snow off your vehicle if its not absolutely necessary. Correct? Well it's the same for a bass. Why should the fish dash around for small items of food, when it will not compensate for the energy required to chase it down and catch it?

The use of large, slow moving baits is the key. Don't be afraid to throw a 10" or 12" plastics (like the new Uncle Josh "Incredible Creature" and "Incredible Lizard" range of lures, where you once threw a 4" offering. Slowly retrieve the larger baits, inching them slowly back to shore. Large jigs tipped with 3 or 4 inch Uncle Josh pork trailers maneuvered in a similar fashion to the worm will produce fish, you just have to be patient. During summer, that smaller bait should be in and out of the water in 30 seconds, however with winters climactic changes, you must now leave the larger bait in the water for as long as 3 minutes! A good tip here is to keep your baits warm. I place a few imitations into a plastic bag and keep them in my pocket, this keeps the bait flexible and it will work well in frigid water temperatures. Remember that it's small attention to detail like that, which will separate you from the rest of the fishermen and you will catch more fish.

The key to winter bass fishing is patience. That's not an easy thing for my fellow New Yorkers! But you should give it a try.

Bring some hot coffee and plenty of food for your energy. Remember to dress in layers. Hypothermia is very nasty, and is a condition which from first hand experience, I do not recommend!

Draw Down

2007-12-11T10:05:00.001-08:00

Draw Down"
By: Captain Tony Weatherman

Starting on November 1, 2002, something magical is going to happen. There will be a drawdown on Lake Tohopekaliga in Kissimmee Florida. While the effects of a lake restoration project of this magnitude is often disputed, one thing is certain, Fishing is going to be incredible, breathtaking, wonderful, exciting and above all else, extraordinary. While there are always two sides to the lake restoration project, and neither side will ever agree, during the time that the water levels are low, the fish will be concentrated into a smaller version of what was once a great body of water, and everyone will agree that fishing is fantastic.

In the Mid eighties, a similar project was done on this exact same lake and fishing was great. While actually getting to the water was a bit of a job in itself, once in the water, fish were everywhere. Most trips on the water

during the mid eighties drawdown would find a daily catch of 50 to 100 bass per day, and several of these were monsters over 10 pounds. Sitting around listening to some of the people who fished the eighties drawdown sounds like fishing lore of yesteryear. you will hear stories of 13 pound bass saddling up big devil horses and riding them into the sunset. You will here about fish with mouths big enough to hide watermelon in. Now, this all sounds like folklore, and fishing stories of a time gone by from and imaginary place, but remember this was in the eighties, not the sixties. While some of the stories are given to slight exaggeration, one cannot help but believe that fishing will take your breath away.

The project is expected to bring the water down about 5' to 6' from normal pool. It will be down from November 1st 2002 to around mid July 2003 depending on the rain and drought conditions. The plans call far a complete shoreline cleaning, and muck removal with heavy equipment. The purpose of this project is to improve aquatic habitat in the lake by removing bottom sediments and establishing new aquatic vegetation which will allow bass access to shallow spawning areas otherwise out of reach. In 1987 after the drawdown when water levels were brought back up to normal levels, fishing peaked at 608 pounds of fish per littoral acre in 1989, an increase of 74% when compared to 1986 data. Trophy bass fishing peaked in 1989 with 93 pounds per littoral acre, up from the 29 pounds per acre collected in 1986. Fish population and creel survey data collected following the 1987 drawdown indicate the sport fishery in Lake Tohopekaliga will be a great sport fishery in the future.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Commission heads up the project. They say that this project is necessary to keep the fishing quality high, and I am inclined to agree. After looking at the plans, and being on the lake every day, I can say that it does need to be managed. While I personally do not agree with several of the disposal plans for the muck being removed, and islands created around the lake. I am also not happy with the amount of money allocated for replanting around the shore line of good vegetation. I believe that if they stick to the plan, and do not try to eradicate all of the hydrilla from the lake, Leave some of the grass islands that are not near the shores, this lake will come back stronger than ever. It will most likely take some time, as with any major surgery, there will need to be a time of healing for the lake when it is over.

Turning our focus back to the drawdown itself. The water levels will start to lower on November 1st, and will probably not reach a significant low level until January 2003. Boat access will be limited, and navigation very difficult for bass boats. Most boat ramp access to this lake will be unreachable, and any navigation at all will have to be from shallow water boats. For our guide service we fish from a 20 foot 2001 Eagle Flats boat. It has a 10 inch draft which will make navigation easier, and more comfortable. There are a lot of people from all over the US who come down with their own boats every year who will be very disappointed in that they may not be able to fish from them during the drawdown. The best thing to do if you would like to fish this lake during the drawdown is to hire a guide service to take you out, most guides in the area will know more about navigating the water than anyone else.

As a professional guide, native Floridian, and a Fisherman I am looking forward to this drawdown. I expect someone during this time to actually

break the State record for largemouth bass which currently is just over 17 pounds. If you want to fish this drawdown, and create your own legend of 14 pound bass riding your Zara Spook off into the sunrise, call us to make a reservation for a couple of days of fishing that will be spectacular. You can contact us at http://www.championbass.com, or call us toll free at 1-888-715-7661.

Information on fishing statistics after the drawdown of 1987 was gathered from the "2003 Lake Tohopekaliga Habitat Enhancement Project". More information can be received by going to the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission's website at http://www.floridaconservation.org.

Capt. Tony Weatherman
Champion Pro Guide Services - Central Florida
http://www.championbass.com

Enter The Catalpa Worm Zone

2007-12-11T10:04:00.000-08:00

Enter The Catalpa Worm Zone
By Ron and Toni Smith

The name catalpa (pronounced ketal'pe) comes from the name given to a tree by the Native American tribe, the Catawba (keto'be) of South Carolina. It is said that the Indians smoked the bean pods for a hallucinogenic effect, so the tree became known as the "Indian Cigar Tree", the Indian bean, and smoking bean.

In the late 1700s, this tree was planted all over the Eastern United States with southwest Georgia, south Alabama, and south-central and southeast Mississippi being the original native ranges. The largest trees found measured 70 feet tall by 70 feet wide in Texas, and 75 feet by 75 feet in Mississippi, with a relatively short life span of 70 years. It is said the tree could grow as tall as 100 feet.

There is the Northern Catalpa, which is a short-lived, coarse-textured tree that tolerates a wide range of growing conditions. Growth is rapid at first but slows down with age. The main ornamental feature is panicles of flowers produced in early summer. These are white with yellow and purple markings. The fruit is a long pod that can be a litter problem.

The Southern catalpa is smaller than the Northern catalpa and reaches about 30 to 40 feet tall.

The heartwood of the Southern catalpa is extremely heat resistant and is used for fence posts and rails. Its soft straight-grained and low shrinkage is valuable also and occasionally furniture parts are fashioned from catalpa. The wood is faintly aromatic.

The catalpa trees are the only host for the catalpa sphinx moth. This moth larva - known as the catalpa worm -- devours the leaves of the tree and often completely defoliates the tree, as shown here. Defoliated catalpas produce new leaves readily and trees usually refoliate promptly. Adult

moths first appear in March to April and deposit eggs ranging from 100 to 1,000 on the underside of the leaves. Eggs hatch in 5-7 days and young larvae feed together as leaf skeletonizers until they are about three inches long. They then drop to the ground.

Southern trees produce fruit that are long, slender, thin-walled, pod-like capsules that dangle from the ends of twigs. They look like cylindrical pencils or cigars about 1/3 inch in diameter and 6-16 inches long. The fruit dries to a brownish color and eventually splits along two lengthwise seams. The fruits mature by October and are held on the tree until spring.

Trees begin to flower by age seven and are producing good seed crops by age 10. Seeds are naturally shed in late winter as the drying fruits split. Collection should occur after the fruit has dried and turned brown. If 10 pounds of air-dried fruit are collected, expect 2-3 pounds of seeds, which are about 40,000 individual seeds. Seeds can be stored under cold, dry conditions for up to two years. Sow seeds in spring under 1/8 inch soil and light mulch. Once sowed, seeds germinate within two weeks with 90% germination potential.

The catalpa worm, a green caterpillar that lives on the catalpa tree, is well known as a tree pest, but is better known to some for its attractiveness to catfish. References to their collection as bait reportedly date back to the 1870s. Tough in texture, they sport a black head and tail with a neon strip down either side of its back. When put on a hook, which according to some should be a circle hook with heavy sinkers to make sure the bait is on the bottom, a bright fluorescent green fluid oozes from its body that smells sweet, which is its attractiveness. It is also reported to "wiggle forever on a hook." This sweet aroma and liveliness of this worm make it very appealing to fish.

Harvesting the worm is best from April through November, with the largest hatches produced in late spring and again in late summer. A single tree may hold 200 worms. To gather the worms, place a tarp or piece of plastic under the tree and shake it until the worms fall off.

The worm can be preserved alive by placing it in cornmeal or sawdust and packing it in a glass jar and frozen indefinitely. When thawed, they become as lively as the day they were froze. This is because their metabolism slows down while eating and, therefore, freezes in its natural state. Some fishermen report that it is better to freeze them in water in lots of 25. Thawed out, they turn black and soggy, but do not seem to lose their appeal to catfish.

There are several ways to use this worm as bait. It can be cut in half, turned inside out and threaded on the hook. Another way is to cut them in pieces just like an earthworm. But the most common way seems to be cut (or bite-YUK!!!) its head off, use the end of a match and turn its body inside out. The common thread here is to release its aromatic scent and green fluorescent juices.

Finding these worms? Find the Catalpa Tree and in most cases you find the worm. The trees grow naturally along rivers and margins of swamps. Northern catalpa occurs naturally as an occasional tree in some central and south-central states such as Indiana, Illinois and south Arkansas to Tennessee.

You could plant your own trees by ordering the seeds online or gathering seeds from trees proven to support moth larvae over many years. Seeds can be planted in a garden area and grown until they are 1-2 years old. Sow the seeds at a wide spacing and thin seedlings to greater than a six-inch spacing between stems. Once the seedlings are larger than 18 inches tall and the field is prepared, transplant them during the winter and cover the seed with coarse, organic mulch 1-2 inches thick. A slow release of nitrogen and phosphorous containing fertilizer can be added in small amounts over the top of the mulch in late spring each year. The addition of calcium and magnesium through applications of dolomite limestone can also be beneficial in highly acid soils; soil pH should be adjusted to 6.4.

The soil should be moist and well drained with loam to sandy loam textures. Spots 10 feet in diameter should be cleared with no plant shaded for most of the day. Wood weed control is essential and each seedling must be completely free to grow without competition. Wind protection is valuable as long as the catalpas are not shaded.

You could order the frozen worm online or you could make your own as shown below. Whatever you choose, if you choose to use the Catalpa Worm to catch catfish, they have been tried and tested to be very favorable bait.

You have now entered the Catalpa Worm Zone!!!

Resources:
75+ Catalpa Tree-Indian Bean Tree Seeds -- $2.49
e-Bay item #2323793621

Catalpa Worms, frozen - 1 dozen - product id D5/catalpa worms -- $3.95
www.catfishworld.net (they probably sell plastic ones too)

Tying Your Own Catalpa, Obtained from American Angler, Mar/Apr 1992

Pattern:
Hook - Mustad #79580, #4-8
Thread - black, #6/0
Tail - Goose biot segments, black
Body - Cream or pale yellow lamb's wool
Over body - Black Chenille
Hackle - Black, stripped on one side, clipped closely on finished fly
Head - Black, #6/0

Tying Instructions:
1. Wrap thread around the hook shank and stop at the bend of the hook
2. Tie in two goose baits to form a V-shaped tail
3. Remove the fibers from one side of a black hackle.
4. Attach hackle to hook above the tail with a couple of thread wraps
5. Attach chenille the length of the shank
6. Select a segment of wool with the fibers longer than the hook shank. Attach the tips of the fibers to the hook with a couple of wraps and move thread to the eye of the hook. The butts of the fibers will extend well beyond the back of the hook. Use enough wool to form the body's thickness. Bending the wool backward toward the hook's eye will shape the body. Position the wool so that it encircles the entire hook. Secure the wool to the hook at least one eye diameter behind the eye of the hook.
7. Pull the chenille over the top of the body; hold firm and secure with thread.
8. Rib the fly with black hackle.
9. Form the head with black thread.
10. Clip the hackle fibers close to the body of the fly. Place a slight bend in the shank of the hook.

Flaming Gorge Ice Fishing Report

2007-12-10T13:09:00.001-08:00

We traveled up to Firehole Canyon yesterday and found hardeck, 3-4 inches, all the way down to Lost Dog. The roads were pretty good, with some areas of snowpack from last weekend's storm.

We fished next to a couple of anglers out of Rock Springs, just off the Firehole boat launch. They had already thrown some burbot on the ice when we showed up and had the technique down. We fished from 4:00-8:30pm, and caught 9 burbot. They left around 6:30pm after catching 11 burbot, which they generously offered to us. We fished pretty shallow, from 17-24ft, off the first rocky point leaving the marina. Fish were caught using 1/4-3/8oz tube and curly tailed jigs in white and glow-n-the-dark tipped with sucker meat. We frequently recharged the glow jigs with an LED light and changed out sucker meat to keep the bait fresh. We also used scents including fish oil and Smelly Jelly (anchovy and shrimp) to entice fish.

The burbot appeared to move through, offering strikes every 20-30 minutes. Light jigging and dead-sticking were effective. Some fish actually came in suspended, about 4ft off the bottom and dropped down to hit the bait. Most of the bites were extremely aggressive, much more than I noticed last year. They've also put on some length and ranged from about 15-28 inches.

We filleted the fish this morning and opened up their stomachs. These things are "pigs", with as many as a dozen crayfish in some, and several smallmouth bass up to about 5 inches in length. We also saw one small burbot in a stomach.

Hit the ice, put some burbot on the deck, and have fun removing these predators from the lake! Hope it helps, Ryno

Rainbow Trout of Lake Roosevelt

2007-12-10T13:08:00.004-08:00

Rainbow Trout of Lake Roosevelt
By: Mike Carey

One of the benefits of running a web site on this state's fishing lakes is that there is always a new lake to go explore. We are blessed with thousands of lakes in this state. You could spend your whole life fishing new lakes and still find another one just around the corner.

I'd heard of lake Roosevelt and it's monster rainbow a few years back. Triploids and naturally spawning fish that run to ten pounds plus. In the course of my travels to new lakes, I'd kept this one in mind. One day, I said to myself, I will fish this lake.

That day arrived November 6th. Guide Lennie Mayo (J.L. Fishing Guide Service) had invited me out to target the winter rainbows. I will admit, my first thought was who wants to spend a day on a cold boat catching

rainbow trout? Well, I'm glad my first thought wasn't my last, because I'm here to tell you that lake Roosevelt ROCKS! The fishing wasn't just good, it was very good. But I'm getting ahead of myself. I will tell you this up front - if you have doubts about fishing lake Roosevelt in the winter, put them aside. Winter may just be the best time to hit this lake.

I met Lennie and James Cummings at 8 am and we put Lennie's boat in. He recently purchased a beautiful 24 foot Raider with enclosed, heated cabin. The boat is pure comfort - warm, nice seats, smooth ride. Lennie has the boat decked out with Scotty downriggers and first rate electronics. We launched out of Seven Bays and motored over to Sterling Point, about ten miles away. The scenery on lake Roosevelt is among the best this state has to offer. Towering cliffs and deep canyons greet you at every turn. Deer wander the hills and eagles soar overhead.

As we got our gear set up Lennie noted that they had good luck in this area recently, but that fishing is generally consistent throughout the lake. "If you find the zooplankton you will find the fish", he said. Our technique for today was leaded line with streamer flies and a chunk of night crawler on the business end, topped off by a squirt of Grandpa's Fish Attractant. We set our trolling speed fast - 3 1/2 to 4 mph, and let out 165 feet of line. Now, I know that guides know their business, but I must say I was a bit surprised by these streamer flies. No small dodger? No spinning blades? Hmm, I thought, this will be interesting. Voicing my doubts, Lennie explained that in winter the rainbows tended to stay in the top 8-10 feet of water. Also, he said that the cold did not make the fish lethargic. Indeed, part of getting these fish to strike included not just a fast troll but also doing a variety of s-turns and speed adjustments. As Lennie put it, "if you think you're going! too fast check your speed and go faster."

Our first fish of the day.

It wasn't five minutes before my reel's clicker started screaming with the announcement of a solid rainbow on the other end. After a nice fight we had a chunky 19" rainbow in the boat. Wow, what a great fish! It was a beautiful first fish and was followed over the course of the morning by six other rainbows, ranging in size from 12" to 19". All bright, and firm fleshed. Lennie told me that these rainbow were among the best tasting rainbow you could catch as the zooplankton gives the flesh a deep pink/red tone and a taste unlike the planted trout we are used to eating in the smaller lakes (I later confirmed this statement with my sons as we enjoyed one of the fish I brought home).

We called it an earlier day as James had only wanted to keep a couple of fish and I had my limit by noon. A morning's fishing was enough for me to see how great this fishery is. We shared the area with a couple other

boats and they had nets out as often as we did. The nice thing about winter fishing is that you don't have to get up at the crack of dawn. The fish will bite throughout the day. And, limits are the rule on lake Roosevelt. But not limits of 8-12" fish, limits of 12-20" fish with the possibility of landing that trophy ten pounder always just a bite away. And although we were targeting rainbow this day, there are plenty of other species to fish for, from walleye to kokanee to bass, and freshwater burbot as well. Different times of year you'll want to target different species. Winter is definitely a rainbow show.

Fish On!

One thing I haven't mentioned - the pens. Washington has done a great job of stocking this lake with trout. There are trout pens scattered throughout the lake's 150 miles. This year 500,000 fish were released during May/June. Those fish that were released from the pens at 8 inches are now 12 inches plus. They grow quickly on the zooplankton and bait fish that live in the lake. And, because this lake isn't a stone's throw from the west side of the state, the fishing pressure is relatively light. This is not a put and take fishery! A lot of the planted trout (including some triploids) have a real chance to grow into brute-sized rainbow.

So there you have it. A winter rainbow fishery for excellent eating fish plus the real chance at some trophy rainbows. A bit of a drive from the west side, but very close for east side anglers. This is one place you will want to add to your list of must fish lakes. I haven't even mentioned the huge kokanee and walleye that swim in lake Roosevelt. But that's for another trip and another story.
November 6, 2002

Mike Carey, Editor
www.WashingtonLakes.com

Something New

2007-12-10T13:08:00.003-08:00

Something New
The “Down Shot” Rig

How many times have we all gone to our favorite body of water and used the same lures we have used for the past 20 years. It doesn’t matter what species of fish you’re after. Most anglers will say, “They still work”, I always catch fish on this lure. This is my bread and butter bait. I feel confident with this bait. When all else fails, I go to old reliable. I have some of my own. “You know what," they do still work. Are you catching the quantity of fish that you used to? Is the size of the fish getting smaller? I believe the fish are becoming smarter. This is especially true for the large fish that have been around for a while in a body of water that is fished heavily. They see the same thing day after day. The Big Hawgs, (over 10 pounds) become more aware of

the bait. They become a lot harder to fool.

As with any bait, the presentation is the key. The plastic worm is my bread and butter bait. It will always catch fish. Once again, it is the presentation that is the key. You need to figure out what is working. Sometimes you need to Texas rig your worm and fish it very slowly. Other times the presentations needs to be fast. This is the same with the Carolina rig.

About a year ago there was a new technique introduced into the United States form Japan. The technique is called “Down Shooting”. You may ask, what is that? It is a very simple and effective technique for fishing the plastic worm. “Down shooting” has become very popular in Southern California and on the tournament trial. I heard about the technique and like most people was reluctant to give it a try. The old Texas and Carolina rig was working just fine. I was catching fish the way I always have. Every tournament that I participated in, I keep hearing the heavier limits were being taken on the “Down Shot” rig. I had the pleasure of watching a fellow tournament angler land a 11.75 pound bucket mouth 20 feet away from me on the “Down Shot” rig. It took me 3 tournaments before I give in and give it a shot. The next practice round both my son and partner Eric; gave it a try. I was amazed at the results. Not only did we catch a good quantity of fish, but also quality. The first time we had over 20 fish to 6.25 pounds. Lake Casitas is a very well known lake for big bass and experiences a lot of fishing pressures. The more we fished the “Down Shot” rig, the more confidence I became with the technique. We put a lot of quality fish in the boat. The next tournament we participated in, we used the “Down Shot” rig. It was great, our catch rate increased by 65% over the Texas and Carolina rig. Our big fish was over 6 pounds. The wining team and top 3 big fish where all taken on the “Down Shot” rig.

The “Down Shot” rig is very simple. It consist of a small wide gap worm hook attached to the main line with a palomar knot (hook facing up) and a bell sinker attached to the tail end under the hook. The size of the hook depends on the size of the plastic worm that you are using. For 3’’ to 4’’ worm I prefer a #1 Owner Rig N Hook or a #1 Gamakatsu wide gap. For the 5’’ to 7’’ worm I prefer the #1/0 Owner Rig N Hook or a #1/0 Gamakatsu wide gap. Make sure you do not use to large of a hook for it will hinder to movement of the worm. The weight of the bell sinker depends on the depth your fishing. For water depth up to 20 feet I prefer a 3/16 to 1/4 ounce and from 25 to 40 feet I prefer a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce. Set your bait up off the bottom 4’’ to 6’’ in the sticks and rocky areas. If you are fishing in the weeds set your bait just above the weed height. Shake your worm right through the weeds. My worm of choice for the “Down Shot” rig is the 4’’ and 6’’ Deadly Duo Plastic Worm. You can use both the straight or curly tail. The Deadly Duo brand is very soft and has great action when shaken. Try your own favorite worm.

The presentation is very simple. Make a cast the same as a Texas or Carolina rig. Let the sinker-hit bottom. Shake the “Down Shot “ rig up and down, pull the worm to towards you slowly. Lift your rod tip about 2 to 4 inches at a time. Use a steady shake. This is about the same motion as shaken a Texas rigged. What you will find is that the fish will either hammer the bait or you will just fell the line just load up. When you get bit, set the hook at once. If you fill your line load up set the hook. I can’t tell you how many times I had a fish on and thought it was a stick or a rock. The more you use the “Down Shot “ rig , the more feel you will develop. When using the longer worm, you will find that some fish bite the worm in half. You will miss a few

fish with the longer worm. With the smaller worm you will not miss as many fish. I have fished with both sizes and believe the longer worm has a lot more action and gets bit more often. The fish in the pictures where all taken on the 6’’ worm. The largest fish went 8 pounds.

This is a great technique. Give it a try and you will be amazed at the results. Give it some time and don’t give up to soon. As with every technique, you can add a little of your own special touch to suite your own stile of fishing. The “Down Shot” rig works great in Southern California. I would like to hear back on how it has worked for you. Send me a picture or two of your trophy. Good luck!!!

Searching Out A New Lake

2007-12-10T13:08:00.001-08:00

Searching Out A New Lake
By: Mike Gass

Fishing a new body of water can be intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Learn to be an observant fly fisher, and you will begin to enjoy the challenge that a new lake presents.

Many people load their boat, and shove off as soon as they arrive at a new lake. This can however, be a big mistake. Its a good idea to walk along the shoreline and look for insect activity and signs of recent insect hatches.

For example, a quick look into the water near the shoreline will often reveal whether or not a lake has a population of scuds (freshwater shrimp). Also, shucks from aquatic insects such as chironomids are often blown up against the shoreline. Examining these shucks can give you some idea of what the fish may be feeding on, and the approximate size. A look at the aquatic vegetation along the shoreline can reveal damsel or dragonfly shucks, which would indicate a recent hatch.

Ok, so now your ready to head out on the water. Where to fish? What fly to use? These are questions you will need to ask yourself.

First, where to fish. I recommend you either purchase a local bathymetric map book or look for one on the computer. These maps will give you an idea of where the shoals and drop offs are on the lake. If you don't have a good map of the lake, your best bet is to troll around the lake while on the lookout for shoals, drop offs, rising fish, and insects. Drop-offs are always a good place to start. Drop-offs act as a highway for feeding trout. Trout will cruise along a drop-off occasionally foraging for food on the shoal and then returning to the deeper water where they feel safe from predators. Trolling is a very good way to locate fish. When you catch a fish while trolling, it can be a good idea to set up anchor and try casting flies in the same area.

Second, what fly to use. A small leech patterns, a Carey Special, or a Doc Spratley are all good patterns to troll around with a slow sinking line, while searching out a new lake. The fly fisher should always carry a stomach pump along with them. A stomach pump allows you to see what the fish has recently been feeding on without having to kill it. When you catch your first couple fish while trolling, it is a good idea to stomach pump the fish to see exactly what the fish are feeding on. Then you can anchor up, switch to that particular pattern, and hopefully get into some fish. Of course to effectively fish the particular pattern, you will have to have some knowledge about the insect, such as how it moves and where in the water column to fish it.

You don't necessarily have to catch a fish and stomach pump it to have an idea as to what they are feeding on. For example, if you see lots of chironomids hatching in a particular area of a lake, you may want to anchor up and try a chironomid pattern to see if they are selectively feeding on that insect. If you see chironomids hatching, and fish making nose to tail rises there is a very good chance that the trout are feeding on chironomids. Out on the lake you may also see Mayfly nymphs, Duns, and

Spinners, Caddisfly (sedge) nymphs and adults, waterboatman, and damselflies. Fish feeding near the surface or on the surface are easy to find and allow you to key in on them quickly. If you don't catch any fish while trolling. You may want to think back to what you saw along the shoreline. Whether it be damselfly shucks, dragonfly shucks, scuds (freshwater shrimp), mayfly nymphs, chironomid shucks. And give one of these patterns a try. If all else fails, it doesn't hurt to ask a fellow fisherman that seams to be having some success for some help. Be sure to keep your distance, and not to pass between the fisherman and the shore when approaching another angler.

Just remember that the observant fly fisher is often rewarded. Making fishing a new lake, a fun and exciting experience. Remember, look for insect activity, look for signs of feeding fish, and look for changes in water depth.

Please feel free to comment or visit our website for weekly fishing reports, tips and tricks and much more.

Tight lines and hope to see on the water
STS Guiding Service
www.guidebc.com