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.
Thursday, December 20, 2007
Save the poor worms
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!
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
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.
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
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.
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!
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.
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
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.
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
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.
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.
Porta-Bote's Rising Tide
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.
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.
Wednesday, December 19, 2007
The Weigh In
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
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
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
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
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