Archive for the ‘fishing tips’ Category
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Children Fishing Safety Tips
Fishing with your children is a very relaxing and fun experience, but it could become a horrifying one if you’re not properly prepared for the worst. Being safe should be one of your prime concerns while out on a fishing boat, especially if you’re taking the trip with small children. This article will outline a few tips and precautions that you should take before going on your boating trip.
Basic Rules
It’s important that before you go out onto the water that you let any children know the basic rules that they need to abide by on a boat. These rules include no running, looking around you before you cast, and making sure that you keep your floatation device on. You should especially explain why each of these is important, as kids might not instantly realize that they could hurt someone else if they hit them with their cast. If they refuse to abide by the rules, find some way to lightly punish them that will make them realize the importance of the rules.
Buddy System
During a fishing trip it’s important that you stress the dangers of the water to everyone. It’s not a bad idea to establish a buddy system in which two people are with each other at all times. If you don’t feel comfortable with two children being the buddies in the buddy system simple pair one child with one adult. This will ensure that each child is properly watched by a respective adult.
Supplies
It’s important that you bring any sort of supplies that you feel you may need while on a boat. It will be hard to get back to shore and to the car if there was a medical emergency so make sure that you bring a first aid kit and any medication that you may need. It’s also a good idea to bring more personal items such as sunscreen or insect repellent. The last thing you want to remember about your fishing trip is how you were sunburned and got bitten by mosquitoes the entire time. If the weather is hot it’s important that you bring a sufficient supply of water or other cold drinks so that your family and friends don’t get dehydrated.
Take some time and read over the supplies listed in this article and consider any additional supplies you may need. Bringing children on a fishing trip can be a hassle, but if you develop a few basic rules and remember to bring any supplies you need then you will be sure to have a safe and fun fishing trip.
Photo Credits: XcBiker
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Tips for Small-Lake Fishing
Let’s be honest: unless you live on the coast, you won’t be able to enjoy a grand sea every time you head out to fish. For some people, this is just fine by them, as they prefer inland lake fishing. But what if you can’t even find a large inland lake? Then it’s time to figure out some great tips and strategies for having a great outing even though you feel like you may be able to swim the length of the lake. Here are some tips to help you come back with plenty of fish.
First, a quick physics lesson. We live in space and time – and since your space is limited in a small lake, it will help to optimize your time. What is the best time to catch fish? If you have to wake up early in the morning, even a little before dawn, or wait until evening, do so if those are your best chances to catch small fish. If you can fish on a calm lake, you’ll have the advantage of finding undisturbed fish.
Some small lakes have rules that dictate how long people can run their motors on a high level. You’ll want to avoid these hours, as smaller lakes will be easier to disturb. During these hours, make sure that you have something else to do so that you don’t get antsy waiting to fish. If you can, try to get your fishing done early as opposed to later, as this will free up your time as the evening hours roll around.Next, be sure that you can optimize your bait. What does “optimizing your bait” mean? It’s just a fancy term that suggests you have the right bait for the right kind of fish. Ask some locals nearby what kind of fish you can expect to catch, and what the biggest kind of fish enjoy for bait. Then head to the bait shop. If you simply roll up to a lake with the same old bait, you can’t always be sure you’ll be bringing the right “stuff.” Sometimes, worms and leeches will work just fine, but it always helps to be sure, just in case.
After that, try to find out the behaviors of the fish you’re catching. If they flock to one area, be sure you put your boat in that area. Since there won’t be a lot of options in a small lake, it’s quite likely you can find out if there’s an ideal “spot” for fishing.
Remember that fishing requires preparation and patience – if you have neither, chances are you won’t come back with much. But if you have both, you can succeed, even on a small lake.
Photo Credits: Kamil Porembiński
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Five Things to Know Before You Go Ice Fishing This Winter
With winter upon us, many people in the northern states of the U.S. and in Canada are getting ready for ice fishing season. Ice fishing can be a great, relaxing sports that gives us something to do in the colder months of the year, but it can also be a safety hazard – after all, you’ll be sitting on a sheet of ice! If you want to make sure that you enjoy your ice fishing this winter, without compromising your safety, these five tips should be a good start.
1. Know the ice strength, and only go one the ice when you know it’s safe. There will be signs up all winter warning you about the strength of the ice, so pay heed to them. A good rule of thumb for knowing whether ice is strong enough is looking out and seeing if other people with more weight – people and equipment – are out there already and have been for a while. You’ll want to make sure the ice is strong, so it’s a good idea to be patient and wait for it rather than risk falling in. (Do remember, however, that early in the season, “first ice” tends to be stronger, as ice later in the season can be more rotten.)
2. Know what effects ice strength. Whether or not the ice can hold you isn’t only about its thickness – after all, wind conditions can make ice thicker in one area and less thick in another. The current under the ice, the wind, underwater plants, and the time the ice formed during the season will all have an effect on the quality of the ice.3. Don’t explore. It might be tempting to get all the fish that other people are missing by venturing out on your own and exploring ice yourself, but this can be incredibly dangerous and it’s highly recommended. Remember: fools rush in where angels dare to tread. It’s better to know that a lake’s ice can support weight.
4. Wear wool as the layer on your skin. Wool retains its insulating properties even when wet, so if you do fall in the water, you’ll want to be wearing wool. On the outside of your body, you’ll want to have something water-resistant to keep you dry.
5. If you do have an issue with the ice, stay calm. Don’t panic even when the situation seems to call for it – panicking can make a bad situation worse. Instead, educate yourself further on how to handle ice in a difficult situation. A calm head will help you keep your wits about you.
This article is by no means a comprehensive safety guide to ice fishing. Ice fishing is a more complicated and risky sport for that. But hopefully these tips will help you understand that ice fishing isn’t only about understanding how thick the ice is.
Photo Credits: Vince Alongi
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How to Get Up Early and Go Fishing Comfortably
Some people love the early mornings – the way the dew on the grass looks and smalls, the early-morning sky tumbling by in its reflection on the serene fresh-lake water, and the great moments where the only sound around is the splashing of a freshly-caught fish. It sounds great, but for some people, making an early morning happen just isn’t in the cards.
If you can’t stand waking up to an alarm at five or six o’clock in the morning, you’re not alone. Some people just don’t seem to be “morning people.” But that doesn’t mean you’ll have to go without a comfortable, unforgettably early-morning fishing experience. Here’s how to pull it off without pulling out your hair.
First, don’t only set your alarm clock, set your “mental alarm.” As you lay down to go to sleep, remind yourself a few times that you want to wake up at a specific time, and literally tell yourself you’d like to wake up comfortably and ready to go. You might be surprised at the effect a simple mental reminder can have on you, especially if you combine it with a good seven or eight hours of sleep and the precaution of an alarm clock next to your bed.
Second, make sure you eat right the previous night. You don’t need to feel tired and bloated from the chili cheese dog you had the night before, so eat a light dinner and have some fruit – not ice cream – for desert. You’ll be amazed at the impact this will have on the way you feel in the morning. It’s also a good idea not to eat right before you go to bed.Upon waking in the morning, you still might find that you don’t feel you have enough sleep. It might be cold outside, and you don’t want to get out from under the covers. A great way to build momentum that will take you out of the covers is actually to prepare the night before. Sleep in your (safe) fishing clothes! Have a rod and your tackle box not too far from the bed. You might even want to try sleeping in your shoes. When you wake up, you’ll know that all you have to do is simply put your feet no your ground and you’re just about ready to go.
Photo Credits: kretyen
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Should You Go Deep-Sea Fishing?
If you’ve gone fishing before and hated it, there’s a chance you’ve never gone deep-sea fishing. Even people who aren’t normally interested in the cast-and-wait strategy involved in lake fishing can be enthralled, and there’s nothing quite like seeing a shark come out of that deep water instead of a bluegill. The problem is that deep-sea fishing can be very expensive. So how can you make your decision?
Additionally, there are some side benefits to deep-sea fishing: first, you’ll learn about the different kind of wildlife that inhabits the waters near your vacation spot. If you never knew what a “bonnethead” shark was, you might be ready to find out. You might also spot some other creatures like stingrays. Of course, if you catch a well-muscled shark, your captain should help you in gutting it and storing the meat to eat for dinner.
First, there are a lot of reasons to go deep-sea fishing. The more people you have in your family, the more reasons you have. It’s not a good idea to take very small children out on the boat – and most deep-sea fisherman won’t let you – but if your children are in adolescence and can follow some basic orders, they should be able to handle it fine. It’s important to consider the kind of experience you want your children to have. Deep-sea fishing can be fun for you, but it can be a life-long memory for your children.There are some downsides to deep-sea fishing, however. The first is the cost – a great experience out on a boat doesn’t come cheap. Usually, you’ll be chartering a boat from the captain, who will be able to do much of the work for you while letting you reel in the big one. You’ll also be out on the water for hours at a time, which means that you’re essentially buying a large portion of the captain’s day.
If you’re not careful, there are some other potential problems – sunburn and dehydration. When you’re surrounded by water, it can sometimes be easy to forget that you need to keep drinking plenty of it (just not the saltwater, of course!). Keep hydrated, fed, and make sure that you keep on plenty of sunscreen.
Is deep-sea fishing for you? It may take a couple of times to really understand if you want to do it again. But if you have the right captain, you should be able to make some great catches and take pictures that can last a lifetime.
Photo Credits: Hello Daly
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How to Improve Your Fishing Today
Unless you’re truly avid about the sport of fishing, you probably don’t have the time to go out and became a truly dedicated amateur. After all, it’s tough to fish for just fifteen minutes a day – sometimes you need to spend hours out on the lake or on the stream. If you want to start improving your fishing right away, you’ve found the right article. Here are some quick tips for doing just that.
Ask more experienced fishermen for their lake advice. You can’t simply go to a lake and assume that the fish will be jumping – you have to know about the different lakes in your area and what kind of species of fish inhabit them. You can get the inside scoop by asking some fishermen you know – or even strangers – about where to find the fish. How can you tell when you’re being fed good advice? An experienced fisherman might ask you about the different fish you’re after or what kind of bait you’re using, and then recommend more than one lake. If you get the fisherman talking, you’re doing it right.
Cater to the fish you’re after. Once you know where you’re going and what kind of fish will be there, you need to rig your bait to make sure that the fish you’re after are actually interested in what you’ve got! If you’re going for the big fish especially, it helps to have the right kind of bait or lure that attracts the right kind of attention. You might find that a lake which seemed empty before didn’t have any fish, but when you pop in the right bait, they start jumping! Don’t expect this, but do make sure that you’re bringing the right bait to the fish.Cast plenty of hooks. There’s one sure-fire way to increase your chances of fishing success today: casting plenty of hooks. On deep-sea fishing boats, there are often slots where you can place your fishing rods so that you don’t have to hold them all. If you want to catch some fish today, it helps to cover more area and simply have more hooks in the water.
Will you automatically catch more fish today? Maybe, maybe not. But if you follow this advice, you’ll be on the right track to making some immediate improvements.
Photo Credits: moonjazz
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Five Tips to Become a More Courteous Fisher
Before you head out on your next fishing trip, it will pay to know some of the rules of common courtesy. If you’ve been noticing other fisherman glare at you while you’re out and don’t know why, it’s possible you may have been violating some of the unwritten rules of fishing – or even some local laws. To make sure that you are more courteous the next time you’re out looking for Muskie, here are some rules of common courtesy you’ll want to follow.
1. Give other fishers their space. Fishing is often a territorial sport, so if you crowd another fisherman or bring your boat too close to theirs, you’re being obnoxious. You’re also being dangerous, as you want to keep plenty of space between each boat. Some potential consequences to fishing too close together can include scaring away the fish they were trying to catch and creating a wavey wake that throws the other fisherman off their balance. Be sure to keep your distance.
2. At early morning and evening, keep your engines quiet. There’s nothing more frustrating to a fisherman than to find an area of good fishing at 6 o’clock in the morning, only to have someone with a speed boat come zooming through the bay and scaring away all of the day’s catch. You don’t always have to keep your engines perfectly quiet just to make fisherman happy, but try to be courteous.3. Throw a few back. Don’t come into their lake and catch up all the fish. You might think this makes you look good in front of other fisherman, but they’ll only resent you for showing them up. Be sure to throw a few fish back – including some large ones if you have caught some already – to keep the sport in the area alive.
4. Respect the professionals. If you’re in an area where there are professional fisherman around, be sure to give them plenty of space out of respect for their livelihood. This doesn’t always apply to inland lakes, but in coastal areas, you’ll see a lot of commercial fishing boats and you don’t want to get in the way of them and putting food on their family’s table.
5. When in doubt, think. If you’re getting glares, ask yourself, “would I be annoyed if I were them?” Try to put yourself in their shoes and see if your behavior’s been obnoxious. You can’t please everybody all the time, but you can work to be more thoughtful.
Photo Credits: bugeaters
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One Powerful Technique to Help You Catch Muskellunge
In fishing, the Muskellunge, or “Muskie,” is one of the most popular fish to try to catch. Growing as large as two to five feet in length and not always common to find, the Muskie can make a great photograph to bring back home or post on Facebook. But because they’re not too easy to find, let alone catch, catching one will require a bit of a challenge.
In order to take a Muskie out of the water, you should be armed with the right information about Muskies. You’ll also want to learn a powerful technique for getting the Muskies out of their daily routine and after your tackle. Here’s how:
The technique, relatively common among more avid fisherman, is known as the “Figure Eight.” In this technique, you use the tip of your rod to “draw” an eight into the surface of the water. This will bring your bait around in frantic movements that resembles a baitfish trying to avoid predators. In essence, you’re trying to simulate the appearance of prey at a disadvantage. For a large fish like a Muskie, this can be a very intriguing sight.
In order to successfully implement the Figure Eight, you’re going to want to make sure you do it right. It’s best done when you see a fish following your boat, usually when your tackle is not far from your rod. Once you spot this “follower fish,” you’ll want to draw the eight, but do it smoothly and quietly so that you don’t stir up too much water and scare the Muskie away. Don’t stop doing it simply because you want to give the Muskie a chance to go after it – this might actually convince the fish that the tackle isn’t what it thought it was, and you’ll see the fish lose interest.When you’re fishing for Muskie, you’ll want to incorporate a technique like this on a habitual basis – you might even use a Figure Eight when you don’t see a fish as you’re about to pull up your cast. You’d do this to make sure there isn’t a fish waiting nearby that might come up and go for the supposed prey.
Will this catch Muskie for you? Not necessarily. You’ll have to learn more about the Muskie, including where they are most populous, and try to go where they go. You’ll also want to make sure you have the right bait to attract their attention, not to mention the experience of working with a few Muskie in your career as an amateur fisherman.
Photo Credits: Crowhand
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Should You Really Use a Fish Attractant?
You’ve probably heard of fish attractants – including scents and formulas – that are billed as ways to get fish to not only notice your bait, but to take a bite and, enjoying the taste, hang on to it. But is this really how fish attractants work, and if so, are there any cases where they actually don’t work on certain species of fish? If you’ve ever contemplating using a fish attractant, this article will help you understand them better.
In fish such as bass, they will typically “bite at” a bait and then spit it out after a few seconds if they find that they don’t like the taste. This can be frustrating for people who aren’t using the right types of bait to catch bass. The goal of fish attractant is to get the fish to bite and then hang on to the bait for a longer amount of time, allowing you to reuse a plastic bait, for example.
Any good fisherman knows that the longer the bait is in the fish’s mouth, the better chance you have at setting your hook and reeling in the fish. That’s why a fish attractant that really works can dramatically increase your chances of success in reeling in a good fish.But how much fish attractant do you really need? For human beings, food that gets soaked in water loses plenty of its flavor, which is why many feel that they typically have to “douse” their bait in fish attractant in order for it to work effectively. But fish live in the water – they’re more sensitive to taste and scents in water than we are. There’s not really a need to “douse” anything, unless you want to run out of fish attractant earlier.
A good way to use fish attractant is actually to wash your hands before fishing and then use the fish attractant on your hands. That way, when you handle the bait, line, and hook, you’re actually spreading an attractive scent on all of your baiting tools – washing your hands ahead of time removed any strange scents that might have repelled a fish. There’s no need to pour your fish attractant directly onto the bait when this technique can work just as well and can save you money.
Remember also that some fish might respond better to different attractants. Attractants can be very popular with bass, for example. But a good fisherman customizes his bait to the different types of fish he plans on catching – which is why you’ll want to ask yourself which fish the attractant is really designed for.
Photo Credits: cmefish
