Archive for June, 2008
Things You Should Know Before Buying A Bass Fishing Boat
Posted in Bass Fishing on the June 30, 2008
If you like to fish, bass fishing is a great way to pass the time for many people, both young and old. Once you’ve tried out bass fishing, it is likely that you’ll want your own bass boat. Get some advice before you buy, as a first time bass boat buyer.
One of the first things you want to make sure you have when you go to get your new boat is the right kind of vehicle for towing the boat. There are many vehicles that are just not made for towing something behind them. A fully loaded bass boat with trailer, full gas tank, tackle, etc., may weigh more than 3500 pounds. You need to be sure to get a car or truck that can take that kind of load and pull it up a mountain or a hill.
Choosing the Right Size and Material
What kind of bass fishing boat should you get, and what size should it be? If you’re going to be fishing in larger bodies of water, your boat should be a least 19 feet long. On a smaller body of water though, you can use a smaller boat and a smaller outboard motor. You can also choose which material your boat is made out of. Many of these boats are made from fiberglass or aluminum. There are pros and cons to each material. Aluminum fishing boats may be a good option if you’re going to be fishing in a small lake.
For a smoother ride on larger bodies of water, a fiberglass boat is the way to go. While more expensive than aluminum (most of the time), a fiberglass boat is more durable and will not be blown about by wind nearly so much as one made of aluminum. Think about your options and your needs before deciding and making a purchase of a bass fishing boat.
New vs. Used Bass Boats?
You can buy either a new or used boat but again, there are pros and cons associated with both. Used fishing boats seem to hold their value much longer but you have to eep in mind that outboard motors are generally short lived. If you decide to buy a used boat then you want to check out the motor properly before using it. Another advantage to buying a used boat is the price. You can get a good deal for a used boat if you look around but remember that you get what you pay for. If you get the boat at a cheap price you may have to be prepared to do some “fixing up” on the boat.
If you decide to go with a new boat, then you have the pleasure of having a warranty come with it. You won’t have to worry about fixing it up and can just start fishing with it. In addition, you’ll have more boats to choose from than if you’re looking for a used one. Whichever you choose, though, check out the boat and inspect it carefully, so that you know what you’re buying before you do.
Ice Fishing
Posted in Information on Fishing on the June 28, 2008
Ice fishing is popular and a lot of fun. Each winter thousands of anglers venture onto frozen lakes seeking fish for the dinner table as well as the trophy case. Ice fishing is of course optimal in the northern part of the country where long, cold winters have the chance to adequately freeze the area waters. Ice fishing is more than just a way to fill the days between the closing of one open water fishing season and the opening of the next. It is a chance to breathe the cold, clean winter air; to spend quiet time outdoors with family and friends, and to relax and collect one’s thoughts away from the blare of the television and radio.
Ice fishing is as much about camaraderie and getting in a little recreation during the frigid winter months as it is about the sport of fishing. For purists, ice fishing is as basic as making a hole, setting up a line and sitting on a stool waiting for the fish to bite. Those who need a few creature comforts build more robust ice houses (some fully stocked with refrigerators and satellite TVs) to keep them busy until the fish decide to make an appearance.
One of the really fun things about ice fishing is being able to see your quarry. Shovel a wide area down to bare ice around your ice fishing hole. Cover your head with a heavy quilt and look down the hole. Light penetrates the ice that has been cleared of snow, and since you are under the blanket in the dark, you are able to see into the water and watch the fish as they investigate your bait. For added fun, start saving your egg shells; crush them and dump them down your ice fishing hole. The egg shells make a light background on the bottom of the lake; you’ll see the dark-bodied fish even better!
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The Truth About Dog Food Nutrition - An informative story of the pet food industry and what to look for when choosing a dog food.
Key Fishing Recommendations For Beginning Anglers
Posted in Information on Fishing on the June 22, 2008
If you are new to fishing you might be overwhelmed by the amount of information you are presented with. There are numerous sources of fishing information from books, shops, friends and family, the Internet and many others. Don’t be intimidated by it all. Instead, focus initially on a few simple tips to help make your first fishing trip a success.
1. Fishing with bait.
To get the bait to the fish you will need to use a weight. The weight you need will depend on where you are fishing. A bank sinker and a number 2 hook should be ok to begin with.
Using a swivel will prevent the sinker from sliding. If you want to protect the knot use a lightweight bead positioned between the weight and swivel.
Bait - the most popular and easy to obtain type of bait is worms. Some fishermen also like to use livers or chicken in particular. You must make sure your bait is cold so it does not fall off the hook. However, you should experiment with different types of bait and see what produces the best results.
2. The 3 basic methods to fish.
Drift–fishing. This, as the name suggests, allows the line to drift in the current that you have cast into. You can do this up or down stream.
Plunking. This method uses weights to keep the bait in place after you have cast out. If you would like to use the current to assist you slightly, just use a lighter weight.
Back-bouncing. This method relies on you lifting your rod up 1 or 2 feet and letting the lure settle back down again. While you are doing this, reel your line in slightly allowing it to stay taught.
3. Fishing from a boat. First you need to decide in what location you will be fishing. This allows you choose the weight of your jigheads.
Using a heavy weight and keeping your line straight, you will be able to drift with the current. Slow trolling with a bottom walker is good when boat fishing.
If you follow these quick tips you will be enjoying your first fishing adventure with minimal problems. In fact, take a friend or family member with you to share your enjoyment. Just be cautious and carry safety equipment and a first aid kit with you at all times in case of an emergency. It is also a very good idea to take a cell phone along with you.
Fishing Supplies
Posted in Information on Fishing on the June 18, 2008
We purchased our lake home almost six years ago. We love our acre of paradise. Our lives have changed more than I would have expected when we decided to move to the lake. We spend less time on doing things that we used to enjoy like going to movies, seeing plays and going to concerts. We now spend our time fishing, boating, tubing and entertaining the many guests that come to share our lake home.
We have always enjoyed entertaining. I have found that entertaining when you live by the lake is a bit different. You need to stock up on towels, suntan lotion, sunburn lotions, water toys, fishing supplies and extra lawn chairs. Now that we live on the lake we tend to be the choice for summer and winter family gatherings. This is alright to a certain point, but there are times when my husband and I would like to pack the cooler with a couple of sandwiches and a few beers and head out onto the lake with some fishing supplies and just the two of us. This year we have decided that at least one weekend each month we will not have anyone come over and we will not go anywhere. Starting on Friday night we will let the answering machine pick up our phone calls and we are going to spend time together on the lake, in the lake and by the lake.
Prior to moving to the lake my husband did a great deal of fishing. He had a fair amount of tackle, a small fishing boat, and a portable ice fishing house. Since we have moved to the lake we have bought a bigger boat a large wheeled ice fishing house and many fishing supplies. There are times when people stop by and they do not have the right equipment for the kind of fishing that will be done, so my husband feels he needs to have the gear to outfit them. I have gotten to the point that I tell people that they do not need to bring any fishing supplies because my husband has so much of it. He had become good friends with the owner of a local bait and tackle shop. I have told the owner of the shop that if he ever runs out of fishing supplies he can send people over to our house because I think we have a larger stock than he does.
I hope that our plan to enjoy our lake home together will work out for us. We do feel so blessed living in such a beautiful area that we want to share with others, but it is important to also have some alone time.
Guidelines In Fishing
Posted in Information on Fishing on the June 18, 2008
We live on a lake in central Minnesota. This lake is one of the premiere fishing lakes in the state. Many people come here on day and week fishing trips. Most people bring their own boats, but there are others that go out on launch trips or hire one of the many private fishing guides to take them out fishing. This allows for business opportunities for many people that live on the lake, but people should make sure that the fishing guides that are hired know the lake as well as the feeding patterns of the fish.
We had fished this lake for many years prior to buying our home. My husband had been fishing here when he was a young boy. With the modern technology of GPS and lake mapping on marine electronics, it is very easy to find different depths and fishing spots on the lake. After we had lived on the lake for a year my husband contacted one of the local fishing guides and asked if he could enter some his fishing spots on the lake on his GPS. This particular guide has been very successful on the lake. He told my husband that he did not want to share the fishing spots because he did not want a lot of other people fishing where he was. My husband mentioned this to a friend of ours that owns the local bait shop. The bait shop owner laughed and told my husband that this particular guide does not know how to use GPS and so he does not own a unit, which is why he did not share any of the fishing spots. The bait shop owner told us that there are no requirements to pass in order to be considered a guide. He said that many of the people that advertise their services as fishing guides simply take people out in their boats and hope to catch some fish. Some people are more successful at this than others, but there are no requirements.
I was surprised by this information. If I was going to a lake to fish I would assume that the people that are listed as fishing guides would have safety training and other certification in order to take others out onto the lake. You do have to have coast guard training if you have a launch or a boat over thirty five feet, but there are many guides that have twenty foot boats that take people out fishing. This was disappointing to my husband because one of his retirement dreams was to be a guide on the lake. Now that we live here we realize that there are more than enough people already offering to guide. I told my husband that we should look into having an actual service that would provide a more special outing than just a day in a fishing boat. We are going to plan a business around the adventure of fishing rather than just advertising guide services.
Tips For Success When Fly Fishing For Bass
Posted in Bass Fishing on the June 5, 2008
When most people think of fly fishing, trout fishing immediately comes to mind. However, fly fishing has changed. You can now fish for bass too! Bass fishing is also becoming a very popular form of fly fishing in the USA. It is a very flexible form of fly fishing as it is possible to fish for both largemouth bass and smallmouth bass. When learning how to become successful in fly fishing for bass, it is very important that you know about fly fishing itself and how it works. It is also important to know how to be able to catch a decent sized fish to show off or to take home for a meal.
Why Fly Fish For Bass?
Many people who enjoy fly fishing are not aware that you can fly fish for bass. Many people don’t know how to fish for bass, have not read much about them, don’t have the correct fishing gear, or don’t have a big enough boat.
Bass are great fish to fly fish for because they are durable and can live in some of the worst conditions. They are much more advanced than most fish, such as trout. Basically, fly fishing for bass is much more fun and it is definitely more of a challenge. If you are up for a challenge that will really test your abilities as a fly fisherman, try fly fishing for bass as soon as possible!
Why Are Fly Rods So Effective?
Although it may seem so, it is not such a strange thing to go fly fishing for bass. In fact, there are many different types of fish that can be caught with a fly rod. People usually fly fish to catch trout, but it is also possible to catch carp, pike, and even bass.
When fly fishing for bass it is first and foremost imperative that you have a good, durable fly rod. Bass are very aggressive hunters because they lunge at their prey and then swallow it headfirst. Fly rods work amazingly when catching bass because, with a fly rod, you can hook them much easier. Fly rods do, however, offer you a clear advantage when fishing for bass - the motion of the rod and the fly on the water provides a lure that bass cannot resist.
Types Of Flies And Rods Used When Fly Fishing For Bass
It is recommended to use large flies when fly fishing for bass, such as Wooly Buggers. Large dry flies such as these will help to ensure that you catch plenty of small- and largemouth bass. It is generally accepted that the larger the fly you use, the better your catch will be. Also keep in mind that it is recommended to use a dry fly when fly fishing for bass.
The best rod to use when fly fishing for bass is a 6 to 7 weight fly rod. In some cases it is possible to fly fish for bass with a 4 to 5 weight fishing rod but this is not recommended. If you are to use larger flies a lighter rod will make it very difficult to cast the fly out on to the water. It is also a good idea to use a fly rod that has a sinking as well as a floating line. Aside from all these recommendations, it is of utmost importance to find a rod that suits your personal preferences and needs. Your rod must feel comfortable in your hands - not too heavy, nor too light. If you choose a rod with a comfortable cast, you are sure to catch bass while also having fun.
Fly fishing for bass has become very popular in the USA. Whether you are fishing for sport or for food, using a fly fishing rod to catch bass can be a lot of fun.