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Fishing Tips

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Golden Trout vs. Golden Rainbow Trout...

Golden Rainbow Trout-
Oncorhynchus mykiss-

The golden rainbow trout is a gold-orange rainbow trout raised under artificial fish culture conditions and stocked as a novelty for angling sport. The golden rainbow was developed from one fish, a single female trout with a genetic mutation that gave her a mixed golden and normal rainbow trout coloration. She was found in the West Virginia hatchery system in 1954. Through selective breeding with regularly marked rainbow trout, an all-gold, golden rainbow trout was developed. In 1963, this fish strain was popularized as the “West Virginia Centennial Golden Trout.” Pennsylvania and other states hybridized the pure strain of West Virginia golden trout with normal rainbows and produced palomino trout, which were true genetic palominos. Palomino trout were first stocked in Pennsylvania in 1967. Since then, the genetic strain in Pennsylvania has weakened, but in recent years the hybrid was selectively bred back closer to the stronger, better-colored golden rainbow trout. Although palominos were stocked as both average-sized and large trout, today’s golden rainbow is raised only to trophy size for anglers and stocked throughout the state.

The golden rainbow trout is a different species than the golden trout (Oncorhynchus aguabonita) of some California streams. In fish hatcheries, the rainbow trout has occasionally produced other unusual genetic mutations, such as the blue rainbow trout, whose body color is sky-blue.

The gold color mutation of the Rainbow trout, is also known as a Palomino, Banana Trout, or Yellow Rainbow. There is also a true albino Rainbow that is stocked frequently in Utah. They have the red eyes and are easy to distinguish.

Using the term "Golden Rainbow", even though it is correct, is confusing because it is too close to the name of the California Goldens which is a separate species.

Topics: Golden
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Nov. 10th Full Moon

5 fish day, with the full moon and fall weather. Good For Fishing and Hunting.

Topics: Full Moon, Hunt and Fish
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Fall Fishing is here

Fall is here, it is getting cold, and its a good time to fish. The ice is already starting to build on the ponds and shorelines. A lot of people already have brought there boats out of the water. But if you have a small boat I recommend trolling along the shoreline for muskies, jigging for walleyes, top lures through the weeds for Northern/Bass. The walleyes are in the cold shallow waters. Fall is my favorite time to fish, and usually one of the only times I fish off shore. Since the walleyes are in shallower waters, you can just cast off shore for the lunkers.......

Topics: Walleye, Muskies, Pike, Fall weather
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Get Bit Tip of the Day

Fishing during the Fall can be amazing. With the bait run in full swing along most coasts fish are feeding heavy and often not being picky. If you find yourself on the fish but unable to convince them to eat, try downsizing your leader and hook for a more natural presentation.
Get Outdoors & Get Bit!!

Topics: Fishing, Outdoors
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Canals Drying Up

It's that time of the year when the canals around here are gonna be drying up> To some people, this is an opportunity to fill the freezer. You won't have to look very far for some of the deeper pools with fish in them still. You may not even need your pole! Just a bucket and a net.

Topics: Canals
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Steelhead fishing is here

Steelhead fishing is new to me so I've been looking at tips and strategies. It seems the most basic and direct approach is best.
Here are 5 tips to get you started.

River-Level Check- Know what flows your going to encounter as to have the right equipment for the job. Flow and clarity of the water, based on recent conditions, will affect what and where you will fish.

Pre-tie your Leaders- The more you have your line in the water, the better your catch rates will be. Try and manage your leaders in a way that don't allow them to get tangled or you've wasted your time.

Don't be afraid to move- If your not finding fish in your hole, move on to another and check back. Don't wait for the fish to come to you. For all you know someone may have just pulled those fish just before you showed up and spooked 'em out. To make this easy on you, Bring what you need with and no more.

Change Bait- If your looking at fish or watching them be pulled out from under you and your not turning heads, don't be too lazy to change colors, bait, hook size, leader length, or presentation.

Follow the crowd- If your looking for a new whole, follow the crowds. Many people only fish a few hours or limit out right away. Some stay all day, but when those people leave and the fishing pressure turns off the bite may turn on! Even when the pressure is on, try fishing something different to turn the fish.

Topics: Steelhead
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Fishing the hump 2

Fishing underwater humps is fairly easy. There are four primary ways to fish them. 1) Parallel along the edges of the humps; 2) On the top flat part (shallower water); 3) From the top flat down the hump into deeper water and; 4) Casting into the deep water and bringing your lure up the hump into shallower water. These different presentations along with changing from lure to a worm harness or dragging and bouncing some bait as necessary will most definitely do the trick to landing some of the larger fish on average. Don't forget the deeper humps in the middle of the lakes as well. The fish don't just cruise the shores, the big ones will cruise the humps for bait fish and protection also.

Topics: Humps
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Fishing the hump

Fish the "humps" in the water! The fish love 'em. A hump is basically an underwater island and could be just below the surface to 10's of feet down. Look for a raised surface bottom from its surrounding depths and sharp drop-offs around the island forming the edges of the "island." Often they are made of rock and or sand and weeds and this mixture is inviting to the fish. They are a good resting place and a food source for big fish looking for bait fish staying out of open water. Throw in a marker buoy or anchor, but don't get caught in the rope!

Topics: Hump
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Cast and Blast

Fall is here and with the rain, snow, and wind it's hard to think fishing and time to start thinking hunting. But why not both? In Idaho, you should keep your shotguns handy when fishing the mountain streams and inlets to lakes. You never know when you might jump a cubby of quail or spook some chukar!

Topics: Fishing, and, hunting
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Hunters Moon

The Hunters Moon is Tuesday, October 11th 2011. They say this is when the hunters would hunt and gather for winter. The deer have fattened up. Good for hunting and fishing !! Im told.. So I took the rest of the afternoon off that day, depending on the weather, do some hunting and fishing.

Topics: Hunters Moon, hunt anfd fish
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Fall Trout

One of my favorite fishing tips techniques for fall trout fishing is to use live worms rigged on a gang hook rig. A gang hook rig is simply a set of pre-tied hooks in line one after the other and is attached to your line using a small barrel swivel.

This is how it's done: Start by taking the end of your line and tying on a small barrel swivel. Now, tie a set of pre-tied gang hooks or use 9-18 inches or so of leader and tie on one hook. Next, tie on another hook directly to the bend of your first hook and shorten it up so they are only about 1inch or apart from each other. Or if you have the skill, go ahead and just tie a Snelled knot. At this point add a couple of split shot sinkers above the barrel swivel (the number and size of split shot will vary with current flow) for weight. Now rig a live worm onto your gang hooks (if the worms are really large, simply pinch them in ½).

The idea behind this is that you can drift or bottom bounce a worm and have a larger presentation as the worm is laid out over both hooks.

Topics: Fall, Trout
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Fall Bass

It's that time of year when the nights and days are getting cooler. You have to think that when we can feel it, the fish can feel it. It almost puts our bodies and thoughts in a different mindset gearing up for winter. So why shouldn't it be the same for our favorite fish?

The bass are gonna be piling up soon following the little guys around the banks and in streams and the mouths of rivers and I'm gonna meet them there and hopefully have a few look my way.

Topics: Fall, Fishing
5
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Two-pole Permit

I think it's always a good idea to buy your two-pole permit for fishing. 99% of the fishing I do is from a boat where I drift bait, troll, or bobber fish, or on a lake where I can sink bait or bobber fish with my second pole. This allows me to always have a pole in the water while I figure out what fish are biting on. Also, now that I have a better grasp on fly fishing, this will allow me to fish the surface of the water as well as a few feet below with a bobber, or on bottom with some bait or jig.

Topics: Twopole
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Drift Sock

Out fishing in the boat, I usually just drift. When its windy I recommend using a drift sock. Throw it out the back of the boat and slow your drift down. The only place I have seen them is Gander Mountain and Marine General.

Topics: Boats, and, Drifting
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Landing a Big fish

If you hook a powerful, explosive musky, striper, or pike don’t bring it near the boat unless you’re prepared to land it. A still-green fish can do a lot of damage and cause you numerous problems if brought to boatside too quickly.

One thing greenhorns do a lot is to reel the fish in too close to the rod tip. Never have a fish any closer than the full length of the rod away. Reeling a big one within a few feet of the rod tip is just inviting trouble. It reduces line stretch, rod flex, and reaction time, giving the fish a better chance to make a last-ditch escape.

If your fish is going under the boat, don't fight 'em, either let them take some line or better yet steer them away by not pulling up out of the water, but to the side and turn their head. They cant swim down if you turn them, but watch out if your using anchors. I've lost plenty of fish on the anchor rope trying to be too gentle.

Watch my latest videos of people breaking rods trying to bring a fish out of water from directly below them rather then pulling from the side into them.

Topics: Landing fish,
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Slowing your Troll

I was having a hard time getting my dodger to dodge and instead it was laying flat cause we had too much speed trolling. The new engine just won't slow down enough, so give this a try. Take a 5 gallon bucket and tie it to the back of the boat with enough lead to get past the prop. It'll drop your speed in a hurry!

Topics: Trolling, Kokanee
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Top Lures

In some of the smaller lakes with Northerns, I love using top lures! Up on the Little Gunflint Lake, its a narrow, shallow lake. You can watch the perch and northern swim around. I set my top lure out in the prop wash and troll. I think the best thing about it is watching your lure get takin under!!

Topics: Northerns, and, top, lures
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Dont be afraid to change locations

Over the weekend, we had explored 9 different lakes and streams in Nevada and California. We had almost no luck at all. Because there are so many lakes in close proximity though, we were able to explore so many places in just 3 days. And because we were able to move so much we were able to hook into a couple fish. We had to move so much to get away from the easy access points and get away from over fished sites. With all the available water out there, there is no need to stand shoulder to shoulder or to be crossing lines.

Topics: location
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Cooking up Walleyes on a Campfire

When I first started cooking up Walleyes on a Campfire, I would keep it really simple. Either; some butter, little bit of lawrys, some lemon pepper or lemon juice....and thats it. The last time I went camping. I had brought all my usaul seasonings I use for the potatoes. We had so many Crappies and Walleye for dinner that I decided to try something different with a few of them!! I put the exact same things I put on my potatoes! Starting with the grate, (one of the burger ones, two sided you put the food in between) Then I put some Lawrys season salt, a little extra cajun seasoning, some budweiser BBQ sauce, onions, green and red peppers, and a few sprinkles of chedder and pepperjack cheese!!! Yeah it sounds like I over did it and took away from the Fish flavor...but that was not the case!! It was some of the best Crappie and Walleye I had ever had. I think it had a lot to do with using the grate too, Im usto using tinfoil. I think with the grate we got more of the fire smokey flaver then wed get with tinfoil.

Topics: Cooking
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FALL FISHING

Fishing opener is the best time to fish. Fish forgot about all them hooks they have had....the waters warming up, spawning's just getting done, fish are multiplying, and hungry!! Then as the summer progresses.......the mayflies come out for a little bit......and the fishing really starts to slow down!! Then FALL FISHING picks up!!! The weather cools down its not painfully hot any more....and it seems to me the bigger fish start to bite more! I love fishing in the boat, but one thing I love about Fall is that you can fish off of shore!! Have a fire, with a big crowd! I like shore fishing because of the maneuverability! And I think Fall is really the only and best time to fish of shore!!!!!

Topics: FallShore, Fishing