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Lures fishing tips

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1
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SPINNING FISHING

FOR SPINNING FISHING I PREFER RAPALA MAX RAP

Topics: LURES
0
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SPINNING FISHING

FOR SPINNING FISHING I PREFER RAPALA MAX RAP

Topics: LURES
1
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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
7
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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
7
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Casting Shore Lines

Getbit wrote a tip about casting parallel to shore a while back and it's worked for me in the past but last night it was a little slow for me. Most fished that were getting hooked were actually being caught by casting just outside of or on top the weed line and pulling from the shore to open water; most of which were casts ahead of the boat. I'm thinking that the fish could hear the action or splash above 'em and could then see the lure come out from "hiding" from out of cover of the weeds and would have less time to process whether to strike or not vs seeing the lure coming from downstream and just come past 'em. I was using a floating rapalla and could cast directly on the weeds and just lift it off of and through the weeds but then it would dive down 6 feet or so when i started reeling. It seems I may have to test this out a little more to see what might be more consistent for different lures. Any body have a similar/different experience?

Topics: Casting, Techniques
12
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Match the hatch

Match the hatch! When on the water, pay attention to all life signs both in and around the water. If you see gulls diving you may want to use smaller lures because the fish are probably keeping small baitfish just like the gulls. When schools of mullet are present try and see what size they are and experiment with different colors based on the color of the water. Don’t be afraid to mix it up with a crazy color!! Sometimes the lure that stands out amongst thousands of natural baits is the one that catches the fish’s eye!!

Topics: tips, technique, fish, fishing, lures
5
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Repairing soft plastic baits

Soft plastics are expensive. Even 10 packs can cost you some serious cash of you fish them enough. Most soft plastics are good for one, maybe two fish, before they get torn up and become useless. There are days when I've literally gone through 3 bags of creature baits, and had to change lures because I ran out of bait. Frustrating. But, you can save money, time, and keep fishing by repairing your soft plastics. Get some Pro's Soft Bait Glue and keep it with your tools. Apply a drop to where the bait is ripped, torn or broken, and hold the parts together for 5-10 seconds. Guess what, you have a good-as-new bait. The glue is safe, odorless, colorless, and because one drop does it, it lasts forever. Imagine catching 10 fish using the same soft plastic bait, just by repairing it...

Topics: Repair baits, soft plastics glue
20
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Switch it up New rods, lures, baits, and Fishing

Keep the fishing interesting, exciting and unexpected. You never know what you may find. I've made a goal for myself to try and catch and take a picture of every species of fish in the State of Idaho. Not only does this create a challenge for myself, but it forces me to get out of the old habit of using the same lure or bait on the same old stretch of river. You really have to get out there to the high mountain lakes with a new fly fishing rod, or into some of the more famous rivers for a nice Brown or Golden Trout or even Steelhead or Chinook Salmon. I'll also be heading to Hells Canyon and get me a huge Cat and farther north to get my Pike, Musky and Walleye. This Challenge will force me to find new amazing waters and help me to explore the great state of Idaho.

Topics: Fishing, Idaho, Challenge
14
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Change things up every now and then - go old school

OK, I'll admit it - I have a Tracker boat (the best Father's Day gift ever, thanks hunny! Wait, I have to pay for it for 7 years? WTF?), a few rod and reel combos that are technique-specific, and 4 trays of lures, and yeah, I like to go here, there and everywhere in search of bass, but sometimes going old school is a great time.

Grab a bottle of water, a bag of beef jerky, a rod, a tray of nightcrawlers and a rag and go hang out on the shore to pass the time. You may be surprised as to what bites, and if nothing else, the relaxation will probably be good for you!

Topics: Nightcrawler, old school, fishing
8
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Tube Colour in Dirty Water

When fishing tube baits in dirty or dingy water, the use of darker colours is best, but I like to add rattles inside the tube to help draw attention to the bait. Also, using larger or magnum sized tubes help to provide a bigger profile and make the bait easier for fish to find. The addition of a touch of scent inside the tube doesn't hurt.

Topics: Lures, Colors, Presentation, Tubes
17
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Using marker bouys on points

Bass, and probably other gamefish, congregate along points, and especially cover and secondary structure along the points. The system is simple, takes a couple of minutes to set up, and you can spend a few hours fishing one point a nd catching serious amounts of bass.

First, determine the points. In early spring and late fall, find steep sloping points, while long, slow-sloping points are generally better from late-spring to early fall. A good topo or bathymetric map, or GPS map will show these. Once you've chosen the point, begin to go over it with your depth finder. Look for tell-tale fish arches, or baitfish schools, to determine where you should start. Whatever your target depth, toss a marker bouy a few feet shallower on the main point. Work along the point until you come to the first big drop off into deep water, then toss a marker bouy a few feet deeper on the main point. These two markers should be the same color. While you're scouting the point, when you see a key piece of cover, something different in the bottom structure, or something interesting, throw a different colored marker bouy near it.

Begin by lining up along the point, starting shallow, and fan casting the entire point. Work deeper, then shallower. Use repeated casts from different angles at all key pieces of cover and secondary structure. Crankbaits are good to use for scouting lures, and once you find the bass, pick the area apart with a variety of presentations.

It could literally take you 4 hours to fish a decent point, and I've pulled as many as two dozen keepers off one point from all different depths. Remember to use the proper color, based on conditions, forage and activity level, and the proper depth for your crankbaits. If the point drops from, say, 7 feet down to 13 feet, cast the shallow end with a crankbait that dives to 9 or 10 feet, and then work the deeper end with a crankbait that'll dive to 15 feet. Stay with it, and you'll find the bass.

Topics: Points, marker, bouy
10
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Scents - or lack thereof

Ask 10 anglers how they feel about scents (spray, liquid and grease), and you'll get 10 different answers. I have a few, and I use them from time-to-time, and to be honest I haven't notice a difference if I use them or not. I think the more important thing is to MASK scents that could cause problems.

Human odor, cigarettes, oils, virtually anything not natural has been shown to be a repellant to fish, especially bass and trout. Make sure to keep your hands clean and free of offensive scents, and I think you'll benefit more than spending $100 on different scents.

I use unscented wipes, Berkley's Odor Shark, and after catching a bass I just rinse off my hands in the lake water. Instead of grabbing the lure to remove hooks, I use pliers to take out the hooks, in order to try keeping my hands off the lures.

Topics: Scents, smells, odor
11
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Mono vs. Fluorocarbon

OK, I'll start by saying I don't know a lot about braid or the superlines, because I've never used them. There may be applications where braid or another superline work better than mono or fluorocarbon, but I'm afraid to leave my "line comfort zone". Here's a little breakdown of the differences between mono and fluorocarbon (from manufacturer specs and my experience):

MONOFILAMENT
• Limp
• Low Memory
• Good Strength vs. Diameter
• Considerable Stretch
• Low Sensitivity
• Good Abrasion Resistance
• Good Knot Strength
• Low Visibility
• Floats


FLOUROCARBON
• Stiff
• Moderate Memory
• Good Strength vs. Diameter
• Low Stretch
• Very Good Sensitivity
• High Abrasion Resistance
• Good Knot Strength
• Very Low Visibility
• Sinks

PLASTICS/JIGS/TUBES
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

CRANKBAITS (SHALLOW, MEDIUM, DEEP)
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

LIPLESS CRANKBAITS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is OK

SPINNERBAITS/BUZZBAITS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is OK

SWIMBAITS
• Fluorocarbon Is Best
• Monofilament Is OK

TOPWATERS
• Monofilament Is Best
• Fluorocarbon Is Not Recommended (Sinks)

I hope this helps, as I have found that having the differences laid out for me really helps to understand the little nuances each style of line has. Remember to use the smallest line that is practical and it's worth it to spend a little extra - paying $9.99 for good line vs. paying $2.99 for store-brand line and losing a handful of $5 lures makes no sense.

Topics: Line, Fluorocarbon, Mono
14
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Fishing journal

I like to keep a notebook filled with information that I can reference from time to time, maybe to be successful in similar conditions or to find a pattern.

I keep notes of what lake, date, time, weather conditions, bass & catch locations, lures used, structure, cover, water temperature, depth and clarity, and any other information I think would be important.

Topics: Log, Journal, Notebook
12
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Direct tie or swivels

Do you tie directly to the lure or clip on a snap swivel? Depends. There are times when a snap swivel is a necessity - like fishing spoons with a spinning reel. Sometimes, tieing directly to the lure is needed, such as with jigs or topwaters when you you don't want the action affected by the extra weight of the snap swivel. However, when I fish crankbaits or a select few topwaters and jerkbaits, I use a size 1 Fast Snap. They don't really affect lure action, in fact they help improve lure action on some retreives, and they make changing out lure a "snap".

Topics: Snaps, Swivels, Lures
15
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Spring is here Start thinking about the pre-pre-spawn...

Well, the ice will all be gone in another month, and as soon as the lakes open up, you can expect to find me (along with a bunch of other guys) out on the water chasing down some late winter/early spring bass. As the temperatures hit 40-45 degrees, the bass will start to move around a little, and after a couple of warm days, you'll find them coming up on shallow flats to feed. Just make sure to look for shallow flats, near cover, and close to deeper water - a quick break into the depths usually holds more fish. Once the temps reach above 50 degrees, the fish will start to stay a little shallower, cruising around for a quick meal. 55-60 degrees and they're almost into spawn mode.

Slow-rolling spinnerbaits, jigs, carloina rigs, and big deep-diving crankbaits are great early spring baits. Once you start to see the vegetation returning, especially in water 7-10 feet deep and near a breakline, lipless crankbaits are almost unmatched, especially on warm days.

Remember, warm sunny days will draw the bass shallow, and once the weather stays warm, overcast days with a little breeze are the most productive. 3 days before to 10 days after th full moon seem to yield the most big fish, and remember to tune your lure size, color and action to look as natural as possible when the bass are inactive/sluggish.

Topics: Bass, Spring, Lures, Season, Jig, Crankbait, Spinnerbait
17
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Northern Pike will play with your lures

Pike will often hit your lure several times before finally taking it. Be patient and keep working the area, and if they've hit your lure once they will come back to hit it again. Northern pike have a huge appetite and will continue to hit your lure. Some fishermen have even reported catching the same pike over and over.

Topics: pike, northern pike, lures
6
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Ice fishing for crappie

Crappie have their eyes on top of their heads, and will see your bait and lures above them. If you have a sonar and can see crappie at a certain depth, try to keep your bait or lure just a little higher because crappie won't see anything below them. Crappie will often continue to follow your lure higher and higher until they strike, and when they hit your rod tip will actually go up instead of down because the fish is taking your lure higher. Make sure to set the hook when this happens.

Topics: crappie, technique, depth, lures, bait, sonar, ice fishing
6
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Bass stay under cover on sunny days

Bass stay deep under cover on sunny days, and will swim around freely under rain or overcast skies. So on sunny days, flip worms and grubs deeper into cover. On rainy or overcast days, use more horizontal baits and lures to cover more water and catch the bass that are out swimming around.

Topics: bass, cover, weather, sun, clouds, overcast, rain
7
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Cover a lot of water in weed beds and flats

When fishing weed beds and flats use a lure like a spinnerbait. You can cast out and reel it in quickly to cover a lot of water, and it is bright and flashy. Fish will swim up from the weeds to take the lure, so keep it brightly colored and cover a lot of water.

Topics: bass, pike, lures, spinnerbait, flats, weed beds