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Rod fishing tips

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5
Vote

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
5
Vote

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,
9
Vote

Bobber Fishin

I keep it simple with just a bober and worm about the length of my rod(5-7 feet) below the surface within 20 feet of the rocks and just jig it a little if they are nibbling but wont take the bait. They seem to strike 90% of the time i try this. Keep your line as tight as you can without dragging the bobber, and rather than set the hook by lifting up, try reeling as much slack as you can then rip the line through the water by keeping the rod tip down and pull to one side or the other to keep the most tension on the line especially if your fishing deeper.

Topics: Bobbers
9
Vote

Slow retrieve of lipless crankbaits

When throwing lipless crankbaits such a rattle trap, try slowing your retrieve just slow enough to 'tick' the vegetation. When the bait gets hung up, 'rip' your rod tip up and away and be ready for a strike. This method has probably caught more fish and won more money in Florida than anything else.

Topics: crankbait, bass
12
Vote

Avoiding line twist on spinning reels

Two tips here for avoiding line twist on a spinning reel:

1. After a cast, never force the bail closed by reeling in. Always manually close the bail with your hand, otherwise you'll introduce line twist every time.
2. Never reel in with slack line. Pull your rod tip up or put your finger against the line to create some resistance, otherwise you'll be trapping loops and slack line onto the reel, causing line twist and birdsnests waiting to happen.

Topics: line twist, spinning reel
12
Vote

Take a Family Member

Take a Family Member or a Friend!! There is nothing more enjoyable than sharing a great day on the water with someone else!! Better Yet, take someone who doesn’t know much about fishing and focus on making their trip a success by putting down your rod to help them get hooked on the sport we all love!

Topics: family, fishing
13
Vote

Equipment

Match your equipment to the task at hand. There is nothing more uncomfortable than fishing with an outfit where the rod and reel are mismatched. When purchasing a rod and reel ask your local tackle shop owner.

Topics: fishing equipment, rod, reel
6
Vote

AnglerCo-Angler Ettiquette

OK, this is a tip borne more from frustration than anything. I may not cover every scenario or situation, but it's a good start for things to think about.

If you're fishing as a team, then just by the nature of it you'll be maximizing your cooperation. This is a tip more for the Boater/Non-Boater tournaments where you're still competing against each other.

1. Remember, it's the boater's boat. Offer some gas money. Respect their property. Hooks in seats, 3 big tackle bags, and 10 rods that overwhelm their space isn't appreciated. Bring a small bag for your trash - a wrinkled up grocery bag is fine. Their boat isn't your garbage can. Ask if something is OK - "can I put this here?", can I use this?", etc. goes a long way.

2. Show up with a PFD and culling system. The boater may not have spares for you to use. Most boaters probably have those items for a co-angler to use, but don't assume they do, and don't get upset or throw a fit when they don't.

3. Bring your own lunch, snacks, and drinks, but be reasonable. Built-in coolers aren't huge, but boaters do leave room for the co-angler. Bringing a 32-quart Igloo probably isn't a real good idea, either. Remember, space is sometimes at a premium, so use it wisely.

4. Boaters do what they can to position the boat to everyone's advantage. Sometimes, it doesn't always work. Sometimes, the co-angler doesn't always get the best spots first. Talk reasonably about it. Most boaters will do what they can to make sure it's as fair as it can be. When the boater decides to move spots, give the co-angler fair warning. Co-anglers need to be ready to move when the boater is.

5. Boaters, you have the front of the boat to fish from. Don't cast back from the midline of the boat. Co-anglers, don't fire casts up over the shoulder of the boater. Keep your area as your area.

6. When an angler (boater or co-angler) is going after a fish, fishing a particular spot, bed, etc. let them have it. It's their fish. If they hit get a hit and miss, it's still their fish to go after. Don't wait for them to reel their line in and fire a cast at the fish

7. Don't destroy each other's things. Rods, reels, baits, equipment, etc. gets expensive when it needs to be replaced.

8. Be respectful - that goes for everyone. If the co-angler doesn't like the boat he's drawn or been assigned to, keep your opinions to yourself. Certainly don't put down the other angler's equipment, style, baits, etc.

9. Remember, you're there to fish competitively against each other. Small talk is OK, especially if you're new draw partners. But that doesn't mean start talking from launch time until you weigh-in. Comeraderie is great, especially after the tournament ends, but sometimes extreme concentration is needed when you're trying to boat a limit.

These are just the basics, but they're a good foundation and they go a long way. The basic rules should be this - don't be the boater that everyone dreads going out with, and don't be the co-angler that boaters say they'll never fish with again.

Topics: boater, nonboater, coangler
20
Vote

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
20
Vote

Low Impact Sturgeon Fishing Tips

Use non-offset circle hooks. Non-offset circle hooks offer three big advantages over traditional J-hooks:
• Fish are seldom hooked deeply with non-offset circle hooks because their unique shape rarely lets the hook embed until it catches
on the corner of the fish’s mouth.
• Once solidly hooked, fish rarely become unhooked.
• Circle hooks are less likely to snag on rocky river bottoms.
Because circle hooks are very different than J-hooks, anglers should use some different techniques for them to work properly: First, “hang” the
bait on the hook and leave the point exposed (A circle hook needs to be free to pivot for it to function properly). Second, when a fish
starts to bite, let it mouth the bait a few seconds longer than you would with a J-hook. Lastly, do not set the hook. Instead, simply start reeling
until you come tight on the fish. The hook will catch on the corner of the mouth as you smoothly tighten the line.
When using a regular J-hook, it is important to stay attentive to the rod and hook the fish quickly before it has a chance to swallow
the bait.
Use barbless hooks (it’s the law!). Pinch or file the barb down to ease removal of the hook and minimize the damage to a sturgeon’s fleshy mouth.
Use a sinker slider (a law beginning in 2011) Tie your sinker to a dropper line on a sliding device,
using at least ten pound test lighter line than your main line. This will minimize the chances of leaving a baited
hook snagged to the bottom if you break off.

Topics: Sturgeon, Low Impact
24
Vote

Time to inventory

OK, so maybe it's because I'm a little Type A. OK, a lot. Anyway, I keep a running inventory (yes, typed and put into nice report covers - red and black to match the boat, of course) of all of my equipment - I inventory my boat equipment, my fishing equipment, rods, and even a special inventory for "travel only". I do this for a few reasons: 1. so I have some handle on what I've got, to see if things are getting a little out of hand, 2. to see if I have any unmet needs or holes in my arsenal, and 3. it makes it a heck of a lot easier to replenish what I've used or lost after a season of fishing. This is a great time of year to do it - Winter is arriving, and as you're transitioning to storage mode, get out that pen and paper and write down what you've got. Once it's typed and saved as a file, it's easy to update/change, and when you do get the green light to go to Bass Pro Shops (hint, hint), you can print it off and highlight what you need (I go through a lot of highlighters). Check out the forums, as I'll post what my inventory sheets look like - they're very simple and easy to change to fit what you need.

Topics: Inventory, reorder, Bass Pro Shops
14
Vote

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
13
Vote

Color-coding your rods

This may just be overthinking common sense, but if you have a lot of rods rigged differently, and keep them stored in a rod locker, I've found that color-coding to identify which is which saves a lot of time searching or trying to remember what rods go where.

The system is simple - put a small piece of colored electrical tape (different colors for each type)on each rod near the handle, and make a small laminated chart that you can stick to the inside cover of the rod locker to identify the rods. Some examples:

Red = Crankbait
Green = Spinnerbait
Blue = Flippin'
Orange = Jigs/worms
etc., etc., etc.

Find a system that works for you and help get yourself organized. For fun fishing, it isn't such a big deal, but to make the most of your time on the water, and especially for tournament fishing, if you can spare yourself the time and frustration of digging for a rod, the better the day will go.

Topics: Rod, Colorcoded
9
Vote

Anglers Edge Plus

Just a quick props for a handy little product - I have on my boat an Angler's Edge Plus by Speedtech. It's cool - it tells you about the weather, future predicitions based on the barometric pressure, and when the peak times are to fish. Maybe you don't put a lot of stock in it, but if you can do something that gives you a little bit of an edge, this is definitely worth the money.

check out www. speedtech.com and see all the details - it works great, and I've found it to be very accurate.

Topics: Anglers Edge Plus, Barometer
10
Vote

Runnin N Gunnin

There's something to be said for standing on a bank and fishing while relaxing, or trolling along a lake, but most of the time, I prefer to "run n' gun". Basically, this means constantly moving and going from place to place at adecent pace while using reaction or fast-moving baits. You won't catch 20-30 fish (usually), but the 7 or 10 that you do get are usually the 7 or 10 most aggressive fish.

The key is to find an area that will likely produce, like a point, weedbed, or are with lots of different cover and structure, and have a few rods rigged up - medium crankbait, deep crankbait and a spinnerbait. Work through the area, not stopping, and moving from spot-to-spot while making casts along the structure and to cover.

If you do this every time, you get worn out quickly, but if you only have a few hours to be on the water, this is a great way to make the most of it.

Topics: Crankbait, Spinnerbait
8
Vote

Rod, reel line selection

OK, back to basics. I know I posted a tip about making sense of rods & reels and making things less complicated. Absolutely an essential part of fishing. This year I've been doing some experimenting with my tackle, and I've gotten to this point:

7' MH baitcast with 12 lb. mono for bigger worms, spinnerbaits, buzzbaits, lipless crankbaits, and topwaters

7' M baitcast with 12 lb. fluorocarbon for crankbaits, swimbaits, jigs, and tubes

6'6" M spinning with 8 lb. mono for worms, spoons, spinners, and all finesse tactics

I hope my homework helps you out, and as I test more ideas I'll post them to help get things going. Just remember, do what you find works well, and never stop experimenting and learning!

Topics: Rods, Reels, lines
8
Vote

Keep those rod reels covered

Sounds simple, and maybe I'm just making a big deal over nothing, but rods & reels are expensive - and can be a lasting investment if you take care of them. Reel oil, grease and cleaning aside, I keep my rods covered by Bass Pro Shops rod socks while in the boat and for winter storage, and I use Bass Pro Shops reel covers during the wintertime. For $7.98 I can keep each rod & reel protected and in good condition all year long.

Topics: Rod, reel, cover, protection
5
Vote

Repair of cork handle

I bought a Shimano Compre muskie rod 2nd hand. It had a huge gouge in the cork handle right down to the blank from being used in a rod holder of some type. I had read about a cork repair a couple of years ago and decided to give it a try. I took an old fishing rod with a cork handle and used a rotary file on it to make a couple tablespoons of cork powder. You could use a coarse file or rasp. I then mixed the cork powder with white carpenter glue and stirred it up to a paste like consistency. I used a piece of a wine cork to fill the majority of the gouge and spread the paste all over it. It took 2 days to harden completely so I could file and sand it but turned out pretty good. It is a bit darker than the original cork, but hardly noticeable from a distance. I will post a pic on here somewhere!!Pic is in forums under""other fishing gear""

Topics: rod, repair
10
Vote

Keeping your rods reels simple

So, we've all seen the Bassmasters on ESPN, and everyone seems to have 50 rods & reels ready to go. I don't know about you, but I can't afford that. I have 6 rods & reels, 4 baitcast & 2 spinning. I know that wisdom says for crankbaits you should have a 6' medium action rod with a winch for a reel and flourocarbon line to get it down to depth, and for worms you should spool mono on a 7' medium-heavy rod and baitcast reel, yada, yada, yada.

All of my baitcast outfits are 7' medium-heavy rods with 6.3:1 reels spooled wiith 12 lb. mono. All of my spinning outfits are 6'6" medium rods with mid-sized reels and 8 lb. mono. I find that having all of my rods & reels be the same allows me to get a better feeling for each rod & reel, and gives me a lot of flexibility for different fishing styles. Also, it saves a lot of money when you don't have a different rod & reel for each type of bait.

Point is, do what you can afford to do. If you can afford to have 20 rods & reels, then let that work for you. If your budget allows you to have a couple set-ups, then make the most of it. Pick out some good quality equipment and get good at using it!

Topics: Rods, Reels, Combos
11
Vote

First rigs of the spring season

Up here in the northeast, fishing doesn't usually start until at least the third week of March, usually the first or second week of April (we have hard water). Anyway, once the ice goes away, that leaves the lake temps around 35-40 degree range. Here's what I keep tied on my rods for the first few trips of the spring (then I'll change up depending on what pattern I find):

1. Strike King Series 6 in Gizzard Shad
2. Strike King Pro Series Spinnerbait 3/8 oz. in Sexy Shad
3. Strike King Red Eye Shad 1/2 oz. in Chrome/Black Back
4. Strike King Wild Shiner Suspending Jerkbait in Sexy Shad
5. Strike King Wild Shiner Suspending Jerkbait in Chrome
6. Berkley Gripper Jig 3/8 oz. in Green Craw

I make color adjsutments based on water clarity, but for the most part, you want a more natural color base in clear water and go a little darker or brighter in stained or muddy water.

Topics: Spring, Bass, Crankbait, Jerkbait