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Fishing tips by NHBassmaster

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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
6
Vote

Culling made easy

There are dozens of scales, clips, tags and systems to use to cull fish. Some people prefer to weigh every fish, tag them, write it down and put them in the livewell. If it works for you, keep doing it. I have an easier system to use to cull fish with. I use a culling beam (you can even make one of you don't want to buy one) and one tag. The tag is made of rope with a lip clip, without a weight, because I think that having a big float attached to a piece of rope that's clipped though a fish's lip can causes more stress. Anyway, here's the system:

When I'm fishing, the first fish goes in the livewell. When I catch the second fish, I either eyeball it, or use the culling beam, and the tag goes on the smallest fish. This becomes the "cull" fish. Every fish I catch after that, I weigh against the "cull" fish on the culling beam, and the smallest fish gets thrown out while the new "cull" fish gets the tag. This system makes it simple to make sure you're always upgrading, and not sorting through fish after fish after fish. Do I end up handling the cull fish more? Probably. But not enough to severely stress the bass.

If you fish in tournament where you keep track of your lunker as well, here's what you can do. At the end of the day, when you get to the weigh-in, you can use your culling beam to identify your biggest fish, and tag that one as well.

Give the system a try. You may find it saves you time, and works for you.

Topics: Culling, culling tag, lunker
6
Vote

Glue your soft plastics to your hooks

OK, another glue tip. Ever get frustrated because you rig your creature bait to your extra-wide gap hook, only to bump into a rock and the bait slides down the hook? Rig your lure, and apply a drop of the same glue to the hook shank near where the line is tied. It's safe for all lines, will help the knot hold, and will cement the head of your soft plastic bait right where you want it to stay.

Topics: Gluing, soft, plastics
5
Vote

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
5
Vote

Replacing line while saving money

For some anglers, changing your line once a year is plenty. Others change their line a couple times a year, or monthly, depending on how often they get out to go fishing. For local and club-level tournaments, depending on need, changing your line can happen after the tournaments. I've even heard of anglers changing their line after each tournament day. Changing your line gets expensive, and you need to make sure to keep it economical so you can use the best line possible. An easy way to do this is to strip off about 2/3 of your spool, leaving the old line as a backing, then tie the lines together and then spool on new line. Another way to save some money - strip off 2/3 of the line off your spool, then fill the spool using line from another reel. The line deeper into the spool is probably still in really good shape, and you get double the life out of a spool.

Topics: Line, replacing line, economical
5
Vote

Check your line often

Ever set the hook on a fish and break your line? Or, even worse, ever fight a fish almost to the boat and the line breaks? It's frustrating any time, but if you're guiding or fishing in a tournament, it can cost you a decent paycheck. The cure? Check your line often. Every few casts, especially in heavy cover, run the line starting at your lure and working backwards, through your fingers. If you feel bumps, nicks, abrasions, or any other sign of damage, cut the line and retie. The extra 10-15 seconds it takes to do this can save you big time.

Topics: Line, retie, cover
7
Vote

Crankbait Hooks

The hooks that come on new crankbaits, topwaters, jerkbaits, minnows, and lipless crankbaits are good, but bass have a tendency to jump and throw the lure. Switch out the original hooks with Mustad KVD Elite 2x short treble hooks - the short shank, unique bend and strong wire almost guarantee no lost fish. I've hooked over two-dozen bass in three tournaments this year, most have jumped, and none have come off! Plus, with the shorter shank, you can usually upsize by one size (if the original hook is a size 4, you can usually get away with putting a size 2 Mustad on).

Topics: Hooks, crankbaits, treble hooks
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
11
Vote

Chips and Charts

Super important, and I'm sure this is common everywhere - make sure you pay close attention to your maps, charts and GPS chips when navigating. We have two lakes here in particular, Squam and Winnipesaukee, that I would dare say are the most difficult to navigate anywhere, and without paying close attention to your chart, could spell disaster.

It's worth it to get a decent paper map as well as an electronnics card (Navionics, etc.). Study them well, pay attention, and watch out for the shoals!

Topics: Maps, charts, navigation
11
Vote

Paint your own jigheads

I like to match my jigheads to my soft plastics - especially my creature baits. Rather than shell out more money for the pre-painted ones, I buy the plain old jigheads, then spray paint them to match. Some cheap spray colors at Walmart can be applied to the jigheads, multiple colors for making different colors, and then spray over with some Krylon clear. They look good, they match what you use, and it's a money-saver!

Topics: Jigheads, paint, matching
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
9
Vote

Alternative way to rig a tube - with a leadhead and rattle

Just a quick tip for another way to rig a tube with a rattle - Bass Pro Shops sells this little roundish rattle for tubes (XPS Tube Rattle), and I use the Bass Pro Shops tender tube head in 1/8 oz. or 1/4 oz., depending on the depth and conditions. First, push the tube rattle up in the tube, then insert the tube head, and push the eyelet through the tube where it stops. The rattle sometimes adds just enough extra to the tube to get more strikes, and by having the jig head back a little from the end of the tube, it helicopters down in a more random manner, which also gets more strikes. You can also rig it this way without the rattle, just leave 1/4"-1/2" of space between the jig head and the end of the tube.

Topics: Tubes, Rattles
17
Vote

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
Vote

Culling Systems

Just a quick note - If you fish in tournaments or for whatever reason need to cull out fish, I've found that the Bass Pro Shops digital fish scale and culling system is the easiest to use. It comes with a digital scale and color-coded fish markers, as well as a waterproof log and wax pencil to keep track of your catches.

Using the scale is simple, then just clip on one of the lip clips and write down the weight of the fish. Then, when you catch and weigh another fish, you know exactly which color to grab to cull out and replace in the log. From start to finish weighing, logging and tagging a fish takes about 10-15 seconds, so you can still make the most of your time on the water.

Topics: Cull, tag, weigh
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

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
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
11
Vote

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
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