Tips For Trout Fishing

For those of us who enjoy fishing for trout, there's always another tip, right? It surely seems that way. More than 20 years ago I had the pleasure of knowing the greatest trout angler that I've since met, and he taught me some trout fishing tips that have always helped me catch more trout. He was renowned in the area that I grew up as being an amazing trout fisherman, and he had the trophies to prove it! This man had the ability to catch trophy trout out of rivers that no one thought such fish swam in.
In any case, he taught me these tips for trout fishing, which I'm going to pass on to you through this article. Do these tips guarantee that you'll catch trophy trout? No, but they do guarantee that you'll be a much better and more efficient trout angler. If you want to catch trophy trout like my mentor there is no substitute for spending time on the water practicing your craft. That's exactly what he did.
Once he had a large trout located, he would keep fishing for it, until he caught it. This behavior was borderline insane, but it resulted in trophy trout. This man would literally keep returning to the area that the large trout was located until he caught it, no matter how many days he had to return to the same spot. This is a good tip for anyone who might be in search of a trophy trout in the flowing waters of a small river or stream? Once you locate a large trout, keep fishing for it until you catch it.
Another great tip for trout fishing is to pay attention to the weather and moon, so that you know that you're fishing at the most opportune times. You see , there are no two factors that affect the behavior of fish like the weather and moon. This is why educating yourself as to how the two effect the behavior of fish is so important. Knowing the best times to be on the weather fishing is an advantage to any angler and will result in much more success.
When trout fishing the use of gang hooks is a must. My fishing mentor, who I referred to earlier in this article, insisted on the use of gang hooks when fishing for trout. Gang Hooks are effective for almost any live bait fishing (especially with live worms), but are particularly effective when used for trout. A live worm rigged on a set of pre-tied gang hooks, then allowed to float naturally with the current of a river or stream, is a deadly trout fishing technique. Gang hooks are also very effective when used to rig Powerbait and other floating trout baits, in lake fishing situations.
Another tip for trout fishing is to be as efficient as possible. This simply means employing things like bait bags, retractors, and rod rulers when trout fishing. These things help you to maximize the an=mount of time you spend with your line in the water (where the trout are), rather than searching for much needed gear and bait. When you use devices such as bait bags, rod rulers, and retractors, you become a much more efficient trout angler, which results in more fish.
The bottom line is that these simple tips for trout fishing all work. How am I so sure f this? First of all because I saw them work for my fishing mentor, and have seen them all work for myself for more than twenty years. I know these tips will do the same for you, a soon as you implement them into your trout fishing repertoire.

Article Source: http://www.landbigfish.com/

Talking to the Bluefish

Years ago, I was introducing one of the Shoal N Reef guides to the difference between fishing and catching. Art ‘of the possible’ Aikin and I found ourselves on my boat and out on the Chesapeake Bay. In those days I kept a 26’ Bertram at the Breezy Point Marina – on the western shore just south of Chesapeake Beach.
It was a late summer, early evening as I remember it. We left the dock around four in the afternoon and headed south to the mouth of Parker’s Creek. As neared the channel that the creek had dug in the muddy bottom, I noticed a large area of riffled water just south of the channel. As we drifted into it my fathometer began to show solid black from just below the surface right down to the bottom. We had stumbled onto a huge school of bluefish.
The wind was light and onshore so I decided to do a series of drifts from the deep water towards the shore. I circled around and got the boat in position. The bucket of razor clams that I had picked up in Chesapeake Beach looked to be exactly the right bait to use. So I put the bait table on the gunwale and set out a few clams.
Now, I’ve got to say in his defense that this one of the very first fishing trips that Possible had ever been on and, as a senior scientist at NASA, nothing I his professional life had prepared him for what was about to happen.
The routine was simple – you baited the hook – cast it into the water – waited a second or two – then reeled in another one – they were that think. By the time we starter the first drift, the bluefish were chopping up the surface – driving the baitfish up and then charging through the schools. The breeze had dropped to almost nothing and the boat drifted gently towards the shore. The sun was heading towards the western horizon and life was very good. I set to work hauling in my share.
In a break between fish I became aware that Art was muttering something about how inconsiderate that kind of thing was. “Darn things – at least you could wait!” I looked over and noticed that he had not boated a single fish – I had half a dozen nice ones in the fish box on my side of the boat. So I decided to watch for a bit and see if I could. This is what I saw:
Art would start with a clean hook - bait it with a nice piece of clam. And then, being a fastidious type, he would place the rod in the holder and turn back to bucket of water I had placed in the middle of the cockpit and wash his hands. By the time he got back to the rod, the bluefish had cleaned the hook and the process started all over again. You see he had enough line out so that the hook was in the water.
I looked down in the water just aft of the transom and saw a bunch of bluefish lined up waiting to be fed!
What was funniest was Possible’s reaction to the discovery of the bare hook. “You darn fish could at least wait until I was ready! That is very inconsiderate!” I watched this cycle a couple or times. The fish got fed and Art was getting madder and madder at them. Finally I just had to make a suggestion.
“Art, when you put your rod in the holder, crank in a little line and keep the bait out of the water until you are ready.”
So here he goes – baits the hook – puts the rod in the holder – cranks the reel until it is just above the surface – and turns back to wash his hands. As he did we heard this splashing – turned to see the bluefish coming out of the water – and a clean hook dangling at the end of the line. We both broke out in a fit of laughing.
Well that was many years ago and Art is now a fine, battle tested fisherman - but, every once in a while, I still remind him about talking to the bluefish.

Article Source: http://www.landbigfish.com/

5 Simple Techniques To Help You Catch More Fish

In my estimation, many anglers overlook some very simple things that effect their fish catching ability. Like many things in life, it's often the most obvious things that get overlooked, and in most cases these obvious things have a very big impact on our lives, and for the purposes of this article, our fishing. These 5 techniques are going to be focused on the river or stream angler who spends much oh their time wading in the water, trying to catch fish. So if you're a Largemouth Bass angler who fishes from a $20,000 bass boat, these tips probably won't mean much to you. In any case, here are the tips and you can do with them what you will:1) Size Matters - The size of your line matters. In river and stream situations fish are usually much more wary than in a muddy lake with a lot of boat traffic. In most cases the water is very clear as well. This means that the fish are much more likely to see your line. I personally use four pound test, which is all but invisible to the fish. I've had the direct experience of using six pound test and getting no bites. Then switching to four pound test and catching fish one after another. 2) Your Clothes Matter - The color of your clothing matters. You wan t to avoid wearing loud colors that will make it easier for the fish to see you. Remember, if the fish can see you, they normally won't bite (especially in clear water mountain rivers). Wear darker more drab colors if at all possible. 3) Avoid Loud Noises - I know, as anglers we are all aware of the "be quiet" rule while fishing, but it's even more pronounced on river and stream situations. Especially on rivers and streams that don't receive much fishing pressure. The biggest thing to avoid as far as noise goes on rivers and streams are rocks banging together underwater. Remember this while wading from here to there. 4) Present Bait Naturally - You want to present your bait as naturally as possible. You want your bait to look like it would without hooks in it. The best way I know to accomplish this is by using gang hooks. The bottom line is for your bait to look as natural as possible. 5) Clean Your Hands - Fish have a very sensitive sense of smell and can smell your scent on your bait. This is a big reason people use "attractors" on their baits. I don't think these things attract fish as much as they cover the scent of humans! Using a hand sanitizer is a good idea or just grabbing a handful of grass and rubbing it in your hands has always worked well for me.Start employing any or all of these five techniques and you will start catching more fish; it's as simple as that. Catching fish doesn't have to be difficult, especially if we're reminded of the basics from time to time. Remember what Steven Wright said, "There's a fine line between fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot."

Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/8603

The Secret For Fishing With Live Worms

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Is there actually a secret for fishing with live worms? I'm sure many people would say no there's not. To many people, simply "threading" a live worm onto a hooks is good enough, but more than 20 years ago my fishing mentors taught me a secret that makes fishing with live worms much more successful. He realized that when a live worm was "threaded" onto a hook it ended up looking like some sort of worm ball, rather than outstretched ands natural the way a worm looks in the wild. So he came up with a solution to this problem.That solution is called a set of gang hooks. A set of gang hooks is simply two small hooks tied in tandem, which enables a live worm to be presented in a totally natural manner. He learned that this natural presentation makes a big difference in the amount of bites, and subsequently hooked fish, that a person receives. When you think about it this only makes sense. The more natural the worm looks, the more effective it will be as bait.Gang hooks are, by far, the best way to present live worms as bait while fishing. As a matter of fact, since first starting to use them moiré than twenty years ago, I personally can't imagine fishing with live worms without using gang hooks to rig them up. Gang hooks have become as much a part of my fishing gear as my rod and reel are. If I'm going to be fishing, I need to have some gang hooks with me.If a set of pre-tied gang hooks is attached to your line using a small barrel swivel, then weighted with split shot sinkers and allowed to flow naturally with the current of a river or stream, the results are quite eye opening. I've been using this rig to catch trout, smallmouth bass and walleye for years, and it works. This type of rig not only works, it works well. The same type of rig can be used under a bobber for pan fish, and even for still fishing by adding an egg sinker instead of split shots for weight.The bottom line is that the secret for fishing with live worms is a set of pre-tied gang hooks. You can tie them yourself or purchase them ready to fish, it really makes little difference. What's important is that you begin using gang hooks for all of your live worm fishing sooner, rather than later. You'll be Glad you did.
Article by: fishingmanfriend
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/8603

How To Use Powerbait To Catch Trout

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In this article I'm going to explain exactly how to use Powerbait to catch trout. You know what I'm referring to, right? Powerbait, that extruded stuff in little jars that seems to be available in more colors that a box of crayons. There are some specific tips and techniques that can be employed when this stuff is used as bait and catch more trout. These tips and techniques are simple and can be employed by even the most novice angler.The first thing to keep in mind when fishing for trout is that trout have very keen eyesight, which means that they can see your fishing line under the water if it's too heavy. And if they can see your fishing line, what do you suppose your chances are that they will bite your bait? Not very good. This is why the weight of your fishing line is so important to trout fishing (whether you're using Powerbait as bait or not). I personally use nothing heavier than four-pound test for trout fishing, but anything up to six pound test is passable. Just make sure that you don't use fishing line heavier than six-pound test for trout fishing.Now that we know that the proper line is being employed, let get down to the business of how to use Powerbait to catch trout. The first thing to understand is that the Powerbait we use (or any other synthetic bait that comes on a jar) should float. Most all of it does, but make sure that the variety that you're using is a floating trout bait. The floating aspect is critical, because we want our offering to be floating off of the bottom, above any underwater debris. The next thing to consider is the body of water that we're going to be fishing in. The synthetic baits that come in a jar, also known as Powerbait, are best employed in lake fishing situations. Not only lake fishing situations, but also still fishing situations. Which means casting your offering out, and waiting for a trout to bite. Is this the most exciting form of fishing? Nope, but it can nonetheless be quite fun. So locate your favorite lake (which contains trout) and let's get down to business.Another great tip is to make sure that you're fishing at the proper times. What do I mean by this? Simple. I just want you to pay attention to the weather and moon so that you always know that you're fishing at the most opportune times. Now, lets assume that your fishing when you should be fishing, and are at the lake that you picked out. Begin by taking the end of your line and slipping on an egg sinker (1/4 to 1/2 an ounce). Now tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12) to act as a "stopper". On the opposite end of the barrel swivel, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks (preferably size 8 or 10). This is your Powerbait rig. Now simply ad enough synthetic bait to each hook to completely cover the hook. You should now have 2 balls of Powerbait hanging from the end of your rod.Now simply cast it out and let it sink. Slowly reel in the slack, until the line is completely taught, and set you rod against a stationary object. Now you wait for a trout to bite (the rod tip will begin bouncing when a trout bites). My general rule of thumb is to wait a half an hour to forty five minutes and if nothing happens, I reel in, check my bait, and cast to a different spot. The point is that this rig and technique will result in the catching of a trout or three. You now know how to use Powerbait to catch trout.

Article by: fishingmanfriend
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/8603

Cold Weather Trout Fishing Tips

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As the new year approaches and the weather continues to get colder, I figured it was time to write an article on cold weather trout fishing tips. I'm not necessarily referring to ice fishing, yet some of these tips can be used for ice fishermen as well. These tips are for those of us who still enjoy getting out on our favorite river or stream to do a little trout fishing, even when the weather is quite cold. The first thing to keep in mind (if you didn't already know), is that cold weather trout fishing offers some unique challenges, not the least of which is the fact that the cold weather can be quite uncomfortable. Besides being uncomfortable, cold weather trout fishing means the fishing will normally be much tougher. When the temperature drops, so does the water temperature, and as the water temperature drops, so does the trout's body temperature. As trout become colder and colder, their metabolism slows down, which means they feed less. Obviously when trout are feeding less, they are more difficult to catch. In colder weather and water temperatures, a great tip is to use bait that’s as small as you can. If you ice fish, you know all about using tiny baits, well the same goes for trout fishing in river and stream situations. Use hooks, baits, and lures that are as small as you can get away with in cold weather trout fishing situations. This tip will help you get more bites.The same principle goes for any live bait that you might be using. Cold weather is a great time of year to use maggots and meal worms as trout bait, and if you like to use night crawlers, simply use smaller pieces. For example, a whole night crawler can be pinched into thirds or even quarters in cold weather trout fishing situations. When the weather and water temperature are cold, fishing when the trout are the most active is very important. There are certain times of the day and month when fish are more active than others , and knowing this information is highly useful when the weather is cold and the trout aren't as active anyway. These times of the day and month correlate with the weather and phases of the moon. Planning your fishing trips around the weather and moon is a great idea, especially in cold weather.The final tip for cold weather trout fishing is the fact that we need to keep our hands as warm as possible while fishing. Not only do our hands need to be warm, but if you're like me you still need the use of you fingers to fish properly. This is where a quality and comfortable pair of fingerless gloves come into play. I can tell you from experience that being on the river and feeling like your hand is going to fall off, because that hand got wet releasing a freezing cold trout, is no fun at all.

Article by: fishingmanfriend
Article Source: http://www.free-articles-zone.com/author/8603