Fishing

High fuel prices got you down? Imagine how most of us feel in the recreational fishing world. Let me explain. Here we are rounding into September, the time of year that all true "sport fishermen" look forward to. The weather is changing, and most summer crowds have gone home, leaving the rivers and lakes uncrowded and filled with frisky hungry fish readying themselves for the fall spawn and feedfest that takes place in fall. Most of us are not lucky enough to have a river or lake out our back door, so that means traveling to our favorite fishing spots is mandatory....

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Fishing on your pontoon boat can be both a relaxing and fun experience. Fishing from a pontoon boat can much more enjoyable than fishing on other smaller vessels. While fishing on a pontoon boat, you are often free from worries regarding the sturdiness of your vessel, or tipping the boat over while leaning in for larger catches. Fishing on your pontoon boat is also often much more comfortable than fishing in smaller vessels. In between catches you can relax on the deck of your pontoon boat, or go cook a few filets on the on board grill....

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Ketchikan, located in southeast Alaska, is a good place to fish for halibut. Sally and John Balch live in Ketchikan and have a favorite spot nearby to halibut fish. It's a secret spot, so don't ask where it is. The Balches were fishing there one Sunday and having good luck landing cod and halibut, so they decided to stop about mid-morning. Sally started pulling in her gear and felt a tug on the line. It was more than a tug, really. Sally said that she thought she had snagged the bottom of the ocean....

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Introduction Many of the people about to take one of my guided trips don't believe that Catfish feed as aggressively as other game fish. People are used to throwing out their bait and letting it set while they wait. Some days this works and they don't have to wait very long, but some days we all know that the wait can be very long. This waiting is what encouraged me to try to catch Blue Cats using other methods. Some techniques are passed down from generation to generation and these tried and true methods have caught Catfish since people have fished for them....

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One of the most versatile of all lures, the grub mimics baitfish better than almost any other soft plastic bait, and they can be fished many different ways and all year round. A grub's fat short body and thin twisting tail displaces a tremendous amount of water as it moves along, the bass picks up the vibrations with its lateral lines and movement means food. Once the bass has found the bait its natural shape and color gives him no reason to suspect a trap. In cold water, winter and early spring, the fish are more sluggish and a slower more deliberate presentation is necessary to fool them....

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Every River Tells a Story The next time you begin a journey or fishing expedition on one of your favorite rivers or streams, take the time to look at the surroundings (I mean REALLY look), and listen closely, as each one has it's own unique story to tell. As we begin our journey, we may see a typical farmer out in the field plying his trade, doing his best to put food on your table and eke out an existence that was handed down to him over generations. Coming around the bend, we notice the billowing white smoke of a local power plant churning out electricity to make your life comfortable and secure....

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River dry fly fishing considered as the purest form of flyfishing inspired generations of writers, artists, poets andeven philosophers to wax lyrical about its pleasures. The gist to river dry fly fishing lies in the rise. Here, the angler waits patiently for a rise to begin beforehe or she starts to fish. And the art comes in persuading aparticular trout to take your artifical pattern among a hostof natural flies. Rise forms vary widely from hour-to hour and river-to river. From the way a trout breaks the surface (a rise), anexperienced angler can tell how and what thetrout feeds....

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Have you ever fished with a Heddon Meadow Mouse? How did you do? The reason I ask is, I have fished with them until I lost my last one and did extremely well at catching big bass using them. I would throw the lure out and let it sit. Then twitch it once and watch it turn sideways, twitch it again and watch it turn the other way, then move it so slow it barely made a ripple and BANG. That's when the fish would hit it. I know I have caught at least a dozen bass on this lure over 5 pounds and hooked one of the biggest bass I ever had on but it got loose....

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Fly fishing is addictive. Once you start, you'll never stop. Whether you are going to the local water hole or to Alaska, you should use a fly fishing journal to keep track of your sessions. Fly Fishing Journals Fly fishing is more than just fishing, it's a peaceful, surreal activity. For many, there is almost a meditative quality to casting. For avid fly fisherman, fly fishing trips to locations such as the Battenkill River in Vermont, Green River in Utah and Letort in Pennsylvania are a must. Of course, the possibility of trips to Argentina, Alaska and other exotic locations can make ones eyes glassy....

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Picking a fly fishing rod is a tricky endeavor. Do you go with your ego, expected fishing environment or something else? While length is a factor, the bend or action of the rod is a key factor. Flexibility Fly fishing rods are often defined by their flexibility. In laymen's terms, flexibility means how far the rods will bend when the same casting effort is used. Minimal Bend A fly fishing rod that has minimum bend is often called a "fast" rod. The lack of bend lets the angler get lots of speed on the cast....

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Jack Karpawack here. I've taken to the road... Life can be simple, and life can be hard on the road, but mainly it just makes your butt hurt having to drive so far to pursue the call of the fish. I'd like to say I am in some hip chic coffee house this morning, getting a pulse on the urban mainstream here in Twin Falls Idaho, but...... ......I'm writing from a not so cheap motel-because free internet access doesn't come cheap-ya know. (And my wife and daughter wouldn't have it any other way)Specifically, I'm writing from the bathroom, since for some reason it's the only place I can "log on"....

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Bluefin tuna are one of the greatest challenges to anglers off the coast of New England, and Massachusetts continues to be a center of activity for giant bluefin tuna. Most tuna are caught chunking or trolling. I will describe the techniques used by top crews to catch these giants. Chunking for Bluefin involves archoring on a good fishing spot known to hold bluefin. Once anchored, top crews deploy chunks, stick baits and live baits suspended on ballons at different depths. Most captains have their crew position the baits where at the depth they mark tuna fish on their fish finder....

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Fishing spring creeks isn't easy. Don't expect large quantities of catches, but do expect a challenging experience which has a certain mystique about it. Catching just a few trout, will give you a feeling of accomplishment. Spinfishing is illegal on most spring creeks, but you can use a variety of flyfishing methods such as sight casting to "rooters" burrowing in aquatic plants for scuds, nymphs and sow bugs. You can slap out chunky streamers to tease big fish from deep, dark pools. You can fish terrestrials during no-hatch periods, or you can wait patiently for mayfly emergences, when trout rise furiously all around you....

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The term stream trout is actually a term used to encompass any of the stream trout. Brown trout, rainbow trout, and brook trout are all called stream trout because they like the running waters. But, stream trout do not have to be found in streams. This sounds strange but it's quite simple. By putting stream trout species into lakes, the fish can grow larger and offer more to the fisherman. And, in many cases, that is just what fisheries do. Stream trout fishing on the other hand is a term used for fishermen who enjoy the stream fishing as opposed to the lake....

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Perhaps the most rewarding element of fly fishing is the varietyof beautiful natural surroundings in which anglers often findthemselves; a secluded stream up in the mountains, a peacefulmeandering river deep in the forest, or a tranquil blue lakesomewhere out in big sky country. For some, it may be theopportunity to test ones' individual skill against nature - in anintricate game of cat and mouse (but in this case, man againstfish.) These are just some of the compelling reasons why manythousands of people enjoy the challenges of fly fishing everyyear....

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