Outdoor Adventures » Fishing

The Art of Jigging

Darren — Sat, 27 Feb 2010 17:52:16 +0000

The art of jigging is a timeless tradition as well as a treasured skill among fishermen. Mostly a freshwater activity (you wouldn’t want to jig when going tuna fishing for example), jigging entails the use of an artificial lure. Jig lures tend to be a single hook with a lead head at the top of the shank. Traditionally, a long thin slice of pork rind is used on the hook to simulate the tail of a bait fish, such as a minnow. Other traditional baits like worms or night crawlers are used on the hook as well. The lure is cast out into a chosen area and retrieved slowly using a jerky motion. The key is to find the areas of the lake or pond where the target species of fish tends to reside. The fish spots the irresistible lure and strikes.

Today the art of jigging is more popular than ever. With this increase in popularity, fishing lure manufacturers have created entire lines of fishing jigs for both fresh and saltwater uses. Jig lures have evolved immensely from the simple lead head with a hook. The fishing jig of today looks more like the bait-fish that the species they intend to catch would eat. Some of the companies that manufacture jig lures have been in business for over a century. Their use of colors and shapes make them more like a work of art than a fishing lure.

To compliment the jig, many companies specializing in fishing equipment have begun manufacturing their own versions of a jigging rod. These fishing rods are usually much longer than traditional rods are. They are designed that way to achieve greater distance and accuracy in casting. Jigging rods can be expensive and many can be tailored to the specifications of the particular fisherman or woman. These custom made rods often become collectors items over the years as well.

There are about as many techniques to jigging, as there are jigs. Vertical jigging is a popular method in deeper water. With this technique, the jig is cast and allowed to sink to the bottom of the lake or pond. The lure is then retrieved straight upward in a jerky motion. Deep water largemouth bass and walleye often strike with great ferocity with the use of this technique. Sometimes, the best method for catching big fish is to find sunken trees and limbs that they use for shelter. Dragging a jig lure across sunken wood seems to work wonders. However, to becoming a jigging master takes a great deal of patience and practice.

Jigging is the most popular technique that sport fisherman use today. Fishing jigs have become sophisticated and artful in their designs over the years as well. There are now classes available that teach the art of jigging, and specially made fishing equipment that compliment this unique way of catching fish. There are jigging rods and low ratio reels that aid the jigging master in catching that lunker. Professional tournaments with high dollar prizes have also been developed around the use of lures such as jigs. Therefore, its no wonder that sport fishing has become such a popular pastime these days.

Tuna Fishing

Darren — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:59:48 +0000

Are you getting tired of catching the same old fish summer after summer? Tired of going to the same lake and fishing in the same spots? Well, why not change it up this year? Or, make a plan and save up and change it up in a couple years. Whatever the case, I highly recommend you try tuna fishing. Tuna fish is a common household word and is often associated with sandwiches. However, few people actually know what tuna look like in the wild and how fun it can be to fish for them (at least recreationally. I doubt the guys who are fishing for tuna commercially consider it fun.)

Although there are different types of tuna, the fishing gear and techniques are generally the same whether you are bluefin tuna fishing, yellowfin tuna fishing, or purple-people-eaterfin tuna fishing (ok, I made that one up.)

In the summer months you will find them up near the surface enjoying the warmth of the sun and feeding on various bait fish swimming around. However, during the winter months, the tuna will retreat to depths of about 100 feet, so fishing for them can become a little trickier. Also, tuna tend to bite better in low light, so make sure at least part of your fishing day includes the early morning or late afternoon.

Trolling is a very popular method and it consists of you or your fishing guide setting up a number of fishing “rigs” and just letting the line trail behind as the boat moves around. This is great especially if you just want to sit back and enjoy a beer in the sun and only having to get up when a fish bites. It takes all the boring waiting out of fishing and leaves in the excitement.

Another useful tip when tuna fishing is to watch for sea birds congregating around a certain area. This means there are baitfish gathered here and with baitfish come tuna. You can also bring the tuna to you by using a method called chumming. You have probably seen or heard about this method if you watch the Discovery Channel during shark week (and who the hell misses shark week?) Basically, you bring a whole bunch of bait fish and scatter it around the site you want to fish. This will attract the tuna and enable you to have a fun filled day of fishing.

As for tuna fishing gear, you will need specialized rods, reels, and lines if you want to catch tuna. This is true for halibut fishing, tarpon fishing, or when you are fishing for any other type of large fish. Since tuna are so big, they can be fierce fighters and can last a long time, so you will need gear that can last longer. If you are inexperienced in tuna fishing, you should really hire out a charter for your trip and they will have all the necessary gear included.

Now that you know about tuna fishing, you should really consider changing up your same old fishing routine and try something new for once! Go out and research tuna fishing charters, save up some money, invite some buddies and have the time of your life.

Halibut Fishing

Darren — Fri, 26 Feb 2010 06:41:26 +0000

Do you like fishing? Wait, what am I saying, of course you like fishing. What I meant to say is do you like catching monster fish that you will tell stories about for years to come? Damnit, there I go again asking stupid questions. So, you said yes to both of these questions, and I just have one more to ask. Why haven’t you tried halibut fishing yet? You see them all the time at the grocery store, but have you ever stopped and wondered what it would be like to catch one? Well, wonder no more my good friend, fishing for halibut is simply an article away. I will give some very nice halibut fishing tips and I hope it will inspire you to plan the trip of a lifetime catching these huge fish.

First off, a little background information about halibut. A halibut is a flatfish from the flounder family. The halibut is the largest flatfish and the average weight is about 24-30 pounds. However, it is not uncommon to encounter halibut that are pushing 100 pounds. The world record currently is a monstrous 470 pounds and 2.5 meters long (8.2 feet). Now, imagine seeing that thing on the end of your line. I would probably have a heart attack. Now, on to the good stuff.

My first tip for you is to research halibut fishing charters if you are new to the game. Finding a good charter will make or break your trip and this decision cannot be taken lightly. This goes for all kinds of deep water fishing like tarpon fishing, shark fishing, and tuna fishing. Since you don’t know anything about halibut fishing, you are going to rely on your captain for all the necessary information as well as good fishing spots. As for halibut fishing gear, your charter captain will have all of that set up as well, so don’t worry about spending a fortune getting the gear necessary to reel in these huge fish.

My second tip for you concerns bait. I read an article one time where a captain took out some people fishing for halibut and they were using the standard bait of herring and having little luck. Then, it happened. What is it, you ask? Well, it happens to be a ling cod one of the fishermen pulled up. Now, it wasn’t the cod that was the big deal, it was what the cod had in its mouth. It had an octopus in its mouth. Upon seeing this, the captain immediately thought of a conversation he had with an experienced halibut fisherman on what type of bait is best for halibut fishing. Without hesitation, the fisherman responded with octopus. He went on to explain that the octopus’ thick skin made it very hard to come off the hook, and that octopus was like candy for halibut. Eager to test out this theory, the charter captain gave a piece of octopus to one client and left the other client with the herring bait. Well, 20 minutes went by and the client with octopus had landed three 40 pound halibut and the guy with the herring had nothing. The morale of the story? Use octopus when fishing for halibut.

Tip three is location, location, location. Alaskan halibut fishing is very popular as well as various British Columbia and California locations. It is up to you to choose which one would be the best for you, but some of the best stories come from Alaska.

Now, if you want the fishing trip of a lifetime, go research some charters, start saving, and go halibut fishing!

Tarpon Fishing

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:57:18 +0000

Tarpon fishing is well known to be one of the most popular game fishing charters in the world. When the water is warm and the wind is calm, many fishermen can be seen pulling in Tarpons. Tarpon fishing is possible any time of the year as well, although the best times are considered to be from April to September. Many fishermen also find it a thrill to be catching a fish that is almost as heavy as they are; it is certainly a challenge and provides a unique rush. When it comes to large game fishing, Tarpons ranks as one of the best catches.

Tarpon are generally caught in water that is 3 to 8 feet deep, they can be caught through a variety of methods, conventional fishing is the most popular one, although some people use fly fishing for tarpon as well. Tarpon fly fishing takes a very strong fishing rod as well as a lot of experience.

When fishing for tarpon, you will need both knowledge and the right set of equipment. Tarpon fishing tackle is important; the tackle must be designed specifically for catching tarpon, as many conventional tackles will not hold against such a large fish (this can get quite expensive, so if you want to save some money, you could always buy used fishing tackle). You will need to choose the right bait as well, crab is known to work well with tarpon, and many artificial types of bait are also used as well. For the most effectiveness, try placing baits and hooks in different depths of the water, one for the bottom, one for the middle, and one for the top.

Successfully catching a tarpon can be a fair amount of work. Many fishermen inexperienced to tarpon underestimate the strength and speed of the fish. Finding the tarpon themselves can also be tricky and many factors depend on the wind and the temperature of the water. There may be some charts available to help you to locate the tarpon, but you may still need a fair deal of experience to find them.

If you do not catch anything on your first time, do not give up. Tarpon fishing can be very complex and as you gain more experience, your results will increase. You might want to research both on how to find and how to catch Tarpon, do not rely on previous fishing experience because tarpon fishing is a in a completely different category. If you have any knowledgeable fishing friends, you could consult them for tarpon fishing tips.

Fly Fishing Flies

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:43:53 +0000

With good knowledge and proper equipment, fly fishing can be loads of fun. It is best known for catching fish like salmon and trout, but can also be used to catch a large variety of other fish such as bass, carp, and pan fish. It is even possible to go tarpon fishing with fly fishing equipment. Fly fishing can be done in either fresh waters or salt waters but fly fishermen usually prefer to fish in the shallow waters of river, lakes and streams.

When fly fishing, you will need to be sure that everything has been tied and connected just right. Fly fishing has a lot more movement than conventional fishing, so parts on the fishing rod and fishing string are more susceptible to breaking (this means collapsible fishing rods like the pen fishing rod are no-nos for fly fishing). There is also the danger of parts of the string or hooks getting caught on rocks, so one must be sure that everything has been tied and connected well.

The “fly” of the fishing line is the final piece that will help to bring your fish in. You will want flies for fly fishing that are durable and can stand strong fish. Purchase from well known brands when buying flies, and be sure that the type matches the style of fish you are trying to catch. If you are looking to catch larger fish like salmon or trout, you will probably need a large fly, maybe even with multiple hooks. Hooks that are too large can be problematic though if you are only trying to catch smaller fish.

Fly fishing fly tying is not as easy as it sounds. For fly fishing flies, you should tie a clinch knot to the tip of the fishing line. Start by threading the fishing line through the eye of the fly; make sure there are between 5 to 7 inches of line available. While holding the fly in one hand, take the other hand and wrap the loose fishing line around the main fishing line about 5 times.

Next, take two fingers and hold a loop while you are continuing to wrap the line around itself. The loop that you are holding in the front should be about two inches away from fly. Now, hold the fly with one and pull the standing end of the line with the other hand to tighten the knot you have just made. After your fly fishing fly has been secured, cut off any loose ends of the string to prevent them getting caught on rocks while fly fishing.

Pen Fishing Rod – What is it?

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:35:18 +0000

If you enjoy camping and hiking, you will like the luxury of using a pen fishing rod or any type of telescopic fishing rod. The rod measures 57 inches, which is more than the standard rod at 36 inches. It has a lot more power in its performance then the standard rod does as well. The rod is perfect for fishing in all kinds of water such as streams, lakes and ponds. You can also choose to use the 4.7 foot tapered rod. The company produces a quality product that also comes with a powerful reel to use.

The reels also vary in design and line capacity that they can hold. The variance in capacity ranges from 80/8 to 188/4. They are constructed with high quality bearings for ease of operation. The design of the pen fishing rods incorporates poly carbonate, which makes it able to be crafted very thinly. The best part of the pen rod for fishing is that it can easily be disassembled to fit inside a very small area. The pen rod gets its name from being compared to the size of a standard ball point pen. The compact rod can easily fit inside your fishing tackle box, your glove compartment or even your pocket.

This is the perfect rod for people that enjoy outdoor adventures. If you like to go hiking when you camp, it is easy to bring the rod along without being encumbered by a long pole. This advantage allows you to enjoy fishing at any spot you might come across during your hiking period. It can also fit conveniently inside a backpack so if you take to the open road on foot, you can still enjoy the sport of fishing wherever you go. The rod can easily support a fish weighing as much as ten pounds.

The pen fishing rod also makes a great gift for anyone that enjoys the sport of fishing. It is a rod that is skillfully crafted so the pieces fit solidly and are not simply glued together as some lesser quality rods may be. This high standard of quality means the rod will last for many years, although you may choose to change the type of reel you use with your rod. Any angler will be pleased to receive this handy pocket rod as a gift. The prices of the rod vary depending on the size and model of the rod as well as where you purchase it from.

Reel Fishing vs Fly Fishing

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:25:13 +0000

One of America’s favorite sports and pastimes is fishing. However, what one person thinks of fishing may be completely different than what the next person thinks of fishing. Some choose rod and reel fishing, others prefer fly fishing, and locations can differ as well as the fish. Fishing consists of pier or surf fishing, river or deep sea fishing, fly fishing or rod and reel fishing, sea fishing or fresh water fishing. It all depends on what is being fished for: trout in the rivers with fly fishing equipment, pike in lakes, and tarpon in the deep sea. The kinds of fishing vary immensely.

With fly fishing, the fish are caught with artificial fly fishing flies cast with a fly rod and a fly line. Spinner and bait rods, on the other hand, use heavy weights on the line and cast lures or bait. With fly fishing, the art of tying flies is huge, and both natural and synthetic materials are used to create the flies, including hair, fur, feathers, anything to match the local prey of the target fish. Casting is also considered an art in fly fishing, as it is the line being cast, not the lure and the weight of the lure that enables you to get your fly to where the fish are. The fly is too light to take the line; therefore, casts must take the fly using the line, not the lure.

With reel fishing, the different lures are used in place of bait (or flies as in fly fishing). These are weighted depending on the type of fish being sought. Both types of fishing use reels, but the styles are very different. Whereas in all kinds of reel fishing, reels are used to bring the line in, but in fly fishing, the fishing reel is attached to the back end of the rod. With a bait casting reel, the reel is mounted above the rod and needs to support the heavier lures. Sea fishing reels can be either kind, but usually fly fishing is done in fresh water so sea reels more commonly thought of as bait casting.

Clearly, fishing rods and reels are dependent on the type of fishing to be done, as are the lures, flies and bait used. All types of fishing have great following and popularity, it is up to the fisherman what type he prefers – the relaxation and closeness with nature of fly fishing, or the excitement and work of deep sea fishing. Whatever type is chosen, the right equipment, including reels, must be chosen as well.

Telescopic Fishing Rod Facts

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 20:10:36 +0000

A telescopic fishing rod is a fishing rod that has the ability to either collapse itself to a shorter distance or lengthen itself to a further distance. Telescopic fishing rods can come in all shapes and sizes, from short rods like the pen fishing rod all the way to rods that are 20 to 30 feet long. This makes these fishing rods very convenient to bring when traveling on buses, small cars, and trains.

Most telescopic rods use the same material that normal rods are made out of. Most normal rods however can only be split into one or two pieces, but a telescopic rod is one full piece that is easily collapsible. Fiberglass and graphite make excellent materials for these rods because it makes them easy to slip into each other when they close and out of each other when they open. Composites of these materials can be used as well.

Some telescopic fishing rods have been specially designed to add strength to each section of the rod so when at full length it is still just as strong as a conventional fishing rod. Just like there are many types and grades of normal fishing rods, there are also many types of telescopic rods.

A telescopic fishing rod is designed for reel fishing and should be cared and maintained similarly to normal fishing rods, although there are a few differences. When a telescopic rod is opened be sure that it isn’t whipped out like a conventional fishing rod, whipping the fishing rod out may cause the hinges to tweak making it difficult to close. When closing the rod you should twist each section slightly while collapsing it, many collapsible rods come with covers to protect tips of each section. If your rod does not have any of these tips, you may want to purchase some.

Telescopic fishing rods are very popularly used among surf fishermen and they are also popular for casual fishermen as well. Taking a 10 foot or 14 foot rod can be very cumbersome, so a fishing rod that can close is much more convenient. The more sections the rod has the more it is able to curve. Additional sections also allow the weight of the rod to be distributed better and less stress is placed upon it. The stronger fishing rod you have the farther you will be able to cast it. You will also be able to catch stronger fish and the rod is less vulnerable to breaking. If you are a little strapped for cash, you can find used telescopic fishing rods wherever used fishing tackle is sold.

Shark Fishing

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:22:25 +0000

For those of you who are bored of trout fishing, pike fishing, or any other type of common fishing and may be interested in fishing for sharks, bear in mind that sharks reproduce at a very slow rate. They mature very late (it takes anywhere from 6 to 18 years for sharks to mature sexually) and are able to have very few offspring. That being said, shark fishing is legal in most places and is very attractive for people looking for the thrill of catching the most feared creature in the ocean. So, for you people, here are some shark fishing tips.

If you are boat fishing, you will need to own or find a 35 to 40 foot boat with enough space to stow your specially made shark fishing gear and bulky shark carcasses. A better idea, however, is to hire a charter. This goes with all kinds of big game fishing such as halibut or tuna fishing. Since you are unfamiliar with the sport, you need an experienced captain and charter boat to show you the ropes. Once you know what you are doing, you can venture out and do some solo fishing. Until then, however, it is advised that you always hire an experienced charter.

As far as bait goes, popular types include tuna, eels, and stingrays. Pretty much anything that can bleed is good shark fishing bait. However, it is illegal to use protected fish or game fish as bait. Use different bait on each rig you set up. Of course, you will need a heavy, and very strong leader about 10 to 15 feet in length.

Another thing that is important is your float. You are going to want to float the baits at different depths. Common types of floats are bits of Styrofoam or balloons. Balloons tend to work better because they are easier to put on the line and generally stay better. Of course, you are also going to need to fish with specially designed lures. Unfortunately, pike lures or other common types of lures included in your typical coarse fishing tackle box won’t be strong enough. A good strategy is to fish one line about 50 yards from the boat and another about 75 yards.

Once you catch a shark, you need to be careful when handling them. They do not have a true backbone (the backbone they have is made of cartilage.) This enables them to be very flexible and they are known to curl all the way around so their teeth are at their tail. This is bad news for you if your hand is holding its tail. Because of this, it is not recommended to hold a shark by the tail. Also, do not hold a shark near its head or by its gills. If you rip a gill, the shark is likely to bleed to death. What you have to do is hold the shark by cupping your hands around the pectoral fins. Your palms should meet at the base of the dorsal fin. This works very well for smaller sharks and these are the only type of sharks you should be attempting to pick up. A larger shark’s organs are likely to be crushed under its body weight when it is lifted from the water because they do not have ribs.

It is best to handle smaller sharks out of the water because they do not fight as hard as larger sharks so they still have a lot of energy when you pull them in. It is very difficult to handle a small shark in the water. If you are beach shark fishing, you want to place sharks on wet sand because dry sand has a chance of burning the shark’s skin.

When releasing the shark, it is important to never walk to shark back and forth, only forward. Walking the shark back and forth will drown it. Be careful of the little ones because they have enough energy after being caught to turn back and bite the person who is releasing it. Big sharks expend all of their energy in the fight, so you don’t usually have to worry about them.

Just remember that shark fishing is different from regular sport fishing, so you need to be properly educated if you ever want to take that memorable shark fishing trip. However, if you like the idea of shark fishing, but either can’t or are not willing to go on a trip, why not play some shark fishing games?

Coarse Fishing Tackle

Darren — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 04:17:34 +0000

First off, what exactly is coarse fishing? The term coarse fishing is mainly used in the United Kingdom and Ireland and it refers fishing for coarse fish, which are the types of freshwater fish not classified as game fish. Salmon, char, and trout fishing are not considered coarse fishing, for example. Big game fishing like shark fishing would also not be included. I guess the closest term in North America is recreational fishing. Basically, it is fishing for fun, and not for business. Some types of coarse fish include pike, perch, carp, and chub. Coarse fishing tackle is a major part in this sport and the big fishing enthusiasts spend much of their time and money (fishing can be expensive, but you can save money when you buy used fishing tackle) finding the best equipment and materials.

The term fishing tackle is basically any equipment or tools used in fishing. Fishermen know how important their gear is if they want to have an enjoyable day (that is, if enjoying the outdoors isn’t enough). Since this is so important, fishermen think they need different tackle for each type of fishing they do. This is not necessarily the case, but there are some types of fishing where different tackle can net you an advantage (get it? Net you? Haha….nevermind). Some of these are hooks, lures, and bait. Rods, reels, and line can be included in this category as well because you will need to get a stronger rod and line when going pike fishing, for example. There are specially designed pike lures for that type of fishing as well and almost every other type of fish has its own type of lures.

In coarse fishing, the most common and basic tackle you will be using is the rod and reel. There are some very good rods out there and if you are looking for a nice one, look into tubular carbon fiber rods. These are able to withstand the harshest weather that a fisherman would experience. A good size for coarse fishing would be about 13 feet or 4 meters. Next comes the reel, which is attached to the base of the rod and holds the line. The best reels tend to differ with each type of fish you are going for, but generally you can use the same reel for everything.

Something else that is catching on in the coarse fishing world is pole fishing. Basically what this is, is just a piece of line attached to the pole. There is no reel to retrieve the line so you have to do it the old fashioned way and pull the fish in with your hands. Yep, they’re kickin’ it ancient style. Since you cannot cast the line, these poles are generally much longer than the conventional fishing rods. A good pole would be about 16 meters long. That is huge. Think one and a half full size school buses.

Whatever you have planned with this relaxing and enjoyable sport, it is important that you understand its vital components. Coarse fishing tackle and fishing tackle in general is a very good thing to become familiar with if you want to succeed. Of course, if you are unable to make it outside to practice choosing the right tackle, there are many fishing games available that allow you to experiment with different types of tackle.