Fishing Tips - Shallow trolling for trout

I came across this great article today and just had to share it with you. Even though I am not a big fresh water fisher I still love a bit of freshwater action (and no swell is always a bonus). I recommend reading the full article!

A lot has been written about trolling lures for trout. But little is penned about the under utilized shallows of a lake. Fly fishermen know about it - so why do so few lure trollers take advantage of the shallows?

The shallow margin of a lake is often where all the food is located.
This is because the light penetrates the water easier in the shallower water, which is essential for aquatic weed growth. This thriving weed provides food and shelter for insects and small forage fish. So it makes sense for larger fish, such as trout, to hang about these areas during times of hunger or opportunity...

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Fishing tip: Short Range Fly Casting for trout

(This is a great article I found that I wanted to share with all my readers - a visit to the full article is recommended.)

When it comes to fly fishing for trout most people seem very happy when they are casting around the 12-15m mark. What happens when the fish are closer?

Short range fly casting is an essential part of a fly fisher's repertoire however; it seems this is an area most people get into trouble. Why?

First let's look at the rod loading. To load your fly rod for any given amount of line requires a varied rod arc according to the amount of fly line off the tip of the rod. Simply put, "the shorter the amount of line the shorter the rod arc".
If you "do less work you will achieve more"

The old adage of ten and two will apply for a given amount of fly line but definitely not all scenarios. This variation is also dictated by the design of your rod and the particular fly line you are using.

A cast of 10 metres (approx. 30ft) when using a 2.7m (9ft) rod and a standard length leader of 2.7m (9ft) then only requires 4.6m of fly line, roughly one & a half rod lengths. In this case try a much shorter back cast stroke and then push the rod tip out to above your target. Remember not to direct the rod to the water or your fly line will crash, aim above the water!.....

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Fishing Video of the week - Shark (great whites)

Now firstly I must say that shark fishing isn't my thing. That is not to say I haven't caught my fair share of sharks over the years, but where I am from sharks are a pain not an angling target. I remember my old man pulling up a 3-400 pound (estimate) shark in our 14 foot boat and to say we were a little bit scared when the thing surfaced is probably an understatement.

Having said all that sharks fight well and some of the smaller specimens can taste fairly good too with the added bonus of no bones!

This video focuses on the great white sharks, which are totally protected in Australia and are a very dangerous fish. Remember to only target sharks if you have some experience (and a decent boat). Enjoy the video

Fishing Video of the Week - Tailor (bluefish)

Well tailor is what we call them in the country, but this fish can be found all around the world. They go by many names including: bluefish, blue, tailor, elf, chopper, snapper blue, snapper, Hatteras blue.

They fight hard and it is often spectacular with fish jumping many times during a fight. They have a nasty set of teeth that can bite through fishing lines and sometimes wire leader is used. They are a pelagic fish that form big schools and feed on small bait fish like sardines. They are often caught in white water and in the surf where they hunt their prey. They can grow very big and the specimens caught in this video are considered small. They are an average eating fish and should always be eaten fresh. Never freeze a tailor.

How not to net a fish - video

In my last post I gave some pointers for landing a fish with a net (you can read all about it here). While I was searching for some good information I found a great video of what not to do when trying to net a fish. Hopefully this helps other people learn a little bit more about netting. I hope the poster of this video doesn't mind me showing all my readers this video.

I laughed at this video just a little, but I did feel sorry for the guy especially when he loses someone else's fish - possibly the worst feeling in fishing. It happens to all of us though!

Anyone with any experiences with losing big fish I would love to hear about it - feel free to leave a comment

Landing a fish - netting

Netting a fish can be a daunting task for a new fisher. I must give a shout out to my old man here who I still blame for losing me a nice Spanish mackerel because of his poor landing
technique - hey Dad!



Netting the fish

It is at the point of netting - that most mistakes occur. When the fish is played out, the net should be placed in the water, ready for use. At this point the fish will probably be wallowing or lying on the surface. Hold the net about 12in (30cm) below the surface and lead the fish towards the net. Never try to chase the fish with the net - it only scares them into making another run to freedom. Do not lift until the fish is completely in the net.

Sometimes, as the fish is lead to the net, it will suddenly find new strength and either swim off or change direction. Let it do so as trying to bully the fish with pressure that close to the boat will lead to many tears (trust me!)

Important points must be remembered:
Never move the net towards the fish but keep it still and lead the fish over it. (I know I've said it twice, but it is really important!) See below at what not to do.

(This post has been adapted from http://members.chello.nl/tmarapengopie/)

Techniques for catching smallmouth bass (video - including underwater shots)

This is a video well worth watching even if you don't catch bass (or live 1000's of Km's from the nearest bass). The video shows a technique that is deadly on many fish species - salt and freshwater.

Erratic movement of lures has often been used to create a frenzy and get a fish to bite and this video displays the technique perfectly. I have personally used the technique on many saltwater species in Australia and have found that predatory fish will almost always respond better to this technique when in feeding mode, but it still works when the fish are shut down. When fish are shut down I think sometimes they are just biting the little fish as a warning to get out of the area. Used correctly the erratic technique can "annoy" a fish into biting!

It is worth noting that erratic movement, like a big blooping popper, can tease the fish ready for someone with a fly rod or soft plastic to actually catch it - good luck finding a friend to tease the fish for you while you catch them though :-)

Enjoy this great little movie!

Fishing Tips - How to cast a baitcaster reel

When I got my first baitcast combo it ended with yelling, tears and me making plans to pull off the baitcasting reel and replace it with a spinning reel. I would get tangles and birdsnests over and over - it was just too damn hard! Over the years though I have learned to cast these little reels and now I wouldn't be without one on my boat when short accurate casts are needed.

UPDATE:
Noticing the amount of traffic entering this website looking for baitcaster casting instruction and tips I have posted a video that has some great baitcaster casting tips and instructions you can view it at the brand new post How to cast a baitcaster reel (part 2)

If you are like I was when I got my first baitcaster then you might need some help and luckily for you there are some great websites that helped me learn that I am going to share with you.

How to cast a baitcaster:

FishSA.com - Basics in Bait Casting

Anglersnet.co.uk - Baitcasters for beginners

Ask an expert - Fishing: Baitcaster

fishing-tackle-repair.com - Basic Baitcaster Reel Setup 101

Good luck with your endeavors and remember never give up (even if you hit your little sister with a cast and make her cry*)

*the author denies that this happened to him

How to launch a boat (without making anyone mad)

Ramp rage, as we call in in oz, is well an truly arrive at some of the popular boat ramps around the country. I have heard of stories from entirely different ends of the spectrum.

Firstly the good where people help out new boaties by showing them what to do and helping them launch.

And then the bad where people have thrown sinkers, punches and been thrown into jail over a slow launch or cutting into the waiting line.

The best thing we can all do is be patient with the new people on the ramps and give them a hand making sure they know what to do. We were all new at the boating game once. That extra 5 minutes is probably not going to mean you miss the fish of a lifetime.

This little video gives a couple of tips that are worth watching intertwined with a story about a slow boatie. Enjoy.

A picture tells a thousands words

While searching one of my favourite fishing sites this morning I came across this - Sometimes you don't need words to explain something.



The guy who took the picture tells it like this...
A picture tells a thousand words. That’s what they say but when I look at the picture of the $30,000 100 Series Landcruiser, belly deep in mud, surrounded by salt water and mullet all I can do is cringe.... Read Full Article

To see the video follow the link
4WD in the Mud Video