How to pitch cast with a spinning rod

I love fishing with spinning rods, they are easier to use than any other type of reel and great for beginners. Lets face it not everyone enjoys fishing with a baitcaster and even though a spinning reel is not quite as accurate with some simple tips you can make it work for you.

Many anglers believe that accurate pitching (or pitch casting) can only be achieved with a good quality baitcaster. However, this is not the case and there are a couple of very successful anglers with killer pitching techniques for spinning reels. Pitch casting is very useful for fishing in close quarters especially when there is cover overhead or to the side of where you are casting from or casting to (such as casting under a dock or a tree). It is also a useful method of casting in the shallows when you do not wish to spook the fish.

How to pitch cast
The technique for pitch casting with a spinning rod is not difficult, but does require a bit of practice. Set up a target in the backyard or local park about 20 feet away and practice casting to it.
The following video shows a very popular, and effective, pitch casting technique.

The Dropper Loop - Fishing Knots and Rigs

The dropper loop is probably my most used fishing knot (I suppose it is more that a loop than a knot). Before I head out on the water I have usually tied at least ten of these loops. The dropper loop is used above a sinker to attach a hook and this type of rig is perfect for bottom fishing. Where I come from this is called the paternoster rig and is widely accepted as one of the best reef fishing rigs available.

The dropper loop knot is fairly easy to tie after a bit of practice. I personally prefer to tie a twisted dropper loop as I find that the loops don't tangle with the main line as easily as the hooks sit away from the leader. This loop works well in both monofilament and fluorocarbon leader materials.

How to tie a dropper loop
The first video shows a regular dropper loop and the second demonstrates a twisted dropper loop. I would advice to test both loops out and see which works best for you.

Fishing Blog Update

Hi everyone

I must apologize for the lack of updates this week as I have been helping the old man paint his house. Regular updates are scheduled for next week so stay tuned.

I took a day off painting for a fish today and had a great day fishing with my wife.

Thanks for your patience

Tom

Blood Knot - Fishing Knots

The blood knot is probably the most famous fishing knot and is also called the clinch knot in various parts of the world. It is probably one of the first knots most anglers learn and some people may even remember their grandpa teaching it to them like I do.

The blood knot is popular as it is easy to tie, can be used in many different types of line and is sufficiently strong for most fishing situations. It can also be tied in the dark making it quite popular amongst night anglers.

This knot also comes in a couple of improved forms, which I have posted instructions to before, including the:

• locked blood knot
• improved clinch knot

Despite the fact that many people eventually graduate to more advanced knots the blood knot is an important knot to have in your knot tying arsenal.

How to tie a blood knot

This is a great little animated video showing the process of correctly tying a blood knot. Remember to lubricate the line before tightening.

King Salmon fishing video

The king salmon is a pacific ocean salmon that comes under many other names including chinook salmon, black salmon, tyee salmon, just to name a few. They have a large growth potential and can reach the up to 1.5 meters (58 inches) and 130 pounds (59kg), but most anglers encounter fish up to 50 pounds. King salmon have the strange distinction of dying after breeding, which was highlighted in an episode of Dirty Jobs with Mike Rowe.

King salmon are a popular angling target as they fight well and large fish are often encountered. They are also regarded as a top eating fish and the flesh is high in omega 3 which is an essential fatty acid linked with many health benefits. You should always check your local regulations as some Chinook salmon populations are listed as endangered.

One of the best places to catch big King Salmon is Alaska, which has quite a large population of these great fish. Many anglers dream of an Alaska Salmon Fishing adventure.

Enjoy this video of a big King Salmon caught in Alaska

Fish recipe - Salmon Cakes (fish patties)

Salmon cakes (or patties as I call them) is one of my favorite go to recipes when I can't decide what I want for dinner. Salmon is tasty, very good for you and is readily available in most parts of the world. You can also replace the salmon in the dish with other similar fish which maked this a very versatile dish.

The recipe I use for salmon cakes is a Creole recipe that is full of flavor and I found a great video showing the process. The chef in the video also makes his own mayonnaise, which isn't too hard and tastes fantastic. I know what I am having for dinner tonight!

For this recipe you will need:

• 3 cups of Salmon
• 1/4 Veg Stock
• 1/2 Onion
• Red Bell Pepper
• Green Bell Pepper
• Orange Bell Pepper
• Celery
• Lemon
• Sesame Seeds
• Breadcrumbs
• Red Pepper Flakes
• Cayenne Pepper
• Chilli Pepper
• Salt
• Pepper
• Extra Virgin Olive Oil

How to catch marlin

Marlin are arguably the most iconic fish in sportfishing circles. Men have been known to shed a tear after an encounter with one and each fish caught is etched in an anglers memory forever.

There are four species of marlin that make up recreational catches; the blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and white marlin. All of the marlin species fight extremely hard and the two bigger species (blue and black marlin) can grow well over 1000 lbs!

Marlin Fishing Techniques

Marlin are an aggressive fish that respond well to teasers and plastic skirted lures trolled across the surface of the water. Most anglers consider the action of the lures on the surface far more important than color. Trolling speed is about 7-10 knots and allows the marlin boats to cover a large area.

Marlin anglers also troll natural baits such as striped tuna, bonito and Spanish mackerel. Sometimes natural baits are used in conjunction with a skirted lure to enhance the trolling action.

Marlin are also caught on live baits; either slow trolled, at drift or at anchor. Live baiting usually takes place once the marlin are located with teasers or at an area that marlin are known to frequent such as a FAD.

Marlin Tackle

Marlin are big fish and require quality rods and reels and a lever drag reel is almost essential. Most marlin anglers use a minimum of 24 kg line and 200 lbs monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Remember that marlin will make light work of any flaw in your tackle, line or knots.

Figure Eight Knot - Fishing Knots (with video)

The figure eight knot is one of the easiest fishing knots to tie and can be used for terminal tackle or as a very good stopper knot. It is generally used at night and in low light conditions because it is very easy to tie. It is sufficiently strong for some situations, but is certainly one of the weaker connection knots used today. A popular way to strengthen the knot is to double the line to tie this knot. However, this knot is still not recommended for tackling big fish.

This is also a popular rock climbing/boating knot that provides a strong connection and can be tied in a matter of seconds.

How to tie a figure eight knot

Friday Fishing Report #2

This post took quite a while to come together as I have unfortunately had one of those weekends. A stomach bug and a blocked drainage system have kept me very busy.

I managed to get out for a fish on Friday as planned and took a couple of visitors out fishing with my old man who also had the day off. We hit the water fairly early and lost a couple of big fish (with big teeth) within about 10 minutes of anchoring on one of our favorite wrecks. With only a slow stream of little fish coming over the side and the wind picking up we moved to a sheltered reef where I managed to land a couple of nice fish. The wind was really picking up by then and the visitors had to be on the road so we called it a day. Unfortunately our boat ramp is quite exposed and we had a really difficult time retrieving the boat and my poor weekend started there.

Got a good fishing story? Please leave a comment.

200th Post

I really cannot believe that this is already my 200th post. Since I have started posting daily (well almost daily) the time has really flown. The most popular posts since this blog went live are:

• Baitcaster reel casting instruction
  
• The picture and story behind the great white shark and the kayak
• The biggest catfish ever caught
  
• 100th post (About those famous sharks pictures)
• Cast net instruction

I celebrated this milestone with a bit of fishing early this morning with my wife and Dad. We had a fun little session off the local rock wall and as luck would have it I caught two of the biggest fish I have ever encountered off the rocks.

Tomorrow Dad and I are playing tour guide to some visitors and will spend the morning fishing the harbor from the boat so I am really getting my fishing fix this week.

Before I finish this post I want to say thanks to all my readers for continuing to visit and keeping me motivated to continue with this blog. 300 here I come!

How to fillet a fish (with video)

I have been trying to find a really useful and good quality fish filleting video to show my readers for ages now and I had almost given up. This video is not fantastic quality, but is probably the most complete and easy method to fillet a fish that I could find on the Internet.

Like the guy in the video suggests, if you are only going to be cooking the fillets (without skin) there is no reason to go through the less desirable processes of scaling, gutting or removing the gills. This makes this method much less icky for people who are new to filleting or are simply a little squeamish.

All you will need to this method is some newspaper to keep the bench clean, a clean plate and a sharp (it must be sharp) filleting knife. If your filleting knife is a blunt and don't know how to sharpen it your local butcher will do it for you (if you ask nicely).

How to fillet a fish

This method can be used for most types of fish.

Fishing and Finding the Walleye: From the Lake to the Frying Pan

Walleye are some of the most sought after (and tasty) fish in North America. But these fish aren’t the easiest prey in the lake to catch. These elusive guys like to lurk in the dark recesses of murky water so it takes a little knowledge and ingenuity to land these tasty game fish. Here are a few tips to increase your chances of bagging dinner on your next walleye expedition:

1. Know Your Walleye Facts – It’s trite but true; knowledge is power! Because a walleye’s sight is so well adjusted to turbid water, they can only see in shades of red and green. That little tidbit should tell you that any lure you pick should be one of those two colors.

2. Talk To The Local Pros – When you go to your local fishing store, ask what lures work best for walleye in your area. There’s no use buying plastic worms if your local quarry only hit spoons and jigs. They’ll also be able to help you with the best fishing knots to use to tie your lures.

3. Get A Fish Finder – When you’re stalking walleye, you’re stalking something that you can’t see. These fish will be in water with near zero visibility so you need to have a way to locate them with the best fish finders on the market.

If you’re thinking about fishing from the bank, think again. You need to go where the fish are. Don’t worry. You don’t have to mortgage your house to get a new boat. Try looking at some fishing inflatables. These inflatable boats are inexpensive and have enough room for your fish finder and all your other equipment for fishing.

4. Find A Good Fish Recipe – You plan on eating what you catch right? Make sure you find a good recipe to bring the flavor out of your catch. After all, what’s the point of catching the tastiest fish in North America if you’re just going to drop in a vat of oil?

Fishing can be a blast…when you catch what you’re after. Spend a little time to get to know your prey. Find out where it lives, what it likes to eat and what equipment will increase your chances of making the catch. Once you have your limit of walleye on a stringer you can go home, fire up your favorite walleye recipe and enjoy the spoils of your toils.

About the author:

Born and raised on the south coast of British Columbia, Steve Lyons continues to feel inspired to publish creative and fun articles which seem to match his personality. With offices in Vancouver and Steveston, Lyons Den Publishing has created this article for you to enjoy.

This is a guest post.

San Diego Jam Knot - (Reverse Clinch Knot)

The San Diego Jam Knot (also called the reverse clinch knot or Heiliger knot) is one of the lesser known fishing knots, but is still a handy knot to have written down or in your memory. As suggested by the name the knot was made popular in San Diego and was, and still is, often used for tuna.

This knot has become quite popular again recently as more and more anglers use braided fishing line. This knot is known to retain up to 95% of the actual breaking strain in braided lines when tied correctly. The other advantages of this knot is that it is quick to tie and can be tied with a variety of different line strengths and materials.

This amazing strength of this knot can be increased by tying with a double to form the commonly called the double San Diego Jam Knot.

How to tie the San Diego Jam Knot



How to tie the Double San Diego Jam Knot

Fishing Video - Mahi Mahi (dolpfin fish)

Mahi Mahi or dolphin fish are one of the most popular sportfish in the world and on light tackle provide one of the most spectacular fights of any fish. Unfortunately most people encounter these fish on heavy marlin tackle which diminishes their fighting qualities quite a bit. They are a pretty fish that are also spectacular eating. Mahi Mahi often school around FAD (Fish attracting devices) and are often found under floating objects like logs. They are usually taken on marlin type lures, but will take a wide variety of lures and bait.

This is one of the best fishing videos I have found on youtube and there is over 20 minutes of fishing action. Enjoy!

Saltwater fish recipes (wahoo, mahi mahi etc.)

I love cooking (and eating) fish for two reasons. I can catch my own so I know how fresh it is and cooking fish can be as quick and simple as you want to make it. Many fish recipes literally take 5 minutes or less to cook and preparation can also be made simple.

I found a really great video showing two of the most simple, yet tasty, saltwater fish recipes I have ever seen. These recipes can be used to impress your friends and with fresh fish they taste absolutely amazing!

For the following recipes you will need:

• Fillets of saltwater fish (this recipe works best with any fish with white flesh.)
• Almonds
• Flour
• Eggs
• Butter
• Garlic
• Lime Juice
• Olive Oil
• Basil
• Salt
• Black Pepper

Enjoy!

Lefty's Loop Knot (Kreh Loop Knot)

For those of you that don't know Lefty Kreh is one of, if not the, most influential people in fly fishing and fishing in general. It is said that if fishing were a religion he would be the pope! He is also one of the nicest blokes you will ever come across and is always willing to share advice on casting and other facets of fly fishing even though he is well into the 80's. He has invented casting styles, flies, been involved in the design and development of various rods, reels, line and even invented a few knots just to name a few things.

The lefty loop knot is one of the most popular fly fishing knots when connecting a fly. The loop gives the fly the ability to move more naturally. The knot can also be used when trying lures onto regular tackle and it is one of my favorite knots!

For detailed instructions on this great knot visit the instructions page

How to catch sharks (shark fishing)

As I have previously posted, shark fishing is not really my thing. Where I live sharks are considered something of a pain when reef fishing, but I understand that sharks are a very popular targets in other parts of the country and indeed the world.

Catching sharks
The key to catching sharks can be found in one word chum (also called berley or ground bait) and lots of it. Sharks have relatively poor eyesight, but one of the best senses of smell of any animal. A large majority of a sharks brain is dedicated to smell and research suggests sharks can find food by smell alone from kilometers away. Some popular forms of chum for shark fishing is tuna chunks, small baitfish, tuna oil, chicken. Some people blend/mince all their fish frames up into old milk cartons and freeze the mixture to use. Best results are usually found when an angler creates a chum slick, which usually includes mixtures of fish oil and fish bits added to the slick in a consistent manner. Chum can directly be thrown into the water or added with the aid of a chum dispenser.

What you need
Sharks will make short work of low quality tackle and shark fishing requires top quality tackle. Most anglers use 50-80 pound mainline with a 200-300 pound leader usually made of wire to prevent bite-offs. A wind on leader is a very good idea! Hook size is usually between 10/0 - 12/0 and strong hooks are a necessity. When targeting smaller sharks you can get away with hooks down to about 3/0 in size. A fighting belt and harness is also a great idea when shark fishing.

Bait for sharks
Without wanting to make this sound too simple - Sharks eat fish. Any fresh fish flesh will do and tuna is one of the most popular.

Remember shark fishing can be dangerous. Always prepare well before tackling the biggest shark species. Always check local regulations when targeting sharks.