The Content Blender

Fishing can be a relaxing way to spend your weekends. It has been proven that fishing is one of the all-time treasured experiences of thousands of American families. However, any sport has its dangerous side and fishing is no exemption.

Majority of fishing equipment have sharp tools such as metal hooks which may lead to accidents when the fishing environment unexpectedly changes for the worse. Storms, hurricanes, wild currents, and other mishaps, could spoil your fishing trip.

If you are planning to go on a fishing expedition with family or friends, here is a list of urgent situations and what preparations you need to face each scenario.

1) Weather - Before packing up your bags and traveling to you fishing spot, consult or be aware of the weather conditions for the day and the following days. Whether you are fishing on shores or in a boat, you should be cautious of the conditions such as flash floods, storm movements and darkening of the skies. When signals such as extreme lightning strikes, you should head to dry land immediately.

Having a sun-drenched day is not really an “appropriate fishing day.” You should be aware that spending many hours with exposure to the sun could damage your skin. Be prepared by bringing sun block to avoid sunburns. You should be aware of heat sickness symptoms such as nausea, breathing difficulty, lightheadedness, and unable to concentrate on tasks. Prepare a supply of water or liquid beverages to keep hydrated.

2) Sharp fishing equipments - Since fishing includes many sharp tools, you should always be prepared to treat injuries by packing disinfectants such as medicated lotion or spray and hydrogen peroxide. If an incident leads the skin to bleed, you would need bandages, cotton or paper towel. Bring your own first aid kit.

3) Tangles - One of the most common fishing hindrances is wherein your line is caught in anything surrounding your fishing spot such as trees, logs, etc. Try to get your line or fishing rod out of the tangle immediately to avoid the problem that could lead into a major accident. You could either snap off the branches of the tree or carefully and slowly remove your line away from where it is tangled.

4) Bait - When you run out of bait, it could spoil your while fishing trip. Avoid this by splitting up the rest of the bait into halves, quarters or thirds. The worm, even if divided, could still move, so the divided worms could still lure your target fish.

Be prepared to face any scenario to keep your fishing adventure as relaxed as possible. With all these in mind, you could enjoy your fishing trip safely and successfully.

Travis Clemens is a life time fisherman and he knows the ins and outs of gettinem on the hook! You too can gettem on the hook with Travis as your guide! www.best-fishing-tips.com

One of the most fulfilling activities for many people is spring crappie fishing. This is the time of year that my son has a huge interest in going fishing with Dad. Cabin fever has been prevalent for several months and as the ice lifts off the local waters and temperatures start to rise, the ever-so-active crappie nears spawning time. As spring draws near crappie move toward their spawning areas. If you are a fisherman who enjoys crappie fishing and has chased them before, you know that springtime offers up the hottest crappie fishing of the year.

Most anglers enjoy spring crappie because they tend to migrate to shallower water and this alone cuts down on your search time. Instead of holding on hidden cover, crappie will tend to move to shallow treetops and stump fields, riprap banks and docks, many of which are visible, often in the backs of creeks or coves and usually fairly close to a lake’s banks. Besides the fact that they are shallow, spring crappie tend to stack up, so where you hook into one big fish, the chances are extremely good that you are going to catch a bunch of them. Overall, finding crappie and catching a big bag of slabs are at their best this time of year.

One thing you need to remember. You must present what the crappie wants to eat. Don’t be fooled into thinking that catching springtime crappie is like pulling fish from a bucket. The shallower flats and shoreline areas of most lakes still constitute a lot of water. Even if you find the right bank to work, it is necessary to observe the surrounding environment and make the most educated pattern presentation possible. Crappie are still a bit lethargic this time of year, so your bait must be presented at the proper depth and as close to the fish as possible, since they are not in the mood to go chasing anything around as of yet.

The spring migration to the spawning areas is gradual and the crappie will tend to migrate gradually into the shallows and back out over the course of a few months. The exact timing of their moves varies from lake to lake and even from year to year within the same lake, depending on winter and spring weather conditions. In other words, if we have an early spring with nice warm days in March, you can expect to catch crappie in the conditions described above. Crappie will begin moving from their deep main lake winter holding areas sometime very early in the spring. They use structures like channel ledges, humps and long points as staging areas, keying on any brush or stumps. Bass tend to have the same behavior during the pre-spawn period when they are starting to line up around cover that is usually adjacent to their spawning areas. They gradually move shallower and shallower and typically work toward the backs of creeks, coves and narrow lake arms.Throughout this migration pattern, both to and from their spawning grounds, crappie will move extra shallow with a string of sunny days and move deeper with each late season cold front. Regardless of water depth they almost always find rocks, brush or some kind of cover to hold around. That cover provides protection, and it attracts the minnows which a crappie likes to eat. Usually you need to have a few nice warm days strung together for the shallow water action to fully take place, but the air temperature does not have to actually warm up as much as you might think. As long as the sun shines brightly it will warm shallow areas, especially those that are surrounded by riprap or natural rocks. Water that is slightly stained and filled with wood and rocks to soak up the suns rays will heat up much quicker. When those first warm days occur, the crappie will still be holding on fairly deep structure and they will not move far just to feed. At this point, if the water temperature continues to increase, they will start chasing down their food within a few more weeks.

Typically, shallow hotspots that lie quite close to deep water will draw fish. Bridges or structures that run across major channels and the shallow ends of long points provide easy travel routes for the crappie from the depths to good shallow cover. Because areas that offer the necessary range of depth, along with good cover, and the required quality for the water to warm slightly are obviously limited in numbers, those spots can be golden in early spring. At this time crappie tend to feed more on minnows than on jigs and they won’t chase anything. Most of the best spots during this part of the season are limited in number and size, so the majority of the searching will be through different depths. A basic cork rig, with a float, split shot, No. 4 or 6 hook and live minnow, is tough to beat. Just flip the bait out and let it settle, and then experiment with different depths until you start getting bites. If you purchase a second rod stamp, you might want to try two poles at the same time at various depths. This method will tend to cut your search time down a bit.

As spring progresses and temperatures continue to warm, crappie will move to the tops of ledges and begin pushing into the creeks. They move shallow to feed more frequently, and the shallow areas they use on the warm spring days become much more widespread. Finding at least a few fish becomes somewhat less of a challenge, but they often aren’t quite as concentrated as those first wonderful days of spring. The best cover is still fairly close to deep water. Flats that are dissected by major channels and banks near the mouths of creeks will always hold a lot of crappie, especially on warm days when the fish have just begun their migration toward the spawning grounds. Warmer weather and sunrise are still the keys to finding crappie in the shallows, but such days are quickly becoming the norm instead of the exception.Floats or bobbers still come into play for finding crappie at this time of the year, but some of the best angling approaches are a little more active. The fish can be spread out, calling for searching type tactics. By now the water will have warmed enough so that the fish will chase a minnow or jig, as long as it is not moving too quickly. When I speak of a jig, I am talking about small 1 to 2″ plastic tube or small plastic curly tail on a jighead that is weighted. A float offers two major advantages at this time of year, whether you are fishing with jigs or minnows. It allows you to control and track depths, making it easy to identify the productive zone and keep baits in it, and allows you to move the lure or bait slowly, even stopping it along the way, which can be essential for getting crappie to strike early in the year. When the crappie are spread across shallow flats and could be holding on any of hundreds of stumps or brushpiles, provided you have a water vessel of some type, trolling comes into play.

For shallow flats, corks remain part of the equation, and setting different lines at different depths will again help identify patterns much more quickly. Keep a marker buoy handy any time you troll and toss it out any time you get more than one strike in a small area. If you find a real hotspot don’t anchor right over it especially if the water is shallow. Try to anchor a good cast away from the area so the fish won’t feel invaded or spooked.

As spring warms even more, crappie will move farther up the creeks. Now is when they will spend most of their time close to the banks or on cover along shallow flats. This would be a great time to try a lure like the Bill Lewis Rat-L-Trap in the 1/4oz and 1/8oz sizes. Because all fish don’t move at the same time, crappie will be widespread by mid-spring. The creeks will hold the most fish, by far, with concentrations well up them, but some crappie will show up around any shoreline tree, dock or riprap.

Eventually the crappie will spawn and then they will start to move back toward deeper water. The journey out is gradual and some of the early season’s patterns and hotspots will turn on once again as spring gives way to summer. Fish are much more aggressive throughout late spring as their body temperatures have risen. They are much more willing to take a bait as it is moving, and they will typically grab a jig as readily as a minnow or small baitfish imitation.

Throughout the crappie run a few things will help you catch more fish. First, the best spring spots are much more distinguishable on a map than on the water. If you can find a good topographical map, spend time studying it before your first trip and identify some potentially good areas to hit as spring progresses. Next, pay attention to the water color, as crappie will hold much shallower when the water is stained than when the water is clear. Also as I have mentioned in previous articles, stained water warms faster than clear water.

Finally, crappies of the same size tend to hang out together. If the fish that keep taking your baits are smaller than the legal limit size, move on. If you catch a nice large crappie, pay close attention to the conditions and work this pattern over and over again. This should produce great results. Springtime, with its constantly changing temperatures, brings the best opportunity for most fishermen to catch a limit of slab crappie. Using these patterns will hopefully help you catch your limit. One important item to remember is that a crappie’s mouth is paper thin and a hard hookset could severely damage the fish, and disturb their eating habits, if you are practicing catch and release. Have fun guys and gals and I truly hope you catch a bunch of crappies this season!

Wayne Byrd is a warmwater specialist and bass tournament professional who lives in Colorado. He is an active contributor to Fishin’ Secrets.

http://www.fishinsecrets.com

One of the best tried and proven ways to fill a boat full of keeper trout and redfish is using a live shrimp under a popping cork. I prefer to use a treble hook, leaving about 18-24 inches of line between the hook and the popping cork, depending on the depth of water the fish are in. If I am fishing a shallow reef, then I shorten the length of line between the cork and the hook to prevent hang-ups, but if I am working birds, I want the shrimp to work a little deeper so I lengthen the line.

Working reefs with live shrimp under a popping cork is the way to go as opposed to using artificial lures. You can catch both redfish and trout with the same set up instead of having to change lure types and colors to match what the fish are eating.

Make sure you entice the fish by popping the cork. The rattle mimics the sound a trout makes when it sucks in bait at the surface of water. By popping the cork, you are also moving the shrimp around, increasing the chances that it is noticed and eaten by your potential dinner.

When the fish are feeding, you will never go wrong using live shrimp under a popping cork. Last summer I fished a few reefs in the Port Lavaca area with a good friend of mine. After the shrimp hit the water and three quick pops of the cork, a fish was on. We limited out on trout in 30 minutes and had a couple of nice reds in the boat. His wife thought we had motor trouble because we were back at the house so soon.

Good luck fishing.

Aaron Ralston is the owner of Gulf Coast Guide Reports located at: http://www.gulfcoastguidereports.com Gulf Coast Guide Reports provides saltwater fishing reports by the best guides along the gulf coast from Port Isabel, Texas all the way to the Florida Keys, fishing articles, tips, tournament information, and just about anything else you want to know about fishing. Get the latest news today.

I cut my teeth on a spincast reel. The spincast reel is closed face, resulting in trouble free casting. They are so trouble free, in fact, that I’ve often wondered why anyone would use anything else.

Then I got my first baitcasting reel.

I did not do this not knowing the consequences. I knew they were difficult to master, but I had a hunch they were worth learning. After all, how many pros do you see using closed face reels?

The great thing about a baitcasting reel is the ability to cast a country mile. Additionally, when you get that heavy weight fish on the line, this reel gives you plenty of confidence to ‘play’ the fish. No need to muscle it in, just set the drag so that the fish can pull some line out when it runs, and you will have the time of your life…

I knew that the quality of the rod was an important factor in ‘feeling’ the fish and the terrain, but I never imagined that a reel could be just as sensitive and just as important in feeling what’s going on in the invisible underworld of the prey.

Even more so, when you get the fish on, you can feel its every play. I guess one reason why I notice this, and why I like the baitcasting reel so much, is because I like to cup my hand over the reel and even dangle my finger on the outgoing line a bit to feel what’s going on.

There is more than one type of baitcasting reel; round and flat. The one I am going to discuss is flat. I’m sure you can apply any of these tips to the round one. I’m not prejudice against round, but like I said, I like to cup the reel so that I can feel every detail.

The problem with baitcasting reels is backlash, or, bird’s nest. This is a nightmare when you are first learning to use a baitcasting reel. I repeat, it’s a nightmare. It can easily resemble Phyllis Diller’s hair-do.

This is because of what makes the reel so great; virtually nothing stopping the line from coming off of the reel. The down side is, when it comes off, it comes off like nobody’s business.

The secret, or rather one of the many secrets, is thumb control. You control the output of the line with your thumb. Don’t worry, if you are determined to use this fine piece of equipment, you will eventually get a feel for it. That is, providing you don’t throw it in the garbage first.

In fact, if you are used to using another reel, don’t go fishing without it until you have the baitcaster mastered. Take it even when you do have it mastered because even the pros backlash, and if it happens when the shad are jumping and the bass are swirling, well, again, your new baitcasting reel will probably end up in the garbage. Or the lake. Broken. Into pieces. Very small pieces. And on fire. And still in a bird’s nest. An eternal bird’s nest. Just remember, I warned you. Which brings up another thought, don’t mortgage the house to buy your first baitcasting reel.

One more thing, you may not want to use a baitcasting reel when casting into heavy wind. It will backlash for even the most experienced angler. There are brakes and other features to help alleviate this, but I would recommend a spinning reel in these conditions (or closed face).

Baitcasting reels are good for most, if not all, types of fishing. I use mine with crankbaits, spinners, plastics, top waters, or whatever. I use it for bass and I love it for catfish because it is so strong.

I say, it is the ultimate reel and worth learning how to use. For more information and tips on how to use this wonderful reel, see Baitcasting Reels - Worth Learning, Pt. 2

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By >Bobby Ivie

Bobby Ivie is an avid fishman and owner of Fishing-Hunting-Camping.com. He makes the biggest part of his living on the Internet, NetBizWorkshop.net

This article may be reprinted as long as this source box is added and the source box hyperlinks are kept intact.
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Fishing is a versatile activity; you can do it alone or with family and friends. You can compete with others or with Mother Nature. You can do it for sport or as a therapy to get away and relax from boredom and routine. That is why most of us make of fishing our primary recreational activity and that is why it is becoming so popular in America as well as in other countries.

According to some surveys, more than 60 million Americans preferred fishing above some other sports like soccer or foot-ball. Like any other sport, fishing also has rules and among the most important ones are letting go the fish you won’t eat and getting a fishing license before going to fish.

To get a fishing license you have to check for the requirements and regulations your state and/or country have. In some cases you need a “conservation license” before getting your actual fishing license. The age is not important to get a license, but usually kids up to 11 years old can get the license for free.

I think one of the most important things for making fishing a memorable experience is learning -if you have never fished before- and planning.

If you are new to fishing you can start by doing some research on the Internet. There are some good sites where you can find useful tips for beginners. Another thing you might want to do, is going to a fishing store and ask. Usually they have directories, guides or instructors, you might even find there someone who is willing to teach you.

Be mindful of your budget, you don’t need state of the art gear to learn, you can get inexpensive “second-hand” gear until you are experienced enough to choose the best tools for you.

Once you get a grip on the basics, you can keep practicing almost everywhere, the backyard can be a good place for practice if it is big enough, but be careful if you decide to do it at your work cubicle, you might fish something nasty inside the coffee cup of a co-worker or poke out someone’s eyes…specially your boss’.

The next step on making fishing a memorable thing is the planning stage. Planning is as important as having the knowledge on fishing. In my experience the first thing to consider is LOCATION.

You do not want to go to a “fish desert”. Location also involves the type of fishing techniques involved and the gear you’ll be needing like boats, tools or special fishing-wear, the kind of bait you will be taking and the most important, where you, your family and friends will have a great time. For example, Alabama promotes their lakes and open banks for fishing; in some of them you don’t even need a boat to fish.

But, why is it so important taking your family with you?

Firstly, according to “Family Life First” - an organization dedicated to promote the need of spending quality and useful time with families - in the last 20 years, children have been spending less time doing outdoor activities and parents reducing the time they spend with their families all together.

Evolutionary Psychologist also points out the importance of family or group bonds and member collaboration, as well as teaching-learning skills handed from the parents. Getting every member of the family involved on the trip planning creates a stronger bond between all “the group”, it also makes everyone happy. I still have some memories from my fishing trips with my family and family’s friends.

Besides going out fishing in a group to help to tighten “family ties”, it also has some therapeutical values like stress relief and to becoming more structured in your life if it’s done properly. This without mentioning the enjoying values and benefits of interacting with nature.

Another ability you can get from fishing is cooking. There is nothing like preparing and grilling or baking a fresh caught fish, using, creating, modifying recipes and “taking out” the inner Chef in you.

Fishing is good for you, and is fun in group. The more you do it, the more you’ll like it and learn from it. You will also discover that fishing is not only taking a rod and a bait, you can also “Bear fish” or even use a bow!!!

Happy fishing.

“Tony the Tuna” is a fishing enthusiast and a regular contributor writer for Fly-Fishing-North-America.com. If you want to learn more about fly fishing visit http://www.fly-fishing-north-america.com

The warm, tropical waters off the Pacific coasts of Mexico to South America provide a treasure trove of opportunities for the “catch of a lifetime”. Even common food fish grow to tackle-busting size and ferocity in the teeming waters that beach Panama, Colombia and Ecuador. There’s truly something to keep every angler hookin’ and haulin’ denizens of the not-so-deep. Here are some sport favorites that’ll put a smirk on your face in no time. In the article, “Tropical Pacific Ocean Game Fish You Should Know” you met some tropical Pacific Ocean species you’re likely to encounter south of the border. These species are right there along with them south of the border too. Here are more of the “Pacific Coast Posse”. The common name is listed above the scientific name.

Jurel or Jurelillo
Caranx Caninus

Commonly sizing in at 25 to 40 cm in length and weighing in at 4 to 6 pounds, Jurel can get up to 12 or more line-busting pounds. They swim in fairly large schools near the surface over areas with sandy bottoms. They are most abundant during the months of December to March and are commonly fished for using live bait fish or lead head jigs. Crab and squid will also get you action from this dark-fleshed scrapper. In South America, the fish is often smoked or salted.

Burique or Cojinuda
Caranx Caballus

The pan-sized Burique is generally used as a bait fish. Ranging from 20 to 30 cm in length and weighing about a pound each. More abundant from May through the summer months, they can be jigged and are especially well caught at night from small boats and even canoes. They’ll hit squid, hermit crab and shrimp equally well and swim in large schools near the surface. The mouths of streams and estuaries that empty into the sea are good hot spots. Deep-fried they make a good meal on their own too. So be sure to save a couple or so to try out for yourself.

Bravo
Seriola Dorsalis

This deep-water denizen ranges from 50 to 60 cm in length and can weigh from 15 to 25 pounds. They swim in groups of 8 to 20 fish in deep waters near shore, frequenting rocky areas adjacent to sandy bottoms. Many caught during the months of June to November using live bait of small fish or squid. An excellent eating fish, its size usually requires it to be filleted. It’s good in soups and stews and the thick fillets grill nicely as well. Sharks are a natural predator of Bravo, so where there’s Bravo, there are often Bull sharks. Be careful. You might want to read the article, “A Shark Tale” online at: http://EzineArticles.com/?id=121148 You’ll see what I mean.

Good luck on your next fishing trip.

Prof Larry M. Lynch is a bi-lingual copywriter, expert author and photographer specializing in business, travel, food and education-related writing in South America. His work has appeared in Transitions Abroad, South American Explorer, Escape From America, Mexico News and Brazil magazines. He lives in Cali, Colombia, fishes the South American Pacific coast, Amazon and Orinoco River basins for exotic salt water and fresh water game and food fish. For no-obligation information on how to get original, exclusive Exotic fishing stories, fishing technique articles, fishing-action photography and one-of-a-kind content for your fishing-related newsletter, blog or website contact him today at: lynchlarrym@gmail.com for a free, action photo-packed, South American fishing adventure article.

The Winter Olympics….

Once again the fishing world has been ignored.

As I sit watching a spine tingling, heart thumping, always tension packed Olympic Curling event competition, I can’t help but wonder why a fishing event has never been represented in the Olympics.

What are they trying to say?

Are they saying that there is no athletic prowess involved when trying to flick a #12 Adams to a 20 inch ring created by the kiss of an 18 inch Rainbow trout!

Is the firing of a high powered rifle after skiing around on a pair of wooden planks any more demanding than fording a riffle packed stream and tossing a chunk of powerbait deftly into the “honeyhole” pocket containing an 8 inch stocker?

I see no difference.

But then I’m an idiot.

Or am I? Let’s at least take a look at some future options for the winter Olympics, that can finally give the fisherman his due when it comes to skill and athleticism….

1) What event shows stamina and grit more than ice fishing? I propose a winter Olympic event that is comprised of ice fishing. In this event, contestants will be timed on their ability to saw a hole in 8 to 10 inches of a frozen lake surface, run in sneakers across the frozen ice to a designated staging area where they will grab up a rod, and stool, and sprint back across the ice to the open hole, bait up, and sit for hours in a fierce northern wind. The athlete then will hopefully, eventually catch a fish, pull his fish from the ice hole, drop it in a bucket, and sprint again across the ice, into a 1975 Ford pick- up truck, drive across the finish line to the cheers, flag waving,and cow bell jingling of his fellow countrymen.

More challenges? Perhaps a couple of fellas name Swen and Ole can sit across from the contestant and constantly be throwing a verbal barrage of “You Betcha’s” and “Don’t ya know’s” at the athlete, as he or she agonizingly attempts to coax a fish out of the water.

Talk about grit!!

Of course the Norwegian contingent might not have a problem with this and be at a decided advantage.HOW do you say “you betcha” in Norwegian anyway?

We will all watch as the hole starts to skim over with ice,and the athlete frantically chips away at the hole to keep it ice free.All the while precious time clicks away as the fish only nibbles at the bait.

They can even hold this event indoors at the Olympic Hockey or Figure Skating venues. It might even make the hockey games more interesting with a few holes in the ice, and figure skating?PLEASE… a double axle into a gaping hole in the ice will add more excitement than Tonya Harding and Nancy Kerrigan living in the same trailer park. Or they can leave a few frozen fish on the ice to help add to the Olympic ambiance.

The events could also easily be held as a “two man” competition with one athlete fishing, while the other builds an ice shack.

If the extreme thrill of the Downhill is your cup a tea, imagine if they hold the event on thin melting ice. The now famous runs of Franz Klammer and Hermann Maier will pale in comparison to the crackling of ice beneath the ice fisherman’s stool as he scrambles for shore before disappearing into the frigid waters.

Talk about the agony of defeat….

2)Boat Slalom. Never mind the luge, bobsled, or skeleton(which at first glance appear to require the two major athletic skills of courage and alcohol), try standing up in a drift boat while running a classIV rapid with a 40 pound salmon stripping line off of your reel, hell bent for return to the ocean. Yes, athletes in ten layers of clothing including the mandatory flannel outer jacket, will try to stay afoot while “the driver” navigates the boulder choked channel of a stream. Not only are the contestants timed in this event, but style points are given for the degree of difficulty the athlete shows while doing “gunnel grabs”, “spins”, and the ever popular “aerials”. Throw in a number of slalom gates, and you have the making of an event made for television. Fall in or lose your salmon, and it’s sorry Charlie–see you in four years.

“OOOHHH, tough break Vern–Elwood has been training all his life for this moment, and to see it all go overboard in one instant is heartbreaking….”

3) No offense to our Canadian friends north of the border, but –CURLING!!! CURLING!! A combination of bowling on ice and a group of shop keepers trying to keep the storefront spiffy.

Gawd, the winters must be awful up there.

Outside of the obvious “sex appeal”of the Olympic Curling
events, the only thing more thrilling would be to watch Dick Cheney go quail hunting.

But, given that there is a place on the podium for chiseled curling athletes, I’m sure we could find a spot for the skilled athleticism of the Winter Fly Tying Team !
This event would obviously be dominated by the American squad, which has trained year round in a meat locker in Detroit. Size #28 midge after miserable size #28 midge, the Americans have relentlessly been training, by tying these little buggers to 8x tippet–in a meat locker kept at 14 degrees below zero.

That’s minus 26 celsius for our European competitors.

There at the Olympic Fly Tying arena, in frigid weather, teams of fly tiers will take to the vice, and tie up various flys. We will watch pained expressions and complete intense concentration as athletes try to get their fingers to work in the icy cold. We will hold our breath as they try to get the hackle and dubbing just right. Precious time will tick away as they blow on their hands, and we watch split screen images of just where the Olympic hopefuls lost time along the way.

Of course,in this two day event, athletes will be judged on speed, style,difficulty, and the ability to catch and release fish.

So, here’s to the athletes of the XX th Olympiad, and I will see you fishing rod in hand, in Vancouver in 2010.

A.J. Klott
Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler. A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.
If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at:
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com

Night feeding speckled trout chasing live shrimp skipping across the surface are exciting to watch and are usually easy to catch. At times their numbers can be quite large and their rapid popping and slurping while feeding can make the water appear as if someone is repeatedly tossing in handfuls of gravel.

Typically, plastic bait tails or double rigged jigs/worms are the number one choice of most night fishermen. Popular colors that will usually work anywhere on the coast are the standard: white, hot pink, red, and chartreuse.

At times, however, the specks are quite skillful at ignoring the artificial baits while feeding in a frenzy on the hapless shrimp and baitfish that float by in the current. If you should encounter this situation, the problem is your bait. It does not match the mental pattern the fish have for what they are feeding on and changing colors will likely not have much effect. They may also have become “trained” to ignore the same looking baits that bombard them night after night.

One thing that will usually get their attention, though, when they are feeding but ignoring underwater baits is to switch to a 3-1/2 inch, or so, topwater bait. The topwater will remain in the direction the fish are looking, which is up, and it’s going to get a whole lot more eyeballs focused on it, especially if it rattles. The change in fish hook ups should be immediate and dramatic.

One little trick to supercharge a topwater, and really upset the other anglers around you, is to add a bucktail trailer with either a small single or treble hook at the end. Just tie about a 6 inch piece of monofilament line (15 to 20 lb. test is all you need) to the rear eye of the topwater, and the hook and bucktail to the other. Bucktail colors that work great are red, white, yellow and chartreuse. This also works extremely well on a spoon.

Night fishing is a sure way to beat the summer heat on the Gulf Coast, just don’t forget the mosquito spray.

Gary Ralston is publisher of Gulf Coast Fisherman magazine. Gulf Coast Fisherman has been published for saltwater fishermen since 1976 and covers all states on the Gulf Coast.

Visit http://gulffishing.com for more fishing related articles and information on the Gulf Coast.