Archive for July, 2008

A Beginners Guide To Fishing

If you are new to the sport of fishing, you need to know some of the basic rules of fishing. Like other forms of hunting, fishing involves both your environment and those around you. Be respectful of both. You can responsibly enjoy this treasured pastime in several ways.  Fishing is an ancient practice. It dates back nearly 10,000 years.

A number of various techniques and traditions have been used during fishing’s progression. Modern technological developments have changed the way people fish, but many of the same rules, regulations, and social norms involving fishing remain.  Always practice good stewardship of our waterways when you are fishing. Remember that these waterways were around thousands of years before you and will remain long after we are gone. You can make a conscious decision to leave the areas in which people fish in better condition than when you found it. Take care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others will enjoy these areas for years to come.

Practicing certain behaviors will ensure that you are taking good care of the places where people fish.  Never litter when you are fishing. Always bring a trash bag or other receptacle to use for the collection of your trash. You can easily deposit it in a nearby trash receptacle. Dump your refuse in properly assigned dumping stations instead of tossing it in the water. You do not need to spend much time figuring out the many ways in which this hurts the environment.  As you fish, always use the correct type of bait and fishing gear. Certain areas allow for certain bait and gear. You will also encounter limits on the number, size, and kind of fish that you can keep. Become familiar with what these limits are and pay attention to them. Do not wait until you are at your fishing spot to search for what is allowed and what is not. Check with your destination before you head out on your fishing trip to see what the local regulations allow. If you plan on using a boat while fishing, research to see what kinds of watercraft are allowed where you are going to fish. 

Every fishing location is different, so pay special attention to local procedures and cautions. This also applies when you decide to clean your boat after you leave the water. You do not want to spread non-native species to another body of water.  Finally, never fish where it is not permitted. There is always a reason why it is illegal. Some reasons include the protection of certain wildlife, the proper care of vegetation, and the safety of you and others who want to fish.  You should also follow a number of cautionary behaviors to ensure your safety.

As with all forms of hunting, safety is first. If you will be using a boat while you fish, always wear your life jacket. Make sure that your passengers wear their life jackets, as well.  Be very careful when baiting and removing hooks. Make sure that you never fish on unauthorized waterways. Follow the posted speed limits and wake warnings that accompany the use of a boat. Bring with you all relevant safety items, such as water, flashlights, maps, and a cell phone.  Fishing continues to be a favorite pastime. 2001 saw nearly 16% of the U.S. population over the age of 16 spend 16 days fishing. You enjoy the sport of fishing, so follow the rules that allow for the continuation of fishing. Be responsible and courteous of others and your environment. Take time to discover how you can be both a better and safer angler.

Article Source: http://www.articledashboard.com/Article/A-Beginners-Guide-To-Fishing/449603

Catfish Fishing On The Fourth Of July

I usually go camping on the fourth of July and every other holiday for that matter. However this past year has been different as I have a new family that includes a twelve year old boy and a six year old girl. My fishing experience on these camping trips has changed greatly. I still do quite a bit of catfish fishing but I also spend a lot of my time fixing tackle and teaching the kids how to fish which I enjoy very much. Having done this now a few times I have learned some things that make it much easier for me to enjoy the kids and still get some real fishing in.

1  Choose your baits carefully. You don’t want anything that is difficult to keep on the hook. Some good baits for this are the Berkley  Power baits and Berkley Gulp baits. I take a few varieties of these as well as nightcrawlers, shrimp and chicken livers. The chicken livers are for me.

2  Kids do not have a lot of patience and can become bored very quickly if nothing is happening. What I do is have them set one rod up for bottom fishing. I will get them to cast it out and then set it in the rod holder. For them this is generally set and forget until a catfish takes the bait. I keep them occupied by setting up the next rod for drift fishing. I set it up with a much smaller hook, usually a #6, and a nightcrawler. This almost guarantees that they will get bites and eventually catch something even if it is a sunfish. The kids are just happy they caught something.

3 Save a couple of those sunfish the kids caught to use as cut bait after they go to bed.

4 Get yourself a couple of rod holders called Lightnin’ Strike. These are spring loaded and will automatically spring up setting the hook whenever a fish bites. Very useful when you have your hands full fixing one of the kids tackle.

5 Be patient! Enjoy the kids first and do your real fishing later after they have gone to bed. If you do this you will not get frustrated with them and they will enjoy the time they spend with you. Believe me they will never forget these moments. I still remember the times I spent with my father and that was forty years ago.

Is Chumming For Catfish a Good Idea?

Chumming for catfish is a good idea if you know that catfish are in the area. Is it a good idea all the time? Some will swear that it is the way to go and others will say it does not make much if any difference. I personally believe that if you fish the same location often and you chum the area whenever you are there you will catch more fish. 

In case your not familiar with chumming it is simply putting lots of bait in an area you plan to fish.. There are two reasons to chum. One if you do it often enough in the same location the catfish will come looking for it. Two, if there are fish in the area it will sometimes drive them into a feeding frenzy competing with other fish to get the goodies. But remember it only works if the catfish are there. If it is not an area they visit you are just feeding the sunfish.

I personally do not chum except for the leftovers from the fish I have just cut up for bait. Maybe I am a little old fashioned but to me finding out where the catfish are and what bait they are interested in is part of what makes catfish angling interesting and fun to me. If I just wanted to catch a bunch of catfish for the dinner table I would use a trot line. I seldom have much trouble filling my stringer without chumming and when I am fishing for the big cats I don’t expect to catch as many because I am using much larger tackle that virtually eliminates the small ones.