Fishing Tips

[Bobby Bass]

With the hundreds of thousands of fishing hours on the water that we all have here. We must have tips to share with others. With open water fishing coming up soon I thought I would start a thread where we could share what we take for granted. So add your favorite tip or tips for fishing all in one spot

[Bobby Bass]

Fish Backwards- Instead of going to your favorite lake and fishing like you always do. Fish backwards, start fishing where you usually finish and finish where you start. Sometimes a change of pace and approach will let you find fish that you have missed before. Let your partner be your guide, kids have a knack for finding fish in places where you would never think of going.

[Deitz Dittrich]

Worry less about lure choice, and more about your presentation.

[Eric Wettschreck]

Don't forget to bring a kid and have fun.

[lookincalifornia]

always assume there is a fish staring at your lure.

think like the bait that gets eaten, not the one that gets away.

don't be afraid to do something totally different form the others. if that don't wotk, do the same thing as every body else

[Fish Head]

When you do get a bite, immediately ask yourself what were you doing? Where you speeding up? Slowing down? Whatever it might have been, try to remember what triggered that strike and duplicate it.

[fishonnopeoff]

Dont forget to put the plug in the boat......

[fishing tech]

Make sure the motor runs before you go out for the 1st time. Be patient with the kids, it will pay off later.

[Pherris]

When you feel a bite set the hook. The fish aren't picking up your bait with their hands.

[Bobby Bass]

260 views and we only have a handful of tips? Where's the love? share a little here..

Don't feel your bait? set the hook. Feel your bait moving? set the hook. See your line moving? set the hook. Feel's funny? set your hook. Kids and old folks make the best top water fishermen, they are both just a tad slow on the set, allowing the fish to actually take the lure.. must be why I like top water so much I am getting a tad old...

[CrappieAttitude]

When taking a kid fishing, focus on quantity, not quality. You always have time to chase the big ones, but you only get a few chances to get a kid hooked.

CA

[D_BOONE]

Keep switching lures and baits until you find out what the fish you are after want.

[Superduty]

Hook sets are free. "Better to look like a fool than be one!" D. Brauer

[Corey Bechtold]

"You can't catch any fish without your hook in the water."

My dad used to say that to me when I was a kid.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

[Jim Hudson]

"Fish smarter, not harder"... Fish can be seen as occupying 5% or even less of a fishable portion of some lakes.. So by knowing the habits and biology of your prey, you can dramatically narrow down your search and techniques by doing this homework for the body of water you might be fishing. Get to know the biology of the fish of your choice and apply it to the body of water your fishing and you will be successfull.. Not all the time, but most of the time..

[Questor]

1) Use the sharpest hooks.

2) Keep your bait fresh. Bait is cheap compared to the cost of the outing.

3) Take kids fishing, but keep it low-key and enjoyable. I like to take a couple of big truck inner tubes so they can go tubing and swimming as part of the outing.

4) Devote about 25% of your fishing to scouting new spots.

5) Be on the water early (unless there are kids along, in which case let them sleep in.)

6) Being a purist limits your ability, so decide if you want to catch fish or just fish in a certain way.

[wplatehunter]

Leaving for Lake Michigan in 2 weeks.

[Dances with Walleye]

Quote:

---

"You can't catch any fish without your hook in the water."

My dad used to say that to me when I was a kid.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

---

This is un-true...

Last summer while out Musky fishing before a storm, my buddy and I were getting set up... Boat drifted over a weedy flat...

I was standing with my rod in my hand, talking to my buddy... My flashy Marabu was about 12 inches above the water... Suddenly a small pike (Around 14 inches) jumped out of the water and bit my hook!

I was so shocked, I balked, lost him as I was bringing my rod to me, as he was poorly hooked.

My buddy turned looked at me and said "Thank God I was with you, because otherwise I wouldn't have believed the story!"

****

As for my tips...

1. Be meticulous about your boat.

Make a checklist of everything, and go over it everytime before you leave.

-It totally wipes donkey crack to be out on the water and then realize that you forgot some simple little thing back at the house.

Keep your boat clean... Junk and trash has a way of finding itself into the net at a critical time... The anchor rope suddenly snarls when you need to anchor up on a spot-on-the-spot because you've been leaving it in a heap all day. You forget to put the live well plug in, until just seconds after you've added that angry catfish.

#2.Line Strategy... Don't just spool up whatever for whatever reason because you saw something on sale at Wal Mart. The words "Fishing Line" and "Impulse Purchase" go together just like the words "Grandfather" and "Erotic Back Massage"

#3. Keep a journal of your experiences... Keep both data (of Where, What, When, Weather) and of the little stories that happen during the day.

You'll never be able to remember all of the Data information, to really digest it later, for BIG TIME insight... And it's nice to be able to have fond memories to look back on both on cold winter nights, and also for your grand kids to thumb through to know you better.

[Jim Almquist]

Don't fish memories ! Just because you caught fish in a certain spot 2 years in a row does not make it a hot spot. Due to forage in the lake can make or break a specific spot. Some time it will be weed related some times rock, gravel but what ever it is don't waste a lot of time just cause you caught them there last year or even last month be open minded enough to try different things even if it is not your favorite way to fish-jig instead of live bait rigging or maybe bobber fish. Remember it is just a game and Mother Nature makes the Rules

[UdeLakeTom]

Read the individual forums...I have found out when to use shiners vs suckers, bullheads are great bait for notherns, walleyes, catfish. Read, read, read...and then try to use some of the help others are giving out. It is here on FM, you just have to skip some of the complaining and take from it only what you need. Did you know pigs eat carp? I learned that on one of the forums. I have also found out much about food plots, deer patterns. This info is to be had if you can take the time and sort it all out.

[montanagriz]

Quote:

---

"You can't catch any fish without your hook in the water."

My dad used to say that to me when I was a kid.

Good fishing,

Corey Bechtold

---

To expand on Corey's quote, I took a guided muskie trip on Mille Lacs a few years back, and as we were motoring out the guide says to us in very stern, serious, voice, "It is a FACT that we've caught 99.9% of our muskies when we've had a line in the water." He had the whole group roaring

My tip is to fish outside your comfort zone. We all have our favorite go-to lures, presentations, lakes, etc that we are comfortable with. Why not try something new and increase your fishing knowledge. I like to fish for bass and I typically throw nothing but spinnerbaits and topwaters. This past year I forced myself to start fishing more worms and jigs and had some tremendous success. It's a great feeling to apply new knowledge you've gained from tv shows, magazines, FM, etc, and then have success out on the water.

[icehousebob]

I agree with the lines about taking your kids fishing. I took my four boys fishing a lot and now they're grown up and they take me fishing.

Bob's rule #1 ; expect to catch fish. If you go out expecting to get skunked, you don't try as hard , you give up too soon, and when you do hook something, you won't be ready. Sounds silly but its true.

#2; learn different fishing techniques. I fish a Walleye tournament with one of my brothers and his usual way is to pull spinner rigs and crawlers or drag crank baits. I've got him vertical jigging and slipbobber fishing the sunken timber and it pays off.

[196thDLR]

Keep your equipment in good working order. During open water season I see people parked along side HWY 53 with burned out bearings, a flat tire or a snapped spindle every time I travel that road. Don't overload your boat trailer and for crying out loud, maintain your wheel bearings on the trailer. Equipment failure is a sure way to ruin a fishing trip you have planned on for a long time.

[sparcebag]

Keep your bait in the water,Keep the oars handy,bring the life vest (PFD) Relax Enjoy!

[fishinJohn]

Better to just appreciate the nature around you and enjoy the parts of fishing like learning and anticipation then to spend more than you can really afford. It burns a little less getting skunked after buying some nightcrawlers than when sitting in a boat that cost you a marriage!

[matthothand]

Know when to move or change presentation. I see way too many people just washing their lures because they can't leave a (bad) spot or they are too focussed with the wrong presentation/lure selection. I do it too but it's a big concern of mine while on the water.

[Roughfisher]

Learn to appreciate new species! I always hear the technical advice and chuckle - guys will burn up hundreds of gallons of gas chasing all over the lake looking for walleyes, when they could've had a BLAST catching 50 inch longnose gar, or mooneyes, or tackle-busting bowfin that make walleyes look like the sissy-fish they are. You could be battling giant carp, casting tiny flies at 90-pound bigmouth buffalo, night-fishing for six-foot eels on wet land, chucking crawlers at 15-pound Greater Redhorse, or hunting record-breaking Warmouths in the backwaters. You could be the first person to ever figure out what Quillbacks will bite on reliably. Or you can kick back and meat-fish for white suckers and drum, and just enjoy nature, delicious fish, and battling so many fish your arms get sore. Try sturgeon fishing. Try night-fishing for big cats. Don't get stuck in a rut.

[Northlander]

Recheck spots that didnt pay off earlier in the day and dont be a sheeple, find your own fish its more rewarding.

[Bobby Bass]

Don't wait for that perfect day to go fishing, Many a fish and many a Kodak moment have been caught on a rainy, windy day. Or a day when you just had a few hours to wet a line. There is never a bad time to go fishing.

[Lindy Lee]

Fish whenever you can. Remember you can't say they went bitting if you didn't go fishing.