Downrigging Anglers

Experienced anglers know that downrigging is the most accurate way to assure that the bait is at the right depth-short of dropping anchor of coarse.

Fly Fishing Rods

Choosing the right fly fishing rod.

Fly fishing rods are different from normal bait and spinning rods. The come in lengths of 7 foot to 15 foot.

Usually rods over 12ft 6in are "double handed" and used for salmon or salt water fly fishing.
Choosing the right rod for you should be your main priority when your learning to fish. You should always ask your self these questions.

First, how much am I willing to spend? Always keep this in mind as rods can range from a few dollars to thousands. If its your first rod then don't spend too much encase you find its not the hobby for you and your left sitting there with a brand new expensive rod used only once.

What am I going to be fishing for? Your rod should suit your target species. That means if its salt water or salmon fishing or even pike fishing you'll need a strong rod with heavy line. If its trout you want to fish for then a lighter rod and line will suffice.

What kind of water will I be fishing? If your going to be fishing small lakes and streams then a rod between 7-9ft with a #4-7 line would be best. If your going to be fishing large rivers or lakes then a rod between 9-11ft 6in is a good choice.

For salt water fishing then specialised corrosion proof gear is needed. Salt water rods are more expensive then normal fly fishing rods. They don't rust which is important for obvious reasons. Fly reels for salt water fly fishing are also different to normal reels as they are mostly all metal they need to be treated different to stop rusting.

Rod sections. Rods break down into smaller pieces for transportation. Some believe the less pieces the better the action of the rod while others think it has no relevance to the strength or casting ability of the rod. It has not been proven so don't worry about how many pieces there is to the rod you buy and don't let it put you off buying a rod.

After finding the right rod for you then you need to match it with a line which is easy enough. Just look above the handle and use the line weight recommended on the rod.

Now its time to start fishing. I have other articles on choosing flies and casting etc. which may be helpful to you if you want to check them out.

I wish you all the best and tight lines.

About the Author
For more info on fly fishing rods and evertything else related to fly fishing go to http://www.flyfishing-for-beginners.com

Be Prepared When Fishing With A Chest Pack

When spending time in the great outdoors fly fishing, then you will want to have all the accessories that you will need in an easy to reach place, such as in a chest pack.

For the seasoned angler, who are those that know what they need and do not require a huge pack full of gear for a simple day on the water, but a chest pack will be perfect. Having to find the perfect on-the-water tackle storage system can be difficult when you are a fly fisherman. If you can remember your first vest, then you will most likely understand what it is to have every thing in one place. Some chest packs have some forty odd pockets, with each one being chock-full of tools and gadgets that you will rarely ever need

With a chest pack you will never need to spend ten minutes again searching for the ideal item. Experienced fly anglers who know what they need and do not require a huge pack full of gear for a simple day on the water. However, some chest packs on the market are not that small and when they expand, then they are perfect for just about every thing. These chest packs provide ample storage for essential fly-fishing gear without being so big that anglers feel compelled to fill up the empty space.

The main storage compartments of these chest packs usually have two interior pockets with one pocket being made of a stretchy mesh material, and the other can be made out of a more traditional mesh fabric. Both pockets may feature hook-and-loop closures to keep contents inside and easy-to-grab tabs for quick access to pocket contents. The front compartment of many chest pack are a zip-down fly bench, which makes on-the-water work much more comfortable and convenient. The bench also has a replaceable piece of ripple foam that is attached to the fold-down bench via two hook-and-loop strips. Some of these chest packs will use fully adjustable straps, which is perfect for getting that perfect fit.

Unlike bulkier chest packs, the smaller chest packs do not get in the way when casting, and when fitted properly you can hardly even realize that it is on you until you need it. The excess straps are stored inside the pack, so you are not fighting loose, dangling straps throughout the day of fishing. The exterior of the fold-down bench has two more stretchy mesh pockets that provide storage space for your most frequently used items on many of these storage bags. With a side zip pocket running from top to bottom of then the chest pack would be perfect for providing you with storage for flat items such as maps and other stream side reference materials.

Since we carry all our gear on our person, fly fishing is a sport of economy, and some degree of minimalism is a must. If you want to stay organized and keep gear highly accessible, give a chest pack a shot, because you will want to go light but still have every thing that you will need with you for a great day of fly fishing. Most chest packs are designed with two front zippered drop-down compartments with the larger main compartment offers plenty of practical storage space for fly boxes, while the smaller front compartment is great for storing nippers, floats, and other frequently used fishing accessories.

About the Author

Victor Epand is an expert consultant for sweatpants, sweatshirts, outdoor gear, sports clothing, and model motorcycles. Click here when you want to find sweatpants, sweatshirts, chest packs, and model motorcycles.

Secrets To Getting The Right Tackle

Don't just buy fishing tackle because you are going fishing. Know what you need for the kind of fish you are targeting before plunking down your hard earned money. Ask for advise, it's free.

The Proper Tackle For The Job

We help you choose

If your location is limited to only a few fresh water lakes or ponds with limited size and variations of fish, then your choices are much easier than if you live on the coast and will be fishing back salt water, inland fresh water, surf and deep sea.

We will try to give enough tips here to help you get on the right page of the catalog or site you decide to shop.

Lets start with shore fishing a pond or small lake with some perch, crappie, blue gill and small trout. They will all be easiest to catch on a light or ultra light rod and reel. We prefer spinning reels or closed face spinning reels also known as spincasting reels. Why? Because they allow the farthest reach when casting without the hassle of backlash. A 6' to 7' light or ultra light rod will give plenty of distance on your casts and a very sensitive tip to feel the the little buggers trying to steal your bait.

Lite mono filament line up to 4lbs is plenty to handle the biggest fish you will catch here. We like to add a 4' 6lb fluorocarbon leader before the hook or other terminal tackle. The most popular fresh water bait is earth worms. I like to put them on a 1/8oz jig head leaving most of the worm to dangle below the hook rather naturally.

Of coarse there are literally hundreds of artificial lures you can purchase, but I would ask for some local advise before spending much on them for this type fishing.

These pan sized fish are a lot fun for the whole family and make a great meal fried up in some olive oil with a little Italian breading on them.

Now, larger lake fish like walleye, salmon, steelhead trout and lake trout require quite a different arsenal of weapons. ( keep your lite gear handy in case you find a school of perch)

They can all be caught on the same rod and reel. But the type fishing you plan on doing can make a difference especially in the reel. If you know you will only be anchored or drifting then a conventional reel of about size 30 is great on a 7' medium weight rod. But if you think you will be trolling then we recommend a line counting reel. That is a conventional reel with a line counter on it as the distance the line is let out is a very important factor in the depth your lure will be running.

If you are at anchor, fishing with live bait, ie: worms or minnows, we would use a jig head of 1/4oz to 3/4oz depending on the depth of water and underwater current strength. Monofilament line of 8lb to 10lb will be sufficient for still fishing. If you plan on trolling we would use 16 to 20 lb mono or 10 to 12lb stainless steel, both with a 6' leader of 20lb fluorocarbon. A 50lb barrel swivel at both ends of your leader will help prevent line twisting while drifting or still fishing but ball bearing swivels should be used for trolling lures.

Here again, there are hundreds of lures to choose from. Our favorite for walleye is the Bomber Long A, for salmon, King Spoons, and for steelhead and lake trout, anything fast and shinny. By the way, we have also caught a lot of walleye trolling worms on a worm harness.

Another great freshwater fishing is for large mouth bass. They are a hard hitting tough fighting fish. Pound for pound probably the most exciting fish to catch, but finicky about what they eat at times.

A good lite spinning rod reel combo is best as you will be doing a lot of casting and retrieving and don't want to wear yourself out with a heavy rod and reel. I would use 6lb mono with a 10lb fluorocarbon leader of about 4'. You can use worms, minnows or lures. I like a rattling lure or an 1/8oz jighead with a soft curly swim bait.

Ok, there is still river fishing for catfish, pond fishing for carp, fly fishing and ice fishing. But lets face it, I don't know everything, but I bet with the above advise you could figure out what kind of gear to buy for any fresh water fishing except fly fishing and ice fishing.

Now, lets move to the salty back water fishing, by far my favorite. I have fished the backwaters from North Carolina around the peninsula of Florida, to Texas. I could use the same rod and reel wherever I was. Most of what you are going catch is gonna be red fish. The Carolinas will have their spots and flounder and Florida will have their snook and sheepshead. But the most sought after backwater fish is the red fish.

A good medium heavy rod, one piece carbon, of 6' to 6'6" with a saltwater spinning reel of about 10lb to 12lb line weight is plenty. You will be throwing your arm off if you get too heavy with your gear. Here is one sport you want to spend a little more on for gear so you can remain light but still fight a 15lb red screaming though the grass or mangroves. I like a reel with at least 5 ball bearings and classified "Salt Water". I spoolup with 15lb braided line cause it is the size of 6lb mono and hard to cut off on the snags and it is light to cast. Then I tie a 6' length of 20lb fluorocarbon leader directly to the braid. The less terminal tackle the better.

My favorite bait is live shrimp on a 1/0 circle hook with a popping cork set at just less than the waters depth. Johnson spoons in gold are the favorite of most lure fishermen, however some like jig heads with wiggly soft plastic swimmers on them.

A recent test I did in both South Carolina and Florida proved that Gulp Alive Shrimp work equally as well as live shrimp and they can last all day, then you put em back in the juice and use them again tomorrow.

My next favorite is grouper digging in the Gulf of Mexico. There are several ways to catch them that require different equipment.

The most popular way is to anchor over hard bottom and drop live bait down to them on a slider rig. This requires fairly heavy gear compared to jigging for walleye. I like a stout heavy short rod of about 5'. Some call them tuna rods or standup rods. They are built to handle fish in the 60lb to 80lb range. On that I put a 50 size conventional reel with a lever drag. Load that with 40lb mono and an 80lb 6' fluorocarbon leader. I use 100lb barrel swivels when bottom fishing or 100lb ball bearing swivels when trolling. I both bottom fish and troll with these rods and reels. You can buy pre-made grouper rigs in the local bait shops for bottom fishing.

I like the short stout rod because you can jerk the grouper up off the bottom before he gets back in his hole. Of coarse if you are catching smaller grouper you'll want to lighten up on the rod for more fun fighting.

Trolling for grouper is a good way to find hard bottom and bait pods while fishing. We use the rod reel combos from above to run deep diving Magnum lures and or Old Salty Divers with spoons. This type of gear is good all up and down the salt water coasts for medium heavy sport fishing.

Then we also like to run 2 downriggers with the same reel but a 7' heavy rod. Reason being you want to have your rod bent over when it is rigged to the downrigger. This not only makes for a quick 'fish on" reference but also helps to set the hook. We like to bait our downrigger lines with a skirted game fish rig with a 4/0 hook. To the hook we tie a whole squid with thin brass rigging wire pushed through the tail then the eye of the hook and wrapped tightly around the tail to drag it backwards like they swim. If you can't get fresh or frozen squid then Gulp Alive Squid work equally as well.The grouper love em!

Of coarse, when you're out on the Gulf or any other deep salt water you'll want to have your backwater rods with you to catch bait. And a little heavier spinning rod and reel, say 16 to 20 lb range, for casting into pods of bait for tuna, Spanish mackerel, cobia and many other top water foragers. We also keep a couple of 30lb spinning outfits for larger top water guys like shark and barracuda. For these guys, be sure to have some wire leader on your line and some fresh live bait for the cobia.

Another popular method for catching salt water fish is surf fishing. The secret to catching fish in the surf is finding and keeping your bait in the trenches were the game fish lie in wait. A couple of signs to look for that indicate the presence of fish are birds working the area just outside the surf and an abundance of sand flea holes in the edge of the surf. Where there are fleas there are fish!

For this type fishing you need pretty heavy gear. Usually a rod of medium heavy build and 10' to 12 ' long so you can cast out to the trench. A good heavy (about 30 size) spinning reel is the easiest to handle. I like 30 lb braid because it is way over the limit you need but only as big and heavy as about 12 lb mono, so it casts nicely and just about can't be broken off. To this we attach a 30lb fluorocarbon leader of about 6'and what ever rig we are using. You want to use the pyramid shaped bottom sinkers to hold your bait in the trench. The heavier the surf the heavier your sinker needs to be. Don't forget to get a spike rod holder to stick in the sand. Those rigs are just too heavy to hold onto all day.

Hope this article was helpful in getting you started on the type of fishing you plan to do.

About the Author

Ted Koppel, Just an ole' fisherman trying to pass the fun on to the next generation. Visit us at Http://efishbox.com for a great selection of gear and at http://mytacklespace.com a free community for fishing blogs and forums. Feel free to join. Tight Lines, Ted

Tips For Better Bass Fishing - There's More To Bass Fishing Than Simply Casting

Largemouth bass are arguably the best fighting fish in the world. Their aggressive natureWhat makes them such an extreme adventure for every fisherman.

Largemouth bass fishing has grown into a billion dollar industry, and shows absolutely no signs of slowing down. Its strength and aggression provides a great thrill for those who absolutely love this surging sport.

The more you understand about largemouth bass will help you to become more successful at catching them, and receiving those large award-winning trophies. Nearly every swamp, pond, lake and river holds a largemouth bass that's keen to strike, and the trick that you must master is outsmarting these bass, and getting them to strike. Professional bass fishermen understand this, and they make great use of the bass fishing tips I'm about to share with you.

Expert bass fishermen share some common personality traits:

Experts keep their cool

There is NO room for anger in fishing. Professional bass fishermen realize that they could never let their temper get the better of them while bass fishing. Fish are extremely sensitive, and it will greatly affect your chances of getting a strike. Also, it could possibly lessen the enjoyment of others around you. Never... never let your emotions take over.

Experts are aware of their surroundings, and everythjing that Mother Nature tries to teach them

Trophy bass fishermen have learned to work hand in hand with Mother Nature. Mother Nature tries to show bass fishermen many things to help them get the catch of their dreams. A pro angler notices changes in conditions, fish movement, current breaks, and even floating lily pads. They will also be alert to where birds are feeding and where bait fish seem the most active. Stop fishing the hard way, and start observing what Mother Nature is trying to reveal to you.

Experts have GREAT confidence

The expert bass fishermen believe in their ability to catch largemouth bass. Bass are somewhat like other animals like dogs or horses... they sense your fear, insecurity, and unsuredness. You will catch more bass by being confident in your own bass fishing abilities.

Experts have tolerance and patience

Expert bass fishermen understand that they will put in long hours of sitting and waiting. Like no other sport, fishing involves lots of patience and sheer determination. Experts realize that if a fishing spot does not produce instant fish, then this does not necessarily mean it's not holding fish. Expert bass fishermen have learned that to snag a largemouth bass they must learn to fish one spot long enough before moving on.

Experts are ready to act quickly

There is a so much idle time when fishing, and bass fishermen, in particular, have to be ready to act at a second's notice. Bass fish can strike at any time and from any location, and anticipating their every move is the only way you'll outsmart them and get the strike.

I have found loads of great information that could get you started on your journey of becoming an outstanding bass fisherman. Better Bass Fishing has alot of information that you can use such as Bass fishing tips, bass fishing tips, Bass fishing Beginner's Tips and Techniques, and much more.

Thank you for visiting, and do yourself a favor, and visit http://www.squidoo.com/Ultimate-Bass-Fishing-Guide for tons of good information.

About the Author

Guaranteed Better Bass Fishing is a revolutionary guide which emphasizes a thorough approach in dealing with the sport of bass fishing and shakes down useless theories concentrating strictly on what works.

Going On The Perfect Fly Fishing Vacation

While most people would consider the perfect fly fishing vacation to be one that they come home from with tons of fish that is certainly not something that you can plan out. A good thing to do though to make sure that you do have the best shot at having the absolute best fly fishing vacation that you could ever have is to make sure that you have all of your supplies in order. Even though you may think that you have it all set based on what you remember having from last season, it is always important to go through everything again just to make sure.

You want to make sure that all of your supplies for your fly fishing vacation are in order so that you are not wasting time purchasing things later on. You want to be able to spend as much time fishing as possible so make sure that you are completely ready for your fly fishing vacation before you even head out. There may be things that are no longer in your tackle box for some reason or things that really just need to be replaced because they are old. It is always advisable to go through your entire fishing supply collection every year so that you are totally prepared for every fishing situation.

Ways To Find The Perfect Supplies

When it comes to shopping for their fly fishing vacation supplies, people just generally find themselves checking out their local fishing and camping stores. While there is no problem with this, you have to realize that you will be limited on the selection of items for your fly fishing vacation supplies. If you have a time crunch that you are dealing with though, this may be your only way to get enough supplies to get through your fly fishing vacation. If you have a little more time on your hands because you were proactive and started to get things ready early, there are better ways to get yourself and your tackle box prepared.

If you have the time to wait for the mail system, then shopping online is going to be your best bet for all of your fly fishing vacation needs whether its more bait or a fly fishing vest. This is because by allowing yourself to search the Internet, you will come across a much bigger variety then what you could normally find in the stores. And to have things that not every other fisherman is going to have out on the lake may just give you the little bit of a added advantage. Also, you may find that the deals for the equipment and supplies you need or want are unbeatable and are something that you simply just cannot pass up.

http://basics-of-fly-fishing.blogspot.com

About the Author

Gargi Nath,a Professor in English in a reputed college in kolkata for the last 5 years having done masters and Phd.A keen creative author and have written many articles on numerous topics.Many of the articles are published regularly in newspapers and magazines.Please visit my blog http://basics-of-fly-fishing.blogspot.com for more information on Flyfishing.

PR: wait... I: wait... L: wait... LD: wait... I: wait... wait... I: wait... L: wait... C: wait... SD: wait...

A Fishing Rod For The Optimal Fishing

A fishing rod is one of the most important tools used to catch fish. Catching fish is deemed as relaxing, invigorating and good eating by many. Many fishermen are very competitive and are looking to catch a particular type of fish. Having the right tool can make your fishing trip much more successful. The size of the fishing rod can greatly depend on the size of fish that you want to catch.

Before purchasing a fishing rod you will want to determine the type of fishing that you will be doing. The size of the fish, method of fishing and water conditions all make a huge difference. Knowing ahead of time the type of fish that will be biting can assist you in the decision of purchasing a fishing rod.

Using a fly fishing rod is best suited for catching trout or salmon. In order to catch them you will need a flexible fishing rod. Having the correct fishing rod, line, nets and other tools can ensure that you bring in the fish that you desire. Remember that with salmon fishing you will be holding the rod so make sure that you have a comfortable grip. Many salmon rods are a bit more expensive, but well worth the price when you bring in that prized salmon.

If winter fishing is your desire there are ice fishing rods that can be used in frozen lake conditions. These rods allow you to fish from holes in the frozen water. The ice fishing rod is generally of good quality and a bit more durable than other types of rods. The length of the ice rod can vary between 24 and 36 inches in length. You may need to experiment a bit to determine the best fit for you. Everyone is different so it is impossible to say that one-rod or the other is right for everyone.

When you want to do coarse fishing, a carbon fiber rod is the method normally used to catch any member of cyprinid family. That is why it's good for you to know what type of fish that will be biting before hitting the water. Other types of rods are spin casting rods, spinning rod, ultra light rods, and surf rods. These are fishing rods designed for specific types of fishing and much of the decision depends on what you are most comfortable with. Another determining factor is what kind of fish that you are looking to catch. Before purchasing a fishing rod make sure to ask yourself the following questions. What type of rod should I use? What type of fish will I be fishing for? How much do I want to spend? These are also questions that you can discuss with a fishing pro or sales person before making your final decision.

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About the Author
Hi my name is Kevin McCarthy. I have been a keen fisherman for over 20 years and want to share my views and experiences with you.