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Archive for May, 2009

Catfish At Night: Key Set Up Steps

Fishing at night

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Suggested Night Fishing Catfish Equipment:

  • Fishing Craft
  • Boat Anchors
  • Separate 12v Battery To run lights
  • Night Lights
  • Submerged Lighting
  • Live Bait Keeper
  • Chum System
  • Boat Rod Holders
  • Heavy Duty Bait Casting Or Spinning Rig
  • Insect Repellent

Once you have tried Night Fishing For catfish you will be hooked for life. Trust me If you do it correctly you will catch fish, not only will you catch fish but some will be lunkers! All species of catfish are very active at feeding and foraging. If you put yourself in the right place were the cats are feeding aggressively you will be in for a amazing night of fishing. Catfish are attracted to submerged lighting And have a very keen sense of smell. If you can put yourself in the catfish’s nightly habitat location there are some simple methods you can use to entice the cats to feed more aggressively. But first you must be setup and prepared for night fishing it is totally different at night then in the day. Things you take for granted during the day, don’t apply at night.

Boat Setup for night fishing

Before you even think about going night fishing for catfish you need to have the following items:, lights for inside the boat ,either battery or Coleman fuel type lanterns with two mantles. Set up your lights so they distribute light evenly inside the boat. I personally fish from a 20 foot pontoon and I have 3 halogen battery powered lights hung 2in the front, left and right and one hanging from my canopy in the rear.(You could replace battery powered lights with propane lights, just remember the propane lights attract a ton of insects)

I also recommend you purchase a small light you clip on the visor of a ball cap. This light is used for re-rigging your fishing poles. Trust me , no matter how prepared you are before your trip you will loose some tackle, from line crossovers, or snags, or fish snapping your line. (you can limit this by using heavy tackle and making sure your line is fresh) I personally use a led light that clips to the visor on my ball cap.

You also will need a light to illuminate the water surface. I recommend 12v halogen light that can be directed outside the boat. Mount it on the side of your boat, in the center. I personally use and adjustable halogen that I can clip to the railing on my pontoon. Direct the light at a 60 degree angle from boat to water. This will illuminate the surface.

You will need a underwater fishing light source. Of all your night fishing for catfish lighting sources this one is the most important.The underwater fishing lights will attract bait fish by the hundreds, and I am sure you already know the baitfish attract the cats. The reason the underwater fishing lights attract bait fish is because they generate what is called a plankton swirl, of which the baitfish feed from. Once the bait fish start schooling The big cats will come attracted by the schools of bait fish. Underwater fishing light Underwater fishing lights can be purchased in a variety of different sizes and shapes. The one I use is 36″ long about 4″ in diameter.Center the submerged fishing light in the illumination pattern of the surface water lighting you just set up. Anchor your submerged lighting about 12 ” off the bottom, (without an anchor they will float on top of the water).. make sure the light completely submerged under the water. I recommend you use a 5lb weight as an anchor. If possible, anchor the submerged light about 2 to 3 ft from the boat.

I haven’t mentioned much about the secondary 12v power source that you will need to have on board your boat to power your underwater fishing light,other secondary light sources, and your bait aerator. “do not use your boats power source” This will drain your battery.”you don’t want to get stuck on the lake at night right? If you take a well charged 12v marine battery as your second source it will last through the night.

I recommend you have minimum of three catfish poles pre-rigged and ready to cast out into the water.The reason I suggest this is because it’s real pain the “blank” To re-rig at night.You won’t get away without re-rigging poles, but you want to avoid it as much as possible.

The Importance Of Knowing where the catfish are at night

Pre-planning your night fishing trip is a must for a successful night. I would like to identify one key common observation I have made over the years of night fishing for catfish. It has been my experience the bigger cat’s roam the shore lines or back waters in search of food at night, but everybody of water is always slightly different. I highly recommend you do some research on the body of water you intend to night fish for catfish on. At Minimum Get a topographical map of the area before you attempt your trip. These can be attained at any of the local bait and tackle shops in the area. (I recommend you visit one of these shops to get the local scoop anyway, if you dig deep enough these guys can pin point on the map Where to start fishing. This will save you lots of time.)

Attracting The Catfish Into Your Boat.

If you can get the catfish’s sense of smell perked up with the following additional step, you can push the catfish into night fishing feeding frenzy! The submerged lighting will get the schools of bait fish coming , but I take it step one step further because if you play on the catfish’s extra sensitive sense of smell you can drive the Big cats into a feeding frenzy! Ok You say how?

Well the answer is by introducing “chumming”. Chumming releases a slick of dead fish smells and fish guts that the small bait fish and catfish feed on. I use a simple very in-expense and easy to setup method of chumming. You can also purchase commercial chumming systems that you can set up.First you will need a nylon netted bag that you can close tight. (a good example would the netted bags that you put golf balls in that have a string closure adjustment) This is what I use, works perfect , very inexpensive.Get yourself some good size freezer bags, at least 3 for a one night fishing for catfish trip.

I always cut up small bluegill if I can get them, or I i purchase about 2 dozen chubs an cut them into 1″ to 2″ slices, and put the guts pieces and juices in a pan that won’t drain. Fill the freezer bags pieces and juice all together, and let them sit outside in the sun all day long. Yes it will stink to high heaven by the end of the day, but that is what you want! Now stick the freezer bag in side the meshed bag that can close. Close the bag tight and tie a line at the bottom of the bag about 2 feet long. Attach about a 2lb anchor to get the bag to the bottom . Now tie a line at the top of the bag with enough lead line to get the bag on the bottom. Now before you lower the chum bag to the bottom take an ice pick, or something sharp that will puncture the bag , but not tear the plastic. Punch the freezer bag numerous times, then lower to the bottom an tie it off on the side of the boat.

Lets re-visit your catfish rigs, there are many setups you can use, i will mention a few that i use on a regular basis. Your rigs do not need to be setup for long casting, keep in mind you will be placing your line only a few feet away from the boat, at the edge of your underwater fishing light source.

You will be fishing only a short distance from the boat, so your rigs need to be set up to fish in close proximity to the boat. You could fish tight line with a basic catfish hook and a small sinker. Or use a slip bobber system. I prefer to use the slip bobber system.

ok I use the single hook rig. Both rigs work fine but I just have preference for the single hook rig. When I fish for other species of fish I will use a double hook rig but not when I am fishing at night for catfish. I use all heavy duty, open face , and spin cast rod and reels with 30lb test. I use a heavy test line because you never know when you will hook into a monster catfish when you are night fishing.You miss some smaller cats, but it’s well worth it when you catch your first 10lb plus catfish.

Night fishing for catfish baits

Both Channel and Blue catfish will eat just about any small fish like Suckers, small shad, or bluegills both live or dead. I use both live bait and dead “cut bait”. I will normally set one pole up with a small live gill no more that 3 inches in length. My other poles will be baited with cut bait , normally LARGE suckers 6″ or longer cut in 1″ to 2″ chunks.

Now Bait your rigs,Get Your Boat Setup and get ready for an exciting Night fishing for Catfish Trip! Once you catch a lunker 10 pounder + You will be Hooked for life! So have fun and good luck!

Mark Fleagle Webmaster. 30+ Years Of Fishing Experience Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. Click This Link To Find Out More About Fishing For Catfish At Night Fishing Webmasters , Need 100% Free Automated Fishing Content Instantly? Click This Link: Free Fishing Content

 

Florida Keys Fishing Holidays

Florida Keys fishing vacations usually satisfy the the expectations of hobbyists who want to devote some time to their favorite pastime while in the company of their family. Most Florida fishing tours are organized along the coasts but they can get you out in the ocean too, it all depends on whether you go sailing on a private boat or you turn to a rental company for boat and crew alike. Various businesses and rental companies assist customers wishing to put together the details for Florida fishing trips. You can contract one of these service suppliers from the Yellow Pages or by checking the contact category on their web page. Whichever be the case, you are just starting to plan ahead.

The most common type of info available on Florida fishing web pages covers the best fishing areas as well as the natural features of the fish varieties in the peninsula. Naturally that Florida fishing has to be discussed according to fresh and salt water fish varieties, although the ocean is the one to make the big attraction. Backwater fishing is very rewarding in the southwest of the state, but plenty of fresh water areas are inviting enough to attract great numbers of tourists interested in Florida salt fishing all year round. The thing is that the natural surroundings in this part of the United States are favorable for such outdoor activities.

Extensive estuaries cover large parts of Florida, but these are natural reserves protected by government policy. These waters make a better life support environment for lots of species due to the very strict regulations that protect fauna and their habitat. Therefore, there are different regions where you cannot fish or hunt in Florida, but plenty of space remains available for fishing skills and lots of fun. Here are a few places where Florida fishing is not restricted by law: the Gulf of Mexico, the coast of the Atlantic, Lake George, Lake Okeechobee or Lake Kissimmee.

Lodging, itineraries and transportation means to the destination are widely advertised on the Internet, so basically, these expedition details would be the easiest to take care of. Florida fishing trips are labeled as great choices for holiday makers, and even when you have to rent a boat, you don’t break the bank if you share costs with some other dedicated fishermen. Before selecting one service or another, run some research and find out the quotes for the numerous Florida fishing trips during several periods of the year, and only then start thinking about details.

Old School Crappie Fishing Family Secrets

Crappie fishing tips #1 Nature’s Automatic “fish finder

If you have been a outdoorsman for any length of time I am sure you have noticed that old mother nature is a pretty smart cookie. Before we go fishing for crappie we read up on the latest crappie fishing techniques on how to catch crappie, Surf the net for new crappie fishing tips, go to the sporting goods store looking for new tackle, talk to our fishing buddies, ect.

I haven’t even got to the part about spending money on fishing poles, tackle, gas, and food ( the human variety). Once we get where we’re going , we spend half an hour looking unloading and talking about how to catch crappie and how many fish we are going to catch.

My point is we are missing out on a very valuable fishing indicator and one of the best fish finders available, and it’s all free! It’s mother nature. If you watch the birds swoop down into the water and pick up a fresh meal and mean watch them closely, what do you think they are picking up out of the water?

Well it’s minnows! They are feeding on crappie minnows and 10 to 1 there’s a school of crappie feeding there too. If we have any sense we will use the birds a valuable resource when we go fishing for crappie and learn how to catch crappie.Watch the birds and where they are landing, birds can be the cheapest and most reliable fish finder you will ever use.

8 More simple crappie fishing tips on how to catch crappie

tip #2 Find underwater crappie structure , bait up, and drop your line right on the edges of the crappie structure.

tip #3When you are going to be fishing for crappie from a boat and you have located underwater crappie structure you want to fish anchor right over the center of the structure. Extend your rod and drop your line so you are fishing on the very edges of the structure, not right inside. Fishing inside, or in the middle of a fallen tree wont be effective, you need to try the edges. This is one crappie fishing tip that you need to be serious about when you are learning how to catch crappie.

tip #4 Always let your crappie fishing bait drop freely until it hits the bottom.

tip#5 until Real your bait up about 1 foot.

tip#6 If there are no hits , real the bait up another foot.

tip#7 Keep repeating this process until you start getting bites.

tip#8 As soon as you start getting bites, make a mental note, or write down how far you reeled off the bottom and continue to fish that depth. Fish the entire structure edges at that depth.

Crappie fishing tips #9 “The old time secret how to fish for crappie tip ” The Crappie Drive Thru”

tip #9a Grab a dead animal (road kill) shortly after it has died is best.

tip #9b Put the carcass in some loose netting so the meat is exposed, then hang it on a Branch overhanging the water. Make sure you have caught crappie in the area you hang the carcass.

tip #9c The maggots from the decaying flesh will drop into the water and attract a constant swarm of fish.

tip #9d If you are like me. and a little squeamish about collecting “road kill”.. Take some netting, fill it with cheap meat you buy from the store, and tie in your overhang.

You will be amazed how this how to crappie fishing tip really works! you can catch crappie at this spot for a month or more.

 

Mark Fleagle Webmaster. 30+ Years Of Fishing Experience Expert Author At Ezinearticles.com. Click This Link To Find Out More About how to catch crappie

 

 

Salmon Fishing

Alaska definitely rings a bell when talking about salmon fishing, and amateur as well as professional fishermen know how rewarding the cold rivers of these lands can be when looking for salmon. Alaska remains a famous salmon home and the right place to try your fishing skills at catching these very noble fish. Not only the activity in itself proves very interesting, but fishermen come to accumulate very solid knowledge on the salmon subspecies, their role in the river food chain, their special breeding habits and the like.

salmon fishing

Heavy criticism has been directed towards salmon fishing together with accusations of endangering species by over-fishing for mercantile purposes. The subject remains a hot topic and there are states where salmon fishing is prohibited by law particularly during the mating season. Search on the Internet for more comprehensive data on the elements that prevent good salmon fishing or on the contrary increase the chances of success in the best of conditions for the environment. Many online reviewers, who are convinced fishing hobbyists, feel the need to share their experiences with the possible other inexperienced fishermen who haven’t tried salmon fishing, and from such sources plenty of things can be learned by the less experienced in the field.

salmon fishing tackle

The king salmon peoples the rivers of Alaska coming a long way from the Artic or the Atlantic ocean in search of still pure waters to lay its eggs. The king salmon shares the same territory with another silver variety, and even if there is a difference in the appearance and the size of the subspecies, they have common features. They will surely give give one the thrill of a unique salmon fishing experience. Fishing for the salmon king can be done regardless of the season both in fresh and salt waters. Although the red salmon live in rivers and oceans alike, in some areas these fish spend all of their lives in rivers only; Besides this peculiarity, they also distinguish themselves by the smaller size.

king salmon fishing

Saltwater salmon fishing is best done by trolling or angling a baited line and drawing it into the water, usually at the rear of the boat. Cloudy days create the best of conditions for salmon fishing, since on too bright moments, these creatures will keep their abodes. Anyway, reviews and popular opinion indicate Alaska as the right place to go salmon fishing, but there could be other places nearer to your home that you may want to try. Good luck!

http://fishingnaughty.com/

Where To Find Bass Fishing Tips

 

For many sports fishermen, hooking up a prized catch like the bass can gain them a lot of respect from fellow game fishermen. Catching a bass is a status symbol for them. But it would also be a great challenge for them and if they don’t have the best idea for some bass fishing techniques, they will surely be left behind by their fellow bass fishermen. If you are one of those people who are avid bass fishermen, the basic thing you need to do is to teach yourself and master these techniques first and the best guide to teach you how can be found right here on the World Wide Web. So, what are the things you can learn from this site?

As a bass fisherman, you are very much aware of the differences between smallmouth basses and largemouth basses, right? And each of them, although they are the same species, have different ways in “dealing” with them. So, this site can offer some Largemouth and Smallmouth bass fishing tips and not only that, you can even learn where to buy the best and sturdy aluminum bass fishing boats for you to use. You know how it is when it comes to fishing boats for bass fishing, right? You can’t just use any other kinds of fishing boats for most of the time you would spend fishing for basses, you do it on rough waters with many jagged little rocks that can scrape the bottom of an ordinary boat. What’s more, this site can recommend where to find some good quality yet affordable bass fishing boats.

There are many things you can learn from this site called “bass fishing master dot com”. Everything you wanted to know about tips for bass fishing, how to handle basses, what kinds of fishing implements to be used in many different environment and what baits to use for different types of basses. The best thing is, you can learn all of these in your own pace and time. You can also avail of a book guide from this site which you can download and take it with you as a quick reference.