Archive for October, 2009

The Sage Xi2 Saltwater Fly Rod

Saltwater fly fishing gear is heavier than freshwater fly fishing gear for two main reasons. Firstly, saltwater fish species are generally larger than freshwater fish species, and you will need stronger rods, reels and lines to catch these fish species. Secondly, saltwater fly fishing requires longer casting with larger flies, and normally there is some wind to deal with. You cannot cast very far in windy conditions with a light fly rod using a light fly line. The saltwater fly rod, saltwater fly reel and saltwater fly line make up the essential saltwater fly fishing gear you will need for saltwater fly fishing.

Saltwater Fly Rod

Your most important item of saltwater fly fishing gear is the saltwater fly rod. A 3 weight to 7 weight fly rod is normally used for freshwater fly fishing. For saltwater fly fishing, the lightest fly rod usually used is a 7-weight rod. A 16-weight fly rod is the heaviest rod that can be used for saltwater fly fishing. The saltwater fish species that you are trying to catch determine the weight of your saltwater fly rod. To catch sailfish such as Marlin you might use a 13-weight rod, but then use a 8-weight rod to catch Bonefish. For saltwater fly fishing, look to buy a specialized saltwater fly rod, specifically designed for saltwater fly fishing.

A good saltwater fly rod will have a fast action, and will generally be quite stiff. A fast action rod allows you to cast further in windy conditions and makes it easier to land larger saltwater fish species. The guides for a saltwater fly rod should be made of stainless steel or another metal that won’t rust. Because of the additional punishment of saltwater fly fishing, the guides should be extra strong on s saltwater fly rod. A good saltwater fly rod will have a padded fighting butt which will provide more comfort when fishing for extended periods of time. The saltwater fly rod that is rated as one of the best all-around saltwater fly rods is the excellent Sage Xi2 saltwater fly rod.

Saltwater Fly Reel

A saltwater fly reel is an essential item of saltwater fly fishing gear, and is more important for saltwater fly fishing than for freshwater fly fishing. A saltwater fly reel needs to be better quality than a freshwater fly reel. It is important that you buy a saltwater fly reel made of components that are saltwater resistant, so the reel will not rust. It is also important that the saltwater fly reel has a very good drag system and sufficient line capacity for your backing, fly line, and your leader. As saltwater fish species normally run further with your line once caught, 100 to 300 yards of backing is normal.

Saltwater Fly Line

The saltwater fly line most commonly used for saltwater fly fishing is a floating line, which is used to catch fish near the water’s surface. A fly line that sinks slowly, called an intermediate line is sometimes used. A sinking line or a sink-tip line can also be used to catch fish at deeper levels. A weight forward line is normally preferred for saltwater fly fishing in order to be able to cast longer distances in strong winds. The fly line weight used normally matches the fly rod weight, but sometimes a slightly heavier line weight is used, especially in windy conditions.

 

For more information about saltwater fly fishing gear, take a look at the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (Feedage.com).

Effective Bass Fishing Lures

Bass fishing
Image by grubsroom via Flickr

Fishing is one of the most relaxing hobbies people practice. The thrill of catching fish is real and infectious and the possibility to cook your own meal on it is even more attractive. If you also want to benefit from the wonderful taste of the fish you caught, then you must be well prepared for the activity. To give a good example here would be to stress out the importance of fishing lures as part of the tackle. Let’s take bass fishing lures and see what specifics they have that will make better bass fishing.

Bass fishing lures must be chosen carefully as there are many types, specialized for the various conditions of bass fishing: the time, the place and the type of fishing, as well as the type of bass you are after. The most popular bass fishing lures include vibrating lures, tube baits, crank baits, spinners, rubber worms, poppers and several others.

If you do not like working with real worms in particular, you can choose rubber worms that work just as well. This kind of bass fishing lures are designed to descend slowly towards deeper waters, fooling fish to believe they are real prey. On the other hand, many fishermen consider jigs to be the most useful and proper when bass fishing in somewhat murky waters or when fishing at night. The success of jigs comes from the fact that they look like living fish.

Other two bass fishing lures to discuss are the crank and spinner baits. Crank lures or baits imitate injured or weak fish and are used both in surface and deep fishing. The cranking noise added to these lures attracts the bass as well. Spinners on the other hand rely on the efficiency of movement. Water stirring is the main property of spinners, and their use as bass fishing lures is not restricted to one season alone.

Poppers represent a bass fishing lures model that is very similar to cranks, but they normally work well in summertime. Now, if you go fishing for small-mouth bass, some special lures like grubs would be more suitable. Besides small-mouth bass fishing, grubs can also be useful for fishing in clear deep waters.

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Getting A Grip On Fishing Lures

The paravane depicted is a fishing lure that i...
Image via Wikipedia

The evolution of fishing gear as well as the popularity of the bass fishing industry brought about the development of a huge variety of fishing lures, each specifically designed for certain types of fish.

There are many types and classes of lures and they all work best for a certain type of fish. Many only work for specific types but some cover a wide range of species of fish.

Below are some of the typical lures used for fishing.

Light Standard Casting Lures

For Standard casting lures, they are mostly able to attract a wide range of fish varieties from albacore, bluefish, bonita, oho and crappies. These lures are also excellent for certain species of bass and they work best when moved over the water at a low to medium speed. They pass through water with undetectably synthetic material.

Their sizes are excellent for lightweight fish and a host of freshwater species. They range from 1/16 oz. to 3 oz.

The hand painted eye is enticing enough to allow schooling of fish. This feature allows for more chances of trapping one of the target fish in the water.

Heavy Standard Casting Lures

Heavy Standard Casting Lures are excellent for quite heavy fish specifically, walleye and bass.  While the lightweight lures are used in most circumstances, it was shown that heavy counterparts provide more reliable fishing output.

Moreover, the heavy standard lures are able to catch fish than diamond and light standard casting lures.

Long Casting/Jigging Lures

Perhaps the most popular among the fishing lures are the long, tapered jigging lures. They are perhaps the most commonly used fishing lures among the fishermen in Florida, Mississippi and Louisiana.

Just recently, it was found out that the long casting lures work best for catching trout and pike. They were also found to effectively catch stripers and bluefish. They can catch tuna and walleye in a breeze!

Unlike heavy standard lures, this gear won’t produce good fish-catch output up to 180-200 ft under water but be sure to effectively match your lure color, bait and related accessories to maximize performance.

Deadly Diamond Lures

These lures are one of the smallest with sizes ranging from 1/8 to 1oz. They can seamlessly attract attention among fish and could form a school of fish in a minute!

The reason is it lies on its structural surface formation and cut. The top handle is cut like a multi faceted diamond and this causes the reflection of light striking its surface. The diamond lures are best for catching bass fish varieties, crappie and stripers although they work on a small range of fish species.

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Fly Fishing Tips

Fly fishing in a river
Image via Wikipedia

Fly fishing is a relaxing and entertaining sport. However, if you are new to the sport you may be looking for a fly fishing tip or two. You may have looked to a fly fishing video to find a fly fishing tip for your specific need. Even so, you can never read or see enough fly fishing tips before going on your trip.

Cast Into The Wind

Casting into the wind can be a difficult task to master. However, if you learn how to do this, you will be able to catch fish when others are simply blown off of the water. Here is a fly fishing tip on how to do this. If the wind is blowing in your face, many people end up driving the fly rod tip down to generate more energy and line speed. Do not do this because all you are doing is widening the fly casting arc, which means a wider open loop that the wind will blow back in your face.

What you should do is put more force into the cast and focus on having a tighter loop that will slice through the wind easier than a wider loop. Make sure that the angle of your loop is making it inches above the water instead of the usual feet above. That way the wind will not have enough time to blow it off of where you want it to go. Do this by rotating your arm ever so slightly at the shoulder, making your elbow move back and up just a little bit.

Lubricate Your Knots

The fly fishing knot is crucial to fly fishing. Without a properly tied knot, you will simply lose your fish. However, if you lubricate your knot before you seat it, your knot will be much stronger. Tighten the knot just enough so it will not unravel on its own. Then lubricate the knot by dipping it into the water or with a little bit of saliva. Wrap the line around your finger a few times and keep pulling until you feel the stretch in the line stopping. Voila! You now have a perfectly tied, and perfectly tight, fly fishing knot.

Wear A Wading Belt

While the first two tips will improve your fly fishing, this third fly fishing tip may save your life. People die every year fly fishing when they slip and fall or get pulled into deeper waters and do not have a wading belt. This belt will prevent water from getting into your waders and dragging you down. So before you head out, make sure that you have belted your waders with a wading belt.

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A large stream, part of the headwaters of the ...
Image via Wikipedia

It would be impossible to fly fish without having the right fly fishing tackle. Fishing rod, reels, lines, flies , waders and a tackle box are some of the fly fishing items which will be useful for fresh angler and experienced angler. You will certainly need to pick a rod that can help you to accurately cast the fly line and which has artificial flies attached to it and the fly reel is designed to hold your fly line as well as allows you to supply drag whenever it is required which will surely be the case whenever you land an especially heavy fish or even a fish that is very quick.

Fly Line Fly Fishing Tackle

The fly line is designed to help you cast with ease and a terminal tackle is often used for connecting the fly line to an artificial fly. In addition, to these items of fly fishing tackle you must also take along the right kind of accessories including all tools and gadgets as well as clothing that will help ensure safer and more enjoyable fly fishing. You need accessories to help you prepare and maintain your fly fishing tackle and to also deal with the fish after it has been caught; in addition, you need accessories to help you stay comfortable and safe and it also makes sense to include fly boxes into which you can place as well as transport artificial flies.

A fly fishing tackle box is of course essential for transporting your fly fishing tackle and in case you plan on spending an entire day out fishing you will also need to take along sufficient food as well as drinks and of course your fly fishing tackle; so makes sure that the fly fishing tackle box is large enough to hold all the required items.

You need to also pay special attention to wearing the right kind of clothing which in turn will depend on where you plan on fly fishing and also the type of fish species you are trying to land. For example, when fly fishing for salmon you will need clothing that allows you to spend an entire day in the river and these clothing items must also ensure that you stay warm and are protected from water and they should have sufficiently large pockets to get what you need in a hurry.

Shopping for discount fly fishing tacklescan prove to be a daunting task unless you know where to look for the best deals. Going through tacklebargains.com site is necessary for anyone who is going to buy such types of fly fishing tackles.co.uk which is committed to providing you with the most attractive bargains.

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Learning to trout fish
Image by Sue Waters via Flickr

Trout fishing tips come in quite handy especially when you are a beginner. Some knowledge on the specificity of the trout species would be great, as these fish have a metabolism closely related to water temperature. Their metabolism accelerates with temperature increase. When in cold deeper waters, they show less active and need to eat less.

Moreover, at the beginning of every year those interested in catching trout start to be directed to warmer and warmer waters as trout tend to leave cold deep waters for environments more favorable to spawning. Also, during fall trout start to move towards colder and deeper waters where they would be better off during the cold season. Yet fishermen should not expect them to cover distances very fast. The cycles of moving from one place to another follow the seasons and last for several months.

Also good to know when trout fishing is that these animals live in large groups. They tend to stick together in schools, especially the ones of the same size. Therefore, should you get lucky and get a capture, be sure that there is more trout in the area to catch as long as you do not throw the dead caught fish in the water to scare away the rest of the school.

In addition, trout fishing areas are easy to spot. trout prey on smaller fish, but they are not great hunters due to their slow motion features. They would rather wait patiently and lazily for a victim to come by and unexpectedly get in their way. Sometimes, they feed on injured marine animals even though this kind of food might not be part of their regular menu. Their regular menu consists of frogs craw-fish, worms, minnows insects and so on. For an experienced fisherman, knowledge of the eating habits and the mating peculiarities is no secret.

On the other hand, these fish become prey themselves therefore, in the normal habitat, there should be rocks and alls sorts of sea vegetation to provide them a safe retreat. That is why trout fishing is usually organized in those areas that provide camouflage for both fisherman and fish.

Successful trout fishing may also depend on the type of bait that is chosen by the anglers. Bait should vary according to both the season – spring, summer, autumn or winter – and the spawning cycle of this fish species. Hence, those new to trout fishing should pay attention to more experienced anglers to learn the basic steps.

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Fly Fishing Tips for the Novice

Essential Fly Fishing Accessories

As a hobby or sport, fly fishing is a relaxing and fun pastime. Fly fishing has gained a lot of popularity in recent years, but for the beginner angler it can be challenging to learn the essentials. For the beginner angler, this article lists ten essential fly fishing tips. These tips will help beginners become successful anglers and also help them learn some essentials of the sport.

Tip 1: Enjoy the Silence

Silence is important if you want to catch fish and not scare them away. Also, other anglers who are concentrating on fishing will not appreciate being disturbed. Leave noisy equipment such as radios at home.

Tip 2: Respect Other Anglers

When fishing, respect the space of other anglers fishing in the same river, lake or dam. To ensure everybody enjoys the sport of fly fishing, follow common fishing etiquette and don’t create loud noise.

Tip 3: Dress for Success

Fish have good eyesight, so avoid wearing bright colors and do not wear a white hat. For your fly fishing clothing its a good idea to wear colors with earth tone. Whilst fishing, layering your clothing is recommended, as the weather conditions may change quite a bit during an extended fishing session.

Tip 4: Keep Your Vest Organized

A fly fishing vest (or handy fishing chest pack) is designed to carry your essential fly fishing accessories and gear whilst you are on the water. Keep you vest organized so that if you need to urgently use an item of equipment, you know exactly where that item is.

Tip 5: Learn a Few Basic Knots

There are many books and guides on the subject of fishing knots. The important knots to know are the Albright knot, double surgeons knot, nail knot, and the improved clinch knot.

Tip 6: Get a Tackle Box

A tackle box (or waterproof gear bag) is handy if you have a lot of fly fishing gear to carry. It is recommended that you use a tackle box in order to keep your fishing gear dry, secure and organized.

Tip 7: A Wading Staff for Stability

When fishing in a rocky stream or river with unstable footing, a wading staff will increase your stability whilst wading. To improve your stability and grip whilst wading in the water, consider getting a pair of wading shoes.

Tip 8: Protect Yourself Fron The Sun

Fly fishing for hours in the sun can do great harm to your skin. In order to protect your skin, use a decent sun block product. Whilst fishing it is recommended that you wear a decent pair of polarized sunglasses to protect you from the glare reflected off the water’s surface.

Tip 9: Terminology of Your Rod and Reel

  • guides – metallic rings on your rod through which you feed your fly line.
  • butt – bottom section of the fly fishing rod where you hold it.
  • reel seat – the reel fits onto the rod at the reel seat.
  • locking ring – the ring that is tightened to secure your reel to the rod.
  • foot of the reel – the part of the reel that attaches to the rod.
  • drag knob – knob on the side of the reel which can be tightened to increase line drag.
  • spool – part of the reel around which your fly line is wrapped.
  • arbor – central part of the spool to which you attach your backing line.

Tip 10: Don’t Break the Bank

Fly fishing can be an expensive sport to get into. Buying a fly fishing outfit package is a cost-effective way of getting your essential fly fishing equipment at a reasonable price. A package containing a fly fishing rod with a matching fly fishing reel and fly fishing line is known as a fly fishing outfit.

 

In order to find out more information on fly fishing, check out the news feed for Fly Fishing Elite (LeighRSS).

Another Tournament
Image by BluegrassAnnie via Flickr

Fishing reels have become engineering marvels over the last couple of years.They have space aged designs, super light construction, bearings and gears that would make a Nasa Engineer proud.  Shimano’s latest release, the 2009 Shimano Curado 200e7 might be the best reel ever made!It’s definitely the best fishing reel I’ve ever bought.

Starting with the sleek lightweight design, it just fits my hand nicely.  It’s cool dark green metallic look is also stylish.I like how the low profile allows me to palm the reel while winding.The very smooth seven.1:1 retrieve ratio picks up so much line on each cast, you become so much more proficient.  I particularily love this feature when fishing in clear water.On a recent adventure to a gin clear lake, the fish would only bite on super long casts and wouldn’t even think of hitting your lure close to the boat.  You know when your retrieve is out of the strike zone so you can just reel up fast and fire out another cast.This allowed me to cast more and catch twice as many fish as my back of the boat partner.

And speaking of super long casts, the Shimao Curado 200e7 has a Variable Brake System (VBS) that allows you to dial in just how much spool resistance you like.With seven ball bearings, this reel just spits out the line.  It also has an extremely large spool which allows you to carry more line.This reduces friction and allows your best lure to look like it was shot out of a cannon.

This is a sweet all around reel.  I use one for buzzbaits, flipping, braided line frog fishing, and of course throwing my favorite crankbaits.The very large reel handle grips make it easy to fish all day.This reel is so very light, which prevents your fingers and hands from getting fatigued.

For my money, this is the best reel ever built and I’ve replaced all my with the Shimano Curado 200e7.  You can find this reel and other Shimano reels at http:www.fishingreels4less.com.

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How to Catch Fish

How to Catch More and Bigger Fish

I have been fishing for 20 years and it is my life’s goal to catch more and bigger fish than anyone else.  I can even remember the very first fish that I caught when I was 5 it was at a small stream that me and my family camp at every summer in the Bighorns.  Everyone was taking a nap so I went and barrowed my dads pole and headed down to the stream, now up to this point my dad had helped me catch many fish and showed me how to catch fish but I had never really caught one by myself, so I dropped the worm in and  I started to feel a nibble so I set the hook.  I was so excited I did not realize how hard I set the hook the fish came shooting out of the water and got tangle in the tree behind me.  It was an 8 inch Brook Trout and at the time I did not realize but I was hopelessly HOOKED on fishing, that’s all I could think about from that point on.  From that second on like many others before me I was on a quest to catch more fish, bigger fish, and more often.

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Things That Need to Be Considered When Learning How to Catch Fish

There are a few things that need to be considered before we get to far into the subject on how to catch fish and they are as followed.

  1. What kind of fish you are trying to catch
  2. What kind of food you target game fish feeds on chubs, fatheads, shad, grasshoppers, gnats, etc.
  3. What stages your target species goes through when they spawn, when the fall turnover is, etc.
  4. What type of cover your species favors

These are just a few thing that must be considered when thinking about catching fish.   Now I am not saying this is the only way to catch fish but this is how I catch fish. Please feel free to comment on any of the post I hope this has been of some help and good luck and happy fishing!

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If you are always going to the beach with your family and/or friends, maybe you would like to try something new aside from eating and swimming? How about a new recreation called surf fishing? At first glance, you could say that there is no big deal when it comes to surf fishing. It’s just the same as any other fishing trip that you already know. You just need to hold a fishing rod and you just stand in one spot on the beach, wading on the cool saltwater beach and wait for something to grab your line. Surf fishing is a lot harder than you think and you need to learn some surf fishing tips first. It’s okay if you just want to try it out but if you are getting “hooked” on surf fishing, then, you need to find useful tips.

But before anything else, let me have the chance to share to you some surf fishing advices that I’ve learned. The time element in surf fishing is very important. According to some expert surf fishermen, one of the best surf fishing techniques is knowing the time when to go surf fishing and the best time to go surf fishing is high tide, before all of the beachgoers that scare fish come to the beach. So, what do I mean by that? Go surf fishing when everyone else is still fast asleep or something like that.

In spite of the rushing of waves at the beach, you don’t have to buy a specialized fishing rod and other equipment or gear. According to some book guides that teach surf fishing basics, it’s not on the rod that determines your success but how well you cast. When deciding how well you cast, be realistic about what you can accomplish so that you can catch the maximum of fish that you want. And basing on this, the best rod is something that is shorter so you can easily move from one spot to another.

There are still many things you need to know about surf fishing but for now, it is enough to know that surf fishing is really an enjoyable thing to do while on the beach.