| Different bodies of water have different "personalities," . For that reason, a presentation that works well on your favorite lake might not do the trick on a different lake. Some fish populations seem more vulnerable to aggressive methods, like wide-wobbling crankbaits, while on other waters, the same species might be best caught using a light line, slow-moving bait technique. It¹s something to watch for. Before getting disappointed about how many fish you catch, or how big they are, make sure you understand the potential of the water you're fishing, Some lakes, rivers, ponds, or reservoirs simply don't have that many fish of a given species, or perhaps they've had bad hatches in recent years and the number of fish is down from what the water has historically produced. It's important to begin your fishing day with realistic expectations, that will put your catches in focus If the wind really blows hard in one direction for the majority of a day, concentrate your fishing on areas that got the brunt of the blow the next day...even if the wind switches or stops blowing. Generally speaking, fish that are on those "wind-affected" structures are more active than fish found in other portions of the lake. No matter what "the books" say about where fish should be, and what they should bite on, you should let your own experiences guide your choices. Today's best anglers are finding fish in places the books say they shouldn't be, and they're catching them with lure presentations history would suggest shouldn't work. So don't rule out any possibility until you've tried it yourself, no matter how different it might be. When fishing, make a conscious effort to change your presentation until you find what the fish want. One important way to change things up is to try crankbaits that have distinctly different wobbles, that is, begin with a bait that has a tight wobbling action, and if it doesn’t catch fish that day, switch to a lure with a wider wobble. Unusually cold and windy spring weather can make for poor spawning conditions, and that can change the picture of your fishing for the entire open-water season. Baitfish and "young of the year" gamefish (small perch,black bass, etc.) can be scarce, compared with normal years. That means less food for the bigger predator fish that are already in the system. And, it can mean that those fish have to search harder and longer for food. Fishing can be good, but the fish will be scattered and possibly roaming more than they normally would. So in such years, fish quickly and move often from spot to spot...and don't necessarily expect to find huge concentrations of fish. Not catching fish? Try using lures that are different--in color, size, action--from what most other anglers in your area are using. Some fish can actually become conditioned to avoid lures that go by them on a daily basis. Choose something different, you can stand a better chance of fooling fish by using something that they haven't seen as often. Landing nets don’t have to harm fish you want to release. Tire a fish out, but don’t exhaust it (exhausted fish often die after being released). Lead it into the net, head first. Don’t lunge at the fish with the net. Once the fish is in the net, let up on the pressure of the line. If possible, don’t lift the fish in and out of the water, and don’t work on the fish on the bottom of the boat-- that’s what rubs away the fish’s protective slime. Use pliers or Hook Remover to unhook the fish. Let the fish go only after it’s plenty strong enough to stay upright continously on its own. Too many anglers over-analyze their fishing. Some of the biggest catches of the year come in places where the fish should have no business being but they’re in there, and they can be caught. When you hit the water, think about what you’re doing, and systematically fish different types of spots. But don’t get too hung up on water temperature, and water clarity, and water depth, and what season of the year it is. If the fish aren’t biting where you are, after you’ve given them a decent chance, change things up until you start catching them Cast past your intended target when fishing shallow cover. Many times, anglers are proud of their ability to place pinpoint casts tight to logs, brush, or weeds. What they don’t realize is that especially if they begin their retrieve as soon as the lure hits the water the splashing bait can spook even big fish from the spot. The lure is pulled away before the frightened fish turns to see it, and an opportunity is lost. **Learn to be happy with less than your limit of fish. It seems like too many people think of catching their limit as being the most important thing to shoot for. Fishing is supposed to be a sport, supposed to be fun. It doesn't mean you failed when you don't catch your limit. But, when limits become the focus of your fishing, you may be failing to understand the true joy the sport can bring. Here’s a trick : If a fish follows your lure but won’t hit, try moving away and coming back at another angle. It also helps if you position the sun at your back, so the fish has to look into it while approaching your boat. That lighting condition makes it harder for the fish to see your movement Pay attention to the sunny and shady sides of structure. Many species prefer the shady side of points, weeds, and other cover. But, a surprising number of fish will "hide” on the sunny side at times, or just inside the shade on the sunny side. As you are presenting lures to a given spot, notice whether your fish come from the shady or sunny side, and it will help you establish a fish-catching pattern. When you’re working areas thick with timber, stumps, or other woody cover, fish shallow- running crankbaits very slowly,When you feel the lure contact brush, stop reeling immediately and snap your rod tip back toward the lure. This gives the lure slack line and allows it to float up and away from the snag. Then, continue retrieving. Many times, ticking cover will trigger strikes. If the cover is sparse and mainly stumps or downed logs, you can fish a shallow-runner quickly, bumping the cover at high speed, which also triggers strikes. “Fish bite at noon on the full moon.Especially with species that are normally low-light (early and late in the day) feeders, you often find a good “bite” right in the middle of the day, for about four days or so on each side of the full moon. **It’s encouraging to see that more people are releasing their fish without lifting them out of the water. Here’s to the hope that photos of fish being held, horizontally and carefully, in the water, become the most common memory-makers of great trips. If you’re fishing a river and find a quick-moving run that’s holding a number of fish, try this trick: put on a sinker about 18-24 inches in front of a floating lure, and cast it into the current. Close your reel and simply let the current cause the lure to wobble. It should slide slightly from side to side, flashing and darting. No need to reel in; just wait for a strike. **Take advantage of peak seasons when planning a fishing vacation. Many lakes have a justifiable reputation for producing a lot of big fish. But what is sometimes a secret is the time period during which most of those big fish are caught. By asking questions of a resort owner, and local tackle stores, you can get a good idea when the peak period is...and plan your trip to put you on the water at that time. Many important fishing opportunities are lost when excited people try to tie on new lures. The best anglers go on the water with at least 3 rods rigged with radically different styles of baits, maybe a crankbait, a live bait rig, and a soft plastic of some kind. That way, if you catch one fish and can’t get others to bite...or the action slows after a quick flurry...or a big fish takes a swipe but won’t commit...you can grab something else to offer and have it in the water faster. Try rigging live baits on a tube jig hook. It’s a hook designed to be used with plastic worms, but it’s realy good for live baits. The weight is molded onto the hook, so you cast the bait and weight in one neat package. |
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