Fishing Line Knots: Best Thing To Help You Catch The Most Fish

Being able to tie the right fishing line knots is extremely important to being an effective fisherman. Unfortunately, many fishermen are unaware of how to do fishing knots properly. Here are some important tips to help you to find out this information, and help you start benefiting as a result.

First of all, before you learn the right fishing knots to try, remember that this will all depend on whether or not you are a fly fisherman or a regular fishermen, whether you enjoy kayak fishing, bass fishing, salmon fishing, etc. Although there are certainly a lot of different lying knots used in fly fishing, the most common are generally pretty easy to tie.

The basic ones are the arbor knot, Albright knot, nail knot, double surgeon knot, and also the improved clinch knot. Remember, there are certainly many more knots than these that have proven worthwhile, but the ones listed are generally the most effective, and the most commonly utilized by the top fishermen.

The Arbor knot is connected to the fly real to the backing. The Albright knot is generally utilized to connect the backing to the fly line, the nail knot usually gives you the connection between the fly line in the letter, and the improved clinch not make sure that the fly is connected to the tip to it. Of course, these may seem very hard understand at first, but the more you do it, it will become like clockwork. You won't even think about the process of tying your fishing line knocks once you become an avid fisherman.

Of course, you need to make sure that the knots are all on tightly before you go out fishing. In order to do this, pour some water on and then pull gently on them to make sure that they are secure.

Even seasoned professionals don't do this on occasion, and they pay as a result, because the fishing line knots can come loose and portions of erotic can follow the water. Also, another drawback is that the fish might escape from the line and simply get away.

Always remember that the equipment should be discarded immediately once it is beginning to show signs of wear and tear. Remember, no matter how good a fisherman you are, you can only be as good as the equipment you are using. If you are using the equipment how you can never be as effective as you otherwise might.

Obviously, this is simply a quick introduction to the art of tying fishing line knots, and they're still much for you to learn. However, there is certainly some very good news; there are a lot of books that have been written on time fishing nets, and you can certainly learn from the best.

Also, try to go out fishing with other good fisherman's you know, and find out which knots work best for them. This is a great, because you can take advantage of knowledge that they've gained from years of fishing, and therefore rapidly accelerate your learning curve on the art of fishing and fishing knots.

The best way is to take a course in fishing from experienced fishermen, and find out what is effective for them. Whether you want bass fishing tips, salmon, etc, you can find the right course to meet your needs. Hopefully these fishing line knots tips will help you to find the most effective knots for your fishing needs and help you to start learning the art of fishing as quickly as possible.

...Read the rest of this entry

Video Entertainment for Your Car

When I saw the DVD player in my friend’s car dashboard, I instantly thought that the DVD would help nothing than just give him more chance to accidents. He couldn’t watch DVD while drive, neither do I. So, his idea to put that thing on the dashboard was a silly thing.

On another chance I was driving with my cousin and his family. It was a long and boring drive which took 5 hours to reach destination, and I slightly remembered the car DVD player. I believe the DVD would allow us to have a fun and better traveling time. We could watch at least 2 movies and arrived with no boring sensation.

I recognized that DVD player is coming more popular today. At the same time, the prices are dropping into a modest price that anyone can afford. For a quick compare, ShopWiki.com is a best place to go as they provides thousand of online stores with various products and prices.

Now, if I’m going for a budget option, several products like Philips PET1002, Samsung DVD-L100, or Audiovox D1700 are worth enough to go. These types of DVD players have special advantages which are easy to install (almost no installation required), built-in speaker and screen, and compact to carry. Smart enough to keep my wallet from broke.

Someday, if I want better gadget and performance, the high end DVD players are nice options. The high-end DVD player comes in permanent installation and requires more support, but these are paid with high quality output. They can be placed on the backseat or the upper dashboard of the car.

...Read the rest of this entry

Fishing Tackle: Selecting Marine or Saltwater Fish

There are many factors to consider when selecting fish. You need to ensure that you have the experience to look after the fish you select, that the fish you buy are healthy, and that they are compatible with the fish you currently have.

As a starting point, it is very import that you only buy very healthy fish because the best way to keep strong healthy fish is to start with strong healthy fish. Buying a fish because it doesn't look well or happy and you feel sorry for it and want to give it a better home in your display tank is not a very good idea. An unwell fish can introduce diseases into your tank that can infect your other fish, and may even cause them to die. It helps to become familiar with a species of fish before you buy it as this will allow you to be clear on exactly what it should look and act like. Ensure the fish looks alert with clean clear eyes, fins and scales. It is also important that the fish appears eager to feed and can maintain its position in the water column. And finally, as a precaution, only buy from a clean healthy store that you trust.

To break this down I simply refer to all fish as number 1, number 2, or number 3 fish. I refer to number 1 fish as fish that most people can easily keep in regular aquarium conditions. Number 2 fish are fish that from my experience work for some people and not for others and number 3 fish being those which don't work for most people.

Some examples of number 1 fish are Damsels, Clownfish, Dottyback, Triggerfish, Pufferfish, Foxface, Rabbitfish, most Wrasse, most Tangs, Blennies, Cardinal fish, lionfish. Some examples of number 2 fish are , most Tangs, Boxfish, Angels, Gobies, Sweetlip. Some examples of number 3 fish are Moorish idol, Powder Blue Tang, Achilles Tangs, Anthias, Filefish, pipefish, Mandarin fish, Butterfly fish.

Many people select marine fish by wondering into aquarium shores and looking around until they see a fish that catches their attention at that time, they will them ask the staff member closes to them if this fish will go with the few of their fish that they remember to name. If the staff member says yes then that is a green light to buy the fish. This approach takes very little into consideration and will as often as not result in the person purchasing a fish that was not likely to work from the start.

After a considerable amount of time and money, the person will start to understand which fish work in their aquarium, mind you most will have given up marine fish before this time has arisen. Instead of the impulse approach where you slowly learn the hard lesions of fish selection, I strongly recommend starting with a wish list.

A wish list is simply a list of fish that you wish to keep together in your tank. The beauty of a wish list is that you are able to show it to other experience aquarists to get their opinions on how these fish are likely to go together. If you have fish already you can add them to the top of the wish list to reduce the chance of adding other fish that won't work with the fish you have. If you have a wish list you are likely to seek out experts to ask in order to gain the right advise. With the impulse approach you are far more likely to ask the nearest sales person and hope that they know. With the wish list you are able to use the opinions of a range of experts to save you a lot of time and money learning hard lesson on paper instead of with real fish. This is a very responsible and economical approach.

When selecting fish for your aquarium there are several things to consider before purchasing it e.g. diet, aggression, territoriality and weather it will nip at your corals.

A simple thing that you need to remember is that fish don't want to die. They will only die if you don't provide them with at least their basic minimum requirements. By researching a fishes basic minimum requirements first and asking a few people for their experiences keeping that fish you can massively increase the amount of success that you have when keeping marine fish.

The use of the wish list is going to help you make sure you are mixing fish that will commonly work together. Regardless of where you are at it is worth asking the right person the right questions to ensure that the fish you add are likely to work together. Regardless of how qualified the advice you get, fish are fish and in the end they do what they want how they want. Just because 10 experts tell you something is likely to happen, it doesn't mean that that will happen. Understand that the fish you buy are your responsibility and your responsibility alone. So if the fish you buy don't seem to be mixing well, it is up to you to separate them, before too many fish affected by the troubles.

It is important consider aggression when selecting fish. Monitor the aggression of the fish you keep and only add fish that will be able to compete with the fish that you have and not over compete. If you add a fish that is too aggressive for the fish you have it is likely to act boisterously and eat all the fish food and attack the other fish in the tank, even killing them. When you see this type of activity remove the trouble maker before it is able to cause you any more problems. The key is just as much in the monitoring and the action you take once a problem is identified as it is in initial selection.

Some fish are more so territorial then plan aggressive, an aggressive fish will attack fish for seemingly no reason. A territorial fish will drive fish out of their territory but leave them when the fish is out of its territory. It is worth considering territorial behaviour when selecting fish. Some fish like the Dottyback is territorial and can often be housed safely with many fish because its territory is small, leaving room for the other fish in the tank, while some other fish like coral trout can get so large that its territory can be the whole tank.

There is a big difference between territorial, aggressive and predatory. Territorial fish drive fish out of their territory, aggressive fish attack other fish for what can seem like to reason but to show dominance and predatorily fish eat other fish. Predatorily fish don't have to be aggressive or territorial. Predatorily fish are primarily concerned with their belly, what can fit in their mouth is what they will eat. A perfect example of a predatory fish if the lionfish. This fish is not aggressive or territorial but it will eat any fish that will fit in its huge mouth, which is about the same size as it body. When selecting fish it is worth assuming that all fish are predatory.

When creating you wish list also include when you intend to adding the fish, because you also want to gather comments on this. Most groups of fish are best added at the some time to reduce territorially e.g. any tangs should be added together, any clown should be added together, this is also true for many fish even Wrasse and angels.

Many fish take about 3 day to settle into a new tank, in this time it is common for them not to feed and they may act differently. It is important to monitor new fish extra carefully for the first week for stress, behaviour, aggression and feeding habits. Always watch for changes in behaviour, action must be take when it is required.

Some fish live in large schools in the wild and do tend to fret with kept in aquariums singly or in small groups. These fish are used to having a lot of their own kind around them as an instinctual form of security, when they are placed in aquariums lightly stocked with fish they stress thinking there is danger because the rest of their school is absent. This can be the case when all the other fish appear fine but an individual seems to be jumpy and breathing quickly, some examples of these fish are Blue Tangs, green chromis and anthias.

If you are going to introduce fish to a tank with Coral and invertebrates it is important to identify which are likely to be a threat to them. This could be identified as A, B C fish. Some fish e.g. C fish will eat coral like Butterfly fish and Angelfish.
While others e.g. B fish will nip at it sometimes like Triggerfish, Pufferfish, Foxface, Rabbitfish most Wrasse, most Tangs Moorish idol. Others are mostly safe with coral e.g. A fish like Damsels, Clownfish, Dottyback, Blennies, Cardinal fish, lionfish, Anthias. Filefish, pipefish and Gobies.

Your wish list is a way of reduce the risk of introducing a coral eater to a coral tank. If you get a fish that only nips a particular type of coral you can consider avoiding that piece in the future. Hungry fish are more likely to graze on coral , even if your fish is not eating the coral it may stress it by nipping it regularly coursing it by often closed, depriving it of light.

Most fish need similar amounts of nutrients but the way they process the food means that not all foods are appropriate for all fish. You must consider what you will be feeding that tank when you buy fish for the tank. Herbivores have long digestive systems and a designed for consuming green food stuffs while predators have a short digestive system for eating fish meat. Some high quality pellet and flake foods can be fed to all fish but many natural food like fresh fish and seaweed are not suitable for some fish e.g. Meat is not good for herbivores and seaweed is not good for predators, this is because of the way that the fish process that food.

It is very important not to introduce new fish unless that your aquarium is running perfectly for the last month. You will increase the chances of problems like Whitespot if the fish are introduced more regularly than once a month, so add some fish then wait a month then add some more then wait a month. It will also help to ensure that you are running a lower salt level e.g. 1.020 when you introduce new fish, this will help lower osmotic stress on the fish and also help reduce the chance of problems like Whitespot.

...Read the rest of this entry

The Beginners Sea Fishing Tackle Tips

So you're going to give sea angling ago or you are an old timer with years of experience, sea fishing is all about challenging yourself and pushing the envelope and not to forget enjoyment, Sea fishing is no means easy however there are a few ways to improve your fishing.

Other sea anglers around you! You will probably pick up new tips and advice from sea anglers alike, this information is invaluable to both beginners and experienced anglers remember sea fishing knowledge reverts to a better chance of that once of a life time monster fish.

Quality of my sea fishing tackle! Making sure you have the right tools for the job is paramount; you wouldn't want that big fish to get away because of a cheap hook or a poorly made swivel. That's why here a Monster Fishing we insure that you get the very best quality for your money by stocking high end professional brands such as Mustad, Hiro, Breakaway, Gemini, Shakespeare, Penn and more.

Selecting the right sea fishing tackle gear! Everyone has a personal preference when it comes to sea rods through to sea rigs; the important thing is find something that suits you not everyone else. Set yourself a target and try and stick to it, as you gain experience you can then progress onto more advanced tactics.

Sea Rigs made easy. Just because you cant tie a rig doesn't mean you're a bad sea angler! There are lots of Ready made Rigs available such as Gemini, Mustad and Sakuma. See our range of sea rigs for a good selection.

There are so many sea tackle products to choose from! That's what we are here for! Feel free to email us any sea fishing tackle questions or product enquires to info@monsterfishing.co.uk

Reliable Service & Tackle Choice, Now you may be thinking what this has to do with sea fishing, well getting the right product is critical, to be able to have a large choice in sea fishing tackle and gear all under one roof at a great price is a advantage which some local tackle shops cannot provide.Check out our shop or other large online retail shops.

Lure Fishing from the shore. Latex and other imitation sea fishing lures attract a large variety of species such as Bass, Pollock, and Mackerel all lures have different methods on how they should be fished, some are a copy of a real bait fish and some just spoons or rubber strips. We recommend the following lures, Bass Bandit, Sidewinder, Skaliwags Mackerel Stripe and the famous Dexter Wedge. They can all be found in our extensive lures section. However there is something for everyone and a lot boils down to the venue and success rate. Catching a Big Bass off a lure on the shoreline is very rewarding which is why so many sea anglers become totally addicted.

Safety whilst fishing. Remember your sea fishing tackle can be replaced but your life cannot, beware of tides and dangerous rock marks! Always plan, best advice is to purchase a Floatation suit from a reputable source. We stock a selection of high quality floatation suits in our clothing section.See our link!

Source: Articlesbase.com

...Read the rest of this entry

Tropical Fish Facts: Five Thing on Fishing Tackle

Tropical fish are beautiful, and that's a fact! They are ideal pets if you don't have a lot of spare time as they don't need walking and don't scratch the furniture. But there are some tropical fish facts and tips you should know before buying your first aquarium.

Tropical Fish Fact One
The majority of people of start off with a very small aquarium not realizing they will soon become hooked. Before too long they are back to the pet shop buying another one the next size up.

Tip: Don't buy the smallest aquarium you can find - you may well be wasting your time and money although the pet shop owner will love you.

Tropical Fish Fact Two
Tropical fish are categorized by their nature. Like humans, some are loners and will bite the head off anyone that comes too close, some like only their own species and don't mix too well with others, and some are friendly, outgoing, and love spending time with anyone who comes their way.

Tip: Check if the tropical fish you are buying are non-community fish, semi-aggressive or community fish.

Tropical Fish Fact Three
There are certain types of tropical fish you should buy when introducing them to a new tank. You must be sure to buy hardy fish as the levels of ammonia and nitrate in your tank will fluctuate before evening out over time, and not all tropicals can survive these changes.

Tip: Make sure you know your stuff before buying your first fish. If the shop owner is not an expert, search reference books and Internet forums for the best types of hardy tropical starter fish.

Tropical Fish Fact Four
Some dainty, delicate and fragile looking tropical fish can grow extremely large very fast! This will mean a further trip back to the pet shop where the owner will greet you rubbing his hands in glee.

Tip: Find out exactly how large your potential purchase will grow before you purchase it.

Tropical Fish Fact Five
Aquariums need equipment such as filters, pumps and heaters. Filtration systems help to keep the fine ecological balance necessary in your aquarium for the fish to thrive. They are readily available in three different types.

Tip: Don't purchase your filtration system before you know which fish are going into your aquarium. Choose from either a chemical, mechanical or biological filter after discussing with an expert which would be the best for your particular tank.

There is nothing more soothing after a stressful day than relaxing and losing yourself in the graceful, colorful and calming world of beautiful tropical fish, and armed with these few tropical fish facts and tips this colorful world could soon be a part of your life.

...Read the rest of this entry

Family Fishing Weekend

Big catch? There’s no doubt you can do that when you go for fishing with your friends. Over ten years you have caught many fishes from various lakes and rivers. They gave you a certain experience when pulling your rods with a big salmon on its end.

If you have those feeling, why don’t you try to share it with your family? The next weekend, you can your family to go for a family fantastic fishing weekend. Rather than visiting Disneyland (which you have had on the previous weekend), or trying the new computer games, the family fishing takes you and your family to become familiar with the nature.

For the family, the water is an great place to teach and learn. However, the key of success on it depends before you even head to the water. Take the time to teach your children the basics of fishing, like casting, reeling, troubleshooting and others in the backyard before you go for the real lake. Make that preparation at least a week before the fishing time so you can build your children’s excitement about fishing.

The next teaching will be around the four basic casting methods including sidearm, flipping, backhand, and overhead. Remember to equip you children with proper stuff at their age. This would also count to what kind of species you plan to catch.

Troubleshooting reels, tangles, and other malfunctions override are the next step for your children to learn. It is best to have your children troubleshoot on their own reel because it’s difficult to learn these tasks while actually attempting to fish.

It’s different when you go fishing with your friends or your family. So, the next step is to locate the proper lake ground for your fishing weekend. At least you will spend a day or a couple, thus make sure all you family member will enjoy the time. Take a hike around the area or drive into town for the day.

The last thing you should know is the preparation. Make sure you have packed the appropriate gear for your length of stay and the location. I guess you don’t want to break a pole and have no replacement, do you? Your children should bring their own gear, their own tackle box, which will allow them to put their decisions on their own. Bring your iPod shuffle so you can have the fishing time along with your favorite tracks. An iPod armband will give you more comfort while listening to them.

If you choose to go boating when on your fishing trip, then make sure you have the proper safety gear. The life preservers should be properly fitting for children. If gear is too large then the safety equipment isn't acceptable for children. By having proper safety gear in place you can spend more time enjoying your trip rather than worrying about your kids.

...Read the rest of this entry

The Great Market in India

India is one of Asia’s developing countries that contributes a lot to the IT field. India’s human resources are well known around the web, that we oftenly found several names as you surfing the web. Amit Agarwal is one example which has a good reputation among bloggers. His personal blog started with blogspot that talked about the web applications. As the time goes, his daily visitors went up and his subscribers are among thousands. The labnol project then became a popular thing on the net.

Kakul Srivastava maybe another person who might familiar with since she’s the Senior Director of Product Management of Flickr at Yahoo! Company. At the Flickr video issues, her name were oftenly said on various publications and blogs. Kakul oversees the product and business operations for one of the world’s largest and most popular photo sharing communities with 25 million members who have shared more than 2 billion photos. She has been part of the Flickr team since the company’s acquisition by Yahoo! in the spring of 2005, helping Flickr grow its membership more than 50 times larger during that span. It is now ranked among the top photo sites globally and is available in eight languages.

Instead of the qualified human resources, India is also known as the big market for global industry. With an estimated population of 1.13 billion, India is the world's second most populous country. The number is continuously growing and surely it’s a great opportunity for every manufacturers to sell their products.

Sometimes language are the main obstacles for every marketers to deliver their message to the prospects, which finally considered will generate purchases. At this stage, every marketers should find their help on outsourcing resources to translate their marketing message to the customers. The IAFL Translation & Interpretation Service is India’s leading translation agency. Anyone can generate their India translation based on the language you have (basically English). Not only India, the site also offers the service for Farsi translation or Arabic translation. They offer fast e-mail response under an hour so anyone wouldn’t left unpatient to wait for the reply. The company established since 1989 and currently serving several Fortune 500 corporations.

...Read the rest of this entry

Sailfish Fishing

By: John Old

A great place to go after sailfish is not too hard if you pay attention to many of the great anglers. Of course, finding them for yourself requires a keen eye for the habitat in which the sailfish strive. One such place is located of the Florida coastline near Fort Pierce, where in 65 feet of water, you can find the breeding grounds for a great number of predators as well as bait fish along the series of reefs.

By November however, the waters become too chilly for the sailfish since the temp can drop below 70 degrees with ease. But do not fear; just go out a little further to where the water get between 150 and 120 feet deep and there is another great set of reefs which is known to have one of the largest concentrations of sailfish in the area.

It is in this area, which is located roughly 8 miles off from Fort Pierce in which you will find the locale that is known as the 8 mile. Here, the warm Gulf Streams push a great number of not only sails and other predators, but bait fish as well right up into the reefline. Since the sailfish is more of a pack hunter, looking for the bait balls along this reefline, will put you in perfect location to catch yourself some sailfish.

From that point, you will need a trained eye to catch the surface activity of the sailfish tailing the swells just on the shore-side of the Gulf Stream. If you can find these tailers, you are in a good position to hook yourself a sailfish. Now there are two major, as well as proven methods to catching these sailfish. The first method is by tossing some pitch bait in front of the fish, while the second is to use a drag bait situated in front of the sailfish's bill.

Many local family fishermen use a ballyhoo rigging in order to catch the sailfish, but with a little time and practice you can pick up on the local techniques. The whole goal of course is to make your own artificial bait pod to attract the sailfish right to your rigging.

...Read the rest of this entry

Ice Fishing In Ontario

By: Sunny Jones

Ontario is Canada's number one fishing destination. Ontario is an "Iriquoian" word meaning beautiful or shining waters. As Ontario has some 250,000 lakes there is plenty of beautiful shiny water about. Most people know it as a fisherman's paradise in summer but don't forget it has a great winter season too. Why not consider ice fishing in Ontario this winter?

Fishing in winter is more of an adventure holiday. For the Canadians it is an everyday event and no big deal to cut a hole in the ice and start fishing or to haul out an ice fishing hut and in comfort. For everyone reading who is not from North America you probably won't know much about ice fishing or ever have considered it for a winter holiday. But for all you keen fishermen and women out there it is a fantastic experience that you should not miss.

You can chose literally any type of holiday you want and combine it with some ice fishing. The lakes and rivers are so numerous that wherever you chose to stay you are going to be in reach of a days fishing.

If you are traveling with the family and you are staying in the city you can still arrange a guide, an ice hut and fishing equipment for a day out on the lake fishing and enjoying the wonderful scenery.

If you are on a skiing holiday you can bet you can fit in a days fishing. These trips may also be featured as a sideline during snowmobiling, dog sledding, Native Cultural experiences or adventure lodge trip holidays.

There are hotels, motels cabins and B&B's all dedicated to the winter fisherman. You can rough it or stay in five star luxury. You can get a guide to show you the best fishing spots and you can sit out on the ice or have the comfort of a basic hut which will keep you warm and keep the wind off or a luxury ice fishing hut complete with heating and kitchen.

There are basic safety rules, the main one being make sure the ice is at least four inches thick, but a skilled ice fishing guide will see you have everything you need and update you on safety rules. You will also need warm, water proof clothing. Everything you need can be hired.

There are a number of ways to get to fishing spots. The easiest, you just drive up, get out of the car, tramp out across the lake and start fishing. But for the more adventurous you can snowmobile out to a more secluded spot or really go for it and hire a light plane to take you to the more remote areas of Ontario. Whatever you do you will see beautiful winter scenery and have some of the best fishing of your life.

This will be a unique fishing experience and it gives you the chance to potentially catch some very big fish. Depending where you chose to fish you might catch, lake trout, northern pike, walleye, whitefish or rainbow trout. There are 180 varieties of fish in Canada and 144 of them are found in Ontario! Of course after catching your fish You will want to eat it and what could be better than an open fire out by the frozen lake and the smell of fish cooking while you enjoy all that beautiful winter white Ontario scenery.

...Read the rest of this entry

Trolling Reels - Saltwater Lever Drag Two Speed Fishing Reels For Big Game

By: Henry Yoo

Trolling reels are typically used for offshore big-game trolling in open water. Trolling is the process of dragging both bait and lures behind a moving vessel, which is a productive way to locate schools of migratory fish. The reason being, when a boat trolls over a school of fish, the wake and commotion on the surface emulates a ball of bait. This triggers the feeding instincts of many offshore species and immediately sends the leading edge of the school towards the commotion to investigate, with the rest of the pack following. As the most aggressive fish in the school frantically try and chase down this commotion, the trolling lures, jigs and baits are the first hint of a meal that they come across. They charge at them with reckless abandon, inhaling what appears to the fish as vulnerable stragglers, desperately trying to catch up with the rest of the pack.

As soon as one of the trolling lures or baits is inhaled, the trolling reel begins to sing, with the clicker of the reel creating a loud noise that notifies the angler to get ready. This sends the anglers into a dash for their gear, yelling "hook-up", which immediately causes the captain to throw the vessel into neutral to stop the boat. As the momentum of the vessel carries the boat forward, the crew begins to throw live bait, either by pieces or in full scoops. By now, the rest of the migrating school has caught up to the commotion and is met with the temptation of live bait, sending them into a feeding frenzy.

However, a wide-open bite is not always the result of a hook-up while trolling. When the fish are down, or when the conditions are far from ideal, trolling will produce the majority of the catch, with no feeding frenzy following the trolled up fish. On these days, it is essential to land every troll fish and having the right equipment is critical in accomplishing this. Trolling rod and reel combos are the most expensive combos on the market today. Due to their importance in locating roaming schools of open water fish, manufacturers like Shimano®, Penn®, Daiwa®, Okuma® and Accurate® incorporate the finest materials and technologies to ensure strength and durability in producing the best fishing reel capable of handling record-breaking trophies.

Trolling reels are typically found in the lever drag system. On these types of fishing reels, the drag pressure adjusts with the slide of a lever, which is located on the top of the reel to the right. Designated markings of, or similar to freespool, strike and full are found on reels like the Penn® International series, Shimano Tiagra® and the Acurrate Twin Drag® saltwater trolling reels. Most later models come in a two- speed version, with two separate gear ratios that serve different purposes. The high gear is to gain as much line as possible with every turn of the handle, sacrificing torque and power. Low gear, on the other hand, provides tremendous torque and in return, sacrifices the ability to retrieve a substantial amount of line per crank. When properly utilized, both gears are designed to maximize the chances of quickly and efficiently landing scale-busting size fish.

The most noticeable difference in a trolling reel are the two rings that sit atop all trolling fishing reels. These rings are part of the frame and hold an enormous amount of strength. Trolling straps are attached through these rings, as well as big game harnesses and on some occasions, a back-up rod and reel combo, a common practice when fishing on long range boats out of San Diego for huge bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Trolling reels are so strong and powerful, I have even seen anglers cut these rings off and even go so far as to make custom frames to readily access the spool and use trolling reels as live bait reels. I do not recommend this practice, as many of the latest star-drag conventional reels will serve the same purpose.

With the high prices of fuel, trolling around in offshore waters can be very costly. That is why every serious big-game angler should consider having the best saltwater tackle available when it comes to their arsenal. The properly maintained saltwater combo can mean the difference in coming home with a trophy of a lifetime, or coming home skunked, carrying an empty sack.

...Read the rest of this entry

Summer Fishing and Vacation Tips

When summer time comes and salmon are starting to run, many people who like fishing visit Alaska. Tourists tend to know when the salmon run starts. This may not be on purpose but they do know the best place to catch salmon is in Alaska.

Alaska’s waters make their tourists get the Alaska fishing guide and provide the tourists the best spots in Alaska for fishing. First, you have to know what kind of fish you want to catch. You can choose from different varieties of fishes like silver salmon, arctic char, steelhead, Alaska king salmon, rainbow trout, or any other fish.

The Arctic, Southwest, South central, Southeast and the interior are the five known geographical places in Alaska. These are the sites where you can maximize your fishing expedition. You have to hire a fishing guide since you do not know the area. They may give the best spots for you and accompany you to your fishing.

There Are Some Things You May Want To Ask From Your Guide.

1. You have to know how long they have been doing their work in Alaska. It is good if they have been staying there for a long time already. The reason is that they have much knowledge about the different yearly cycles of Alaska.
2. Be aware of the time you will spend during the trip. Also, make note of the time that you will need during the actual fishing. The amount that you will pay your guide might only be consumed on the time of the boat ride rather than the fishing itself.
3. Ask how much a particular guide would cost, because they have different rates depending on their skills, experiences and length of stay in their job. A guide that would cost cheaper than the average rate of the other guides might not have enough experience and skills.
4. It is recommended that you have your references. This will help you narrow down your choices in selecting a fishing guide. Most people who have been there are willing to share about how satisfied they were during the fishing vacation. They can also give you some advice on what you need to do during the adventure.
5. Remember, this is a chance for you to ask about particular issues that concern you. Do not hesitate to gather information from your guide. By this time, you should be able to have your final choice for your Alaska fishing guide that will be perfect for your plans and make the most out of your trip in Alaska.

...Read the rest of this entry

Live Bait Fishing - Proper Tackle And Bait Presentation Is Critical To Triggering A Fish To Bite

By: Henry Yoo

Having fished the sport fishing boats based in Southern California for many years, I have learned that bait selection and presentation are probably the two most critical, yet often overlooked, steps in fishing with live bait that can ultimately lead to a successful fishing trip. Anglers who have the good fortune of fishing live bait such as anchovies, sardines, mackerel and squid, can easily better their chances of landing more fish with these simple measures that begin at the bait well or bait tank.

When selecting a bait from the well, spend some time choosing the hottest, or liveliest bait in the well. The bait should not be missing any scales and check to see if the nose of the bait is red. The nose should always be a natural color and not red. Baits with red noses and missing scales are normally stressed from improper handling, overcrowded tank conditions or disease and do not look or swim in a natural behavior, the key to enticing fish to feed.

After selecting the best bait, bait scoops should be used to remove it from the others. If a baits coop is not available, the angler should carefully slide his hand under the bait and slowly grab the bait with light pressure by the head, so as to not remove the slime or any of the scales on the body. Quickly bait the hook and fluidly cast it as far from the boat as possible, landing the bait softly in the bite zone. Make sure that your tackle, rods and reels, match the appropriate bait and creates as little excess drag on the bait as possible.

Anglers should always be aware of the fishing conditions that surround them. This includes tides, moon phases, currents, patterns and more. Knowing what the fish and the fishing conditions are doing should determine how the angler should bait their hook. Baits can be hooked in the nose, collar, shoulder and butt, depending on how the angler wants the bait to react. I like to nose hook my baits because I move them around as much as possible, including when I retrieve them. Nose hooking is the only way to retrieve the bait with a natural swimming motion, head pointed towards the angler. When you collar, shoulder or butt hook a bait, they usually get ripped off, fall off or come back in an awkward spinning motion. I only hook my bait in the collar or shoulder when the surface fishing is good and when I know the bait will be inhaled before I need to wind it in. On the other hand, butt hooking is used when the bite zone is deeper and not on the surface. Normally, butt hooking a bait will force it to swim down and away, the ideal scenario for many fishing applications. The price you pay is that you sacrifice the ability to wind the bait back through the bite zone if it did not get bit in the first pass. When butt hooked, the bait will usually spin and come in backwards, not a very appealing appetizer for a finicky fish.

Also, make sure your tackle matches in size and weight to your bait. Sometimes, fishing conditions demand heavy tackle for small baits and on other occasions, light gear for big baits. Other than these times, your rods, reels, bait hooks, fishing line, weight and sinkers should not create any excess drag on the bait. Spinning and conventional casting combos come in a wide range of actions and line classes in both freshwater and saltwater versions and carefully selecting the proper live bait rod and reel is essential.

With these bait selection and presentation tips, I hope you will someday be able to enjoy the thrill of being picked up by a trophy size fish. There is nothing more exciting than fishing with live bait, the heart stopping sensation when you feel that familiar thump on the end of the line, followed by a thumb burning grab of your line from the now, rapidly spinning spool waiting to be engaged with a flip of a button, turn of a handle or a slide of a lever with the familiar call of "hook up".

...Read the rest of this entry

City Park’s Big Bass Fishing Rodeo & Fishtival

We’re coming’ back too! Yep, March 29th, 2008 will mark the return of City Park’s Big Bass Rodeo and Fishtival. This traditional and long-standing rodeo of 61 years will include a competitive fishing rodeo, food, music, educational exhibits, raffles with tons of fishing tackle prizes, silent auctions, Mardi Gras toss of fishing tackle items for kids and much more. We invite adults, children and groups to come on over and fish the rodeo.

Since Hurricane Katrina’s devastating blow to City Park, numerous restorative efforts such as new pumps, a fresh water well and fish restockings by La. Dept. of Wildlife and Fisheries has once again made fishing a viable sport in the Park.

As we resurrect the Big Bass Rodeo and Fishtival, we need your help. We lost everything in the hurricane, fishing poles, gift prizes, weighing scales, you name it. Your tax-deductible donation will support this event and help the park continue making improvements for fishing and other recreational activities.

We also offer several underwriting packages for businesses. Donations can be made online (Be sure to type in or select "fishing rodeo" to dedicate funds to the rodeo. If you would like more information about donating or sponsorship, please contact Kaye Florane, Rodeo Chairman at rkflorane@cox.net.

Come on out and catch a good time (and fish)!

...Read the rest of this entry

Kids All-American Fishing Makes Its Last Cast

Hooked On Fishing International (HOFI), best known for its Kids All-American Fishing (KAAF) programs, has announced it is ceasing operation, effective Jan. 1, 2008, after 20 years of service.

In making the announcement, HOFI president Daniel Johnson said the decision to close was a difficult one. “Any time you have to do something that impacts our country’s youth and the next generation of anglers, it’s not an easy thing,” he explained. “But due to changing corporate priorities and market conditions, our program’s key partners have chosen to devote their resources elsewhere and we weren’t successful in securing new alliances in time for us to continue into 2008.”

HOFI was founded in 1987 for the simple reason of introducing and promoting the recreation of fishing to young people and their families. Through the support of corporate partners, the organization provided KAAF fishing derby support kits and other planning and promotional resources to communities nationwide for the purpose of hosting on-water fishing events.

In its first year, HOFI supported 60 fishing derbies in 28 states. Twenty years later, nearly 2,000 events were held across the country. Over the history of the program, KAAF and its network of volunteers helped put fishing rods and reels in the hands of more than 8 million youngsters.

The program’s termination also brings to a close HOFI’s highly successful Kids All-American Fishing Scholarship and Ambassador Program. For each of the past three years, select youth anglers between the ages of 8-14 were chosen from across the country through a formal application process based on their outstanding leadership efforts in school and community. Each of the youngsters appointed to date has been awarded a $5,000 U.S. Savings Bond for use in current or future education, a KAAF team-angler jersey and a personalized acrylic award.

A number of well known manufacturers and retailers provided varying degrees of support to HOFI and its program throughout the years, including Wal-Mart, Berkley, Johnson Fishing, Zebco, Eagle Claw, Kraft Foods, Fujifilm and more.

“We offer thanks and gratitude to the many companies and thousands of community-based organizers who have helped make our program a success for so long,” Johnson added. “We still believe today what we did 20 years ago when we began – that no activity provides families a more enriching opportunity to spend quality time together than does fishing.”

...Read the rest of this entry