Fishing Techniques

We are in the midst of Spring. I have recently seen boats filling the lakes and rivers as fishermen begin getting their first dose of the warm weather. It's exciting to see the consistent weather approaching more and more each day.

Today I want to focus on a few simple fishing techniques. First, let's focus on how to work a crawdad rig or "crayfish". If you've ever seen a crawdad swim, they typically flutter backwards. When they swim, they typically float a few inches off of the river or lake bottom and then gradually float back down. It is important to watch and learn. You want to work your bait the exact same way, as if it is lifelike. Concentrate on making subtle movements with your lure. Also, patience is key. I catch a lot more fish when I reel in a crawdad slowly. Quite often, the bass will stare at the crawdad. If you do something out of the ordinary, the fish will take off in a flash.

Another great bait for this time of year is a spinner bait. A good way of working this bait when fishing in lakes is to "slow roll" it in deep waters. Reel the bait in slowly, allowing it to drop deeper into the waters. This allows the bait to reach depths where the "big one" might possibly be.

These are two of my absolute favorite baits. Get out there and try them! Hope this is helpful.

Catfishing

I want to focus on catching catfish today. Again, several main factors that are involved in being productive when fishing for catfish are: wind, temperatures, timing, technique and bait.

Most people catfish during the night. Catfish seem to feed more heavily during the nighttime hours when the moon is hidden or when it's pretty cloudy. Also, catfish seem to turn on more when it is raining. You see a lot of the same trends with catfishing as you do with other types of fishing.

I have been successful at catching catfish in lakes, rivers, and ponds. The Holston River is where I seem to catch more catfish than usual. A lot of the times i'm not even trying to catch catfish, they just take the bait. I think this has to do with the certain spots that I fish. Typically, I'll catch these fish when the water is more swift. I've heard that when the water is more swift it attracts fish because it stirs up a lot of different things that the fish can feed on. Remember this when finding spots to fish. Swift water is great, but water that is too swift can sometimes be pretty tough to fish in.

The last thing I want to talk about is the baits used for catfish. Most people I talk to use thing such as: chicken livers, earthworms, cut up blue gill, and crawfish. The one I hear most people using is the chicken livers. It works well because it throws out a strong scent that attracts the catfish.

All of these things are important, but the most important of all is actually catching the fish. When hooking a catfish, it is important to not get into a huge hurry when reeling it in. You can easily break your line if you're not careful. Take your time reeling in the fish and it will make it tired, eventually making the fish give up.

I hope these tips have been helpful for you.

Trout Fishing

The weather is getting warmer. Spring is near. That means it's time to start fishing.

I usually fish for bass, but today I want to focus on simple tips that will increase the chances of catching trout. There are different ways of catching trout. Some people like to use a traditional fishing pole and others like to fly fish. I have a fly rod, but tend to go the traditional route ... mainly because I haven't used a fly rod enough.

The first thing I want to focus on is noises when fishing for trout. Trout are very easily spooked (scared), so when you are fishing try to whisper if you are talking to someone. Also, you should focus on walking carefully and not splashing around much. These guys are pretty smart.

Like most fish, trout tend to feed most heavily during the night or early morning. It is important to try and get to your fishing spots during these times. Also, since trout love to eat insects, your chances of catching one increases by fishing at night.

Active baits (ones that you reel in fast) aren't typically the best types of baits to use. I have had luck using these here and there, but not often. You want to use slower moving baits like small tube baits. You can also use "Power bait", which is a type of bait that you get out of a jar, ball it up, and stick it on the hook. The stuff stinks too, so don't be licking your fingers after you use it.

The last thing I want to talk about is how to handle the fish. I remember one of the first times I caught a trout I grabbed it really hard when I was handling it. When I threw it back, the fish was just floating. From where I had grabbed it so hard I had killed the poor guy. It doesn't take much pressure to do this either. You want to just lay the fish in your hand. Have your hand be right under its belly. You will think the fish will jerk around a lot, but they usually don't cause a lot of trouble.

Hope these tips help you out!

How to hold a trout. Compliments of Jake Hicks

Bass Patterns

Quite often, people will skip out on fishing because they are uncertain of how to actually fish or where to fish. Learning to fish is like anything else ... if you don't get out there and try it, you'll never learn.

One of the best ways to find good spots to fish is by recording what happens when you are on the water. Weather probably plays the biggest role in this. Figuring out what triggers the fish into feeding frenzies is key. Rain is usually one thing that sends largemouth bass into that feeding frenzy. Largemouth are light sensitive and seek cover most of the time. Cover is anything like brush or rocks in the lakes or rivers that the bass can hide under or stay close to. So, with rain comes clouds, and that will help trigger the largemouth.

Another positive thing about the rain is that it will wash bugs into the water. Bass, like I said earlier, will hang around shaded areas. When it rains, the bugs fall off the trees and into the water. Throwing your line in those circumstances will definitely up your chances for catching something.

Personally, I have found that your best chances of catching a fish are during early morning hours and late evening hours. Again, this is because the bass are light sensitive. Hopefully this will help you to not waste much time next time you are deciding to go fishing.

Striper Fishing

 Today I want to focus on striper fishing. This is still bass fishing, but the techniques are a little different.

 During the springtime, an obvious place to fish for striper is near spawning areas for shad. A shad looks like the swimbait that I showed a few blogs ago. In this season, the shad will be spawning as well. It's smart to look in areas where the wind might blow the shad against banks. Also, if you see heron birds hanging out around certain areas you should try to fish there as well. Heron birds are better than professional fisherman. In a sense, they are the professionals.

 When I fish for striper in streams during the springtime I like to throw a chartreuse rooster tail. I have had a lot of success with this bait. It's good to throw something different looking at times. The fish get suspicious and are drawn to it.

  Another lure that is super simple to use is a spoon. No not a spoon you eat with. You lower this lure to the bottom of the lake and gently raise it up and down. A few years ago, a friend and I were fishing with his grandpa on lake douglas and I caught white bass in one night with this lure. It's simple and fun.

1) Shad

2) Herron

3) Spoon

The fish that bit Danielle

Spring Fishing

  I thought it would be appropriate to continue talking about spring fishing considering that the season will be here soon.

  We already know that fish will be spawning when the water temperatures hit around 60 degrees. We talked about using salamanders and rooster tails for productive results. Today, I'd like to talk about a few other tips and baits to use during the spring time.

  There are many ways to fish in the spring time, but one thing that will help more than anything is location. You need to know where you are fishing, what structure you are close to and how deep the water is. It would be good to have a depth finder on your boat. It makes it a lot harder trying to fish by guessing. A big tip is to fish shallow water that is close to deep water. This might confuse some of you. What I mean is, fish  from areas like the mouths of major creeks all the way back to the ends of creeks, points, coves and banks with deep cuts or breaklines in 10-to-15 feet of water. Fish will stage near these areas. Bait fish (school's of fish) will swim off the points or drop-off areas and the bass will attack there. Finding a good drop helps your chances of catching the big one.

  There are several other lures we haven't discussed that will work well during this time. Spinnerbaits and jigs are very helpful. Rotating the two can be effective if done correctly. Here are a few samples ...


1) spinnerbait

2) Jig-n-craw (crawdad connected to the jig). You would work this bait on the bottom of the lake or river.

More tips for you to be successful. Get on the water and try them out!

Getting Ready for Spring Fishing

  With warmer temperatures creeping in here and there, it's evident that springtime fishing will be here quicker than we realize. That means that fish will be coming to the more shallow waters to spawn. Spawn means that fish will come to lay their eggs. When temperatures start getting close to the 60s and 70s, we can expect the spawn to take place soon.

  Springtime is my absolute favorite time to fish. It's not too hot and its not too cold. You start your day off wearing a jacket and by the end of the day you're in a shirt and shorts. There are several advantages to fishing during the springtime. I will share a couple of those reasons with you today. These are things that have helped me in the past and will hopefully help you.

  With fish coming to spawn, it should be obvious as to where you might find people fishing. If you are thinking close to the banks, then you are right. I have found that trolling in a cove, casting onto the banks and then dragging my bait down the bank is an effective way of fishing during the annual spawn. By doing this, the bass think that the bait is coming to attack their eggs. In return, this makes the bass attack the bait. This basically doubles your chances of catching a fish. That is why so many people get excited around springtime for fishing. 

  My favorite bait to throw during the springtime is a lizard. The lizard and salamander are both natural predators of the bass. These little guys are especially fond of the bass eggs. You are going to have a pretty good chance of catching something during the spawn if you know what you are doing and find some good spots to fish. I have had really good luck by throwing lizards during this time. Another bait that really helps me when fishing rivers during this time is a chartreuse (lime green) rooster tail. You simply throw this lure downstream and bring it up at a moderate speed. If you are fishing from a bank (not wading) then it's good to throw upstream and reel in the lure as it floats downstream. 

  I hope these tips have been helpful today. Give them a shot and let me know how you do.

Listed below is a  1) lizard and a  2) rooster tail.

Introduction to Fishing Tips

There are a few things that I really love to do. One of those things is fishing. It's a hobby of mine that i've enjoyed since I was a child. When most people are inside watching TV or playing with their computers, you'll more than likely find me on a river fishing or doing some other outdoor activity.

So, it's winter and you are stuck inside afraid to get out on the lake or river because it's too cold. You're afraid that you'll make a long trip somewhere only to get your line wet. Well, this can be the situation in some cases. That's why they call it fishing and not catching! Today, I'll try to give a few pointers on how to effectively catch fish when it's cold outside.

During the summer months fishing can be challenging, but not as challenging as when it's cold outside. When it's warm, plant life is growing, the water is warmer and the sun produces shaded areas to fish under. During the winter months these signs are minimal, making it much tougher to fish.

When choosing a bait for this time of year, consider using something bigger than usual. Typically, during the summer months, I will throw a lot of crankbaits and do a lot of worm fishing. These types of fishing are pretty effective in the summer, but are more difficult in the winter. There are a few reasons for this. One, during winter, fish are less likely to be as active as they are in the summer. So when you are fishing, throw something that you can work slowly. This will be more appealing to the fish, giving you a greater chance of catching something. Fish are less likely to chase something small that's moving fast in the winter time because they are dispersing more energy for less food. You also might want to try throwing things like flukes and swimbaits. Another helpful tip would be to keep your bait warm. Instead of leaving them in the cold tackle box, throw them in your pocket for a few minutes if you know you'll be using them soon. This will allow them to look more realistic.

I hope these tips have been helpful. Below I've listed (from top to bottom) a fluke, a crankbait and a swimbait.  There are numerous types of these baits. These are just a few examples.