Spring Bass Fishing - Mighty Bite Lures are my choice

What to use in the spring

Everyone has their favorite rig for catching Bass, and I am no different. I like to put something in the water, that will number one? Excite the fish. Number two, it will excite them well enough that it triggers the 'strike' mode. Some folks prefer plastics. Truth is, what you fish with and how, is dependent upon the water clarity, temperature and even the time of day.

If it's muddy, I  fish in the daylight and use brightly colored baits (we'll get to what 'kind' in a bit) but if the water is clear, (regardless of the air and water temperature) I fish from midnight to dawn. (the time of moonrise and moon set) 

The spring is the time when the Bass will move to the shallower waters to feed. There's plenty of bait fish available,  mostly in the form of sunfish or crawfish.  The big Bass will feed in these shallow waters, but dependent upon water temperature it may be after dark. That's why I fish from midnight to dawn. So be alert as you look for places to fish, for places like spawning beds or areas with a lot of cover. That's an excellent time to fish with top baits. The reason I fish with top bait in the shallows is: with the spawn over, the Bass are feeding heavily right now in those areas.

To catch the big ones, I have learned that the bigger and clunkier the bait? The better the Bass will strike. (I learned this in a Striper Bass derby in Arizona) Bass will strike at most anything that resembles food. One rig I use for this is the Might Bite Fishing System lure. I can use it for top bait, rig it on a Texas or Carolina jig or just plain jig it on it's own

I can get away with using this lure these many different ways because fish work off five main senses. Sight, (the lure looks like a wounded bait fish) sound (the rattles I can place in the lure) smell, (scent sticks I will use) feel (the lure even feels like a bait fish) and taste (again, the scent stick will draw them in)

It's a complete system that's proven to be effective on most any predatory fish, Bass included. The lure set up comes complete with interchangeable scent sticks and swim fins. What that means to you and I, is that I can change the scent stick or swim fins to create more or less scent being left in the water and what type of movement I want from my lure. Thus, the different ways I can fish just one lure.

Next up:  the Texas and Carolina Bass rigs. Which is best and how to set each one up.

Trout Fishing - Casting the line

Casting

It's an art that can be learned

 
Glad you're here today, as all of the information aside, if you don't know how to cast? You are just making your job hard and the fish smarter than they already are. So sit back and read along.

Casting sounds like it should be so easy, and if you have a huge flat lake to cast into or maybe you are on a flat bank with no trees or brush around you, you might be right. But the truth is, most people have a really difficult time casting. 

Starting with the basics, I recommend an open face reel for one simple reason. It's less likely to tangle if I am fishing with jigs, spoons or lures. I don't use a heavy line either, 4-8 lb. line is sufficient.

So, I will recap from the previous blog....my bait is securely on the end of the hook, I am in position to cast. What to do, what to do? First, as I described earlier, when fishing upstream I always cast upstream and allow the bait to float towards where I think or know the fish are. To do this is easy but takes some practice. 

So here are some pointers: Remember, its also best to try this at home BEFORE you go fishing by using that small rubber weight in the end of your line, just to practice.

I imagine the the stream as the face of a clock. Dead ahead of me is the 12 'O clock position. Depending upon where I want my bait to go, I cast to the 11:00 position or the 1:00 position. (to the right or the left of me and the hole or pocket or pool I am aiming to drift into). I don't necessarily have to cast very far upstream, but I have to be able to put my hook (bait or lure) where I want it and that takes practice.

I now have the placement in my head of where I want my hook to land. I bring the tip of the rod up in the air (keeping in mind any obstructions around or behind me)  I open the bail on the reel (to allow the line to spool out during my cast)  but I hold that line (which is now free), with my thumb so that it does not spool out just yet. When I am ready, I quickly flip the rod tip over my head towards to stream. I release the line with my thumb when the pole is past the top of the arc. (the arc being the direction the rod travels from behind me to the front of me). As the pole travels over my head and forward, I allow my forward motion of my rod, to stop when it is level with the surface of the water or maybe slightly less than level. Learning which is more comfortable, (level with the stream or lower) is an art.

My lure or bait will now travel easily out to the distance my cast allows and hopefully plop in the water where I want it, barring any wind. 

Once my bait or lure are in the water, I close the bail on the reel and get ready to fish. At this point, it is easy to get anxious, but instead, I just let my bait or lure drift while keeping my rod tip level. 

As my bait or lure passes me and the slack in the line begins to disappear, I feel a slight tug as the line begins to tighten up. ( My lure is now against the current as opposed to "with" the current). Those small pulls on my rod can mean any number of things: Possibly a fish is nibbling on my bait /lure, or it could just be bouncing along the bottom. I never worry though, because if it is a trout? The rod tip will try to be pulled into the water and we all know what "fish on" means.

Next up: Setting the hook and landing that fish

If you are going fishing, you need tackle...

Buy the right tackle.

I've covered licenses, fishing creel or fish stringer, rods and reels, lures, live bait and the basics of how and where to fish a small stream. (By far the best days of trout fishing I have ever experienced have been in small streams) So let's get down to the tackle.

I always recommend using light tackle when trout fishing  Light tackle believe it or not is preferred for stream or river trout fishing  (because trout have excellent eyesight) and a lightweight rod. My rod is in the 6 to 8 lb, range and is more than sufficient. (Most poles will have that printed right on the side)  Now, if you have listened along here, you will have already rigged your rod and line BEFORE leaving your house, right?

There is nothing more frustrating than to arrive at your fishing spot and have to rig your line while watching  helplessly as fish jump all around you. Alright, 'nuff said. let's talk about weights.

I use weight with live bait when I maybe want it to drop in a pool or something before the current carries it downstream. If the fish are lazy, they won't bite unless the bait is darned near in front of them, so I want every advantage and that's why I use the weight. I want my bait right in front of the fish.

Depending upon how fast a stream or river is running, I use split shot of varying weights. To do this, I carry a small plastic container of split shot and pick one I think is appropriate (I'm sure you've seen them in the fishing departments) I also carry a small pair of needle nose pliers to crimp those weights on and off my line. I crimp them on the line just hard enough to hold them in place, but not hard enough so that I cannot adjust them for changing water depths as I fish. With the split shot, I am able to control how fast my bait will drift. Less weight more drift, more weight less drift. Make sense? 

When I place the weight on my line, I do so anywhere from a foot and a half to two feet above my hook and that can vary with stream depth. But the average small stream is only 2-3 feet deep at the most anyway so pay attention to where you place them. Now with the weight on the line, I am ready to put my live bait choice on my hook.

If I'm going to be using worms to start, there are some tricks to know about. (I touched on this earlier when I spoke of cutting the worms up). There are two schools of thought on baiting. One is to cut the worms up just enough to cover the entire hook.

The other train of thought,  (my chosen method)  is to slide the worm on the hook by inserting it through the end of the worm and sliding it up the hook until you reach the end of the hook. (I even go maybe even a teeny bit more). 

I then push the hook out of the side of the worm, just enough so that I see the hook. All that's left for me to do, is cut the rest of the worm off about a half inch or so from where the hook is exposed. This then allows my worm to "wiggle" to help attract fish.

Next up. Proper casting techniques.

Trout Fishing Using Live Bait

When to use what and why (cont.)

Fly fishing is done with artificial flies that look like insects, but that is another story. 

 Insects used as bait when casting, can be very beneficial. Personally, I've never had much luck using any live insects other grasshopper's. 

Grasshopper's make a good choice, as they will wiggle even on my hook and THAT will entice the fish. But hooking them through the abdomen is the trick, as it allows their natural movement. But, I only use them if it is windy. The reasoning is simple. Often when the wind blows it will blow the grasshoppers and other insects onto the water. Think about it, what fish isn't going to take advantage of a free meal? I use every skill available as you can see.  Who knows? Maybe in your area, "Grasshopper's" will be the magic bullet for you to catch fish!

Finally, I want to cover Egg Sacks. I save this section for last,  because I feel that they are perhaps the best way to catch trout during spawning season. I am sure you have heard people who recommend using eggs when fishing for trout during spawning season, and they would be partially right. The most common one is a salmon egg. But I find, that single, mature, salmon or fish eggs are kind of large for our purposes here. Fish eggs used in "Egg Sacks" are much smaller and sold in quantities of 10-15 eggs per sack. An excellent number for what I'm talking about today. The reason for using egg sacks is because trout will often ignore other types of baits and lures during the spawning season and will eat their eggs. (yes they eat their young.)

These egg sacks are sold in most bait and tackle shops. However,if the tackle shop doesn't have them already bundled? I bundle a dozen or so myself. When I buy the eggs, I also purchase something called 'spawn netting.' (I don't need much and it's not very expensive at all) I place about a dozen of the cured eggs into the spawn netting then tie it off. Just like that....I'm ready to attach the bundle to my hook. I take extra care though as I don't want to burst any of the eggs in either putting them in the bag, tying the bag shut or attaching it to my hook. 

Once I have the sack on my hook, I lightly cast it into the water and let it drift to the bottom on it's own. Letting it drift on it's own will imitate the natural grouping of eggs laid by a trout. I'm also prepared if I'm fishing in waters with steelhead or salmon are, as they too will strike the egg sack.

As always, I thank you for reading. Stay safe out there and I'll see you on the trail--

Trout Fishing Using Live Bait

When to use what and why.

OK....I've talked about lures, time to talk about live bait. Live bait has always been considered a more natural alternative to lures. I guess because worms and insects were around before lures.

But, here is something most people don't know. I can combine the use of live bait and lures. I'll get to that later. Just remember, the smaller the fish, the smaller the bait to use.

As an example, "Red Wigglers" or "Composting Worms" make good bait for smaller mouth fish. Inasmuch as they are a small bait themselves, they are usually sold in three or four dozen quantities.

The "basic" live bait for trout though is the good old earthworm or night crawler. Being much larger, I will cut them to size.

Grasshoppers also work well. I insert the hook right through their abdomen so they wiggle can still wiggle. 'Wiggling' bait helps attract fish. The more wiggling the more my grasshopper will be noticed.

Speaking of wiggling bait....when I talk about trout and what they will strike? Brook Trout will strike the darker end of the worm most often, while Rainbow prefer the lighter end. But Brown trout don't care or seem to have a preference at all. They will strike either end of a worm in spite of it's color presentation. 

One small point....when I cut these worms? I use the smaller pieces to disguise my hook by sliding them "end on," on my hook. If I don't, trout WILL see the hook and quite possibly pass up that meal. I even use worms on my lures sometimes (I'll talk more about that later) Trout do indeed have great eyesight.
 

Another great bait is the common garden slug. I know what you're thinking right about now....eeeewwwww those things are icky and slimy! While that's true, they still make an excellent early morning bait. Another plus....they WILL stay on your hook when other baits may slide off. Just a thought, just a thought.

Next up: More Live bait and their uses.

Fishing Lures Part 2

Understanding trout first will enhance your success

To understand "where" to fish for them means you must understand trout. Trout convert oxygen into energy for their bodies. If you understand this, then you can understand where to fish for them. So start with the simple point...oxygen.

For this part, you want to look for areas that contain high levels of oxygen. What are those areas? They are where the current feeds into pools or even deep water. Now, that doesn't always guarantee trout are there, just that it is a likely spot to start from. Anyplace where the water has been tumbled or mixed up is a good place to start. Trout have excellent eyesight and keen bodily senses, so they can feel your presence even before you are there. Just standing in the water is an alert. Now that you have a basic idea of ­where you'll be fishing, we will move to lures. 

Lures are meant to imitate the bait fish in the area you are fishing. Earlier, we talked about lures and what they are made of, now is the time you might want to listen up. What it is made of is not nearly as important as if it resembles the bait fish of the area.

Arguably, if you have ever been in a fishing store or even a big box retailer, you have found yourself stunned and held frozen by the vast numbers of choices. Let me see if I can sort some of that out for you. First, what is the bait fish of the area you are going to? Don't know? Grab a fishing guide book from the area you intend to fish and read up. For me personally, I like Storm Wildeye Fishing Lures, but I will talk about that more later. 

For example, if the bait fish is silver in color, you look for a silver blade lure or bait fish lure and so forth. But remember..... one or two different styles won't do, choose a variety to take, just don't go overboard. That sounds like a confusing statement doesn't it? "Find the color of the bait fish in the area, but buy a variety of lures." It's not confusing at all.

The biggest reason you want a variety, is because the fishing conditions may change during the day, or even before you get to the lake or river. If that happens you may find yourself swapping lures several times before you find the right one. Sunlight conditions can vary, weather can vary, current speed and water clarity can change, so it only makes sense to be prepared.

Next up: Live Bait and when to use it

Fishing Lures

What to use and why

So.....you don't know the difference between a lure and live bait.  When you finish this post, you will. We'll start with  fishing lures: The 'explanation' of what lures are, is quite simply, something man made that appear to look like fish prey. There are a variety of things they are made from, but choices of such will come later. Right now all you need to know is that they are "artificial," trust me on this part. 

Live bait on the other hand, is the fish's natural prey. You know what I am talking about, worms, insects, small fish and even fish eggs. These are then attached to the hook to draw your fish in. What to use and why will be explained., so ­before you race out and just buy anything, it's time to learn the "type" of bait or lure you will need.

Agreeably, most everyone has their tried and true method for "their" fishing hole or for fishing for the type of fish they like. Trust me, I am no different. But understanding fish makes the type of lure or live bait used, a matter of interpretation.

For instance, did you know that native fish (or wild natural fish) tend to strike on different baits than "planted" fish, maybe better known as hatchery raised fish. These fish are planted each spring by the Fish and Game department. (or whatever the name is of the department that provides the fish stocking for your state).

In my mind, trout are the most beautiful of all freshwater fish that can be caught. They are found in some great natural settings, man made settings and some animal created settings that nature has to offer. To understand how to catch them, let's make it easy to understand. 

Trout respond to a wide variety of baits, depending upon  what the water temperature is, whether they are hungry or not, if they are spawning or even if it's night or day. You just need to know the what's, why's, when's and where's and you can find yourself pulling in the fish when no one around you is. 

Next up: Fishing lures and their uses