Fishing Gear 101

Maintaining your fishing gear will help keep it for a longer duration of time. This is true whether you want to prevent having to repair nets, learn how to splice ropes, or incorporate a salt rid procedure.

Any little bit of care that you apply will help increase the life span of not only your fishing gear but your boat. For instance, you can make outboard engines, stern drives, boat hulls and fittings, boat trailers, last longer if you take proper care of them. Click to continue reading »

You can’t expect to be a good angler if you do not know how to zero in on the fish in the first place. Fishermen have devised many methods of doing this, including some pretty farfetched procedures. However, you do not need to rely on guesswork in this important task. You will get more accurate results when you make use of sonar units to find just where the fish are located.

These devices will make your work very easy. Basically, the units work by transmitting sound waves that are reflected upon hitting objects in the water. However, it is more intricate than the echo that you hear when you shout.

These sophisticated pieces of scientific equipment will help you to differentiate fish from other objects in the water. The devices make use of color codes to identify different things below the water’s surface. Basically, sound bounces off differently from one type of object to another. Click to continue reading »

Some fishermen like to rough it, but others, myself included, are attached to creature comforts and modern technology. If you’ve ever seen the inside of some of the fancier ice fishing houses in northern Minnesota, you will certainly know what I’m talking about. Modern life and conveniences pretty much require electricity. Portable generators make electricity possible in places you never thought of finding it.

Just think of the things that a portable generator can power up on your fishing trip. Fish finders, sonar, and weather radios need a source of reliable source of power.It is not only when you are deep into the lake that you will need this essential source of power. Even at the water’s edge, it is still quite useful. There are many things that will require this energy, such as a lights, heaters, or stoves. You can even use a microwave oven if you can generate the required watts.

Although your main goal is to fish, you may want to bring your laptop along to help make your trip more successful. For instance, with an internet connection, you can receive updates on weather patterns or emails informing you about suitable fishing locations. You can also stay in touch with family in case of emergencies. Although you can use a laptop on batteries, they may not last for your entire trip. You can use a portable generator to power the laptop as well.

There are basically two types of these handy power generators: fuel and battery ones.

Fuel generators

These often use either diesel or gasoline. They usually give more power output, ranging from some hundred watts to as much as five thousand watts. This means that they can power almost everything at home let alone during your fishing trip.

Battery generators

You probably won’t hear them referred to by this term. Instead, they are more commonly known by such names as UPS systems or just power supplies. These systems are like the ones you use to back up your computer during power outages at home, but they are slightly larger and give more power. However, they are smaller when compared to fuel generators both in terms of size and power output. Their advantages over the former are that they operate silently and do not pollute the air. They are also ultra portable.

Additional Considerations

• Portable generators can cost anything from a couple hundred dollars to a couple thousand, depending on the type and capacity.
• Weight is another factor to consider if you plan to move the unit around.
• Some generators are wheeled tom make moving them about easier.
• A noisy generator may be great in an emergency, but it may drive nuts otherwise.

Be sure to read the reviews on Amazon before buying a generator.

Although you will have your own preferences as to the type of portable generator you should use, you should ensure that you will get sufficient power for a long time. In the long run you want a portable generator that is durable, reliable, provide sufficient power, and fit your budget.

There are fishermen who like to stand on shore or in swallows and wait for certain kinds of fish to come looking for their hook. But you can’t expect the fish to always come to you, some times you just have to get off your duff and go after them. You have to get in a boat, canoe, or kayak and go to where the fish are.

But what kind of boat do you need? That depends on where you are fishing, how many are going with you, and just how much creature comfort you require.

For most fresh water fishing, there’s a wide range of sizes and types of boats that can be used. However, many of them are relatively small. The same applies to fresh water rivers and streams, where a boat of between 20 and 30 feet, made of either aluminum or fiberglass, is enough. There’s nothing wrong with a rowboat or a simple dory. Click to continue reading »

At a cursory glance, you may be led to think that a fishing hook is a rather simple tool. After all you just will see a curved piece of metal with a sharp point on one end and a small hole on the other, where you insert a fishing line. The fact, however, is that there is really a lot more in this simple bit of fishing gear. Click to continue reading »

If you want to succeed in your fishing ventures, you must have a very good way of attracting the type of fish you would like to catch. This is why there are very many types of fishing lures that you can use. In fact, many anglers show a lot of creativity as they design their own fishing lures.

Although there are very many types of lures, with even more variations among them, they all have one basic concept – the ability to attract fish. Although the fish are themselves very careful against being caught, many successful methods have been devised over the years. Flies form just one group of well known lures that have been around since time immemorial. Click to continue reading »

When we speak of fishing flies, what exactly do we mean? These are basically lures that are made to look like favorite meals for the fish. They may be in the form of insects or even other smaller fish. What is important is for the flies to resemble the natural food enough to attract the fish. This is the basic principle that has been used since time immemorial.

Both fishermen and fly makers employ a lot of creativity in their designs, which is awe inspiring even to the anglers. These artificial devices are very practical yet they are often great works of art in themselves.

This illustration from a book published in the 18th century shows flies that look quite familiar.

Here are some of the flies you might want to use.

• Dry fly: This type of lure is meant to float on the surface of the water, appearing to the fish, say, like a dragonfly. Fish often take the opportunity before the thing “flies away.” The goal is to make the lure too attractive for the fish to ignore. The dry fly is most commonly used in fresh water fishing where the surface is calm.
• Wet fly: This type of lure is intended to sink slightly below the water’s surface. Such a lure may be in the form of a nymph, which is a young insect whose wings have not yet developed. The real ones usually crawl on underwater rocks, which is a great attraction to such species as trout.
• Terrestrial flies: These are designed to look like things that do not normally live on or in water but just close by it like Lady Bugs, Beetles, and Crickets. Every once in a while such creatures accidentally fall in the water, which is what the lures emulate.
• Streamers: These lures essentially resemble other types of fish. They can be used in both fresh and salt water fishing.

Of course, there are some flies that are not made to look like animals; some resemble different types of plants that are delicacies to the fish.

There are lots of books about making your own fishing flies. In fact it make a great hobby for when you can’t go fishing. You can let your creativity shine as you come up with your own unique fishing flies. You can even sell your flies at flea markets or on Ebay. Go ahead and give it try!

The top places to go for a fishing vacation depend to a great extent on your budget, how far you are prepared to travel, and exactly what you are looking for from your fishing experience. The USA offers such a diverse range of fishing trips and fishing experiences that you will find you cannot exhaust them even in a lifetime of trying. Every state has something unique to offer, so the sooner you start travelling and experimenting, the more experiences you will be able to enjoy. Click to continue reading »