Thursday, June 10, 2010

Basics of Fishing



ArticleCity.com Videos


Ready to join the growing number of sportsmen who have set their sights on catching that big bass? Thousands of new anglers are gearing up to hit the lakes, streams and rivers in search of the largemouth bass. This magnificent game fish can be as elusive as that winning lottery ticket.

Bass are part of the sunfish family. Other members of this species include spotted bass, smallmouth bass, rock bass, bluegill, and pumpkinseed fish. These bass, including the largemouth, are identified as warm water bass or black bass. Because of its "spirited" nature on the line, the largemouth bass is a favorite game fish for the casual weekend angler, as well as, the tournament fisherman.

As a new angler, your greatest challenge will be locating the "hideouts" of the largemouth bass. What makes the bass such a great game fish is that they are hard to predict. They are sensitive to environmental and seasonal changes. As water temperatures or levels change, so will their resting places. Other factors affecting their location might be season, weather conditions, amount of daylight, and food availability.

So, where is the best place to find the big "Kahuna" of bass? Different bodies of water will yield different results. Let's take a look at each:

Ponds

Ponds can yield satisfactory results, but the bass tend to be small to medium in size. Weeds and reeds are the natural habitat of bass. When fishing ponds, look for areas of weed beds near the shore. Bass will tend to congregate near or in these weedy areas, but also like to hide around sunken logs, large rocks, or deep holes.

Lakes

Natural lakes must be divided into two categories - lakes in the Southern states and lakes in the Northern states. The lakes in the north tend to have a wide array of topography - rock bluffs, weed beds, holes, sunken logs, reefs, islands and reeds. Bass aren't as plentiful in these lakes because these waters do not contain the plankton and algae that they like to feed on.

On the other hand, Southern lakes, especially shallow ones, breed some of the largest bass in North America. In these lakes, the bass will congregate in the shallows around the weedy and reedy areas. It's around these areas that you have the greatest probability for a strike, so cast your bait or lure in that direction.

Streams

Streams are often overlooked as a source for good bass fishing. They can be a great place to also find smallmouth bass, which prefer cooler waters over the larger and warmer bodies of water. The same principles apply in streams as in ponds - look for the sunken structures and along the steep banks. Anywhere that the weed beds change into rocky areas is an excellent location to find bass. One note of caution: bass will not congregate in flowing water, so don't waste your time in the middle of the stream in the current flow. Cast your line where the current is blocked, like large rocks of downed trees. This is where the large bass will be hiding out.

For the new angler, practice makes perfect. You don't need to start your fishing career on the big lakes. Try the smaller ponds to get accustomed to your new gear and to start to master your casting and retrieval techniques. Try different baits and see how they feel on the end of your line. Determine whether a spinner, streamer, soft bait or crankbait works best for you.

Trust me - you will catch plenty of bass along the way. They may not all be trophy winners, but you will learn to get a "feel" for a bass on the line. To help you gain a better feel for the fish, try using an ultra light combination rod and reel. Even the one pounders feel like trophy fish, and the experience you gain will be priceless.

About The Author

Buck Wilson writes articles for sports publications and online newsletters. He is an avid sportsman and fisherman. For more information visit:

http://www.go-fishing.net

http://www.best-rifle-scopes.us

Fishing is such a sport that requires a lot of accessories. It's not just about setting up a bait; a lot of things have to be kept in mind while fishing, whether its sea fishing or lure fishing. Go through the dos and don'ts mentioned below to acquire the skill required to have success in fishing.

Dos:

1.Setting the hook: The hook has to be set very carefully before you start any kind of fishing such as fly fishing. Start reeling only when you are sure that the fish is hooked properly.

2.Consider the line: Make sure that the line doesn't get wrapped around the tip of the fishing rod. This is because, if so happens then you may loose control over the reel and the line may break.

3.Pressure on the fish: Try not to give the fish any chance to spit out the bait or the lure which you have set for it. Always keep the tip of the rod out of the water. To maintain a steady pressure, you need to keep on reeling to ensure that the line reaches straight to the fish.

4.Try to get an effective lure or bait: The bait or the lure is the most important part of fishing. You should always go for those lures or baits that have the most effective results almost on every fish. Jigs can be a better option for fishing in deep water, shoreline, lakes, ponds, rivers, etc. They can catch crappies, walleyes, perch, bluegills and many more.

5.Try to cast the bait near a structure: Fishes generally hang around rocks, docks and logs. So try to cast the bait near these structures to catch hold of more fish. You can even cast baits near weed beds as fishes are easily available at these places.

6.Consider the drag: Before you go for fishing make sure that your drag is working properly. You can keep control on the fish if you can use the drag properly.

7.Match the bait with the fish: Always try to go for live baits or the ones that fish generally feed on. If you provide the fish what it wants then you have higher chances of catching it.

8.Consider the fishing equipments: You should take good care of the fishing equipments and change the line frequently to avoid breakage. Oil the reel regularly so that it can be turned easily.




Don’ts:

Following are some common mistakes made by most of the anglers and you should avoid them for successful fishing:

9.Don’t repeat the same spot: One of the main mistakes that you should avoid is repeating the same spot again and again. It may so happen that you get a good number of fish at a particular spot one day, but it is not necessary that every day you will have that luck at the same spot. So, don’t waste time on a single spot if you are not getting any bite.

10.Don’t loose concentration: All types of fishing, be it coarse fishing or fly fishing, require a lot of patience. Don’t get distracted or you'll end up with a lot less than you'd have caught if you had put your whole concentration into it.

11.Don’t use the same bait every time: It's not necessary that you'll be able to catch fish using the same bait again and again. If you caught fish earlier using the same bait, you may not be able to do the same again. If you are not getting any bite then change the bait but don’t waste time using the same bait again and again.

12.Don’t use the wrong gear: Different fishing gears are required for catching different types of fishes. So, always consider the type of fish you want to catch. If you want to do bass fishing then don’t use the gear that is good for cat fish and trout.


Mikus Debra is a reputed name in fishing industry. Here he shares some relevant details about shopping for fishing accessories like fishing tackle.

Article Source:
http://www.articlebiz.com/article/502298-1-dos-and-donts-for-successful-fishing/