Top Ten Fishing Lures

Choosing the most effective fishing lures is a prerequisite to a successful catch at sea. The kind of lure you would require depends on the waters you are fishing, the time of the year and the weather. There is a plethora of fishing lures available, all in different shapes, sizes and colors. There are some lures that are used by most fishermen in order to ensure a successful fishing venture.

Surface lures are lures that are retrieved along the surface of the water. These are fun to use as the fish literally jumps out of the water to take in the lure. These lures are particularly useful in waters that have a lot weeds since they only remain on the surface of the water. Surface lures are available in all shapes and sizes and you should pick the one that best meets your requirements and purpose.

Another category of fishing lures is spoons. These are made of metal and resemble spoons. They wobble when put in water and this attracts fish. Spoons are relatively cheap and simple to use, especially for beginners. Spinners are also fishing lures that have a blade that rotates and this motion gives a reflection of the light flickering off fish scales in the water. The speed at which you recoup the spinner can be altered to make it look like an injured fish. Large spinners work well for a pike but smaller ones do a better job for mullets or trout. Jerk baits do not have a motion of their own can be jerked by the user and brought to life like a wounded fish. You put them in the water you are fishing in, and make jerky movements to make it look like an attractive injured fish to the fish you are trying to catch.

Soft baits are made of rubber and may resemble long worms or frogs. These are used along with a weighted jig head and are made to retreat slowly or in a jerky motion. Floating drivers can sink into the water and reach a depth of 15 feet or more. A lure with a larger angle will move to a deeper level than one with a smaller angle. The type of lure you use depends on the depth of the fish you are targeting.

Light standard casting lures are used to catch a wide variety of fish. These include bass fish that can be caught at a medium retrieval speed. These are generally used to catch freshwater fish of lightweight species. Heavy standard casting lures are used to catch heavy fish like bass and walleye. These also come in a number of shapes, sizes and colors. Jigging lures are used for long casting and catch anything from tuna to pike. Deadly diamond lures are small in size and lightweight and are used to catch small fish. Light reflecting from the diamond-shaped top attracts fish. These are normally used for walleye and crappy, but can be used for other small species too.

Live Bait Fishing - Tips and Tricks

There are all kinds of ways that you can go fishing. Similarly, there are all kinds of baits that you can use. Some people prefer to use soft plastic baits. These baits are sometimes scented and come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. You can find them that are shaped like crayfish, worms, and even minnows. However, why use fake bait when you have the real thing at your disposal? You can fish using real bait. This is called fishing with live bait and is oftentimes much more effective than fishing with artificial bait.

A common, catch-all, bait is the minnow. There are many types of minnows you can choose to fish with. There are creek chubs, emerald shiners, golden shiners, fat heads, and pin heads. Really, the type you choose to fish with is the type that you will have already in your water ways. This is best, anyway, because this way, you know that you will be using bait that the fish have already been feeding on for generations. Many fish eat minnows. You can catch everything from a bluegill all the way up to a muski on a minnow.

Lastly, you cannot forget about the common worm. To be more specific, you will want to fish with nightcralwers. They are called this because they are the type of worm that comes out at night and therefore are often caught at this time. You will want to make sure you have fresh worms when you are out fishing because spoiled ones smell so bad that you would be half -tempted to throw them in water rather than keep them near you. Once you learn the different types of live bait that you have at your disposal, you will start to catch more fish.

Winter Crappie Fishing Tips

Many crappie fishermen hang up their rods during the cold winter months, winterize their boats and sit back patiently waiting for spring. On the other hand, a lot of successful fishermen continue to fish for crappie all winter long, and for good reason: finding crappie in the winter can be easier than it is in the spring and summer.

To find winter crappie, use your depth finder to look for submerged creek and river channels in 15 to 40 feet of water. What you're looking for is brush or submerged trees along these channels. Crappie will be holding somewhere in or around that cover. Crappie, like bass and most other species, almost always stage close to some type of cover, and they seem to prefer brush-piles or submerged trees as their cover of choice. Underwater ledges next to deeper channels may also be holding a few crappie, if there is some type of cover nearby. If a warm front comes through and the temperatures rise for a few days, crappie may begin to move up to flats along the creek channels. If that happens, you may want to go back to slow-trolling, as the fish will be more spread out.

Often during the winter, wind can be a problem for fishermen. If you have a good trolling motor, you can keep your boat positioned over the cover and drop jigs into and around it. I hate fighting the wind, so I usually use an anchor to keep my boat where I want it. When I find the cover on my depth finder, I'll drop a marker buoy over it, then determine the wind direction. I circle the boat around, and when I'm upwind and off to the side of the buoy, quietly drop my anchor. When it hits bottom, I let the boat drift alongside the marker buoy, and then tie off the anchor rope. I will then be able to concentrate more on fishing than constantly repositioning the boat.

Now that I'm in position, I'm ready to fish. But what bait do I use? Small, lightweight jigs is the answer. Remember that in the cold water, the crappie are moving slower, and they aren't going to chase a lure very far. So use light jigs and fish them slow. Use a 1/8 or lighter jig on a lightweight or medium-light rod, and if you noted any fish on your depth finder, drop the jig just over them and be ready for a strike. Move the jig slowly up and down, or use very light twitches. You won't get the aggressive strikes like you do in the spring and summer, often you will only feel a slight tug or even just a little pressure. This is where the light tackle comes in. Light-weight rods and 4 to 6 pound test line will enable you to feel these subtle strikes. If you know the crappie are there, and your jigs are just not working, try adding a crappie nibble or if you can, tip it with a small minnow. That will sometimes entice a strike from finicky fish. Sometimes you can use a bobber to keep your jig in position, but usually this time of year the crappie are too deep for bobber-fishing to be practical.

Marabou and feather-type jigs can be very effective for winter crappie, as well as "umbrella" type jigs. The slower rate-of-fall seems to be the trick with these. Whatever type of jig you choose, just remember to fish it very slow.

On a clear, sunny day use light colored jigs, and on cloudy days you can go with a darker color, but I prefer a white, yellow, light green or chartreuse color. The same rule applies to water clarity, in clear water use very light colors or even clear with some sparkle. In stained water, use a darker green or chartreuse. There are so many different color variations nowadays it can be overwhelming trying to pick the "perfect" color. with colors like "bayou booger", "firecracker", "woodpecker" and "electric chicken", everyone today seems to have a different favorite. The way I do it is try a few different color combinations at first, fishing with 3 or 4 separate rods, and when I seem to be catching more crappie on a particular color, stick with that color.

When ice fishing for crappie, fish over the deeper brush piles you found in the spring, summer or fall. The crappie will be holding tight to this cover, Their lower metabolism in the cold water means they won't venture far from it when foraging for food. This also means that they will often readily inhale a jig when they see it, not passing up an opportunity for a morsel of nutrition. The trick here is, if you catch a few crappie and then the bite stops, move and drill another hole over another brush pile.

In the dead of winter, in February for example, you may find that the crappie have moved to even deeper water, and are staged along the edges of the deeper channels. In these locations, they will usually suspend just a foot or two off of the bottom. When they are this deep, I have had great success using a bottom rig. Tie on a barrel swivel at the end of your line. Then tie on a 3 foot section of line with a bass casting sinker or a cannonball sinker on the other end of the swivel. Usually a 3/4 ounce sinker will do, but if there's more current you'll have to use a heavier one. Then tie on a 1 or 2 foot section of line on the swivel with a hook and minnow at the end, or a jig tipped with a minnow or crappie nibble. Drop this straight down below the boat, and when it hits bottom, reel up just a smidgen. I have caught well over 50 crappie in one spot using this method, in just a couple of hours.

If you are using any of these methods and are catching a lot of crappie, but all of them are small and not keeper size, go to a bigger jig. Sometimes the larger fish will only strike at larger baits, letting the little guys eat up the small stuff. If I'm catching nothing but little ones, I'll switch to 2 inch jigs. Often that will get the "bigguns" to react.

I hope that by using these winter crappie tips you can go out and catch yourself a nice "mess" of crappie, just remember to adhere to the game and fish laws, slot limits, daily limits, etc. Another thing to remember is to bring adequate clothing for the temperature, keeping the wind chill factor in mind. You don't want to be miserable while out on the water, and you can always take off a layer of clothing if you get too warm. Check the weather forecast before you go, pay attention to the wind speed, and dress accordingly.

Good luck, and have a "happy crappie day!"

The Best Trout Fishing Lures

Trout fishing lures need to be considered by any fishing enthusiast who wishes to do well from trout fishing. Having the right lures at your disposal will ultimately help you catch bigger and more beautiful fish, and using them will also help you become a more rounded angler in general.

Using species-specific baits and lures is a great idea to help focus your fishing on a certain goal, so what should you be looking for in terms of trout fishing lures? First of all there is the bait group of trout lures.

Trout lures can include live bait such as night crawlers, up to home-made bait in the form of dough. You can also use small morsels of food such as individual sweetcorn kernels or even marshmallows when out onto a treble hook.

Another type of trout lures would be jogs, which can be made of hair, feathers or soft plastics in order to have the right buoyancy. The drawback of using jigs as trout fishing lures is that they can easily become snagged in things.

The other two main types of trout lures are trout flies and trout spinners. With flies you can reply on pretty much anything you find around where you're fishing, but the best tend to be nymphs, streamers, wet flies and dry flies. When using trout lures, the most important thing to remember is to be sure that you match the hatch. Then again, spinning tackle is both popular and effective when fishing in spring-fed streams.

Another factor is deciding which particular trout fishing lures work the best for your own personal methods of fishing. To decide which one is the best one for you, do try out examples of the various fishing lures that are available and see which one works the most efficiently for you.

Trout Fishing in Australia

Australian waters have no native trout. The three species in Australian waters are the brown, the rainbow and the brook trout. The brown was introduced from England, the rainbow and the brook trout from the United States via New Zealand.

Browns are hardy cannibals and are the most dominant species. The browns have an instinctive suspicion of lures and live longer than the rainbow and brook trout, which are both also cannibalistic.

The rainbow trout is the most pleasing of the three to look at and take lures easily. They give a fighting display, leaping from the water, taking mad dashes and exhaust themselves before beaching or netting. Brook trout are also easy to convince to take a lure and have a poor survival rate when liberated.

There is an art and a science to trout fishing. The artistic angler will pour his creativeness into the design of his fly while the analytical, scientific angler will convince himself of his intimate knowledge of the behavior of his quarry. The wary and selective feeding trout however, pose untold challenges for the artistic and scientific angler.

There are seasons closed to trout fishing in Australia and New Zealand, which usually cover the spawning period. The best times for trout fishing in Australia are from mid-October to mid-December and from the end of February to the end of April, covering spring till mid autumn.

Streams are most productive at the start of the season. The high rate of evaporation of Australian trout streams is lower in winter and the trout, which have been largely undisturbed for the previous 4 months are not yet wary. In the hotter months, the stream levels drop and the fish become lethargic, not inclined to feed during the daylight hours. The clear, clean water does not help as the fish can observe every action of the angler and they become skeptical feeders.

During the later months of the season the temperatures begin to fall, the autumn rains will have increased the flow of water in the streams and the clarity of the water is lower. Under these conditions trout will not be so aware of the presence of predators and have an increased weight due to spawning.

The sub aqueous insects or their larvae make up 90 per cent of the trout's diet however the angler does not have to catch this bait, the art of fly tying and creating an artificial lure to resemble the larvae is a very skillful one. The dry fly is the easiest type to fish with but the other type is the nymph or wet flies.

The wind plays an important role in trout fishing and can be used to an angler's advantage. The food of the trout is often carried to the shore opposite that of which the wind is blowing and the trout soon learn that if they assemble along that shoreline their food will be 'home-delivered'. The angler can use this knowledge and also use the wind to cast his fly further and carry the fly well beyond the normal casting range.

In the United States certain trout streams have regulations prohibiting the use of barbed hooks and also bag limits or 'catch and release' policies, which are all good for the longevity of the trout fisheries. These regulations are particularly useful in areas where the streams have a high pH level as the trout growth is high but spawning levels low.

Victoria and Tasmania were the first states in Australia to legalize trout farming followed by New South Wales in 1969. The first farm to begin operations in New South Wales was the Hume Weir Trout Farm near Albury, after much opposition from environmentalists who feared the release of disease from the close-living farm trout to the trout in the wild. Water is pumped to the farm from the Hume Reservoir where its constant temperature is ideal for the hatching and breeding of the trout. The water is then returned to the Murray River where it is available downstream for irrigation. The main objectives of the trout farm are to produce fingerlings for release and stocking the dams and larger rivers and to produce larger trout for home and restaurant consumption. The rainbow trout are the favoured species.

10 Reasons To Go Fishing

For me there doesn't have to be a reason to go fishing. Fishing itself is enough I'll just go at the drop of a hat but for those of you who may need a reason, here are ten. Who knows, when you need an excuse to wet a line one of them might come in handy. So here they are, in no particular order.

1) To get out in nature. We all get caught up in the day to day inertia that we call life, and sometimes just need to get back to nature. It helps restore the soul, as many poets have suggested.

2) To get your mind off of other things. This is what I used to use fishing for, before I learned some other techniques for clearing my mind. But spending a day waist deep in a river still serves me pretty well.

3) To have some fun with your children. If you haven't done this already, have at it. Kids love to fish. And I know with my daughter, I have every bit as much fun as she does. And in some way, that's what this whole thing is about.

4) To try to catch a trophy. This is a wonderful reason for me, but some people just don't want to work that hard. It took me three years of fairly hard fishing on the same river to catch the one trophy rainbow trout that I've caught out of said river. And it was worth every minute of fishing and frustration along the way.

5) Practice. In the immortal words of Allen Iverson, "What we talking about here? Practice? Practice?" Yes Allen, we're talking about practice. And anglers need it just like professional basketball players. If you want to attain any level of skill, that is. It's just like anything else, the more you practice, the better angler you will become.

6) To get out of the house or office. In this modern world, we can become like animals in a zoo. Just going through the motions, as if there were no real point to being on this earth other than making money to pay bills. At least that's how it can seem if you spend too much time in the house or office.

7) To get exercise. No many people may be thinking, "Fishing is not exercise, you just sit there." Not necessarily. If you go fishing with me, you're going to walk three or four miles and cross the river four or five times. It can be quite a workout at times. Even when I go lake fishing, the areas I fish are a nice walk from my vehicle. So exercise is a great reason to go fishing.

8) To get ideas. I've had some great idea's pop into my head while fishing, that might not have otherwise been discovered.

9) To hang out with a friend. If there's someone that you haven't hung out with in a while, and it's overdue, go fishing. The drive and subsequent walk to and from the fishing area is a great time to catch up.

10) To discover something new about yourself. This one is big for me personally. I've discovered a lot about myself while wading in various rivers over the years and you can as well. There's just something about standing in a river that's conducive to discovery. Maybe the silence. I'm not sure of much, other than the fact that it is.

There you go. The next time the old lady asks you why you want to go fishing again, and you draw a blank, just drop one of these bad boys in her lap. If you get to go fishing one extra time, then writing this article was worth it.

Ready to Go Fishing on a Sunny Afternoon?

I can't think of a better way to relax on a warm sunny afternoon. You can go fishing alone or take the kids or grandkids. It probably would be much more relaxing to go alone, but the kids would love it. I can't think of a better way to bond with them and have a good time. It's a great way to make memories. You can bet they will be anxious to tell their friends about this experience.

You will need to do some serious preparations for this trip. Make sure Mom knows what you are planning so there won't be any conflicts on the date and time. The kids will be really disappointed if you make plans and there turns out to be a conflict. If the kids don't have fishing poles, you might have to make a trip to the store. Keep in mind their ages and get poles that will be appropriate. A good, experienced clerk can give you ideas for them. The rod and reel should not be complicated or too long. If you already have rods and reels, make sure you check them out. They might need some oil or new string. The kids will be really frustrated if they get to the water and things don't work. Choose a fishing spot that is not dangerous. You don't want high banks or really fast, deep water. Be sure to take sun screen. Stick a jacket in the car just in case the wind comes up and it cools off. A ball cap gives the eyes some protection from a glaring sun. Tell Mom where you are going and approximately when you plan to return.

If you are going out in a boat, be sure to have life jackets that are appropriate for the age and weight of the child. In case of emergency have a cell phone and a whistle to attract attention in case you have motor trouble. Watch the clouds and wind in case a storm pops up. You will want to avoid rough water or an electrical storm.

Don't forget the bait! Have you ever gone night crawler hunting? You should run a sprinkler in the yard during the afternoon before you go out that night. Worms don't like the wetness and after dark they usually crawl up into the grass. Get a flashlight and VERY QUIETLY walk out into the grass. If you see a worm, very slowly reach down, then QUICKLY grab it. They can often sense that you are there and can disappear so fast into their hole. Don't be surprised if you miss a few! Put them into a container that has a little bit of dirt or some worm bedding and put on a cover with holes in it. You can buy regular bait boxes. They should be kept fairly cool.

Teach the kids about safety. Those fish hooks are mighty sharp. Give them each plenty of space so that when they cast their line out into the water they won't catch their hook into someone. It's also best to put some distance between them and a tree. Putting a worm on a hook can be quite a task. Show them the right way to do it. Teach them to cast lightly. If they exert too much energy they might get off balance and fall into the water. Oh yes, you should take a bucket just in case you catch a fish!

You MUST have a picnic lunch. That is part of the fun. Don't pack anything messy. Drinks should be in bottles or glasses with lids so they won't spill easily. Keep it simple. Sandwiches, fruit and cookies would be enough. They will be so excited on catching a fish that they won't want to spend much time eating. Of course, you will need a blanket or table cloth to spread on the ground. A roll of paper towels might come in handy. A bottle of water can be used for washing hands.

Things You Need to Go Fishing

New to the fishing hobby and you are clueless as to what kind of fishing gears you must have? The basic trip to the water to find something to catch on is to bring along with you a rod, reel and some bait. However, do you know that you also need to have a fishing license? Yes there is such a thing as a driver license which you will also need before you can go fishing.

For a first timer fisherman, your first few casual trips will require you to bring a rod and reel. The standard length of a rod is 1.8 meters. You can also choose from a different range of materials. These materials are hard to break and were chosen for its flexibility. The other equipment is the reel with its hand reel and fishing line. These two are your essential fishing equipment. If you have invested a long time in this hobby, you will also learn that this equipment are also designed for different kinds of fishing such as fly-fishing, bait or spin casting.

Now that you are off to a good start with your rod and reel, why don't we add up the hook and bait which is also important in order for you to catch a fish. Actually, your rod and reel will be useless in catching a fish if you don't attach the hook and bait. Most fisherman uses live bait such as earthworm which is the most common type that is used by many. Other baits that can be used are the grasshoppers, minnows or crickets.

The next important fishing gear that you can include in your checklist is the tackle box. What is a tackle box? It is used for storing those tiny fishing gear parts. It is actually designed with small compartments to safe keep your fishing gears.

Other tools that you might need are the pliers and first-aid kit. The pliers come in handy for fixing loose ends or tightening those screws. The first-aid kit is obviously for prevention in case any accident or mishap will happen.

The Best Time To Go Fishing

The best time to go fishing is anytime you can, am I right? As anglers we're all well aware of this fact, but the bottom line is that there are times during the day, week, and month that are more productive than others. In this article we're going to discuss a couple of ways to figure out the best time to go fishing. When you figure out how to be on the water at the appropriate times, your catch rates will increase dramatically.

So, how do we figure out which times are the best times to be on the water? This is actually much simpler than you might have imagined. It has to do with paying attention to the weather and moon. These two forces of Mother Nature have as much to do with the best time to go fishing as any single two factors, even what type of bait or lure you choose to employ.Many anglers don't realize this simple fact. The best way to determine the best time to go fishing is to learn the ways in which these two factors impact fish and fish behavior. Don't worry, there's no need to become a meteorologist or astronomer. All you have to do is learn the basics, which can be accomplished with an hour or so of study. The best time to go fishing is directly related to these two forces of Mother Nature.

Many anglers don't realize this simple fact. The best way to determine the best time to go fishing is to learn the ways in which these two factors impact fish and fish behavior. Don't worry, there's no need to become a meteorologist or astronomer. All you have to do is learn the basics, which can be accomplished with an hour or so of study. The best time to go fishing is directly related to these two forces of Mother Nature.

The bottom line is that determining the best time to go fishing has a ton to do with both the weather and moon. For example, did you know that fish are much more active when the moon is in certain phases? It's true, and when fish are more active you (the angler) get many more bites. The phases of the moon are incredibly important to pay attention to. Just making sure that you're on the water fishing when the moon is in a certain phase will mean that you'll catch more fish.

How about the weather? Do you know what happens to fish when the weather changes? Or more importantly how the fish react to changing weather? Things like fronts passing through your fishing area have an incredible impact on the feeding behavior of fish, and understanding how this all works is integral to becoming a truly good angler. It really is incredible how the weather and moon affect the behavior of fish.

Have you ever had one of those epic days fishing, where it seemed like no matter what you threw into the water resulted in fish being caught? Most of us have, and I can tell you from experience that days like this have as much to do with the weather and moon as our prowess as anglers. Begin using the weather and moon to your advantage and you'll begin catching many more fish. And hey, what the worst that could happen? You wasted five minutes reading an article, and you catch the same amount of fish as you always have? Yep, that's the worst that could happen.