February 23, 2012

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Water Sports for the Whole Family

Whitewater kayaking, Isére, Bourg-Saint-Maurice

Image via Wikipedia

There are not many things that family members of different generations can do together as a family but enjoying the water and water sports is something that family members of all ages can enjoy. Rather than just planning a family reunion, think of planning a family reunion around the lake or ocean.

There are many water sports that center around the water that the whole family can enjoy. If someone in the family owns a boat or wants to rent a boat for the occasion the elder members of the party can enjoy basking in the sun and watching the younger generations play in the water. Everyone will also enjoy sailing around and seeing the sites.

Other activities that people of all ages can enjoy are fishing trips. Children will enjoy being able to catch a fish while older generations will enjoy teaching the younger how to cast and reel in a fish.

If the members of your family are still active and up for an adventure suggest taking the whole family kayaking or canoeing. Kayaking and canoeing are great ways for the whole family to get involved in something that is both a work out and a whole bunch of fun. Kayaking and canoeing will also allow you to take your family to new and exciting places that boats are not able to go to because smaller vessels can squeeze into caves and float around coves. If you need some refreshing in being active, consider going to http://www.411.ca and hiring a trainer to help you out.

While planning a trip for the whole family can be difficult because of various ages and various athletic ability, if you plan to do something around the water the whole family is likely to have a great time.

Filed Under: Canoeing, Fishing, Swimming, Water Sports Tagged With: , ,

How to Choose the Best Lure

creative fishing lure, hand made from wood and...

Image via Wikipedia

There are so many different colors and shapes of fishing lures out there – the selection can be very daunting for a new fisherman. Actually, scratch that – it can be overwhelming for any fisherman, inexperienced or not. Here is a quick guide to help you get started in the right direction so that you don’t waste your money on tackle that you don’t actually need.

  1. Know the kind of fish you want to catch. Different lures work for different fish – typically it’s the size and shape that matter, not the color. Make sure you spend some time researching the species of fish that you are targeting so that you don’t get a lure that will be too large to fit in their mouth. Likewise, a lure that is too small won’t even entice them to bite it.
  2. Don’t get caught up in the advertising. There thousands of different types of lure and someone obviously has to sell them. For this reason it is very important that you use common sense when you are setting out to buy your tackle – you don’t have to copy every pro fisherman that you see on TV.
  3. Know the fishing conditions that you are going to be in. for instance, if you are going to be in an area that has a lot of heavy vegetation and thriving plant life you will need to pick a heavier lure. If you don’t, the chances of it just floating at the surface or getting tangled up are going to be drastically increased.

If you are still unsure about what kind of lure that you need to buy consider going with a simple hook and a worm. If that doesn’t sound appealing at least get the opinion of a few sales people in the camping and fishing section before you shell out the money.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

Basic Tips for Lake Fishing

Lake fishing is a completely different form of fishing than river sport. For this reason there are different techniques that you have to employ if you hope to catch anything while you are out. Here are a few key things to remember while you are busying fishing at the lake this weekend.

  1. Be patient while you are waiting. Constant movements will almost guarantee that you don’t catch any fish – they sense even the slightest jerks and vibrations. This is why the holders for the fishing poles come in really handy while you are lake fishing – you don’t have to even touch the pole and risk scaring a fish until you already know it’s hooked on the line!
  2. Bring a long enough fishing line. The water in the lake is typically much deeper than that of a river. For this reason it is very important to plan your trip accordingly – if you don’t bring a long enough fishing line you will never get to the bottom where the really big ones are.
  3. Know where to look. The best thing you can do as a fisherman is to learn where the fish like to hang out in the lake. For instance, they probably won’t be anywhere near the shore where they are easily visible! Instead, try fishing around reeds, lily pads and floating logs.

Fishing is meant to be an enjoyable sport that can relax you – if you’re lucky you will even get to put some dinner on the table. The key thing to remember is that you are not entitled to catch any fish. Thinking like that will almost ensure you don’t ever catch one.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

Basic Tips for River Fishing

There are completely different techniques when it comes to sport fishing in a river – especially when you are comparing it to a lake or a slow moving stream. For instance, small movements are not going to scare off the fish if they are about to bite your worm. Here are a few very basic tips that will help you land the fish the next time you head out to the river.

  1. Always have a net handy. River fish are very strong because their body is almost completely made up of muscle. For this reason, trying to land them with a hook and a line alone is a relatively impractical idea – unless of course you are looking for the small fry. A net is a really handy tool to land larger fish because it will prevent you from losing them to a snapped line.
  2. Don’t be afraid to get in the water. You really cannot get around getting wet when you are fishing in the river – sometimes you even have to follow the fish halfway out. For this reason you should always invest in some water proof gear before you head out.
  3. Be completely aware of your surroundings. You are not the only one trying to catch the fish in the river – fisherman often encounter bears at the shore while they are out. For this reason it is very important to know your surroundings.

River fishing is a more hands on experience than say, lake fishing – your chances of getting soaked at the lake is pretty slim unless you slip head first into the water! However, for those that are dedicated and skilled enough river fishing poses a very exciting challenge.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

Top Bass Fishing Techniques to Remember

Example of a very young specimen of M. salmoid...

Image via Wikipedia

Bass fishing is one of the most popular forms of sport fishing out there – there are all kinds of different lures you can use and times of day that you can find the fish. However, if you are inexperienced all the information can become very overwhelming and you will not know where to start – in fact, it may seem like bass are incredibly elusive fish! Here are a few of the top bass fishing techniques that should help land your first catch.

  1. Study the different times of day. You can literally catch bass any time of day. However, there are certain advantages to early morning, afternoon, and evening fishing.
  2. Know the different advantages to the lures. Different lures accomplish different tasks. For instance, you will need a different type of spinner if you plan on fishing later in the day. The best thing you can is slowly build up your tackle box with lures that have produced consistent results for you already.
  3. Just get out there and do it! You can read about the secret techniques and lures all day, but if you don’t actually get out there and try them out for yourself you will never learn. After all, you can’t brag about someone else’s catch!

The best thing that you can do for yourself is to just start fishing! You will gain a lot of firsthand experience that will help you more than a simple article can. Besides, you will make a lot of fun memories along the way.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

How to Teach a Child to Fish

Fishing with a loved one can easily become a very treasured memory – and the skills that are learned can become invaluable over time. For instance, fishing takes a lot of patience. However, it can be very difficult to teach another person how to fish after it has become second nature to you. Here are a few tips that will help you teach a child how to catch their first fish.

  1. Have patience – do not rush things. The learning curve can take a long time, especially since it often takes several hours to see any type of movement. You will make the process easier for a younger child if you bring other activities along that will keep them occupied while you are waiting for a fish to bite.
  2. Use barbless hooks to start with. Children can seriously injure themselves with fish hooks. For this reason you should always teach a younger child how to fish with a barbless hook or lure that is meant for catch and release. You can let them move up to actual hooks when they are confident enough to do so.
  3. Let them watch you first. The best way to teach a child anything is to let them watch you do it first – there are a lot of subtle movements that they will pick up on that you would not think to explain. This is especially important when it comes time to hook a worm or unhook their first fish.

There is no reason that a child cannot learn how to fish – unless of course they are too young to hold the pole! However, it is very important to remember that it is your responsibility as the adult to ensure they are employing safe practices.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

What You Should Keep In Mind About Bass Fishing

There are a lot of great informational shows and products out there that can help you catch bass. In fact, bass are one of the most popular sport fish in world now due to ease of which you can catch them! However, it is very important to maintain a sense of reality while you are watching the programs and reading the books. Here are a few tips that will help prevent you from wasting your money on bass fishing products that you don’t need.

  1. Most shows aren’t as truthful as they could be. The majority of programs and clips are paid by a sponsor. What this means to you is that the lures and baits that you see the fisherman using are not necessarily the best that there are – they are simply selling a product for their sponsor. However, this does not mean that they won’t give you good information as well – just be aware that they have a job to do too if they want the money.
  2. The fish that you see are probably caught prior to filming. Using pre-caught fish is a lot easier than actually catching the fish on set – it takes less time and there is much less room for error.
  3. You don’t need a specific color of fishing lure to catch bass. Just because someone caught a huge bass using a particular lure that has ten spots, five different colors and it jingles doesn’t mean that you have to buy that one too. There are all kinds of different lures that you can catch bass with – they really are not that picky!

As long as you use common sense you should not have to worry about wasting money on tackle that you do not need. Just get out there and have some fun – you’ll eventually learn how to catch fish on your own!

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

The Advantages of Catch and Release

Fishing isn’t for everyone, and neither is actually eating the fish that you catch. In fact, some people absolutely hate the taste of fish! Occasionally, the water may not even be safe enough to eat the fish from. Here are a few of the biggest advantages of a catch and release program.

  1. It conserves the native fish population. There is no way to completely avoid catching endangered species of fish unless you just don’t fish at all. With a catch and release mentality you can still fish because you will not be harming the ones that you come into contact with.
  2. It’s a safe way to teach children to fish. Kids really should not be taught how to fish with a hook their first trip or two – you are only asking for a hook in the nose because of a slip! You can graduate up to using a real hook after they are confident in their ability to catch and release fish without one.
  3. You don’t have to eat the fish. The taste of fish is not for everyone – some people are even allergic to them. On the other hand, some people just like fish too much to actually kill them with their own hands.
  4. You can still catch fish even if you aren’t allowed to kill them. There are daily and yearly bag limits on almost all species of native wildlife – and fish definitely are not exempt.

There are a lot of other reasons why catch and release programs are very beneficial to implement. The best part about them is that you don’t even have to hook the fish using the traditional method if you don’t want to – there are all kinds of barbless hooks and lures out there designed with the program in mind.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

How to Unhook a Fish

My fish hook

Image by L. Marie via Flickr

The most exciting thing about fishing is realizing that you actually have a fish on the hook! However, getting it off can be a completely different matter – especially if you don’t have any experience unhooking struggling fish before. Here are a few tips that will help you perfect your method of unhooking fish from your line.

  1. Always keep a pair of working pliers with you. You simply cannot get the hook out of the fish with your hands – if you try to do so you will only put yourself at risk because the fish will be thrashing wildly in an attempt to escape. Nothing is worse than pulling the fish hook out and then realizing that it’s deeply imbedded in your own thumb!
  2. Make sure you have a firm grasp on the fish before you start. A fish out of water will be scared and struggling very hard – because of this you will need to make sure you have a good hold on their entire body before you try pulling the hook out. If you don’t have a firm grasp on them you will only end up injuring the fish, yourself or the both of you.
  3. Make the procedure as quick as possible. Fish cannot stay out of water for very long. If you are not confident in your ability to quickly remove the hook make sure that you either have someone else who has experience with you, or an available source of fresh water to dip the fish in every few minutes.

If you are only fishing for the fun of it and are not planning on eating the fish you may want to consider replacing your hooks with special lures and barbless hooks that are meant for catch-and-release. Doing so will dramatically decrease the amount of trauma that the fish receive and you will no longer have to worry about unhooking multiple barbs from a fish’s lip.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,

How to Stay Safe While You’re Fishing

Pike Angler Seated in a Float Tube

Image via Wikipedia

There is no reason why a fishing trip cannot be a safe and enjoyable event. However, in order to ensure the safety of you and your family there are a few guidelines that you will have to follow. Here are some helpful tips that will keep everyone as safe and happy as possible during your next fishing excursion.

  1. Always supervise your children. There are all kinds of safety hazards on a fishing trip. For instance, most children who drown in a lake do so because an adult looked away for just a second or two. Fish hooks and fishing line can also pose a threat to younger children. The hooks are very sharp and can easily puncture delicate skin – the fishing line is very easy to tangle up and get looped around a small child’s neck.
  2. Keep the fish hooks in a locked container. In order to prevent your children from playing with fish hooks you should always keep them out of reach and in a secure container. This also applies when there are no children present – adults can easily forget about a bucket of fish hooks and knock them over. Trying to get a sharp hook out a foot is not very much fun, and it will probably warrant an ER visit.
  3. Don’t get too focused. Aside from the threat that the actual water can pose, there is also a lot of native wildlife that can potentially harm your family. Always be on the lookout for bears and large game cats while you are fishing – they don’t always make a lot of noise when they approach. For this reason you should never fish around dawn or dusk with small children.

The key to keeping your family safe during a fishing trip is to just be aware of all the potential hazards. You don’t have to become overly paranoid, but you do have to acknowledge that something as simple as discarded fishing line can pose a threat.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: ,
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