Aquatic Sports

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.

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.
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.
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: Fish, River

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.

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.
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.
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: Bass fishing, Fish

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.

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.
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.
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: Fish, Fish hook

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.

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.
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.
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: Bass fishing, Fish

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.

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.
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.
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.
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: Catch and release, Fish

How to Unhook a Fish

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.

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!
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.
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: Fish hook, Freshwater

How to Stay Safe While You’re Fishing

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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.

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.
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.
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: Fish, Fishing line

Things to Consider Before Fishing

There is one major step that you need to take before you set out to buy all your tackle, poles and other gear – you will need to figure out what kind of habitat the fish you are seeking live in. For instance, fishing techniques that work for river fish don’t necessarily yield high results if you use them on fish that live in a very deep lake setting. Here are a few of the different types habitats that fish live in.

Fast moving rivers. These are the fish that are made up of a large percentage of muscle. They are used to swimming against strong currents and because of this will probably give you a good fight before you are able to net them onto the boat. Make sure the line you are using is strong enough to withstand their struggling.
Bottom dwelling lake fish. This is where are all the huge fish are living – for instance, the giant catfish that people rave about catching. These will be primarily sedentary fish that are lurking in the dark waiting for their next meal. Again, make sure your fishing line is strong enough so it won’t snap.
Shallow water dwellers. These are the type of fish that are primarily insectivores in the wild. They wait close to the surface of the water for some type of flying insect or spider to land on the water. If you look closely, the majority of these fish with have a mouth similar to a pelican – perfectly suited to scoop bugs from above their head.

Filed Under: Fishing Tagged With: Fish, Mekong giant catfish

Tips for Teaching Your Child to Swim

If you are trying to teach your child to swim you might want to follow a few of these tips for a more enjoyable lesson that just might save their life. Swimming is a major skill that could save a child’s life when there is no adult around to watch them. If you have a pool make sure that it has a fence and a locked gate. This helps detour children from going into the pool alone, but kids do climb and find ways in. This is where lifesaving swimming skills comes in.

If you have a toddler the best way to teach them is with your hand underneath their belly. This gives the child a safe feeling and that they won’t drown. Teach your child with arm floaters at first so they get used to being in the water. The easiest way for a child to swim is the dogpaddle this simple technique can save their life if they fall in a pool without their floaters. Your child can dogpaddle to the side of the pool so they can then use the wall to maneuver to the shallow end and get out.

Help your child learn to swim by going into the shallow end and asking them to come in. When they see that there are other people having fun they can’t help themselves and have to jump in. Stand in the shallow end and when your kid is ready to jump in they will. Do not force your child or they may develop anxiety to water and swimming. When they jump into the pool be there to grab them before they start struggling to keep their head up. Place your hand underneath them and have them start dogpaddling for you. Do little circles first and when they get tired have them dogpaddle to the side of the pool to hand on and catch their breath. This shows them that the edge is the safe zone and if they find themselves alone in the middle of the pool they can always swim to it.

Filed Under: Swimming Tagged With: Pool (cue sports), Teach Your Child to Swim (Parents' Guides)