Why
is it that some people have absolutely no problem catching fish?
If you've been around anglers long enough you know who I'm talking
about. It makes do difference if it's soft water or hard water angling,
these people seem to "catch
fish" anywhere, any place, at any time. And they seem to do
it with little or no effort. What do these fishing machines
know that others don't?
Well one way to get some insight into the question
is to ask some anglers who do catch fish. So I contacted some of the fishing
guides, tournament pros and avid anglers that I know.
Lets start with the fishing guides. Drake
Herd is a fishing guide in the Alexandria, Minnesota area and owner
of H & H Fishing Guide Service (www.hhfishingguides.com).
I asked Drake to name three things that make catching fish easier
for you.
First I pay attention to details. As an example, if I catch
a fish, or get a bite, the first thing I do is look at the depth finder and
note the depth. Then I will check the water temperature, wind direction and
type of structure or cover. Was the bottom steep or flat; hard or soft? Was
there any vegetation or any other unique features to take into consideration?
This way, when I get back to fishing I know exactly what I am looking for and
can usually find similar spots on the lake where I can replicate this action.
Second, I pay close attention
to my speed. This is one of those very important points that too
many anglers seem to ignore. Whether you are fishing for bass, walleyes
or crappies, if the fish don't like
the speed you're fishing at they aren't going to bite. My
best tip: when you think you're fishing slow, slow down even
more. Most of the time you can never move slow enough. I'm
often asked when guiding "have
we moved for the last 15 minutes?" My answer is usually no!
If the fish are down there and I'm marking them, I am going
to follow them and if they stay put, well it's simple, we're
not moving. On the other hand, when you find aggressive fish, get
up and move, fish faster and take advantage of an aggressive bite.
I have caught walleyes going close to 3.5 MPH. Sometimes even if
the fish are in a neutral or negative mood a fast moving bait can
trigger a reaction bite, as they have less time to think and just
react to the bait.
Third, be patient. Power fishing
isn't always the
answer. Don't get me wrong, there is a time to run and gun,
but overall if you are patient and relaxed, I feel you will catch
more fish. If you're
trying to learn a new body of water, be patient. It might not be
the first, second or even third time out, but eventually you will
learn the lake and what triggers bites. Then you may lay into a
toad.
Our next fishing guide is Bob
Bott,
owner of TGIF Outfitters (www.tgifoutfitters.com).
Bob and his guides are true "river rat's" fishing
out of Onalaska, Wisconsin. My question to Bob was: What three things
can weekend anglers do to catch more fish?
On the
river you can eliminate dead water by just fishing areas where the
current meets the shore. Focus on these areas, as they will usually
hold fish. Current drives debris, food and prey into the shoreline
where predators can lay in wait to ambush their targets.
When
fishing lakes or other bodies of water where there is not a significant
amount of current, fish where the wind is hitting the shore. Wind
or even a slight breeze can move the top layer of the water column,
this in turn will move microorganisms and other food towards the
shoreline, just like current. And baitfish will follow this food
source, causing the predatory fish to follow the baitfish. Find
a combination of wind and current hitting the shoreline in the same
area and you may have found a honey hole.
Fish areas where the sun
or shade meets the shore. Early in the year look for areas where
the sun is hitting the shore, as it warms the surrounding water
enough to draw in baitfish and game fish. As the year progresses,
look for those areas where the shade meets the shore, this area
can have water that is slightly cooler and again draws in game fish.
With these tips any angler can focus on catching and not just fishing!
Andy
Loos was raised on the Mississippi
River, fishing pools 4 & 5. He is an avid tournament angler
and owner of Media Works Productions. Andy is also the host for
HotSpot Outdoors TV. Andy's
question was: What are three common things you see weekend river
anglers struggle with?
Anglers new to fishing on the river
usually struggle the first couple of times out. To me the three
things new anglers/boaters have the most problems with are understanding
current, boat placement and being careful or patient when boating
off the main channel. Rivers are far less forgiving than lakes.
On
the river you are always dealing with some type of current and casual
river anglers need to pay close attention to that current. Paying
attention to what the current is doing will help you find some great
fishing spots. Sometimes you can actually see current breaks or
the river flow pushing up against a bank, which will make a nice
under cut bank, usually a great spot on any river to check out. On
the main channel watching how the water flows over a wing dam
can tell you if a wing dam has potential or not.
Boat placement
is important on the river. When dealing with
wing dams and current placement is crucial, as the spot-on-the-spot
on wing dams is usually quite small and the current will push you
off that spot if you're not paying attention. I have
fished any number of wing dams and not caught a fish or even
gotten a bite, and then just by moving
a few yards one way or the other was able to catch a limit of walleyes.
Just pay close attention to the current, don't let it push
you off your spot or just as bad push your boat right into your hotspot.
Take
your time. Be careful. The river is a great place to take out your
lower unit; you cannot just go anywhere like you can on most lakes.
If you are going to venture off the main channel take your
time, trim up your motor and start idling, be patient.
Patiently idling around off the beaten path is one of the best
ways to notice little things in the water, from a downed tree to
a rock pile. I have won many tournaments from areas or spots I found while
idling around off the beaten path.
Andy Young (www.flipnfool.com.)
is a well known Pro-angler in the Upper Midwest region and a fishing
guide on Minnesota's, Lake Minnetonka. Andy's question was: What
are three common mistakes you see new or novice anglers make?
I've
shared my boat with amateur anglers in Pro Am Bass Tournaments for
10 years and have been a fishing guide on Lake Minnetonka for 12
years. So I'm comfortable fishing with or teaching new techniques
to novice or new anglers.
Getting a good hook set is
a common problem for most new anglers. I can't count the number
of times that I've seen people,
including myself; lose a big fish just because they didn't
set the hook hard enough. There is no perfect hook set for every
situation. However, in most cases
if you just point the rod toward the fish when you get bit, then
reel up the slack until you feel the weight of the fish and give
a long, hard, sweeping hook set, you're going to put more
fish in the boat!
Another mistake I've noticed
many new anglers make is in casting. Most new anglers struggle
to make accurate casts and usually can't cast far enough.
Some of the things that will help you improve your accuracy and
distance are: Use the best equipment that you can afford (I use
G-Loomis rods and Shimano reels). A high quality rod and reel is
always going to boost your accuracy and distance. Make sure
your reels are filled to capacity with quality line (I recommend
P-Line Fluorocarbon as this will definitely increase your distance).
Finally, practice, practice, practice and then practice some more!
The more you cast, the better you'll
be. Practice tip: Be patient, go for accuracy over
distance. Practice even while you are on the water; use a white
1/4 ounce OutKast swim jig and cast it all day long at various targets.
Doing this will not only improve your accuracy and casting distance,
but you're going to be surprised
at the number of fish you'll catch.
"Focus
Dude...you got a bite!" New anglers
just seem to lose focus. It takes a lot of concentration to make
an accurate cast, then feel the bite and finally set yourself up to make the
right hook set. It's really pretty simple, the more focused you are, the
more fish you will catch.
First, l need to thank all four
Pro-anglers for sharing their time and knowledge. Second, as always,
stay safe and we hope to see you on the water.
Wayne Ek is a fishing guide, tournament angler and writer in Alexandria
Minnesota.
You can reach Wayne Ek at Agape Fishing Guides, www.agapefishingguides.com
