Have you ever dreamed of landing that big trout? Fishing for trout of any size is great fun, but I’m talking about those ten to twelve pounders, or even larger. You can do it, but first you have to find them.

Unless you live in the remote back country of the west, or some place where you have access to areas that have not had a lot of fishing pressure, then you have been limited to that kind of trout fishing, and like most of us, have settled for catching and releasing countless ten inch stock trout. Today we have to search out those places where the big fish can be found. Keep in mind almost all waters have a few good fish, the trick is how to catch them. If you fish the streams most of the time and have access to say three miles of stream, start your fishing a half mile or so from camp. You will be way ahead of most of the other fishermen in camp. Be sure to get out early as the best fishing will be right after day light. One other thing, very important, is to have a good selection of trout lures with you and maybe a few night crawlers. The fish, most times, will be just off the current, feeding. Try casting up stream above any eddy’s or any rocks that might be exposed. Keep all slack out of the line and make sure your bait is getting down in the water. The bigger trout will be around cover of some kind. Continue fishing up stream, check and fish all pools and cut backs in the bank. Make sure after the sun is up your shadow does not show on the water. Don’t forget to change lures after a while if you are not having any luck. A different bait in the same pool might get results. You might catch trout any time of day, although I have found, depending on the pressure, the best fishing is in the first three hours in the morning and the last two hours before sunset. Sometimes, again depending on the pressure, around three in the afternoon can be productive. These fish are likely ones that did not compete well in the early morning hours for any viable food. The farther you get up stream away from the crowd the better your chances are of catching bigger trout. If the water is high and a little fast you might want heavier trout lures, and if the water is a little murky you might try using a spinner bait that will be easier for the fish to see. Remember, they won’t strike if they can’t see the lure. Some times all it takes is the flash of the spinner to get a trout to strike and you never know it just might be that monster trout you have been dreaming about.

No matter what, you won’t catch anything if you don’t get out there and get your trout lures wet.
Good luck and great fishing!

Mike Eggert is a web author, and contributor to the fishing lures information website http://www.luredtofishing.com.

In North America, Bass Fishing is the pursuit of the fish known primarily as Largemouth, Smallmouth and Rock Bass. But if you ask most American anglers, there looking for those Largemouth bulls (or pigs) depending on where you’re from.

After the winter solstice the weather begins to improve which means the prime fishing season is right around the corner. During Jan and Feb, the fish are still in winter patterns (establishing patterns at your favorite hole, is dependant upon going out and sight fishing during the late winter period).

If you get a series of 60-70 degree days during these months, fish will go shallow in a hurry, they will move into a pre-spawning pattern. Generally speaking, if you see fish around standing timber or docks during these warm periods, then your chance of catching fish in those types of areas around the lake or stream during spring are pretty much the same.

During these periods, when the water is at the higher levels, bass love to hang out between shallow brush and the edge of sharp drop-offs. Just remember, the water is cold, so slow your roll if you’re looking for a lunker.

During spring fishing, most top water poppers work well. Also, 3-4 inch soft-plastic minnows rigged Carolina or Texas style, which ever you prefer, except without a weight and with a barrel swivel on the end of the leader so your line doesn’t get all twisted up. You can skip this lure across the top of the water to get it up under tree limbs to really get in next to the trunks and then dog walk it back out through spawning nests. Be ready, because big bass are protecting they’re nests and they will attack, without prejudice.

These techniques work well on Lake Monroe, IN., which I happen to be lucky enough to have as my back yard. Finding the combination for your lake or fishin’ hole should be your number one priority during the early fishing season. Fish will tend to be attracted to the same lures in the fall that they were during spring, so get used to workin’ what works.

Sometimes you can get a spinner or a buzz bait to draw out larger bass waiting in ambush in the thickets (sunken brush, weeds and standing timber). Drag the lure along the outer-edge of these areas with a yo-yo retrieve or, jig ‘n pig it. The rising and dropping motion, along with the buzz and vibration of the bait is what triggers Largemouth to strike, even when there not hungry.

My favorite lure is the 2 inch, lipped, two treble-hook, balsa or plastic minnow with a reflective pattern or a realistic pattern. If you can get it to pop like a popper, it can be very deadly in the spring, especially on small ponds and channel coves along the edge of weed-beds and under overhanging trees. And if you’re real good, you might be able to skip it like the soft minnow.

As stated before, almost anything that pops the top of the water can be very useful throughout spring-time. The popping and splashing resembles a dying fish and the noises associated with other fish feeding on it. All of these actions attract fish of all sizes, makes them hungry and then they strike.
Pop the lure and let it sit until the rings die out and then do it again. Generally the strike will happen right before the next pop. Be sure to keep your eye on the lure, ‘cause when that fish hits, especially Largemouth, if you don’t set the hook soon enough (meaning, the second your lure disappears) the fish will spit it out. Panfish will usually get hooked as soon as they bite.

Spinners can also be used to slow-roll through deep channels to locate that lurkin’ lunker or to establish patterns in the deeper areas along the banks. Just work the bottom and see what happens. However, spinners usually don’t work to well during spring.

A temperature gauge is a handy tool to have year ‘round to establish retrieval speeds. Remember cold water tends to slow the fish down and warmer water will cause the fish to be more active. So practicing different speeds in different temperatures is a useful way to locate more fish.

Remember, when you’re on the lake, other people are out there too!

Help to take care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come. Follow your state and local laws regarding fishing and boating practices in your area.

Here’s some hints on fishing etiquette:
• Don’t litter, take along a trash bag or other receptacle for collecting your trash.
• Make sure that you use the correct type of bait and fishing gear permitted in that area. There may also be limits on the number, size, and kind of fish that you can keep. Check with your destination ahead of time to see what the local regulations allow.
• If you use a boat or watercraft when fishing, check to see what kinds of watercraft are allowed and what the registration requirements are.
• Pay attention to local procedures and cautions for cleaning your watercraft after you leave the water so that you don’t encourage the spread of non-native species to the next body of water that you visit.
• Don’t fish in areas where it is not permitted. These areas have been declared “off limits” for a reason. It may not be a good idea to find out why.

Just remember, wherever you fish, make sure you have a good time and be safe.

Chris Curley Lives in Nashville, IN. with his dog Piranha.

Have you ever watched one of those televised shows that show the fabulous fishing available in Canada, (or also known as the “Great White North) & wondered, can that really be true? Can the fish actually be so huge? Can the scenery be so spectacular?

It IS true!

From the eastern shores of the Maritime Provinces to the vast wooded tract of coastline on the west shores of British Columbia, Canada offers fishing that is so abundant & unspoiled, that anglers from around the globe visit each year, then subsequently return year after year.

All Provinces offer fishing that is unique to them, yet all are connected by a common theme, & that’s the huge expanses of almost undiscovered lakes & rivers in the northern regions.

Look at the Province of Ontario, 95% of its population reside in the lower regions that account for maybe 10% of its land mass. What’s in the other 90%?

Huge, crystal clear, lakes & rivers. Thousands of them! And all full of fish.

Whether one is looking for a weekend retreat that’s accessible with your family car, or the “trip of a lifetime”, a visit to a remote northern lake accessible only by float plane, this province offers it all.

Compare that to the even larger expanse of the Nunavut. Here’s a Territory that sits almost entirely north of the 60th parallel, & has almost all it’s regions inaccessible by roads. There simply are none!

But the fishing! Home to more I.G.F.A records than any other fresh water region in the WORLD!

Did you know the N.W.T is home to the 5th largest body of fresh water on the globe?

Great Bear Lake is 500 miles north of Yellowknife & the closest permanent road is some 300 miles away? Almost 12,500 square miles of crystal clear water, that’s under ice for all but, maybe 100 days a year. Water so cold, that fish grow so slowly they can be 60-80 years old.

Then consider this.

There is only one community on this lake. Maybe 500 people, tops! Four Fishing Lodges, over 280 miles of lake between one & the next closest! Ice free for just a couple of months, these fishing lodges can operate only 2 short months a year. Total capacity between them all is maybe 160 fishermen at a time, scattered over 12,500 square miles!

Also, consider Great Slave Lake. Situated some 300 miles south of Great Bear Lake, Great Slave Lake is almost as large an expanse of water, almost as isolated, but has the convenience of a bustling frontier type city, situated right on its shores.
Yellowknife, the territory capital is also the “hub” for many of the remote northern lakes & fishing lodges, as it’s serviced by a modern airport, with frequent & daily scheduled flights connecting it with more southern cities, or as the northerners call it, “the outside”

With stats like these, do you think these fishing lodges can offer a unique fishing experience?

You bet, there is no other place quite like it.

Why not treat yourself, & plan on a wonderful “trip of a lifetime”.

Check out what Canada has to offer at Canada Fishing Lodge.

Tyson J Stevenson writes on a wide variety of recreational subjects, always with valuable news & reviews. Expect to see his name often.

A related resource is Canada Fishing Lodge

Further information can be found at News2Reviews