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Try doing a web search on the words “fishing lodge” and you will come up with hundreds of thousands of matches. Visit any major sports show and you’ll find dozens of outfitters, each offering promises of the trip of a lifetime. How on earth do you narrow it down and find the fishing destination that’s just right for you?

Identify Your Priorities for you fishing trip…

The first step in selecting a destination is to sit down with everyone else going on the trip and discuss what it is that you want out of the experience. It’s not enough to decide you want great fishing, because that can mean very different things from one person to the next.

One person in your party might be delighted to catch 20 fish per day, while another might expect 20 fish an hour. This is the time to be perfectly clear and up-front, because the more honestly you communicate your wishes, the better the chances you will have a great trip.

Some important things to decide right from the beginning include:

What species of fish do you want to catch?

This sounds like a no-brainer, but it definitely needs to be discussed. If one member of your party really wants to catch lake trout and the resort you pick has lousy fishing for them, that person will be very disappointed. If the place you pick has fishing for multiple species, you should decide how much time and effort you want to apply to each. What matters most, and what matters least? Do you want to catch walleye, northern pike, bass, char?

Do you want lots of action? Or trophy fish?

Does great fishing mean catching a fish on every cast? Or would you go all day for one bite, provided that fish was a giant? Of course we would all like fast action with trophy fish, but it’s important to keep your expectations realistic. So between the two, which is most important? And what honestly constitutes a big fish for you? Would a 20-pound salmon make you smile? Or would it have to be a 50?

How are the fish caught?

Can you sight-fish? Or is it primarily deep trolling? Imagine how disappointing it would be to spend all winter watching people on TV fishing shows hammer big pike on topwaters, then find on your trip of a lifetime the only way to catch them is by deep trolling in 60 feet of water?

What is your realistic budget?

Let’s face it; money is a deciding factor for all of us. You need to be honest about what you’re prepared to spend, and also how you want to spend it. If you have $1,000 to blow on a trip, do you want a week at Lodge A, or three days at Lodge B which might offer more upscale accommodations or a better shot at a trophy fish?

Once you have decided exactly what kinds of fish you want to catch and how you want to catch them, you need to discuss the accommodations.

In order to get the kind of fishing your group wants, are you willing to rough it in a tent camp where you have to prepare your own food, or is a certain amount of creature comfort also a priority?

How important is a hot shower at the end of the day, or having someone else deal with the cooking and cleaning up? Can you live without a flush toilet? Would you rather bring your own boat?

Again, it’s important to be honest and realistic right up front.

Once you’ve established clear priorities for the fishing and the accommodations and set a rough budget, it’s time to start looking at what different lodges have to offer.

The species of fish you want to catch, the amount of time you want to be away and the amount of cash you have to spend should help focus your search to a general geographic area, while the priorities your group collectively identified should allow you to narrow your search within that geographic area fairly quickly. It’s everyone’s fishing trip … so plan it well.

Now, it’s a matter of contacting fishing lodge operators within that region, and seeing what they have to offer.

Call The Government

State or provincial tourism departments are the best way to find fishing lodges within specific areas. If you’ve decided your group wants to go to Alaska to fish for salmon and steelhead, then start with a call to the Alaska department of tourism. They can send you all sorts of information on outfitters, general fishing information, plus stuff on license requirements, fishing regulations and such.

Selecting the right fishing trip destination is probably the single most important aspect of planning your fishing trip. Well, choosing the right fishing buddies is pretty important, also.

Dave Cushion is the author of the comprehensive manual “The Ultimate Fishing Trip Guidebook!” For more tips on planning your dream fishing trip, or to just learn how the experts catch more fish, go to http://www.fishing-trip-advisor.com and check out our other articles.

Many shore anglers avoid fishing rock marks because they are scared of losing tackle. However, very few marks are totally unfishable, and often the most effective rigs for fishing rough ground marks are also the most basic.

Before fishing any shore mark, rough ground marks in particular, it is a good idea to visit the area at low water. The best time to go is at low water on a spring tide, when much of the ground that you will later be fishing over will be uncovered. Look for features like gullies, weed beds, or patches of sand sandwiched between kelp beds. These are the places where items of food collect, and the places where the fish will feed once the tide has flooded. If you are unfamiliar with the mark, it is also very important to try to pick out any area where the flooding tide could cut off your retreat.

The first stumbling block for many anglers preparing to tackle a rough-ground mark is the choice of end rig. End rigs should be tied as simply as possible. Rock marks are certainly not the places to use complex rigs with lots of swivels, bait-clips and beads, all of which will increase the rig’s snagging potential. Rigs should usually incorporate some sort of rotten bottom to attach the lead (try using an old spark plug) as this will break free if it becomes snagged. A simple running paternoster is an ideal rig. You seldom need to fish at any distance and at some marks species like wrasse can be more or less under your feet. If long-range fishing is necessary, it is important to ensure that the lead will not break away from the rotten bottom during casting. One of the easiest ways to do this is to use a pulley rig tied from a minimum 501b bs line with a loop at the bottom. The rotten bottom attaches the lead to the loop, and the loop is then pushed through the eye of the lead. A small nail pushed through a ‘/4in diameter polyball is then inserted through the loop of nylon, to hold it secure during casting. On contact with the water, the nail floats free, aided by the buoyant polyball, leaving the rig anchored by the rotten bottom. The addition of a lead lift can further assist end-rig recovery over rough ground.

Many anglers make the mistake of using too light a main line when fishing rough ground. You should expect to get snagged on the bottom from time to time, and you will need a fairly substantial main line to break even an 8lb rotten bottom. It is also inevitable that your line will get chaffed from constant contact with rocks, and chaffed 251b line will give you a far better chance of landing a big fish than damaged 151b line.
Too light a lead is another common mistake. A light lead will get washed around by the tide or swell until it snags. It is far better to use a heavier lead, which will hit the bottom and stay put. If there is any lateral tide or swell consider using a grip lead, which will anchor your end rig firmly, preventing it from dragging into snags. The grip wires can even prevent the lead falling into tight crevices.

Another very common mistake is moving the lead after it has touched bottom, just to see if it has snagged. If the lead was not snagged, there is a good chance that you’ll drag it into a snag when moving it. The first time that you attempt to move the end rig should be either when you strike or when you reel in to check your bait. In the latter case, lift the rig as high in the water as you can with one firm upward swoop of the rod. Then, keeping your rod tip high, wind furiously to get the rig up to the surface and clear of the worst of the snags. The new generation of high-speed-retrieve reels are better suited for this sort of work than small, baitcasting multipliers.

Webmasters are free to re-publish the article as long as they include my resource box at the end of the article exactly.

Article by Darren Tidmarsh. For more articles on Sea Fishing and Fishing in general please visit Fishing-Circle.com
you can contact me at Darren@fishing-circle.com

When you are going fishing, whether nearby your home or on a long distance trip, there are many fishing safety rules that you need to keep in mind.

These rules can help prevent injury to yourself and others while shore and boat fishing.

There are several different areas of fishing safety that you should be aware of. These include the following:

• Equipment Safety

• Pier Fishing Safety

• Offshore Fishing Safety

• Shore Fishing Safety and Noodling

• Ice Fishing Safety

Equipment Safety

Before you go fishing, you need to make certain that all of your equipment is in safe working order. This should be done before you even consider going out to any waterfront. You need to check several things while looking over your various pieces of equipment.

First, you need to check your fishing rod and reel. Both of these pieces should be in top condition, with the rod having no cracks or breaks. If your rod separates, you need to make certain that it is very secure when it is built together. The reel itself should operate smoothly, with the line coiling without tangles. If the line is tangling quite a bit within the reel, you will need to unbind the line and replace it with new. If this behavior continues, you should consider a new reel.

The type of line that you use should be a consideration as well. Dependent on the conditions you are going to be fishing in, you will want to use different line. With rocky bottoms, where your line is going to get caught easier, you will want to use a lower line rating. If you are fishing for larger fish, the test on the line should be increased to match what you are planning on catching.

The final fishing safety check that you should make is on your tackle, sinkers and lures. If any of these are rusted, you should replace them with new ones, as rusted equipment can change a mild injury into tetnis or a worse illness.

Pier Fishing Safety

One type of fishing that many people enjoy is pier fishing. When you go fishing off of a pier, there are several fishing safety rules that you should keep in mind. First, you should only place your feet into the water if you know that there are not vicious fish, such as Muskie, in the water. Muskie, as well as other types of vicious fish, are renown for biting off the toes of unsuspecting fishers off of piers. For this reason, you should avoid doing this. In addition to this, you should never run on the piers, especially if you are carrying any sharp equipment. The most important thing to keep in mind when pier fishing is to use your common sense. Falling from the pier, especially taller ones, can be life threatening. Leaning over the pier edge, as well as being careless, can put yourself and others in danger.

Offshore Fishing Safety

When you go on a boat for a session of offshore fishing, you need to be extra careful. Out of all of the forms of fishing, this is the most dangerous. You need to be aware of the weather and potential weather changes at all times. In addition to this, you need to make certain that you are always wearing a life preserver. While these may be uncomfortable, or ugly to wear, they can make the difference between life and death. You should always make certain that you know you do not hit anyone with your hook when you are casting. This is the most dangerous aspect of offshore fishing, as you are most likely fishing in close quarters, which requires a higher level of skill when you are casting. Hooking yourself or a companion is a real likely hood in this style of fishing, unless you are extremely careful.

Shore Fishing and Noodling

Shore fishing is the style of fishing that most people participate. During fishing seasons, hundreds of people gather around oceans and rivers and ponds to take their hand at trying to catch the largest fish possible. Lures are constantly flying through the air, and lines get tangled more often than not. When you are shore fishing, you need to make certain you are aware of all of the people around you, and that they are aware of you. Taking children to crowded beaches for fishing can be extremely dangerous, as they can get hooked while running and playing. Injuries sustained in this manner can be severe. As long as you are careful, and you do not run or dart across the path of someone casting, shore fishing can be the safest of all types of fishing.

There is one form of shore fishing, however, that is extremely dangerous. This is called “Noodling”. Noodling, or another term for “Idiot”, is the practice of wading out to waist or chest level and bending down to search holes, logs and other hiding holes for catfish. Then you wiggle your fingers. If there is a catfish - or another type of creature in residence - they will attack your bare hand. Then the fight begins, and the Noodler needs to bring the fish to shore. Many lose their lives yearly to this extreme sport, and it should be avoided, as it is not safe.

Ice Fishing Safety

When you are going ice fishing, there are a lot of safety rules that you need to follow at all times. Unlike the other forms of standard fishing, ice fishing presents a lot of health risks. First, you should never go ice fishing without a well built shack. The shacks provide you shelter while you are ice fishing. Without this shelter, you will be susceptible to hypothermia and other health related problems.

The second thing you need to keep in mind at all times is the condition of the ice and the weather predictions. Falling through the ice while ice fishing, especially alone, is a death sentence. Being trapped on the open ice during a blizzard is also extremely dangerous, even with the shelter of an ice shack available. When you are stocking your ice shack, you need to make certain that you have enough wood for the wood stove, or heating device within the shack. This device should also be cared for and watched over at all times, so the ice beneath the shack remains stable or that the shack does not burn.

If you keep these fishing safety tips and rules in mind, you should be able to have an enjoyable time fishing without high risk of injury to yourself or others, no matter which form of fishing you choose to participate in.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her Siamese Fighting Fish and educating people about discount fishing reels & supplies which you can read more about here:

http://www.discount-hunting-supplies-and-tips.com/discount-fishing-supplies.html