When I was a lot younger about 25 years ago, I was fishing a lake and not having a whole lot of
luck. Even so, I was one of those “kids” who knew almost everything about bass fishing since I
had already done it for 25 years.

I seen this older gentleman walk up to the shore about 20 feet away and seen he had the exact
same lure on that I was using. I kind of chuckled to myself just knowing he wasn’t going to
catch anything since I didn’t and I had been using this lure most of my life. Well, after
watching him for about 5 minutes I seen he had caught one. I said to myself “the lucky bum” and
didn’t think any more about it, just went my way fishing as nothing happened.

Of course, I kept watch on him out of the corner of my eye. Pretty soon he had caught another
one to my amazement. Again, I said to myself “what a lucky bum” and kept on fishing knowing he
wouldn’t catch anymore but keeping an eye on him just the same. Again he caught another bass and
then another and then another and I said to myself, “Let’s see how this lucky bum is doing this”.

So, I was on my way walking towards him to talk to him. This man was one of the nicest gentlemen
I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I said, “I have fished that lure most of the day and
never caught one thing and you have caught all these bass just within a short time, how did you
do that?” He said, “Technique!” I said “technique?” He said, “yep, technique”. I went on to
tell him I had my own technique and that I fished this lure for over 25 years and usually with
pretty good results. Well, what he said next about floored me. “He said “you’re using it
wrong“. I thought, “What the hell is he talking about, me using it wrong?”. After all I was
young and still had 25 years of bass fishing experience. Who was this guy anyway to tell me I
was using one of my favorite lure’s wrong?

I got looking at this pretty jacket he was wearing, I was in California at the time and I noticed
a couple of things about the jacket. The main thing I noticed was this one patch that said
“World’s Topwater Bass Fishing Champion” among lot of other sponsor patches. I said to myself “Um…maybe, I better listen to this man”. I can just say I am glad I did. He taught me what he was doing different, what I had been doing wrong and a technique that I incorporated from his and
my technique that I use on almost on all my topwater bass fishing retrieves even to this day.

I was fishing with my son several years ago at a little lake we fish in Ohio. We were using the
exact same rod, reel, line and lure and even the same lure color. I had caught about 15 fish and
he hadn’t even had a strike and we were only standing about 10 feet apart. He said “Why are you
catching all the bass and I haven’t caught any?” I said, John, you’re not holding you mouth
right. He said “How are you supposed to hold it?” I said like this and made the worst face I
could think of to make.

Several months later he went to California to visit his grandparents and he was fishing in a
river for trout there. His grandfather came along and said “John, are you not feeling well?”
John said, “No, I’m fine Grandpa”. His grandpa said, “We’ll John, what is the matter with your
face?” John said, “Well, Grandpa, Dad said I had to hold my face like this to catch fish“.
John’s grandpa couldn’t wait to go back to the house to tell his grandma who told my wife who
told me. The funny part was I had forgot all about the other incident and me telling him to hold
his face like that.

So, what do both of these stories have in common? Even though the older gentleman and I was using the same lure, fishing the same water, he was catching bass and I wasn’t because he knew the “technique” to use. On the same hand when John and I was fishing, we were both using the same kind of rod, reel, line, and lure and I was catching fish and he wasn’t because I knew the “technique” to use in that situation and John didn’t.

It’s not only important to know what lure to use when you’re fishing but you have to know the
technique to use with the lure you choose to fish. It can make all the difference in the world
between a great bass fishing day and a not so good bad fishing day, to say the least.

Tags: Fishing, Baits, Fishing Baits, Fishing Lures, Fishing trips

Summer walleye, this is the time for the most popular game fish in Canada. Tens of thousands of anglers consider this their favourite fish to catch for the sport and mostly for the fact that it is one of the greatest fish to eat.

This tip comes from an experience while fishing walleye in Northern Ontario, on Manitoulin Island, in went out early in the morning hoping to pick up a few walleye early.

I headed for a shoal that I fish frequently; it is about 20 to 25 feet of water, and drops off to about 70 feet deep. After about and hour or so, I had 2 small walleyes to show for my effort. Guessing that the cool front that moved through over night had affected the fish, I started to fish the drop off and along the length of the shoal, and still no fish. With the help of technology (fish finder, sonar) I found that there were groups of fish suspended at 20 to 25 feed in 75 feet of water. I finally surmised that the fish holding at this level would be very hard to get to, and when suspended like this they are usually not in a feeding mood.

The next problem was that to reach these fish with my jigs and no bottom structure to follow was near impossible, although down rigging or trolling would preset my bait at a better level, if they were not actively feeding it was again a tuff sell for these walleyes. What is needed in a situation like this is a slow presentation of the lure or live bait. What I needed was a bait delivery system that would consistently put me at the right depth and slow enough to keep the bait in the strike zone for a long time, so as to tease them into action. I also wanted to be able to make long casts to allow long drifts through these suspended walleye schools.

I decided to give a slip-bobber a try; it’s simple and deadly when used right. Most anglers don’t use this walleye technique enough it works. The slip bobber, slips up and down the line from your hook to a bobber stop you set for the desired depth. I needed to get the bait down 25 feet; with the slip bobber the stopper you use to set your depth is so small that it will pass through the rod guides and onto the reel without no problems at all. And if you find your depth is not quite right you simply move the stop up or down.

Now with the slip bobber controlling my depth accurately, I was able to drift my bait (live bait, jigs, and plastics work well) right through these schools of walleye at nose level, also able fish very slow giving these finicky walleyes lots of time to make up their minds about having a snack. It was a large school of walleyes and the result was a couple of hours of super walleye fishing.

If you think about it slip bobbers can be used with your favourite live bait for walleye fishing. Either a plain hook or jig tipped with a minnow, worm or leach can be fished in the same way for precise depth control. Plus slip bobbers are not restricted to walleye fishing. They are great for all sorts of fishing, when conditions call for depth control, long distance casting or a really slow presentation. I have used them for trout and salmon in rivers, and even on bass in small clear pools where a long cast and slow movement is needed. I have taken a lot of nice bass from under and alongside the numerous swimming rafts and docks around different lakes I have fished and used this method quite successfully. These tactics also work great around bridge pillars, piers and supports, and weed lines, and dams. By casting so easily and smoothly they are great for kids, they love to see the bobber twitch and disappear.

Once you start walleye fishing and any other species, you will likely find all sorts of situations where they will be the answer to speed and depth control. Pick up a couple and try these tips, you will not regret it. Just go fishing!

Tags: Fishing, Baits, Fishing Baits, Fishing Lures, Fishing trips

So you have decided to take up fly fishing. Where do you start? Having just gone through the process myself I have found it to be quite a journey. I thought that decades of spin fishing would prepare me for an easy transition to the “art” of fishing with the fly rod. In reality this is not the case.

I found that the various aspects of fly fishing each involve a fair bit of research and/or hands on training. Before you can even begin fishing you have to buy the equipment, learn casting/fishing techniques and gain at least a basic knowledge of fly selection for the fish you want to catch. This takes dedication and many hours of research, training and practice. Furthermore, becoming a proficient fly fisherman could take years of practice and experience.

As tedious as that all sounds it actually has been a lot of fun. Many people make the mistake of trying to teach themselves how to cast which in many cases just leads to bad habits. Like anything learning the right way from the beginning is always better than trying to break a bad habit after a year or two of frustration.

A beginning fly fishing lesson from your local fly shop or association is a good place to start. Not only will learn the basics in casting but a general knowledge of fly types, equipment, knot tying and fishing techniques and strategies for your area. Many times you will also be able to demo the various types and weights of fly rods. This will enable you to make more educated equipment purchases and ensure you get the right rod for the lowest price.

Once you have your lesson and have picked up the gear it’s time to get out there, right! Wrong. Now you have to get the right fly for the water you are fishing for that particular time of year. This is where I recommend going to a reputable fly shop in your area that can help you pick out the right fly for that particular time of year for that particular lake or river. Finding someone to mentor you is an even better way to learn as you can compress the learning curve by drawing on your mentor’s knowledge.

More and more anglers are taking up fly fishing because of the pleasure it brings. Not only is there a lot of enjoyment in executing a nice cast, but it’s a type of fishing in which you can learn as much as you want, or maybe just a little and have a good time. Anglers are also learning that a fish on a fly rod fights much better than one on a bait rod and that lots of species of fish in either salt or fresh water take artificial flies. Some get into it deeply, learning names of all the insects and tying their own flies, while others are content with simply casting a fly out and seeing a fish rise and take the offering. There is no gender or age discrimination in fly fishing, anyone can do it and with a little practice they can do it very well. Happy fishing.

Tags: Fishing, Baits, Fishing Baits, Fishing Lures, Fishing trips