Sport Fishing » Articles

Wisconsin Smallmouth Bass Fishing

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 21:04:32 +0000

Wisconsin is a great state for catching smallmouth bass. There are plenty of lakes and rivers to fish where you can consistently catch these fish. This article will focus on some of the more popular places to fish for smallmouth bass.

Door County is the place to go if you are looking to catch a big fish. Fish in the 2 to 3 pound range are very common and there are many fish bigger than 5 pounds in the Lake Michigan waters that surround Door County. The most popular place to catch these fish in Door County would have to be Sturgeon Bay. Sturgeon Bay is known for producing some excellent results in the spring with experienced anglers boating 40 to 50 fish in day. When the fish move in shallow, you can catch them all along the shorelines. The nice thing about Door County is that this area is one of the top vacation destinations in the midwest so you can bring the family and everyone should be able to find something to do.

Lake Geneva is another great smallmouth bass destination in Wisconsin. This lake is very popular among boaters, so try to get out here in the spring and fall for the best fishing opportunities. If you do fish during the summer, don’t be afraid to fish 30 to 50 feet of water. There will be schools of bass sitting in the deeper water and the local bait shop tells me that there are actually two thermoclines during the summer. In the spring and fall, more bass will be in the 12 to 16 foot range making them a lot easier to catch. Even though this lake is a great smallmouth bass lake, fishing can be extremely tough and most anglers choose to only fish with live bait. There is a ton of fishing pressure on Lake Geneva, but some of the locals know how to catch their limit consistently. Learn the hot spots and you will catch lots of smallmouth bass in between 16 and 20 inches.

Smallmouth bass can also be caught in most of the lakes in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, although they are not as abundant as the walleye and muskie. There are trophy smallmouth in the 4 to 5 pound range in many of these lakes. Lake Winnebago has some decent fishing for smallmouth bass as well.

In my opinion, if you could only go one place, I would tell you to head to Sturgeon Bay of Door County for a week in the spring, early summer or fall. Hire a fishing guide and learn as much as you can, then try to hit the same spots or other similar areas with your own boat during the rest of your trip.

To find more information on fishing, guides, lodging and more, take a look at our Wisconsin fishing page.

By: Kevin Sewell

Still Fishing For Trout

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 18:58:13 +0000

There are many anglers who spend some or all of their fishing time still fishing for trout. By ’still fishing’ I simply mean casting their line out, letting it sink, tightening the line and waiting for bites. This is ’still fishing’, and for those of us who don’t have boats, it’s a great way to catch trout out of ponds and small lakes.

The only downfall to this type of fishing (at least to me personally) is that in most cases synthetic trout bait is used and mostly stocked trout are caught. I don’t know what it is, but for me, catching trout that grow up in a tank is weird. Many times when you catch these stocked trout they have some or all of their fins rubbed off (from the tank), and to me, just seems unnatural. But, it is what it is, and when I have a hankering for catching a trout, still fishing for some of these “finless wonders” will usually fills my need.

Lets put my personal feelings aside and focus on the issue, which is still fishing for trout. When still fishing for trout, 90% of the time the bait of choice is synthetic trout bait, and for good reason. These baits work! Trout, especially stocked trout, love these synthetic trout baits, and tend to bite them readily. The key with these types of baits is that they float, and if you use one that doesn’t float, buy one that does.

The most effective rig that I’ve ever seen for still fishing synthetic trout baits is toi use a gang hook rig. What’s a gang hook rig? It’s pretty simple. Take the end of your line and slip on and egg sinker (1/4 to 3/8 ounce). Now tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 to 12) and on the opposite end of the barrel swivel tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. This is a gang hook rig. Now add your favorite floating synthetic trout bait to each hook (enough to completely cover each hook). This rig is then cast out and still fished like you normally would.

Still fishing for trout, with the rig described above is amazingly effective. You see, the bait floats above any underwater debris, thus increasing your bite rates. The gang hook rig works and works well. When you get that hankering for catching a trout (no matter how many fins it has) the gang hook rig is a great way to go, when still fishing for trout.

By: Trevor Kugler

Aluminum Fishing Boats

admin — Fri, 30 Apr 2010 07:33:11 +0000

You should know that aluminum fishing boats are becoming really famous. It is true that these types of boats are considered best, all over the world. It is getting popular because aluminum boats have many benefits.

It is a known fact that aluminum fishing boats are manufactured with the help of fiber glass. Some boats are manufactured with steel as well. Usually, aluminum fishing boats are manufactured in such a way, which can resist themselves from to rust, decay and drip. You will be amazed to know that aluminum fishing boats are sturdy. At the same time, it is easy to repair and fix problems in aluminum fishing boats.

It is a known fact that aluminum fishing boats are costly to purchase. However, it will give you lot of benefits as well. You will be able to save fuel. You don’t have to spend lot of money, besides the repairing and maintenance of these boats. You will come across many people who would prefer to utilize these boats for recreational purpose. These types of boats can utilize in salted as well as fresh water.

If you are an individual person who would like to use a boat for fishing then you should prefer to have aluminum fishing boats. You should know that these types of boats are managed easily. It can be carried by a single person. You will be able to set the functions of the boat, according to your requirement.

You will come across many people who would think that aluminum fishing boats are not durable. If you are amongst this group of people then you have a misconception. These types of boats are manufactured with sturdy materials. Generally, metal is used to develop these boats. Furthermore, the metal is molded and welded in such a way that, water cannot enter inside the boat area.

If you are willing to purchase a fishing boat then you should not forget to think about aluminum fishing boats. It is one of the best types of boats, which are lighter in weight. It is true that these types of boats will require small motor that will not require tons of fuel to run. If we discuss about the maintenance cost, then you should not worry. You just have to clean the boat on regular basis. Apart from this, you might not have problems in maintaining the boat. In short, an aluminum fishing boat is worth purchasing.

By: Robert Grazian

Fly Fishing in Southern California

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 13:58:55 +0000

Fly fishing in Southern California is definitely a matter of finding the right spots. With all the urban sprawl, that isn’t necessarily the easiest thing to do.

When one thinks of Southern California, many images come to mind. You might think of the perfect weather and white sandy beaches of San Diego. The glamour and congestion of sprawling Los Angeles might be what you think of first. It is not very likely that fly fishing in Southern California will be your first thought. Unless, of course, you are a serious fly fisherman.

Fly fishing in Southern California is alive and well. The area offers a wide variety of locations that rank among the best in the country for fishing opportunities. The fly fishing community is well organized here also. Fishing clubs are growing in popularity and they offer everything from training and information to organized fishing events.

If you are planning a fishing vacation and have a family that does not share your consuming lust for the sport, Southern California is one of the best choices that you can make. What to do with the family is always at the top of the to-do list when planning such a trip. When you are thinking of a fly in fishing trip to a remote lodge in Northern Canada, this is admittedly a serious problem. In Southern California, it is a very minor concern.

Some of the best fly fishing in Southern California can be found a stone’s throw from Los Angeles and if you can not find diversion for your family while you fish there, you will not be able to find it anywhere. Unlike many other locations, weather is not a big concern and season is not quite as important in Southern California. The climate allows virtually year round fishing opportunities. The locals consider Spring to be the best fishing time especially for fly fishing for trout, but when they say best, they mean best and not only time.

This is one of the beautiful things about the sport of fly fishing. It has spread across the world and there is no one place where you must go to find the thrill of it. You can really take just the opposite approach to your trip planning. First, think of the part of the world that you want to visit. Think of that place that fires your own imagination and then investigate the fly fishing potential there. In the case of fly fishing in Southern California, a bit of a look below the surface past the many other sights and attractions will reveal opportunities that will stack up with fishing anywhere.

By: Richard Chapo

Trout Fishing In Pennsylvania

admin — Thu, 29 Apr 2010 02:24:54 +0000

With more than 83,000 miles of streams and rivers, along with 4,000 inland lakes and ponds covering 160,000 acres the state of Pennsylvania offers plenty of water in which to fish for trout. As a matter of fact, Pennsylvania is where I learned how to fish for trout. I’ve since followed the fish that I fell in love with while living in PA to the trout fishing state of Montana. My fishing mentor taught me many of the techniques that are going to be discussed in this article on the banks of rivers and streams in the great state of Pennsylvania.

Trout fishing in Pennsylvania is really quite good. Whether you prefer lake or river fishing for trout, PA can accommodate you. In PA the opening day of trout season is almost as much of an event as the opening day of deer hunting season (although nothing can beat the opening day of deer hunting in PA!) The lakes and rivers of central Pennsylvania, where I grew up, were packed with anglers in search of trout on the opening day of trout season.

Because we spent so much time trout fishing in PA, my mentor created the original bait pouch for carrying his trout bait (especially worms). At the time, the bait pouch was simply a cut off end of an old sock. Today there are much more functional versions available, but if you don’t want to buy one, just cut off an old sock! In any case, PA is where this ingenious way of carrying trout bait (especially worms) was born.

Another trout fishing technique that was born while trout fishing in Pennsylvania was the use of a set of pre-tied gang hooks. Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem. The concept is quite simple, yet extremely effective. Why? Mostly because gang hooks allow the angler to present a live worm in a completely natural manner. In fact, when rigged on a set of gang hooks, hooks are barely even noticeable to the human eye. This is obviously an incredible advantage to the angler and much better than using a single size 4 hook with a worm “threaded” onto it. Although I now use gang hooks all over the country, as far as I’m concerned they will always be inexorably linked to Pennsylvania trout fishing.

Trout fishing in PA is probably some of the best trout fishing in the entire United States. Montana has Pennsylvania beat, but I think that’s simply because there are so many less people, rather than the trout fishery itself. If you’ve never considered Pennsylvania to be a trout fishing state, it’s time that you should. Pennsylvania trout fishing is as good as can be found almost anywhere. Although it’s surely not my cup of tea, the state of Pennsylvania also has some excellent fly fishing from what I understand. So if you happen to be into waving feathers back and forth in the air, Pennsylvania can accommodate you as well. In many ways, PA is a trout anglers paradise.

By: Trevor Kugler