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A tip for winter fishing

February 9th 2010 19:22
Fishing pier
It's cold and I've been snowed in the past few days so, I'm no even going to say I've been fishing. However, I have been thinking about getting out there but when it's cold like it is right now, fishing can be tough if not down right impossible.

The first thing you have to remember is that fish are cold blooded animals. That means their metabolism is going to slow down and you'll have to adjust your presentation with that in mind. Simply put—slow down your retrieve!


Since metabolism has slowed to a crawl, live bait may or may not work. One meal goes a long way if you're a fish in the winter so even though live bait may trigger strikes one day, it may not work the next. If fish are biting with live bait, stick with that as long as it works but I heartily suggest taking a few artificial lures with you. You don't have to worry about anything too fancy—maybe a jig or two, a couple tubes, a plastic worm, and a suspending jerk bait or two. Some guys suggest spinner baits for winter fishing but, I have to admit, I've never has great luck with this approach. (I'm working on it though. I've heard it in too many circles.)

The presentation I often use is one mimicking a dying minnow. Using this; you raise your rod tip from the 9 o'clock position to 12 o'clock and let it fall. After about 15 seconds I repeat this motion and take up the slack as the bait falls. A pause of about 30 seconds often works but I'm too ADHD for that!


There's a pecking order among most nature's creatures and fish are no different. It may be the "survival of the fittest scenario" but, often times, the largest fish are the ones you're going to catch. This holds true for panfish as well as big bruisers like pike. So, even if you're not catching much of anything, take solace in the fact that the next bite may be a trophy!



Remember to take the hooks outta yer pocket before ya sit down!




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Jugging--it's not about boobs!

November 4th 2009 04:47
Here's a clip about a fun way to fish. It's called JUGGING.

Jugging is taking a line, tying it to a drink bottle or something else that floats, and at the other end having a circle hook. Then, you throw it into the water to catch fish. The nice thing about this method of fishing is that you get to zip around in your boat and pick up the floats when you catch a fish!

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33
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Get out and fish in the fall!

October 11th 2009 01:23
fly fisherman
It's till not too late to hit the water. Around here, a lot of outdoor types are thinking "hunting" and heading for the woods. That can work to an angler's advantage because it often means less fishing pressure and you may even find you have one of the "sweet spots" all to yourself.

After spring, fall is one of the easiest times to fish. Fish, just like people, aren't crazy about cool mornings so, getting a late start isn't going to hinder your chances of landing the big one like it would if it was warmer. AND the fact that the water is cooler means the fish will be more active!

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29
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Transitional bassin'

August 28th 2009 01:02
I know it's August and and it's pretty warm right now right now but I found this video about transitional fishing and wanted to post it. before I forgot about it.

Bass are the topic of conversation here but these observations work pretty well for any game fish in a temperate area.

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Bass fishing anyone?

August 18th 2009 01:33
smallmouth bass

Sometimes it's hard to write about things things that are close to you. That's part of the reason I've resisted the temptation to write about bass fishing and then you get into the fragmented divisions of bass fishing and you almost have to address each group to offer any assistance. Although there are general guidelines pertaining to all bass, it's going to be a little different in the spring than in the fall and river fishing will differ from lake fishing.

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32
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Barometric pressure and fishing

July 20th 2009 01:49
 River

Ever wonder why fish practically hook themselves one day and the fishing is terrible the next? It may be because a low pressure front is forming.

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Can you use sardines for fish bait

July 11th 2009 19:29
sardines

The other day someone hit me up with the idea of using sardines for catfish bait.

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Watch where you cast!

July 10th 2009 04:02
fisherman

This little tip is hard to follow on the first day of the season when everybody is on the shore shoulder to shoulder.

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Why fish bite

May 25th 2009 00:44
catching a fish

Ever wonder why a fish bites? The majority of readers will answer, "Hunger." Without doing any research, I think you can safely say that's the chief reason. However, there are days you dangle a worm or minnow right under a fish's nose and all they do is swim away. And then you have those tournaments where live baits are not allowed so, there must be other reasons fish bite. What are they?

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57
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PIcking a lure

May 6th 2009 00:37
Fishing lures

There are several factors that contribute to a lure's success. One of the most frequently asked question about fishing is probably "What lure should I use?" If you'd ask a dozen different anglers what they think is the best lure around, you'd probably end up with 12 different answers and each angler would have a pretty decent argument for their answer.

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46
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A quick boilie recipe

May 1st 2009 00:23
Since they're hard to find in the States, I'll let you know that boilies are carp bait.

airdrying boilies
Somebody must do a lot of carp fishing!
There are dozens (if not hundreds) of recipes for home made boilies. The big reason for sharing this one is because I was looking around for boilies this past week and came up with ZERO.

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SIght fishing is easy

April 26th 2009 00:54
fish

Bass, carp, bone fish, flat heads, or even pan fish. The thing they all have in common is that you can sight fish for them.

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43
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Shout it from the roof tops and make it known, "Spring has arrived!" (if you live on THIS side of the equator!)

Spring means an absence of snow (we hope), warmer temperatures, and a return to outdoor activities.

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Superglue your swimbait

January 28th 2009 05:07
This is one of those tips I've been using for a while but never mentioned because there's always some wise guy who says, "Doesn't the fish smell the glue?"

I suppose they may but bass don't seem to mind and I haven't arrived at a verdict on catfish yet.

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Fishing the weeds

January 23rd 2009 02:54
Fishing around weeds is always a good bet as this video details.

The video is aimed toward bass anglers but the tip generally works for most ambush predators.

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How to reel in a fish

January 16th 2009 01:23
Here's a video about something pretty basic--reeling in a fish.

You may think, "How tough can it be?"

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My New Year Wish

December 31st 2008 00:33
Happy new Year!

Thanks for hanging out with me in 2008 and here's to the new year.

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Fishing can help returning vets

November 26th 2008 02:23
I was surfing the web, looking for some info, when I found something else and it sort of took over everything I was thinking about at the time…


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Musky--A fish that can bite YOU!

November 9th 2008 03:52
catching a musky
When is the last time you caught something this big?


Life has had me in a bind lately and I'll admit, I haven't gotten to fish nearly as much as I would like!
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Fishing for pan fish?

September 18th 2008 02:07
Sunnies--bluegill--perch--you name it--pan fish are those little suckers often passed over in the quest for big fish.

I don't know why they're called "pan fish." Seems like they ought to be called "hand fish." They're about as big as your hand.

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