Jan 28, 2010

The Best Fishing Lures For Bass Fishing

The Best Fishing Lures For Bass Fishing

In this article I'm going to list the best lures for bass fishing. The lures are being listed in no particular order as it would be impossible to say that one bass fishing lure is the "most effective". All of these lures are effective for bass fishing and if any of them aren't a part of your bass fishing repertoire, they should be. These lures are definitely the best lures for bass fishing.


When I use the term 'bass fishing' I'm referring mainly to the most popular species of bass, large and small mouth bass. All of the bass fishing lures listed in this article can be used for both species. The key is to use smaller versions of whichever lure you choose when fishing for smallmouth bass. Smallmouth bass obviously have smaller mouths and therefore eat smaller prey than their large mouthed cousins.


Here are the lures that every bass fisherman should have access to:


  1. Plastic Worms & Grubs - Plastic worms have long been known as a great lure for fishing. Plastic worms can be rigged in a variety of manners such as the Carolina rig and the Texas rig. Plastic worms are most effective for largemouth bass. Plastic grubs are normally rigged on a lead head jig. Grubs are normally thought of as smallmouth bass bait. A great breakthrough in the plastic grub and worm market are Slams soft baits with ultra bite technology. These products are just like the plastics that you're used to except for the fact that the have been impregnated with fish attractants. Slam grubs and worms are extremely effective lures for bass fishing.
  2. Crank Baits - Crank baits are extremely and versatile bass lures. In most cases these lures are made to imitate bait fish and are fished in a variety of manners. An important thing to remember about crank baits is the more realistic the look in the water, the more effective they will be. Rapala and Bagley make very realistic crank baits that work for both species of bass. One of the most realistic and effective of the bass fishing lures on the market today is the KickTail Minnow. This lure looks as much like a live baitfish as any bass lure that I've ever seen.
  3. Top Water Lures - Top water lures are very effective when fishing for either species of bass, especially in the early morning or late evening. One of the keys to fishing top water lures is for the water to be as flat as possible. The more the water is like glass, the better luck you will have when fishing top water lures. Some great choices are the Jitterbug and the Pop-R. Fishing for bass with top water lures is a ton of fun and as exciting as fishing gets.


The bottom line is that the 3 lures above are 3 of the best lures for fishing for bass. If any of them aren't a part of your fishing arsenal, add them sooner rather than later. You'll be glad you did.

Jan 18, 2010

Fishing Tips For Trout - Trout Fishing Tips For Any Angler

Fishing for trout isn't a difficult task, especially when you're dealing with small inexperienced fish. Trout become even easier to catch when you're dealing with stocked fish that have been planted by your fish and game department. Trout fishing becomes more enjoyable (and difficult) when you start targeting larger more experienced trout. This is especially true in river and stream scenarios.
In this article I'm going to provide some simple fishing tips for catching trout, trout fishing tips that most any angler can put into practice. They key to any fishing tip is to put it into practice. As you do this you begin to learn all of the little nuances that make any fishing tip worthwhile. Fishing for trout is no different than any other species of fish, it's just that many times your surroundings are much more solitary and beautiful when fishing for trout.
Most of these trout fishing tips were taught to me by my best friends' father, a man I always considered a trout fishing "master". This man was able to catch very large trout from heavily fished waters in Pennsylvania and these tips come directly from his trout fishing knowledge. When it comes to fishing trips for trout the tips listed below are as good as you will find.
  1. Free Your Hands Of Unnatural Scents - This simple trout fishing tip actually applies to all fishing, but especially trout fishing. Trout have very sensitive noses and if a seventeen plus inch trout detects any unnatural scents it is much less apt to bite your offering. This is why making sure that your hands are free of unnatural scents (which will transfer to your bait) is so important. If you want tp catch more and bigger trout, rub your hands in a handful of dirt before baiting up to remove any unnatural scents that might be present.
  2. Use Light Line - Many trout fishermen (especially beginners) use fishing line that's entirely too heavy. I personally use four pound test for all of my trout fishing. Six pound test is serviceable as well, but any line heavier than this is probably overkill in most trout fishing scenarios. The bottom line when it comes to fishing for trout is this; the lighter your line the more bites your will get, it's as simple as that.
  3. Use Effective Hooks - When it comes to trout fishing your hooks are extremely important, both their sharpness and their size. First off your always want to use hooks that are as sharp as possible. This means changing your hooks often or sharpening them often. Many fish are "missed" because of dull hooks. Secondly, many trout fishermen use hooks that are entirely too large. A good remedy to hooks that are too large is a set of gang-hooks. Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks tied in tandem, which enables a much more natural bait presentation.
These simple fishing tips for trout are highly effective. I realize how simple they are, but their simplicity, I think, is what makes them so effective. Many times it's the simplest things in life that make the biggest difference.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country. Gang Hooks Tied & Ready To Fish: http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp

Jan 5, 2010

Largemouth Bass Bait Bass Fishing Baits

Largemouth Bass Bait - Easy to Use Bass Fishing Baits

When it comes to largemouth bass bait it seems as if the choices available to anglers are almost endless. Some bass baits are easier to use than others and in this article I'm going to discuss some of the more "easy to use" bass baits. Does this mean that these bass baits can be tied on, thrown into the water, and the result will be bass being caught? More than likely not because fishing, as any seasoned angler knows, is about more than just throwing a bait into the water and catching fish in most situations.

In many instances fishing is about technique, and technique is developed through practice. There is simply no substitute for spending time on the water practicing your craft. With that being said when it comes to largemouth bass bait, the baits listed below are some of the easier to use (at least initially). Adding all of them to your bass fishing repertoire and then using them to develop your own "techniques" is a great idea.

Let's get down to business, shall we?

  1. The Plastic Grub - The plastic grub is one of the best known largemouth bass baits of all time. There are many different ways to fish a plastic grub, but the most popular is on a lead jig head. The plastic grub is a very "easy to use" bass bait, especially when rigged on a jig head. Plastic grubs made by the manufacturer Slam are extremely effective bass baits. These baits have been manufactured with ultra bite technology, which makes them very effective.
  2. Live Bait - Live bait is a very easy to use largemouth bass bait. A key to success when using live bait for largemouth bass is to rig your bait in a natural manner. The best way to accomplish this task is through the use of gang hooks. These hooks enable live bait to be presented in a totally natural and effective manner. Many largemouth bass purists see live bait as some sort of "cop out", but that doesn't mean that it's not effective (and easy to use). Live bait works very well for largemouth bass fishing.
  3. Crank Baits - Crank baits are very easy to use, seeing as how you simply cast them out and reel them in, but they can be extremely effective bass baits. The key with crank baits is practice. The more time that you spend fishing them, the more little nuances you will discover. This is where crank bait fishing becomes the most effective. An incredibly realistic Largemouth Bass Bait is the KickTail Minnow. This crank bait looks as much like a real bait fish as any fishing lure that I've ever come across. The realistic appearance makes it very effective as well.

These easy to use bass baits should be a part of every bass fisherman's tackle box. If any of the above bass baits aren't in your tackle box, I suggest you add them sooner rather than later.

Jan 2, 2010

Fly Fishing Instruction

Fly fishing instruction is absolutely necessary if you want to learn to fly fish correctly. Trust me. I took the long route with no instruction. If I had gotten some sort of instruction, it would have gone a lot faster. I still have trouble breaking a lot of the bad habits I taught myself.
I tried to teach myself, and I made a lot of mistakes in the process. I don't recommend doing it that way. We had no internet, and there were no books in my area. If you lived in a large city, I'm sure you could find some, but I didn't have any resources in my small hometown.
Today, you have several choices. You could pay for lessons from someone, or take a class. While that undoubtedly is a great way to learn, it's also usually the most expensive way. An internet search for fly fishing instruction will give you a lot of choices.
Another choice is using books to learn. This is the route I took at first. Regardless of which way you choose to learn, you will want to buy some books. I still use my fly tying books on a regular basis, and I will continue to do so for the rest of my life. I have several others that are great. When it comes to learning to cast a fly though, I just couldn't make it work with instructions from a book.
I believe the solution for most people is found on the internet. Today, we have fly fishing eBooks that include videos showing how to fly fish. Some of them even incorporate a membership website as part of the purchase where they provide updates to the book and video lessons. I'm really impressed by what I've seen lately. I wish these had been around when I was first learning. It would have been so much easier.
I'm a relative newcomer to eBooks for fly fishing instruction. When eBooks first became popular, I didn't think much of them. Since then, I've come to appreciate how they can incorporate other media, such as videos and audio files. I also really like the instant delivery you get with them. Check them out. If you learn like most people do, you'll like them.
If you liked this article and want more information about fly fishing instruction and eBooks, please visit my Squidoo lense on fly fishing. Go learn to fly fish. You'll enjoy it.