fishva

I let the line run over the index finger of my non-reel hand. You will notice very slight ticks (changes in pressure) that you may not feel through your rod or detect by watching your line. Of course, watching your line is also important. Keep your eye on the spot where the line meets the water. Set your hook on any irregular movement. Last, count down! If you cast a spot once and it takes 10 seconds to hit the bottom, then the next time it takes 5...you haven't hit the bottom, your bait is in the mouth of a sneaky little fish.

I almost always fish by myself, only because I don't have any friends who fish. I enjoy it, but sure do appreciate some good company when I have it.

I hear you. I work for myself out of my home, and business was really slow for a few months. After feeling really down about it for awhile, one day I said screw it, sitting here feeling bad about things isn't doing me any good, I'm going fishing. For a few weeks straight, everyday I went fishing for an hour or so during my lunch break. I can't tell you how much it improved my overall attitude and perspective on things. Now, business has turned around and I've got more than I can handle. But I'm still making time for fishing most days, because I learned that having that time outside and focusing on other things helps me keep a clear head and make better decisions.

No. Thankfully, my hobbies all go together well. I ski in the winter, and play my guitar / video games / in the evenings. It never really feels like one thing gets in the way of another.

I have a simple question (how to catch grass carp), but I'm going to lead into it with a long story. Because stories are the best things about fishing. Last weekend, I took my son camping. At one point on Friday, we decided to go on a hike around the small lake / reservoir where we were staying. Not too far into our hike, we came to a man-made waterfall that serves as an overflow system. The lake was low at the time we were there, but when it's full, water runs over the fall and into a creek. We walked down to the creek to look for frogs, tadpoles, turtles, and other interesting things. The creek is never more than 6 feet across from what I saw of it, but it is really deep in some spots. As we approached it, we saw a pair of grass carp up by the surface of the creek. They must have been around 5 feet long -- I know that sounds like a fishing tale, but I'm 6 feet tall, was up within a few feet of them, and can say pretty confidently that they would have been a pretty even match at a guess your height carnival game. We were able to look at them for a minute or so before they saw us, splashed their tails in a frenzy, and disappeared into the deep part of the creek. Now, I know that these carp rarely grow beyond 4 feet long, but these things must be in control of the creek system and have grown obscenely large. I want to catch one. They're illegal to possess here, and of course, I want to stay within the limits of the law. I just want to get one up to the creek bank, admire its giant scales, and let it go on its way. I understand that they're vegetarians -- how do you catch these things? Corn on a hook? And do I need to bust out my surf fishing rig? The idea of fighting such a big fish in such a small body of water is so exciting to me.

I like going to a worm, jig, or lipless crank in situations like these, because you can effectively slow down the bait without stopping the action, or give it a quick jerk without making it *look* like you're speeding up the retrieve.

Thanks man, I appreciate it. Is it as easy to stand in as they advertise? I've only used rental river kayaks that a fart will flip over.

One more question about kayaks: if you're fishing while the water is still cold (fall or early spring), what do you wear to keep the cold splashing water from making your life miserable?

Awesome feedback, thanks everyone. I think I'm going to explore kayaks as an option for now, and not rush into things. If I go the kayak route, I can put the money I save towards some electronics, which is appealing. I'll also check out the nucanoe. I hadn't heard of those before.

Hey, guys. I've finally saved up enough money to get off the banks. Now I just can't decide what to get! I'm torn between a wilderness systems 115x kayak and a jon boat. I almost always fish small lakes that allow kayaks and electric motors, and 90% of the time I fish by myself. I like the idea of a kayak because I can get some good exercise and fish some spots motors can't go very easily. Plus, it's cheaper overall. I like the idea of a jon boat because of the motor and the ability to take someone with me the other 10% of the time. In other words, I'm conflicted. What would you do if you were me?

Well, the trip was a huge success. We had a camping spot right on the water, so we cast out and watched our bobbers while we played board games and things. He caught about 30 bluegill and a couple crappie. The first morning we were there, he woke me up at 6:30 and asked if we could start fishing. Second morning we slept later, but again, he wanted a line in the water the moment he woke up. By the end, he was casting his spinning rod with confidence (and giving me a pretty good ribbing about catching more fish than me). Thanks, guys -- we had a blast.

Catfish are not my specialty, but I fish for them the same way no matter the time of day, and have had good results.

Awesome, thanks! I'll be sure to post an update when we get back. Again, thanks a ton for your help.

Thanks guys, I really appreciate all of your tips. We're going camping tomorrow for 2 nights, and I can't wait to give all of your advice a try. I picked up a little lightweight rod for him that should be fun to catch these on. The bass did just spawn here in most the areas I frequent, so maybe the bluegill will be really aggressive. We have had nasty weather this week (lots of rain and storms), so I'm not sure how that will effect things. It should clear up tomorrow morning, finally. What size hooks do you typically use for the nightcrawler pieces?

Man, I don't know. You can always second guess yourself. But in my experience it's best just to forget about it and try again next time.

I watched a husband and wife team (who had obviously rented a pontoon boat) nearly have a dropdown fight while trying to dock it. At one point, the man was able to get the rear of the boat next to the dock. He convinced his wife to jump out with the paddle. Standing on the dock, she held the other end of the paddle out to him. I could tell what he was thinking, and it was a bad plan. She would pull the boat to the dock (why they didn't use a rope I will never know). With her on the dock and the paddle in her hand, he hit the throttle (I guess thinking the force would pull them together). Instead, his wife went flying off the dock into the water. She threw the paddle at the boat, called him every name in the book,and left him to figure it out on his own.

Sometimes it stings for just a second, other times it hurts like mad and lingers for awhile. But bottom line is, only you know how it feels. So if something doesn't seem right and you're worried about it, see a doctor.

I'm not sure if I hate spinnerbaits or spinnerbaits hate me, but we haven't exactly warmed up to each other yet. I am happy for your success, though. And jealous:)

I almost never change colors until I figure out what they're biting. I prefer to start out by making drastic changes. For example, if I don't have luck with a plastic, I might go to a lipless crankbait. If I don't have luck with that, I might switch to a spinner. If I don't have luck with that, I might switch to a jig. Or maybe a topwater. Whatever. By making drastic changes, I feel like I'm able to get bites quicker than if I were to make subtle changes like color. That said, I'll give each bait a good chance before switching. If a spot looks really bassy, I'll cover it real thoroughly a few times before switching up. Depending on the spot, that might be 10 minutes or might be 30.

Definitely some soft plastics. When I was just starting out and didn't know what type of hook and things to use for each plastic, I liked to buy Berkley plastic baits because they tell you what hook size and shape to use right on the package. That helped with my confidence a ton! Pick up a few different baits that use the same hook (since you're on a tight budget, you don't want to blow money on 3 bags of hooks). You should be able to get 3 bags of stuff + a bag of nice hooks for around $20. Don't skimp on the hooks. Get the high quality stuff. With the remaining $30, I would buy a couple shallow diving crankbaits, that go maybe 1-5 feet deep. I noticed you have some lipless and some deep divers, but nothing in between. These are usually around $7, so a pair should run you about $15. We've spent $35 now. With the remaining $15, I'd pick up a spinnerbait (usually around $7), and, if you have the money for it, something that just looks cool to you. That's how I'd spend my $50, but you're likely to get a lot of other answers too:)

My grandfather did something similar with his docks when I was a kid. He didn't use blades, but he basically put up heavy duty lattice from the side of his dock down to the bottom of the water. He was fed up with fisherman hitting his boat and breaking off their hooks on his dock or in the 'swimming area' where he (and his grandkids) could step on them. He really wasn't trying to be a jerk, he was just tired of people messing up his stuff.

You know, the truth isn't always super helpful lol.

Thanks! They were your jigs.

Where are you losing the fish? On the hookset? During the fight? At shore / the boat? And as others have said, what types of hooks?

I'm honestly not sure why I didn't think of that immediately. Thanks!