Goodbye everybody!!! I am somewhat sorry to say that this is the final post of my blog. I undertook this as a school project and did have fun with it for a while, but I simply do not have the time required. As a full time college student who works 40+ hours a week I have very little free time. Its not that I don't have time to write entries for the blog, but more that I don't have time to make this blog what i want. Perhaps one day I will have the time to write about my passion and share what I know and do. Thanks for checking out the blog and remember there are hundreds of other great fishing blogs out there. Good luck and be safe. Happy Casting!

Hey everyone i hope your all doing well and catching tons of fish. Today i want to bring up a topic that i have neglected to bring up earlier on in full. (Partly because its kind of dull, sorry guys) The topic I am talking about is laws and regulations. While rules are never very fun or interesting they serve a purpose and are for everyone's benefit.

The rules I am specifically referring to are the ways your allowed to catch fish, how many your allowed to keep, what size they have to be, and things specific to certain locations. The fishing regulations vary based upon body of water, state/local jurisdictions, and the state of the ecosystem each year. That being said make sure you are aware of the laws in the place that you live or are visiting to ensure that you will not accidentally break a law.



This is what the regulation handbook looks like for Indiana. As i stated earlier laws change based upon location and time. Always be sure be up to date on your local laws. Most state governments have the laws published online as well as hard copies. For example http://www.in.gov/dnr/fishwild/files/fw-2012FG.pdf is the pdf link to an electronic copy of Indiana's fishing regulations.

Hello again everyone. I hope the mid April weather is treating everyone well. Today I am going to go in depth on the different types of reels and what their best applications are. There are three major types of fishing reels: bait casters, spinning reels, and closed face reels. Each has its own specific features and uses depending on what your fishing for.

Bait casters are generally mounted on medium to heavy sized rods as they are most adept at casting heavier lures. Bait casters are made to be very good casting reels both for distance and lure weight. The only downside to bait casters is that they require a good amount of hand skill to use and most people have to practice to become efficient with them. Bait casters are generally used for bass, pike/muskie, and other sport fish.

Spinning reels are a good all around choice as they can be used for almost any type of fishing by almost anyone. They come in a variety of sizes for various lure and line weights. Spinning reels do not require as much hand skill as bait casters and therefor are more suitable for those who are frequent anglers but not pro's. Spinning reels are a good choice because they can be used on almost any kind of fish with similar results all around. Spinning reels are also easier to work on than the other types of fishing reels.

Closed faced reels are by far the most common among new fishermen. Closed face reels require no special hand skill unlike spinning reels and bait casters. These types of reels are generally reliable but lack the finesse and accuracy of other reel types. This being said closed face reels are generally best suited for bluegill, catfish, carp, and sometimes crappie. Closed faced reels are somewhat harder to work on as their internal parts can be harder to reach.

Types of reels from left to right. Bait caster, spinning reel, and closed face reel.


Overall choosing the right reel for yourself or someone else will depend on a few things. Fishing skill, fishing preferences, and how much money will be spent. All three basic types have their own particular advantages and disadvantages so make sure you do plenty of research on what kind will be best for you and your type of fishing.

For more in depth information into the types of reels available on the market visit http://www.jarviswalker.com.au/view/choosing-equipment/buyers-guides/choosing-equipment-reel-buyer-s-guide.html

Hello fellow fisherman (and women) if you have been following my earlier posts then you will have seen that i was trying to cover some of the more common fish that are in the mid-west. However, now that I have done just that we're going to discuss something a whole lot different. The weather.
Yes I know the weather is usually just something that you watch before you go to bed to see if your morning commute is going to be bad, but the weather influences fishing in a lot of ways. Obviously it can keep you from going fishing in the event of unfavorable weather but it can also do a lot of quirky things to the fish.

Rain can actually be a good thing for fishing as long as you can get ahead of it. Getting out just before a rain storm hits can be a great time to catch fish as they cannot sense a difference between raindrops and small insects hitting the top of the water. So if your in the right place at the right time then you could be looking at a 10-20 minute window of great fishing before the rain gets too heavy. (As a safety reminder please do not fish during a storm that involves lightning. Fishing rods are often made of graphite which is a natural super conductor and being that they are often pointed up towards the sky can act as a small lightning rod.) Rain can also cause shallow bodies of water to become muddy. The movement on the surface will stir up debris and silt from the bottom and make the water cloudy. When cloudy water is involved not only can you not see the fish (or more likely places they may be) the fish cannot see your lure/bait as well.

The next weather obstacle is wind. Unlike rain giving some benefits, wind does absolutely nothing for an angler. Wind makes casting very difficult as it pulls the line in directions you don't want it to go and can hurt your casting distance. Wind also makes it very difficult to keep a boat anchored or if your using a trolling motor then it can over power the small motor. Wind also makes the water choppy which means you have lower visibility into the water as well as poor travel conditions for a boat.

Choppy water from wind (left) and muddied water from rainfall (right).


But not everything the weather throws at us is bad. The weather gives us something that we cannot and will not ever be able to accomplish ourselves. Temperature control. Lake to hot from warm air temps and beating sun causing the fish to get sluggish? How about some cloudy skies and cool rain to drop the temperature a bit. Or maybe the water is too cold and the fish are trying to conserve energy? Then maybe mother nature will give you a warm air front with a few days of sunshine.

The main point i am trying to make is that while sometimes the weather can prove a hindrance it can also provide an opportunity. The best advice i can give is to pay attention to the weather, especially the extended forecast. Now when i say extended I mean 2-4 days (5 at the max) for accurate weather predictions. Not to diminish the skill of our weather men/women but sometimes the 7 day forecast is a little shaky. I would not completely rule out the 7-10 day forecasts however as they can be okay for tentative planning.

Hopefully I have given you guys some helpful advice on the weather and fishing. If you want a good way to keep updated on the weather i suggest you visit http://www.accuweather.com or download their mobile app.

Hello everyone hopefully the 2016 fishing is going swimmingly. (sorry for the water pun) Today we're going to talk about one of the most common fish to inhabit north america. Blue gill. I will discuss the various types and related species. Blue gill are wide spread in almost all types of water bodies. From lakes and ponds to rivers and streams blue gill and their cousins can be found almost anywhere. Blue gill tend to be most peoples first fish because of how plentiful they are and how diverse their diet is. Blue gill like to eat about anythings they can fit into their mouths. From live baits like worms, bee moths, minnows, and night crawlers to artificial lures like small crank baits, small jigs, and fly style lures. However, as i stated previously they will eat almost anything you put in front of them and i have personally caught them with bits of hot dogs, pieces of cheese, little chunks of bread and once even the top off of a dandelion. Some cousins to the blue gill are red ear, and war mouth. (There are many more. Some variations only exist in certain geographical locations.)


So now that we have discussed what they eat, where they are, and how healthy their population is lets look at what to do with them once you have caught them. While these fish are not the largest (usually ranging between 6-12 inches with 10-12 being big enough to keep) they are some of the best tasting in my opinion and with a bag limit of 25 per person, per day these fish can make a great meal.

For more intricate baits, fishing methods, fish behaviors, and tackle needed for blue gill fishing check out http://www.premier-fishing-tips.com/big-bluegill.html

Happy spring everyone. The weather is finally warming up and with that the fish will start to become more active. For this weeks fish of the week we're going to look at a fish that is particularly easier to catch during warm weather; catfish. Catfish derive their name from the cat like whiskers that they have. These whiskers actually are for sensing movement in the water and less for appearance. There  are many different species of catfish such as blue, flat head, and channel catfish. (These are the common species native to the U.S.) Catfish are opportunistic hunters who will eat anything they stumble across. While they tend to look for things that are already dead, they will go after live food as well. Some live things could be crawdads, shrimp, small fish, frogs, and mice. (Mice sometimes fall into lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.

Catfish can be on of the best fish to catch in my opinion. When caught from clean water and cooked properly they are great fried or baked fish. However, they are even more fun to catch. Catfish can grow very large as they get older both in length and weight. The Indiana state record for a blue catfish weighed in at a whopping 104 pounds! Now I don't want to get everyone's hopes up that they are going to catch a monster sized fish. That record was set in 1999 so it has been 17 years since a fish of that size has been recorded, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't try for one! I personally know plenty of people who have caught catfish in the 30-50 pound range.

So now that I have everyone interested in catfish lets talk about how to catch them. Most of the time catfish will be towards the bottom of whatever body of water you are fishing so sinking your bait down to the bottom or just above it is the best place to be. What bait to use for catfish is widely disputed. Some people swear by dough baits (conglomerated balls of flour, oats, and flavorings) while other people feel that cut bait (cut up chunks of other fish) is the best bait. What bait you use will depend on what you have available and what is legal in your area. (Using other game fish for bait is prohibited in some places) Please refer to the wildlife management documentation provided via the federal government when making decisions about certain baits and fishing practices. (These can be found online and in sporting goods stores)

If you want more information about the specifics of catfish bait check out http://www.gameandfishmag.com/fishing/catfish/12-catfish-baits/

Hey everyone.
For our fish of the week I have chosen bass. Like last weeks post with crappie they are a great game fish (they can be a food fish but are not as good as crappie). Bass are predatory fish and tend to feed on younger bluegill, crappie, and other bass. They are regarded as one of the best north american sport fish because of there weight, fighting strength, and numerous numbers. Bass tend to live in and around cover such as; fallen trees, lily pads, underwater vegetation, and man made structure. Bass can be caught with various lures but traditionally by only one method. Most bass are caught on a moving lure; meaning one that is being reeled slowly towards the boat, dock, or bank. There are a great number of lures that will work such as; spinners, crank baits, jigs, soft plastics, and buzz baits. Color and style of bait tends to depend on water clarity and water temperature. Clear water equals darker lures and murky water equals lighter, louder lures. like wise warm water equals faster lures (as the fish are more active during warm weather) and colder water warrants slows lures (due to the fact that fish are slow and sluggish in cold water).

There are a number of different kinds of bass, but the most common are large mouth and small mouth bass. They are different in body structure, mouth size (obviously), color, and habitats. Large mouth bass tend to inhabit lakes are greenish in color and have very large mouths. Small mouth bass tend to inhabits certain lakes, rivers, and streams. Small mouth bass are brown in color and have smaller mouths. Here is an example.

If you want some more in depth bass tips and tricks check out http://www.tacticalbassin.com/

Fishing quote of the week: The charm of fishing is that it is the pursuit of what is elusive but attainable, a perpetual series of occasions for hope.

The fish of the week this week is crappie.
There are two types of crappie (white and black) and they are almost identical in body structure and habits. There main difference is their coloration that they derive their names from.

Crappie tend to strike quickly and immediately head for cover. So when you start to reel them in they start to dart around. I call it this because they move very erratically and very quickly. This is always a fun fight for an angler because they are very unpredictable. Depending on what kind of fishing your doing, catching them is only half the fun. The other half comes in when you fillet and fry them. There are plenty of other ways to cook fish, but frying is my favorite method.

Crappie have excellent eye sight and are very picky when it comes to food. Many people swear that you'll never catch them unless you use live minnows and very light, thin line. The line choice is true in my opinion. Crappie are spooked off by line so the best way to catch more is to have line they can't see. I don't agree with the notion that they can only be caught by live baits. I have caught basket fulls of crappie using a variety of artificial lures. Some colors that worked best for me are orange, silver, and red. These colors work on jigs, minnows, spinners, and fly style baits.

Here is a link to a website that compiles tons of great facts and examples about crappie fishing.http://www.crappie.com/johna/johna.htm

Fishing Quote of The Week: "A bad day on the lake is better than a great day at work".

Welcome to the New Year

Spring is a big time for anglers around the nation. As warm weather arrives the fish become more active and still bodies of water unfreeze. My goal this blog is to show people techniques, tackle, equipment, locations, and stores to buy from. So in an effort to get everyone prepared for the spring fishing rush here are some places where you can stock up on important tackle and websites to visit for more information on fishing techniques, tackle, laws, and more.

 

Gander Mountain can be a great place to stock up on fishing tackle, boating equipment, safety gear, and anything else you could need for the spring fishing season. They can be a bit pricey on some items but in return you get a staff with knowledge. (Tip: Try and go when they run a 60% off sale it covers nearly 3/4 of the stores inventory!)

I hope to be able to teach both newbies and veterans alike all i can about fishing. But I don't know it all so i want to connect readers with other blogs, stores, shows, and resources that can help them learn about a sport, pastime, food source, and recreational activity that I love. So for my first link please visit http://www.takemefishing.org/blog/. They have a multitude of postings about a variety of different topics that one can apply to all kinds of water related hobbies.

Fishing Quote of the Week: "Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and feed him for a lifetime."