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!
Tuesday, April 26, 2016
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.
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.
Tuesday, April 12, 2016
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
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
Monday, April 4, 2016
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.
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.
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