How Do I Catch More Trout? 3 Tips to Help Almost Anyone Catch More Trout

Are you interested in catching more trout? You must be, seeing as how you're reading this article, so I'm going to take a couple of minutes and list 3 tip[s that will help almost anyone catch more trout. During my 25 or so years of trout fishing, I've learned a few things that have served me quite well in catching trout. These 3 tips are my three favorites, and will certainly help you answer the question of 'how do I catch more trout'.

Before I get to the tips themselves I want to begin this article by stating that there are no magic formulas when it comes to trout fishing (or any type of fishing for that matter). Nothing will help your ability to catch fish like spending time on the water practicing your craft. There is simply no substitute for practice, and the more little nuances you learn about your particular style of fishing, the better off you will be. With that being said, let's get down to business, shall we?

• Clean Your Hands - This might sound so simple that you think I'm nuts, but making sure that your hands are clean is very important to trout fishing. I don't mean clean like before you eat dinner, but rather clean as in free on any unnatural odors. Trout have a very sensitive sense of smell and can easily detect unnatural odors on their food. I bet you can guess what happens if the trout detect unnatural odors on your bait or lure? Yep, they are much less apt to bite it. The easiest way to make sure that your hands are clean is to rub them in a handful of grass or dirt before baiting up.
• Don't "Spook" The Area - This tip is mainly for those of you who fish in small rivers and streams for trout. You don't want to "spook" the trout because if you do, they are very hard to catch. A fishing area becomes spooked when the trout become aware of something "out of the ordinary". Things like making loud noises or splashes and casting your shadow on the area you're trying to fish will "spook" the trout. Pay attention to what you're doing and do your best not to "spook" your fishing area.
• Present Bait Naturally - When trout fishing it is extremely important to present your bait in the most natural way possible. The best way to accomplish this task is through the use of gang hooks. Gang hooks are simply a pair of small hooks tied back to back which enable bait to be presented in a totally natural manner. This is especially true when using live or synthetic worms for bait (which is great trout bait by the way). A worm rigged on a gang hook rig and allowed to flow naturally with the current of a river or stream is a deadly trout fishing tactic.

These 3 tips will help anyone catch more trout on their next trout fishing excursion. How am I so sure of this fact? Because I've been using every one of the above trout fishing tips with great success for more that twenty years and if they work for me, they will work for you. Put one or all of these tips into practice as soon as you get the chance.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 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.....Montana.

Gang Hooks Tied & Ready To Fish: http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Trevor_Kugler

Tuna Fishing Techniques - 3 Amazing Methods That Will Help You Catch More Tuna

Before you spend all day trolling around the ocean looking for them, consider these 3 tuna fishing techniques that will have you attracting, and catching, more tuna.

1. Control Your Speed - When fishing for tuna, troll at speeds of 5 to 8 miles per hour. Most professionals like to use a typical 'W Pattern' while trolling. This pattern consists of 2 long lines held out on each outrigger, 2 shorter lines held out flat and one deep line straight down the middle. Additionally, it is helpful to display a flashy presentation of multiple lures. The more they splash, sparkle and shine the better. What you want is to trick the tuna into thinking that it has stumbled across a panicked school of bait fish.

2. Pay Attention to Nature - Anytime that you see diving birds, pay special attention. Diving birds typically means that there are schools of bait fish nearby. Where there are bait fish, tuna tend to also be some place close. Additionally, large schools of tuna like to travel near pods of dolphins or sharks.

3. Pay Attention to the Season - During the warmer summer months, tuna love to hunt near the surface of the water. Feeding tuna are easy to spot on clear summer afternoons as the water looks like it is being destroyed from beneath. Additionally, tuna like to feed in low light conditions, such as the late afternoon. During the winter months, tuna tend to hunt in deeper waters and are much more difficult to find and catch.

These are but a few of my favorite tuna fishing techniques.

About Author

To learn more advanced tuna fishing techniques, visit http://fishingtuna.info

Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com/author-thomas-ethan-21125.html

Bass Fishing Trivia - How Well Do You Score?

By: Cody Hanhan

To test your fishing trivia knowledge, take this test and give yourself 1 point for every correct answer. Be warned, this quiz is tough.

Q. In what century did bass fishing begin?

A. Bass fishing is an old sport. The correct answer is that it started in the 18th century. However, like most beginnings it was a rudimentary beginning, the progress we've made a few centuries is almost frightening. Most likely, it began in the southern regions of the US. But, today bass fishing is an international obsession and professional as well as amateur fishing competitions can be found all over the world.

Q. When was the first bass fishing reel invented?

A. Between 1768 and 1770. The first multiplying reel was invented during this time. This is the great great granddaddy of your modern bait casting reel. The proud inventor was one Onesimus Ustonson. Three cheers for Onesimus!

Q. Who invented the first level-wind design reel?

A. No other than William Shakespeare Jr. from Shakespeare Company fame. Before he secured a patent for his invention in 1897 he was a patent medicine salesman. His invention was a hit with fisherman of his day and as they say "the rest is history..."

Q. What year was the first spinner lure created?

A. 1915. This was the creation of the William J. Jamison Co. The spinner that started it all was called the Twin Spinner is the grandpa of your modern spinner.

Q. Can you name the US president that precipitated today's bass fisheries?

A. Did you guess Franklin D. Roosevelt? I hope so. You are correct. He created the Tennesse Valley Authority which was responsible for the building of various dams throughout the united states. These impoundments became the playgrounds of today's bass fishermen.

Q. Which US Company is responsible for the development of nylon fishing line?

A. DuPont invented nylon in and started selling nylon monofilament fishing lines.

Q. In what year did the first professional bass fisherman win the first million dollars in fishing?

A. The year is 1992 and the winner of was Larry Nixon and those million dollars where the the total earnings he made in one year fishing professionally.

Q. Can you name three species of bass that are currently being fished in professional bass fishing events?

A. Large mouth bass, small mouth bass, and Kentucky bass

Q. In what decade did bass fishing first become popular?

A. The 1950's is widely considered as the decade that popularized bass fishing in the United States and prompted the technical developments in bass rods, reels, boats and lines that we enjoy today.

Q. How much money does the bass fishing industry contribute to the US economy?

A. You would probably be surprised to know that the the bass fishing industry is responsible for $50 - $70 billion dollars of activity in the US economy, and that number is growing every year as fishing related sales increase because of bass fishing's growing popularity.

Have you ever heard of fly and bubble fishing? If you've experimented with this technique but had poor results, or just want the best instruction available on this technique before you try it, so you can get it right the first time, then check out http://www.fishingnoob.com/~/spinningfly for the in-depth expose you've been looking for.

For general spinning guidance, I recommend http://www.fishingnoob.com (especially for beginners.)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Cody_Hanhan

18 Homemade Carp Bait Fishing Ingredients For Big Fish Catches!

Big fish come to those who wait, but those who fully prepare catch the most! Here is a formula which includes a few things many fishermen overlook and it may well make the difference between big fish success and utter disaster! By a guy who hooked a previous world record carp.

1. Fish location is not for the lazy! It’s a vital fishing ‘must do’ especially for big fish and is the universal fishing rule number one; you will not catch any fish where there aren’t any!

2. Always use a sharp hook of suitable size for your fish, and bait! A sharp hook has always caught more big fish than that old blunt beast of an old pattern hook you find in the bottom of the tackle box even if it was your favourite 5 years ago!

3. A bait that still tempts the fish you are hunting and has not already lost its ‘edge’ through previous over-use which actually repels wary fish instead! Do your own thing; homemade baits are the closest thing to a sure-fire bet of a bait; readymade baits are often a lottery in actual effectiveness; the ones you choose may already have been ‘hammered’ without your knowledge! When it comes to baits, flavors and rigs, adaptability and creativity is the name of the game. Being prepared to take risks and do new things always pays-off big-time in the end! The best baits are the ones that catch on the day after all!

4. Lady luck always helps no matter how much you prepare for your fishing! You might hook the one fish you desire within just 5 minutes of your first cast; or it might take you 10 years!

5. You will need other tackle to enable you to land the big fish you’re after including an adequate rod, reel, line and hook link and a strong enough hook not to open-out when the real pressure during the fight reaches its peak, generally on the first run or at the landing net!

6. You will need equipment to deal with the fish once hooked. You will need a big enough landing net for a start. It’s no good using a normal 42 inch carp landing net for a 6 or 7 foot long catfish, unless you are particularly skilled at ‘folding’ such beasts into such a net in the dark, on your own at night, in the rain, on a slippery wet bank! (The secret is drilled rehearsal!)

7. If you are a responsible fishermen and care for the future of your sport, then you will realise that the fish are the future. Remember, smaller fish will be the personal best fish in the future. So if you care for your fish and intend replacing it back into the water it lives in (and not cooking it for tea,) then a protective mat big enough to completely remove any danger of damage from contact with the ground is an excellent and essential bit of kit.

8. Suitable unhooking forceps are necessary (as are sharp scissors!) Often unhooking a well hooked fish with your fingers is difficult without causing undue damage due to difficult angles with a barbed hook which potentially might cause damage. Practicing your forceps skills can make hook removal simple and clean so keep them easily accessible. I’ve seen far too many so-called anglers rushing and fumbling when unhooking fish virtually ripping the hook out of them. This is completely irresponsible and utterly unnecessary and can produce wounds which last for the life of the fish! Just calm the fish down by de-stressing it with plenty of water and wet hands, being efficient, confident and quick. It’s like the old dentist joke:

“You what – you want 200 dollars for just 2 minutes work to remove my tooth; that’s a joke!” The dentist responds by asking: “Would you rather I took an hour instead!?

9. Use of fish care kits with swabs and antiseptic solution are very responsible too in helping heal the hook wound and any scale damage or fresh scrapes, or previous wounds on the skin etc. It is very possible by doing this you will enable the fish to recover from capture much faster, even put on more weight quicker in the future owing to less stress and even potentially save a fish’s life!

10. You need a venue containing the species and size of fish you are hunting; it’s no good fishing for salmon in a river devoid of them for the past 30 years or for a 30 pound carp where the biggest is 19 pounds!

11. Have all your camera equipment ready for use! When you catch your personal best fish of a life-time, you want the photos to reliably come out right; there’s nothing worse when they don’t! (No problem; just catch the same fish twice!)

12. If you fish at night take at least 2 torches and always have plenty of spare batteries. Its ‘sod’s law’ that the one night or session when the fish feed like mad is the one you find your torch packs up. (Bulbs blow too!) Head torches are very popular and cheap these days and I also use ‘glow-in the dark’ pencil torches to find my torches (and glasses) at night. I hang one on the bite alarms to indicate the position of the rods on dark nights. The dim light of a pencil torch is enough for landing big fish in the dark without spooking them off at the last minute at the net and losing them because you have a thousand candle-power lantern on the bank or have a 100 light-emitting diode torch on your head! (On some carp lakes in the UK, constant use of such torches make the banks at night look like a scene from close encounters of the third kind or club laser show rather than a natural lake-side environment; expect to see a ‘ufo’ any minute!)

13. If you fish in the heat you need water and loads more of it than you think! You ‘feel’ hydrated long after your body has become dehydrated. Most people in an out of doors setting are amazed how dehydrated they get but this is because they do not realise just how much more active we have to be outside. Everything takes effort, exertion and energy to get things done and just breathing a lot more loses you much more water and not just in hot conditions. Remember you will usually dehydrate yourself looking around and locating fish, getting yourself and your fishing gear to your swim and having set-up your tents, rods and baiting-up with ground bait if desired. From personal experience; you’re not much good as a fisherman with a heat stroke and a dehydration headache; playing a big fish with a bad headache is most un-cool!

14. Please be aware that fish when first caught come from water that is generally cooler than the air at the height of summer and they will need constantly cooling down with generous amounts of water. Fish skin and delicate vulnerable tissues as in the gills in such conditions can dry out very quickly and be damaged. So be efficient in unhooking fish and very quick with pictures, and keep fish wet! (Wetting your hands before touching your fish really reduces the heat sensitivity shock on them and covering their eyes with a wet sling or sack is very sensible and can help a fish ‘settle’ on your unhooking mat and de-stress it which is very important! I usually take at least 2 big bottles of water just for one night, so you might imagine how much I take for a 3 or 4 days and night session.

15. A bit more about fish recovery and handling. If it is very hot, keep the fish out of the sun and in the water until the last second while everything on the bank is prepared so the fish is out of the water the minimum time possible. When handling, touch the fish as little as you can to avoid stressing it and utilise your wet unhooking mat to carry it back to the water. It may take some minutes if not hours to get a big hard-fighting fish to recover from a spirited fight. During this time make sure you choose a conveniently shaded cooler margin for the fish’s and your own comfort; and be persistent! You may have to artificially work the gills of the fish and wave fresh oxygenated water into its mouth for its energy and metabolism in order for it to recover, which might take an hour or more in very hot conditions!

16. Polarising sunglasses are one of your key bits of kit because they can make you look cool when standing on the bank like an idiot, even though you might have caught no fish, be sweating gallons and look like the morning after your stag night and your gear might have been almost totally destroyed in a freak storm that the previous night! ‘Shades’ are also good for looking for signs of fish such as cleaned feeding spots and impersonating celebrities. In combination with a hat, they even shade your eyes from harmful rays direct from the sun and reflected back off the water, which can easily avoid you a nice headache after a day watching the water, or a tiny little float!

17. If you fish in the winter you will always need more warm dry windproof and waterproof clothing than you think! When your rain or snow-proof stuff gets wet and it’s raining or snowing, if you have no way to dry out; you’ll slowly freeze! A windproof fishing shelter or ‘bivvy’ with a door with zips that really work all the way down to the ground, can literally be a life-saver just as much as a life-jacket when using a boat! Comfortable anglers catch more big fish because they can focus on catching fish instead of just staying warm! (In any country, when you spend the night outside in a strong northerly wind with a minus degrees Celsius wind chill factor, clothes are not just about comfort, but avoiding hypothermia, so beware!

18. It takes practice to do anything in life consistently successfully. ‘Beginners luck’ is one not so ‘weird’ phenomenon. It is easily explained; often a new fisherman on a water with different baits and rigs, fishing unusual or less popular spots (because he is not familiar with the ‘popular’ ones,) will hit the biggest fish first. (No big surprise there; so be prepared!)

So there you have it; it’s easy, there’s nothing to catching big fish! When ‘opportunity meets preparation,’ big things will happen! This fishing bait secrets books author has many more fishing and bait edges. Just one could impact on your catches!

By Tim Richardson.

About Author

To get these unique new expert bait making and bait secrets bibles :

BIG CATFISH AND CARP BAIT SECRETS!
And: BIG CARP BAIT SECRETS! And BIG CARP FLAVOURS AND FEEDING TRIGGER SECRETS! Visit:

http://www.baitbigfish.com

Tim Richardson is a homemade carp and catfish bait maker and proven big fish angler. His unique bait making and enhancing fishing secrets guides are seriously multiplying their readers big fish catches in over 45 countries so visit this unique secrets site right NOW!

Article Source: http://www.1888articles.com

Trout Fishing Tips & Tricks

If you want to know how to catch trout, then this is the place for you. Trout are a (mostly) freshwater fish that are finicky and cunning. They can be very difficult to catch at times and often dwell in clear mountain streams where they can see you better than you can see them. It is seldom that fishing becomes such a delicate experience as trying to toss a bait close enough to a fish to get its attention, but not too close as to startle and spook it off.

There are many ways to catch trout and outwit the cunning devils of our waterways. There are different rod and reel setups, different kinds of lures as well as a myriad of myths and superstitions surrounding trout fishing. From my experience, these are the top five strategies that will catch you trout.

1. Live Bait Live bait is certainly the simplest and surest way to catch trout. If there are trout in the water, there is a chance that live bait is probably the most effective bait for them unless they happen to be very well fed. Often times trout are released from a hatchery and in the wild don't know what to eat so they are usually very hungry and will take just about any live bait. Especially for children I recommend beginning your trout fishing experience with live bait.

2. Spinning Lures Spinning lures are the easiest way to catch trout with an artificial lure. The benefit of using a spinning lure like this is that you can catch multiple fish on the lure. You also do away with the inevitable messy hands problem when dealing with live bait. To properly use a spinning lure, you should cast it out and reel it in against the flow of the current, perpendicular to it. This is best for aggravating fish who are not hungry into striking out of aggression.

3. Small Jigs Small jigs and tube like lures are best for catching trout that you see lazily laying along the bottom of a stream. Using these lures involves applying a great degree of finesse, gently bouncing the lure along the bottom of the stream close to the trout, enticing and tricking them into taking the lure.

4. Fly Fishing Fly fishing is a very effective method of trout fishing. Fly fishing involves using an entirely different rod, reel and type of lure. You use a heavy line and cast "flies" out, which are very small lures that look like insects. It is the weight of the line that you use to cast. You drift these tiny bug lures made of string and feathers down the stream and past the trout. This is another very effective trout fishing method when used correctly, but requires even a greater degree of finesse than using jigs.

5. Ice Fishing Ice fishing for trout can be very fun if you know what you're doing. Of course you need to live in the right climate to ice fish. The best trout to ice fish for can grow very large and are called lake trout. In order to ice fish you drill several holes deep into the ice, then hook live bait deep down into the water through the holes. You use a setup that makes a little flag pop up when the fish bites and when he does, you pull the line up. A good lake trout can feed a family twice over.

That's all for now. As I said there are many methods to catch trout and these are only the top five that I have employed in my history. Feel free to experiment and try out other methods, you never know if peanut butter on a hook might work and suddenly become the next trout fishing fad!

About the Author

For more Trout Fishing Tips & Tricks please check out my website at Trout Fishing Pro Tips.

Trout Fishing Tips & Tricks

If you want to know how to catch trout, then this is the place for you. Trout are a (mostly) freshwater fish that are finicky and cunning. They can be very difficult to catch at times and often dwell in clear mountain streams where they can see you better than you can see them. It is seldom that fishing becomes such a delicate experience as trying to toss a bait close enough to a fish to get its attention, but not too close as to startle and spook it off.

There are many ways to catch trout and outwit the cunning devils of our waterways. There are different rod and reel setups, different kinds of lures as well as a myriad of myths and superstitions surrounding trout fishing. From my experience, these are the top five strategies that will catch you trout.

1. Live Bait Live bait is certainly the simplest and surest way to catch trout. If there are trout in the water, there is a chance that live bait is probably the most effective bait for them unless they happen to be very well fed. Often times trout are released from a hatchery and in the wild don't know what to eat so they are usually very hungry and will take just about any live bait. Especially for children I recommend beginning your trout fishing experience with live bait.

2. Spinning Lures Spinning lures are the easiest way to catch trout with an artificial lure. The benefit of using a spinning lure like this is that you can catch multiple fish on the lure. You also do away with the inevitable messy hands problem when dealing with live bait. To properly use a spinning lure, you should cast it out and reel it in against the flow of the current, perpendicular to it. This is best for aggravating fish who are not hungry into striking out of aggression.

3. Small Jigs Small jigs and tube like lures are best for catching trout that you see lazily laying along the bottom of a stream. Using these lures involves applying a great degree of finesse, gently bouncing the lure along the bottom of the stream close to the trout, enticing and tricking them into taking the lure.

4. Fly Fishing Fly fishing is a very effective method of trout fishing. Fly fishing involves using an entirely different rod, reel and type of lure. You use a heavy line and cast "flies" out, which are very small lures that look like insects. It is the weight of the line that you use to cast. You drift these tiny bug lures made of string and feathers down the stream and past the trout. This is another very effective trout fishing method when used correctly, but requires even a greater degree of finesse than using jigs.

5. Ice Fishing Ice fishing for trout can be very fun if you know what you're doing. Of course you need to live in the right climate to ice fish. The best trout to ice fish for can grow very large and are called lake trout. In order to ice fish you drill several holes deep into the ice, then hook live bait deep down into the water through the holes. You use a setup that makes a little flag pop up when the fish bites and when he does, you pull the line up. A good lake trout can feed a family twice over.

That's all for now. As I said there are many methods to catch trout and these are only the top five that I have employed in my history. Feel free to experiment and try out other methods, you never know if peanut butter on a hook might work and suddenly become the next trout fishing fad!

About the Author

For more Trout Fishing Tips & Tricks please check out my website at Trout Fishing Pro Tips.

Carp Fishing: Business or Pleasure?

By: Steve Beaton

According to the Food & Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), nearly half the fish consumed worldwide are raised on fish farms, rather than caught in the wild. In 1980 just 9% of human fish consumption came from aquaculture; today, that figure exceeds 43% - over 45 million tonnes a year.

Globally, consumer demand for fish continues to climb, especially in affluent, developed nations, whilst capture levels of wild fish have remained roughly stable since the mid-1980s. There is, according to the FAO, very little chance of significant increase beyond current catch levels; indeed, with almost three quarters of the world's fisheries either fully or over exploited, catch levels could easily fall. It is therefore inevitable that aquaculture will be called on to meet a significant proportion of our rapidly rising demands.

It should come as no surprise, then, to learn that fish farming is the world's fastest growing food sector, with many countries focusing on high-value carnivorous fish such salmon or trout. However, the farming of these species can produce significant environmental impacts as they often depend on wild caught fish as a food source. This, in turn, presents an additional threat to wild stocks.

A possible alternative is to grow omnivorous species that occupy lower levels of the food chain and which might therefore require lower energy inputs to produce fish protein. One such species is the Common or European carp (Cyprinus carpio). In fact more carp are farmed worldwide than any other group of fish, with the bulk of this economic activity taking place in Asia and Europe.

Of all our aquaculture systems, carp farming has the longest history. The knowledge gained over centuries of traditional pond culture has largely provided the basis for commercial fish production, and the energy efficiency of this sector has recently been examined by researches at the Central Institute of Freshwater Aquaculture (CIFA) (please visit "www.cifa.in" for full details of their research.

The principal raw material of modern intensive agriculture is fossil fuel, and, with international fuel prices rising unpredictably, increasing attention being paid to the energy input costs associated with different food production systems, and particular attention is being paid to aquaculture.

CIFA examined a wide range of carp farming techniques and considered how much energy was required to produce one gram of finished product. They then examined how the energy efficiency of these carp farming systems compared to the most ruthlessly efficient (in energy terms) of our intensive live-stocking systems, i.e. large-scale commercial egg production.

Their results showed that the simplest, most sustainable carp production systems (artificial ponds with additional energy inputs largely limited to the addition of natural fertilizers) required between 109 and 132 Kilo Joules of energy input for every gram of protein output (KJ/g).

Where carp production was intensified by the addition of large amounts of artificial fertilizer and commercial feed, the subsequent energy requirements ranged from 205 KJ/g to 418 KJ/g, with most of the variation being caused by the levels of supplementary feeding being applied and the high energy costs associated with the production of high protein commercial fish food.

Where high protein feed was supplemented with artificial aeration (to allow greater stocking densities) energy costs climbed to around 470KJ/g, but this still compares favourably with the energy requirements of intensive egg and poultry production that, typically, will have energy inputs starting at around 552 KJ for 1 g of protein.

So, can large-scale carp aquaculture deliver? Well, the jury is still out, according to FAO. Aquaculture has the potential to cover the gap between supply and demand, but there are also significant forces that could pull production in the opposite direction.

Aquaculture has been experiencing a global boom since the mid-1980s, sustaining a growth rate of around 8% per year (with the notable exception of sub-Saharan Africa). However, the FAO is concerned that momentum could taper off if governments and development agencies don't adjust their policies to respond to challenges that threaten to dampen the sector's future growth. One such bottleneck, argue CIFA, is a lack of investment capital for producers in the developing world. However, the greatest restraints are likely to be a shortage of land and, in particular, a shortage of reliable freshwater supplies.

Despite these problems, the farming of carp (and other omnivorous fish species) is likely to continue its expansion, and many of us who might previously have considered this species in terms of sport rather than food may soon be revising that opinion.

About the Author

Steve Beaton writes on environmental issues for http://www.terrystackle.co.uk/ and http://www.audiobooks-right-now.com/

Going Back to the Basics

My wife asked if I had wanted to go fishing the other day. I gave her a puzzled look because it would be the first time we had ever been fishing together, so I jumped at the chance. We grabbed a couple of ultra-lights, my tackle box, and we were out the door. We get to the lake and begin setting up. As I was unloading our folding camping chairs she asked “what are we going to be fishing for?” I thought about it for a second and said “whatever swim’s buy and wants to cooperate.” She got a grin on her face and I thought to myself, when was the last time I did not care about what I caught or even caught anything at all?

I set up our poles with a slip float, split shot, and a hooked tipped with a night crawler and we were ready to go. I have never been one to take many things for granted, but I had started to take fishing like this for granted. The last time I fished with a worm and bobber was about 5 years ago. I had gotten caught up with the fancy baitcasters, the incredible selection of crank bait colors, and the super lines that we have all come accustomed to. Today I was not consumed by trying to catch the biggest bass possible (although it was in the back of my mind), but I was more concerned about spending time in the outdoors with my wife with an opportunity to catch any kind of fish. Which brings me to my point, could we leave all of the fancy gear and the big boat at home, pick up a spinning rod and maybe a canoe and catch the same quality fish?

That is just what I am going to do this summer. I am going to fish with a spinning rod and reel, eight pound monofilament, and what I can fit into an 11”x9” tackle storage box. The challenges presented by this will not only make me a better angler, but draw me closer to the sport I love. I want to challenge all of you to go back to the simplest form of fishing and not only enjoy fishing, but enjoy the great outdoors, just like you did when you were a kid.

A little bit about me:

I am a junior at Northwest Missouri State University in Maryville, Mo. majoring in Organizational Communications. I play football as well, I am the punter. When I am not studying or playing football I am a part time hunting guide for Pro Outfitters in Mound City, Mo. I have been fishing since I was old enough to hold a pole. I started fishing overseas because my dad works for the government as a Recreation Director for the military. I started fishing in the States when I was 13 years old and have spent many hours targeting everything from crappie to carp and everything in between.

I am blessed to have a wife that understands my obsessions with the outdoors and even joins in from time to time.

Fishing the Mississippi River

Whether you call it Old Man River, the Mighty Mississippi, or just the Mississippi River, it is the largest and longest river in the country, if you include its main tributary, the Missouri River. Most people do not think of the Mississippi River as a place to fish, rather a muddy, polluted, channelized waterway. It is true that the river is deeply damaged, but it still manages to offer unparalleled fishing opportunities even to this day.

The area of this massive river I am going to cover is the section that borders Missouri. The most northern part of this section still resembles the upper Mississippi. It is mass of lock and dams, which create large river lakes, and tail races below them. The lakes are known for producing excellent largemouth bass fishing, as well as large catfish and bluegill. They generally have slow current, which makes boating simpler than the rest of the Mississippi River. Almost every tail race of these lakes is known for world class walleye and white bass angling. Boating a safe distance from the dam, and dropping jigs or night crawlers works well for both species. The tail races of these dams are also well known for being good places to snag paddle fish.

The locks and dams end sometime above the city of St. Louis. Walleye and White Bass begin to thin out, and catfish become the main quarry of anglers. At the mouth of the Missouri River at Columbia Bottoms Conservation Areas, the Mississippi's best catfish water begins. Channel Catfish are the most common, but the river is most famous for record catches of Blue Catfish and Flathead Catfish. As a matter of fact, the Mississippi river several miles downstream of St. Louis recently produced an all-tackle world record blue catfish to an Illinois angler. Fish in the thirty to fifty pound range are not abnormal at all.

The lower Mississippi (generally the term given to the Mississippi River downstream of St. Louis), holds the best catfish populations in the nation. They are not the only species to target, however. The river provides excellent fishing opportunities for carp, gar, freshwater drum, bowfin (also known as grinnel) and bluegill. Although these species are not usually held in high regard, they can all be great fun to catch. Largemouth bass can be found in the main channel. Heavy current and silty water limits bass populations in the main river, but a patient angler can find enough to make it worthwhile. The extremely muddy water effectively limits fisherman to live bait presentations. Night crawlers, crayfish, and minnows are good options. The slow water upstream of wing dams tends to be a good bet. Better largemouth bass fishing will be found in the slough-like backwaters of the river. The water tends to be just a bit clearer here, and current is much less. This makes fishing much simpler than in the main river, and allows some artificial's such as plastic worms and spinner baits to be used with good success. It is important however, to find backwaters that have flowing water at least much of the year, because bass do not like stagnant water.

Despite the fact that it is so underrated as a sport fishery, the Mississippi River has a lot to offer to the serious angler. Its size makes it a bit daunting to the average fisherman, but the rewards are there. Most people who know the river will say that it is worth it.

Davdison Manning is an avid outdoorsman spending over 100 days per year pursuing his passion for fishing, many of them in the Ozarks of Missouri and Arkansas. He details many of his favorite spots on his website Family-Outdoors where he writes articles not only on fishing, but also camping and hunting. Visit his fishing section at Family-Outdoors Fishing for other great fishing ideas.

His other pursuits include many days spent in the field camping and hunting. Davidson loves to share his knowledge of the outdoors in the hope of helping others to find their own connection to the outdoors.

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