Entries for July 2008

Although flatheads are opportunistic predators whose favorite prey is whatever swims past their mouths, anglers on certain waters have found that matching local forage can increase their catch rates.

Knowing your knots-which ones work best in myriad fishing situations, which lines need which knots to perform up to their peak strength, and knowing how to tie each one right the first time, every time-will undoubtedly make you a better angler.

Most fishermen make a connection between weeds and fish. As well they should. North American Fisherman has been preaching the gospel of probing weedlines, inside turns and weed-fringed pockets for years.

 In big rivers, look for walleyes off the tips of current - brushed points. These spots make good feeding areas because they attract huge schools of shiners and other minnows.

Among all types of fishing lures, the jig is the least complicated—simply a piece of dense metal molded around a hook; no more, no less. Even its name is short and to-the-point.

I hate losing fish. I’ve hated it since I was 12 years old and lost a monster 20 feet off the rockstudded shoreline of a remote  Canadian lake. It happened on day six of  a weeklong family camping trip.

In many ways, Jordan Paullo is your stereotypical NAFC member. He fishes hard, spends more days on the water than solid ground, and is constantly trying to figure out a better way to catch fish, whether it’s smallmouths and largemouths in a tournament or striped bass on the Connecticut River near his Coventry, Connecticut, home.

Compared to most other trout species, rainbows are willing biters and can be taken on most any kind of bait or lure including spoons, spinners, plugs, flies, worms, leeches and even marshmallows.

The fish deteriorate quickly once in the stream, so the fish you catch may not be fit to eat. If you can intercept the fish in the lower reaches of the stream or in intertidal areas, however, you can enjoy some fast action for pinks that are still in good condition.

The largest golden trout are taken from remote waters at high altitudes (10,000 feet or more). There, the only access is by hiking, and the fish have a better chance of long - term survival.