The Radiance of Knowing

Fall normally means the beginning of football season. To the Lake Erie bass angler it means jumbo-size, `football’ shaped smallmouth bass. August to late October/November is when Lake Erie’s fat-n-sassy bronzebacks begin to put on the feed bag and begin to stock up for winter. Now is the time to catch one of the lake’s best game fish and certainly regarded by many as Erie’s best battlers.

With the unexpected introduction of the Zebra Muscle in the late 80’s, the Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass really took off into something just short of spectacular. With the cleaner and clearer water resulting from the zebra muscles, bass will encounter with a vengeance any preferred bait when presented
correctly. Tip: Smallmouth bass are generally sight feeders. Which means once the bass visualize it’s prey, it will attack and devour. Unlike Lake Erie walleyes, smallmouth generally are not boat shy and are not bothered by
sunlight. This makes them an accommodating and easy target when located in both shallow and deep water most any time of the day.

Catching Lake Erie Smallmouth Bass takes nothing more then a bait box of soft-shell crayfish, a bucket of minnows, leeches, or a tackle box of properly selected artificial’s (tube baits, crankbaits, spinners, etc.). While you can anticipate summer walleyes to roam the open, deep water flats, smallmouth prefer
hard structure. Bass in most cases are easy to locate. If you can find rocks,you’ll find smallmouth.

Tip: A little pre-planning with a lake chart, a couple minutes of questions at the bait shop, or simply book a charter and pick your captain’s brain for information, will remendously add to your success. Remember to always have a game plan when
smallmouth or “Jumper” fishing.

Some great areas to begin searching for fall Smallmouth Bass would be around the famous Bass Islands, Kelley’s Island, Ruggles Beach off Huron, and of course the angler’s choice at Pelee Island in Ontario waters. Tip: Remember when
locating bass they are territorial fish. Smallmouth rarely roam open waters and will not migrate twenty miles like walleyes do each fall. When the bass move, they tend go deeper or even shallower around their home! If you find structure that is good for bass, expect to find them in the neighborhood again and again within close proximity on your next trip or even next season. If you locate a prime bass spot mark it with your Loran/GPS, landmarks or a means that will allow you to return another day. Good smallmouth spots aren’t here today, gone
tomorrow like walleyes! Keep in mind you’ll not want to tell other serious bass anglers!

Once you have located a suspected prime bass hide-out, where do you begin? You have to decide if your going to anchor or drift. Drifting is preferred and you can drift with any bait that can be presented to a hungry smallmouth bass. If it’s to windy in the area your fishing or your boat drifts so fast to properly present your bait, anchor safely at your spot and fish your area
thoroughly. To cover more water while anchored, occasionally release or bring in anchor line. It’s best either to fish shallow then move out to deeper water or deeper to shallow water, never in-between. This important step allows you to
work over areas to eliminate unproductive waters. Tip: There is never any water to shallow or to deep for smallmouth. Any day of the fall season smallmouth could be found in any depth ranging from a shallow 8ft. to a deep 30ft. or at a
depth in-between. Locate a good school of bass and to duplicate the drift each time, drop a marker at the beginning and at the end of your drift. This will keep you in preferred water and allow you to be more productive.

Markers or floats that are visible to boats are like a blue-light special. They tend to attract alot of people looking for a bargain or your easy fish! Tip: When in a crowd or around unwanted uncourteous anglers is to use your Loran/GPS to mark your spot when you reset your drift.

When fishing live bait such as soft-shelled crayfish, minnows, or leeches, you’ll need proper hooks and have sinkers of various weights. Use of a sharp #1 to #4 hooks are the most common. Due to the rocky structure and occasional snags, wire hooks work best. The type of weight you use is optional. Slip
sinkers, wrap around sinkers, and rubber core sinkers all work well. Placement of the weight should be 12″ to 18″ minimum above the bait for best results. Tip: Use only enough weight to keep the bait near the bottom. To big of weight for the conditions will result in lost strikes from the fish feeling the
weight and dropping the bait before the hook set.

To avoid loosing bait to snags and bottom, drop your baited offering over the side of the boat until you feel bottom, shut the reel and simply fish. Remember, smallmouth are not boat shy! You’ll often catch them right under your drifting
boat! Occasionally lift and lower the bait to allow for extra movement similar to perch fishing. Wait for the pickup, feel the weight of the fish for a second, and set the hook! Tip: When using live bait, don’t set the hook to hard. In
other words, don’t use what I refer to as the “Bassmaster Whack”. Use just your lower arms, keep the line tight, and have a correctly set drag. To much hook set with a heavy action rod can pull the bait and hook right out of the fish’s mouth. To tight of drag will cause many broken lines or pulled hooks.
Keep your drag on the loose side. Don’t be greedy when the hard-fighting fish need line. In most cases your only lip hooking the fish. A good rod of choice would be nothing heavier them med/med-heavy or a rod action with a moderate to fast tip spooled with 6 to 10 lb. test line. If you do miss a strike,
immediately drop your offering back. Many times there’s competition for food within the bass community and there may be following fish which may strike any offering remaining on the hook. Tip: Bass anglers should constantly check your
line for nicks or cuts resulting from zebra muscles. These small scratches will weaken your line and you’ll breakoff many fish! You are fishing a bottom covered by the muscles. Line can be weaken by the sharp edges of the mollusks shell. After each fish is landed, run your finger over the line a couple inches above the weight to the hook to check for bad areas. I’ve seen many big fish lost to damaged line.

In the Fall months, smallmouth generally prefer a more natural live bait presentation. As the water begins to cool, bass begin the stock up for the long winter. This is when these little `footballs’ put on the weight and really show their muscle. If the angler is hardy enough, and doesn’t mind missing alittle
hunting, the angler can catch a real trophy. The 1994 fall Smallmouth Bass season was spectacular with the average fish falling between 14″ to 16″, with many over 17 to 21 inches and four pounds plus! Why miss out on the “best” of the “best” when it comes to fishing Lake Erie.Lake Erie’s fall football season is just around the corner.

Fishing guide on Lake Erie for 21 years. I specialize in catch and release bass fishing all season long.

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For many die-hard fishermen, autumn bass fishing is one thing that is anticipated all summer long. A fisherman can expect great things from the streams when the weather turns chill, changing the sluggish pools into the cooler, feeding grounds.

As the oak and maple leaves turn into brilliant orange, gold, and crimson, a bass fisherman is keen to get his hook in the water. The folks who are anxious to try their hand at fishing flock to the most accessible rivers and ponds. So much so, that you almost have to make reservations if you want to get good spot on the riverbank!

If you are planning on joining this crowd, you better know what you’re doing, too. Or at least, try to look like you know what you’re doing. So if you’re a little green and can’t quite walk the walk, you can at least be outfitted like you’re trying.

That means bringing along a good tackle box for all of your flies, lures, and other fancy fishing gear to make yourself look like a know-it-all. High-tech cases these days come made with heavy duty plastic polymers that seal tight when you shut them. Some tackle boxes even are built to float in case they accidentally go for a swim. If you really want to display all of your colorful worms, flies, and lures, pick up one of those clear cases.

Of course, your fishing rod is an essential piece to the puzzle. The right rod has a significant impact on your perceived skills. For instance, a high-quality rod can directly affect how well you cast.

And then, a fishing vest is a desirable item to obtain for your autumn fun. This will make you look really impressive. Just be sure that you have got all sorts of fishing paraphernalia hanging from the many pockets and hooks on your outfit.

You’ll surely need tools to file hooks, cut lines, tie knots, etc. Whether you have one multipurpose tool to do all this handy work, or individual items for it all, as long as you have the equipment, you’ll be guaranteed for an smoother fishing trip.

If you assume the part of an expert fisherman, being appropriately dressed for the occasion and carrying the right gear, you’re sure to get nods of fellowship from nearby anglers while you enjoy your bass fishing in nature’s beautiful autumn season.

Copyright 2004 Camp Spot all rights reserved. Republished with permission from author.

Maria Jeffs is an enthusiastic outdoors lover. She is the webmaster of http://www.my-favorite-camping-store.com Visit her site for fun camping tips and other resources for campers. For more fishing tips visit: http://www.my-favorite-camping-store.com/camping-and-fishing-supplies.html

**Publishing guidelines:
Publication is permitted so long as the article is unchanged and the resource information at the end of the article remains intact, and links are live and intact with no redirect.

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There are four basic types of fishing reels: Spincast, Spinning, Casting, and Fly. All of them are used to achieve the same result, which is to hold enough line for casting and playing a fish. Here is a breakdown of the types:

Spincast

The spincast reel is completely enclosed with the exception of a small hole in the top where the line comes out. The line wraps around a spindle located inside the upper housing. The spindle sits parallel to the fishing rod so the line comes off in a coil. The line is wound back around the spindle by a collar that catches the line where it comes off of the spindle and rotates as the crank is turned. When the trigger is pushed, the collar moves out of the way and allows line to unspool from the spindle. This type of reel also has a drag that is either controlled by a wheel located on the housing or by a large spoke ring around the base of the crank handle. The drag provides tension on the line for fighting fish and is adjustable to prevent line breakage.

To cast a rod equipped with a spincast reel you start the casting motion and press the trigger on the forward motion of the cast at the point where you want the lure to start flying. When the lure hits the desired location you turn the crank to release the trigger and engage the collar with the line. You can now start retrieving your lure.

Spincast reels usually cast lures less distance than other types, but have fewer line loops or backlashes.

Spinning

Spinning reels have a visible line spool with a wire loop at the top that moves around the spool as the reel is cranked. The wire loop is called the bail and is designed to capture the line and force it into the groove at the base of loop so it can be wound around the spindle when the reel is cranked. At the top of the spool or the base of the reel is the drag adjustment, the location varies by manufacturer and model. There will also be some type of switch to enable/disable the anti-reverse feature of the reel. Anti-reverse prevents the reel from spinning backwards if you remove your hand from the crank. The reel is designed to be hung below the rod.

To cast a rod equipped with a spinning reel you first grasp the rod so that the reel hangs below the rod, and the mounting base shaft for the reel is between you middle and ring fingers. Now, using the index finger of the hand holding the rod, catch the line where it leaves the reel and hold it to the rod with you finger. Using your other hand flip the bail up so it points toward the rod tip. This will allow the line to come off the spool if you release the line held by your index finger. Start the casting motion and on the forward portion of the motion release the line held by your finger at the point where you want the lure to start flying. When the lure hits the water turn the crank and the bail will close. You can now start retrieving the lure.

Spinning reels cast farther than Spincast reels but can sometimes have problems with line loops if the line develops twists, there is slack in the line when it is reeled, there is a lot of line memory, or if there is too much line on the reel.

Part 2 will cover Casting reels and Fly Reels.

http://www.michfish.com Michigan fishing information, forums, online fishing diary, and interactive lake maps

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A few years back, I spent a year living in Siberia and had a chance to head out to a town called Tinda. Much to my surprise, a couple of the locals had fly fishing on the menu.

The Siberian Surprise

Mention the word “Siberia” and most people think of bleak, frozen tundra stretching for hundreds of miles. Well, this is more or less true in the winter. In the summer, however, much of Siberia is a burst of green with temperatures in the eighties and nineties. As I had failed to bring shorts, this was a bit of a surprise to me.

Living in the city of Chita, I had an opportunity to visit the forest town of Tinda. Tinda is located about a day east of Lake Baikal and was built in the 1950s to act as a lumber town. The communist government haphazardly relocated a hundred thousand people and there they remain today. The area around Tinda is very mountainous and very beautiful. As the winter snows melt, rivers, lakes and creeks spring to life.

While in Tinda, I was invited to go fly fishing with the sons of the people I was staying with. Hilarity was sure to follow since they spoke no English and I was fluent in Russian at about a kindergarten level. Off we went strolling to the apparent local hot spot.

After a 45 minute walk, we came upon a slow moving creek that looked like something you would find in Wyoming. Trees towered over us and cast shadows across the water. Shallow pools of water formed along the bank and I could’ve sworn I saw more than a few of our slippery friends.

As every person knows, a first timer at anything will always have success. The boys had fished this spot hundreds of times, but I hadn’t. By all that is good in the universe, I should’ve caught 20 while they caught nothing. Alas, evil had the day. I caught nothing, nada, zippo. Nikoli and Oleg, on the other hand, were getting fisher elbow.

Although they caught a lot of fish, I can’t tell you what they were. The language barrier was just too much. The fisher were six to 10 inches long and appeared to be related to Mackinaws, but the vodka celebration made this pure speculation.

Rick Chapo is with NomadJournals.com - makers of diary and writing journals for fly fishing. Visit NomadJournalTrips.com to read more articles about fly fishing and the great outdoors.

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Generally an oceanic species, the swordfish is primarily a midwater fish at depths of 650-1970 feet (200-600 m) and water temperatures of 64 to 71F (18-22C). Although mainly a warm-water species, the swordfish has the widest temperature tolerance of any billfish, and can be found in waters from 41-80F (5-27C). The swordfish is commonly observed in surface waters, although it is believed to swim to depths of 2,100 feet (650 m) or greater, where the water temperature may be just above freezing. One adaptation that allows for swimming in such cold water is the presence of a “brain heater,” a large bundle of tissue associated with one of the eye muscles, which insulates and warms the brain. Blood is supplied to the tissue through a specialized vascular heat exchanger, similar to the counter current exchange found in some tunas. This helps prevent rapid cooling and damage to the brain as a result of extreme vertical movements.

As opportunistic predators, swordfish feed at the surface as well as the bottom of their depth range (>2,100 ft (650 m)) as evidenced by their stomach contents. They feed mostly upon pelagic fishes, and occasionally squids and other cephalopods. At lower depths they feed upon demersal fishes. The sword is apparently used in obtaining prey, as squid and cuttlefishes commonly exhibit slashes to the body when taken from swordfish stomachs. A recent study found the majority of large fish prey had been slashed, while small prey items had been consumed whole. Larval swordfish feed on zooplankton including other fish larvae. Juveniles eat squid, fishes, and pelagic crustaceans.

Swordfishing has really seen a boon in the last few years. Boats departing form port up and down the Atlantic are experiencing a fish size of 75-100lb on average. South Florida is considered to be the swordfish nursery and anglers routinely catch “Pups”, but they also get their share of markers (fish with over 100 lbs dressed weight) and double markers.

Swordfishing

Once you are all gunned up and ready to go, it’s time to take a drift out in South Florida’s Gulf Stream or the Canyons of the Mid Atlantic or New England. We are going to be drifting using 4 to 6 lines. Depending on the size of your boat, the sea conditions, and your experience level, you may be able to fish 5 or even 6 rods, but 4 rods is a good starting point. This is an awesome fishery and we can sustain it as long as we don’t abuse it.

Locating The Swordfish Grounds

Swordfishing takes place in the evening and at night, as they are primarily nocturnal feeders. In South Florida, most boats leave the dock in the early evening hours and coming back to the dock after midnight. Boats fishing out of ports in the middle and north Atlantic states usually swordfish at night after spending the day trolling for tunas, mahis, and other fish. Swordfishing is obviously easier when it is calm, because everything is easier to do.

In South Florida, swordfish grounds are bordered generally between longitude 79-51W and 79-44W. This is roughly 15-22 miles off our coastline. In the Mid-Atlantic and North Canyons, with such a vast area to cover, most fishermen look for a good temperature break before fishing. Sonar that can read the bottom in 2000 feet is very beneficial; as you will see the canyons and structure that you are fishing and mark them on your chart plotter. These canyons create upwellings that hold plankton and other small marine creatures that baitfish such as tinker mackerel and sardines feed on, which in turn attracts highly migratory species such as swordfish. If you want to see fish and schools of bait, set your range to 100ft and you will see any bait congregated under your boat. Where you find the bait you will find the fish. Try dropping live bait or a stick bait straight off your rod tip right into that zone (as explained later).

Once you are satisfied with your location, you want to spend the next few minutes figuring out your drift. The direction and speed of your drift is the most important aspect of swordfishing. The direction of your drift dictates which area you are going to drift over. For example, if you have heard that the bite is red hot on the 79-50W line, you want to make sure you spending most of your drift on this line. The speed of the current and the direction and speed of the wind will also affect what size lead weight sinkers you need to use to keep your baits drifting at the desired depth. A sea anchor can work to keep your baits spread out and offset the effects of the wind on your spread. Put your sea anchor out somewhere forward of midship for the best spread.

Broadbill Tackle

Good bait is key to any fishing. Dead bait such as Boston mackerel stick rigged to drift or a nice squid on a pin rig work great. Live bait such as goggle-eyes, blue runners, speedos, tinker mackerel work well too. You should trim the tails down on the live bait to make them easier for the swords to catch, which help your hook ups.

Let’s discuss rigging your rods and reels. I use mostly 80 wides, but many of my friends use 130s after getting owned a few times by sea monsters. If you are fortunate to have a reel like an Accurate 50 with a twin drag system you could load it with over 700 yards of 150 hollow-core PowerPro braid and be able to fish their lighter rods for broadbills. Using 50s to me is not a great idea, but some people do it. You can catch a decent fish on a 50lb. reel, but when you get a nice one on, its nice to know you can have some line capacity and a drag capable of taking the heat. On most fish, fighting them between 12 and 16 pounds of drag is going to keep the hook in the fish. However, with such light drag, a large fish will be able to take a lot of line off the spool. Remember, the more line that comes off the spool, the more drag is on the fish. If you have your drag set at 16 pounds and have 400 yards of line out, you may have 25 pounds of pressure on the fish. It is very important to set your drag before you go out. Mark the drag settings on the reel with a piece of light colored electrical tape and a magic marker at each increment of the drag lever.

When you spool up, we recommend using 150 lb hollow core Power Pro as backing. On the reel we fish with, we load about 1100 yards of Power Pro as backing. This line can last an entire season, as it is less vulnerable to failure causing nicks from fish or other things (weeds, boat, etc) touching the line. Line capacity can be key to slugging it out with a large broadbill, as there is a great deal of current and deep water for the fish to sound. Power Pro’s low stretch mean it is more sensitive to broadbills whacks and its small diameter means it takes less weight to fish the desired depth. After loading on a full spool of Power Pro, I finish it off with at least 100 yards of 130lb mono as a top shot. This mono allows some stretch in the system, which gives a little cushion against pulled hooks.

When spooling the reels we suggest marking each reel at a given depth. We suggest you mark the line using a Dacron loop half hitched to your line using wax line. Mark the rod with a piece of tape on the butt and write the depth on it. This will enable you to easily drop your bait to the desired depth without having to count it every time you setup. It also lets you know which rod is at which depth and allows you to cover all depths. You will use this loop to tie the balloon or jug onto the line. Make another loop using just wax floss about 20 feet from the end of your line. This will be used to attach the weight. It is very important to make sure the loop does not slip!

Your first knot that will be used on your mainline is the popular bimini twist (about 5 ft). The knot acts as a shock absorber and is very beneficial to the rig. Attach a 300 lb wind on leader using a loop to loop connection and crimp on a nice swivel.

Make sure your roller guides are in good shape, and that all your hardware is tight. Make sure you have good rod holders with backing plates; our swivel rod holders are the best.

Rigging up

Lets discuss your rigs. We first start out by measuring 15 feet of 200lb - 400lb mono leader. On the top end we either crimp a loop using a piece of hard plastic chafe tube so that we can attach it to our ball bearing snap swivel or welded eye swivel. On the other end, crimp an 8/0 - 11/0 hook. Make sure the hook is very sharp, if not sharpen it using a file. You should be able to press it against your fingernail and make a nice scratch. Attach your rig to your rods ball bearing swivel.

If you are fishing live bait you should place a bridle on your hook. A bridle is a loop that is about 6 inches in diameter made out of rigging floss or extra Power Pro. Attach that bridle to the hook and you are set. Pull the loop through the bait’s eyes using a rigging needle and twist until the bridle is tight across the bait’s head, then loop the hook under the part of the bridle that is tight on the bait’s head. At the swivel top circle you want to also attach a flasher at your discretion. This helps to make your bait visible to the swordfish.

Now lets talk squid. A swordfish favorite is the squid. There are a number of ways to rig a dead squid, but the best method is to use what long line fishermen call a pin rig. A tag end or pin is used to keep the squid riding high on the hook by pinning the mantle. The rig leaves the hook exposed half way down the mantle. Make sure you size your hook to your squid. The larger the hook the more hook you will have exposed from the squid. With small enough hooks only a small part of the hook is exposed.

Get your LP electralume lights out turned on and ready. Rig some 16-32 ounce bank sinkers with rubber coated copper/telephone wire or a rubber band. Rig some balloons or jugs up. Tie a piece of wire or rubber band to the balloon or jug by wrapping it around above where your balloon knot is. If using telephone wire, wrap the line up away from the balloon, and finish it off clean so it does not pop the balloon. Attach a cyalume stick to the jug or balloon with a piece of electrical tape. Have the gaff or harpoon ready to be deployed as some days you may drop the baits right into the mouth of a hungry swordfish.

Letting out your Spread

Drifting for swordfish is very very effective. You should stagger you baits at 150, 200, and 300. Each of these lines should have a balloon. Work another one out off the rod tip Now that you have 4 rods that are ready to be deployed, lets get some lines in the water. Once you are satisfied with the direction and speed of your drift, get the first line out. As a general rule of thumb, get your longest lines out first, meaning in this case the 150 foot deep rod. Many top captains set out the first two lines with the boat in gear driving away from the lines having the mate attach the LP Electralume, weight, and balloon as the appropriate marks in the line pass by. This often results in a faster deployment and a better spread. Once the 2nd bait is out they shift into drifting position and work out the next two.

With the first rod, attach your rig, along with your flasher on the to the swivel. Next clip on your LP Electralume using the long line clip that comes with it about 25 feet up the line. If you don’t have an electric light, snap a cyalume stick on. When your wax loop for the sinker comes off the tip, attach the sinker to the wax loop using copper wire. Wrap the wire about 6 times and pull to ensure it breaks away. Put it back on and let your bait down to desired depth. The 150-foot market should appear pretty fast. Once the 150-foot marker on the line comes up, attach your jug or balloon to the Dacron or wax line loop using copper wire. You can attach the balloon or jug using telephone wire or a small rubber band. Again, test to make sure it breaks away when fish applies pressure. Let the float out about 100-150 yards from the boat.

Do the same to the second rod, but this time go to 200ft and let it out on the jug/balloon about 75 yards. Proceed with the 250 and 300-foot rods. Once you have the 4 lines out on the jugs, lets move to your tip rods. The tip rods are called tip rods because that is exactly what they are. You will see the tip of the rod bounce heavily when a sword is slashing the bait. These rods are being fished right at the boat at varying depths. We usual set these rods at 75-100 feet and 400 feet. These will be your most active rods, as they are in the direct light of the boat. You should be constantly reeling the two tip rods.

Now that you have 4 lines in the water, Turn off all boat lights and sit back and listen to your rods. Check all lines as needed. If you don’t have any action within 30 minutes to an hour, start by checking your tip rods. If the baits have been slashed than bring in your balloon/jug rods and re-bait.

You can also use the 4ft green Hydro Glow light is used to attract bait and fish to your boat. Make sure you put it on the opposite side of the boat that that lines are drifting on, to avoid direct light in your eyes. The light definitely doesn’t hurt. We have seen bait such as squid, mackerel, flying fish, and sardines swim through the light. I have also seen these fish come into spreader lights and I have seen them come up with no lights at all. But why not have the extra edge?

There he is!!!

If a balloon or jug comes off, or you hear the drag being taken out, or you see a fish surfacing, you want to jump on that rod fast. You should of have your drag set at practically nothing, just enough to keep line from coming off the reel. Increase the drag to an agreed upon setting (I use 16 pounds) and start cranking until you get tight on the fish. The hook should automatically set once the line is tight if your hook is sharp. It is always important to clear the sea anchor and the tip rods immediately, but sometimes if you are not getting dragged around you can leave a float line or two out in hopes for a double.

Hooked Up!

Monitor your drag carefully. Too little drag and even a small 80-pound sword may take an hour. Too much drag may cause the hook to rip from the soft mouths of these fish. Do not rush the fish. If you have a big fish on, and he starts dumping over 300 yards of line off the reel you should back the drag on the reel off to compensate for the weight of the line in the water.

Most people fight the fish out of the rod holder using a bent butt rod, but there are some lower back workout fanatics that like to fish it standup. If you want to fight it standup, you should use a harness a good fighting belt. Swordfish get in excess of 400lbs and sometimes you have to slug it out to get them in the boat.

Once the fish is at the boat, just reel take of the LP electralume and wind the swivel to the tip. This is why we also suggest using wind-on leaders. This will help avoid the dangers of hand-lining a big fish. Get ready with multiple gaffs or a harpoon and stick the fish right in the head. A swordfish has to be at least 47 inches from the fork of the tail to the tip of the lower jaw to keep, so make sure you have a measuring tape. So before hitting it with the gaff, you want to decide if you are keeping the fish or not. Always wear tough leather gloves, as the bill is very sharp.

Cleaning up (Read this article on dressing tuna and swordfish)

When you have the fish in the boat and after the high fives and pictures are taken, shorten him for easy storage and transport by sawing his bill off and cutting his head off. Once the head and gills are off, slice his belly from the anus to the collar and remove his guts. Then pack his cavity with ice to ensure the best quality steaks. Now get your lines out and do it again!

Fisherman’s Outfitter

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When you are going fishing, whether nearby your home or on a long distance trip, there are many fishing safety rules that you need to keep in mind.

These rules can help prevent injury to yourself and others while shore and boat fishing.

There are several different areas of fishing safety that you should be aware of. These include the following:

• Equipment Safety

• Pier Fishing Safety

• Offshore Fishing Safety

• Shore Fishing Safety and Noodling

• Ice Fishing Safety

Equipment Safety

Before you go fishing, you need to make certain that all of your equipment is in safe working order. This should be done before you even consider going out to any waterfront. You need to check several things while looking over your various pieces of equipment.

First, you need to check your fishing rod and reel. Both of these pieces should be in top condition, with the rod having no cracks or breaks. If your rod separates, you need to make certain that it is very secure when it is built together. The reel itself should operate smoothly, with the line coiling without tangles. If the line is tangling quite a bit within the reel, you will need to unbind the line and replace it with new. If this behavior continues, you should consider a new reel.

The type of line that you use should be a consideration as well. Dependent on the conditions you are going to be fishing in, you will want to use different line. With rocky bottoms, where your line is going to get caught easier, you will want to use a lower line rating. If you are fishing for larger fish, the test on the line should be increased to match what you are planning on catching.

The final fishing safety check that you should make is on your tackle, sinkers and lures. If any of these are rusted, you should replace them with new ones, as rusted equipment can change a mild injury into tetnis or a worse illness.

Pier Fishing Safety

One type of fishing that many people enjoy is pier fishing. When you go fishing off of a pier, there are several fishing safety rules that you should keep in mind. First, you should only place your feet into the water if you know that there are not vicious fish, such as Muskie, in the water. Muskie, as well as other types of vicious fish, are renown for biting off the toes of unsuspecting fishers off of piers. For this reason, you should avoid doing this. In addition to this, you should never run on the piers, especially if you are carrying any sharp equipment. The most important thing to keep in mind when pier fishing is to use your common sense. Falling from the pier, especially taller ones, can be life threatening. Leaning over the pier edge, as well as being careless, can put yourself and others in danger.

Offshore Fishing Safety

When you go on a boat for a session of offshore fishing, you need to be extra careful. Out of all of the forms of fishing, this is the most dangerous. You need to be aware of the weather and potential weather changes at all times. In addition to this, you need to make certain that you are always wearing a life preserver. While these may be uncomfortable, or ugly to wear, they can make the difference between life and death. You should always make certain that you know you do not hit anyone with your hook when you are casting. This is the most dangerous aspect of offshore fishing, as you are most likely fishing in close quarters, which requires a higher level of skill when you are casting. Hooking yourself or a companion is a real likely hood in this style of fishing, unless you are extremely careful.

Shore Fishing and Noodling

Shore fishing is the style of fishing that most people participate. During fishing seasons, hundreds of people gather around oceans and rivers and ponds to take their hand at trying to catch the largest fish possible. Lures are constantly flying through the air, and lines get tangled more often than not. When you are shore fishing, you need to make certain you are aware of all of the people around you, and that they are aware of you. Taking children to crowded beaches for fishing can be extremely dangerous, as they can get hooked while running and playing. Injuries sustained in this manner can be severe. As long as you are careful, and you do not run or dart across the path of someone casting, shore fishing can be the safest of all types of fishing.

There is one form of shore fishing, however, that is extremely dangerous. This is called “Noodling”. Noodling, or another term for “Idiot”, is the practice of wading out to waist or chest level and bending down to search holes, logs and other hiding holes for catfish. Then you wiggle your fingers. If there is a catfish - or another type of creature in residence - they will attack your bare hand. Then the fight begins, and the Noodler needs to bring the fish to shore. Many lose their lives yearly to this extreme sport, and it should be avoided, as it is not safe.

Ice Fishing Safety

When you are going ice fishing, there are a lot of safety rules that you need to follow at all times. Unlike the other forms of standard fishing, ice fishing presents a lot of health risks. First, you should never go ice fishing without a well built shack. The shacks provide you shelter while you are ice fishing. Without this shelter, you will be susceptible to hypothermia and other health related problems.

The second thing you need to keep in mind at all times is the condition of the ice and the weather predictions. Falling through the ice while ice fishing, especially alone, is a death sentence. Being trapped on the open ice during a blizzard is also extremely dangerous, even with the shelter of an ice shack available. When you are stocking your ice shack, you need to make certain that you have enough wood for the wood stove, or heating device within the shack. This device should also be cared for and watched over at all times, so the ice beneath the shack remains stable or that the shack does not burn.

If you keep these fishing safety tips and rules in mind, you should be able to have an enjoyable time fishing without high risk of injury to yourself or others, no matter which form of fishing you choose to participate in.

About The Author

Rebecca Blain is a professional and hobbyist writer who enjoys taking care of her Siamese Fighting Fish and educating people about discount fishing reels & supplies which you can read more about here:

http://www.discount-hunting-supplies-and-tips.com/discount-fishing-supplies.html

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As part of an email discussion list I’m part of, the subject of following our passions came up. I mentioned that one of my lifelong passions was fishing. I got the following reply…

Thanks, John for sharing your passion with us. So — John — when you are fishing… What do you enjoy most and why? I’ve never fished and would like to understand your passion better.

That made me stop and think. Why did I spend so much time with a line in the water? Or reading about fishing? Or watching fishing TV shows and videos? What did I get from that, that I don’t get from other things? Here’s how I answered her…

One of the best things about fishing is that it can be different things on different days. Some days, I can set up a chair on the beach, throw my line out, and just stare at the horizon and listen to the water. With the fishing rod, I’m fishing. Without it, I’m a loony without a clock tower ;-). On those days, I may or may not catch anything. It really doesn’t matter. When the sun goes down and I leave, I feel renewed and totally relaxed.

On other days, I have to catch something. Solving the puzzle — where are the fish and what will get them to bite — is important. So is the execution — doing things just right, as evidenced by that electric tug on the line.

Did I mention that fresh fish, well prepared, is one of the greatest eating pleasures on this earth?

Fishing as an activity can also be solitary or social. Catching fish is cool, so is not catching any. When you’re out with good friends and that magic day hits when all goes perfectly right, you come away with stories that brighten your eyes for years in the retelling. On the days when the fish don’t bite, you can spend time in conversation, solving the worlds’ problems or your own. Sometimes there’s the quiet time, when all of you can sit back and bask in the feeling that you are all doing exactly what you chose to do, with people you chose to spend time with.

Finally, (bet you didn’t think I’d make, did you), I practically grew up in a fishing boat. My folks had a cabin on a lake in Minnesota where I spent hours in an old rowboat with my Dad and my grandfather. Listening to them, and later joining in, taught me a lot of what I know about being a man. Those evenings of watching for the bobbers to sink are some of my best memories.

As a labor of love, I have a web site called Outdoor Adventures (no longer operating). I’d like to share the opening with you.

“Why do we venture outdoors? It makes us alert, pulls us out of ourselves, and engages us in something bigger. It’s a restorative that cleanses us when we’ve become muddied and makes us healthy when we’ve become sickened. It’s a brace against pessimism.”

I hope I’ve been able to let you feel a little of what I feel for this wondrous pastime.

John McCabe’s Web Guides show you how to find more and better success in all facets of your life. For more articles on living an abundant, vibrant, joyous life, come to http://Web-Guides.com

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Residence (Agritourismus) Belmonte in Iano, Montaione (Florence) is located in Val d’ Era valley, the heart of Tuscany, near San Gimignano. Its characteristic flats according to the Tuscan style, are located inside our old farm-house which is more than 200 hectares big and confer to Belmonte Farmhouse absolutely peacefulness, privacy and a rare possibility to enjoy an authentic relation with the Tuscany countryside.

Our geographical position is extremely favorable and unique differently to other tourists frameworks in Tuscany. From on high of our large panoramic swimming pool, which is 340 m² big and equipped with a fabulous hydro massage, you will spend quiet and remarkable days in absolute relax with your family, while your kids will have fun in the swimming pool for children.

In our Country Resort, you can practice some sportive activities : running off a game in our tennis field or attend a tennis classes with a professional teacher, playing with your friends in our bowls field, challenging itself on a football or volley field or making a Ping-pong tournament. You will discover wonderful surroundings, just walking in the countryside, following the indicate routes for trekking or make excursions with mountain bikes you will rent at our reception.

Inside our area you will find a lots of naturalistic locations and a small thermal lake called “il Bagnino” where you can regenerate yourself and take a warm, healthy and tonic mud bath, as a real natural "beauty-farm"!!
Lovers of fishing can have fun in the picturesque streams and lakes. We have a special agreement with the nearest "Castelfalfi Golf Club" and riding school “Centro Ippico Il Fragione” for those who love horse-riding, or simply would like to go for a suggestive ride in the hills around.

Spend a day in the majestic Florence or in Pisa, to visit the famous leaning tower situated in Piazza dei Miracoli, take a walk by the picturesque streets of San Gimignano among the princely towers and its enclosing ancient walls, or savoring an aperitif in the medieval town of Volterra or in the famous Piazza del Campo in Siena.

Well my dear friend, all of this is possible thanks to the marvelous position of Belmonte Residence; in fact you can reach San Gimignano, Volterra in twenty minutes by car, Florence, Siena and Pisa in about one hour, even Lucca and Vinci just to mention the most famous cities of art of Tuscany.
Therefore our guests are use to visit the Tuscan coast : seaside resort like Costa degli Etruschi with Cecina, Baratti, San Vincenzo beaches, or Versilia coast with Marina di Pisa, Forte dei Marmi and Viareggio. All these marvelous places are far only one hour and fifteen minutes by car from our residence (Agritourismus) Belmonte.

If you are interested in a cheap hotel in Montaione, pls visit our catalogue of Hotels all over Italy, where you can find also a wide range of Bed and Breakfast in Rome and Hotels in Florence, from cheap to luxury, togheter with Sorrento Tours

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The Garmin Fishfinder 250 is Garmin’s latest addition to their family of marine chartplotters, handheld GPS, fish finders and GPS sounders and its already gaining a great reputation amongst the angling community.

We met up with Johnathan W Ross, a surgeon and keen fisherman to find out his views on the new Garmin 250.

FFR - How long have you had the Garmin 250?

JWR - I purchased the 250 fish finder as a replacement for my obselete Garmin 160 fish finder. I have had the 250 for six months and I’m more than pleased with it.

FFR - How do you find the display compared to the Garmin 160?

JWR - The display on the Garmin 250 is much more detailed than the 160. It has twice the definition of the older model which means that what you see on the screen is in great detail. Something called Depth Control Gain gives really detailed images.

FFR - Do you fish different types of water?

JWR - I fish in both fresh water and salt water, and the Garmin 250 works well in both situations.

FFR - Did you notice better performance in shallower waters?

JWR - I have the version with dual-frequency sonar which is made for deeper waters, to a depth of 1500′. There is a version of the Garmin 250 with single-frequency which will be better for shallow waters, and its cheaper too!

FFR - Have you customized your 250 fish finder?

JWR - I have connected a Garmin GPS receiver (which I bought separately) to the unit. I can now mark waypoints directly from the Fishfinder’s keypad.

FFR - So is the 250 a fish finder that is easy to use?

JWR - Very easy. It works out of the box, so no complicated set-up. It’s very slim so it doesn’t get in the way when its mounted - I’ve got mine on the bow. Its mounted on a swivel so that it can be viewed from any angle. The buttons are easy to use, too, even with gloves on.

NS Kennedy is a keen outdoor sportsman - particularly hunting and fishing - and loves to find out about new gadgets and gizmos that he can use. He started his site Garmin GPS Navigation Reviews http://www.garmin-gps-navigation.com to share his tips and findings with other sportsmen.

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Lucky for you, a seven day week is ideal for designing the perfect workout program. Evidence suggests that a seven day training cycle is almost perfect for if you want to build muscle fast. It provides just enough variety to keep the gains coming thick and fast.

You see, the human body is quick to adapt to any sort of exercise. Once it has made the necessary increases in muscle size, no amount of exercise at the same level of intensity will produce any further muscle growth. However, it will help to maintain your current levels of muscle mass.

If you want to make continual gains though, it is important to provide some sort of regular variation in your training. But I’m not talking about your exercises here. No Sir. The perfect program, is guaranteed to produce fast muscle gains for your entire life. Without any need for a change in the actual exercises used.

However, to prevent the need for regular changes in your choice of exercises, a technique called “double progressive” training will be used. As well as using this technique, you will be providing extra variety by using a two or three day per week training schedule. Combined, they will provide more than enough variety to guarantee regular muscle gains.

The “double progressive” technique is the secret key behind all successful bodybuilding programs. If used correctly, no two workouts should ever be the same. This technique makes sure that you either, perform more repetitions with the same weight, or you use extra, additional weight on one, or all of your exercises.

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