Anchor a boat

Danforth anchors have a very good holding power in very soft mud, conditions. Not suitable for reef anchoring.

Grapnel (reef) anchor

This anchors are used for reef, rock and wreck bottoms. They are designed to hook onto the coral and rock. It is quite possible for this anchor to find such a good hook that it is impossible to retrieve.
Mushroom Anchor

Designed to bury in the soft bottom and provide very strong holding power. Not suitable for strong current or reef anchoring.

CQR / Plough Anchor

A solid all round anchor that is suitable for almost all bottom types, but should not replace a specific bottom anchor.There are many other types of anchors available and you should research this area further before deciding on an anchor type.

2. Chain    A 1-2 meter length of chain should be attached to the anchor. This provides abrasion resistance and extra weight for holding power.

3. Secure the anchor     Make sure that anchor is tied to the boat you can see my earlier post for instructions on this here - how to attach a boat anchor

Determine the depth and type of bottom you are anchoring on. Put your bow into the wind or current (whichever is having the greatest affect on your boat), motor slowly to just beyond where you want your anchor to lie. Don't just throw the anchor, but gently release it and let the rope feed through your hands (gloves are recommended for this) until you feel the slack in the line. Once it hits the bottom let the rope out about 7 times the depth of the water (eg. if the water is 10 feet deep let out 70 feet of rope.).

Tie the anchor off securely and slowly reverse the boat to help set the anchor in the bottom.
Pick some landmarks and watch these carefully to ensure you are not drifting (most modern chartplotters have an alarm for this very event.)

We feel fishing is great

In my case, I never have a good day at work! So a bad day's fishing is great. You're right when you say 'fishing is like that though'. Sometimes I am pretty mad after a bad days fishing, but when i'm at work & think about being out in a boat or sitting on some rocks somewhere peaceful, it does not matter what it's like hahaha!

I managed to get the week off work and made plans with my old man to fish our local harbor today. Even though everything seemed right we just couldn't take a trick and the day ended with a quick run back to the boat ramp to beat one of the tropical storms we get. The fishing was slow and even though we caught a few fish they were all very small. Sometimes fishing is like that though and the uncertainty and challenge is what makes it fun.

Most anglers have heard the saying a bad day fishing beats a good day at work, but what I want to know is if you stand by this saying or not?

Fly fishing is a rewarding way of fishing and even though I am not much good at it I still enjoy my time spent with fly rod in hand. Learning to cast a fly rod is probably one of the hardest learning curves in fishing and I certainly had (or should that be have) my fair share of difficulties. Fortunately these days learning to cast a fly rod is made easier with the Internet and I am going to share the resources that have helped me.

How to cook Grilled Grouper

We catch a lot of grouper in my part of the world and while we don't call them that here in Australia we are still partial to these great fish. There are many species of grouper and in my experience smallish grouper make very good eating while the bigger ones are a little bit tough and tasteless.

Grouper are an essential part of the reef ecosystem and because of this when considering taking a grouper for dinner you should always check your local rules and regulations and take only enough for your immediate needs.

It is important for anglers to be able to identify their catch for many reasons. If you keep fish for food then you need to be able to identify and differentiate between the safe species to eat from the poisonous fish. You will also need to be able to identify fish because similar fish can have different restrictions and keeping an undersized or protected species can cost you more than your dignity. Ignorance will not be tolerated as an excuse when the fisheries officers come inspecting.

For new anglers, and even experienced ones, grouper identification can be quite difficult. They have almost identical body structures and even the colors can be very similar depending on the species and age of the fish. Another confusing factor is the different names for the same fish when fishing different states or countries.

• 　　Grouper Fillets
• 　　Olive Oil
• 　　Salt
• 　　Fish/poultry seasoning flavors
• 　　Spices

The end result looks very appetizing and my trial of this dish turned out quite well (although I was using a different species of fish).

To spool line onto your reel

It takes a bit of study and practice, but nothing beats experience for identifying fish. It is a great idea to keep a laminated chart or fish identification book on board.

Yesterday I posted about you to cast a reel, but I git thinking that it isn't much use me explaining that process if the reel hasn't got any line on it yet! Spooling line onto the reel can be quite a frustrating thing for new anglers and sometimes simply attaching the line can seem all too hard.


For anyone new to this process (or for those of you looking for a better way) I have found a great video that shows the best methods for getting line onto your fishing reel without any twisting! It demonstrates the best knot to use when attaching line to the reel and the best method of winding the line onto the reel. The guy in the video also explains how much line to put on the reel, which is another thing that new anglers often get wrong.

I even learned a few new things myself and it is worth watching the short video.

The ice fishing season is coming

There are two types of ice fishing fish finders. One is the traditional flasher and the other is the more modern fish finder you will find in most boating situations.

A simple depth and fish finding device that displays the bottom echo and depth as well as any other echos (hopefully fish) and the depth they are holding. Depending on the model these type of fish finders show everything, including structure and fish.

• Battery Life - will it last all day or more? 
• Zoom Mode - can it zoom in on a section of the water column? How much can it zoom and is it adjustable?
• Color or mono?
• Can it give readings before you start drilling?
• Warranty!

There have been special ice fishing models released fairly recently which are fantastic and can run all day on a battery.

The most important thing about choosing an ice fishing fishfinder is the ability to handle the cold conditions! After this the power of the unit should be the key consideration. If you need your fish finder to penetrate the ice you may need extra power than someone using a transducer in the water.

Ice fishing season to fishing

The ice fishing season is in full swing again in the northern part of the hemisphere and I get many questions about choosing a fish finder for ice fishing so I thought it was a good time to address the topic.Which type? There are two types of ice fishing fish finders. One is the traditional flasher and the other is the more modern fish finder you will find in most boating situations.

The Flasher

A simple depth and fish finding device that displays the bottom echo and depth as well as any other echos (hopefully fish) and the depth they are holding.

Modern fish finder

Depending on the model these type of fish finders show everything, including structure and fish. There have been special ice fishing models released fairly recently which are fantastic and can run all day on a battery.

Choosing the right one

The most important thing about choosing an ice fishing fishfinder is the ability to handle the cold conditions! After this the power of the unit should be the key consideration.

If you need your fish finder to penetrate the ice you may need extra power than someone using a transducer in the water.Other important considerations: Hopefully this helps you make your decision when purchasing a depth finder for your ice fishing.

Fishing Gear

For all the Americans out there, try Fishing Tackle Unlimited. They usually have the best prices of any online store. You can pick up some books, DVD's, shirts, tools, hooks, nets and lights. There is also the usual tackle, lures, rods and reels. You can pay with most major credit cards and have the cheap fishing gear delivered to your door!

If you are a mad keen fisherman (or woman), then you want the best fishing gear available. But, it can be quite pricey if you shop in the wrong stores. Thankfully, there are a few online stores that offer fishing gear at very reasonable prices. In this post, I will tell you just where to find cheap fishing gear. It is possible to save hundreds of dollars every year by finding cheap fishing gear stores online.
　　
For Australians, try the Fishing Tackle Shop to get some of the cheapest fishing gear on the market. They have great deals on tackle, lures, rods, reels, sunglasses, wetsuits and so much more. If you know another fisherman who needs some gear, buy them a gift voucher.
　　　　
If you are after really cheap fishing gear you can check out the new Discount Fishing Tackle Store, which has updated listings from all over the web to ensure you get a bargain.

Bass fishing encompasses

Largemouth and Smallmouth bass are the two types of fish that are most common in the bass-fishing world. The distinction between the two is that the back of the mouth of the former extends past the eye, whereas the latter only goes to the middle of the eye. Largemouth are typically a bigger fish, and tend to make shorter but stronger escape runs when hooked, while Smallmouth are considered to be the hardest fighting and most aggressive black bass. Black bass are able to smell as well as see their prey, and it is important to take this into account when fishing. Lures: There are six types of fishing lures: spinners, plugs, jigs, spoons, flies, and soft plastics.

Bass fishing encompasses all of the fishing associated with the North American gamefish called the blackbass, and are part of the sunfish family. The most common black bass species caught are largemouth, smallmouth, spotted, and guadalupe. Bass fishing is a multi-billion dollar industry, and has been one of the fastest growing and changing sports in the last century. Bass fishing is the most common game fishing, and the top freshwater sport United States. Black bass are found in almost any source of freshwater, including lakes, reservoirs, rivers, ponds, creeks, and streams.

Spinner type lures consist of a shaft, split rings, a hook, a blade, a clevis, and a weight, and work in all types of water. The most important part of the spinner is the metal blade, which creates a flash as light bounces off it and attracts all types of fish.

Plugs are bait designed to imitate live bait, such as bugs, crayfish, frogs, and fish. These are very versatile and can be used for all types of fish in almost any condition.Jigs include a few different types, such as jigging spoons, vibrating blades, and tail spins. The usual jig consist of a head attached to a trailer which is usually good for when fish are not necessarily hungry or hunting, because it can be reeled slowly allowing the fish to become curious.

Spoons are types of lures that behave erratically when being reeled, imitating a hurt or damaged bait fish. They are typically used for bass, muskies, pike, trout, and salmon.Flies are used for fly fishing, and are made up of a hook and hair.

Soft plastics are also often used as an imitation of other live bait, and come in many colors and sizes.Reels: Reels come in four different kinds, including spinning, baitcasting, spincast, and fly reels. Rods consist of spinning, bait casting, and fly fishing types.

Fishing, Fishing, Fishing

Many Irish people enjoy fishing but we are happy to share our "riches" with our fellow anglers from all over the world. Few of us, however, fish for coarse fish (freshwater species other than the salmon and trout family) which means that our magnificent pike, bream, tench, roach, rudd and eel fisheries are largely left to the tourist, as is much of the sea angling, particularly along the south and west coasts.
The Irish climate is well suited to sport angling. It is temperate and kind to the angler with moderate summers, mild winters and adequate rainfall throughout the year. The warm waters of the North Atlantic Drift lap the south and west coasts, giving us a milder climate than our geographical location would indicate.

The result is a fabulous mixture of cold and warm water fish species, capable of exciting the specialist or casual angler on the annual family holiday. In fresh water, they range from Carp, more attuned to warm waters, to the Atlantic Salmon, which is a north Atlantic species. The marine species range from the cold water Cod and Coalfish to the Mediterranean loving Bass and the mid Atlantic Blue Shark.

Lakes, rivers and coastal stretches are surveyed and mapped, fisheries are managed and stocked, while banks and access routes to the waters edge are developed to ensure the visitor gets directly and easily to the hotspots. Most of the angling is organised around recognised angling centres which specialise in catering for the angling tourist. Salmon and trout fisheries are usually the property of an individual, club, organisation or the state and permission to fish is generally required except in the case of the state owned lakes, such as the Great Western Loughs and the Lakes of Killarney.

Some waters have seldom, if ever seen a rod and line but exploration is always an enjoyable part of an fishing holiday, so do not be afraid to "have a go", it might well result in the fish of a lifetime.

Practice Good Stewardship

Pay attention to local procedures and cautions for cleaning your watercraft after you leave the water so that you don't encourage the spread of npn-native species, such as the Zebra Mussel, to the next body of water you may visit with your boat.You can help to take care of our lakes, rivers, and other waterways so that others may enjoy these areas for years to come by practicing some of the following actions: Don't Litter.take along a trash bag or other receptacle for collecting your trash so that you can deposit it in the proper trash receptacle. Use proper dumping stations instead of tossing refuse into the water. Make sure that you use the correct type of bait and fishing gear permitted in that area. There may also be limits on the number, size, and kind of fish that you can keep. Check with your destination ahead of time to see what the local regulations allow. If you use a boat or watercraft when fishing, check to see what kinds of watercraft are allowed at the body of water where you are going to fish.

Don't fish in areas where it is not permitted. These areas have been declared "off limits" to fishing to protect wildlife, vegetation, or for your safety.

Safety While Fishing

• 　　If using a boat to fish, wear your life jacket and make sure that your passengers wear theirs, too !
• 　　Use caution when baiting and removing hooks
• 　　Do not fish on unauthorized waterways
• 　　If operating a houseboat, be careful of carbon monoxide build-up around the boat
• 　　Obey the posted speedlimits and wake warnings if using a watercraft when fishing
• 　　Bring along extra safety items such as water, flashlights, maps, and a cellphone or radio

My Fishing Travel

Had a look at today’s venue this morning before having 4 hours sleep and returning to the river. It was raining, the river was up and coloured and things looked very positive. I had a long yomp over a meadow and through a wood and needed a brolly so took it steady.

I promise that I’ll update the blog this week and tell the tale, there were a few hairy moments. I have a poorly mother who had a fall today and it’s a case of priorities.Failed to update again and tonight I am getting ready for a 3 day odyssey south of Nottingham! Passport is ready and 2 or 3 new rivers are on the cards.

I took a wrong turn and ended up in this piece of woodland in the pouring rain after an 800 yard walk across a boggy meadow! I was really exhausted and had to leave some of the tackle, set up the brolly and then go back to collect the abandoned stuff. My leg muscles had practically seized up and my dodgy knee was giving me gip, bloody hell all because of a wrong turn. I fell on my arse only to find a man with a camera there to capture the moment. It will be all over the Internet by the time I get home no doubt. To add insult to injury he caught an 11lb 8oz barbel after 15 minutes!

I am still hopeful as I sit here in the rain swatting off spiders and listening to an owl in the distance. I am hopeful, at least I know that they are feeding.

I am very luck this weekend

Glad I caught some fish this weekend. This past weekend I had two club tournaments to wrap up the regular season with Gopher Bassmasters. Thanks to Dave Cindrich for being unfortunate enough to hurt his back and to be an awesome guy and lend me his boat for the weekend. We split the lake East & West for the weekend and the two tournaments. I got up there around 1pm on Friday and practiced a bit on the East side. I found a few fish and a few baits that produced some bites.Saturday morning, I went directly to my best area and the boat right behind me had the same idea, good thing I did not daddle. On my first cast with a Vixen topwater, I boated a keeper smallie.

I stuck with it for awhile with no more bites. I then went to dragging plastics, and I was able to coax 3 bites including a 19.5" beauty.We hunted around the rest of the lake, I was able to get 3 more keepers on soft plastics. Other then that, we caught some northerns, walleyes and short bass. It ended up being a long grueling day. In the end, I was one of two limits caught by 19 guys. Mine was the largest limit, 10.6lbs with the big fish as well.Sunday brought a new challenge, as I never spent anytime on that side. I started running points in the morning with topwater. On my 2nd spot, I had one hit, but couldn't get any fish to commit on the topwater or jigs. I kept moving and finally scored a 12.5" smallie on the topwater. I then slowed down and fished it with plastics.

I dumped a nice keeper next to the boat and then caught a short.I stuck with soft plastics for the rest of the day, catching one here and one there. Ended up catching 6 keepers total of 10.4lbs, this time there were 3 limits and mine was 2nd largest.In total, 19 guys produced only 5 limits in 2 days. I got 13 keeper bites in 2 days and that was the most by far. Should be a challenging state tournament come next September.
　　

Sunday morning fishing on a tube

When I had a few hours free on Sunday morning, August 14th, I had to take the opportunity to get the boat out.I debated where to go, but since I was fishing a river tournament on Pool 6 the next weekend, I thought my short window of time would be best spent on the Mississippi River, so I headed to Pool 2 for a little fishing. I figured I may see some tendencies or patterns that would give me some clues for the following weekend.

In less then 3 hours, I ended up with 10 smallmouth and 3 pretty nice white bass. I got one fish on a tube, the others were an even split between a Yellow Magic Popper and a Chartreuse Shad Ima Square Bill crankbait.

Check out the video, explains it easier then writing a blog, besides I am behind on my blogging. You may see a few rapid fire blogs to get caught up!

Check out the video, explains it easier then writing a fishing blog, besides I am behind on my blogging. You may see a few rapid fire blogs to get caught up!

Reports of One Fishing Day

Rumors are flying that the state Department of Environment and Energy Department will extend the porgy season because the commercial catch was below the annual quota. If that happens, there will be plenty of fish available.False albacore: In Stonington and Montauk, it is "game on" for the tunoids. Anglers returning from trips to those venues are telling tales of amazing action on both plugs like the Albie Snack and flies such as small epoxy anchovy-imitators. The question is: Will these schools move west? Considering the prolific amount of small bait in area waters, hopes are high that they will.

AMISTAD: Water clear; 86-92 degrees; 6.28 feet low. Black bass good on soft plastics, jigs, drop shots. Catfish good on cheesebait, shrimp, liver over baited holes.

BRAUNIG: Water clear. Striped bass are good on liver and shad off points. Redfish are good on perch, shad, and silver spoons near the dam. Channel catfish are excellent on liver, shrimp, and cut bait near the dam.

BUCHANAN: Water clear; 81-84 degrees; 30.11 feet low. Channel catfish are good on liver, minnows, and stinkbait. Yellow and blue catfish are good on juglines and trotlines baited with goldfish and perch.

CALAVERAS: Water clear. Striped bass are good on chicken livers and shad along the shoreline. Channel and blue catfish are fair on liver, cheesebait, shrimp, and shad near the railroad trestle.

CANYON LAKE: Water clear; 79-82 degrees; 7.99 feet low. Yellow and blue catfish are good on live bait.

CHOKE CANYON: Water clear; 79-82 degrees; 10.52 feet low. Channel and blue catfish are good on punchbait and minnows. Yellow catfish are good on live perch.

COLETO CREEK: Water fairly clear; 3.93 feet low. Black bass are fair on small spinnerbaits and minnows. White bass are fair on Li’l Fishies. Crappie are slow. Channel and blue catfish are fair on shrimp and live perch.

FALCON: Water clear; 87-91 degrees. Black bass are good on chartreuse soft plastic worms, spinnerbaits, and crankbaits. Channel and blue catfish are excellent on stinkbait, shrimp, and cut bait.

LBJ: Water fairly clear; 82-85 degrees; 0.29 feet low. Black bass are good on blue flake Whacky Sticks, blue Curb’s Erratic jigs, and Texas rigged soft plastics near docks in 5-10 feet. Striped bass are good on Li’l Fishies and Spoiler Shads at night. White bass are good on Li’l Fishies at night. Channel catfish are good on nightcrawlers and dipbait.

TRAVIS: Water stained; 82-85 degrees; 48.87 feet low. White bass good on small crankbaits and jigging spoons in 20-30 feet. Channel and blue catfish good on nightcrawlers and cut perch in 30-40 feet.

Let's Fishing This Weekend

The boathouse staff recommends fishing near Gig Harbor, the clay banks, the Dalco Passage, Browns Point and the mouth of the Puyallup River.

Trolling seems to work best. Anglers are having the best luck with flasher and either hoochie or spoons.

SALT WATER

Fly-fishing: Try north of Gig Harbor or in Hood Canal for coho.

South Sound: Fishing has slowed since last week said the staff at Zittel’s Johnson Point Marina, but anglers are starting to catch silvers near the Nisqually River. Cohos are also starting to show up.

RIVERS

Columbia: According to a report from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife anglers kept 10,738 chinook and 4,714 coho over 41,762 trips between Aug. 1 and Sept. 4 between Buoy 10 and Tongue Point. Anglers released 3,490 chinook and 7,032 coho in that area.

From Tongue Point to the Bonneville dam, anglers kept 12,290 chinook, 11,630 steelhead and 551 coho over 94,223 trips. They also released 537 chinook, 7,756 steelhead and 389 coho. Adult chinook retention closed Saturday downstream of the Warrior Rock line.

Green: Anglers are catching coho and pinks.

Nisqually: There are coho and pinks to catch here, too.

Skokomish: Chinook are still biting.

McAllister Creek: Open to salmon retention from Steilacoom Road Bridge to the mouth of the creek through Nov. 30.

LAKES

Alder: A good place to try for kokanee.

Spanaway: The lake is opened to fishing after closing for weekend hydroplane races.

Harts: Becky Hall, owner of Harts Lake Resort, said trolling with chicken liver or worms paid off for anglers. A few caught catfish over the weekend, and bullhead, blue gill, and perch are also biting.

Firehole River-A good place

The golden meadows and cool evenings summon us to bits of water not visited for a couple of months. The Firehole River has, again, become a catching destination.
.. There are fewer elbows on the river right now. There are, however, massive numbers of voyeurs encircling the meadows as the testosterone laden elk begin their Autumn shenanigans. There are also creative parking geniuses along all the roads: and all is well with the world.
.. Evening caddis fishing truncates the mid day terrestrial frenzy at about 6:00 PM. A few Baetids have been spotted after the brief but intensive thundershowers.
.. Zipper-legged pants, pastel shirts, and $200 fishing vests are sprouting like winter wheat along the banks of the river. Fisher density will increase for the next week or so as word spreads.
.. We'll let you know when the density of mayflies hits a level that allows even us to fish a dry.
.. More later.

 

Underwater iPhone 4 Case

My iPhone- even when I can’t immediately share those photos with the world. Because I’ve spent so much time in Algonquin Park this year I upgraded from my usual Ziploc back to a SeaLine E-Case for added protection. It’s a great case, but I’m certainly not about to submerge it intentionally for very long. That’s where the Joy Factory RainBallet comes in to play.
　　

Even before I go into the features of this underwater case for the iPhone 4 you’re probably already thinking about price. Aftermarket underwater cases are well-known for being outrageously expensive sometimes exceeding the cost of the device they house. This certainly isn’t true for the RainBallet, this IPX7 (protected against full submersion for 30 minutes at a depth of 1 meter) spec case only costs about 50 bucks. Considering your phone costs upwards of 500 bucks, that’s not a bad price.
　　

Overall the Joy Factory RainBallet looks well made, the rubberized front and textured back give a comfortable grip even when wet. It’s bulky, but lightweight and a snug fit for the phone. There are three latches along the top that you have to fully engage before it’s ready for submersion. The handy line around the outside serves as a visual reminder. The touch screen works well through the case, though it does need slightly more pressure. The home button is the only mechanical button that can be depressed once the case is on, though I have been able to depress the power button once or twice I haven’t been able to do it consistently enough to say it works.

Boat’s Steering Fishing System

 Surprisingly it’s not so much the sophisticated electronics and display that are critical but the selection of a suitable unit to drive the rudder.

The most important decision concerns the boat’s steering system. The autopilot is not a complete system until the drive unit has been chosen. The drive unit transforms the electrical signals from the autopilot into mechanical movements which turn the boat’s rudder, stern drive or outboard motor. The existing type of steering system decides what kind of drive unit the autopilot needs to complement it.  Drive units can take up a fair amount of space particularly at the mechanical connection to the rudder. The critical parameter is known as the ‘hard-over time’ which is the time it takes the rudder drive to push the rudder hard over to one extremity. This needs time needs to generally be in the region of 8 to 14 sec.

The boat’s size is rarely a critical issue in the choice of autopilot controller. However for smaller boats, it is natural to think of available space and select an autopilot that occupies the least space.  The display is the visible part and often the smallest part.  Autopilots may also include a control/junction box, a compass, rudder feedback unit and need connecting to the existing steering system.

The original version of this reel had a chrome look to the finish

I loved that version and can say, “I love the new version”. There are so many positives to this reel that I hate to even mention that, for me, I wish it were a little than its 8.6 ounces. But, with the great feel once on the rod, I really didn’t notice it much while fishing. Like the REVO, I used it on the 7’ medium action St. Croix Legend Tournament and Mojo rods and spooled it with 12# Berkley Trilene TransOptic. I like the carbon-fiber recurve handle and the comfort of the ribbed silicon knobs. I also like this style of knob on the Johnny Morris Signature Series spinning reel. The original version of this reel had a chrome look to the finish.

Features:

• Lightweight – 6.7 ounces
• 9 Stainless steel HPCR ball bearings
• Corrosion resistant instant anti-reverse bearing
• X-Cratic finish allow frame and side plate for corrosion resistance
• Carbon matrix drag system for ultra smooth drag
• Aircraft grade aluminum spool
• Infini brake design for extended castability and extreme loads
• Compact bent-handle and star
• Flat EVA knobs
• Max drag is 20lb. for non high speed models
• Right and left hand models available
• Line recovery per handle turn – 28”
• Line capacity – 145yds./12# mono, 130 yds./30# braid