The past month has been quite busy for me in terms of fishing. I have been lucky enough to go out at least once every week in August.   It may sound like I am complaining but its far from it.  I appreciate any time on the water and enjoy it to the fullest.  Every outing offers an opportunity for something great to be descovered.  Like a new spot, technique or pattern that you may not have thought twice about in the past.   Early August I took part in the associate fishing tournament with my uncle.   He and I did  fairly well placing 6th spot overall. We weighed in at 12.24lbs. for 4 fish.  I had the 5th fish on but my drag system messed up on my reel casuing the fish to get loose.  What a heart breaker!!  I have to say that I did have a great time and at this moment would like to give special thanks to my Uncle!   

I aslo took part in the Largemouth Bass North BOUNTY FISHING tournament.   This was my first ever Bounty tournament I have to say that I was very excited to take part in it.  I ended up finishing 6th in this tournament as well.  My fish weighed in at 19inches.  This fish came off a 5/8 jig by punching heavy matted vegetation.  These largies were right in the middle of it all just relaxing under all the shade and cover.

I also took part in the carp BOUNTY FISHING tournament.  In this tournament I came in 10th spot with a fish of 26.25inches. This is a very small carp.  However, it was all I could muster up from a local spot that in the past has proven to hold big carp. 

Before I head out to fish a river at night I will go out and do some scouting during the daylight hours. I look for hazards that could endanger me and I also look for prime fishing water while there. I look for classic trout holding water such as pools, slow deep runs and under cut banks where fish could be holding. When fish are hiding here during the day it can be quite difficult to cast to them, or they are not going to feed during the day. As nightfall happens, these fish move out of their cover and come alive into more approachable fishing water where you can cast to them.

For these reasons your prime water at night might now include slow outside bends, tail end of a pool, inside shallow bends, and those calm open flats can all start to produce fish once the cover of darkness arrives, especially if this water boarders deeper “classic” holding areas.

The lures I prefer to use at night include plugs like Rapala’s, Berkley Frenzy’s, Matzuo jointed minnows. What I will do when fishing at night is have two fishing rods rigged up and ready to go. I do not like fumbling around at night trying to tie on hooks. So I avoid this hassle and get prepared before hand in the daylight hours.

When approaching the location of water you plan to fish, do so quietly and softly as to not scare off any fish that are holding near the edge of the bank. Also keep your flashlight or head mounted light away from your targeted water. Remember, the less you disturb your location the more chance you will have at landing a trophy Brown.

Please remember fishing in the dark is sometimes awkward and can be challenging. This type of fishing is purely based on feel. But once you have done it a few times you will become productive and could be rewarded with the trophy Brown Trout of your dreams.

Fishing a pond can be both fun and productive. Ponds usually do not get the pressure that main lakes and rivers see. Therefore, they can offer anyone a good chance to catch a fish. When the fish are biting you can pretty much throw anything at them and have a good shot at catching a nice bass. But what do you use when the fishing gets tough? Well I’m going to tell you the 5 lures that every pond angler should have in order to up their chances in tricking a fish into biting.

The first lure that should be in everyone’s tackle box is a top water lure of some sort. More specifically, you should have a popper lure. These lures offer great excitement and fun when the fish are attacking the lure. These lures are ideal for early mornings or later evenings. Both Smallmouth Bass and Largemouth Bass can not resist these lures on the pond.

The second lure that I suggest which should be in your tackle box is a stick worm. Stick worms like the Senko offer a slow presentation when fished weightless. Big bass can not resist the quivering action as it slowly falls to the bottom of the pond. The Senko is a great lure to be fished at any time of the day.

The third lure that I recommend that you have for pond fishing is a small crankbait. These lures offer a great advantage for the angler to reach the deep depths of the pond. When the fish are down deep throw a crankbait out and reel it in so it’s making contact with the bottom. This gets the attention of the fish in those dog days of summer.

The forth lure that every pond angler should have is a finesse minnow. A finesse minnow, that is about 3-4 inches in length like the Berkley Gulp Alive minnow, is a great choice. They look real and act real when fished on a drop shot rig. When those fish are locked jawed this lure is your best bet at catching a bass.

The final lure that ought to be in your box is a frog of some sort. Fished over matted vegetation can create some of the biggest explosions you will ever see. Giant pond bass cannot resist “Kermit” hopping along the weeds.

I listed a wide range of lures that should put more fish at the end of your line. These lures offer anglers the ability to catch when fishing gets tough. Remember, the key is to be different then the other anglers. The next time you fish at your favorite pond give these lures a try.

‘Till next time: May your hook sets be Massive and your fish be Monsters!

-Peter Natev

The Seasons and Spinners

From season to season minor adjustments need to be made. But with the changing of the seasons, summer and fall can be great times to fish the spinner. Fall provides the right water temperature and the angling pressure can be low which helps your odds on high pressured rivers and streams.

When fishing in the summer the most important factor to consider is the water temperature. This may require you to start fishing earlier in the day or later on in the evening depending upon where you live. Places where it is cool enough to support trout over the summer may not be cool enough to keep them feeding on a consistent basis. A good idea is to measure the temperature of the water you intend to fish. Test the water to see if it is within the trout’s feeding range. If the water is too warm, your odds will greatly decrease. You might catch the odd fish but why waste the time and effort? If the temperature is too warm move on to another river or stream which has cooler temperatures more suited to your preferred species. Once you reach your intended river with cooler temperatures you will find few changes in the trout’s habits.

Here are the ideal water temperatures for various species of fish:
Rainbow & Steelhead like 56 degrees, Brookies and Browns prefer 59 degrees. Salmon, such as Coho’s and Chinooks like 54 degrees. Pickerel like to feed in 63 degree waters. Bass feed in much warmer water, Small Mouths like 66 degrees and Large Mouths like it at 71 degrees.

As you know, early morning and late evening provide the best times to fish spinners in the summer because the water temperatures are usually within the trout’s feeding range. Sometimes water levels can be low in the early summer which causes trout to be wary or spooky. Trout often will sit near the banks in a river and will hide more than usual under fallen trees, rocks and under cut banks. Since the water level is low, casting a spinner near their hiding spot will scare them and they will not feed. Casting far beyond their hiding spot and bringing the lure across this place will improve your odds of hooking up. Try a heavier spinner with lighter line at this time of year as you can cast further with that combination.

Trout can also see and hear better at this time so fish well away from where you think the fish are hiding out. I fish well upstream of where I think there will be fish as trout cannot see as well behind them. If you have to approach them from the sides or from above, keep a low profile. Stop well short of where you would normally stand and make a longer cast. If you don’t, you will scare a lot of your potential trout. Remember in the summer that trout will not slowly eat their prey; they tend to take as little time as possible to catch their food. Expect them to dart out quickly from their hiding place and then turn and swim back to their hiding spot immediately after hitting your spinner.

This may be the most exciting time for me to fish trout because of the sheer power and quickness the trout poses. Retrieve speeds vary so test which speed is working best for you on that particular day. Try letting the spinner bounce on the bottom a few times before retrieving it in. Keep trying different tricks and find the best one for you on that day’s outing. Make sure that the stretch of river has not been fished, if you see a fisherman fishing ahead of you find another location as chances are he has scared all the fish from that stretch of the river. Find an un-fished stretch of river and your success will greatly improve.

             The past weekend my brother and I went fishing for some pike, at Canal Lake, which is located in the Kawartha region of Ontario, Canada.  We fished from shore casting a variety of baits to see what the fish wanted.   A little tip for fishing from shore is using a lure that can be thrown a long distance.  A lure that can cast further gives you a better advantage because it always you to cover more water. 

            Spinnerbaits and lipless crankbaits was our lure of choice.  Fishing was a little slow because of the funny weather we have been having with an inconsistency of warmth, which is needed to really get those fish in a feeding frenzy.   Lipless crankbaits worked the best and produced numbers of fish but no lunkers were caught.  The way we worked the bait was casting it out as far as we can and reeling the lure in at a steady retrieve just over submerged weeds.  We used 7’MH crankbait casting rods and 7.0:1 burner reels.  Our reels were spooled up with 14lbs fluorocarbon line.   Another tip that I would suggest is use a fluorocarbon line conditioner I can’t stress enough how much it helps with reducing bird nests and the prevention of line coiling.

            All though we did not catch any fish to be bragging about we still had a fun day out on the water.  Any day of fishing beats any day at home.   Not catching “Big Bertha” is only motivation to go out fishing again.

‘Till next time: May your hook sets be Massive and your fish be Monsters!

Using the Spinners

I have written several articles on finding fish and articles on different types of lures. I would now like to share some information regarding the use of the spinner. My intention here is to make your experience on the water more productive. Not only will you improve your odds you will have more fun as well.

Every fisherman has the privilege of seeing different colors and sizes of spinners when he enters the sporting goods store and looks at the shelves. We would all agree the selection is impressive but how do you select a lure which will best suit the river or lake you intend to fish. I used to believe in the old superstition that was based on hearsay, what appealed to my eye or the last fisherman I talked to at the river. What I think happens to most anglers and has happened to me is we select lures “A” “B” and “C” from the shelf. We then go out and fish these lures we selected. We then successfully make a satisfying catch with these lures and then conclude that we have found the “perfect lure”. The fisherman then fishes his “chosen” lures catching a fish every so often. Once in awhile an outstanding catch is made and the fisherman believes he now has an exceptional lure once the fish are “on the bite”.

I now look at things a lot different now I know more. I believe the angler makes a catch when his “chosen” lure coincides with the conditions that are best suited to his “chosen” lure and the style he is fishing it. The result is a predictable one, sometimes he catches a decent fish and sometimes he gets skunked and every so often he catches a monster. This is a classic example of anglers who fish for Trout. I believe the reason that fishing spinners has never been taken seriously is that many fisherman do not take the scientific approach to fishing them, what I mean is matching the lure to the prevailing conditions just like the fly fisherman who carries with him a dozen different fly’s to match the hatch. I believe that anglers when fishing hardware have to consider size, degree of flash, color combination in relation to the water color, temperature, and light conditions. These considerations will produce good consistent catches of high quality fish.

The main objective here is to put spinner fishing within a specific framework where the choice of a particular lure is based upon tangible environmental factors. This will help you dictate what color, size and weight of spinner should be used. An example, a fly fisherman in May will not tie a big fly on the line as this is when the May Fly hatch is coming off. He will tie a small fly that looks as close as possible to the May Fly, he will use the same colors and will keep the fly at the top of the water surface to imitate the hatch. Same thing with spinners, use a smaller spinner that is light and has the same colors in it and you will find success.  This is the framework I speak of here. There is absolutely no reason why trout cannot be negotiated with spinners regularly in all conditions. A great deal of practice combined with some patience and an accurate thermometer will be your greatest asset. A note book to write down your experiences will also add to your future fun fishing the spinner.

On the 4th of May 2008, in the Mississippi river, master angler Darin Opel caught the largest carp in the history of the western hemisphere. The sucker was 92 lbs, shattering the former record of 35 lbs set two years ago. But it’s not only the what that’s cool; it’s the how. As if the catch wasn’t impressive enough, Opel actually shot the fish using a compound bow and arrow - nailed it right above the eye. Then, after fighting with it for 10 minutes, he jumped in the water and wrestled it to shore.

Opel’s a genuine hunter, taking on not only fish, but sharks, and even alligators. In fact, he’s extremely allergic to fish, and gives away his catches to his buddies.

So if that’s the biggest in the west, how big do carps get in Asia?

Not to take away from Darin’s achievements, but the largest carp caught in Asia, pictured below, was a Siamese carp caught by the Thai fisherman on the right last year. It weighed a shocking 256 lbs.

Here’s a video that shows pictures bowfisherman Opel and the massive carp (fast forward to about a minute in): http://wcco.com/video/?id=41361@wcco.dayport.com

Bowfishing in action

In case you were wondering how it works…

These dudes love their bowfishing…

What’s next? …

“You Have Too Many Lures…”

“You have too many lures, you don’t need any more!” Is a phrase that I hear from my family and my friends when they find out I purchased new fishing lures. But are they right to say that I do in fact have too many lures? To be honest, they are partially right because line, hook, and worm would do just fine. After all, it is the most trust worthy bait ever used.

However, fishing for me is more then just sitting and waiting with a worm under a bobber for a fish to bite. I enjoy pitching a jig, ripping a jerkbait, and skipping a finesse worm under a dock. Lures offer more opportunities to catch fish. They are designed to imitate the real thing and to be used as a tool to hunt for those fish. The key word in the previous sentence is hunt. Lures allow you to go out and find the fish. Whereas, when using live bait you are sitting and waiting for the fish too bite.

I’m a collector and I enjoy seeing my tackle trays being filled with various types of lures. And it is only fitting that I do fall victim to the latest bass fishing trends. More notably, the swimbait trend. These giant lures with the most realistic paint finishes are a different lure then from prior years. Who knows maybe the next lure you by may be worth a pretty penny in the future.

Yet, the main reason as to why I purchase lures comes bake to fishing and catching more fish. I want to be prepared for any situation that nature throws at me. Whether it’s a lake that is clear or dirty or even filled with weeds I want to have lures that will best be fit for each situation. The key is being able to use the right lure in the right situation. You can’t use a hammer to screw in a 4 inch screw. It is important to have the right tools for the job.

The bottom line is that I buy so many lures because I realize that there is no one lure that can catch fish and be used all the time. Different situations call for different lures. This is a hard concept for the weekend angler to grasp. However, once an individual embraces the sport they too, like a bass, will fall victim to a new lure.

‘Till next time: May your hook sets be Massive and your fish be Monsters!

Peter Natev

On a warm winters day as February is coming to an end, I decided to wander on over to a spot on the Bow River where three weeks ago was fully covered in ice. I was frantically looking for my sunglasses before I left the house for the river, I then remembered they were in my car the whole time. I loaded my new Berkley rod into the vehicle with care and strapped the camera firmly around my neck; you never know when you are going to hook a monster! I dressed for the occasion; ok I overdressed and stepped on the gas pedal hard. There was one reservation however, would the water be open or would it be loaded with ice?

As I arrived at the river I was pleasantly surprised the river had opened wide enough to cast a lure. The sun was beating down on the slightly stained Bow River and making the water glisten as it sparkled off the choppy water in the afternoon sky. Sure glad I had those sunglasses with me! I surveyed the river and the tall ice ledge I was standing on as I put safety first while walking on ice. You cannot reach the bank of the river as the ice has heaved and piled up in this area of the river so I needed to be crafty and select the right hook for the conditions. This was no foot of ice, eight feet of ice has piled up and lined the river bank.

Blue Fox was the first out of the tackle box today. Presentation was important today! I aggressively casted upstream and quickly retrieved my lure as naturally as possible. This method looks real to a trout as the lure is moving downriver. Food is carried from upriver to where these fish were lying in wait to pounce. A twenty plus inch Rainbow was quick to grab a hold of my Blue Fox and take it for an exciting ride across and down the river until he was tired enough and was landed on the ice ledge. I had to step down onto a lower block of ice to get him back into the river without a ten foot drop from where I was standing. This was just the tip of the iceberg.

I had the presentation down to a science and several Rainbow Trout later I decided to change hooks. I am a big fan of the Rapala X-Rap and decided it needed to seek and find some trout along the river bed. The color selection plays a factor when the water is stained or dirty. I fancied a color that was more on the natural looking side of the color spectrum. I launched it out into a slower pocket of water just below a long run in the river. I slowly reel the lure to make it dive down into the water and then I gently lift the rod tip up to make the lure rip in the water, this ripping affect makes the fish go nuts and entices them to strike. If at first I do not get a strike I leave the lure sit in the water and do not reel for a few seconds, this pause is sometimes is what the fish are looking for, a wounded fish not moving which makes for easy prey. Six trout later and a sore arm to show for the effort, I unhooked the lure from my line and placed it back into the clear plastic box it came from.

Before I left the river I stopped and sat on the long brown grass that the cold and snow has killed. I could not help but think to myself; only one more month and spring will be upon us once again. The ice will be gone and the sunglasses will be taken out from their case to shade the glare of the sun from the reflection coming off the clear blue water of the Bow River.

It’s a bit unfair to insult these creatures, especially since, for all we know, we caught the ugliest ones of the species. As fish get more freaky, they tend to get more rare, so it’s hard to tell. Imagine if aliens landed for a quick science and data gathering expedition, and came across Carrot Top, took some photos, went back to their home planet, and said “Hey little aliens, this is what ‘humans’ look like”. And they’d be all like “gross!” That caveat now out in the open, it’s time to tear these freaks a new one. It’s me versus the fish, and there’s no contest.

Blob Freaks
They’re lucky they can float around underwater. On land, these fat boys wouldn’t be able to get off the couch.

Angler

Official mascot for the NBA

California Sheephead

Worst sweaters ever.

Blobfish

Fang Faces
I vant, to bite, your eyes. A pile of spikes with a creature attached.

Fangtooth

Scaly Dragonfish

Fugly
Gah. The kind of fish we’d wipe out if we didn’t always throw them back after we caught them and saw their ugly faces.

Coffinfish

“Did you just fart?” “Sorry, I had souvlaki for lunch.”

Bat Fish

“Honey I swear I’m not cheating on you! The lipstick is from the fish. It was the fish I tells ya!”

Scorpion Fish

When hiding from its prey, the Vomit fish takes on the shape of last night’s dinner. Looks like it exploded.

Leopard Toadfish

Preparing to shoot cosmic deathbeams from its eyes.

Moray Eel

Have you theen my thtapler?

Wolf Eel

Fanfin Seadevil

Ohhhh, the old sillystring gag, graaaaaar!

Unidentified Anglerfish

An ACTUAL SEA DEMON.

LOOK AT ME
I guess if you want to see anything in the deep, you’ve got to turn yourself into a walking (swimming?) light show. For bottom-dwellers, they sure seem to need attention.

Parrotfish

There’s a reason why blue and orange are no one’s team colors.

Scrawled Filefish

My dad was a sea horse, and my mom was a glow stick.

Pingpong Tree Sponge

Sea Candy

Unidentified

Probably only legal in Amsterdam.

Unidentified

The undersea equivalent of a 14-year-old girl.

Damn You Old
No wonder they’re always chasing after the cute young fishcakes. GET WITH THE TIMES, OLD FISH.

Frillshark

Described, accurately, as a living fossil. You so old, you in Jesus’ yearbook!

Rockfish

100 year old Alaskan fish. Wonders what this iPond craze is all about…

You Creep Me Out
Nature’s little discussed defense mechanism: freaking the hell out of your predators with your face.

Vampire Squid

Loved you in ET.

Human-Faced Carp

Human face on a fish. ‘Nuff said.

Spookfish

Looks like a cross between a cute little Ewok and a SPIRIT OF THE DAMNED.

Straight Up Aliens
Aliens land, dive underwater, see these things, and say “what’s up man, how you been?” No way these things are from this planet.

Chimaera

Micheal Jackson in 12 years.

Giant Isopod

My crotch itches just looking at this guy.

Gulper Eel

Bet he gets invited to ALL the fetish parties.

Almost Normal…. But No.
These fish aren’t as insane looking as the previous ones, and in fact look mostly like regular fish, with some appendage gone a bit haywire.

Ocean Sunfish

Tastes great with blueberries, butter and maple syrup.

Smooth Trunk Fish

Jackknife Fish

It’s happy to see you.

Images found at the following URLs:

http://www.oddee.com/item_79915.aspx
http://www.livescience.com/php/multimedia/imagegallery/igviewer.php?gid=54
http://www.oceana.org/fileadmin/oceana/images/Action_Center/eCards/Images/eCard_BLOBfish.jpg
http://www.breakthechain.org/exclusives/fishface.html
http://www.thedeepbook.org/
http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/04/070406-oldest-fish.html
http://www.markhaywardismyhero.com/2007/01/28/rare-deep-sea-frilled-shark-filmed-in-japan/