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The Easiest Tips Yet for Improving Your Fly Cast

By Doug Macnair

 

Over the last decade, I've frequently received questions dealing with the fly cast, usually from folks new to the sport who find making a decent cast difficult at best. However, a surprising number have stemmed from long-time fly fishers who, having never mastered the cast, simply made do...

 

Believing that folks called to the gentle art should be able to fly cast, I sat down and wrote a manuscript on fly casting. After extensive research into what the experts offer, I found, what I believed to be, areas where descriptions of "how to do it" could be clarified or said another way.

 

Click here to read more about these fly casting tips

 

 

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Wooden Plugs for Spotted Sea Trout and Red Drum

By Luhr Jensen

 

 

Spotted sea trout and red drum inhabit all of the coastal regions of the Gulf of Mexico. They range from the Florida Everglades and the Texas bays to the Third Pass of Mexico. Following are some techniques and suggestions to help you catch these sensational game fish.

 

Grass-covered shorelines and shallow sand flats are the primary feeding and spawning grounds for reds and trout. They can be found in these areas when the water temperature rises above 70 degrees, as they come to feed and to leave their eggs in the safety of the sea grass. (complete story)

 

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Flats Vision: Learning to See Below the Water

by Capt. Barry Hoffman

 

One of the most difficult things to do while fishing upon the flats is seeing the fish below the surface. First and foremost, having a pair of polarized glassed helps immensely. One need not spend a fortune on those sunglasses especially if only on the water two or three days of the year. There are plenty of manufacturers that offer glasses less than twenty dollars. The most important thing is that they are polarized. Whether or not they filter a certain spectrum of the sun's rays is not as important as their ability to remove the glare from the surface of the water. (complete story)

 

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Spinnerbait Presentations

by Roger Lee Brown

 

Through all the years of teaching students bass fishing skills and techniques, as well as many former guide clients I have taken on bass fishing trips, one question comes to mind that has been asked time and time again and that question is; "Are spinnerbaits really worth the money you pay for them?," and I have to say YES!.... If I had a choice of 3 baits to fish a body of water for Largemouth, Smallmouth, or Kentucky Spots I would definitely have to say that a Spinnerbait is one of the 3 baits that I would choose. Spinnerbaits are one of the most versatile type of baits that an angler can use when fishing for bass. There are several different presentations and techniques that one can use when fishing with a spinnerbait, such as  (complete story)

 

 

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Fooling Fish

by

Danny Russell

 

Consider all the factors of fish behavior when putting together a solid fish catching pattern

 

Behavior in fish is nothing but a pattern of responses to external stimuli. No matter what you think fish are really "short" on brains. Fish are creatures of habit and instinct; they react! Believe it or not the smartest fish can't outthink the dumbest fisherman!!. So relax your are much smarter than the wisest old fish. A fish's list of response patterns is fairly limited, but when you consider the sensory organs and their effectiveness it can multiply the complexity of the response patterns. This is why fishing live bait is so effective for catching fish, it appeals to all of a fish's senses. BUT, fishing with live bait is not always practical or desirable.

 

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Preparing Your Boat for Summer

By Tom Lester

 

Each year, thousands of folks across the country see Memorial Day weekend as the time of year to knock the dust off the boat or personal watercraft (PWC) and head out to their favorite lake or river for a day on the water with family, friends or simply by themselves. Unfortunately, just getting the dust off of the boat doesn’t mean it is "sea worthy" and can lead to a great deal of frustration and aggravation.

 

A little bit of time and perhaps some well-spent money can usually prevent these types of problems. If you do not use your boat throughout the year and store it during the winter months, it is a good idea to have your boat or PWC winterized by a professional marine mechanic, if you do not know how to do it yourself. This can save tremendous headaches and perhaps a great deal of money for repairs in the spring or summer when you are ready to use your boat again.  (complete story)

 

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Italian Bass

by Massimo Zanetti

 

The sun is just breaking the darkness when the big surface plug hits the water near one of the thousands of trees in the river. After twenty seconds, the time to let the ripples disappear, I twitch slightly the Zara Spook then let it sit. Another twitch and the "walkin' the dog" retrieve begins. A little pause between two limbs of the tree: WHAM! A big bass tries to kill the intruder. The hook set is almost immediate, just time enough to let the fish take the lure in her mouth. After a hard fight the bass is in the boat. Time for a nice picture, then she slips back in the water and returns to her tree. (complete story)

 

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Basics of Flats Fishing

By Capt. Tom Rowland

 

My friend was trying hard to direct me to a bonefish that was tailing on the flat only 80 feet from the boat, yet I couldn't pick up anything.  "There, he did it again."  I heard from the back of the boat as my friend poled us closer.  "Can you see him-he's right in front of you now.  Fifty feet."  I finally saw what my friend saw-a big bonefish mudding and tailing, seeming to beg for the fly.  I made a roll cast, then a backcast, and as I confidently started my forward cast to deliver the fly, a gobstopper of knotted line slammed into the stripping guide, causing the fly to drop 20 feet short of the magnificent fish.  I panicked and fumbled with the mess of line as I watched the fish turn and slowly come my way.  I felt as though I was hyperventilating,or maybe, I wasn't breathing at all.  I shook the tangle; I tried to cast.  My friend, as excited as I was, said "Just do anything, roll cast, throw it at him, he will eat anything."  (complete story)

 

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Tarpon Fishing: Part 1

By Capt. Robert McCue

 

As I laid the boat off plane in the predawn darkness, a light east breeze whispered across the calm Florida water.  Slowly drifting and waiting for the first morning light, a low frequency buzz that only a tarpon guide can detect radiates from the bow.  The client's anticipation builds with the rising sun and the buzz becomes a vibration.  The angler's heartbeat can be felt on the bottom of my feet.  The kings surface for a gulp of air, and I position the boat.  The angler's knees rattle.  This is the moment he dreamed of, a chance of a lifetime, the opportunity to test his mettle against the silver gladiator, the beast of all beasts, the Megalops Atlanticus, a.k.a. the Tarpon.  And so it goes, another morning at the office for those who pursue the silver king for a living along the Gulf Coast of Florida.  (complete story)

 

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