I have seen it more times than I care to remember! Setting the hook too soon is a common mistake many anglers just can't shake off!

Any top water bait used requires a main rule of thumb when setting the hook; wait until you feel the weight of the fish then send the hook home! By waiting, it gives us a sign that Mr. Bass likes what he has in his mouth and doesn't want to let go. Basically, to him, it is an easy meal. If you take it away too soon the Bass doesn't have time to grab and go, then munch! Feeling the weight of the Bass ensures good hook sets so be patient. I know it's hard to do, especially when your heart is racing with unbearable excitement. The reward on the end of our line is well worth it!

"That's fine and dandy", you ask! "But what about baits used below the waters surface?" Another sure sign of when to set the hook using baits below the surface is petty obvious. When you find your bait moving dramatically or even barely from where you first put it I would say; set the hook now! Movement signifies the fish's intent. It definitely likes what it has in its mouth so why wait, set the hook!

Any awkward movement from my bait boosts my confidence in knowing that fish will be in the live well. Now, when nibble, nibble, nibble seems to be the scenario, then it's our best guess when to set the hook. This signifies a Bass with a full stomach or a lethargic fish due to a cold front or just cool water. When nibbling is felt then time is needed. Let the Bass feel no restriction in the bait and give it ample slack line it needs to explore its new found food. After a few seconds pass or lack of fish detection, move the bait slightly with the rod tip and if you feel weight, set the hook. Many times the movement of the bait will provoke a strike, especially when its taste buds tell it to. This is why scent is good to use on cold front days or heavy pressured fishing real-estate. It works!

Don't let little nibbles fool you into thinking the Bass are small. Quite the contrary, there have been many instances where that little nibbler bends the rod into oblivion sending a smile across my face from ear to ear. Is there a better feeling?

By: Nic Di Gravio
Visit Nic DiGravio at http://www.probassfishing.ca

Folks, it's time to get out the fishing gear and go catfish fishing. With the waters warming up comes more activity. I have always found early spring to be a great time to go catfish fishing. The water is beginning to get warm and the catfish are more active. Strike now though as when the water really gets warm in late spring or early summer they will be spawning and are more difficult to catch.

Night fishing is best as this is when they do most of their feeding. Catfish will eat anything including soap but the best baits are live baits. If you can't get live baits go to the grocery store and buy a tub of chicken livers and a small bag of shrimp. Soak the shrimp in vanilla extract the night before you go and see if you can find some old nylon stockings laying around for the chicken livers.

When you put the shrimp on the hook make sure you don't bury the hook. The catfish won't notice and I have seen too many people miss catching catfish because of this. When you use the chicken liver wrap it in a small piece of the stocking and it will hold up better with much less chance of slipping off of the hook when casting.

Catfish fishing takes some patience but if you haven't gotten a bite in 30 minutes reel it in and check your bait. If you still have it cast again into a slightly different area. Repeat until you find that spot.

By: Douglas Burns
Doug Burns is founder of CatfishAngling.com. A leading source for tips, tricks and information on catfish fishing. Doug has been an avid angler for 35 years and cares about what you want.

There are TONS of mistakes people make when bass fishing, but I'll make it quick, don't wanna take up too much of your time, so I'll just point out the top five most common bass fishing mistakes...

HUGE MISTAKE # 1: *NO PATIENCE*

The number 1 biggest mistake I see people make would have to be tossing their line out and then reeling it right back in!

What you should really do is, toss your line out and let it sit there... where ever it lands and wait, wait, and wait (30 seconds and more at times). This alone will do wonders to your fish count if it doesn't already!

It's usually tough to see under water even for fish, which is why you NEED to put this next tip to use at all times...

HUGE MISTAKE # 2: *LACK OF POPPING*

When you toss your lure into the water don't just let it sit there... Reel in your line until there is no slack left, then snap and even jerk your wrist towards you to stir up some vibration, and commotion in the water.

By doing this you will create loads of curiosity around your bait, fish will come to see what's going on and quickly see a delicious little meal(your hook) bouncing around and it will immediately turn into a feeding frenzy, your lure will be irresistible to them!

HUGE MISTAKE # 3: *THE CONFIDENCE BAIT*

I see it all the time, most fisherman have a go to bait that they can always count on to catch fish when nothing else is working. This is fine until this bait turns into the only thing you use...

It's always a wise decision to keep your go to bait as a go to bait and keep switching your lures constantly (every 10-15 minutes) if you aren't catching anything!

HUGE MISTAKE # 4: *LOSS OF FOCUS*

Don't lose your focus, I know fishing is supposed to be a relaxing sport and hobby but you still need to pay attention to what your doing, at least some what...

I've realized I always tend to do best when I first start fishing, Why? Because I'm psyched to be out on the water fishing (off shore or on the boat) I'm totally pumped!

But what happens when it's been a few hours or more?

You get tired, relaxed, and calmed down which in turn causes "LOSS OF FOCUS". If you can just remember where you need to be casting, to jiggle your bait, and every once in awhile change up your lure if your not having much luck, you should be just fine!

HUGE MISTAKE # 5: *NOT ENOUGH CHANGE UPS*

No luck? ...Keep moving! If you aren't catching anything change it up, leave that spot...

I don't care how many fish you caught or what you heard about a spot if you don't get anything within 15 - 20 minutes...LEAVE, and leave fast, There's nothing there, not today at least, don't waste your time!

These are just a few of the mistakes people tend to make when fishing for bass... if you'd like more FREE advice along with loads of bass fishing tips, tricks, techniques, news and more... check out my site below!

By: Nick Mack
Nick Mack is an experienced bass fisherman. He is actively involved in local tournaments and his bass fishing tips and tricks are all over the net. If you want to know more about catching huge bass all the time you can get FREE tips on his website at... http://www.Pro-Fishing-Tips.com

As trout fishing season begins in most areas of the country, many anglers are looking for tips to help them catch more and bigger trout. Well, this article will provide some of those tips that many trout anglers are looking for. In this article I'm going to reveal some proven tips and techniques that have been gained through more than 50 years of combined trout fishing experience.

For the most part, these tips are for the river and/or stream trout angler. Catching trout from the flowing waters of a river or stream is amazingly relaxing and enjoyable and is my personal favorite way to fish for trout. Not to mention the fact that whenever most people think of 'trout fishing', they automatically think of fishing in a river and or stream for these beautiful fish.

The first thing to keep in mind is that trout have very keen eyesight and can easily detect movement and or colors on the bank. This means that as anglers we want to stand out as little as is possible. Being draped in camouflage isn't necessary, but wearing drab clothing that doesn't stand out is a great idea. Wearing "loud" or colorful clothing is a big mistake if you're looking for more and bigger trout.

Do you pay any attention to your hands when trout fishing? Or more specifically any scents that might be on your hands? Well you should, because unnatural odors on you bait will cost you bites. A good practice is to grab a handful of grass or dirt and rub it into your hands before baiting up. This will help eliminate any unnatural odors that might be on your hands.

The next thing to keep in mind is your ability to see into the water. This is where a quality pair of polarized sunglasses comes into play. The quality aspect of the term 'quality polarized sunglasses' is highly important. When it comes to polarized sunglasses you get what you pay for, it's as simple as that. Any manufacturer that you've heard of will do the trick. There are some amazing deals available for anyone willing to look for them. The point is that polarized sunglasses are a must for catching more and bigger trout.

The next thing to keep in mind is that you're on the water when the trout are the most active. How do you do this? Simply by paying attention to the weather and moon. These two forces of Mother Nature have an incredible impact on the feeding behavior of trout, and understanding how this all works is of a huge advantage to any angler. The bottom line is that by fishing when the trout are the most active will result in you catching more and bigger trout.

The final thing to keep in mind when fishing for trout is the type of hooks you use. Gang hooks should always be used when trout fishing, especially when using live worms as bait. Gang hooks enable you to present live bait in a totally natural manner, which makes a huge difference in bite rates. Also, large trout only bite bait that appears completely natural, which was what gang hooks allow you to do. If you're looking for more and/or bigger trout begin using gang hooks, it's as simple as that.

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!


By: Trevor Kugler
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!

Get Fishing Tips & Techniques For Pennies... - http://stores.lulu.com/jrwfishing

Over the years I have been asked how you know when you have a hit while drift fishing for Steelhead. The true answer is you really never know for sure! When bouncing along the bottom of the river every time you bump a rock it feels something like a strike. There is a difference but until you feel it it's hard to explain.

Some times your line will just stop this is always a good sign that there is a steelhead taking your line. Other times you will feel your line and it feels like it's rolling over gravel (this happens quit often when the water is cold) This to is a good sign that you are having a steelhead strike. There are times when a steelhead will leave no doubt they have taken your line as they nearly jerk the rod out of your hand. Most of the time however it is just a slight difference in the feel of the line and the longer you fish for steelhead the better you become at feeling these minor differences.

There are times where you will not feel anything at all and this probably happens more then any of us know. I like to watch my line where it meets the water most of the time it leaves a small wake much like a miniature boat. Watching this when a steelhead is toying with your bait it will look like this wake is swaying back and forth in the same spot when ever I see this I will set the hook and more times then not it will be a steelhead.

There are times when you will be watching your line as it drifts through the hole and you notice that the speed at which it was drifting has slowed this may be a sign that you need to set the hook. I believe that when this happens the steelhead has been following you lure down stream and has just decided to pick it up to see what it is.

The bottom line is you never really know if it is a Steelhead strike or just bumping down the river. The best advice I can give is if you feel something different set the hook, if your line stops set the hook, if your line is not drifting as fast as it was set the hook, and when in doubt set the hook!!!

Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!

By: Robert R Smith
Steelhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing has been a passion of mine since I was a young boy. Most of my free time was spent on lakes and streams here in the northwest, and I have picked up on some interesting facts about fishing for these species over the last 45 years. I would like to share them with you through articles and at my websites I hope you find them helpful and enjoyable. So please stop by check out some information or just stock up on your fishing gear. Hope to see you on the river!
RR Smith
http://www.steelhead-gear.com for all your fishing needs
steelhead-gear.com/wordpress/ Stellhead, Salmon and Trout Fishing blog.

In this article I'm going to reveal some secrets of Smallmouth Bass fishing that any angler can use to their advantage on their next fishing excursion. For the purposes of this article, I'm going to focus on fishing for Smallmouth out of the flowing current of a small rivers and streams. If you didn't realize it, smallmouth can be caught in the same manner in which we fish for trout. The only difference being the amazing fighting ability of the Smallmouth Bass.

I'm going to assume that you have a river picked out that contains the fish we're looking for. Begin by finding a good looking are that's not too shallow. The goal's going to be to have your offering bounce off of the bottom as it flows naturally with the current. Start by grabbing the end of your line and tying on a small barrel swivel. Now, on the opposite end of the barrel swivel, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks. Add some split shot sinkers above the barrel swivel for weight. The number and size of split shots will vary, depending on the current flow. Now add a live worm to the set of gang hooks (gang hooks are the best way to present live bait).

Now cast this offering into the current, parallel to yourself and close your bail. Let this offering flow with the current, tumbling along the bottom the entire drift. You want your line to be taught as the drift happens. With practice, you'll easily be able to distinguish the difference between the bottom and bites. This technique works extremely well for Smallmouth Bass.

The next secret is to make sure that you have an efficient way to carry your bait. Remember, the more time that you can spend with your line in the water (where the fish are), the better. Having your line out of the water while you locate your bait and bait up is a huge time waster. That's why having a bait bag is such a great idea. A bait bag is simply a small bag that hangs from your fishing vest, and carries your bait for fishing. This way your live worms (or other bait) is always "at your fingertips" waiting to be used. With a bait bag, there is no more wasted time searching for and using your bait.

The final secret to Smallmouth Bass fishing is to make sure that you're on the water at the most opportune times. What do I mean by this? There are certain times of the day and month that are more conducive to fishing than others. Knowing this information, and how to use it to your advantage is what I'm referring to. The information that you need to know, revolves around the weather and moon. There are no two single factors that affect the behavior of fish like the the weather and moon on fish, and knowing the basics of how this works is a secret to being a truly successful angler.

Give one or all of these secrets a try on your next Smallmouth trip and see what happen? You won't be disappointed, I promise you.

By: Trevor Kugler
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country... Montana!
Gang Hooks Tied & Ready To Fish: http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp.

Submitted by:
Josh Truegood
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