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

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

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
International Issues from Knowledge Is Power

When you mention fly fishing to people, many times they think you are fishing exclusively for trout. However, there are some amazing spots you can fly fish for trophy sized bass as well. Both largemouth and smallmouth bass abound in rivers and lakes, so why not try your hand fly fishing for bass?

Many experienced fly fishermen report that bass fly fishing can be extremely challenging as well as extremely satisfying. Bass have larger mouths than trout, so your choice of lures is much more diverse. They strike hard and fight strong, so when you are fly fishing for bass, expect to be exhilarated by the fight in these guys!

Experts suggest that you use a 6-7 weight rod, but if you are especially experienced, you can use a 4-5 weight rod. If you choose the smaller rod, you may have trouble casting the larger flies, so be aware of that. You can use a floating or a sinking line with a weight forward taper. You should have a 7 ½ to 9 foot leader tapered down to a 10 pound test.

Most bass are opportunistic feeders and will bite at anything. In general, however, flies for bass fishing are usually larger and influence a bigger bite. Try big muddler minnows, clousy minnows, wooly buggers, poppers, leech patterns, and crayfish patterns. Size 8 or 10 would be a little on the small side while size 2 or 1/0 would be a little too large, so opt for something in between.

Largemouth bass live in shallow water habitats among reeds, water lilies, and other vegetation naturally found in the water. They are adapted to warm waters in the 80 degree range and are seldom found deeper than twenty feet down. They prefer clear waters with little or no current. They stay fairly active year-round, but tend to stay near the bottom in the winter months.

Great bass fly fishing can be found in various locations throughout the United States. In the northeastern United States, try the rivers and streams in the Adirondack Mountains such as the Mohawk or Black Rivers. There are also some prized bass in the Great Lakes region. Southern Ontario in Canada can also provide some great opportunities to catch trophy sized bass.

Bass fly fishing can be a great experience for both the beginning fly fisherman as well as those with a little more experience. Fly fishing for bass requires a little bit of finesse and some tenacity when they bite. Stay with the fish and pull a whopper out of the water you can be proud of!

By: Steven Sharpe
Steve has been fishing for many years. There is nothing he likes better than spending a few hours on the side of a river or lake trying to catch the ultimate fish. He has travelled extensively throughout the world and never lets an opportunity go by to try out the local fishing. He has written a book on the subject of Fly Fishing which can be purchased at http://fishing.articleland.co.uk. He can also be reached for further information at his website articleland.co.uk

Lake Eufaula is a 45,181-acre reservoir located on the Chattahoochee River along the border of Alabama and Georgia. This U.S. Army Corps of Engineers reservoir stretches from Phoenix City, Alabama, to the Walter F. George Dam at Ft. Gaines, Georgia.

Officially named Walter F. George Lake after a Georgia U.S. Senator, it has been called the "Bass Fishing Capital of the World." Lake Eufaula was completed in 1963, to provide electric power and aid in navigation on the Chattahoochee River and runs along the border of Alabama and Georgia.

Numerous public access areas, marinas, campgrounds, and parks are available to facilitate boating, fishing, picnics, and other outdoor activities. A fishing license is required if you are between 16 and 65 years of age if you are fishing with artificial bait and rod and reel.

If you like to fish in structure, meaning humps, flats and channels, this is your lake. Upstream there are numerous feeder creeks and major tributaries feeding this lake in addition to the Chattahoochee River itself. A good way to start out if you are not familiar with this large lake is to stay in the channel while you are running on the pad since it can be very dangerous for inexperienced boaters to navigate.

Anytime you see a lake like Lake Eufaula, with such world renowned recognition for big bass, you can expect it to get pounded regularly by hopeful bass anglers from all over. At times (like during the spring season), there can be as many as a dozen or more bass tournaments on this lake on any given Saturday or Sunday. So try to hit it during mid-week to avoid some of the traffic and have a chance at the big one!

There is recent surge of two types of aquatic weeds growing throughout Lake Eufaula. Eurasian milfoil and Hydrilla are spreading throughout the lakes mid to lower portion every year. These weeds can grow during the winter season and in deep water. The good side is that anglers like it, bass like it and the small fish and crayfish the bass dine on like it. Milfoil and hydrilla weeds also hold bass during the middle portion of the day, making them easier to locate.

Give Lake Eufaula a try this year, you will like the results!

By: Ed Majors
Ed is an avid bass fisherman from Birmingham, Alabama and operates a popular website devoted to bass fishing in Alabama. Visit him at http://www.bamabassfishing.com for more tips and techniques on bass fishing.

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal resources and lifestyle resources information portal.

Are you looking for a few laughs? Check out our fishing jokes section. For jokes on other subjects visit the Jokes index.

The bulrush (bullrush, reeds) is often confused with cattails. Bulrush tends to grow in slightly deeper waters and have more of a circular cross section as compared to the semicircular section of the cattail.

Depending on the time of year and bass feeding habits, bulrush often dominate in fish catches over cattails. I believe it's primarily due to the depth of the water (it grows in deeper water). The larger bass tend to migrate to the first structure they come to when actively feeding, and the bulrush is often closer to these deeper water migration routes.

My personal favorite technique for fishing bulrush is to pitch a Texas rigged worm. I tend to use a harder, straight tailed worm over a ribbon tailed one. The reason is that the ribbon tail will often wrap around the bulrush stem thereby wasting time and aggravating the fisherman as well as spooking fish. My favorite worm for pitching is the Zoom trickworm in the Junebug (purple/green flack) pattern.

The weight I use with the Texas rig varies with water depth and wind. The shallower the water, the lighter I go. A lighter weight gives the worm a more natural fall and can get more strikes, however if too light, the worm may catch on the bulrush stems and not finish it's way to the bottom. The windier the day is, the heavier I go. This gives me better control during the pitch as well as better feel for what's biting on the other end of my line. Too light of a weight on a windy day will throw off your pitches and often get your wrapped around a bulrush stem.

The only time I resort to heavy weights is when I'm flipping matted cover in the bulrush. I'll use 1/2 - 1 oz weights in this type of situation. If matted cover exists in bulrush, you've got to get your flippin stick out and flip the mats. If you don't you will lose out on many opportunities to catch above average bass.

In working the bulrush patches/lines start back from the bulrush approx. 10-15 feet and pitch. Pitch forward of the boat if possible and restrict any side pitches or back of the boat pitches. The reason for this is that the bass are often spooked by the boat passage, and by pitching sideways or towards the rear of the boat you are often pitching to spooked fish or fish that have moved due to being spooked.

Always be a line watcher, whether pitching, casting or flippin a soft plastic. Any twitch of the line or sideways motion of the line often indicates a strike, so reel down and set the hook even if you don't feel the typical thump!

When pitching, work both deep into the bulrush patch and to the outside edge of the bulrush. Try to make contact with the stems whenever possible, but don't neglect the open pockets and also work right in the middle of those pockets.

If you follow these tips, I'm sure you will be doing more catching with less fishing!

By: Paul Bruessow
The Largemouth Herald- Paul Bruessow
See my sites at http://www.floridabasslakes.com or floridabassfishing.us.

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal resources and lifestyle resources information portal.

Are you looking for a few laughs? Check out our fishing jokes section. For jokes on other subjects visit the Jokes index.