Trolling reels are typically used for offshore big-game trolling in open water. Trolling is the process of dragging both bait and lures behind a moving vessel, which is a productive way to locate schools of migratory fish. The reason being, when a boat trolls over a school of fish, the wake and commotion on the surface emulates a ball of bait. This triggers the feeding instincts of many offshore species and immediately sends the leading edge of the school towards the commotion to investigate, with the rest of the pack following. As the most aggressive fish in the school frantically try and chase down this commotion, the trolling lures, jigs and baits are the first hint of a meal that they come across. They charge at them with reckless abandon, inhaling what appears to the fish as vulnerable stragglers, desperately trying to catch up with the rest of the pack.

As soon as one of the trolling lures or baits is inhaled, the trolling reel begins to sing, with the clicker of the reel creating a loud noise that notifies the angler to get ready. This sends the anglers into a dash for their gear, yelling "hook-up", which immediately causes the captain to throw the vessel into neutral to stop the boat. As the momentum of the vessel carries the boat forward, the crew begins to throw live bait, either by pieces or in full scoops. By now, the rest of the migrating school has caught up to the commotion and is met with the temptation of live bait, sending them into a feeding frenzy.

However, a wide-open bite is not always the result of a hook-up while trolling. When the fish are down, or when the conditions are far from ideal, trolling will produce the majority of the catch, with no feeding frenzy following the trolled up fish. On these days, it is essential to land every troll fish and having the right equipment is critical in accomplishing this. Trolling rod and reel combos are the most expensive combos on the market today. Due to their importance in locating roaming schools of open water fish, manufacturers like Shimano®, Penn®, Daiwa®, Okuma® and Accurate® incorporate the finest materials and technologies to ensure strength and durability in producing the best fishing reel capable of handling record-breaking trophies.

Trolling reels are typically found in the lever drag system. On these types of fishing reels, the drag pressure adjusts with the slide of a lever, which is located on the top of the reel to the right. Designated markings of, or similar to freespool, strike and full are found on reels like the Penn® International series, Shimano Tiagra® and the Acurrate Twin Drag® saltwater trolling reels. Most later models come in a two- speed version, with two separate gear ratios that serve different purposes. The high gear is to gain as much line as possible with every turn of the handle, sacrificing torque and power. Low gear, on the other hand, provides tremendous torque and in return, sacrifices the ability to retrieve a substantial amount of line per crank. When properly utilized, both gears are designed to maximize the chances of quickly and efficiently landing scale-busting size fish.

The most noticeable difference in a trolling reel are the two rings that sit atop all trolling fishing reels. These rings are part of the frame and hold an enormous amount of strength. Trolling straps are attached through these rings, as well as big game harnesses and on some occasions, a back-up rod and reel combo, a common practice when fishing on long range boats out of San Diego for huge bluefin and yellowfin tuna. Trolling reels are so strong and powerful, I have even seen anglers cut these rings off and even go so far as to make custom frames to readily access the spool and use trolling reels as live bait reels. I do not recommend this practice, as many of the latest star-drag conventional reels will serve the same purpose.

With the high prices of fuel, trolling around in offshore waters can be very costly. That is why every serious big-game angler should consider having the best saltwater tackle available when it comes to their arsenal. The properly maintained saltwater combo can mean the difference in coming home with a trophy of a lifetime, or coming home skunked, carrying an empty sack.

By: Henry Yoo
I have been fishing for over 20 years of my life and hope to continue to do so for the next 30. I have dedicated myself to sharing what I have learned through those years in the hopes of promoting this popular outdoor recreational activity by providing commentaries and reviews, video tutorials, fishing tips and more. Come visit my site at http://spinningreels.com for freshwater and saltwater fishing information.

Submitted by:
George Snedrow
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Cane poles not only are maintaining their popularity, but are actually increasing in use as the years go by. Kids use them, of course, but so do a lot of grownups. Nobody can dispute the effectiveness of a pole for producing good strings of bream, perch, catfish and many other species.

Plenty of bass are caught on cane poles too, sometimes by mistake, but often by design. And one particular type of cane pole fishing - called “jigger fishing” or “skittering” - may be the best method of all for consistently producing really big bass.

Advances in poles have managed to keep pretty well abreast of advances in rods and reels. You can still buy the old-fashioned cane pole just about everywhere, and in a great variety of lengths and strengths. You can also buy two, three and four-piece disjointed poles with friction ferrules or screw-type ferrules.

Then, of course, there are the telescoping fiberglass poles, which cost a few bucks, but which stow and transport easily, and which generally outlast far more than their equal money value in cane poles.

As a rule of thumb, you should use as long a pole as you can comfortably handle. Twelve and 14-footers are about right for most people in most situations, but a lot of fishermen like 16 and 18 footers. Of course, you might use the long poles for lake fishing, but have shorter ones too, for fishing in tight creeks or bushy spots.

For bream, perch or crappie fishing, use monofilament line of 10 to 15-pound test. First tie the line snugly around the pole about two feet down from the tip, say aground the third or fourth joint of bamboo. Then spiral the line upward around the tip and tie it again at the very end of the pole.

Why the double tie? Because it is not at all unusual for a cane pole to break at the tip, especially if you’re surprised by a husky bass or catfish. Should the tip break, you’re protected by the second tie, and may not lose your rig or your fish.

By: HJ Smith
More Fishing Facts about Tackle - Rigs - Baits at webseekdirectory.com.

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

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

I am not a frequent bettor, but after a lifetime of fishing,I have discovered 4, yes four, fishing lures that I can take anywhere in the U.S. and Canada and catch any edible species of fish. Part of the wager would be that I must catch fish in order to eat.

This lure is a Must Have for any fisherman...bar none! It's the Black and Silver floating Rapala. Because of it's unrivaled swimming action and depth, it mimics the minnows that game fish or pan fish feed on, making it irresistible to most any fish, year around and even in ice fishing. Folks, fish the Rapala correctly, hard Not to do, and something will bite on any given day. The Rapala is available in every sporting goods store in many colors, sizes and configurations, but in my experience, and many others, the original Black and Silver balsa wood Rapala is as close to the perfect lure as you can get.

The next must have lure is the Plastic Worm, available in many sizes and colors. If I had to pick only one, it would be the black, 4" to 6" inch worm. Because of its soft texture and lifelike action, it attracts the largest range of fish. After all, what is the universal bait? Largemouth bass will murder this lure over nearly anything else out there.

Use a #4 to #6 snelled hook, embed the entire hook in the head, leaving the hook curve exposed. Use Only enough weight to keep it near the bottom. Retrieve with a slow reel action, and give the rod tip a pop now and then as an attention getter.

As the worm settles back to the bottom, it's natural action rivals the real thing. This is any easy but extremely lure for anyone of any skill level. You can even use spray on scents for catfish and other scent feeders.

The next lure is a small spinning lure, called the Colorado Spinner. You know, there are tons of spinner flavors available, but this small and inexpensive spinner excels in two ways. First, because of its simple design, a convex blade, silver or gold, spins rapidly even with a very slow retrieve. This is good when the fish are sluggish and don't want to work for their lunch. The brilliant flash is easily seen even in murky water,just like a minnow flash screaming come and get me.

Secondly, the rapid spinning seems to create vibrations that alert fish to it's location, signaling a possibly injured and easy meal. It's also a very versatile lure. You can skirt them for a more realistic swimming effect and/or add live bait to the hook, increasing the odds of matching or more closely imitating the local bait or forage critters.

Last but not least, there is the Jig. Nothing more than a lead head attached to a hook, this lure is simply "jigged" up and down near the bottom. Their versatility lies in the fact that they can be "dressed" with hundreds of combinations of colors and bodies and skirts. If I had to pick one style, it would be an 1/8th oz. jig with a white horse hair skirt. Very effective and easy to fish, the Jig belongs in every tackle box.

Entire books have been written on fishing lures and techniques, and I could go on forever. However, if you're tired of studying and reading up, these four lures Will Catch Fish. Try them and see for yourself. Happy fishing!

By: Paul Crantz
My name is Paul Crantz. Fact is, I'm a new writer, at least to the web crowd. I've fished all over the Western Hemisphere for 30 plus years, and since I love to write, I'd like to contribute online and see if my articles are welcomed and used.

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal resource and lifestyle information portal for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.

Are you looking for a few laughs? Check out our fishing jokes section.

Fishing with spinners and spoons offers as many lure choices as a fly fisherman has fly patterns to choose from. Basically, spinning lures can be divided into four groups: spinners, spoons, plugs, and jigs. Every fisherman has his favorites based on experience afield.

Spinners can be fished at varying speeds, although a slow retrieve speed, allowing the blade to merely flutter, always accounts for a fair share of fish. As in all angling, you must know where the fish "lie" and make your cast to these areas. Using a spinner to "prospect" unknown waters can also reveal the haunts of whatever species you're pursuing.

There are many times when spinners won't take fish, and wobbling spoons appear to be the answer. The spoon's overall surface and thickness will determine how fast it will sink. Choose heavier spoons during the early season when river waters are raging or when you are lake fishing and want to sink them quickly. During the later season, lighter weight spoons produce better, since they slowly flutter and settle under the water. A great moving water technique is to cast a spoon into the head of a deep water run and retrieve it slowly into a pool.

Seldom utilized, but extremely deadly, is the jig. Representing fresh water shrimp, the jig should be allowed to bounce bottom, tumbling naturally downstream of its own accord. Jigs can also be cast or jigged vertically in lakes and ponds with very effective results if you keep it near the bottom. If you have a wary fish that only 'flashes' at your spinner or spoon and won't take; try a jig. Invariably, you will take this fish where other presentations fail. As a last resort, try tipping the jig with a salmon egg, piece of worm or other natural bait. This provides the added benefit of smell to your jig fishing arsenal.

Miniature minnow-shaped plugs like the Rapala Floating Minnow, resemble various forage fish and are used with excellent results primarily in the big lakes and ponds and in the vast expanses of some of our larger streams and rivers. For big fish in big waters, don't underrate the minnow imitation plug. They're available in both floating and sinking models and come in a wide variety of color patterns. As a rule of thumb, stick with silver and gold for clear water and use the florescent colors for off-colored or dingy water.

By: Denis Gardner
Denis Gardner has been an avid fisherman for 30 years. He is self taught and traveled extensively throughout Alaska and Canada. His expertise covers all freshwater fishing species. You can check out his newly formed website at http://thefishinglodge.com. If you have any questions don’t hesitate to email him at webmaster@thefishinglodge.com.

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal information and lifestyle resources directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.

Are you looking for a few laughs? Check out our fishing joke section.

As spring quickly approaches, now is the time to go through your fishing vest and clean it out and restock it. There's no reason to wait until the last minute to perform this fairly tedious (but necessary) task. If you're anything like me, during the course of a fishing season your fishing vest gets completely trashed. Mine is always full of granola bar wrappers, gum wrappers, hell wrappers of all kinds, and various other trash that simply needs to be removed. Below is what I do in order to get my fishing vest ready for the fishing season.

First I empty the vest completely. I take everything out, and once the vest is empty, I wash it in the washing machine. While it's washing and drying, I have a couple of hours to go through my vest and perform an inventory, if you will. This is when I figure out what I need to stock up on before the season gets into full swing. Do I need more gang hooks? What about my extra spool of line? Is it full or do I need a backup? What about split shot sinkers and swivels? Now's when I find out if I need to restock.

At this point, I restock my equipment. I go to the store and buy what I need or order it off of the internet. It obviously makes no difference where it comes from, as long as your fishing vest gets stocked up. You don't want to be out on the river and suddenly realize that you are tying on your last swivel. Once the equipment is restocked and the vest clean simply reverse the process.

Now you are truly ready for fishing season. I know from experience e that this is the way to go. Take an afternoon and get your vest in order before the fishing season begins. I know from experience that standing in the middle of a flowing river is not the place to find out that you don't have any 1/8 ounce black rooster tails left. Especially when the only thing the fish seem to want on that day is exactly that lure. I've had this happen and now carry backups of all my favorite lures, and know that the time to get ready for situations like the one described here is before the season. Remember, now's the time to go through your fishing vest.

By: Trevor Kugler
Start Catching More Fish!
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!

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal information and lifestyle resources directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.

Are you looking for a few laughs? Check out our fishing joke section.

The term ultra light fishing may conjure up pictures of a fishing rod and reel that would compare with the snoopy setup that you have for your kids. I'm here to dispute that argument once and for all. Ultra Light fishing simply means using fishing gear that's smaller than you may be accustomed to. Actually, it's using equipment that's actually matched to what you're fishing for.

Lets take fishing line as an example. When is the last time a fish actually broke your line? That is, you reeled in your line after having a fish on and the line was broken from the fight of the fish. Obviously I'm not referring to the line braking from abrasion. I'm referring to the line breaking from the weight of the fish. I've been fishing twenty years, and ultralight fishing for eighteen of those years. I can count on one hand the number of times a fish has broken my line, without the help of abrasive surfaces. Yet many people use fishing line that's double the weight of the fish they are attempting to catch. Do you realize that four pound test fishing line will withstand four pounds of weight without breaking? Yet very few people use fishing line as light as four pound test. They consider four pound test to be ultralight.

For the most part, your fishing line should match the size of your fishing rod and reel. My point is that if you use a medium action rod and reel, spooled with six pound test monofilament, and you're fishing for nice walleye and smallmouth bass, this setup could be considered ultra light. And this is not at all a bad thing. In fact, it's a good thing. Using a rod, reel, and line that match each other will result is you getting more bites and catching more fish. Not only will it result in you catching more fish, but it adds to the sporty as well. Catching a four pound smallmouth on the setup mentioned above is much more fun than catching the same smallmouth on a rod a reel setup that's heavier (and most anglers use) isn't nearly as much fun. I speak from experience on that one.

I'll give you a real life example of how line diameter specifically relates to our subject. I was out fishing a couple of years ago with gang hooks tied on six pound test monofilament. I used heavier line because I thought I had a big fish located. In any case I fished for three hours without a bite. This was highly unusual for the area I fish in Montana, but I figured that the moon or weather must have had something to do with it. I was about to call it a day, when I got snagged and lost my last pre tied gang hook. As I was walking away, I remembered that I normally use gang hooks tied on four pound test monofilament. I of course had spare line and hooks with me, so I quickly tied a gang hook on four pound test, baited it with a worm (just as I had been all day), and cast out my line. Half way through my drift, FISH ON. I fished for another thirty minutes and caught four more nice trout. The only difference was the size of the line that my gang hooks were tied on, that was it.

The bottom line is that ultralight fishing isn't necessarily what you may be thinking. If you've never matched your fishing gear to what you're fishing for, give it a shot. You won't be disappointed. And never forget what Don Marquis said about fishing, "Fishing is a delusion entirely surrounded by liars in old clothes."

By: Trevor Kugler
Trevor Kugler - Co-founder of JRWfishing and founder of yourmoneyconnection.com Trevor has more than 15 years of business experience and currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country - Montana.

http://www.jrwfishing.com/gang_hooks.asp - Start Catching more fish Today!!!!

Fishing information courtesy of Resources For Attorneys, a legal and lifestyle directory for attorneys, lawyers and the internet public.