Fishing Lure Tips | Fishing Lure Guide!

Have you ever tried fishing in the winter months? This is the time everyone gets out on the lake. Even if you don�t own a boat you can fish those places you always wanted to.

Here are a few tips on ice fishing. First of all, you don�t need a lot of fancy equipment.A set of five tipups and a hand auger are all you need to get started.

A set of basic tipups with line will cost around seventy-five to a hundred bucks. Tipups are a simple affair where you set the cross sticks on the ice with your spool below the water line. Unless there is a lot of snow on the ice this should not be a problem as the
water will even out to the top of your hole. I know you�re saying, how do you keep the line from freezing? This is accomplished through the use of braided line, sometimes called squid line. Theses lines are usually 18-25 pound test. Fill your spools to within 1/4 inch of the rim, for that big one that wants to run. After you have done this it�s time to add a leader. I normally use 8-14 pound test monofillament. If you are on a lake with a lot of
large fish go with heavier leaders. I use a swivel between my squid line and leader. This gives the bait a chance to move around without twisting the line. It also makes it easier to change hooks, just buy the pretied leaders and hook them on your swivel and you�re ready to go fishing.

Finding Bait
Don�t know what the fish are biting on? A stop at your local bait shop will get you some pretty good tips on what is working. It�s a good idea to pickup a couple different types of baitfish. You never know what they are biting on today. Pick up a dozen of two different
types to get started. When hooking the bait on the hook I like to hook them just behind the dorsal fin. Most fish will take the bait from the rear, so you want the hook where it
will do the most good.

On The Lake
Now you�re on the lake with your traps in hand and you need to get to the fish. This is where your auger comes in. Whether you opt for a hand auger or a power auger, you need
to find a place to fish. A good place to start is around points, as fish use these spots to find bait fish year round. If you know of a deep hole within walking distance, head out
there without further delay. Fish will hang on the edges of the hole looking for baitfish all year. Get that auger powered up and let�s drill some holes. Drill a couple to start with and
after you get a couple of traps set up drill the other three. Be sure to check your states lawbook as some places restrict the number of traps. If you don�t get any flags after a while, don�t be afraid to move.
That�s just about it for getting started. Make sure you are dressed for the weather to make your day more enjoyable. Don�t forget the kids, they make good runners when the bait bucket is out by the last trap in line.
Stay warm and good fishing.

About the Author
Written by Ron Shannon; contact at hobbit@midmaine.com
Outdoors With Ron at www.outdoorswithron.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
The author lives in central Maine and spends much of his time in the outdoors.

Breeding fish can be quite complicated, but these basics for breeding your Betta fish should help ease you into the process. The more experience you have with breeding your Betta the easier and less complicated it will all seem. Witnessing nature as it takes its course can be fun, exciting, and a true educational experience for people of all ages. Seeing the offspring of your beloved Betta spring into action invokes a sense of pride and satisfaction all its own!

Your Betta should be at least five months old and in good health before you attempt to breed. If you attempt breeding with Betta�s that are less than five months old or in poor health you�ll end up frustrated, and your Betta will, too!

If you just bought your Betta from a pet store or had it shipped through the mail, you may need to wait a couple of weeks before attempting to breed. Pet store conditions are usually less than ideal and being mailed is, of course, very stressful and your fish will need some time to get acclimated.

Before you attempt to breed you need to do some conditioning. The water must be clear and as clean as you can possibly get it. You should increase feedings to four times a day and feed as much protein as possible, preferably live bait such as bloodworms.

At least a week before you attempt to breed your Betta you should place them in two separate containers where they can view each other. Allowing them to see one another will usually keep them from being aggressive when you put them in a spawning tank together.

Once you expose the two fish to one another the male may start forming a bubble net at the top of his bowl, this is normal behavior. The female will often get stripes on her body and you will know she is ready to breed when she begins to swim as if dancing on her nose; following the males� every move. Her belly will be obviously filled with eggs. These are signs that she is ready and willing to breed.

Set up the tank two or three days before you are ready to begin the spawning phase of breeding. You�ll want to keep the spawning tank away from all sources of heat or air conditioning, and it should be on a stable surface. Add three to six inches of aged water to the tank.

Place your submersible heater into the water. Remember, most heaters of this type have to be submerged for a while before turning on the unit, at least twenty minutes. When you turn the heater on set it to about 80-82 degrees. Also add a thermometer, plants, a rock to hide behind, and half a Styrofoam cup for the male to build his nest under.

You�ll want to place the chimney in the center of the tank for the female. The chimney is a great place to let the two fish get acquainted before the actual spawning begins.

Place the male in the spawning tank a day ahead of the female. Let him get acclimated to the water. When he seems comfortable, it�s safe to add the female to the chimney. Leaving a light on will stimulate a hormone that will encourages spawning activity.

When you first release the female she may hide from the male. But, most likely they will swim toward one another and try to find the right position by swimming in circles around one another. It may take them a couple of tries to get it just right. As the male squeezes the female she�ll probably release about thirty eggs. After she expels these eggs both the fish may stop moving, and that is normal. Once they start moving again the male will start blowing the eggs up into the bubble nest; most females help with this process, too. The spawning process can last many hours and they will continue this cycle until she has released all her eggs.

Once the eggs have all been released the female can be removed from the tank. The male will continue to care for their bubble nest and eggs until they hatch in about 24-48 hours. Once the fry are all free and swimming the male must be removed or he may eat them.

Remember that you should be offering food to the Betta�s throughout the spawning process.

There! You�ve done it! You�ve just bred your first Betta fish! All of the fry may not survive but as long as temperatures are kept just right you�ll end up with more than a handful for which to care.

About the Author

Amanda Fenton is a Betta fish lover and contributing writer to http://www.bettafishcenter.com, a site providing information and tips on betta fish care.

Did you know that there are five species of Pacific salmon and one species of Atlantic salmon? Further, did you know that all 5 species of Pacific salmon run wild in Alaska?

We�re proud of our wild salmon here in Alaska, and rightly so. On the one hand the wild salmon are great sport fish and we Alaskans love to spend gorgeous summer weekends challenging them.

On the other hand our commercial fisheries are healthy and self-sustaining. They are able to catch enough wild salmon to satisfy most of the world wide demand for fresh wild fillets in the restaurants and packaged wild salmon on grocery store shelves.

King Salmon

The Chinook salmon is nicknamed king salmon in Alaska. It is the official Alaska state fish.

Description

Of all the Pacific salmon the king is the largest. A 97-pound king was caught by a sport fisherman in 1986 on the Kenai River. In 1949 a 126 pound king was caught commercially near Petersburg, Alaska. Typically king salmon weigh 30 pounds and above.

The king is lightly and irregularly spotted on their blue-green back. They also have a black pigment along their gum line. Spawning kings in fresh water range in color from red to copper to almost black.

Life Cycle

All species of Pacific salmon hatch in fresh water, spend part of their life cycle in the ocean, then return to fresh water to spawn.

The king salmon generally live 5 to 7 years, though they can mature by their second to third year. As a result the kings in a spawning run can vary greatly in size. A mature 3-year old may only weigh 4 pounds while a mature 7-year old may exceed 50 pounds.

The young king salmon feed on plankton and insects during their fresh water period. During their second year they migrate to the ocean where they grow rapidly.

Some kings make immense spawning migrations. For example, many of the Yukon River kings will migrate over 2,000 miles during a 60 day period to reach the streams and headwaters in Yukon Territory, Canada.

Taste

The king salmon has a rich flavor, firm flesh, and a pleasing red color. Kings caught at the mouth of the Yukon River have a huge store of oil in their flesh for their long upriver migration. The result is an extra-rich flavor, much prized among those who love salmon.

Sockeye Salmon

The Sockeye salmon is also called the red salmon due to the bright red color of its flesh, and it is the second most abundant salmon species in Alaska.

Description

Sockeye salmon are the slimmest and most streamlined of the 5 species of Pacific salmon. They differ from kings, silvers, and pink salmon by the lack of large black spots, and they differ from chum salmon by having more gill rakers on the first gill.

Sockeye are generally a greenish-blue color with silver sides and a white or silver belly.

During the spawning season the Sockeye males develop a humped back and a hooked jaw. Both male and female Sockeye turn brilliant to dark red as they head upriver to their spawning grounds.

Life Cycle

After hatching during the winter and spending a few months in the river gravels, the juvenile Sockeye spend 1 to 3 years in freshwater before migrating to the ocean.

The Sockeye spend 1 to 4 years in the ocean, ranging thousands of miles while feeding and then returning to the same freshwater system where they were born. They reach an average size of 4 to 8 pounds, sometimes reaching in excess of 15 pounds.

Bristol Bay, in southwestern Alaska, annually harvests the largest number of Sockeye salmon in the world. About 10 million to 30 million Sockeye are caught during a short season that lasts only a few weeks.

Taste

The Sockeye salmon has an exquisitely rich flavor due to the high concentration of oils. It is an excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids. The rich red flesh color is maintained throughout cooking which results in a beautiful presentation. Some people consider the Sockeye to be the most flavorful of all the salmon species.

Silver Salmon

Coho salmon are known as silver salmon in Alaska and are an excellent game fish.

Description

Coho salmon have bright silver sides and have small black spots on their back.

Spawning salmon of both sexes develop red to maroon colored sides. The males develop a hooked snout with large teeth.

Life History

Juvenile silvers live in ponds and lakes formed by rivers and streams. They generally spend one to three years in the streams and may spend as many as 5 winters in lakes before migrating to the ocean.

Silvers stay in the ocean, where they grow quickly, for about 18 months before returning to their home streams. They weigh from 8 to 12 pounds, but can range up to 31 pounds. Their length ranges from 25 to 35 inches.

Taste

The flesh color of silver salmon is orange-red and is retained during cooking. The texture is firm and the fat content is high. The taste is a pleasing full salmon flavor, slightly milder than that of the Sockeye. The size of a fillet is larger than that of the Sockeye, and it is a prized fish for cooking.

Pink Salmon

Pink salmon are also known as the humpback in Alaska. Prior to spawning the pink salmon develops a pronounced hump on its back.

Description

The color of the pink salmon is generally a bright steely blue on top and silver on the sides. It has many large black spots on its back and over the entire tail fin. It has small scales and its flesh is pink, befitting its name.

The spawning pink salmon develops an olive green to black color on its back with a light-colored to white belly. It develops a very pronounced hump and hooked jaws.

Life Cycle

The young pink salmon hatch during the winter and spend a few months in the river gravels. During the spring they migrate downstream to the ocean. They feed along the beaches before moving out further into the ocean.

Like all salmon, the pinks grow rapidly in the ocean but they are the smallest of the Pacific salmon species. The pinks reach a size of about 3 to 5 pounds and about 20 to 24 inches in length.

The pink salmon spends only two years in the ocean. This two year pattern causes distinct odd-year and even-year cycles which are unrelated to each other.

When the pinks return to freshwater, they are the most abundant of the Pacific salmon species. They do not migrate far upriver, but generally spawn within a few miles of the mouth of the river. As with the other Pacific species both male and female pinks will die within a couple of weeks of spawning.

Taste

The pink salmon has a delicate, mild flavor and a light flesh color. About 80% of harvested pinks are canned and are the most common salmon species found on grocery store shelves.

Chum Salmon

Sometimes called �dog salmon� in Alaska, the chum salmon is a traditional source of dried fish for winter use.

Description

Chum salmon have a metallic greenish-blue back surface with fine black spots. They resemble sockeye and silver salmon so closely that one needs to examine their gills and fins closely to make a positive identification.

When nearing fresh water the chum salmon develops noticeable vertical bars of green and purple, which gives them another nickname, calico salmon.

The spawning chums develop the typical hooked jaws like other Pacific salmon and large teeth, which partially accounts for their other nickname, dog salmon.

Life Cycle

As with pink salmon, the young chum do not spend much time in fresh water before migrating out into the ocean. They feed near the mouths of their streams for a period before forming schools and moving further out into the ocean.

The chums spend 3 to 5 years in salt water, growing rapidly after entering the ocean. They generally range in size from 7 to 18 pounds, sometimes reaching 30 pounds in weight.

When the chums return to fresh water they often spawn in the same areas as the pinks, not migrating far up river. One major exception to this pattern is the chum salmon population of the Yukon River. Some of these chums migrate 2000 miles upriver to spawn in Yukon Territory of Canada. These chums have a very high fat content in preparation for their long migration.

Taste

Chum salmon have a mild, delicate flavor with a medium red flesh color. However, Yukon River chums, with their higher fat content, have a rich, full flavor similar to Kings and Sockeye.

Atlantic Salmon

Atlantic salmon are not native to the Pacific coast but are raised in large numbers in pens. They run wild on the Atlantic coast only. The Atlantic salmon found in markets are farm-raised, generally originating in salmon farms off Chile or British Columbia, Canada.

Description

Atlantic salmon in the wild have silvery sides and belly with greenish-blue coloration on its back.

Spawning Atlantic salmon develop blackish fins and purplish coloration and reddish spots. Surviving adults are dark in color.

Life Cycle

In the wild young salmon spend one to three years in fresh water before migrating to the ocean. In the ocean the Atlantic salmon ranges for thousands of miles.

They generally return to freshwater by the age of five. Unlike the five Pacific species of salmon, the Atlantic salmon does not die after spawning. The surviving adults repeat the migration and spawning cycle.

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Garry Gamber is a public school teacher and entrepreneur. He writes articles about real estate, health and nutrition, and internet dating services. He is the owner of http://www.Anchorage-Homes.com and http://www.TheDatingAdvisor.com.

My first experience surf fishing was with my father on Wrightsville Beach, NC in the 60�s. He parked our shiny black Ford Fairlane in a gravel parking lot off the beach and we hiked over the dunes to the surf, carrying rods, buckets, tackle box and various other fishing paraphernalia. I remember him catching bluefish, croakers, puppy drum and flounder as I played in the tidal pools nearby. Later, my grandmother would fry the filleted fish to a golden brown and we would eat them with hushpuppies and coleslaw.

Years later, in the mid-eighties, I remember an early winter fishing expedition near Oregon Inlet, south of Nags Head, this time with my husband, 8-month old daughter and a Chesapeake Bay Retriever puppy. My husband had come in from duck hunting and had heard the big blues were hitting the beach! We parked our 4-wheel drive truck nearby on the hard sand and with the baby playing contentedly in her car seat and the puppy chewing on anything he could find, we lined up along the surf with a few dozen other fishermen, casting the heavy silver spoon lures into the churning waters of the big blue blitz. Cast after cast we were rewarded with huge bluefish, twelve to sixteen pounds, filling up a wheelbarrow in a pyramid of large fish. Later we filleted, boiled and ate the fish in casseroles made with mashed potatoes. Needless to say, we were eating bluefish casseroles all winter long.

Surf fishing is exciting, rewarding and accessible to all. Most locations can be reached either by car or ferry. With a basic understanding of seasons, conditions, equipment and regulations, an angler can get lucky just about any time of the year, but typically the very best times to surf fish are spring and fall.

Popular and prolific sport fish species you may catch surf fishing along the North Carolina coast include:

Channel bass (red drum, puppy drum) –
The spring season generally begins in April. This run will peak by mid May and taper off in early June. Average size in spring is 35 to 50 pounds. In September the smaller drum will enter the surf. These fish will range between 2 and 15 pounds. They are more plentiful than the larger variety and can be found in most sloughs. In late October the bigger drum (40-70 pounds) return and remain until late November. Bait of choice is fresh mullet; rods are 9 to 11 feet with medium to heavy action tips. Size allowed is between 18� and 27� with a daily bag limit of 1 per person.

Bluefish –
Blues are available in a variety of sizes from April to December to surf fishermen and boaters as well. Large size blues (8-12 pounds) arrive in May and remain until November. Their departure is generally hastened by the arrival of the fall run of 15-20 pound giant blues. These later fall visitors are plentiful and powerful. They’ll take bait (mullet, spot, or menhaden) or almost any type of lure. Fishing rods 9 to 11 feet are preferred. Bag limit of 15 per day per person. Only 5 allowed over 24� total length (from tip of snout to tip of compressed tail).

Spanish mackerel –
This fish is somewhat of a tourist, arriving in June and staying until later September. The Spanish is delicious, averages 1 to 3 pounds and presents a real challenge to any angler. Spanish mackerel are usually taken on fast moving metal lures. Fishing rod of choice is a 9 foot light action. Minimum size allowed is 12� fork length (from tip of snout to middle of fork in tail). Bag limit of 15 per day per person

Striped bass –
Recently during the winter months striped bass have returned to NC waters in great numbers. October, November and December are the best times for fishing, with fish still showing up as late as February. In Atlantic waters, size limit is over 27� total length with bag limit of 2 per day. For sounds and other areas, consult the NC Marine Fisheries website.

Flounder (summer, southern)–
Flounder begin biting in May as the water warms. By June, the fishing is going strong, with both summer and southern flounder being caught. Southern flounder dominate the catch in inshore and southern NC waters, while summer flounder dominate the catch in offshore waters north of Cape Hatteras. Many flounder are caught using cut baits and some are caught using jigs. When jigs are used, they work best when tipped with fish, shrimp or a mullet minnow.

Other species available to North Carolina surf fishermen are pompano, croaker, trout, spot, hogfish and whiting (sea mullet).

Be advised that there is a proposed recreational saltwater fishing license which is scheduled to take effect January 2006. The license is still being debated by the North Carolina General Assembly and you should check the NC Marine Fisheries website (http://www.ncfisheries.net) to determine if a license is required before fishing the NC coast after that date.

Also, the size regulations and limits given above are accurate at the time of this writing (summer 2005) but are subject to change, so check the NC Marine Fisheries website to confirm these regulations before your fishing expedition.

Whether beginning angler or old salt, surf fishing is a popular and fun activity with minimal expense, no boat required, easy access to great fishing conditions and plenty of action. With a minimum of effort and expense, you can catch a variety of excellent eating fish, have a great time and start making your own memories.

E. A. Edwards is a free-lance writer with a variety of professional and personal interests. You will find more information about fishing and fishing gear on http://www.fishing-rod-guide.info.

If all men measured up to the standards of true sportsmanship, there would be no need for game, fish, and forestry laws. Neither would there be so much need for the laws that regulate human affairs in general.
But, in the fishing game, it is the true sportsman, with a love for the great outdoors, a wholesome respect for the welfare of others, and consideration for living and growing things, who sets the good examples for the youth to follow. In reality, fishing games differ a lot from the other types of games that man has come to know.
A fishing game is not a mere reflection of the activity itself but more of the love for fishing. In fishing games, the angler does not go hunting or fishing only to gain the privilege of boasting over slaughter or material gain. He loves the lightning-like flash of the trout, the leap of the bass or muskie, the tug on the line, the whir of the reel, the thrill of battle with some "denizens" of the deep, and the companionship of other true sportsmen.
The Concept of Fishing Games The most common type of fishing game is known as the "offshore game fishing." In this type of game fishing, the anglers aim for the big lean fishes like the marlins and the tunas and the fishing is done in the sea. Offshore game fishing is usually conducted as one type of recreational activity.
Though, there are instances wherein this type of fishing game is also employed in competitions like the sports fishing. Because of the energy being utilized in this type of recreational activity, offshore game fishing usually requires the biggest fishing boats. These fishing boats generally range from 30 to 50 feet in length.
The object of the game is to reel the fish in once it is properly hooked on the line. This can be a daunting task since the fish, especially if it is a big one, will have the tendency to pull away from the boat. The challenge is to reel the fish in while keeping the fishing line maintained on its specified tension. The fishing game is not more of a competition for a true angler.
Whenever they are doing this kind of activity as part of the game, what the angler really wants is to get in touch with nature, to breathe the clean, pure air, and muse in solitude in the wilds of nature’s playground. Hence, in fishing games like offshore game fishing, the anglers like to play the game in strict accordance with the rules of reason and fairness at the same time conserve the value of fishes in the community.