Wednesday 23 April 2008

Helpful Tips for Night Fishing by Jimmy Cox

The great majority of salt-water anglers go out during the daytime and rarely venture forth at night. But today more and more anglers are discovering that plenty of fish and good sport can also be had at night. In fact, if you are interested in big fish which are found near shore, your chances are much better fishing at night than during the daytime.

But night fishing in salt water offers many other advantages besides that of catching big fish. There are fewer anglers and less competition, so you have more elbow room. You don't have to worry about sunburn, and often during the summer the wind dies at sundown, so the water is usually calmer at night than during the middle of the day - an important point to consider if you are subject to seasickness.

Also, during the summer months it is cooler at the seashore or on the water at night. Finally, you can fool the fish easier at night than during the day. They can't see the hook, leader or line, and they can't examine a lure too closely.

Night fishing in the surf is almost a must in highly populated areas, especially from Memorial Day to Labor Day. In many areas, most surf anglers are forced to fish at night in the summer. During the daytime there are too many bathers and they chase the surf anglers away from the best spots.

Luckily, in the case of the striped bass, this isn't such a hardship. Since they bite best at night during the summer months most anglers I know don't bother going out until well after dark. Then they usually fish hard until the early morning hours or even until daybreak.

Novice surf anglers or those who have never done much night fishing often wonder how it is possible to locate, hook and land fish in the surf on a dark night. Many have asked me such questions as the following: How do you know where to fish? How can you cast at night? How do you land the fish?

It's true that problems and conditions which are easily coped with during the daytime are often more difficult on a dark night. Yet it's surprising how soon you become used to casting, hooking and landing fish at night and enjoying it as much or even more than during the daytime.

The big question that arises with respect to surf fishing at night is how to locate the fish. If you are lucky enough to have a friend who can tip you off, that's a big help. Tackle dealers and outdoors columns in newspapers often tell you the general area to fish. Actually, no one can predict in advance which specific spots will produce a temperamental fish such as the striped bass, because they move around too much and bite best under conditions which change from day to day.

At night there are no birds to guide you, but if you see birds or fish feeding off the beach during the daytime there is a good chance that they will work inshore at dusk or after dark. Schools of bait fish will often lie off the beach during the day, but at night they tend to work inshore to escape the game fish, and, of course, the game fish will often follow them in. If you arrive after dark you can pick up the bait fish in your light when they are hugging the shoreline.
Try some night fishing, and you may come to enjoy it better than fishing by day!

About the Author
Who Else Wants My Best Free Saltwater Fishing Tips And Tricks?
Click Here For Free Online Ebook "http://www.freesaltwaterfishingtips.com/

Fly Fishing Secrets

When most people think of fly fishing, they think of the movie A River Runs Through It. They picture standing on the banks of a beautiful river (or possibly standing in the middle of it) and whipping a fishing pole back and forth as an amazingly long line flings back and forth with the whip of the pole. To be sure, to watch fly fisherpeople (or anglers as the people who fly fish are called) can be very relaxing. Imagine how soothing and peaceful it must be to actually be out there doing the fishing. Of course that isn't to say that there aren't a few fly fishing secrets to help you have a successful fishing trip.

To the non-trained eye, fly fishing doesn't look like that big of a deal, but there is a gentle and subtle art to it. Like with most things, fly fishing relies on gear, technique and skill to result in a successful catch. Of course, the fly fishing secrets vary depending on where you are going fly fishing and what you hope to catch.

The first thing you will want to think about is your gear. If you are fishing for trout (which is the fish of choice for most anglers), you will want to use the lightest fly rod possible. This fly rod should have a fly reel with, at the most, four pound test monofilament in its reel. If the line is any heavier, the trout will see it and recognize that it is not a natural part of their world.
The best bait that you can use is a still living worm. That probably isn't what you want to hear after spending all sorts of money on different types of line, lure and fancy kinds of bait. Still, simple and natural is always best. The best way to use live worms is to attach them to a set of gang hooks that have been pre-tied.

Believe it or not, what you are wearing can also have an impact on the success of your fly fishing trip. Because the trout have such fantastic eyesight, you will want to do everything you can to blend into the background of the fishing location you have chosen. Bland colors that match the naturally occurring colors are the best bet. You don't have to spend a bunch of money on camouflage, but you also don't want to wear bright red pants in a dark green river.
These are just a few simple fly fishing secrets to keep in mind as you set out on your fly fishing expedition.

The act of fly fishing is at least two millennia old, and while it didn't become popular until the nineteenth century, the last couple hundred years has been wrought with fly fishing developments. As the gear has improved, the angler's basic trials and errors have resulted in some wonderful fly fishing secrets. A simple search on the internet will yield far more than the few we've shared with you here.

Copyright (c) 2008 Steven Magill
About the Author
Tired of fumbling with your rod and reel? Get The Insider, Professional Fly-fishing Tricks, Tips and Techniques at http://www.flyfishinglessons.org