Even the most experienced of mariners won't hesitate to admit that they would be lost without some type of navigational device, regardless if it's a sextant or GPS. The water is an unforgiving landscape, becoming confusing the moment that clouds roll in, obscuring the sky and any sense of direction. That's why it's important to have a GPS on board, and more importantly, what to know when Buying a Marine GPS.
The more features Marine GPS units have, the better. Having as many features as possible on a unit gives the user plenty of options to get themselves out of a jam, figure out where the boat is situated, even locate fish and save the hotspots where they've been found. One thing is true of marine electronics; the more you spend on a unit, the better the quality and features on a unit are.
All along Mississippi's 44-mile coastline you will find hundreds of anglers who spend their time standing in or along the surf line casting huge rods with large spinning reels and weights as far as they can heave. This is surf fishing. Now don't confuse wade fishing with surf fishing.
And don't get me wrong, if you have a friend named Wade who goes fishing with you, it is purely a coincidence. True wade fishing involves going for a swim. The neat thing about the Mississippi Sound is that most of it is less than six feet deep which means a great deal of the near shore area is open to those who are OK with getting their feet wet. It's not uncommon for waders to be able to walk 200-300 yards offshore and still be in waist deep water. Just be sure you keep out of the marked channels and wear bright clothing to help watercraft spot you before they are on top of you.
As a person who has been fishing for trout, all manners of freshwater trout including rainbow, cutthroat, brook, and brown trout, for more than twenty years I have learned one lesson that holds true above all others. When it comes to trout fishing lures the choices available to us are vast, and the lures that are effective when fishing for trout are small.
This means that when a fishing lure is in order on the trout river or local lake that contains hungry trout, in many instances the best fishing lure option is and in line spinner. While there are various companies that design and manufacture these particular trout fishing lures, the one that stand out above all of the others in my experience are Panther Martin trout spinners.
If you are a trout fisherman you are more than likely aware of the fact that the fall is the most productive time of the year for trout fishing (especially if you like to fish for trout in the flowing waters of a river or stream) and if you weren't aware of this fact, you need to be. I have been fishing for and catching trout from rivers and streams in the western hemisphere for more than a quarter of a century and have learned through experience that the fall is by far the best time of the year to fish for trout.
When it comes to Catfishing, most people see them as bottom dwellers. You know the thought. Catfish like to lay on bottom in the deepest darkest reaches of the lake. I'm here to say that catfish only relate to deeper water. They don't spend all the time on a river bottom. This article goes into detail about how and why you can catch catfish from shallow water.
In all honesty, the term deep water is completely related to the water around an area. If the average depth of an area in a lake is 5 feet then deep water can be 10 feet. Basically the term means deep water is actually deeper water. Catfish love to be around deeper water. But that's not for feeding but for resting. Catfish use this deeper water to relax and be safe from any predators. Its a natural instinct of most fish to use deep water as a safety net. Now the typical deep water areas that catfish will use when resting are channels, ledges, and holes, they will sit on the sits of the steeper slopes and rest.
Fresh water fishing baits and lures are specially made to produce almost instant fishing results. With so many different types, shapes and colors to choose from it is not difficult to get more than a little confused when trying to make a decision as to which ones to choose.
According to the sales hype found written about these products you may just as well close your eyes and buy the first baits your hand comes in contact with. Then according to the manufacturers you are guaranteed fishing results beyond your wildest dreams. However we all know it is never that easy.
Choosing Yours
To be successful you need a good selection of baits and lures in your fishing bag or tackle box when going fishing
If you have never been fishing for rainbow trout you more than likely need a quick and easy way to learn the basics so that you can have a better chance of success when you head out onto the water. I have been fishing for rainbow trout for more than two decades and in this article I will outline the basics of what you need to catch a trout or two; a little rainbow trout fishing 101 course, if you will. This "course" will relate specifically to spin fishing because that is where my expertise lies.
The first thing that you will need when you head out fishing for rainbow trout is a proper sized rod and reel. The reason for this is because you want to use light fishing line and certain types of rods and reels are designed specifically for using light fishing line. The type of rod and reel that I am referring to is called ultra light and this is want you want to look for and use anytime that you are going to be fishing for rainbow trout.
For many years I had an unreasonable aversion to using soft baits to catch fish. However once I did give in and try soft bait at the persistence of my grandson, I am now firmly a big fan of soft plastic baits and do not fish with other kinds of bait any more.
Today the popularity of soft baits has grown in leaps and bounds mainly because of an explosion in tackle and techniques. Here are enough reasons for you to give it a try.
1) Effectiveness
The soft plastics of today work incredibly well and seem to be a better way to catch fish. Because they have only been available for a relatively short time anglers are still discovering their huge potential. For me fishing with them has helped to raise the fun factor up another notch. I enjoy trying out new things and soft bait helps bring out a new element of skill when casting, retrieving and reading the water. As the versatility and available variety of these lures increases so will your fishing results.
Weather forecasters aren’t willing to say the drought of 2011 is over, but many lakes and streams are looking alive again after recent rains. There are plenty of fish out there if you know where to cast your bait.
The legendary Lake Fork is 6 feet below normal, but most boat ramps are still usable, and with less water it may be easier to find the fish. Lake Fork produced the first Toyota ShareLunker of the 2011-2012 season on December 27, and three 12-pound largemouth bass were caught there in January.
In the Dallas-Fort Worth area, Grapevine Lake was sitting above full pool level early this week. It has good populations of white, largemouth and spotted bass, a developing population of smallmouth bass, and good populations of blue and channel catfish.
Spring crappie fishing is one of the best times of the year to go fishing. These fish are easier to catch and travel in a school which makes them fun to fish for. There are eight tips that I use when I fish for crappie that will greatly increase your chances of success. They are:
Use Live Minnow
Minnows are crappies food of choice. To rig these just put the hook right through their lip. They will allow them to swim freely and drive those fish crazy.
Fish Shallow Areas
Crappies come into the shallower areas during the spring to spawn. Because of that this is where you are going to find most of them during the spring months.
Locate a School
Once you catch one immediately throw your lure right back in the same spot. These fish travel in schools. Therefore if you catch one you will probably catch more.
