Basic Angling Tips and Tricks

Introduction and About Me

Let me just say, this is my first HUB and I'm very excited to share it with you.  My name is Matt Jenkins and I'm a 20 year-old teenager in a town outside of Philadelphia, PA. I attend Penn State University - Main Campus and I'm majoring in Aerospace Engineering. I love fishing as a hobby and do so as much as I can with anyone I can. I enjoy visiting nearby ponds, lakes, creeks, and reservoirs to try my luck at different species of fish. Like most people who fish, I'm always looking for new ways to try to make more catches when out on the water. I decided to make this website as a way for all anglers to communicate and share their tricks and tips for catching their favorite kinds of fish. All suggestions from knots to lures to tackle to fishing spots are welcome and greatly appreciated I'm sure by me and anyone else who cares to visit this site. I hope you find what you're looking for while you're here and comments/suggestions for the site are greatly appreciated. If you cannot find what you're looking for, simply shoot me an email at h0ckeybuba@yahoo.com or leave a comment telling me or other visitors what you would like to see/know. By the way I plan on making more HUBS so if you want to see a topic of your choice, let me know, i'll add what personal experience I can and be willing to research anything!

What Baits Do I Use?

I'll start off by saying that I usually fish for panfish (mainly bluegills or sunfish) and largemouth bass.  I have found one lure to be consistently bringing in bass for me.  This is a Zoom© 4" pumpkin seed lizard.  I use a snelled hook on a snap swivel with a split shot about a foot up the main line.  I thread the hook through the head of the lizard and bring it out the side of the lizard.  This was the first thing I ever caught a bass on and it has not failed me since.  I usually fish in darker waters and the pumpkin seed lizard is a subtle brownish color.  It blends in well with they typical underwater snack for the fish.  A few other things that have produced hits for me are top water lures, specifically frogs.  These seem to produce great hits from bass in the early morning and late evening when the fish are feeding for bugs landing on and flying near the surface of the lake. Make sure that when you use lures and rigs that go below the surface of the water, you check them every time you retrieve.  Many lakes have growth towards the bottom and some can get full of algae.  If you retrieve your lure and find that it is covered in a decent amount of algae, chances are that is why you didn't catch a fish.  Try fishing a little to the left or right of the spot you previously casted and find out if the whole area is filled with algae, or if it just happened to be that one spot.

Where to fish?

Now these are good lures for the bodies of water that I generally fish in (small lakes, ponds, and reservoirs).  I also do a lot of shore fishing which means I'm casting into shallower water.  A good idea would to be come familiar with the underwater terrain, especially if you're on a boat.  When you're on a boat, the bigger fish lie in deeper cover, especially during the hotter months where deeper water is more oxygenated.  In natural lakes look for cover such as fallen trees, stumps, large rocks, and beds of weeds.  If you're fishing in a man-made body of water, chances are the fish are stocked and artificial habitats are in place to give the fish places to spawn.  Some places will mark where their artificial habitats are placed, and others do not.  Most times, artificial habitats will be placed 30-50 out from the shore.  Here the water is deep enough for large fish to spawn and reproduce while still allowing for boater and shore fisherman to catch fish.

Other Generally Successful Lures

Depending on where you fish and what you're fishing for, there is a large variety of lures to choose from.  As I've come to realize this HUB is more about bass fishing than anything else, I'll suggest a few lures that I have seen be successful for other anglers.  Basic spinners produce fish.  They should be used in the day and in a spot where the sun can shine on them sufficiently to produce that shimmer and lure a fish to strike.  Junebugs, other sized lizards and other soft plastics are a common favorite to many bass fisherman.  There are quite a few rigs that can be set up with soft plastics to produce the bite in different situations.  Don't ever forget your live bait either.  In general, live bait produces more fish than any other type of bait.  It may not be the fish you're looking for because many species will go after a tasty red worm or nightcrawler but never be afraid to have a few lying around to test out.  Minnows seem to work fairly well also since bass tend to eat small baitfish.  You can pick some up at your local tackle shop or grab a bait net and find some yourself the next time you go to the lake.  I've also found small ponds with reproducing frogs are a treasure chest of goodies - and by goodies i mean tadpoles.  If you can find a few tadpoles, I guarantee you that you'll have a few good hits from bass.

Lures I'm Currently Testing

I have recently gained an interest in using Rapala lures to fish for bass. So far, after a few attempts I have been unsuccessful at catching anything. I used the posted video below to learn more about the lures and how to use them. Check it out and maybe you'll learn something yourself. Crankbaits work by providing enticing action that closely mimics and escaping baitfish.  If retrieved and jigged correctly, these lures can be a deadly combo for a large variety of fish. If you have any suggestions about how to use them, where you find them to work best, or which ones are you favorite, I'd love to hear what you have to say. I can never get enough information on fishing techniques.

Rod and Reel?

Go to your local Wal-mart, K-mart, Dicks Sporting Goods or what have you and start by finding a rod and reel combo that is comfortable for you. In general, for recreational fish in a lake or pond for bass (large and smallmouth), panfish, etc, a medium to medium-heavy rod should do the trick. If you really want to fish for the smaller stuff, a light to medium-light rod will suffice. I usually use about 10-14 lb line depending on terrain I'm fishing in. They offer a variety of lines. When you check the line out some is super strong for those intense fights where the fish is really pulling. If you're fishing a rougher terrain, try a line that is more abrasive resistant. Nothing is worse than beating up your line on stumps and rocks and then losing that big one because your line breaks at its weakpoints. Also, just remember that you're not fishing for monster fish, the heavier test your line is, the thicker it is going to be. You don't want to fish with line that a fish can see, who would want to eat that?! (If you want to fish for toothier, bigger fish, look for other HUBS I write about other types of fishing, or suggest what you want to see and I'll be sure to make a HUB just for you!) Lastly is the type of reel you should get. There are spinner reels and baitcasting reels.  These are the two types you'll see most places you go.  Spinner reels are probably the most widely used type of reel.  They're easy to learn and are generally a good quality reel.  They make many different types for whatever you fish.  Check on the reel itself, it should generally say what strength of line to use it and how durable the reel will be when your line is at different lengths.  Baitcasting reels are a bit harder to grasp when learning to cast.  It takes a little time and practice for beginners but once mastered, is a good reel to use when you want to have a lot of control over your lures especially crankbaits and other lures of the sort.

Conclusion

Well, there you are...the basics to fishing for the most popular freshwater sportfish. Check out links and videos below to learn some more about this awesome sport. I'll be adding new HUBS shortly about basic trout fishing and surf fishing (mainly NJ style since FL and CA are a little far away for me).  Always remember one thing...JUST HAVE FUN! Fishing is supposed to be a fun, relaxing, and rewarding sport. I can personally say that when you feel a fish on the line and you finally reel it in, it is one of the most gratifying feelings. Go with friends, family, or even go by yourself. If you go on a boat remember your safety gear and have all the proper equiqment. Check your state's rules about fishing and boating and make sure you have the required documentation for both before you start your day. As a personal habit, I practice catch and release. Fishing has continued to grow in popularity and we always want to be kind to our environment. Please treat the fish with respect, remove hooks and tackle properly and gently release the fish back into its habitat...if its a big one, you may just get lucky and catch it again!