Fishing is one of the oldest activities known to man. Archaeologists have found ancient dumps of shell and bone, cave paintings depicting fishing and even hooks made from bone. There is even a theory that states we might be closer to the fish we try and catch than we think. The “Aquatic Ape Hypothesis” contends that human beings spent a time living by and catching their food from the shallows of lakes and oceans. The controversial theory contends years of living that helped us to look different from the apes and chimpanzees thought by some to be our ancestors because of this time evolving by water.

The ancient river Nile was an angler’s paradise. The Egyptians relied on fresh and dried fish as a staple in their diets, and the various methods they used have been well represented in many ancient representations from their lives. Although they had some tools like nets, baskets and even hooks and lines, the fish caught were often clubbed to death. Perch, catfish and eels were among the most important catches in the Egyptian times.

The other bed of civilization, Greece, did not share Egypt’s love of fishing. Still, there is a depiction on a wine cup from 500 BC that shows a boy kneeling over a stream with a live capture net in the water below him. It’s unclear why the boy was ‘fishing’ however, since the device is clearly for live capture. There is also evidence the Romans fished with nets and tridents off the sides of boats. One of their most famous Gods, Neptune, is depicted usually with a fishing trident. There are references to fishing in the Bible, too.

Perhaps the most recognizable tool for fishing is the hook. No one knows for certain, but it’s quite probable prehistoric man was using some form of a hook over 40,000 years ago. Experts have had some problems pinning down exact dates since they know most of the materials used back then were most likely wood and not very durable. British Isle anglers catch fish with hooks made from the hawthorn bush, right up to the present day. Although Stone Age man had the tools necessary for making bone hooks, it is hard for scientists to get exact dates since bone does not define its age well. The oldest known hooks have turned up in Czechoslovakia, but others have turned up in Egypt and Palestine. The Palestinian hooks are believed to be over 9,000 years old, proving that fishing has been around for a very long time indeed.

Indians on Easter Island made their hooks from a gruesome material. Since human sacrifices were abundant in the area for some time, the natives made their fish hooks out of the most plentiful material around – human bone. Fish hooks made of human bone were the norm there until missionaries arrived at the turn of the last century. In addition to hooks made of stone, bone or wood, ancient man often combined material to make composite hooks with barbs that kept the bait on.

So until next time “Keep your lines tight and your bait fresh.”

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No matter how young or old your children are, involve them in everything that you do as you embark on your fishing journey. Your kids want to feel needed and this is the perfect opportunity for them to help you. There is no better way to instill a sense of accomplishment in your kids than to allow them to help you with “grown-up” jobs. Depending on how old they are, assign them certain small things for which they are responsible. Some of these include ensuring that everyone has a personal floatation device and letting them coil a line. Your children will walk away at the end of the day with a renewed sense of confidence in their ability to help Mom and Dad.

Keep your children busy while you are fishing. They prefer to stay active. Plan your fishing outing accordingly. Include exciting water activities such as snorkeling, tubing, or looking for various wildlife. Of course, showing them the basics of fishing will forever keep them and you busy! There are enough details involved in the sport of fishing that you will need to take your kids on multiple trips before they are fluent in the language of the angler.

You have an excellent opportunity to teach your kids while fishing on a boat. You have the ability to teach them new skills that they use long after you have caught your last fish. Merely being on the water allows you to teach kids new things about their environment. You can also teach them about boating, fishing, and safety skills. Try to incorporate these teachings into fun, intriguing activities.

Introduce them to new and exciting things as they are ready. For example, create a game that teaches nautical terminology. Focus on words like port, starboard, or bow. You should build upon this knowledge. After they know these terms, help your children learn the best way to safely drive a fishing boat or cast a fishing line. Always be an observant teacher. The combination of boating and fishing allows for an enormous amount of learning.

This type of hands-on learning lasts a long time. Your children will benefit in many ways. They will discover things that help them become better fishers and boatmen. Participating in an activity that is thousands of years old teaches them about tradition. They will eventually be able to teach their kids all that you have taught them. This includes many of the elements of responsibility that come with helping adults achieve a goal.

Your children will have unlimited amounts of fun as they encounter new settings, new climates, and new wildlife. Most importantly, fishing and boating with your children will give you the chance to spend quality time with them. This is worth more than all of the fun had and the lessons learned.

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Glendalough State Park is the newest member of the Minnesota State Parks family. Its land was given to the state by a private donor in the 1990s and the lakes on the park acreage were fished privately for nearly a hundred years.  No one other than members of the donor’s family or their guests was allowed to utilize the lakes at Glendalough State Park. As a result, fish sizes and populations in the Glendalough lakes are more representative of historic times than of modern times.

Annie Battle Lake, the largest of the Glendalough Lakes, allows the angler to experience fishing as it was in Minnesota during the 1800s.  Motors of any kind are not allowed on the lake. Canoes and rowboats are available for rental at the park office and shore fishing is a pleasure from any location here.  Gas powered vehicles are prohibited, as are any type of electronic fish-finding device.

Large bass, panfish, walleye and northern pike abound under the crystal clear waters of Annie Battle Lake because the waters are unpolluted by gas or oil.  Catch-and-release regulations and fishing limits are strictly enforced here, maintaining the size and count of the population for generations to come.  A small brook connecting Annie Battle Lake to another of the park lakes is waist deep with a sandy bottom, providing excellent wading areas for bass fishing.

The Lave Net Fishery at Blackrock on the Severn Estuary in Wales is the last of its kind in Wales and has also been designated as a heritage fishery.  Treacherous tidal waters averaging speeds of 7-8 knots have witnessed generations of fishermen pass along this fishing technique.  Less than a dozen lave net fishing licenses are issued by the Welsh government each year, with all belonging to a local association dedicated to preserving this unique method of salmon fishing.  The only noticeable difference between modern and historic lave netters are that they now sport waders as opposed to animal skins.

The lave net itself, a Y-shaped structure constructed of wood and a hand-made net, remains unchanged.  Anglers wade into the river and either “cower”, waiting for the salmon to approach him, or watch for the telltale salmon splashes announcing their location.  The fisherman can then net the fish before they head to deeper water.  This kind of fishing is restricted by law and by the tides. Anglers have about 1.5 hours before low tide to practice their craft when conditions are calm.  Their knowledge of the tides and of the area, received from the generation before, serves as their guide.

Kjaerra Laxefiske on the Kjaerrafossen River near Helgeland, Norway dates back to  1388.  Ownership of the two heritage fisheries here is marked by the “markebol”, a medieval unit of measurement.  Salmon are caught via the use of ancient fishing tools, while the buildings surrounding the fisheries were restored to medieval timber and stone during the 1950s.  Visitors are welcomed to the weekly opening of salmon pots every Thursday where the catch of the week is revealed.

Wherever they are located, heritage fisheries are an important part of the environment and the community.  In addition to offering the simple thrill of fishing itself, they provide an opportunity to learn from the past, as well as preserving the present heritage of fishing for future anglers.

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Many variables change the location of bass, such as water conditions, water levels, weather, and light and food availability. There are three main elements that must be present in a body of water in order for bass to survive: Food, oxygen, and cover.

A bass’ favorite meal is crawfish, which they prefer over shad. Basically, crawfish are usually more plentiful and they are easy for the Bass to catch. However, a bass will typically eat anything from rats, mice, ducklings, frogs, snakes, salamanders, worms, lizards, grubs, baitfish, insects, and leeches. Their ability to feast on one thing above another is why many people find such enjoyment from fishing bass.

Oxygen is another key component in finding bass fish. The basic rule of thumb is that the cooler the water, the more oxygen content. Therefore, if you are fishing in the spring, summer or early fall, you will find that the larger bass will drop down lower to find the cooler and more oxygen-filled water. They will also swim to find areas that are more concentrated in vegetation in order to find a better oxygen source. Trees, stumps, wind-blown banks, and power plants are all good sources of oxygen that will attract bass fish.

A bass relies on cover for a means of protection and way of ambush. Cover is part of a bass’ survival. The bass is known as a lazy fish, so they will hide and wait for their prey to come to them. The other reason for cover is that bass fish do not have eyelids and the cover is a way to prevent blindness. Some common cover areas to find bass in are around fabricated wood structures such as fencerows, docks, and pilings. They have been known to hide under floating pieces of wood or decaying wood. Weeds are the second best place to hunt for bass. Finally, rocks are the third place that bass will find cover. Rocks are not as reliable as weeds or wood, but sometimes a bass will find decaying pieces of food to feast on within some rocks. Remember that rocks do not produce oxygen, so the source is not as consistent.

When it comes to fishing, everyone has a different opinion. You will often find that these opinions range in location and source. However, there are some lures and baits that are recommended for bass fishing that may be useful if you haven’t tried them. Tequila colored 7-inch worms with added scent are recommended, as well as Rebel Wee-Rs. Hellgrammites are thought to be the best live bait, and many will say that you don’t need big lures to attract big bass. Everyone will tell you to tie up to an embankment, or find a dock to get close to, but it is really an art that could take years to perfect.

Bass are notorious for slow moving and lack of distance in their movements. Logically, you could sit 30 feet from the biggest bass of your life, and he is not going to swim to your bait out of pure laziness. Finding the exact spot is difficult and a lot of fishing has to do with luck. The only part that you can control is finding the most likely places that a bass may be and exercise some patience. Weather is important to bass as well. If it is a cloudy day, you might have more luck than on a hot summer day. However, overcast is probably ideal for water temperatures, but then you have to decide what you are willing to sit through in order to catch a fish. The bottom line with bass fishing is you can only do your best with the knowledge at hand.

Keep your lines wet and your bait fresh!

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According to the Bass Pro Shops’ website this is the description of the game.

Drop anchor on your couch and fish the day away as you navigate some of North America’s most entertaining fishing hot spots. Featuring amazing gameplay, realistic physics, and authentic fishing gear used by the pros! Bring the lake into your living room!

• 111 Bass Pro Shops lures
• 11 species of fish
• 10 unique lakes
• 10 tournaments
• 9 awesome boats
• 1 heck of a good time
• Search for legendary fish
• Compete in boat racing and casting challenges
• Gameplay options for seasoned fisherman, first-timers, or hardcore gamers

When I opened up my Christmas presents this year I found my wife had gotten me a Wii, something I was not expecting. We had discussed getting one because I liked to play Wii Bowling. When I opened up the package that contained this game and a controller that looked like a fishing pole I about freaked. My wife knows how much I love to go fishing but never catch anything. As a matter of fact I have a hard time casting. I instantly fell in love with this game.

The Controller

The controller requires not only a Wii Remote but also a Wii Nunchuck. After a few hours of frustration, I failed to read the directions I went over to the website to find out how to use the controller. The first thing that needs to be done is to set the controller to Configuration B. The only draw back is that you cannot save this configuration either to the Wii System memory or to an SD Card. It is important to do this as you cannot control your boat unless you do. The controller has a nice feel to it and is comfortable if you plan on playing for a long period of time.

In Configuration B these are how the buttons work:

• Driving Mode
  • The cross steers the boat
  • The C Button activates the Fish Finder
  • The A Button Enters Casting Mode
  • The B Button activates the Throttle
  • The Minus (-) Button Brings up the Start Menu
  • The Plus (+) Button Brings up your inventory
  • The 2 Button brings up the GPS Map
• Fishing Mode
  • The Z Button Changes your stance and is the quick reel/cut line function
  • The C Button changes the camera
  • The Thumb Stick (joystick) is the Reel In
  • The Cross sets the Casting Reticule
  • The A Button Exits Casting Mode
  • The B Button Initiates and releases the Cast
  • The 1 Button sets the drag level

The best way to play this game is with the controller.

Gameplay

Just like fishing for real, the idea behind the game is wait for the bite. You also have to keep your line tight and set the hook. The physics are almost nearly the same as real life. And just like real life I have a hard time catching anything. The big ones do give you a fight though.

There are two modes of gameplay, Arcade and Bass Pro. The Arcade is the easiest of the two and both offer Career modes. You start by designing your character. You don’t have a whole lot of choice here. Once you have set your character up you can head into the game. In the game you are given a boat a pole, some lures, some line and a reel. Your boat is equipped with a Fish Finder and a GPS system. You enter the Bass Pro Shop and you have the opportunity to buy more lures, lines reels and rods. I bought some 17 pound test line and that was it. In the first lake you get a tutorial and you have to earn 50 points to unlock the tournament. You cannot go to another lake until you win this tournament.

If there was an online component the tournament would be the best place for it, but alas there isn’t one. I haven’t yet won the tournament but I’m still having fun playing the game.

I give this game 3 out of 5 phantoms. The Game play is nice but there should be an online component and more character customization. The game is rated E for everyone. If you have a fisherman in your family then get this game for them.

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Now you might think to yourself, “What in the blue blazes is he talking about?” And normally you would be right, but think about it this way. It may not be reflected in the fishermen’s wallet or checkbook and you may have a poor credit rating, but even the modest fisherman is a millionaire — his wealth is in his heart and in his experience.

How can you count in dollars the beautiful sunrises you have seen. Or the peaceful sunsets when the receding sunlight is flickering off the water. Or the serenity of the delta that is broken when you know you’ve caught the big one.

“What kind is it?” “How big is it” “Will I land this fish or will it get away?” Then it comes tumbling across the water. You have won the match. You drop it in your lave well for the evening meal or gently release it to thrill another. It’s your moment of glory and you are happy.

You are also wealthy in friendship. Think of the times you said to your buddies, “Hey guys, lets get our gear together and go fishing.” It may have been a day or evening trip or a weekend camping and fishing. It’s time you spend with your buddies and swap stories and tips. You might discuss Joe’s new rod, Pete’s new reel, Charile’s new tackle box or Fred’s new boat. Work might come up in the conversation, but you don’t let it get you down.

You gain wealth when you introduce fishing to somebody who has never fished before. You might learn something from them just as they may learn something from you.

If it’s an overnight or a camping trip, the wealth also comes from the camaraderie. It comes from the dusk of evening and a little fire flickers under a blackened skillet. The sweet smell of frying fish floats close to the ground and perking coffee adds a little noise to the serenity.

You look at your invisible bank book. You can’t count the amount fingers. You have wealth beyond measurement.

So now you see that what I said at the beginning is true. Every man or woman, rich or poor, who has fished is a “millionaire.” The wealth is in the experience. How wealthy are you?

So until next time, keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

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Bill Dance Tackle Box

There can be a lot of differences between the professional angler and the fish-for-fun weekender. Yet one of the differences should not be the basic approach to equipping the tackle box.

My tackle box for bassing is a Bill Dance Tackle Box by Plano. According to the Bass Pro Shop:

Legendary angler, Bill Dance designed this durable tackle box with the serious angler in mind. Offering a huge storage capacity, this Bill Dance Tackle Box features up to 46 worm-proof compartments and up to 25 adjustable storage spaces in the top section, the longer compartments and a see-thru lid are two more smart features anglers will love. Size: 16-7/8” x 5” x 12”. Color: Tan/Green.

Now what to fill it with? The novice Basser, like me, is faced with a virtual jungle of lures when he visits any well stocked sporting goods or tackle store. and now with the Internet there is even more to choose from. Almost all tackle websites carry not only the same brads as each other but many also specialize in lures made in Japan and other places overseas. It’s no easy task for the beginner to sort through the many displays and websites to select the lures that will be the most practical for the conditions they fish in. The beginner can accomplish the same versatility of the pro by categorizing.

The tackle box should consist of the following items:

• Hooks
• Sinkers
• Extra Line
• Swivels
• Lures

For practical purposes, the angler may lump the Bass lures into 3 (three) basic categories. Those categories are, along with a description:

Assorted Crankbaits

Crank Baits — or Plugs are a popular type of hard-bodied fishing lure. They are widely known by a number of other names depending on the country and region. Such names include crank bait, wobbler, minnow, shallow-diver and deep-diver. The term minnow is usually used for long, slender, lures that imitate bait-fish, while the term plug is usually used for shorter, deeper-bodied lures which imitate deeper-bodied fish, frogs and other prey. Shallow-diver and deep-diver refer to the diving capabilities of the lure, which depends on the size of the lip and lure buoyancy. All things considered, plugs of this grouping probably get more action than the others. At any time of the year, bass can be picked off with these.

Spinner-baits — any one of a family of fishing lures that get their name from one or more metal blades shaped so as to spin like a propeller when the lure is in motion, creating varying degrees of flash and vibration that mimics small fish. The two most popular types of spinner-baits are the ‘in-line spinner’ and ‘safety pin’ spinner-baits, though others such as the ‘tail-spinner’ also exist.

Plastic Worms — a plastic fishing lure, generally made to simulate an earthworm. Plastic worms can carry a variety of shapes, colors and sizes, and are made from a variety of synthetic polymers. Some are even scented to simulate live bait. Plastic worms can be rigged on the line many different ways. Commonly they are used with a small fish hook and a split shot weight to keep the lure deeper in the water. The fishing equipment recommended is a 7 foot fishing rod with 8 to 10lb fishing line.

Your Tackle box is your toolbox to a successful trip. It is up to you to keep it organized and full. I personally do not let anyone take anything out of my box as I have it set up the way I want. In the top portion of the box I have my weedless frog and weedless mouse along with assorted crank baits in individual compartments. One third of the top portion is not separated and it contains my extra hooks, line, slip-shot and bullet sinkers, swivels and cutters along with anything else i think I might need. In the bottom compartment I have Plastic Worms and more crank-baits along with some rubber shad and various other plastic and rubber lures. The spinner-baits will be added as I get them.

That’s all for now, so until the next time keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

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Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station

That brings me to the purpose of this post, what should I get and should I go to Bass Pro Shop or buy it on line. I have an idea of what I want to get and it is this item: Berkley® Portable Line Spooling Station. I think every fisherman should have one of these, or something like it, in their arsenal. How often do we need to change the line in our reels? If you are like me, you need to do it every so often, since the preloaded reels come with 4 to 8 pound test and as Bass men we need 15+ pound test.

I think for $29.99 this is going to be a good investment. But what else to get. I have 3 Takle boxes, plenty of lures and poles but I find I’m looking for more Under cast type reels. I’ll take any suggestions you guys have.

My next post is going to reprint someting from “The Best of BassMasters” and will be about rigging your hooks.

So until next time, keep your lines wet and your bait fresh.

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A collection of Crank Baits.

I recently got a great purchase from eBay. It was a hardcover book called “The Best of BASSMaster”. It is a collection of articles from BASSMaster Magazine covering the years 1968 to 1980. For a beginning Bass Fisherman, the articles are great and this is one of the best that I’ve read so far. It’s from a larger article called “The ‘Crank Bait System’” written by Bill Phillips. I would tell you the year but that information is not available. Here is the article in it’s entirety.

Should the art of lure painting imitate life? Do naturlized baits help you catch fish?

the answer from one bassin’ biologist who dedicates about 200 days a year to uderstanding why bass bite, is an unequivocal…”probably not.”

Bill Phillips of Auburn university in Alabama, who is working toward a Ph.D in fisheries biology, is also the 36-year-old president of Angling Research Associates, an independent research firm for the tackle industry.

According to his tests:

“Under most conditions, the natural lures failed to compete favorably with really good, contrasty color patterns like bone/orange or yellow/black, especially in greenish-tinted, productive waters.

“The catch per hour rate for the baby bass and rainbow trout patterns on Rebel Deep Maxi-R lures, for example, were 0.4 and 0.3 fish, respectivley, while the bone/orange belly Deep Maxi-R produced 1.2 fish per hour.”

“There were, however, notable excetions to this rule. For example, in clear water lakes where a sizable portion of the bass population is made upof spotted or Kuntucky bass, naturals outproduced all other color patterns. Crawfish-like Deep Mini-Rs were especially effective, yeilding 1.25 fish per hour, as were shad-imitation Natural Ike, which caught 1.1 fish per hour.”

But Philips says it’s the paint, rather than the paint job, that’d the key.

“Quite often, the poorest imitations were among the best,” according to Angling Research Associates’ field testers. “For instance, Natural Ike’s crawfish pattern is not convincing at all — whoever heard of a crawfish shaped like a fish? But the pattern produced fish on numerous occasions for our field agents, apparently because it was basically a light patern of contrasty colorswhich stand out against the aquatic backgroound.” Philips reports.

And, he says, one of the best looking imitations — the bluegill — was the poorest performer.

“Two-and-a-half-inch long bluegillsaren’t dark blue, green and orange, the wai bait manufaturers usuallyt pait them,” Phillips explains. “They’re pale yellow and silvery, with light olive backs. But the worst fault of the natural bream baits is that they do not contrast with the background. Bass can’t see them.”

The problem with natural-finish luresis that they emphasize the one most important defense a prey fish posesses — protective coloration.

Baby bass, crappie, shad and crawfishare colored the way they are to keep preditors, such as big bassfrom seeing them, biologist Bill Phillips points out.

“So why copy the item least likely to be seen?” Philips asks. “To sell lures, for one thing. And because the lures are certainly beautiful to the human eye, if not the bass’ eye, most of us will buy them.”

After reading this article I have decided that as Bass Fishermen, we need to make the choice for ourselves as to what works. From what I can see Bass do like Crank Baits.

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• Comeback Lure – A lure selected to throw when bass misses the primary lure being used.
• Finesse Fishing – A technique that implies a slow presentation and requiring the angler to feel a fish to set the hook. This technique targets bass that have become lethargic from a cold front.
• Hawg (or Hog) - Slang for a large bass.
• Jig-And-Frog – Simply a bass style jig dressed up with a plastic or pork-rind frog. Jig-And-Pig – Term used to describe a bass fishing jig with a plastic body or pork rind attached.
• Wacky Rig – Method of rigging a plastic worm through the middle of the bait without any sinker attached to the line.
• Walking The Dog– A technique used when retrieving a lure such as the Heddon Spook that causes the lure to be retrieved in a zig-zag pattern.
• Weedguard – A mechanical device typically consisting a single piece of spring wire that covers the open gap of a hook to make it weedless.
• Weedless – A description of a lure designed to be fished in heavy cover with a minimum amount of snagging. Various strategies are often employed to make a lure weedless.

The Glossary Of Fishing Terms And Slang can be found here: http://www.fishingtipsandtechniques.com/fishing/fishing-glossary.php.

I would recomend going to this website and seeing all it has to offer.

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