Fishing

Scouting Skills

Fishing

Fishing Tips
Fishing Lures
Fishing Knots

Fishing Tips

HAVE FUN! Don't worry about technique and don't be concerned about catching lots of big, trophy-size fish. To a young angler, a small bluegill or crappie caught with a simple hook and bobber is a major achievement. For some children, a big fish might be scary.

KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don't make your fishing outing a big production. Kids can only take in so much information at any given time. The more complicated you make it, the more frustrated they'll get. You don't need fancy equipment. You don't need a boat; fishing from a pier, dock or shore will do just fine. Keep it simple. After all, your child just wants to spend time with you.

MAKE IT AN ADVENTURE. Like any great adventure, planning it is three-quarters the fun. Fishing is the same way. Even if the fish aren't biting, you can have fun buying a family fishing license; studying a map of where you're going; exploring the lake, stream or beach, digging for worms, making a picnic lunch, or pretending you are in search of Moby Crappie or Catfish.

USE RELIABLE EQUIPMENT. Quality fishing equipment is important to ensure that everyone has a positive, frustration-free experience.

ATTENTION SPAN. It's a fact of life. Kids have short attention spans. First off, plan ahead. Check the forecast for bad weather. Look for a spot that has easily accessible rest rooms and a nearby playground. Bring snacks, and maybe some toys. Second, don't make the mistake of forcing your child to fish for hours on end. Sometimes a child will be happy fishing for 15 minutes and then playing for an hour along the beach.

HANDLING THE FISH. If a child catches a fish, don't force him or her to take it off the hook, or to touch the fish. Do it for them. After all, imitation can often be the best teacher.

QUICK SUCCESS. With youngsters, a little success, early on, will hook them for a lifetime. So, as you plan your fishing outing, make a point to find some spots that will quickly reward you and your little one with fish. Kids don't care about size, but they do like to catch fish, even if they're little ones. So, stop by or make a quick call to a nearby bait and tackle store to learn where they're bitin'.

SAFETY FIRST. Whether it is big river or a small neighborhood pond, water needs to be respected. Show your child how to act safely around water, in a boat or on a dock. Use your fishing outings to teach and rehearse what they should do if they get in trouble with water.

LOVE THE OUTDOORS. It's never too early to show your child how to love and appreciate the outdoors. While you're fishing, take this time to observe other creatures such as birds, ducks or squirrels, and talk about simple ways to keep the outdoors beautiful, such as properly disposing fishing line or picking up candy wrappers and soda cans.

CATCH, RELEASE, PRAISE. Don't worry about catch and release. Better yet, let your child make the decision. Give him or her the opportunity to take their catch home to show friends and relatives. But do teach your child how to carefully and respectfully handle a fish for the day when they do release them. Whatever the decision, don't forget to heap on plenty of praise for learning a new skill.

CAPTURE THE MEMORIES. Whether your child sticks with fishing or not, only time will tell. But for now, what matters is capturing the memories so they have something to share with their friends, family members, and ultimately, with their kids. So take plenty of photos.

SHOW THEM YOUR BEST. Finally, fishing is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids how to be kind, caring adults. Children imitate adults they love and respect. So, show them your best and make a good impression. Taking the time to be with your children and sharing in the excitement of the outdoors will pay big dividends in years to come.

Fishing Lures

SURFACE PLUGS
There are a few variations of surface plugs these are crawlers, chuggers and propbaits.

Crawlers are designed to work on the surface they can have a spinning blade at either end of the body or wings on the side or even a nose plate.

They make a tremendous disturbance on the water surface and are best fished in summer over shallow water and near trees or reed beds.

Some of the well known makes are the Jitter Bug [shown] and the Crazy Crawler.

Chuggers normally have a concave shaped front end or a longer top or bottom lip.

Chuggers are designed to be fished by flicking and twitching the rod tip to get the required action.

A propbait normally as a propeller blade at one or each end of its body, the blades are designed to churn up the water surface when retrieved by the angler.

JERKBAITS
This plug is made so when you jerk the rod tip it will dive, this could be to a depth of 4 foot or more.

Then depending how it is weighted it will then rise to the surface fast or slowly.

They can be effectively fished by moving your rod tip after the initial dive which will keep it working under water then occasionally pausing and letting it float back to the surface.
There are now many of this design of lure available one of the earliest types was the Suick Thriller.

FLOATING DIVING LURES
This plug rest on the surface until retrieved when the lure will dive, the depth it dives to is dependant on the speed of retrieve and the size of the diving vane.
The vane is normally made of metal or plastic and with skill on the anglers part the plug can perform many
different actions.

When fishing with this type of plug it is important to know what depth each lure will fish to, this will enable you to fish every plug to its maximum potential.

The Bomber Fat A is a well known lure of this type it is very buoyant, as a big rattle and the size of the diving vane make it snag resistant.

SINKING PLUGS
These plugs are designed to fish in deep water many of the plugs dive at one foot per second.

They can look similar to the floater diving plugs but normally have a smaller vane., they have a ball bearing in the plugs body which gives off a vibration as an added attractant.

Because they can be fished on the countdown method it is easy to be aware at what depth you are fishing at and hopefully the depth the fish are in.

I have shown the Super Spot plug but there are many other types including the well known Rapala Sinker.

Fishing Knots



	Scouting Skills Fishing Fishing Tips Fishing Lures Fishing Knots Fishing Tips HAVE FUN! Don't worry about technique and don't be concerned about catching lots of big, trophy-size fish. To a young angler, a small bluegill or crappie caught with a simple hook and bobber is a major achievement. For some children, a big fish might be scary. KEEP IT SIMPLE. Don't make your fishing outing a big production. Kids can only take in so much information at any given time. The more complicated you make it, the more frustrated they'll get. You don't need fancy equipment. You don't need a boat; fishing from a pier, dock or shore will do just fine. Keep it simple. After all, your child just wants to spend time with you. MAKE IT AN ADVENTURE. Like any great adventure, planning it is three-quarters the fun. Fishing is the same way. Even if the fish aren't biting, you can have fun buying a family fishing license; studying a map of where you're going; exploring the lake, stream or beach, digging for worms, making a picnic lunch, or pretending you are in search of Moby Crappie or Catfish. USE RELIABLE EQUIPMENT. Quality fishing equipment is important to ensure that everyone has a positive, frustration-free experience. ATTENTION SPAN. It's a fact of life. Kids have short attention spans. First off, plan ahead. Check the forecast for bad weather. Look for a spot that has easily accessible rest rooms and a nearby playground. Bring snacks, and maybe some toys. Second, don't make the mistake of forcing your child to fish for hours on end. Sometimes a child will be happy fishing for 15 minutes and then playing for an hour along the beach. HANDLING THE FISH. If a child catches a fish, don't force him or her to take it off the hook, or to touch the fish. Do it for them. After all, imitation can often be the best teacher. QUICK SUCCESS. With youngsters, a little success, early on, will hook them for a lifetime. So, as you plan your fishing outing, make a point to find some spots that will quickly reward you and your little one with fish. Kids don't care about size, but they do like to catch fish, even if they're little ones. So, stop by or make a quick call to a nearby bait and tackle store to learn where they're bitin'. SAFETY FIRST. Whether it is big river or a small neighborhood pond, water needs to be respected. Show your child how to act safely around water, in a boat or on a dock. Use your fishing outings to teach and rehearse what they should do if they get in trouble with water. LOVE THE OUTDOORS. It's never too early to show your child how to love and appreciate the outdoors. While you're fishing, take this time to observe other creatures such as birds, ducks or squirrels, and talk about simple ways to keep the outdoors beautiful, such as properly disposing fishing line or picking up candy wrappers and soda cans. CATCH, RELEASE, PRAISE. Don't worry about catch and release. Better yet, let your child make the decision. Give him or her the opportunity to take their catch home to show friends and relatives. But do teach your child how to carefully and respectfully handle a fish for the day when they do release them. Whatever the decision, don't forget to heap on plenty of praise for learning a new skill. CAPTURE THE MEMORIES. Whether your child sticks with fishing or not, only time will tell. But for now, what matters is capturing the memories so they have something to share with their friends, family members, and ultimately, with their kids. So take plenty of photos. SHOW THEM YOUR BEST. Finally, fishing is an excellent opportunity to teach your kids how to be kind, caring adults. Children imitate adults they love and respect. So, show them your best and make a good impression. Taking the time to be with your children and sharing in the excitement of the outdoors will pay big dividends in years to come. Fishing Lures SURFACE PLUGS There are a few variations of surface plugs these are crawlers, chuggers and propbaits. Crawlers are designed to work on the surface they can have a spinning blade at either end of the body or wings on the side or even a nose plate. They make a tremendous disturbance on the water surface and are best fished in summer over shallow water and near trees or reed beds. Some of the well known makes are the Jitter Bug [shown] and the Crazy Crawler. Chuggers normally have a concave shaped front end or a longer top or bottom lip. Chuggers are designed to be fished by flicking and twitching the rod tip to get the required action. A propbait normally as a propeller blade at one or each end of its body, the blades are designed to churn up the water surface when retrieved by the angler. JERKBAITS This plug is made so when you jerk the rod tip it will dive, this could be to a depth of 4 foot or more. Then depending how it is weighted it will then rise to the surface fast or slowly. They can be effectively fished by moving your rod tip after the initial dive which will keep it working under water then occasionally pausing and letting it float back to the surface. There are now many of this design of lure available one of the earliest types was the Suick Thriller. FLOATING DIVING LURES This plug rest on the surface until retrieved when the lure will dive, the depth it dives to is dependant on the speed of retrieve and the size of the diving vane. The vane is normally made of metal or plastic and with skill on the anglers part the plug can perform many different actions. When fishing with this type of plug it is important to know what depth each lure will fish to, this will enable you to fish every plug to its maximum potential. The Bomber Fat A is a well known lure of this type it is very buoyant, as a big rattle and the size of the diving vane make it snag resistant. SINKING PLUGS These plugs are designed to fish in deep water many of the plugs dive at one foot per second. They can look similar to the floater diving plugs but normally have a smaller vane., they have a ball bearing in the plugs body which gives off a vibration as an added attractant. Because they can be fished on the countdown method it is easy to be aware at what depth you are fishing at and hopefully the depth the fish are in. I have shown the Super Spot plug but there are many other types including the well known Rapala Sinker. Fishing Knots