How-To

If you fish the vast waters of Lake Michigan for perch you know how much fun it can be. You also know how difficult it can be to find the fish on some days. I fish out of South Haven MI and try to get on the water 40 days every summer. In sharing some of my experience I hope it helps someone catch more fish.

I like to fish the perch in relation to the water temp and the time of year. Early in the year I find big schools of Perch in 50-65 ft. It may seem hopeless but try to find a depression or something hard on the bottom. In the summer when the water is close to 70 deg f they tend to be in the 20-30 ft range. I have done very well by fishing a small depression maybe 20 foot in diameter.

The yellow perch is a fish that is prevalent in quite a few different areas. Some areas that have yellow perch in the lakes and rivers are Canada, the Great Lakes region and even through Pennsylvania all the way to South Carolina.

These sought after fish are also seen in other states such as Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana and Utah. It is important to learn about the habitat and habits of the yellow perch in order to know the best ways to catch these types of fish.

The yellow perch is found in the states listed above in the many lakes and rivers which permeate those regions. These fish tend to eat during daylight hours and maintain an active lifestyle, so to speak. The yellow perch are most still when it is nighttime, which makes it easy for daytime fishermen to catch this type of species. The yellow perch is part of the Percidae fish family and is related to the walleye and the sauger.

When you are going northern fly fishing with your fly fishing rod, which pike fishing flies and pike tackle you use is not that important. Personally, I prefer to fish with a fiver-sixer rod but before you begin it is important to use a trace. I usually attach a common wire trace of a half-rod length with 0.4 mm. line. There is also a pure kevlar trace on 5 meter reels which is smooth and fine. You will find kevlar steel a bit stiffer because it has a thin wire inside, both of different thicknesses. 90% of the time the pike takes the fly gently and usually gets hooked in the lip. It is then up to you to "steer" the fish so it does not swallow the line further inside the mouth. The flies can vary from smaller streamers to large tube flies. A variant is to use a floating fly and fish with sinking line. It is preferable to use a boat, but keep in mind some lakes have boat restrictions so it is a good idea to first check local restrictions for the lake.

With most people looking for northern pike fishing as their next exciting venture in fishing, it is important to know when you can fish for these fish. You cannot just land up at anytime and start fishing for them because there is always a time and place for it.

Now, northern pike fishing is entirely dependant on the seasonal cycle. The reason I am saying this is because these fishes are migratory fishes and therefore they prefer to move from one place to another during particular seasons. Most migratory fishes love to move into the river for the time of their egg and return back to the sea once this is done. Similarly, these fishes too have such habits.

Most anglers think big when hunting lunker muskie, but if you want to catch more muskie think smaller baits and tackle. I caught my biggest muskellunge while fishing walleye with a plastic worm in September. More often than can be considered coincidental people catch a lunge while fishing other species. Most anglers look to heavy tackle, large baits and trolling as the way to catch muskies. Personally I become bored or just tired of trolling all the time.

Now one of my most successful tactics used especially in the fall is used for fishing large walleye and at the same time muskellunge. I use medium size tackle and large walleye baits especially jigs. Fishing weed lines, drop offs and shoals as you would for walleyes will also attract as many lunge as walleyes. The first time I realised this I did have some success for large walleyes and had just caught and released a nice 7 pounder that was followed to the boat by a large muskie.

Introduction

Due to the size, power of the fish, the strain of the lures themselves, muskie fishing is unlike any other freshwater fishing -- it requires specialized tackle from the rod to the lure and everything in between. I am hoping this guide will give you an idea of what is required before heading to a vendor interested in separating you from your hard earned cash. I am hesitant naming specific brands until they start putting food on my table -- however, do keep in mind, you get what you pay for. There are no shortcuts and I guarantee you, skimping now will result in lost fish, broken gear and ultimately, spending more later. Do it right the first time!

Rods & Reels

Whether you call it Old Man River, the Mighty Mississippi, or just the Mississippi River, it is the largest and longest river in the country, if you include its main tributary, the Missouri River. Most people do not think of the Mississippi River as a place to fish, rather a muddy, polluted, channelized waterway. It is true that the river is deeply damaged, but it still manages to offer unparalleled fishing opportunities even to this day.

Atlantic Croaker

Atlantic Croaker or "hardhead" are popular saltwater fish common along the Atlantic coast. The fish get their names because of the "croaking" noise the make when removed from the water. Croakers are hard fighters and prolific feeders. They are caught on a variety of baits and lures and even go after flies in shallow water areas. Croakers are easily accessible, being caught on piers, jetties, small boats, charter boats and head boats.

Bluefish

Bluefish are an exciting gamefish. They are found all along the USA east coast, sometimes in large schools. The fish are voracious feeders and are known for their sharp teeth and ability to demolish even the strongest tackle. In some areas cut baits are used, including squid, fish, bloodworms or other baits. Anglers also troll, jig, cast artificial lures and fly fish for bluefish. The fish have dark, oily meat but are excellent smoked.

Sea Bass

If you're looking to max out on crappies this summer, look no further. To some fisherman, crappies are the only pan-fish worth catching and might even be the only species they ever fish for, and with good reason. But have you ever noticed when you're out trying to catch some bass, you end up catching nothing but pan-fish (crappies, bluegills and such)?

And then when you want nothing more than to come home with a stringer full of crappies, they're nowhere to be found?

Well if you're in the mood to spend a day at the lake raking in the crappies like a pro, then take a look at what the pro's say about what they use and how they use it.

First of all, around this time of year (August as of now) when the water temperature finally begins to warm up, you won't find crappies in the shallows. By this time, crappies are done spawning and typically abandon the cover they used during spring, which means you'll have to do some work trying to find schools of them.

Tip 1. Choosing a suitable carp water

Choosing a water to carp fish on is heavily dependent on what you want to achieve from the sport. Whether you are looking for some peace and quiet in the countryside, a tough challenge or just to catch as many fish as possible there is a water for you.

Club waters - These are waters available to fish upon joining an angling club or society. These are usually one of the cheapest ways of getting carp fishing with angling clubs all over the UK from as little as £40 a year to fish. Clubs are very variable though and your enjoyment of the sport will often depend on the other members and types of fishing they prefer. e.g. If you join a popular club for match fishing you can often expect your fishing to be curtailed on a Sunday morning by a match fixture. The best approach is often to contact a club and ask if it is possible to walk round a venue to get a feel for the place and chat to a few anglers.