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Message started by Rat Man on May 21st, 2019 at 9:33am

Title: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 21st, 2019 at 9:33am
    In the Summer my little lake gets weed choked.  Most people would look at it and think "What a shame. That lake us ruined." I am the opposite. When I made the jump from being an average to a very successful fisherman learning to fish the junk was what made the difference. I specialize in fishing the garbage. The heavier the weeds and such the better. Both Bass and Pickerel  love heavy cover as do most predatory fish. They are ambush hunters.
     Most of the lures in your tackle box won't work in the thickest stuff. What works best is just about any plastic bait rigged Texas Style without a weight.  Hold your rod tip up high and slowly pull your lure over the mat. When you come to open pockets let it swim down.
      Some hard lures that are very weedless and can be used in this situation are those big tandem  Bass spinners or weedless spoons like the Johnson Silver Minnow (great lure) and Moss Boss.
     Volumes could be written about this subject. Bottom line, if you want to catch the big boys learn to fish the slop.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Jauke on May 21st, 2019 at 12:07pm
I've barely done any fishing in my life but it's a very popular hobby in the Netherlands. As a result you need a fishing permit if you want to fish above the age of 14 or 16 I think. Which costs 40 eur a year.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Kick on May 21st, 2019 at 12:57pm
I've done some fishing but I've been put off it. The last fish I caught was a pike that was so aggressive that it almost entirely swallowed the lure meaning I had to cut it's head off to get it out. Didn't have the time to prepare it to eat so it died for nothing but my own entertainment. Didn't feel good.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Curious Aardvark on May 22nd, 2019 at 6:15am
a good pair of disgorgers is essential if you're going to fish for things like pike. That and quicker reactions :-)
Also barbless hooks are a really good idea. Even on lures, I'll crimp the barbs flat. It doesn't make any real difference to catching the fish (if you don't keep tension on the line you don't deserve to land it anyway :-) - but a helluva difference in getting the hooks out.

You get very long locking thin scissor/plier things that work well for that kind of situation.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Straight-Stainless-Lockable-Position-NGT/dp/B014T6NBAG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=long+disgorgers&qid=1558520072&s=gateway&sr=8-1


As for the fish, just gut it on the bank and freeze the carcass until you're ready to either fillet it or bake it whole.
Pike is good eating.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Kick on May 22nd, 2019 at 6:59am
No ability to freeze it at the cottage unfortunately :/

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Curious Aardvark on May 22nd, 2019 at 11:16am
then pickle it :-)

Vinegar, sugar, onions, salt and pepper. Come on dude you're in scandanavia - home of pickled fish !

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 22nd, 2019 at 8:50pm

Curious Aardvark wrote on May 22nd, 2019 at 6:15am:
a good pair of disgorgers is essential if you're going to fish for things like pike. That and quicker reactions :-)
Also barbless hooks are a really good idea. Even on lures, I'll crimp the barbs flat. It doesn't make any real difference to catching the fish (if you don't keep tension on the line you don't deserve to land it anyway :-) - but a helluva difference in getting the hooks out.

You get very long locking thin scissor/plier things that work well for that kind of situation.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Straight-Stainless-Lockable-Position-NGT/dp/B014T6NBAG/ref=sr_1_1?keywords=long+disgorgers&qid=1558520072&s=gateway&sr=8-1


As for the fish, just gut it on the bank and freeze the carcass until you're ready to either fillet it or bake it whole.
Pike is good eating.


Excellent advice, c_a. I fish mostly for Northern Chain Pickerel, which are a smaller cousin to the Pike.  They are also very toothy and violent. It's a good idea to carry wire cutters with you... ones that are sturdy enough to cut through your heaviest hooks.  For those who don't want to mash their barbs, often cutting them off is the only way to avoid tearing a fish to ribbons.  I would much rather waste a hook or even a six dollar lure than kill a fish for no reason. 

Jauke, one also needs a fishing license here in the States.  The age varies from state to state.  In my state of New Jersey I believe it's twelve.  A resident license costs $22.50.  If you wish to catch trout, which are stocked in this state, it's $5.00 more for a trout stamp.  I only did this once in my life because a friend wanted to.  The idea of paying to catch fish that they dumped into the creek doesn't appeal to me.  Plus trout fishing here is usually a cluster f**k with people on top of each other. 

Edit:  Also, if the fish is badly hooked it's sometimes it's best chance to survive is if you just to cut the line and leave the hook in the fish. The hook will oxidize in about three weeks.  This is for extreme cases like when the fish is gut hooked.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Curious Aardvark on May 23rd, 2019 at 6:01am
Actually another reason for using barbless hooks - it's much much easier and less painful to remove them from YOURSELF !

And yes, at some point you will stick yourself with a fish hook.
:-)
   

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 24th, 2019 at 12:38pm
   I'm all for barbless hooks.  I mentioned the cutters because not everyone is willing to switch to them.  Also I use steel worm weights instead of lead.  Steel doesn't pollute lakes and rivers or poison waterfowl.  There's an added bonus.  On a rig designed to make noise like a Carolina Clacker, (beads and weight bang into a swivel to make noise to attract fish) steel makes a lot more noise than lead.  Tungsten is more dense than lead and is really the ideal replacement for it but unfortunately it's brutally expensive (at least to me). Steel weights are much cheaper. Ultra-Steel is the brand I use.  I suppose there are others.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 24th, 2019 at 12:43pm
   Something else I'd like to mention.  Many lures are designed to catch fishermen or women rather than fish.  You can spend $40.00 or even more on a single lure.  If I spent that much on a lure I'd be afraid to cast in into the junk where the fish are.  Here's the bottom line... no matter how much you spend on a lure it won't catch fish any better than a cheap bag of plastic worms.  Don't be a fool.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 26th, 2019 at 6:09pm

Curious Aardvark wrote on May 23rd, 2019 at 6:01am:
Actually another reason for using barbless hooks - it's much much easier and less painful to remove them from YOURSELF !

And yes, at some point you will stick yourself with a fish hook.
:-)
   


I only ever hooked myself once, but I REALLY hooked myself.  I was fishing with my nephew, Mike.  I missed with a cast and my lure got stuck in a wall of stickers and brush on the shore.  I pulled but the lure was very stuck.  I pulled harder and the wall pulled out about two feet.  Did I mention that I was very drunk?   Suddenly the lure snapped out of the brush toward me like it was shot out of a cannon.  A very thick hook got buried in my left arm.  To get to a hospital to have it removed we would have had to ride to shore, put all of the gear and the boat up, drive out of the woods, (many miles) and drive to the nearest hospital.   We were back in the Jersey Pines so this also would have taken some time.  I really didn't feel like spending the next few hours with a big old lure attached to my arm so I took matters into my own hands.  The only way to free myself from the lure was to pop the hook back through  my skin and cut the barb off.  My skin is very tough and the hook was only moderately sharp.   I had to stretch my skin way out. Mike couldn't bear to watch and turned his back to the ordeal.  Being very drunk helped a great deal.  Finally the hook broke through with a loud !POP!  I'll never forget how Mike cringed upon hearing the sound.  But the hook was through, I cut the barb off, then pulled the hook out.  We finished our fishing day.  Luckily there was no infection. 
    Back to the point.  Had that been a barbless hook there would have been no drama. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 8th, 2019 at 8:39pm
   My very favorite lure is the Tiki Man Wave Worm.  It's a Senko knockoff.  If someone held a gun to my head and demanded that I catch a fish this is what I'd use.  Rigged Texas style with a 3/0 wide gap worm hook and no weight they are killer on Pickerel, Bass, or just about any predatory fish. Most will probably ignore this tip but I just told you something valuable.  Try them.
    BTW, I just realized that I've been fishing for sixty years.  Scary thought.
TikiMan.JPG (22 KB | 64 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 8th, 2019 at 8:51pm
    This is my second favorite lure, the Johnson Silver Minnow.  It's a weedless spoon.  It was invented about ninety years ago.    It's a very close second to the Tiki Man. It is extremely versatile and effective.  I like the 3/4 oz  model, gold color the most. It's best when rigged with a 4" twin tail grub as a trailer.  Other trailers also work.  Both the Sliver Minnow and the Tiki Man Wave Worm are designed to be used in the slop.  Fish them in the heaviest, worst cover you can find. 
    There is also much to be said for the good old regular purple plastic worm.  It worked for your grandfather and it works now. 
     There are MANY other lures that I love.  These are my three main ones.  What are some of your favorites? 
SilverMinnow.JPG (19 KB | 62 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by walter on Jun 8th, 2019 at 9:49pm
Rat Man, what do you think of dare devils and what fish would you try them on?


Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Jauke on Jun 10th, 2019 at 3:48pm
Had a long ride through the country side today.. saw many fishers out there on the canals. Young people, girls, boys, couples, old and young. It's something that many from the more rural areas  learn when young, and still do when old.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 10th, 2019 at 8:25pm

walter wrote on Jun 8th, 2019 at 9:49pm:
Rat Man, what do you think of dare devils and what fish would you try them on?

  I love Daredevils.  They seem to work on just about every kind of fish, in fresh or salt water.  Some of the species I've caught with them are Bass (both Large and Smallmouth), Pickerel, Crappy, Sunnies, Catfish (yes, Catfish), Yellow and White Perch, Bluefish, Weakies, Shark, Trout, Rock Bass ... the list is long.  For many years I fished the Daredevil as is.  These days I remove the treble hook, replace it with a kinked shanked worm hook, and put a trailer on it.  This changes it's action from a spin to a wobble, but it's still very effective and rigged like this you can throw it in the slop where the fish are.  Though I use them all the 1/4 oz size is my favorite.  I like all of the patterns but the traditional red and white is my go to. Daredevils rank very high on my favorites list.  I wouldn't be without them.

Edit:  for many years the Daredevil was my #1 go to lure.  Then in the 80s I discovered the Johnson Silver Minnow and that became my favorite at the time.  But to this day Daredevils are very high on my list of best lures ever.

Edit:  If you remove the treble hook on a Daredevil and replace it with a weedless hook and trailer as I suggested above make sure that the trailer isn't too big for the lure.  Using too big/heavy a trailer will kill the wobble action rendering one of the all time great lures useless. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jun 11th, 2019 at 10:55am
Lately I've been thinking it would be fun to make my own lures and see if I can't catch some big fish on bits of string and tin. That would be very satisfying.

I agree on fishing the junk. I used to fish up in the mountains of Utah at a place called Navajo lake. When I was new there I couldn't figure out how one person was reeling in fish after fish while everyone else was getting skunked. Turns out you had to use a lot of weight to punch through the weeds way out in the middle of the lake. All the big trout were down there. We started catching a ton of fish after that realization.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by metalode on Jun 12th, 2019 at 10:38pm
Don't really get weed out here in the rivers, I do fish fallen/sunken timber though for murray cod, my favorite lure for that is a fruit salad 105mm stumpjumper. Cant use spoons there, they just get snagged when they hit a tree.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 15th, 2019 at 8:36pm
Morphy:
    My friend Del and I often design our own lures.  It's loads of fun and a good way to learn what works and what doesn't.
metaload:
    Stumpjumpers are always a good option.  I agree that they're great for working over fallen timber.  I also like a pig and jig for that purpose.  3/8 oz is a good size for me.  A black and blue skirt works the best around here. Many other colors can be effective.
    One more thing I'd like to say about Daredevils... they cast like a bullet.  That's one of the reasons I prefer the 1/4 oz size.  On light line you can cast one half way to France.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 17th, 2019 at 10:03pm
  I mentioned tandem Bass spinners earlier.  They are very weedless even though they don't look like they would be.  I am a fan of big blades.  Any quality tandem bass spinner will work right out of the box but if you want to increase its effectiveness then increase the blade size.  You can order blades from Bass Pro, Cabala's or any such store. What kind of blade to use is too involved a subject to cover in a quick paragraph but whether you prefer Colorado, Indiana, or Willowleaf blades you can increase the number of hits you get by increasing the blade size.  Don't be afraid to use a #7 or #8 blade.  They might look obnoxiously big but trust me, the fish will love the extra flash.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 2nd, 2019 at 1:03pm
   I mentioned this once on another fishing thread here years ago... jig spinners.  You can attach any inline spinner like a Mepps, Roostertail, Blue Fox, Panther Martin, etc. to them. Why?  For two reasons.  First, they add extra fish attracting flash.  Also they eliminate line twist.  Using a swivel with an inline spinner helps prevent some line twist. Using jig spinner with one eliminates it completely. 
     You can also use jig spinners with any sort of jig or Shad Dart.  Plus you can build your own lures with them.  Put a grub on a standard 1/4 oz jighead and attach it to a jig spinner and you've just built an extremely effective lure for next to nothing.  Several of my friends' first lure fish ever were caught on such home made lures.
    The jig spinner is a very versatile piece of equipment.  What you can do with it is limited to your imagination. 
js.JPG (9 KB | 37 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 11th, 2019 at 8:49pm
  One other thing I'd like to mention is something that's been covered on other fishing threads here but I feel it's important enough to mention again... The Edge Theory.   I didn't invent The Edge Theory.  I read about it in In Fisherman magazine back in the 80s.  They admitted that they didn't invent it either. 
    Imagine you find yourself on a lake that you've never fished before.  How do you find the fish?  By fishing in a spot that has the most edges.  What sort of edges?  You're looking for differences.  Examples are where weeds meet open water, where different sorts of weeds and plants converge, where deep water meets shallow, where clear water meets stained, where cold water meets warm, where ice meets open water, where tributaries meet larger bodies of water, where fast moving water meets slow... the possibilities are many.  The bottom of the lake is an edge as is the surface.  Dusk and dawn are edges.  I could go on for a while with this but you get the idea.  Match up as many edges as you can in one place and you'll more than likely find the fish.  The Edge Theory also works just as well for hunting.  At first you have to think about it but after you've used it for a while finding edges becomes automatic.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 17th, 2019 at 5:57pm
   Now is the time of Summer doldrums when the fishing action slows down considerably. It will stay this way until Fall. There is much natural food so the fish are less interested in your offerings. Also there are many more weeds so you can't zero in on cover... it's everywhere. Fish can still be caught but you have to work much harder. Sometimes downsizing your lure selections can help. The bottom line is that you'll be making many more casts for each fish.
     Depending on your area of the country, around October the fun starts again. The water cools, the weeds retreat, natural food becomes more scarce, and the fish have an urgency to feed and fatten up as much as possible before Winter sets in. Also many sportsmen are concentrating on hunting now so there is less pressure. Summer is tough. Mid to late Fall is my favorite time to fish.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:16pm
My guests had a good day on  my lake yesterday.  First is Chad with a couple of respectable Bass.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:16pm
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:17pm
Chad's friend TJ also caught a couple.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:18pm
.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:19pm
  Chad's nine year old daughter Michelle was out by herself in my little Discovery canoe.  She caught the biggest one of the day.  It was her first bass ever. 
M1.JPG (83 KB | 44 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 5th, 2019 at 3:21pm
    For some reason the Pickerel, which are plentiful in my lake, have been absent for a few weeks.  I think the water is too warm for them.  They're probably laying on the bottom in the deepest, coolest part of the lake waiting for Fall.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 12th, 2021 at 2:33pm
Finally started on this jig and got my self a spinning rod and taught myself how to use it and delved into this hobby. What a great hobby it is ! Have caught a fair few of fish last week. My favorite so far is to fish predatory fish with spinning rod and an artificial lure but have also caught some smaller fish with worms. That's more fun to me than just sitting in a chair waiting for a float to be pulled under but I can also see the fun in that.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 12th, 2021 at 2:52pm
   Fishing with bait is certainly fun.  Personally I find lure fishing more rewarding.  With lure fishing you've taken a piece of plastic and /or metal and fooled the fish into thinking it's live prey.  With bait fishing you're dangling bait waiting for the fish to come by and eat it.
    Usually if I'm fishing for the table I'll bait fish and when I'm fishing for sport I'll use just lures. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 12th, 2021 at 3:16pm
Fish i've caught so far are Asp and Black Goby. Tomorrow after work I intend to go fishing again

I m going to try barbless hooks for fish I intend to throw back, and keep barb for fish that would be dispatched anyway

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 12th, 2021 at 6:47pm
Theres something about bobber fishing. Reminds me of childhood. Just sitting on a dock by yourself watching the bobber at night. The boat dock overhead light casting an orange glow over the area. Hoping when car lights show up its not some serial killer about to yeet you into the eternal void.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Kick on Jul 13th, 2021 at 10:44am
I've been working on a primitive fishing kit. My first time out taught me a lot. Most notably that my stinging nettle fibre line was way too thick and short. The hooks are held in place with nettle fibre and beeswax. Pitch would be better, but I don't have that available yet, hopefully soon though. Most of my hooks were too big for the area I was in too. I'm still working on a new line that's much thinner and we've now moved to an area where the sea is really close by so looking forward to getting out there.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 13th, 2021 at 11:07am
So cool Kick. Great work.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 13th, 2021 at 1:26pm
  Love your primitive gear, Kick. 
J, I have no idea what kind of fish an Asp and Black Goby are. Are they related to some sort of fish I am familiar with? 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 13th, 2021 at 2:10pm
the asp is about the most stereotypical looking fish you can get
black goby I didn't know how to handle at first but later learned it's nothing to be afraid of. Little exotic looking fish with a suction cup on the bottom of their body

Wanted to go fishing today because I expected to receive the rest of the required paperwork today, but didn't get it in the mail. Hope to receive it later this week. We have pike , bass, trout, catfish and all that stuff too

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 15th, 2021 at 4:46am
Caught my first pike yesterday, about 40 cm in length. what an awesome fish

Used a cheapo chinese $20 spinning rod and reel, with a barbless spinner. It got me so excited for fishing
that I ordered a better quality fishing combo from Shimano when I got home.
Never really liked modern gear but modern fishing rods are an exception. This is as fun as slinging

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 15th, 2021 at 10:39am
Looks like we are in real danger of losing J.  ;D

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 15th, 2021 at 2:11pm
casting long distances with the rod into the lake is very fun, it reminds me of slinging, and the feeling of getting a bite is awesome and reeling the fish in, with the anticipation untill you fully see what you got... awesome. I'm going fishing again tonight

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by walter on Jul 15th, 2021 at 7:12pm
@ Kick

Nice! You will post a pic of your first fish right?

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 16th, 2021 at 11:35am
    For those of us who also didn't know, an Asp is a member of the Carp family.
Asp.jpg (62 KB | 26 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 16th, 2021 at 11:40am
... and a Black Goby is a type of Black Sea Bass.
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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 16th, 2021 at 11:44am

AncientCraftwork wrote on Jul 15th, 2021 at 2:11pm:
casting long distances with the rod into the lake is very fun, it reminds me of slinging, and the feeling of getting a bite is awesome and reeling the fish in, with the anticipation untill you fully see what you got... awesome. I'm going fishing again tonight


It is a great sport. I used to be literally obsessed with it.  You'll find that it's easier to achieve accuracy with a rod and reel than with a sling.  With the right equipment and lots of practice you'll be able to place your lure on a dime. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 17th, 2021 at 8:55am
got the fancy rod for few days now but haven't caught a single fish with it yet have more hours into it than the cheap rod.
It has yellow braided line and I think this is what is the cause  >:(. My cheaper combo has clear monofilament
see that's what ya get you buy something expensive and it doesn't work any better

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 17th, 2021 at 11:34am
Braid works great. I use a similar brand that is also yellow braided. Haven had much of an issue with them being scared of it. Your results may vary as we have different fish here.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 17th, 2021 at 12:26pm
yeah it's probably just bad luck or bad technique on my part. Also suffered from a wind knot. Anyway I am going to try improvised fly fishing tonight, very similar to what these guys are doing
https://youtu.be/8czxrTUlmxU

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 17th, 2021 at 2:08pm
As soon as you said "improvised fly fishing", i figured you might be talking about tenkara. Ive always want to do that.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 17th, 2021 at 3:58pm
   I can't comment on fly fishing.  I've read up on it and looked into doing it but never got around to it.  Maybe someday.   I inherited my late buddy Del's fly pole so I have no excuse. 
   For spinning gear, in my not so humble opinion the very best line made is Berkley's FireLine.  It is super strong and has just one quarter the diameter of equivalent test mono.  Also it as virtually no stretch or memory.  It's expensive for the short run but it doesn't degrade on the spool like mono does so you don't have to replace it every year.  I generally buy the smoke colored line.  It seems to be the least visible to the fish.  It does everything I ever hoped a fishing line would do.  I like it much. 

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Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 17th, 2021 at 4:50pm
So my improvised fly fishing didn't catch me anything, although the casts were good and it's not hard. Problem is I can't get far enough in the lake with my boots so I will have to wait until I get my waders for further testing
I did catch a small ''Roach'' (Rutilus rutilus)) with a simple worm dangling a 2 ft piece of line from the rod with a small hook and worm.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Kick on Jul 17th, 2021 at 5:00pm

walter wrote on Jul 15th, 2021 at 7:12pm:
@ Kick

Nice! You will post a pic of your first fish right?

Actually catch a fish!? That's very optimistic of you Walter :D

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 19th, 2021 at 4:36pm
The braided line is working fine now. It seems it has changed her mind. I do throw only throw spinner bait with it now that has a swivel to prevent twists. Caught two perch yesterday with barbed hook and lost 2 pike today just when I reeled them up with barbless spinners. Use a dip net next time .

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 19th, 2021 at 4:52pm
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000TXDNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_MWHH7STGBYD42NXK9F02?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Best lure ive ever used. Caught tons of fish on mine. Easily paid for itself.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 20th, 2021 at 11:48am

Morphy wrote on Jul 19th, 2021 at 4:52pm:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000TXDNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_MWHH7STGBYD42NXK9F02?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Best lure ive ever used. Caught tons of fish on mine. Easily paid for itself.


The Crawfish Crankbait is a good solid lure.  It works best on Smallmouths for me. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 20th, 2021 at 12:00pm
forgive my commentary on braided line.. it is really great, probably would've lost my lure 3 times by now without it, it just pulls through the snags.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 20th, 2021 at 12:10pm

Rat Man wrote on Jul 20th, 2021 at 11:48am:

Morphy wrote on Jul 19th, 2021 at 4:52pm:
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0000TXDNW/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_glt_fabc_MWHH7STGBYD42NXK9F02?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1

Best lure ive ever used. Caught tons of fish on mine. Easily paid for itself.


The Crawfish Crankbait is a good solid lure.  It works best on Smallmouths for me. 


Smallmouth love it. Also had good success on large mouth and larger blue gills.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 20th, 2021 at 9:21pm
     Speaking of crank baits, here's one I'd never be without;  Mann's Baby 1-.  It's main selling point is that no matter how you work it the lure won't dive more than one foot.  It is also aerodynamic and on light line will cast like a bullet. It is a very obnoxious lure that can't be ignored.  It has one of the loudest rattles you'll ever hear plus it's action is very eccentric.  It's great for covering a lot of water in a hurry and it drives fish mad. 
    There is also the original 1- that is much larger.  I've had success with it but I get more hits on the Baby version. 
    IMO Mann's 1- is among the best crank baits ever made. 
Baby.jpg (36 KB | 24 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 21st, 2021 at 6:37am
I personally like braided but to each their own. Glad its working good for you J.


@RM- I might have to get that one. Lure fishing is a lot of fun. When you are in a decent area that is. In an area that is hit or miss I tend to prefer bait. Or even better bait on one pole and a lure on the other.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by walter on Jul 22nd, 2021 at 9:48pm

Morphy wrote on Jul 21st, 2021 at 6:37am:
I personally like braided but to each their own. Glad its working good for you J.


@RM- I might have to get that one. Lure fishing is a lot of fun. When you are in a decent area that is. In an area that is hit or miss I tend to prefer bait. Or even better bait on one pole and a lure on the other.


All the while, keeping an eye on that floating gill net :)

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 22nd, 2021 at 10:07pm
   Gill nets, trot lines, jug fishing, all illegal in New Jersey. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 22nd, 2021 at 10:13pm

walter wrote on Jul 22nd, 2021 at 9:48pm:

Morphy wrote on Jul 21st, 2021 at 6:37am:
I personally like braided but to each their own. Glad its working good for you J.


@RM- I might have to get that one. Lure fishing is a lot of fun. When you are in a decent area that is. In an area that is hit or miss I tend to prefer bait. Or even better bait on one pole and a lure on the other.


All the while, keeping an eye on that floating gill net :)



I admit in my youth I kept a few illegal fish from my cast net.  8-) Cast nets are a thing of  beauty. Never used a gill net but I know they are super effective.  :)

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 24th, 2021 at 8:30am
   Expensive rods are certainly nice and often worth the money.  With a good graphite rod you can feel EVERYTHING going on down below almost like you had eyes down there.  But there's something I discovered.  If you use a super line like FireLine or one of the premium braids you probably don't want that expensive graphite rod.  Why?  Because the super lines have virtually no stretch to them and the most expensive rods tend to be stiff.  So if you have a very expensive rod and a reel strung a super line you have no flex at all.  This will inhibit your casting ability and when you set the hook you'll be ripping the fish's face off.  You absolutely need a little flex in your set up.  As mentioned earlier I like FireLine a lot.  Consequently I'll use a composite pole with some flex in it like a reasonably priced Ugly Stick (great rod).  Or even a cheap fiberglass rod.  Just something to consider.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 24th, 2021 at 8:46am
I've been fishing with a more simple setup, a simple telescopic rod without reel ir guides & some line at the end with bobber weight, small treble hook and nightcrawlers. It works for all kinds of small fish.
This setup works better in ponds and pools with lots of lilys and other plants where reel fishing would simply get snagged on plantation. Simply drop the bait between the plants.
I think one of the most important aspects regarding fishing is knowing where the fish are. Once you got that you down you can catch the fish with a homemade pole and line. It's a nice change compared to using the reel which does feels so sporty and modern while this way feels very traditional and simple. Of course the rod and reel is great as well
But today I want to try this simple method of fishing but with waders on, on the edges of a lake between the reeds and all stuff. Waders & polarized glasses are very convenient

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jul 25th, 2021 at 8:54am

AncientCraftwork wrote on Jul 24th, 2021 at 8:46am:
I've been fishing with a more simple setup, a simple telescopic rod without reel ir guides & some line at the end with bobber weight, small treble hook and nightcrawlers. It works for all kinds of small fish.
This setup works better in ponds and pools with lots of lilys and other plants where reel fishing would simply get snagged on plantation. Simply drop the bait between the plants.
I think one of the most important aspects regarding fishing is knowing where the fish are. Once you got that you down you can catch the fish with a homemade pole and line. It's a nice change compared to using the reel which does feels so sporty and modern while this way feels very traditional and simple. Of course the rod and reel is great as well
But today I want to try this simple method of fishing but with waders on, on the edges of a lake between the reeds and all stuff. Waders & polarized glasses are very convenient

   In America we fish for Crappie and sometimes Sunnies that way.  It can be a very effective means of filling your stringer with pan fish.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 25th, 2021 at 10:34am
I bet it is. We don't have those fish here I believe. Here I catch so far mostly roach and small perch with this method.
All that being said I am not cathing 10 small fish for every big fish. More like 2/3 small fish on the simple rod compared to
1 big pike or decent size perch on the spinningrod.  I keep experimenting to see what works best for me

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Jul 25th, 2021 at 6:06pm
Cane poles are great. Cane pole, bobber and bait. Makes for a fun afternoon.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 26th, 2021 at 3:53am
yes and defnitely not outdated, some area's are really only suited for this type of fishing with pole.
Now that I know how to use a spinning rod I want to get better at using my hobo reel
The challenge is to catch a pike with my hobo reel. The only the complex part of this setup is
the spinner lure.
most pike so far I've catched were right in front of my feet.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by J on Jul 26th, 2021 at 6:58am
I got me some spiderwire translucent braid, seems like the best of both worlds .

Small fish really seem to be discouraged by too large hooks. I switched to smaller hooks and now getting 3 times more bites

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Mar 1st, 2022 at 6:59pm
     Spring is almost upon us and the lakes are waking up.  This is a good time to revamp this thread.  I'd like to discuss fish attractants. 
      Do fish attractants like Berkely Strike really work?  Yes, absolutely, but possibly not for the reason you think.  Companies like Berkley and many others do a lot of research and experimentation trying to come up with the best fish attractant formula.  They are very popular and many fishermen, myself included, use them. 
    That said, there is a debate as to whether or not such a thing as a fish attractant actually exists.  Some claim that fish attractants don't really attract fish.  All they do is mask odors like tobacco, rust, human scent, or whatever. 
     Here's the good news; it doesn't matter whether fish attractants really attract fish or just mask unwanted odors.  It makes no difference whatsoever because in either case the result is the same... you catch more fish using them.
     My very favorite is Baitmate.  It works as well as anything I've ever tried and it's reasonably priced.  It has a licorice scent. 
     Many lures come impregnated with fish attractant, salt, coffee, etc., etc.  Do these lures work? Yes, yes, and yes.  Absolutely.  One of my all time favorites is the Mann's Jelly Worm.  They come in fruit flavors like grape, blackberry, and cherry.  The biggest Largemouth I ever caught in my life was on a grape Jelly Worm.  Jelly Worms have been around since I was a kid and probably even before that.  Fish them just like you would any plastic worm.  After a while the scent wears off and they aren't quite as effective but they'll still work.  Try them rigged Texas style and you'll thank me for the tip.
     While we're on the subject of smelly baits I'd like to mention pork rinds.  Uncle Josh I guess is the most popular pork rind bait.  They come in little jars of smelly pork brine. They're available in many shapes and sizes.  Some are cut into strips like Bass or Striper Strips.  Some are cut into chunky frog imitations. The strips can be used as trailers on spoons and spinners.  The pork frogs are generally used on skirted bass jigs. (pig and jig)  They are extremely tough so unless it falls off your hook you can use the same one all day.  When finished fishing you can put it back in its jar and use it again later.  Pork rind baits are extremely effective, so much so that most major Bass tournaments ban their use.  I love them. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Curious Aardvark on Mar 2nd, 2022 at 8:35am
tinned hotdogs.
bait and attractant in one.
Cheap and easy to use bait :-)

Works for a whole bunch of species.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Mar 2nd, 2022 at 10:38am
Best attractant: dynamite. They come to you.

Ive also had good luck with cheeto powder for trout. The one day I tried it I reeled in 15 in a few hours when everyone else was struggling to catch one. Not sure if thats technically legal but if not just pretend you read that wrong.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Mar 3rd, 2022 at 7:50am

Morphy wrote on Mar 2nd, 2022 at 10:38am:
Ive also had good luck with cheeto powder for trout. The one day I tried it I reeled in 15 in a few hours when everyone else was struggling to catch one. Not sure if thats technically legal but if not just pretend you read that wrong.


   Interesting tip.  I'll have to keep that in mind. 
   For those who like to carp fish;  dough balls impregnated with strawberry Jello powder are killer. 

c_a; I've used hot dogs for Catfish many times.  They work quite well.  Of course Catfish will eat just about anything.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Morphy on Mar 3rd, 2022 at 4:09pm
Ive said this a million times before RM but I saw a video for fly fishing a large stream and man it made me want to fly fish. It looks so fun... have you done much fly fishing?

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Mar 4th, 2022 at 7:41am
   No, unfortunately.  I was going to get into it once years ago.  I talked with fly fishing friends, did research, and actually got as far as picking out the beginner equipment I was going to purchase.  But it never happened. I can't say why. It was just one of those things.  I inherited my late buddy Del's fancy bamboo fly fishing rod so maybe someday I'll take it up. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Apr 6th, 2022 at 2:42pm
    To those who freshwater fish with me my trademark is big lures.  I often get asked "What are you fishing for, Barracuda?"  Yet by the end of the day usually I'm the one laughing.  Don't be timid about using big lures in small water.  Fish are more apt to see the flash or color than the size.  Many times I'll catch a fish smaller than the lure I'm using.  A common cause of death of predatory fish like Largemouths and Pike is attempting to swallow prey that is too big for them to handle.
     A 12" plastic worm isn't too big.  A nine inch crank bait isn't too big.  A nine inch spoon and trailer combination isn't too big.  A tandem spinner with #8 blades isn't too big. 
     Try using bigger lures... ones that you might think of as too big now.  You'll be pleased with the results. 
     Of course nothing works all of the time with fishing.  Sometimes going the exact opposite way is the thing to do.  I've caught some mighty Bass and Pickerel on tiny panfish lures. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Apr 23rd, 2022 at 2:02pm
   As I mentioned above, years ago I started taking the treble hooks off of my Daredevil type spoons and replacing them with either kinked shank worm hooks or weed guard hooks to make them weedless.  Also I'd add a trailer. Though this changed the action of the lure from a spin to a wobble it was just as effective plus now I could cast them into the junk where the fish are. 
    This gave me the bright idea that I could do the same thing with my crankbaits.  I was certain it had to work.  Making crankbaits weedless would make them even better.  Why hadn't anyone else thought of this?  So I removed the treble hooks from most of my favorite crankbaits and replaced them with weed guard hooks. I couldn't wait to try my brilliant idea.
     It was a total failure.  To this day I don't know exactly why. I guess the weed guard hooks altered the action of the lures though to me it still seemed fine.  I tried for months to catch a fish in the weeds with crankbaits with weed guard hooks.  Fish avoided them like the plague.  Luckily I kept all of the treble hooks.  I restored all of the crankbaits  to their original state.
     Hopefully this post will keep someone else from wasting a lot of time and effort like I did.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Apr 23rd, 2022 at 2:22pm
    Speaking of crankbaits, there is an art to using deep diving crankbaits in shallow water.  It's best if you have a fairly sensitive rod and a super line with almost no stretch so you can feel what's going on. 
    Most people won't use a crankbait in water shallower than it was designed to dive out of fear of hanging it up on the bottom.  This is a shame.  They're missing out. 
    With a little practice you can use a lure that is designed to dive fifteen or twenty feet in three feet of water.  Why would you want to do such a thing?  Two reasons.  First, doing so allows you to draw a mental contour map of the bottom.  Second, bumping and dinging the bottom and objects like roots and stones on the bottom with your lure drives fish mad.  They won't be able to resist  it. 
     If you cast your deep diving crank into shallow water and start reeling like mad you will surely snag the bottom and probably lose your expensive lure.  You have to be slow and gentle.  Reel slowly.  Take it down to three feet.  Then four.  Then five, etc., etc.  Eventually you'll lightly tap the bottom or something on the bottom.  As soon as you make contact stop reeling.  Let the lure rise up a foot then begin slowly reeling in again.  Repeat the process.  A deep diving crankbait has a big diving bill on the front to make it go deep.  This same bill will protect it from getting snagged as you make contact with the bottom or objects on the bottom.  As you practice this technique something good will happen.  A big fish will slam your lure. 
     If you take your time you'll quickly master this technique with minimal lure loss.  I can fish the same deep diver in very shallow water all day without losing it.  This technique is extremely effective for getting semi-dormant fish very interested in your offering.  It is well worth the time it takes to master. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by IronGoober on Apr 25th, 2022 at 2:20pm

Rat Man wrote on Apr 23rd, 2022 at 2:22pm:
If you take your time you'll quickly master this technique with minimal lure loss.

Haha! Yeah right! I will never have minimal lure loss. Try a lost lure every other cast! lol.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Apr 25th, 2022 at 11:06pm
    Don't be a know it all.  I have been fishing for sixty two years and have picked up a few things but I certainly don't know everything.  No one can know everything about fishing.  If you find yourself fishing near someone don't assume that you're better because his gear is cheap and clunky or he's bobber fishing and you no longer use bait.  Every fisherman you come across knows something about fishing that you don't.  That's the nature of the sport.  When you consider yourself an expert and stop listening you are ignoring a valuable resource. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Apr 30th, 2022 at 2:49pm
    Catfish have a very sensitive sense of smell and love stinky bait.  They'll eat almost anything.  They'll even hit on piece of Irish Spring soap on a hook.  Crap works too.  They really aren't particular.  But there are some things they like more than others.
    You want bait that leaves a strong scent trail.  For that reason a lot of saltwater baits are excellent to use for Catfish.  Moss Bunker is a smelly, oily fish.  Around here it's usually used for crab bait.  It makes excellent Catfish bait.  Clams are good too.  Eels will also hit on everything mentioned here except maybe the soap.  One of my favorite baits for Catfish is squid.  They love it.  Also I've caught several nice Pickerel on squid which I find unusual because Pickerel only take live bait.  Shrimp will work well also but shrimp are expensive and taste better than Catfish so I'd rather eat the shrimp than use them for bait. 
    But you get the idea.  The next time you go Catfishing use some smelly, oily saltwater bait.  It doesn't have to be fresh.  You're welcome. 

Edit:  Though this has nothing to do with saltwater baits, one of the very best baits for Catfish is chicken livers.  Livers will outfish just about everything else.  The only drawback is that they're soft so you have to cast them gently and you can't use them where there's a strong current.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on May 19th, 2022 at 12:44pm
Stealth Mode:
    Can fish see what's going on above them out of the water?  You bet your butt they can.  Way back when I used to keep freshwater game fish for the table I would often find terrestrial animals such as birds or rodents in the stomachs of Pickerel or Bass.  Obviously they can see what's going on above them.  Consequently you want to avoid fishing with the sun at your back whenever possible so you're not casting a shadow over the water.  When you approach a fishing spot stay low.  Sneak up on it. Move slowly.  It can make a huge difference.  Also don't wear bright colored clothing.  Not only will this give you away to the fish but it will attract insect pests like Deer Flies and Yellow Jackets. 
     Often when fishing in one of the beautiful rivers in the Pines I can hear other canoes or kayaks approaching from miles away.  People hitting the sides of aluminum canoes while paddling is probably the worst offense.  Water transmits sound four times better than air so if I can hear you coming from two miles away I imagine you're not sneaking up on any fish.  Usually they'll have a radio blaring Rock music and they'll be hollering from boat to boat or talking loudly to one another in their canoe.  Fish don't get to be trophy sized by being stupid.   "Gary, you sure catch a lot of really big Pickerel.  You are really lucky."  Maybe.  And sometimes you make your own luck.  Be silent.  It makes all of the difference in the world.  There's another perk to fishing in silence besides catching fish.  Other wildlife won't hear you coming.  You can sneak right up on some spectacular sightings. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Curious Aardvark on May 20th, 2022 at 7:16am
lol yeah, one of my favourite sayings: 'the more you practice, the luckier you get.'


Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 2nd, 2022 at 2:41pm
   Roe sacks:  many people, particularly in America, throw them away with the rest of the guts.  For God's sake, you're wasting the best part of the fish.  The roe of any fish is delicious.  Remove the sack whole and fry it in a little butter.  The sack will break open as it fries.  That's OK.  Try it once and you'll never throw roe away again. 

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 8th, 2022 at 12:57pm
   In sparsely populated areas where lakes get less fishing pressure fish are easier to locate.  You simply look for points, pockets, structure, and cover... the aforementioned Edge Theory simplified.  But in town lakes in heavily populated areas this won't work.  Why?  Because everyone with a rod and reel knows to fish the points, pockets, cover, and structure.  In heavily fished lakes every stump has a dozen lost lures stuck in it.  Every day the prime areas are bombed relentlessly with fishermen's offerings.  But that doesn't mean that you can't catch fish in these lakes.
    My late brother in law Bob was a very good fisherman.  I learned from him and he learned from me.  One of the things he taught me was a way to find some of the prime spots that others miss in heavily fished bodies of water.  This trick will only work on certain days when there is some but not too much wind.  When the breeze blows watch the surface of the water.  In some places there will be almost no little waves and in others there will be plenty.  You've just found another edge; one most other fishermen will  miss.  Fish the edges of where the wavy areas meet the no wave areas.  These will either be dropoffs or weed edges.  Such areas will be ignored by most fisherman who are busy bombing the fished-out points, pockets, structure, and cover.  To the others fishing on the lake you'll apparently be casting Hail Mary's into open water hoping for the best.  And chances are you'll be the only one catching anything.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jun 13th, 2022 at 2:15pm
   This is the Heddon Moss Boss that I mentioned in the beginning of the thread.  It's been around for a while.  This is probably the most weedless hard lure you can find.  If you're just learning to fish the junk this lure is a good choice.  It is very forgiving. Cast it far into the worst slop.  Keep your rod tip up high and SLOWLY work it in stopping frequently.  If you come to an open pool swim it slowly through it.  Take your time.  Sooner or later a lunker bass or pickerel will smash up through the mat and take your Moss Boss in one of the most exciting strikes you'll ever see. 
Moss_Boss_001.jpg (66 KB | )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Aug 11th, 2022 at 11:33am
  So far I've written about lures and tactics that have been effective for me.  There are some lures that I just don't get.  Most of them are popular lures that have been around forever.  I've fished the hell out of them and they just don't produce for me.
    The Jitterbug is an extremely popular lure that's been around since before I was born.  I've spent countless hours fishing a Jitterbug.  I don't recall ever getting one hit on it.  The same with the Hula Popper.  I've seen other people catch fish with it.  For me nothing.  The Zara Spook is a big, cigar shaped topwater lure.  I can't tell you how many hours I've "walked the dog" with a Spook.  I've caught just a few small fish on it.  Poppers in general I don't have much luck with.  And though I have had great success buzzing a big tandem spinner on top when I buzz a Buzz Bait nothing happens.  There are many brands of crank baits that I have great success but I don't catch squat on Cotton Cordell lures.  They seem to look and swim like many of the other crank baits that I use that I have success with but I've never caught a fish on a Cotton Cordell lure. 
    I'm not saying there is anything wrong with any of these lures.  Some fishermen swear by them.  But for me they just don't produce.

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jan 14th, 2023 at 9:50pm
    I have spent a lot of time catfishing.  I do mean a lot of time.  Through trial and error I've learned that the best hook to use is a Khale.  I don't know why they're so effective but you'll get a lot more hookups using a Khale for catfish than any other hook.  Catfish have big mouths so I'd use nothing smaller than a 4/0 hook. 
Khale.jpg (24 KB | 15 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jan 14th, 2023 at 9:59pm
  Your hooks can't be too sharp.  If you don't sharpen your hooks you're wasting your time.  Some hooks come right out of the box razor sharp.  Most don't.  Using a sharpener like the one shown below it only takes a few seconds to get an edge as sharp as the sharpest razor.  It makes all the difference in the world.  I won't go fishing without a sharpener. 
sharp.jpg (18 KB | 13 )

Title: Re: More on Fishing
Post by Rat Man on Jan 27th, 2023 at 3:25pm
Crabbing:  it's not really fishing but its close enough. 
    My parents started us crabbing when we were literally still in diapers.  Crabbing is something I can do very well.  My record is 296 keepers in one day. 
     Crabbing isn't as complex as fishing can be.  For tackle all you really need is a weight, hand line, crab net, and a piece of bait.  You can use traps too.  There are pyramid traps and box traps.  The pyramid traps work a  little better but both are effective.  You can also use a commercial crab pot but that requires a license. 
    Crabs are basically scavengers and will  eat anything.  And it doesn't have to be fresh.  My favorite bait is Moss Bunker, a very smelly, oily fish.  You can use any fish but the more oily the better.  A lot of people use chicken, which also works fine.   You can use any meat.  I've also used squid with success. And if your bait has gone bad, no problem.  The stinkier the better. 
    If you're using a hand line just let it out until your bait and weight sit on the bottom.  Every so often gently lift the line to see if there's anything on it.  You'll feel a little more resistance.  If you feel extra weight on your line SLOWLY pull it up.  When you get it near the surface you'll be able to see if a crab is hanging on.  If there is one scoop him up with your crab net. 
     Traps are even easier.  Bait the trap, let it down to the bottom, and wait.  Pull it up ever so often to check it.
      I usually use an equal number of traps and hand lines together.  You can run a lot of traps and lines from one small boat... eight or ten if you wish. 
      You don't necessarily need a boat to crab.  You can do it just fine from the shore or a bridge.  Many of the bridges near the seashore have walkways specifically for people to crab from.
     The most common mistake people make is moving around all day.  Choose a good spot; one where the water isn't too deep or shallow, like six to ten feet.  You want to be out of the main current but not far from it.  Once you pick your spot stay there.  Many people, especially novice crabbers, get bored after an hour or two of catching nothing and move to a new spot.  Crabs find your bait by the scent trail it leaves.  If you've been sitting in one spot for an hour you've been laying out a scent trail all of that time.  Just wait. If there are crabs in the area they will find you.  If you move then you'll have to start your scent trail all over again.  Patience is what differentiates a successful crabber from a failure.  Sometimes you have to wait hours for the tide to turn before you start catching.  So wait.  Moving accomplishes nothing and prevents the crabs from eventually finding you.
     In New Jersey we have Blue Claw Crabs.  They're not as big as some species but nothing tastes better. 
     Make sure you know your local regulations. 
     That's about it.  I could fill many volumes on fishing but crabbing is a simple affair.  Use stinky bait, pick a good spot, stay there.     If you've never done it before, if you ever get the opportunity I highly recommend it.  It's a great day out 

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