Category: Learning to Fish

Is a Baitcaster Worth It?

I’d imagine that many of you started fishing on either spinning gear or an old spincast setup. If you’re anything like me, the thought of using a baitcaster was alluring but almost scary when you were first starting. After all, baitcasters have a well-earned reputation for being difficult to use and prone to backlash. I certainly wouldn’t blame you if you asked the question, “is a baitcaster worth it?”

A baitcaster is worth it to purchase and learn to use if you are actually interested in fishing to the extent that you’re going to buy several combos and devote considerable time to the sport. If you’re just a weekend angler or want to have some fun with your kids, you’re not really missing out on much by sticking with spinning gear. While baitcasters do have some advantages in terms of the size of lures they can throw, their casting accuracy, and their winching power, none of these are so great over spinning gear to make the headaches worth it unless you are an avid angler.

Let’s look at some of the reasons a baitcaster can be worth it (and also why spinning gear is probably just fine for most people).

Some Advantages of Baitcasters That May Make Them “Worth It”

Baitcasters have some advantages over spinning reels. They are able to accommodate larger line that spinning reels, with all that implies. A baitcaster can toss heavier lures. They are probably the better choice for several fishing techniques, such as frogging. Finally, they offer more precise casting than most spinning gear, at least to the average angler.

While I’ll go into each of these, don’t worry – I’m not going to try and sell you on a baitcaster. I’ll also explain exactly why that old spinning rod you have in your garage can also do a passable job just fine.

Baitcasters (left) are more popular among professional anglers than spinning gear (right), but are they really worth the trouble?

Ability to Accommodate Larger Line

Most spinning reels can only accommodate a narrow range of line sizes before you need to upgrade to something bigger. This isn’t even a question on most baitcasters as you can just put on whatever will fit, for the most part. This allows you to get used to the same reel but use copies of it for many different tasks. You might throw spinnerbaits on some 17lb fluorocarbon on one while using 65lb braid frogging on another. This range and adaptability simply isn’t something most spinning reels can do. In fact, to use the heavier line on a spinning reel, the reel itself is going to be a monster.

With that said, you’re still going to be limited by what size line the rod can throw, so it’s not like this is the be all end all. Still, you do have a wider range than spinning gear, if matters to you.

Why Spinning Gear is Fine: If you’re a weekend angler, its very doubtful you’re going to use enough techniques to need the kind of reel that can handle multiple line sizes. Unless you have a very specific need, a size 30-35 spinning reel will be just fine. Go to a 40-50 if you’re targeting large species like catfish.

Baitcasters Can Toss Heavier Lures Easier

With the ability to use larger line comes the ability to toss heavier lures. This can really make a baitcaster worth it if you’re after fish like musky. You’d be hard-pressed to find spinning gear large enough to throw the largest musky lures. If you’re trying to throw something truly ungainly and intend to do it for any length of time, a baitcaster is going to be your best bet.

Why Spinning Gear is Fine: While it’s true that you’d need a giant spinning reel to toss most musky lures or other giants, do you really need to toss those to catch most fish? No. Most fish are perfectly catchable on lures in the 1/2 to 1 oz. size that reasonably beefy spinning reels and rods can handle. While they can’t do it as well as a baitcaster and wouldn’t be my top choice, you shouldn’t feel like you can’t be successful if all you have is spinning gear.

The Preferred Choice for Techniques like Frogging

If you’re heavy into techniques like frogging, or punching through thick weedy mats, a baitcaster is worth its weight in gold. All of the benefits of stronger line are going to come to the forefront here, and the baitcasters winching action is going to allow you drag monsters out from the thickest cover. Most professional bass fishermen use 65lb braid on beefy frog baitcasting rods for these techniques. To use spinning gear in this situation would put one more variable in the fishes favor on with a technique that’s already stacked their way.

Why Spinning Gear is Fine: To be honest, it is and it isn’t here. There are some brands of spinning rods (like the St. Croix premier) that come in heavy power/fast action and can handle decently sized braided line and frogs. My son used one of these for his frogs for a few years and, yes, he caught fish. On the other hand, we never really tested it in the thickest weeds possible. I think he’d have had a hard time reeling in any fish of size in true slop with one of these. Honestly, we enjoy frogging so much that this is one technique where I’ll tell you, yes, you can “get by” with spinning gear, but a baitcaster is definitely worth it.

Casting Accuracy

Whenever the topic of “is a baitcaster worth it” comes up on a fishing forum, one of the go to responses is “yes, because they’re better for casting accurately.” Well, this is probably going to be true for most of us. Baitcasters make it very easy to cut a cast as short as you need it to, just by thumbing the spool. It’s possible to be very precise using one, and what’s more, there are techniques like flipping and pitching that allow your lure to enter the water with pinpoint accuracy quietly. If I had money riding on my ability to put a lure in a particular spot, I’d want to use a baitcast reel all day long.

Why Spinning Gear is Fine: All of the above comes with one big caveat: there ARE people out there who have practiced so much with spinning reels that they too can put lures pretty much anywhere they’d like. It’s certainly possible to pitch and flip with a spinning reel and also quite possible to have a quiet entry into the water with your lure. It’s just going to take more practice and isn’t as easy to pull off.

Should You Buy An Expensive Baitcaster?

Many of a baitcasters disadvantages can be mitigated somewhat when you purchase a quality reel. I once wrote an entire article on why expensive fishing reels are worth it, and there’s a lot of information about baitcasters there. In short, pricier baitcasters tend to come with options that are going to reduce the number of backlashes, or at least how bad they are. They tend to have better braking systems, often of a dual design, and are able to be tuned better. I would definitely splurge a bit on a baitcasting reel and not go for the cheapest one out there. Luckily, my favorite reel, the Bass Pro Pro Qualifier, is often on sale for far less than $100.

Conclusion: Yes, a Baitcaster is Worth it, to an Extent

As with any other hobby, you get out of fishing what you put into it. If you’re really in love with the sport, you’re going to love your baitcaster once you get used to it. However, if you’re just someone who wants to take the kids out now and then, a baitcaster is totally unnecessary. You can do anything you can do with a baitcaster with spinning gear, just not quite as well. Don’t feel like you need to keep up with your neighbors and buy one of these unless you really see the benefit.

I hope this article was helpful. If you have any questions, feel free to leave a comment or send me an email.

Thanks,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Exploring Dunning Lake: Fishing at Winding Trails, Farmington, CT

Pretty much as soon as Tristan was born, my then wife and I signed up for a membership at Winding Trails in Farmington, Connecticut. About seven years later, we finally were accepted and got to enjoy it!

While I was quite familiar with the place from my own childhood, I’d never really fished there. Instead, I spent most of my summers on the beach or swimming in the clear water while begging Mom for some cash for the candy machine. That was all well and good for my childhood, but it wasn’t going to cut it for Tristan’s, so we quickly took our Gheenoe out to explore the place!

What Species are in Winding Trails?

So far Tristan and I have caught sunfish, bluegill, yellow perch, largemouth bass and smallmouth bass in Dunning Lake at Winding Trails in Farmington, CT. It is known that the lake is stocked with some sort of trout (probably browns or rainbow) but we have yet to catch one.

There are more largemouth bass in this lake than I’ve seen in my entire life. However, they’re almost all small. I don’t mean “keeper small” either. I mean 6-8″. Sunfish on the other hand can get huge. There’s clearly something going on with the bass management in this lake. I’m not sure it’s the way I’d do things, but on the other hand, this is probably the most outstanding place you can take a kid fishing in Connecticut just because they can catch fish after fish after fish. Looks like I’ll have to update that post soon!

Not all the bass are small. We tied into this whopper fishing from shore near where all the canoes are tied up. However, this is pretty much the only fish we’ve encountered over a few trips that was greater than 12″!

There ARE big bass like this at Winding Trails, but you’ll need to sift through hundreds of dinks to get to them.

Where to Fish at Winding Trails?

Granted I haven’t explored the lake in its entirety yet, but here’s an overview of some spots I’ve tried out. Note that the boat launch is in the corner of the peninsula by point 1.

Courtesy of Google Maps
  • In point 1 you’ll find the water is fairly deep and there’s a submerged weed bed that is fine to fish around (there is no section of this lake that is matted over – they do a great job of controlling that). Many smaller largemouth bass are in this area.
  • The shoreline of Box 2 has more bass than you can count but they’re all very small.
  • There is a cut in the corner of Box 3. This is where we caught a tiny smallmouth bass.
  • Point 4 is where we caught the bass up at the beginning of this blog that was fairly large.

Is There a Boat Launch at Winding Trails?

There is a small boat launch right across from the main office at Winding Trails. It is wide enough to accommodate a bass boat. The road it is on gets quite busy during the day and it is angled as such that you’re going to want to drive a bit past it and then turn around as though you’re leaving the park to launch your boat. Unfortunately the water here is very shallow. While it has been consistent all summer, it can be difficult to launch even the Gheenoe! You might need to get your feet wet to launch something much larger if you don’t have roller trailers.

Also note that there is no courtesy dock at the launch site, and parking can get taken up quickly during the day. This is definitely a place you want to hit up early before all the members show up.

What is the Water Like at Winding Trails?

The water is extremely clean and clear. You can easily see straight to the bottom in water I’d estimate at 10′ deep. They do a good job of treating the lake to make sure they don’t get algae blooms or other issues. This does create an issue though where on occasion, you’ll pull up and the lake will be closed, so it’s good to call ahead a few days early and just see what their plans are for treatment.

What are the Fishing Rules and Boating Rules at Winding Trails?

Winding Trails has fair fishing and boating regulations. Summarized, they are as follows:

Boating Rules

  • Electric motors only (but you can bring in a bass boat with a gas motor – you just can’t use it).
  • Any boat powered by an electric motor needs to be registered with the State of Connecticut and you must possess a Safe Boater’s Certificate.
  • You can only launch at the boat launch across from the Main Office building.
  • You can’t bring your boat into the swimming areas.
  • Care must be taken to ensure you don’t bring invasive species into these pristine waters. Make sure to wash your boat if you’ve used it elsewhere before bringing it to Dunning Lake.

Fishing Rules

  • Members 16 or older need to have a valid fishing license. Kids younger than that don’t.
  • Posted fishing limits (3 trout or bass per day) must be respected.
  • Bass have a protective slot limit of 12″ – 16″ long and must be released. You can only keep on bass over 16″ each day.
  • You cannot fish from the beach.

How do I Become a Member at Winding Trails?

In short, drop whatever you’re doing at this very moment and go apply. Then, wait seven years (hey, they’ll let you keep track in real time!). Honestly, if you have any intentions whatsoever of having children, you should sign up for a membership the instant you move into Farmington.

As I explore the lake more, I’ll add to this journal, but at least this should give you some idea of the basics.

Thanks all,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Can You Catch Fish in the Middle of the Day?

While most anglers would prefer to fish during low light conditions such as dawn and dusk, this isn’t in the cards for everyone, especially parents. It’s very challenging to get little ones up early to catch fish and so chances are you’ll be spending most of your time trying to catch fish in the middle of the day. Further, it’s not like tournament fishermen can just ignore the bulk of their tournament hours. One way or another you’re going to need to catch fish while the sun’s up.

You can catch a lot of fish in the middle of the day so long as you’re smart about it. While they might not be quite as active as fish in the early or late hours, fish do tend to congregate near cover and structure that produces shade during the day, which can make them easier to find. If you couple this with the right techniques and toss a lure somewhere they can’t refuse, you can still catch many fish during the afternoon. Further, at certain times of year like early spring and late fall, the middle of the day can be the BEST time to catch fish as the water has a chance to warm.

Read on for some tips to help you catch fish in the middle of the afternoon.

Search for Shade When Fishing the Middle of the Day

Many fish prefer to hang out in shady haunts that protect them from the sun. It’s not that they won’t bite in the middle of the day, but they just might be buried deep in shady cover where it’s hard to find them. Boat docks and lily pads can be spectacular places to find bass in the afternoon, as they like to hang out in there with a roof over their head to keep cool and concealed. More than one episode of Major League Fishing has been won by fishing a boat dock pattern.

If you’re going to fish docks, just make sure you’re careful and respectful. While I’ll always tell you that buying a home with a dock and complaining about fishermen is like buying a house next to a school and whining about the bells, you still ought to try and keep the peace. If someone else is enjoying their property, let them. Go fish a dock elsewhere – there are plenty. Also, make sure you don’t actually hit the dock or leave any hooks for them to step on!

docks are a good place to catch fish during the middle of the day as they have a lot of shade.
Docks can offer tremendous fishing in the middle of the day.

You also can find some luck fishing near shore in the middle of the day if there are tall trees along the bank that provide shade. Often, you’ll find the fish stacked up in the relatively darker and cooler water, and the transition point can be a great place to catch them.

Fish Deeper During the Middle of the Day

Some fish such as northern pike are considered “cool” water species. They aren’t going to stay shallow when those waters warm up too much. Bass too often prefer to spend their summers in the depths – at least during mid day. If you’re trying to catch either of these fish in the middle of the day, you’re going to want to fish deeper. Many anglers prefer jigs or deep diving crankbaits for targeting summer bass deep. I’d toss in that the humble drop shot also does a fine job of bringing up bass from the depths.

If you can find a place where there are shallows that sharply transition into a good deep holding ground, the drop off structure can be amazing fishing in the mid day. You’ll catch fish that are transitioning between the two types of habitat. As not all leave at once, this can be productive your entire day.

Fish Slower During the Afternoon

As a general rule the hotter it is outside the slower you should probably fish. Extreme heat does to fish something similar to what it does to humans. It tires them out, gets them planted in certain shady areas, and generally convinces them they shouldn’t be expending too much energy swimming around. If you aren’t catching many fish in the middle of the day with a fast moving lure, try pitching a Senko close to cover and taking things slow. This will allow you to work an area more thoroughly and also fish the thought that they might snatch an easy meal without expending too much energy.

When It’s Cold Out, Mid Day Might Be the Best for Fishing

I don’t rush out to go fishing early in the spring or late in the fall, because fish can be quite lethargic in cold water. I find it sometimes makes for much better fishing if you wait a few hours and go in the afternoon when it’s colder. This gives the sun a chance to warm up the water some and activate the fish. Often, you can find that there’s a temperature change of several degrees throughout the day, which can be the key to producing a bite.

Unexpected Benefits to Fishing in the Afternoon

There can be some unexpected benefits to fishing in the afternoon that can help you catch a ton of fish. Some include:

  • Less fishing pressure. Anglers have a lot of company early in the morning. Not only do you have folks who want to get the early bite, but you have to contend with whatever fishing tournaments are going on in the area. On weekends especially, the lake can be an absolute zoo early in the morning. While you will have to contend with more pleasure boaters later in the day, many of the anglers will have pulled out and called it quits or headed back for weigh in.
  • Wary fish may “turn on.” Fish aren’t as dumb as they look. They know what the deal is and all the noises that could potentially scare them are blasting early in the day. When the fishing pressure dies off during the afternoon, you may find the fish turn on. Fish who have been sitting by a stump getting bombarded by fishing lures all morning might relax after an hour or so of quiet, and be ripe for the taking with a careful presentation.
  • A convenient way to get your wife or girlfriend out there with you. While I don’t want to be sexist, if dating apps are any indication, not every woman appreciates fish pix. Many do, however, enjoy a fun boat ride with tubing and tanning opportunities. Your wife or girlfriend is more likely to go with you if you take them out during a time of day they’re more comfortable. Who knows? Maybe you’ll get them into the hobby.
  • Access to the dusk bite. If you start fishing in the afternoon, chances are you might stick around until dusk. Many anglers miss this as they’ve already done their fishing for the day in the morning, and are home watching baseball at night. It’s their loss as fishing at dusk is explosive fun with topwaters.
woman fishing in the middle of the day
Sometimes, fishing in the middle of the day is more fun for everyone.

Are Certain Bass Lures Best for Sunny Days?

There are a few way of approaching which bass lures you should use on a sunny day. If it’s a very hot day and fish are tied close to shady cover, you’re going to need to fish the sorts of lures that will allow you to get your presentation next to them. Soft hollow bodied frogs really come into their own on most lakes by July as bass are able to tell that there is food crawling around on top of their “roof.” Another option are Texas rigged worms or creatures that can penetrate the cover and poke around inside a fish’s home until it bites.

On the exact opposite side of things, you could also take advantage of that sunshine and grab a lure that is super reflective. White spinnerbaits with silver blades are my go to lure when casting or trolling for bass on a sunny day. They glimmer and sparkle as they run through the water and it seems like bass just can’t get enough of them some days.

In that respect, remember the one thing that fishing mid day has going against it (lack of low light conditions) is also something it has going for it. If you have a lure that is designed to reflect (basically anything silver or chrome), then midday is the the time to fish it.

Daytime Bait Fishing

If fish aren’t cooperating in the middle of the day, you can always go to the tried and true way to catch them: live bait. Some of my earlier memories fishing at the lake house were of Dad throwing some live bait off the dock and setting his rod into a holder while he went to mow the lawn. We’d catch catfish, bowfin, carp, bullhead and burbot until our arms would fall off, all in the middle of the day.

Some of these larger “rough” fish cruise quite a bit during the middle of the day. You’ve probably noticed plenty of carp swimming around while you were fishing before. It’s not like they suddenly stop in the afternoon. When the bite slows down, live bait is a great way to catch fish.

It doesn’t even have to be that “live.” Other options you have are corn (where legal) as well as hotdogs, kielbasa, or chicken liver. If you forgot to cook something and it went a little bad, that’s not a big deal to any catfish. In fact, it might be preferred.

Lazily fishing bait during the afternoon can be an extremely fun way to pass the time. You ought to try it sometime.

Conclusions: Keep Your Head High at High Noon!

If the wife, kids, or boss prevents you from fishing early and you have to wet your line mid day, don’t give up. While you might need to change your approach a bit to figure out where the fish likely are at this time of day, if you find them, you can catch them. Ironically, you might find that mid day produces some of your best catches, perhaps because the local fishing pressure is less and fish aren’t as on edge. You also may find you have more and more of the lake to yourself as other anglers call it quits, which is never a bad thing.

I hope this article helped you!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


How to Avoid Snags While Fishing & How to Retrieve Stuck Lures

There’s nothing worse than getting your favorite fishing lure snagged while you’re out on the water. First, you could lose your snagged lure, but even if you don’t, you can ruin a drift while you try to retrieve it! Your best best is to avoid or reduce snags when fishing if possible, but there are some ways you can retrieve lures that get stuck despite your best efforts.

In this post, I’ll first help you understand what sort of cover can result in snagged fishing lures. Then, I’ll help you understand what to do about getting unsnagged if your fishing lure gets stuck. Finally, I’ll review a few products that can save you time and money by helping you retrieve all or some of your rig.

Types of Fishing Cover That Often Result in Snags or Stuck Lures

While you can get your fishing lures stuck in many things, the following types of cover are the main culprits. Let’s take a look at them and what to do about them.

Weeds (ESPECIALLY Reeds)

While your fishing lures can get stuck in all sorts of weeds, the ones that will probably cost you your lure are reeds. These spongy plants stick above the water and are a great place to catch fish. Unfortunately, early in the season I’ve certainly lost my share of crankbaits near them. They can have very dense fibers that are nearly impossible to tear a hook from once it is stuck. Early in the season, they may be submerged so you wouldn’t even know they’re there unless you’re familiar with the area.

The best way to avoid getting snagged while fishing in reeds is to use lures designed for them. Many types of lures have a “weedless” option that is meant to help lures glide through them without getting stuck. For example, these hooks for wacky wigging have a wire weed guard that is claimed to prevent snags. While you’re still going to get a weed or two on them, the guard should prevent the hook from jabbing into reeds and getting your lure stuck.

You can also use lures like Spinnerbaits or Swim Jigs, both of which have a guard of sorts that will reduce the number of snags you get while fishing reeds. A spinnerbait’s bent wire frame will deflect most cover, while the brush weed guard on a jig will also serve this purpose.

I once wrote an article about keeping weeds off your fishing lures, if you want some more ideas on how to do this.

Rocks

Fishing around rocks is a great way to catch fish, but it’s also the perfect place to snag and lose your fishing lures. Jigs, crankbaits, and especially drop shots seem to just get eaten by rocks if you aren’t careful. This is because they have so many nooks and crannies to catch every last corner of your lures.

All of these rocks are, at some point in the year, submerged. It’s not hard to see how you could get an impossible snag.

If you fish around the same areas for long enough, you’ll figure out where the worst culprits are. I deliberately avoid casting in a few 2×2′ sections of Lake Champlain when I can, but accidents happen. Sometimes you can retrieve your lure by lifting your rod tip way up and giving it a few quick flicks. If you’re lucky, your lure will jiggle free. Another option that often works is to change your angle. Rocks snag fishing lures by wedging them in place. If you change your angle, on occasion you can get them free. Unfortunately, this will mess with your drift or presentation.

Good Lures to Avoid Snags When Fishing Rocks

As with weeds, sometimes the best way to avoid snags while rock fishing is to use lures specifically designed for the area. For example, a football head jig is designed in such a way that (hopefully) it won’t get “as” snagged as jigs that have a narrower head. The idea is the wide sides of the football head may prevent the jig from winding up in the crevice.

It’s also a good idea to use specific drop shot sinkers when fishing around rocks to reduce your snags. First, I would certainly prefer a cylindrical-shaped sinker as opposed to a ball, as this (hopefully) can be retrieved from rocky areas easier.

I’d also purchase the type of drop shot sinker that has a pinched tie off rather than an open style one. What I mean by this is there’s going to be a piece of metal that attaches to the lead, steel, or tungsten of your sinker. You’re meant to tie your line to this metal. Basic sinkers just have a metallic circle that you tie a knot around. Dedicated drop shot sinkers often have basically a piece of pinched metal that you slide your line up into, without needing to tie a knot. This way, if your sinker gets stuck, a little tug will release at least your hook and bait so you don’t lose the entire rig.

these drop shot sinkers are meant to fish around rocks without getting snagged.
These dedicated drop shot sinkers are cylindrical in shape and have a pinched head that doesn’t require a knot. These are the type you should be using if you want to avoid getting snags while fishing in rocks.

Wood

Wood is a real heartbreaker to snag on when you’re fishing because it does a good job of imitating a bite. Sometimes, you’ll set the hook and find you’re stuck in a laydown. Further, sometimes you’ll snag wood after a fish bites and runs you into it! Because laydowns are often tangled messes, it can be very challenging to retrieve your lure without a good hook retriever. If you snagged on a cast, there’s also the chance that your line has wrapped hopelessly around the wood making your challenge even more dire.

Again, your best bet is going to be to use lures that are designed for fishing around wood if you want to avoid snags. Most weedless lures will also do well around wood given the idea is to keep the hook point out of the weed fibers, but another lure that you might not think is good is actually pretty decent at avoiding snags in wood: the square bill crankbait. The design of these lures tilts the bill at such an angle that it deflects off of wood and other cover before it can snag your hooks.

Trees

Trees are self explanatory. If you cast into them, chances are you’re going to get snagged. Most of the time the issue isn’t that you catch them with your hook. Instead, it’s that your line wraps hopelessly around their branches just like it can in lay downs. To avoid snagging trees while fishing, practice discipline while casting. If you do cast into the trees, stay calm. Observe what happened and how your lure is dangling. Sometimes, a quick pop can retrieve your snagged lure so long as it is done at an appropriate angle.

Tarps and Other Submerged Objects

These are the real buggers that’ll get you. Forget rocks, weeds, wood or trees – it’s TARPS and other junk landowners put in the water that will give you the worst snags of your life. These can be almost impossible to retrieve your snagged fishing lure from even if you can see it and access it because of the dense fibers.

The most common place I’ve seen these are underneath rip rap on lake shores. Landowners will place a tarp or mill felt of some sort underneath their rocks to prevent vegetation from growing through. If you get stuck on one of these you can pretty much forget it.

How to Get Your Fishing Lure Unstuck

If you get snagged while fishing, there are a few different tricks you can use to try and get yourself unstuck. Here’s a few different ways you can try it to retrieve your lost fishing lure.

Pause and Think

First thing’s first – use your head. If you just start jerking your fishing rod back and forth wildly the second you find yourself snagging cover, you’re all but certain to make it worse. Instead, try and be sensible, stay calm, and attempt to think of how the lure is snagging, so that you can come up with the best way to unsnag it.

For example, some lures are designed to float. Sometimes, if you give it a little time and sway your rod from side to side, you can loosen whatever your fishing lure is stuck on and get it clear. You want to be pretty gentle with this in case the hook is simply lodged weird. A little twitch or two might free it.

Change the Angle

Sometimes the best way to get a fishing lure unstuck is to change the angle your approaching the snag from. You have to figure, your lure is wedged in something like a rock, right? Well, maybe at another angle you aren’t pulling against the rock and it will work free.

Use the “Bow and Arrow Method”

There’s a technique you can use to try and retrieve a snagged fishing lure called “the bow and arrow method.” In it, you’re basically introducing slack suddenly and with force to a lure to come off an obstruction. Here are the steps:

  • Grab your line with one hand.
  • With your other hand, pull your rod back until it loads up and bends like a bow.
  • Pull the line off to the side, as though you’re pulling back on a bow and arrow.
  • Release the line with one hand while twitching your rod with the other, like you’re releasing “the angle.”

If you are more of a visual learner, Angler West TV has a great video demonstrating the technique. Consider subscribing to their channel for more impressive tips and tricks:

Lure Retrievers

One product that can quickly pay for itself is a lure retriever. This is a tool designed to, well, retrieve a snagged fishing lure from its watery trap. They make different types of lure retrievers. Some are small devices that attach to your line and are designed to slide down it to the snag and pop your lure free. These may be your only option if you’re fishing in deep water and catch a snag on a reef or submerged cover.

If you’re fishing shallower, I prefer the type of lure retriever that is basically a long pole with a metal coil at the end. You wrap the coil around the line to guide it down to your lure and then slide the coil down while holding onto the pole. The Frabill 9865 Lure Retriever has a telescoping handle that can reach as far as 15′. While this obviously presents a limit to how far you can go, this design also can be used for freeing fishing lures that get snagged in trees. As I don’t typically fish much deeper than 15′, this suits my purposes fine. Finally, I have the ability to give it a few whacks, with as much strength as I want with this product whereas the sliding weight versions rely on gravity.

Which Lure Retriever Is Best?

Lure retrievers are one of the few fishing accessories you can buy that actually save you money in the long run. When you consider how much crankbaits and other plugs cost these days, you only need to retrieve a few of them to make the purchase worth it. The only question is, which one is best for you?

Again, if you’re fishing relatively shallow water, it’s hard to beat a pole version such as the Frabill. If you’re in deeper water, you’re going to want to use one of the weighted versions such as this Davison Snag Buster.

If All Else Fails: Break Your Line the Right Way When Snagged

When you can’t retrieve your snagged fishing lure, you’re going to need to break the line. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this, and the wrong way has severe consequences. First, you could break your rod if you aren’t careful. More importantly, you could severely injure wildlife if you leave a long strand of line dangling somewhere.

What you want to do is try and break the line as close to its weakest part (the knot) as possible without breaking your rod. Some people suggest pointing your rod tip straight at the snag, reeling up all your slack, and grasping your reel spool while you pull directly away from the snag until it snaps. The issue with this (especially with braid) is that it can end up burying your line into the spool which will cause backlashes and other issues later on.

A far better option is to take off enough slack in your line that you can wrap it around a paddle or a piece of sturdy wood well ahead of your rod tip. You want to make sure you give yourself enough slack so you don’t hit the rod tip, but pulling back this way will make sure you don’t bury the line in your spool and cause yourself other problems.

Under no circumstances should you ever pull back on the line with your rod, or grab the line directly with your hand. The first can lead to a catastrophic failure of your rod potentially leading to injury. The second can deeply cut you, especially with braid.

Good Luck Out There!

It’s never fun to encounter snags while fishing, but at least now you have some options for how to get your lures unstuck. Remember, keep your head. Assess the situation. Do something sensible, and consider carrying a lure retriever with you–it could save you thousands over the years.

I hope this article was helpful!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Does Talking or Making Loud Noises Scare Fish Away?

If you’ve been fishing for any length of time, someone may have told you to be quiet so you didn’t scare away the fish.  Perhaps you’ve even told that to someone else, such as your kids.  There’s a very common theory that talking or making loud noises scare fish away.  The question is, is that true?  The answer really is, it depends.

Talking or making loud noises will only affect your fishing success if the fish perceive this noise as danger.  Talking or making loud noises will scare fish if those noises are unusual to fish and startle them, or if the fish associate the particular noise with trouble.  However, when it comes to noises the fish hear all the time with no negative association, it’s very unlikely that they’ll be scared.  Further, there’s a good chance fish won’t even hear noises that are made above water as they don’t penetrate water very well.  On the other hand, noises that are made directly into the water or that cause vibrations are much more likely to be heard by fish, potentially spooking them.

Having said that, it’s always best to try and be stealthy when fishing so you don’t spook fish. After all, it’s one of the few things you can control, so you should! Let’s explore some of the more common noises you might try and avoid while fishing, and ones you probably shouldn’t sweat over.

It’s All Condition Dependent

First of all, let’s clear something up – not all noises are going to spook all fish the same.  Generally speaking, fish are going to be more likely to scare in clearer water or when they are heavily pressured by fishermen or predators.  If the fish are already on edge, it doesn’t take much extra noise to spook or scare them.  If, for example, you see a bay full of cormorants resting on the surface, it stands to reason splashing noises would scare the heck out of fish.

On the other hand, fish that are conditioned to certain noises being “normal” probably aren’t going to be bothered much by them.  I once went with my friend on his pontoon boat to a very popular cove in Lake George, NY.  There must have been 30 boats there with people swimming, splashing, jumping, hollering, and playing music.  It was a zoo.  All the same, I had no trouble whatsoever landing several fish right in the midst of all this with a drop shot.  The reason was simple.  The fish were conditioned to this noise and didn’t associate it with danger.  The fish in this cove probably heard all the talking and music for weeks with no one bothering to wet a hook before I came along.  As a result, these fish weren’t scared by music or loud noise at all and were willing to bite.

As a general rule, the greater the fishing or predation pressure, the quieter you should try to be so you don’t scare away fish or spook them out of biting.

Believe me, this kid jibber jabbers while he fishes and he still catches plenty!

Some Noises Don’t Penetrate Water Very Well

For a noise to scare a fish, it first must be perceived by them.  Not all surface noises do a great job of penetrating below the water.  Don’t believe me? Go jump in a busy pool sometime.  While there may be kids hooting and hollering above the surface and making a giant scene, the instant you dunk your head underwater, much of that sound disappears. 

If you can’t hear those kids making a racket, chances are the fish aren’t going to hear you and your buddy talking about the ball game while you fish.

talking will not scare fish or these four boys would not have caught these largemouth bass
These four boys talked up a storm while they fished and they didn’t scare anything away.

Talking Is One Thing, But What About Music?

While talking quietly probably won’t scare many fish, will loud music?  Well, I’d argue probably not, and for the same reasons.  Again, much of the music is going to have a hard time penetrating the water in the first place.  Unless you’re playing dubstep or something else with heavy bass, fish might not even hear it. 

Secondly, we again must ask ourselves, “even if fish did hear the loud music, would they perceive it as a threat and get scared or spooked?” Here too, the answer is “probably not.”  If the waters you’re fishing has its share of bowriders or other party boats, it has its share of music being played by folks who aren’t wetting lines.  The fish might have heard music before, but they don’t have many opportunities to associate it with danger, as most anglers are trying to stay quiet and not blasting tunes.

Noise In Direct Contact With Water Travels Very Far

While most airborne noise has a hard time penetrating water, noise made within the water travels very far indeed.  The Scientific American claims that sound travels about 4.3 times faster in water than it does in air, and I have no reason to doubt them! Thus, noises like dropping something heavy on your boat, using your trolling or main motor, or splashing weeds off a lure are all going to create noise that fish will quickly hear.  Some of these sounds may even spook them. 


If a sound penetrates the water well, it’s one you should consider avoiding or minimizing so you don’t scare away fish.

Common Noises That May Scare Fish

The most common noises that fish are likely to hear and likely to have a negative association with are trolling motors, sonar, and splashes.  This is because these three noises are directly correlated with them or their buddies being hooked or eaten.  If any noise is going to scare a fish, it’s these.  Let’s explore them in more detail and what we can do about them.

Does the Sound of a Trolling Motor Scare Fish?

Trolling motors are used by exactly one type of person: anglers.  While they are fairly quiet at low speeds, if you crank it up or get a bunch of weeds on them, they make quite a racket.  So here we have a sound that can both be heard by fish, and that fish have ample opportunity to associate with danger. 

The common advice with trolling motors is to avoid shutting it on and off as this is startling and abrupt.   It is considered much better to just keep a constant low speed on your motor as eventually it will fade into the background just like white noise to fish and won’t spook them. Even if you have to leave it blasting on full speed, such as when you’re trolling for chain pickerel, this is better than turning it off and on.

You should also avoid getting weeds on your trolling motor as these increase vibrations that can be perceived by fish.  A weed-choked trolling motor also requires more power to keep your boat going with all that implies.

Further, it is good practice to ensure your trolling motor is securely attached to your boat.  The bolts on these can loosen over time, which increases the noise.  This is also good practice to avoid having that expensive trolling motor litter the bottom of some lake!

Does Sonar From Fish Finders Spook Fish?

Your fish finder works by utilizing sonar, which is the emission of a ping or noise which then bounces back as an echo to the finder.  Depending on how loud this noise is, fish may hear it.  Given that sonar is also a sound that has a chance for fish to form a negative association, it’s one more thing that can hurt.

On the other hand, every bass boat in a tournament has at least one sonar display, with many these days having three or four.  While they do emit sound that could possibly scare fish, sonar displays come with such additional benefits that they outweigh this risk.

Having said that, sonar becomes much less useful in shallow water.  When you’re fishing a bay, you’re really not finding fish with a fish finder – you’re just finding submerged weeds.  If the water is clear enough to see these without the finder, why stack the odds against yourself?  Turn it off before the noise from the fish finder spooks the fish!

What About Splashes in the Water?

I have mixed feelings about if splashes in the water scare fish.  On the one hand, fish are used to hearing the splash of giant carp breaching, or fish hitting a bug on the surface.  Surely, these sounds would be no cause for concern.  On the other hand, another major source of splash noises are predatory birds like cormorants and eagles.  Fish learn very early that one of their greatest threats comes from above, so to the extent you’re making splash noises that remind them of birds, you may scare or spook away the fish you hope to catch.

Another reason I have mixed feelings about splash noises is because of direct experience, and one you probably have as well.  Often, a bass will hit a lure the instant it hits the water.  On the other hand, you’ve also probably seen the boil of a fish startling and fleeing from where you cast.  It seems to matter on what they perceive the splash to be at any given moment – an opportunity, or danger.

To further complicate matters, there are certainly some lures, especially topwater ones like buzzbaits, that are deliberately designed to make a lot of noise and commotion on the surface.  These lures work, and their splashes certainly don’t hurt.  On the other hand, one of the main reasons folks pitch or flip lures is to minimize the splash they make when they enter the water. 

Really, it’s a coin flip, but it’s one of those things you can control, so you should.  Unless you’re specifically trying to ignite a reaction strike or feeding frenzy with splashing lures, I recommend disturbing the surface as little as possible.  I wouldn’t add extra noise letting fish know you’re there and potentially spooking them if I could help it.  Consider other methods of removing weeds from your lures than smacking them against the water!

How to Avoid Making Noise While Fishing

If you’re worried about noise scaring fish, you can take some easy and common sense steps to reduce the amount of sounds you make.  Here are a few tips.

  • Avoid motoring full blast into your fishing spot.  Cut the motor well ahead and either drift into your targeted area or use your trolling motor.  Note, you’ll have to balance this against the threat of someone else swooping in.
  • Try not to drop things or stomp onto the floor.  While talking or music is unlikely to scare fish, the sudden *THUMP* of your pliers banging onto the hull might.  Remember, the hull is directly touching the water which means that sounds will transmit more easily from it.
  • Remove weeds from your fishing lures by hand, rather than splashing the lure into the water.  This will have the added benefit of letting your lures last longer as well, which is always a plus.
  • Keep your trolling motor free from weeds.  There are products which can help make a trolling motor weedless or semi-weedless.  The less weeds there are on the motor, they less vibrations you’ll make and the lower the speed that will be required to move your boat forward.
  • Make sure all your motors are securely attached to your boat to reduce vibrations and the sounds that come from them.

How Long Will Fish Stay Scared or Spooked By Noise?

There’s a phrase that works for fish as well as men: “life goes on.”  While some sounds may spook fish or put them on edge for a bit, they need to eat eventually, so they’ll get over it.  When I’ve motored into a particular rock point or such, I’ve sometimes found it takes a couple of minutes for the fishing to heat up, but if they’re there, it eventually does.  You just need to allow the fish a chance to settle down and process what they heard, come to terms with it, and move on with their lives.

In Short, Try and Be Quiet, But Still Have Fun

Fishing is a sport filled with variables, many of which are beyond our control.  How much noise we make is one of the few things we can control, so we should.  While talking or playing music is unlikely to scare fish, clanging objects on your boat’s or blasting your motor right through your fishing spot can spook the fish you’re trying to catch.  Do your best to stay stealthy while still having a fun time, and don’t worry too much if you scare a few fish away.  There are more around.  Trust me.

Thanks,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


How to Get (and Keep) Permission to Fish Private Ponds

My children and I had a great Father’s Day Weekend made all the better by fishing my cousin’s small pond. It’s the exact sort of place you’d dream of where the fish haven’t seen a hook in years and just inhale your lure as it hits the water. While we’re lucky to have family who allows us to access this, not everyone has that ability, and need to ask permission instead. This article’s aim is to help you get (and keep) permission to fish private ponds.

A good place to start is probably understanding what the concerns the homeowner might have. It’s easy to think of someone who says “no” as a grump but honestly there are several legitimate reasons not to want to let a stranger on your property! Let’s explore a few concerns, as well as how to overcome them.

large crappie caught after securing permission to fish some private ponds
Small ponds can hold some awesome fish like this large crappie.

Stranger Danger

First and foremost, not everyone in the world welcomes strangers on their property. While there are certain parts of our country that are more hospitable than others, the media has done everything they can to make us absolutely terrified of each other.

The Solution: Dress and Act Appropriately

Do everything you can to look “normal” when you go and knock on someone’s door to seek their permission to fish their private pond. I know that’s asking a lot of some of us fishermen, but try to leave your shirt covered in worm guts at home for the first time! While you don’t need to show up in a suit, try and look as presentable and friendly as possible for this first meeting.

On that note, handshakes say a lot about a man, and the sort of fellow who is going to say yes or no to your fishing his pond is probably going to be the sort who pays attention to your grip. A firm handshake while introducing yourself and looking them in the eye is important.

You might also consider how you feel these days when the doorbell rings. There have been comedians who have had some pretty solid jokes about how odd that is in the modern era. While that may be your only ticket, you’re probably better off if you happen to catch the person outdoors where they can see you coming.

Not Wanting a Mess

Look, for every angler who leaves the bank a little cleaner than they found it, there’s another who gives them the opportunity. Riverbanks and shore access tend to be dirty places filled with trash. Property owners may well be expecting this and leery of granting someone permission to fish their private pond because of it.

The Solution: Offer to Clean Up After Yourself, Others, and Nature

It goes without saying that you should be clear you will leave absolutely no mess from your activities. You should also offer to clean up any trash you find.

With that said, most private ponds aren’t going to have much trash around them due to their private nature. They may, however, have a good deal of overgrown vegetation and such along the shoreline. Some folks have reported success with offering to take a weed whacker down and trim up the shoreline for the owner and clean the brushes out. Many ponds become overgrown because they’re a pain to mow around. The owner might actually appreciate your offer to landscape for them and agree to allow you to fish it in return.

small largemouth bass caught after receiving permission to fish some private ponds
My daughter doesn’t quite know what to think of this small bass.

Not Wanting Their Fishing Spot Ruined

Some folks might fish their ponds on their own, or, at least view them as fun little ecosystems they want to keep in balance. They don’t want their fish being taken or mortally injured or such.

The Solution: Offer to Use Circle Hooks, and Mention Catch and Release

Regardless of if you like to keep your catch now and then, you shouldn’t expect to do that when fishing a private pond. These are small bodies of water without many fish in them, and for all you know, the owner may have paid quite a bit to stock them. You should mention catch and release early. If the owner wants to practice selective harvest for pond management, they’ll let you know, but never expect it.

You might also mention circle hooks, rubber nets, or any other ways you have of being respectful to the animals you encounter. The idea is to let the owners know you’re going to take care of the fish in their private pond like they’re your own.

Another Solution: Leave the Friends Behind

You should be very clear with the property owner exactly who is seeking permission to fish their private pond. That person should be you, and you alone (well, a kid in tow wouldn’t hurt your chances). Property owners aren’t going to want their pond becoming the talk of the town, and there’s nothing like a buddy to do that. You also never know if your guest will now think they have the right to fish the pond too. It’s just a bad look. The whole reason you want to get permission to fish private ponds is so that you can have outstanding fishing all to yourself. Leave others behind!

Liability

Unfortunately, one of the main reasons folks aren’t going to want to give you permission to fish their private ponds is the liability of it. We live in such a litigious society and all they need is a lawsuit.

The Solution: Waivers?

There are some liability waivers that you can print out online and you might offer signing one if they ask. I’m not comfortable recommending one as I’m not a lawyer and you also might put yourself in a bad predicament with one. You might consider consulting a lawyer if you have 3 or 4 of them in the family like everyone in this country and ask them for help.

Other Tips

Here are some other things you can do to help you get permission to fish private ponds:

  • Bring a kid with you to ask permission. For one, you might catch their soft spot. For two, if you get told “No,” it’s a good opportunity for your kid to learn how to handle that with grace.
  • Show up with a gift. It wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring something small for the owner (including some cash). If you have a garden, some vegetables from it would be a good trade.
  • Offer to clean fish for them. While some pond owners are going to want everything to stay in there as unharmed as possible, others might actually want a meal. If you get the read that they’re the latter, offering to filet up a meal for them could make a big difference.
  • Don’t give up. If you’ve ever looked at Google Earth, you’d know there are ponds literally everywhere. Keep plugging away until you find someone who lets you fish them!

Conclusions

Private ponds are a great place to take kids fishing if you can get permission to fish them. I definitely recommend trying to secure it. Just remember that it isn’t like the old days and folks are wary of strangers, often with decent reasons. Also, someone set out to get that private pond with the idea of keeping it private and well-maintained. If you’re lucky enough to be granted the right to fish it, don’t abuse it!

Thanks,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Fishing Confidence: Why You Need It and How to Get It

If fishing with kids has taught me one thing over the years, its that fishing with confidence matters. This goes for both the parent, the child, and even the professional anglers out there. The more confidence you have while fishing, the more likely you are to catch fish. When I take my kids out on the lake, if they (or I) aren’t feeling it, it seems like we can’t catch anything.

The concept of “being snake bit” is well-known in sports. Essentially it means you’re on an unlucky slump where nothing will go your way. You might see a hockey player who can’t hit the net to save their life. Perhaps it’s a baseball pitcher who keeps missing the strike zone. In fishing, being snake bit means you can’t get a fish to chomp your lure no matter what you try. After awhile, it can be easy to stop trying.

Well, it’s one thing if you’re just out there fishing by yourself. It’s quite another if you have little ones in tow counting on you to put them on fish. Let’s talk about why you need fishing confidence and how to get it before your next trip.

Why Confidence Matters In Fishing

Confidence is an extremely positive tool in life and those who have it will usually credit it with at least some of their life success. Those who lack it may well spend considerable efforts and dollars out there trying new self help programs, pills, or trappings to try and gain it. Fishing is no different – those with confidence usually are ahead of the curve while those without it expend considerable effort trying to gain some.

The Power of Positivity

I’m a firm believer that self-fulfilling prophecies are a real thing in fishing as well as life in general. If I don’t think something is going to happen, chances are it won’t. This probably isn’t so much an issues with the cosmos as it is with myself – I need to believe in something to happen to give myself the energy to see it through.

Keeping a positive attitude is critical in fishing because you just never know when the fish will turn on or move into an area. Some tournament fishermen who are confident in their spots will sit on them all day without getting a bite, but they know that eventually the fish will arrive.

Likewise, positive thinking gives you the motivation to make “just one more cast” and you never know – it might be the cast that connects with the fish you’ve been dreaming of your whole life.

Just as importantly, even if it doesn’t pan, out, thinking positively will make your time on the water much more enjoyable than if you sulked about assuming you would fail!

Inspired Leadership of Self and Others

Given my blog and the books I’ve written, I have a reputation with my friends and their kids that if they come out fishing with me, they’re going to catch something. This could be a terrible burden if I let it, as I would never want to let someone down who made plans to fish with me. Even so, I am fully aware that sometimes, the fish just don’t cooperate right off the bat. While I’m always careful to have a Plan B when fishing with kids and follow my own advice about stress free tips for fishing with kids, it’s critically important that they never see me lose my smile. A guest out fishing with you is relying on your knowing what to do and if you let on that you’re worried, they will too. Then, all the confidence leaves the boat. We don’t want that!

Ways to Gain Confidence In Fishing

Now that you know why you need confidence in fishing, how do you go about getting it? Well, pretty much the same ways you’d gain confidence in any other sport or life endeavor. Practice, Preparation, and Proper Equipment.

Practice

Athletes gain confidence in themselves by practicing as perfectly as possible before the game. You can do the same thing with fishing. One of the most important things you can do is cast accurately and quietly. You want to present your lure exactly where it needs to go and have it enter the water without making a giant splash (normally).

You can practice casting in any open field with an old plug that has the hooks removed, or, if you’d prefer, they also sell this great set of practice casting plugs. This set comes with a variety of weights which is actually preferable to using a plug, as you can see the effect of casting different sizes. Frankly, I think I just found a good birthday present for my son as he wants to start using a baitcaster this year (he is 8) and I want him to get practice out in the yard first.

If you want other tips, you can also check out my article on how to improve your fishing skills.

Preparation

Preparation is huge in fishing, especially when you haven’t been to the waterbody before, or for a long while. Make sure you do some scouting, at least online. Fishing forums are a great place to start, as is google. Odds are, you found this article using that – go ask a specific question as you might find a fishing report for your lake that either is very recent, or at least is from the same general time of year from years ago.

Another great resource are Facebook groups. For example, Fishing 802 has a number of great tips about fishing in the 802 area code (Read: much of Lake Champlain). There is a wealth of knowledge there (not to mention some anglers who don’t know how to wipe coordinates and other meta data from their photos)!

If you’re fishing with kids, make sure you check out my article on preparing for a fishing trip with kids. It is filled with specific tips to help you enjoy your time out there. You also might want to see my article about making fishing with kids stress free while you’re at it.

Proper Equipment

You can’t have confidence while fishing if you don’t have confidence in your equipment. While you don’t need to rush out to buy the most expensive rods out there (if you do, buy them used) you should have confidence in your equipment. Don’t get the cheapest rod and reel combo out there. Don’t just drop your reel in the sand and forget to clean it. Check your line before you go out and ensure it isn’t frayed. Make sure your lures are of decent quality and appear relatively stable. In short, control the variables within your control.

Consider Reading a Book

Several books out there can help you gain confidence while fishing. For example, Destroying Bass Fishing Myths will help you avoid some of the nagging doubts that come with the sport. Likewise, High Percentage Fishing: A Statistical Approach to Improving Catch Rates can help you break down bass fishing situations with data. It’s basically the “Moneyball” of fishing.

How to Get Confidence When Fishing New Bass Lures

I make a point to try and learn a new technique or lure each year. This can be scary because I don’t always know exactly how to work a lure, and am often going by instructions I got from the internet without a firsthand guide. Thus, I try to set myself up for success by doing the following:

  • I will use a new lure in an area I know has fish in that time of year. If there ever was a moment to go to a tried and true “honey hole,” it’s when you’re trying to build confidence while fishing a new bass lure.
  • Any variables that I can put in my favor, I do. This means picking my spots with the weather and time of day. I’m certainly not going to try a new bass fishing lure at high noon the day after a cold front!
  • If it’s possible to choose a variety of sizes with a new lure, I try to pick one that has a better chance of catching a wider range of fish. I wouldn’t want to try and build confidence when fishing new bass lures by picking the “jumbo” size that only a monster is likely to hit.

How to Shake Off a Bad Fishing Trip

There’s much wisdom in the phrase, “A bad day of fishing beats a good day at work.” Sometimes when the bite isn’t that great, I focus on the beauty around me and try to take it all in. Also, remembering that this isn’t a life or death situation or one that has irreparable consequences is important too. Lost a giant fish? You also gained a great story. Didn’t quite make the tournament cut? Well, what did you do wrong and what would you do in the future?

On that point, keeping a fishing log can be a great way to boost your confidence. Unsuccessful trips are just as important for a fishing log as the days that work out great! If you had a bad day fishing, consider drowning your sorrows with some sympathy shopping and treat yourself to this great leather logbook. It is organized so it will remind you to capture all the important details of the day including waypoints, water temps, and fish species as well as your thoughts and is the best one I’ve seen.

Conclusions

I hope this article helps you keep things in perspective so you can build and retain your confidence while fishing. It’s a wonderful asset to have out on the water that will help you have a better time on your own, and especially if you bring your kids out with you.

Thanks for reading,

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Weeds on Lures – Should you Remove Them Before a Cast?

If you fish anywhere near weeds, you’re going to get weeds on lures. While there are certain techniques you can employ to keep weeds off of your lures in the first place, you’ll never have 100% success. You’ve probably wondered if you should remove weeds on fishing lures before making a cast. In most cases, yes, you should remove weeds before casting out a fishing lure as weeds can negatively affect the lure’s action and tip off fish that something is wrong. Let’s explore this in more detail.

Weeds on Lures Can Kill Their Action

The first reason you should take the weeds off your fishing lures before casting them out is they can kill a lure’s action. Believe it or not, fishing lures are precisely engineered tools. They are balanced to run at a certain depth, speed, and with a certain action or wobble. Tossing on a few ounces of weeds can ruin this action. While you never know if a fish is going to want something different, chances are you’re better off fishing a lure the way the manufacturer intended. After all, lures that don’t catch fish don’t (consistently) sell.

Sometimes, it isn’t obvious how much the action is going to be impacted. Take your average spinnerbait, for example. Many of them have a swivel of sorts near where the blades connect to the bent wire frame. If this swivel gets too much gunk in it, the blade won’t properly spin. This takes less gunk than you’d think!

They Can Prevent Proper Hookups

Too many weeds near a crankbait’s hook, for example, can make it difficult for the hook to stick the fish and stay stuck. Even if you do poke them, the weed or other debris can provide some leverage that helps fish throw the hook. Many treble hooks are quite thin so leverage can help them rip out easily.

Fish Can Be Scared by Weeds on Fishing Lures

Fish aren’t quite as dumb as they look. Yes, you’ll get some greedy buggers who clearly have been repeatedly caught, but the truly large fish haven’t made a habit of getting in trouble. Further, they’ve been around the lake long enough to know that minnows, frogs, and insects (read: what you’re trying to convince them your lure is) don’t typically swim around covered in weeds. It is a very unnatural presentation and one that is going to give wary fish serious pause.

weeds on fishing lure
This is fooling no one.

You’ll Rob Your Own Confidence

In your heart of hearts, don’t you just know that you’re going to catch less fish with weeds on your lure? Even if you’re wrong, the mere lack of confidence is going to spell your doom. The extra few seconds it takes to remove weeds from your fishing lure is worth the confidence boost almost every time. You don’t ever want to make a cast expecting not to catch a fish, so why leave weeds on when that’s exactly what that implies?

How to Detect if Your Fishing Lure Has Weeds On It

Sometimes you will want to leave your lure in the water for an extended time. This could be because you’re soaking some bait going for catfish, are working something slow like a soft plastic or jig, or are trolling. All three of these presentations run the risk of your having weeds or grass on your fishing lure and not knowing it until you reel it in and say, “Well, that’s why I didn’t catch anything!”

It’s not always that easy to tell when you have weeds on a fishing lure. If you’re just soaking some bait, it can be nearly impossible. However, if you notice your rod has a pronounced bend to it and is not shaking like a fish has grabbed on, that probably means a clump of vegetation got around your lure and is providing resistance. This goes for soaking baits as well as trolling.

Another way to tell if you have gunk on your lures while trolling is to feel the line for vibration. I wrote about this extensively in my article on trolling for chain pickerel. Basically, every “clean” lure you drag behind your boat is going to have a certain “vibration signature.” I suggest touching the line after you toss it out and are sure there aren’t any weeds on it. Then, from time to time you can check it and if the “vibration signature” is off, you know something is up.

It is more difficult to tell if there are weeds on a slow-moving lure like a jig or a worm. You’re basically trying to tell if it weighs more suddenly. It can be hard to clear soft plastics of weeds because you can’t just give a strong jerk without running the risk of really fouling things or moving the hook through the plastic in ways you did not want. Your best bet if something feels off is to reel in and inspect.

Is It Ever OK to Leave Grass On a Fishing Lure?

What about if you just have a little bit of weeds on your lure? Is it OK to leave it on? Well, that depends. Is it so little that it’s just going to fling off on your next cast? If so, then cast away and solve the problem! If not, take a few seconds to peel it off.

Some people think it’s OK to leave some weeds on lures that are fast-moving as it is unlikely that fish will even notice. I’m not so certain about that. How many times have you had a fish follow a lure all the way to the boat, and, for whatever reason, they just didn’t strike right away. They were sizing it up. Trust, me, a fish is going to be able to move way faster than you can reel in. They can keep pace with your lure as long as they need to – if they’re that hesitant, they have a chance for a weed to put them off.

How to Remove Weeds from a Fishing Lure

There are three appropriate ways to remove weeds and grass from your fishing lure. You can take them off carefully by hand, you can cast them off, or you can rip them off in the water by giving your rod a hard jerk as you retrieve. Under no circumstances should you ever smack your lure against the water as you could break your lure, hurt someone, or scare the fish.

I hope you found this article helpful!

John Paxton

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How to Keep Weeds Off Your Fishing Lures

If you are a freshwater angler, chances are you’ve gotten weeds on your fishing lures before. While it can be annoying to have to keep removing them, large fish prowl weed beds, so it’s worth fishing them. Even so, there are a few things you can do to help keep weeds off your fishing lures so your time on the water is more enjoyable.

How do I keep my lures from snagging?

The easiest way to prevent your fishing lures from snagging on weeds or other cover is to keep the hook point away from it! You can accomplish this in several ways. You could use a truly weedless lure (such as a hollow-bodied frog), or rig a soft plastic Texas style (by burying the hook point into the plastic. There are also some lures and hooks that come in “weedless” options, such as this “weedless” wacky-rigged hook. To be honest, I don’t find that these really keep weeds off the hooks very well – BUT – they are wonderful at keeping your hook point from snagging harder cover like fallen timbers, so they have their place.

What Fishing Line is Best for Weeds?

Sometimes the issue isn’t your hook, but the line you’re using. Anyone who is fishing very heavy vegetation, be it with frogs or jigs, is going to use very heavy braid. This is done for two main reasons. One, HEAVY braid (50-65lb) is your only chance of getting a giant bass out of deep cover and to the boat. Secondly, braid is quite sharp (think rope burns from hell) and can cut through weeds like a saw. Braided line is therefore going to be better to use in heavy weeds than anything else.

My personal favorite braided line is and probably always will be Power Pro. It comes in all the sizes I need, it casts very well, and it holds up year after year after year. I only change it on my reels when they get too low from cutting and retying fishing lures. I’ve never found a need to change it for any other “maintenance” reasons like you might for fluorocarbon or monofilament.

What Fishing Lures Work Well in Weeds?

The best way to avoid getting a ton of weeds on your fishing lure is to use one that works well in them. Using a diving crankbait with treble hooks dangling underneath around weeds is just asking for trouble. Instead, try something that will come through the weeds easier, like a spinnerbait (I prefer one by War Eagle) or swim jig. Basically anything with a hook that points up while moving through the water is going to be better off than something with hooks that point down.

Fishing Lures That Work Well in WeedsFishing Lures That are Tough to Use in Weeds
SpinnerbaitsChatterbaits
Hollow-bodied floating frogsTopwater plugs
Flukes (such as the caffeine shad) Jerkbaits
Swim JigsSpoons
Texas-rigged worms & creaturesCrankbaits
Arm yourself for success by using lures that work well in weeds

Spinnerbaits

If you’ve ever wondered if spinnerbaits are good in the weeds, all I can say is “yes, emphatically, yes.” Granted, you don’t want to throw these into a giant clump of them as it’ll never get through that, but these lures are relatively weedless if you simply intend to burn them on top of submergent weeds. The odd stalk of two that connects with the lure will brush right off the bent wire frame. This makes spinnerbaits a great lure for shallow water trolling as well.

Hollow-bodied floating frogs

If you’re fishing especially heavy weed beds, you’re going to want to use a lure that’s designed for that cover. The most famous is going to be a floating frog lure. These float and have their hooks well-protected by the lure’s body and facing up. You’d really have to try to get these snagged. They are designed for throwing into the heaviest cover imaginable in the height of summer and do a great job of catching bass buried in the muck. My personal favorite is the Spro Bronzeye Frog as I’ve found it to have better hookup percentages than many others I’ve tried.

Flukes

A fluke is essentially a soft-bodied jerkbait that can be rigged weedless by burying the hook point into the plastic. While it will take a good jerk to set the hook, this setup will allow you to fish it without any weeds. Since a fluke can be fished with the same cadence of a jerkbait, it can be an amazing option if your water temps are screaming jerkbait, but you don’t want to catch more weeds than fish. My personal favorite fluke has been Strike King’s caffeine shad. It casts well, has enough weight that you can fish it with a bare hook, and it was responsible for my personal best largemouth bass.

weeds on fishing lure
A fluke would have provided the same action as this jerkbait while being significantly more weedless.

Swim Jigs

A swim jig is a jig that’s designed to, well, swim. The head is more hydrodynamic and cuts through the water, and they tend to have a smaller profile than heftier bottom bouncing jigs. Its hook guard does a good job of keeping it relatively weedless. Most weeds are going to slide around the guard. Given its compact size, it can often get through weeds easier than a spinnerbait. You can check out what one looks like (and pick some up for yourself) at Amazon.

Texas-Rigged Worms & Creatures

You can make pretty much any soft plastic lure essentially weedless by rigging it Texas style, but there are particular baits that do better than others. Essentially, the fewer appendages or arms, etc. that the plastic has, the less likely something is going to get caught on weeds. A simple worm is going to go through weeds much better than a creature bait.

How do you set up a weedless lure with a Texas Rig?

One of the more effective ways to set up a weedless lure is to rig it as a Texas Rig. This allows a lure (usually a soft plastic) to go through weeds and other cover without snagging. It does require a hefty hookset to make sure the hook can get through both the plastic and the fish’s mouth, but if you’re fishing near cover, this is often your best bet.

The video below does a nice job of explaining how to rig a lure this way if you’re unfamiliar.

Want a Particular Action? There Might be a Weedless Option

Sometimes you just want a particular action, or don’t feel that a “typical” weedless lure is a great option for the time of year. Case in point, spinnerbaits really don’t come into their own until the water temps are consistently in the 60°F range, but weeds might grown before your local waters reach that point. During this time you might want to use a jerkbait, but find that such a fishing lure is catching too many weeds. What can you do? Well, try a fluke.

Likewise, sometimes the water temps are perfect for spinnerbaits, but the bent wire frame and blades are having a hard time fishing through the weeds. Well, believe it or not but a swim jig might get through a little easier. These are also relatively weedless due to their fiber weed guard but they’re also much more compact. This allows them to fish through weeds easier than a spinnerbait with all its extra bells and whistles.

How to Fish a Crankbait Near Weeds

Contrary to popular belief, crankbaits can be fished effectively near weeds. The trick is to use the right sort of crankbait. Ideally, you want to fish one that cab be fished above the weeds. Deep divers that are going to plow into the stems are going to be a losing proposition. Instead, use a lipless crankbait like a Rat-L-Trap so you can control how deep it dives. Ideally, you’d want to run the lure so it is just “ticking” across the top of the grace – i.e. hitting it once in awhile, but not becoming snagged. This will create an erratic action that will entice curious fish.

My personal favorite Rat-L-Trap is colored cherry craw and has been a dynamite early season lure for me as this blog post will attest. Just be careful though because while it will handle early-growth weeds well enough, reeds are another story. I’ve lost more than a handful so far this spring on the spongy stalks!

How to Remove Weeds From a Fishing Lure

No matter how hard you try to keep weeds off your fishing lures, you’re going to snag from time to time. When you do, take care in how you remove them. Some anglers smack the lure against the water. I’d strongly encourage you not to. For one, fishing lures are expensive and this can damage them. Secondly, it is a lot of noise that can scare fish. Finally, it’s not all that safe, as your knot might fail during the violent manuever.

You’re better off simply reeling up and taking the weeds off by hand, if necessary. However, be aware that you might be able to simply cast them off. Many weeds will fling off during a long cast.

You also can occasionally remove weeds by giving your lure a solid jerk while it is still in the water. The water’s resistance coupled with the jerk is often enough to remove weeds from your fishing lure. This has the added bonus of bringing some erratic action that fish oh so love.

Hopefully this article will help you keep weeds off your fishing lures!

John Paxton

Want to learn how to take your kids out fishing? Do you have a friend who might need a hand? Click the pictures below to purchase my helpful books!


Fishing Etiquette: Tips for Being a Respectful Angler

This past weekend I had a good reminder in fishing etiquette and manners. I was 100% in the wrong, though it was an honest mistake that I quickly apologized for and promptly corrected (more on that later), but given that this website is designed to help people new to the sport, I thought I’d write a bit about fishing etiquette to help you have happier times on the water. After all, no one wants what should be a fun family adventure marred by a bad experience or shouting.

Without further ado, here are some tips for being a respectful angler and following proper fishing etiquette.

Be Ready to Go at the Launch

Fishing etiquette starts at the boat launch. For the love of all that is decent in this world, don’t be “that guy” at the launch. Not everyone launches boats all the time and people will be reasonably understanding if you are being careful or having a little trouble backing up a boat – that’s one thing. What will get you the stink eye is if you aren’t ready to launch your boat when you pull to the ramp.

What does this mean? Well, before you back up towards the ramp, make sure to get ready off to the side. This means loading up your cooler and gear, taking off your tie downs, getting your kids’ life jackets on, putting in your plug, etc. away from the ramp, and letting others who are ready go in front of you. Ideally, all you want to do when you actually get to the ramp is back down and launch. The ramp itself is not the place to load up all of your gear for 10 minutes. You should strive to spend as little time as possible on the ramp itself.

The Early Bird Gets the Worm

Every lake has its “honey holes” or places everyone likes to fish. If you’re a regular there, you know about them and you probably dream about hitting them on your next trip. Well, so do others, and if they get there first, that’s that. Lakes tend to be very large and I promise you there are “more fish in the sea.” If someone gets to your spot first, hey, they made some sort of sacrifice (usually sleep) to get up and get there first. Let them have it and wait for them to move on.

Don’t feel as though the whole trip is lost if someone gets to one of these spots first, either. These are honey holes for a reason – they hold fish! Fish will come and go, get hungry and turned on and off. Just because someone fished it first doesn’t mean you can’t pull a few off a bit later.

Give Plenty of Space

The most basic rule of fishing etiquette is to give others space. There’s no need to fish right on top of someone. There are plenty of fish out there. Even if you’re fishing in a small area, such as a bay, try to give each other a respectful distance. If you’re both working a shoreline from opposite directions, make a wide berth as you approach each other so there is no chance of snagging each others’ lures.

Watch out for Planer Boards

Something you may not think of, especially if you aren’t used to fishing on northern waters, is that many fishermen troll with planer boards. These are devices that carry a lure off to the side of the boat so it can be trolled in fresh water away from the sound of the motor. Planer boards (and trolling runs in general) take a bit of time to set up and aren’t the easiest things to correct course on, so try and mind them and not get in their way. You don’t want to end up cutting off someone’s troll or worse, getting tangled in their lines.

This can get pretty tricky in tight areas so be careful. It might even be best to just go to some other areas if you know the salmon fleet, for example, are out and about.

Clean up After Yourself

This should go without saying, but clean up after yourself. Don’t leave trash or refuse out on the lake (and for Pete’s sake, leave the WD-40 off of your lures). People are going out there to get away from the deficiencies of mankind; not to be reminded of them. A good rule of thumb is to leave the place just as you came or better.

Don’t Cast Over Someone

Sometimes you can’t help but fish close to someone. For example, in states that have an “Opening Day” it is a bit of a tradition for all sorts of folks who don’t normally fish to go out (I avoid this day like the plague in Connecticut for this reason). You may find yourself fishing close to someone, but that doesn’t mean you have to leave your manners at home. Never cast over their line. The last thing you want is to catch it and create a giant tangle.

Likewise, if you’re fishing on the boat with friends, be aware of where everyone is fishing and don’t put your lure where they’re going to need to cast to. It can make sense to come up with a game plan ahead of time as to where everyone is going to fish so no one needs to be thrown from a boat.

Don’t Cut Off a Drift

If someone is working a shoreline, the polite thing to do is to pull in behind them – not ahead of them in waters they’ve yet to fish. However, if you are going to pull ahead of them, make sure you leave ample room between the two of you (the more the better).

If you see someone working a shoreline you wanted, don’t despair. They haven’t caught all the fish any more than you could. For all you know, they’re using the wrong bait or lure and aren’t presenting it right. Have confidence in your ability and try something else. You might surprise your self.

picture describing proper fishing etiquette when following a drift.
Don’t pull in ahead of someone’s drift. Swing in behind them when possible.

Stay Quiet so as to be a Respectful Angler

Fish can spook fairly easily, especially in clear water on a calm day. If you’re fishing in an area near other people, try to stay reasonably quiet. Don’t be the guy blasting the radio in a bay full of folks trying to get away for a bit. In that same respect, don’t just blast into a bay full bore – ease into the fishing area on your quieter trolling motor.

It’s Proper Fishing Etiquette to Yield to Shore Fishermen or Kayakers

It’s important to remember the pecking order if you’re aiming for proper fishing etiquette. If you are fishing from a boat, it means you have the ability to access waters shore fishermen can only dream of. They have limited options and can’t move from one to another easily, so if you see someone fishing from shore, give them the space.

Likewise, if you’re in a motor boat, give the people in the row boat or kayak a break. They don’t have the range you do and have to hustle for it. Don’t crowd them.

Respect Landowner’s Property

I own property on a lake and I’m going to be very clear about something: I own up to the high water mark. I have absolutely NO right to get upset if someone is fishing near my dock or shoreline. A lakefront owner complaining about people fishing their dock is like buying a house next to a school and whining about the bells. People are entitled to fish there and you should feel free to.

HOWEVER, if you’re going to fish near someone’s dock (and you should, because it’s prime fish habitat at times), please follow a few common sense rules:

  1. Don’t fish docks people are actually sitting on/actively using at the time.
  2. Be very careful not to actually hit the dock, boat, or any other property with your lure.
  3. NEVER actually go onto another person’s dock, boat, or property without the owner’s express permission.

It basically boils down to just don’t be a jerk. Some people get upset that you’re fishing their dock at all, and that’s a poor reflection on them. They have no right to tell you not to. On the other hand, you have no right to damage their property so be careful where you cast. Finally, try not to barge in on someone quietly enjoying their space. Pulling up to a dock someone is sitting on is akin to them motoring right over to a honey hole you got to first.

Be Respectful of the Fish and Wildlife

Fishing etiquette isn’t all about how you interact with other anglers; it’s also about how you interact with the fish. Make sure that you respect local fishing laws and don’t take fish out of season. When you catch one, land it safely and return it to the water unharmed whenever possible. Don’t leave excess line out there or such that wildlife can become entangled in it. In short, be a good steward of the environment.

Don’t Make Waves

Be a respectful boater as you motor past others. Don’t be the guy who blasts past a kayak, swamping them. Slow down and reduce your wake and put past – you have all day and don’t want to be the reason someone else loses gear or gets hurt. Likewise, try not to blast off and zoom down an entire shoreline someone is trying to fish – give it a wide berth and head to open water.

When fishing in northern waters with trolling fleets, make sure you’re careful about how you go around them so you don’t entangle their downriggers or get too close to the front of their troll. As with all fishing etiquette, treat others how YOU would want to be treated! Manners matter in fishing AND boating!

Fishing Etiquette Mistakes Happen! Apologize and Correct!

Remember how I started this article by telling you I was 100% in the wrong this past weekend? Well, I was. I wanted to go to a specific spot, and was actually trying my best to be respectful of a fleet of salmon fishermen with downriggers. I was watching them so intently that I didn’t see a well-camouflaged bass boat that was making its way down a rip rap wall and I ended up pulling up right in front of them and cutting off their drift.

To their credit, they kept their cool and didn’t say anything, but as soon as I noticed them, I immediately apologized, and explained that I had simply missed them as I was concentrating elsewhere. I moved away from the spot (it’s a great spot). We then sorted out which way they were fishing and I agreed to go the opposite direction rather than cut them off. It was friendly, amicable, and left no hard feelings because I knew I was in the wrong, I apologized for my wrongdoing and I corrected my action.

That’s all it takes. No one is perfect – we all screw up from time to time. All we can do is learn from it and move on and do better the next day. So if you happen to make a mistake discussed here, apologize for it and do your best to make it right. And, importantly, if someone else makes a mistake – give them a chance to realize what they did and apologize. After all, fishing is so much fun it’s easy to get caught up in it and just not notice something! No need to let it ruin the day!

Thanks all,

John Paxton