By Rolland Meigs
Over the years I spent many a spring in northern Ontario just after the ice has vanished from the many lakes that populate the northern Ontario landscape. This for the most part calls for accurate planning, come too soon and the ice will still be on the lake, come too late and the lake has started to turn. Once the lake is started to turn, the water becomes very murky and is a lot harder to attract fish to your lures. By turning I mean the cold water on the top of the lake settles to the bottom and the warmer water from the bottom comes to the top.
Hit it right and you can land a ton of fish, arrive at the wrong time and you may not see a fish all week, even though you are spending lots of hours on the water. Now the fish at this time a year, will be near the surface or along the shoreline. Some of the water that I fish have both Brook trout, and lake trout, which can offer up some awesome brook trout, and lake trout fishing.. There are tons of articles on the net that will give you great trout fishing tips, and you will also find lots of deals on trout fishing lures, and other tackle. A good place to check also would be the Bass Pro shops.
There are several different methods I use for catching trout in the springtime. Two of the most common methods are trolling and still fishing.
Still fishing: I've caught many a lake trout sitting on the shore of the lake and casting out as far as I can with a dead sucker minnow. Let the minnow just float down to the bottom, checking every once in a while to see that it is not caught under a rock. This method only works in the springtime as the lake trout are cruising the shoreline for food. I remember in my younger days fishing a northern Ontario lake that had two or three islands. I would take my boat out to the one of the islands and start a fire, then I would heat up some hot chocolate, and sit there (lots of times falling asleep) and still fish for trout for most of the day.
Trolling for trout: The secret to catching brook trout or lake trout in the early spring is trolling near the surface or as close to the shore as possible. Now you will have to watch your line carefully because you will have a tendency to get snagged along the shoreline. I usually use floating minnow imitations, spoons or spinner's, they all have their place and work great at different times of the day. One of my favorite colors for a floating minnow imitations is a perch color. I've also caught a lot of brook trout on the old standard red and white spoon.
After a morning of trolling or still fishing and having caught a few fish there's nothing like a shore lunch on the edge of a northern Ontario Lake. There's never usually a fire warning up because at this time a year the woods are still pretty wet. But for safety sake it's always best to have your fire right near the water, so it only takes a second to extinguish it if it becomes neccessary. I love freshly filleted fish along with fried potatoes, onions and either can spaghetti or canned beans.
So if you're looking to do some great trout fishing this spring, head for northern Ontario with its picturesque settings and all the fresh air that you can handle.
Want to start catching huge brook trout? Need to find a spot that offers you a chance to catch them? Brook Trout are beautiful trout and easy to catch if you know the right methods. If you need more help visit http://www.brook.ontariofishguide.com/
Tuesday, April 29, 2008
Thursday, April 03, 2008
Spring Fishing Tips
By Trevor Kugler
There are few things that people enjoy more than the springtime. The smell in the air, the warming temperatures, the birds happily singing their songs, and of course for those of us who fish, getting out on the water after being "out of commission" for six months or so. In this article I'm going to discuss some spring fishing tips that every angler should keep in mind. These tips will not only help you catch more fish in the spring, some of them will help you catch more fish no matter what season it is.
Let's start with your gear. In the spring, many times water conditions are much different than at other times of the year. For example, in many areas of the United States, river and streams are much higher than at other times of the year. This can have to do with rain fall or run-off. When we're dealing with higher water conditions, the best thing to do is use a longer rod. As an example, in the spring I use a six-foot six inch ultra light rod, rather than my normal five foot ultra light rod. This helps tremendously with "feeling" not only my bait, but also bites and bottom. A great spring fishing tip is to employ a longer fishing rod.
How about your clothes, shadow, and yourself? Many species of fish, especially in cold clear water, are very spooky. If they detect anything unnatural, they will tend not to bite. This is why paying attention to your clothes and shadow is so important. You want to where drab clothing, rather than clothing that stands out. When fishing in small rivers and streams it's also incredibly important that you not cast a shadow on the area that you're fishing. This will "spook" any larger more experienced fish that may be in that hole.
In the spring the weather can be less than predictable. This is why understanding the ways that both the weather and moon impact fishing is so important. This may be the most important spring fishing tip. These two forces of Mother Nature have quite an impact on fish, and the more you know the better. The goal is to be on the water when the fish are the most active. This is accomplished by using these forces of Mother Nature to your advantage.
How about presenting your bait in a natural manner? This tip is true for all seasons, but seems to have more impact in the spring. As anglers, we want our bait to appear as much like it does in nature as is possible. If you ever use live worms as bait, this is why you need to use pre-tied gang hooks. You see, gang hooks enable you to present live worms in an outstretched and natural manner, which makes a huge difference in the number of bites you receive. Presenting your bait in a natural manner is always important, but especially important in the spring.
These spring fishing tips will help you be more successful on your next fishing trip. How am I so sure of this? Simply because I've been using every one of these tips for more than twenty years and know how effective they are. Give one or all of them a shot sooner rather than later. You won't be disappointed.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!
Become A Better Angler: http://stores.lulu.com/jrwfishing
There are few things that people enjoy more than the springtime. The smell in the air, the warming temperatures, the birds happily singing their songs, and of course for those of us who fish, getting out on the water after being "out of commission" for six months or so. In this article I'm going to discuss some spring fishing tips that every angler should keep in mind. These tips will not only help you catch more fish in the spring, some of them will help you catch more fish no matter what season it is.
Let's start with your gear. In the spring, many times water conditions are much different than at other times of the year. For example, in many areas of the United States, river and streams are much higher than at other times of the year. This can have to do with rain fall or run-off. When we're dealing with higher water conditions, the best thing to do is use a longer rod. As an example, in the spring I use a six-foot six inch ultra light rod, rather than my normal five foot ultra light rod. This helps tremendously with "feeling" not only my bait, but also bites and bottom. A great spring fishing tip is to employ a longer fishing rod.
How about your clothes, shadow, and yourself? Many species of fish, especially in cold clear water, are very spooky. If they detect anything unnatural, they will tend not to bite. This is why paying attention to your clothes and shadow is so important. You want to where drab clothing, rather than clothing that stands out. When fishing in small rivers and streams it's also incredibly important that you not cast a shadow on the area that you're fishing. This will "spook" any larger more experienced fish that may be in that hole.
In the spring the weather can be less than predictable. This is why understanding the ways that both the weather and moon impact fishing is so important. This may be the most important spring fishing tip. These two forces of Mother Nature have quite an impact on fish, and the more you know the better. The goal is to be on the water when the fish are the most active. This is accomplished by using these forces of Mother Nature to your advantage.
How about presenting your bait in a natural manner? This tip is true for all seasons, but seems to have more impact in the spring. As anglers, we want our bait to appear as much like it does in nature as is possible. If you ever use live worms as bait, this is why you need to use pre-tied gang hooks. You see, gang hooks enable you to present live worms in an outstretched and natural manner, which makes a huge difference in the number of bites you receive. Presenting your bait in a natural manner is always important, but especially important in the spring.
These spring fishing tips will help you be more successful on your next fishing trip. How am I so sure of this? Simply because I've been using every one of these tips for more than twenty years and know how effective they are. Give one or all of them a shot sooner rather than later. You won't be disappointed.
Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 20 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his three year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.....Montana!
Become A Better Angler: http://stores.lulu.com/jrwfishing
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