LITTLE ROCK (AGFC) – Experienced fishermen are adept at picking up tips here
and there, little things that can improve their chances of success out
on the water.
Here are some assorted tips gathered here and there by anglers with the Arkansas Game and Fish Commission.
* A small finish nail inserted in the body of a soft plastic lure will
change the action of the lure. Try this without other weight on your
rig. The lure will slowly sink just under the water's surface.
* What color spinner bait should you use? For starters, think light in
daytime, dark at night. Light-colored spinner baits are white,
chartreuse and yellow. Dark means black or purple. All sorts of
variations are possible and may catch bass – blade colors can contrast
with skirt colors and head colors.
* When pole fishing, keep the length of your line about the same as
your pole's length. Too much line makes the rig harder to control when a
fish is on the other end. Too short a line, and you can't reach some
spots that may hold fish.
* Don't throw away plastic worms that have been damaged by a fish or
from some other cause. Most times, the damage is near the front of the
worm. Cut off the damaged portion, and you are left with a shorter worm,
a six-inch worm becoming a four-inch worm – effective in many fishing
situations.
* When you check over your fishing rods, run a Q-Tip around the inside
of each guide. Tiny nicks may not be seen but are deadly for fraying
fishing line. A nick will catch the cotton strands of a Q-Tip. Replace
any nicked guides.
* A cocoa fiber doormat will be useful in your flatbottom fishing boat,
mini-boat or canoe. It'll keep your feey out of water that often
accumulates in the bottom of a boat, and it'll be a bit of insulation
from cold water and thin aluminum or plastic. The mat is also heavy
enough to keep from blowing out when the boat is trailered down a
highway.
* A paddle bumping against the gunwale of an aluminum boat or canoe can
be loud enough to spook fish. A length of old rubber or plastic garden
hose, split down the middle and fastened to the gunwale, can silence
these bumps.
* On a windy spring day, try fishing a bank into which the wind is
blowing. Wind-driven water often pushes food fish and insects toward the
bank, with feeding fish following down underneath.
* Hook sharpening is overlooked by most anglers except the
professionals like tournament fishermen and fishing guides. A small
whetstone should be in your boat or tackle box. Just a few short strokes
will eliminate problems like burrs on hook tips cause by punching into
something like an underwater snag.
*
If you haven't been fishing for a while, spend a few moments before
leaving home to spool new line on to your reel. If not, at least cut off
the last several feet of old line, which may be worn, nicked and
brittle. It may prevent a break and a lost fish.
* If you are pole fishing for crappie, bream or something else, try
working two rigs when first starting out. Use one bait at one depth,
another bait at a different depth until you locate the fish.
* Trout fishing tip from Gaston's White River Resort: The Smithwick
Rogue is a good lure for larger fish in flowing water. It is most
effective on the first and second rise of water normally during the
early mornings to mid-afternoons. Cast the Rogue to your target, allow
it to rest on the surface for a few seconds, then crank it down and
pause, continue the retrieve with short sweeping strokes of your rod
tip, repeat.
* When the fishing is slow, try slowing down. Many anglers, especially
those using lures like spinner baits and crank baits, tend to work them
too fast. Try slow retrieves. If you are bait fishing with minnows,
worms or crickets, let them sit longer than usual. This may give a
sluggish fish a little more time to get into action.
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