Anyone who spends time fishing for bass knows that bass, both large and small mouth, readily feed on insects both aquatic and flying and the most effective way to mimic an insect when fishing is by using an artificial fly. The problem with this is that to fish while using artificial flies as bait you have to use specialized “fly fishing” gear and line to cast and fish lightweight artificial flies in an effective manner. At least this is what most bass fishermen tend to think.

In this article I will explain how fly fishing for bass doesn’t mean that you have to be a “fly fisherman” or use specialized gear and line. I will outline an easy way to use artificial flies for bass fishing and it only involves a few simple pieces of terminal tackle.

The first piece of terminal tackle that you will need is a casting bubble, sometimes referred to as a “fly fishing bubble”. This hard plastic sphere, which looks similar to a traditional bobber, can be held under the water allowing water to enter it, which adds weight for casting. Next you will need a five to seven foot leader. While many people like to use a tapered leader, this isn’t totally necessary. The important thing is that you can get your fly from five to seven feet from the bubble itself. Finally, you need a swivel to attach the leader to your line and an artificial fly of your choice.

That is all of the terminal tackle that you will need to go fly fishing for bass. The rig is set up as follows; begin by slipping the casting bubble onto your line and tying the swivel to the end of your line to act as a ‘stopper’. Now add the leader to the opposite end of the swivel and tie a artificial fly onto the end of the leader. The ‘stopper’ on the casting bubble is depressed with your finger while holding the bubble under the water to allow water to enter the bubble. Once the desired amount of water has entered the bubble, release the ‘stopper’ and you are good to go. For dry (floating) flies fill the bubble half way full and to fish a fly under the water (a wet fly) completely fill the bubble with water.

At this point cast the rig into the water, allow the ripples to settle, and retrieve the fly with a slow steady motion. Obviously jerking your rod tip will add “action” to the fly, which many anglers find to be effective. The bottom line is that a casting bubble rig is the best way to go fly fishing for bass for those of us who are looking for and easy way to use flies for bass fishing without having to become a “fly fisherman” there’s no doubt about it.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

This article will focus on the best trout fishing lures and baits. I have fished for trout nearly all my life and got started by fishing in small streams and creeks in Pennsylvania. The water was clear and cold. The woods were strikingly beautiful. But you want to hear about the best lures and baits, don’t you?

First off, there are nightcrawlers and red worms, which are a smaller worm that are better for smaller trout. It is vital to hook these worms correctly, looping the hook through the body multiple times, or using a rig with two hooks. Worms don’t keep very well, so they may die somewhere throughout your fishing expedition. However, they are very reliable and steadfast, and you will pretty much always be able to catch trout on worms as long as the trout are there.

There are also other live or semi-live baits, such as salmon eggs. Salmon eggs are by far my favorite trout bait for smaller sized trout. You must use a very small hook, tie on a salmon egg and let it drift downstream. Hopefully a trout gobbles it up, you reel him in, and then later that night you gobble him up. Minnows are like salmon eggs for larger trout. It can be difficult to catch trout who have survived in the wild for several years using artificial baits – they are very suspicious. For these larger trout smaller minnows, preferably of a species that live in the creek you’re fishing in, are the best.

Small spinning lures and jigs can work well, depending on the conditions. Small spinning lures are by far the best lure for catching trout (well, besides flies, but we’ll get to that in a bit). These in-line spinning lures work best when the trout aren’t hungry or are lazy, in this way you can agitate a fish into biting the lure when they aren’t attacking natural baits. Jigs tend to work best with a slow presentation, and in the colder months.

Fly fishing is another method of trout fishing entirely. The line is weighted to allow you to cast, because you have to use a very small lure. The lure itself is called a fly, which is essentially a hook with small feathers, colored strings, and other things tied onto it in order to make it emulate a natural insect. When you cast out the fly, it drifts across the surface as it is carried downstream, looking a lot like an insect to trout beneath the surface. This is a very effective method of trout fishing, and the one preferred by many. You can even make your own flies, a delicate process known as fly tying!

There are also some artificially created pastes, nuggets and gobs that are sold for the purpose of trout fishing. Some of these work and some of them don’t, however I wouldn’t recommend using them unless you plan on eating the trout, as they often get swallowed immediately. Releasing the fish with a swallowed hook is a bad thing to do, as the fish will die within days. The trout seem to like the taste of this powerful bait, and I have used it from time to time, however the cost can be a bit prohibitive. That being said, they do work well, so I won’t speak ill of them.

That’s about it, for all of the best trout fishing lures. Of course we’re talking about small to medium sized freshwater trout – not huge lunker lake trout or ocean species of trout. You’ll have to check out some future article to find out what I use for those.



By: Adam Fox

About the Author:

Many angler use Powerbait for fishing, especially trout fishing. For this article, I’m going to be specifically referring to the Powerbait that comes in jars or pre-formed chunks, and these types of Power baits are mainly used for catching trout. Powerbait is most effective on stocked trout (you know, the trout that the fish and game department plants in lakes and rivers?) My fishing buddies and I have always joked that the government must feed the trout Powerbait when they are growing up in the hatcheries, because they seem to be addicted to the stuff. The most effective way to use Powerbait is with a bottom rig, which I will explain in this article.

The first thing that needs to be understood is that Powerbait floats. You need to make sure that you use this to your advantage, by having your offering floating off of the bottom, above any underwater debris. The other thing that needs to be understood is that really heavy fishing line should not be employed for this setup. I suggest 4 pound test, and six pound is tolerable. Fishing line any larger than 6 pound test will cost you bites, because its so much more visible to trout.

Begin by grabbing the end of your line and slipping an egg sinker onto it. Now tie on a small barrel swivel (size 10 or 12) that will act as a “stopper” for your weight. Your egg sinker should be no bigger than is necessary to keep your line taught (1/4 to 3/8 oz usually suffices). Now that we have the barrel swivel and egg sinker in place, tie a set of pre-tied gang hooks onto the opposite end of the barrel swivel. Gang hooks allow you to present twice as much Powerbait. If you don’t like the idea of gang hooks, simply tie on a single small hook, that’s attached to a leader. This is your actual rig, and I’m going to assume that you’re using gang hooks (only because that’s what I prefer).

At this point, add enough Powerbait to each hook to completely cover the hook. So you should have 2 balls of Powerbait hanging from this rig. Set your rig in the water by the bank and make sure that the Powerbait is floating. If it’s not, add a little more to each ball. Remember, the fact that the Powerbait floats, is integral to this rig. Now that you know that the Powerbait is floating, you’re ready to cast. Cast your line out gently (I say gently because the Powerbait can fly off the hooks) and let it sink to the bottom. Once your line in on bottom, slowly reel in the slack line. Now set your rod in a steady place (many anglers prefer a forked stick stuck into the ground). Make sure your line is completely taught.

Now it’s time to wait. Your rod will begin to bounce when a trout is biting your offering. I usually wait 30-45 minutes and if I haven’t received any bites, I reel in and check my bait. This is the time to add more Powerbait or change colors. Recast and wait again,. If you get no bites after the second time, you may want to move. It usually doesn’t take stocked trout too long to bite. The method that I just described is the best way to fish for trout with Powerbait. Give it a shot and see what happens.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

There are many anglers that are new to trout fishing or are considering jumping into the trout fishing arena, and simply don’t have much good information. In this quick article I will answer the question of how to trout fish by outlining the perfect rig for fishing for trout. I had the good fortune of learning this rig very early on in my tout fishing “career” and it has served me well. Now this rig will do the same for you.

Although this trout fishing rig can be easily modified for trout fishing in lakes, if you want to learn how to trout fish, the rig is best implemented in running water situations like small rivers and streams while you are wading. To truly fish for trout in any meaningful way wading is a necessity in any case.

Another thing to consider about this rig is what kind of trout bait should be rigged on it. In my opinion, live worms are the trout bait that should be rigged on this particular rig. A live worm (or half of a live worm if the worm is really big) rigged on this rig and allowed to flow naturally with the current of a small river or stream is a deadly trout fishing tactic.

The perfect rig for trout fishing is called a gang hook rig and involves three pieces of terminal tackle and of course worms. The terminal tackle that you will need is gang hooks, barrel swivels, and split shot sinkers. The sizes of all three items will vary depending on water depth, current flow, and the size of trout being sought after. Barrel swivels that match the pound test of your fishing line is a good idea and size 8 or 10 gang hooks a great place to start.

The rig starts by taking the end of your line and tying on a barrel swivel. On the opposite end of the swivel, tie on a set of pre-tied gang hooks (your gang hooks should always be pre-tied, because tying them as needed is a complete pain in the butt). Now add a worm to the gang hooks, and again if the worm is large simply pinch it in half. This is the perfect rig for trout fishing. Split shot sinkers are now added depending on current flow and river depth. You want enough weight to get the rig to the bottom and still allow it to flow with the current, rolling along the bottom if you will.

This then is how to trout fish, especially where rivers and streams are concerned. The key is to work the water thoroughly, casting parallel to yourself, closing your bail, and pointing your rod tip at the rig. Let your offering flow with the current until the rig is directly below you. At this point the drift is over, reel in and recast.

This truly is the perfect rig for trout fishing, especially as you learn all the little nuances that are only revealed through experience. Don’t worry with experience distinguishing between the bottom and a bite becomes easy. With this information you will never again wonder how to trout fish, you will in fact know.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

If you have ever wanted to fish with artificial flies but don’t necessarily have an interest in going to the time and expense of learning to fly fish you need to be introduced to the world of fly fishing bubbles. Fly fishing bubbles are the best way to fish lightweight flies without having to use traditional fly fishing gear.

In this article I will outline how to use a casting bubble to fly fish. Fly fishing bubbles have been around for a long time, and if you aren’t familiar with them they can appear to be a traditional bobber. While a fly fishing bubble may look like a bobber, it is actually quite different. You see a fly fishing bubble is threaded onto your fishing line and “floats freely” on the line itself. The bubble is “stooped” by tying a swivel onto the end of your line. The bubble is then help underwater and “opened” to allow water into the bubble itself.

Adding water to the bubble gives you added weight for casting. In normal situations when you want to fish on the surface of the water the bubble is filled three quarters full of water. Fly fishing bubbles are most productive when fished in still water situations like lakes or ponds. Although this method of fishing flies can be done in rivers, it takes practice and shouldn’t be attempted by a fisherman with little or no experience. For the beginner, the use of fly fishing bubbles should be reserved for lakes and ponds.

Using a casting bubble to fly fish is actually quite easy. The rig is set up like this: Thread the bubble through your fishing line with the thinner end of the stopper pointing towards the end of your rod. Now tie on a swivel act as a “stopper” for the bubble itself. A tapered leader is now added to the opposite end of the swivel and a fly is tied to the end of the leader. At this point the stopper is depressed on the bubble itself while holding it underwater. Once the bubble is three quarters full, close the stopper.
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This rig is now cast into the water and retrieved slowly. When it comes to fly fishing bubbles a slow retrieve is normally best, although varying the speed of the retrieve can be effective as well. Experimentation is the key to success when it comes to fishing flies in this manner. If you would like to fish with wet flies rather than dry flies, your bubble should be filled completely with water. This way the bubble will sink under the water after being cast out. A bubble, when full, will sink approximately six inches per second.

The bottom line is that you now know how to use a casting bubble to fly fish. Now it’s time to get out there and start experimenting. There is little doubt that with experience, this method of fishing will become one of your favorites. Artificial flies are effective for many species of fish from trout to large and small mouth bass and now as a traditional spin fisherman you know how you can fish effectively while using artificial flies.



By: Trevor Kugler

About the Author:

candhlures asked:

Youve spotted a bait field and the captain is heading toward the birds. Now, if you remembered to tie a CH Rattle Jet to the end of your fishing line, chances are good that our dolphin lures bubble stream and rattle action will drive schooling dolphin to strike. The Rattle Jet and Rattle Jet XL are both highly productive dolphin lures when fishing plain or with live baits like ballyhoo or cigar minnows. The XL comes pre-rigged with 125 lb. monofilament line (cadium hook) and the original Rattle Jet is equipped with 6 feet of 100 lb. monofilament line (ring-eye hook). A great light tackle dolphin lure to catch dolphin is the Stubby-Bubbler, which combines the head of the CH Lures Lil Stubby with our bubble producing Lil Bubbler. Also available from CH Lures in our rigged and ready series is the Magnum Turbo Whistler. This is not the old lure from Billy Baits, but a new multi-jet lure that produces unbelievable action. The lures lightweight head is designed with a cupped head to keep the plain or baited lure in the water where dolphin feed. Dont forget to pack your large CH Fish Bag before you leave home for your next tournament or day of fishing offshore. Youll need to keep your prize dolphin cold for the boat ride back to shore.

expertvillage asked:

Learn about the features of a fly fishing reel and get tips on fishing equipment and tackle in this free fly fishing video series. Expert: Jim Dowd Contact: www.zoaroutdoor.com Bio: Jim Dowd runs the fishing program at Zoar Outdoor, is a Federation of Fly Fishers Certified Casting Instructor, Life Member of Trout Unlimited, and co-author of The Deerfield River Guide. Filmmaker: Christian Munoz-Donoso

cindy d asked:


While fishing, you get bored and start to swing a sinker weight around in a circle below you on a 0.23 m piece of fishing line. The weight makes a complete circle every 0.60 s. What is the angle that the fishing line makes with the vertical?

I had 88.8 degrees but that is not the right answer to this problem. Please help.

BiLinda13 asked:


So my friends and I love to fish. We fish on a river about everyday. We never fished at a lake before so we are going tomorrow to lake michigan. We don’t have much money to get a boat so we are fishing off the shore. The only question I have. What type of fishing line is best used to catch those big fish in the lake?

expertvillage asked:

Weight options when buying fly fishing line. Learn about fly fishing gear, supplies, and other equipment in this free video. Expert: Alvin Dedeaux Contact: www.alvindedeaux.com Bio: Alvin Dedeaux has been a fly fishing guide and casting instructor for 12 years, and has been fly fishing for 32 years. Filmmaker: MAKE | MEDIA