How to catch marlin

Marlin are arguably the most iconic fish in sportfishing circles. Men have been known to shed a tear after an encounter with one and each fish caught is etched in an anglers memory forever.

There are four species of marlin that make up recreational catches; the blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and white marlin. All of the marlin species fight extremely hard and the two bigger species (blue and black marlin) can grow well over 1000 lbs!

Marlin Fishing Techniques

Marlin are an aggressive fish that respond well to teasers and plastic skirted lures trolled across the surface of the water. Most anglers consider the action of the lures on the surface far more important than color. Trolling speed is about 7-10 knots and allows the marlin boats to cover a large area.

Marlin anglers also troll natural baits such as striped tuna, bonito and Spanish mackerel. Sometimes natural baits are used in conjunction with a skirted lure to enhance the trolling action.

Marlin are also caught on live baits; either slow trolled, at drift or at anchor. Live baiting usually takes place once the marlin are located with teasers or at an area that marlin are known to frequent such as a FAD.

Marlin Tackle

Marlin are big fish and require quality rods and reels and a lever drag reel is almost essential. Most marlin anglers use a minimum of 24 kg line and 200 lbs monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Remember that marlin will make light work of any flaw in your tackle, line or knots.

How to fish crankbaits (with video)

Crankbaits are right up there with the most popular lures for bass, but they also are very popular with many other saltwater and freshwater species. They are available in every color imaginable and designed to run at a certain depth, which means working your lure in the strike zone is made easier. Every serious angler should have a selection of shallow, medium and deep running crankbaits in their tackle box.

A lot of anglers don't realize there is more to fishing crankbaits than tying one on the line, chucking it in and winding it back. Ideally you want to make sure your crankbait gets down to the bottom and "hops" over the structure, but they can also be used in free water when fish are holding at a known depth. When choosing the color don't get too obsessed and remember that action and retrieve make much more of a difference. Stick to natural colors found in the local baitfish populations and you will be fine.

Fishing crankbaits
As I am not an expert in this area so I found a couple of really good videos showing a very popular crankbait fishing technique. These are nice short little videos and are well worth watching.

Bass night fishing

Many people do not understand that most fish activity takes place under the cover of darkness. There is research that suggests that over 90% of fish species feed almost exclusively at night. This means that night fishing can be a very productive method of catching fish.

During the day fish are not only less active, but can be spooked by boat noise and anglers making noise above the surface. They can also see your boat and lure presentation much clearer and there is the added risk of rejection because of these factors. Under the cover of darkness, fish feel more confident when feeding and cannot see quite as well as usual.

Night Fishing Tips
When night fishing for bass follow these few tips to success

• Use dark colored lures (color vision fades in darkness)
• Try fishing around areas of light like docks.
• Try a lure that makes some noise or a surface lure that "bloops"

Night Fishing For Bass
These two videos share some great ideas for night fishing for bass and are well worth watching - the first one is presented by Doug Hannon (The bass professor).

How to catch crappie

The crappie is a popular North American freshwater angling target, which attains a maximum size of approximately 21 inches and 5 pounds. Their are two distinct subspecies of crappie simply referred to as Black crappie and white crappie (note: the name white perch is often incorrectly used for the white crappie). The crappie is highly regarded as a fine freshwater food fish, which adds to its angling popularity.

How to catch crappie

Before you head out to catch crappie it is important to understand a little bit about crappie and their feeding habits. Crappie have very good eyesight and can see a range of colors. Crappie are generally inactive during the day spending time around submerged objects and move out into open water to feed around dawn and dusk. It is also worth considering that crappie are also active during the winter months making them a viable fishing target year round.

Crappie have diverse diets, which means there are many ways to catch crappie including casting light jigs, trolling with minnows or artificial lures, using small spinnerbaits, or using bobbers as well as many other techniques. If you are using bait stick to natural food sources including baitfish, crayfish, worms, maggots, crickets or grasshoppers.

Crappie Fishing Tips

• Fish around structure - logs, boulders, docks, weeds etc. (especially heavy structure).
  
• Once you catch a fish keep working the area as crappie are a schooling fish.
• Crappie will move into shallow water during spawning (spring and early summer)
• If the fishing is slow try imparting more movement onto the bait or lure to entice a bite
  

Fishing Tips - Shallow trolling for trout

I came across this great article today and just had to share it with you. Even though I am not a big fresh water fisher I still love a bit of freshwater action (and no swell is always a bonus). I recommend reading the full article!

A lot has been written about trolling lures for trout. But little is penned about the under utilized shallows of a lake. Fly fishermen know about it - so why do so few lure trollers take advantage of the shallows?

The shallow margin of a lake is often where all the food is located.
This is because the light penetrates the water easier in the shallower water, which is essential for aquatic weed growth. This thriving weed provides food and shelter for insects and small forage fish. So it makes sense for larger fish, such as trout, to hang about these areas during times of hunger or opportunity...

Read Full Article

Fishing Video of the Week - Tailor (bluefish)

Well tailor is what we call them in the country, but this fish can be found all around the world. They go by many names including: bluefish, blue, tailor, elf, chopper, snapper blue, snapper, Hatteras blue.

They fight hard and it is often spectacular with fish jumping many times during a fight. They have a nasty set of teeth that can bite through fishing lines and sometimes wire leader is used. They are a pelagic fish that form big schools and feed on small bait fish like sardines. They are often caught in white water and in the surf where they hunt their prey. They can grow very big and the specimens caught in this video are considered small. They are an average eating fish and should always be eaten fresh. Never freeze a tailor.

Techniques for catching smallmouth bass (video - including underwater shots)

This is a video well worth watching even if you don't catch bass (or live 1000's of Km's from the nearest bass). The video shows a technique that is deadly on many fish species - salt and freshwater.

Erratic movement of lures has often been used to create a frenzy and get a fish to bite and this video displays the technique perfectly. I have personally used the technique on many saltwater species in Australia and have found that predatory fish will almost always respond better to this technique when in feeding mode, but it still works when the fish are shut down. When fish are shut down I think sometimes they are just biting the little fish as a warning to get out of the area. Used correctly the erratic technique can "annoy" a fish into biting!

It is worth noting that erratic movement, like a big blooping popper, can tease the fish ready for someone with a fly rod or soft plastic to actually catch it - good luck finding a friend to tease the fish for you while you catch them though :-)

Enjoy this great little movie!