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Fishing Tips (Soft water)

3K views 29 replies 24 participants last post by  fish fetish 
#1 ·
While searching for something I came across a 2006 thread of fishing tips. 8)
http://www.coloradofisherman.com/forum/index.php?topic=11737.0

It seems like a good time to revive it, so here we go......

Please Post your Soft Water Fishing tips here.
(Someone else can start the Hard Water tips thread.) ;)


1. When Kokanee fishing, ALWAYS tip your lures with White Shoepeg Corn.
(Yes, it does matter what kind of corn. No, I don't know how the fish know the difference) Split it up and put it in plastic baggies so that a whole can of corn isn't sitting in the sun all day long - it doesn't work as well when it dries out.

2. Preparation H is a fish attractant (it contains Cod Liver Oil).
(I don't know if it's better than WD-40 or not; I don't use either one)

3. A small piece of plastic worm threaded on the line above a jig will sometimes draw attention to your lure, and increase the number of bites.

4. Change the monofilament line on your reels at least once a year. (more often if you fish alot) The line degrades with age; it is terrible to lose the fish of a lifetime due to old line. :(

5. In a pinch a worm blower can be used to add hydraulic fluid to an I/O trim unit.

6. If the gearlube in the lower unit smells burnt, then change it ASAP.

7. If you have a swing tongue boat trailer, take a piece of heater hose or garden hose about a foot long, slit it lengthwise and put it over the wires where they pass thru the hinge. It will prevent the wires from being pinched.

8. Put a piece of reflective tape on your boat fenders so that you can easily see how far into the water the trailer is at night when you back down the ramp.

9. Fish where you see fish (or at least baitfish) on your fishfinder.
[Fish the fish, don't fish the spot]


OK Colorado Fishermen, take it from here.

I CHALLENGE EVERYONE THAT READS THIS THREAD TO POST AT LEAST ONE TIP. >:D


Tight Lines,
Crk
 
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#4 ·
When fishing from the bank, don't assume you have to cast as far as you can....sometimes you don't.

Run you fingers along your line and feel for rough spots before you go fishing. They are a sign of damage and therefore, weakness.
 
#6 ·
Take a kid fishing, they are the future of our sport.

(If they have never fished before, then don't plan on fishing much yourself.)


Thanks guys, Keep those tips coming.

Crk
 
#8 ·
onefishinfool said:
When fishing from the bank, don't assume you have to cast as far as you can....sometimes you don't.

1. if your feet are wet, you are standing where you should be fishing. we all cast as close to shore as we can when in a boat, but wade in and cast out far when fishing from shore.

2. fish see contrast the best as it gets dark, so fish darker lures in fading light. comes from throwing dark dry flies at dusk.

3. if you get a hook buried in yourself. wrap some line around where the hook meets your skin. push down on the back of the hook and jerk the line. hook pops right out.
 
#11 ·
-Use lighter line to get cranks a bit deeper.
-Use Fluoro to get neutrally buoyant baits to suspend nose down and get a bit deeper as well.
-Use monofilament with topwaters such as poppers and cigar baits... using fluoro will pull the nose down and hinder the action of the bait.
-Use braid when jig fishing whenever the water clarity dictates(stained).
-Use fluoro when jig fishing in clear water.
-If you get hung up and have to break off when using fluoro, make sure to cut off the amount of line between you and your bait after breaking off.
-If you get hung up and have to break off when using braid, make sure to pull straight back with your rod tip pointed at the bait or you risk snapping your rod.
 
#14 ·
Look at the action of your lure or jig close to the boat or shore before you start fishing with it. Make adjustments to the lure or jig to get it running right before fishing with it. I once trolled most of a day with a lure that had no action because I didn't check it before using it.
 
#15 ·
While tossing lures or flies from shore , wading or a boat ... vary the retrieve speed and action . Sometimes without thinking people use a constant methodical retrieve ..... fast , regular speed , slow , very slow , stop n start , eratic jerking or twitching , pause for X number of seconds after casting , etc .... sometimes fish are attracted to one type of motion one day and another the next .... sometimes hour to hour changes . Some say variety is the spice of life .... sometimes variety means a few more hook-ups.
 
#16 ·
In rivers and streams, fish the water closest to you first before you wade in. Work your way across.

When weather like rain, snow, wind, start up don't pack it in. That's usually when the fishing gets good. Bring some warm gear and hit it hard. (If it's lightning, get the hell out of there and crack open a PBR).

A tube jig will catch anything that swims.

If you want to catch a bass, then fish for trout. If you want to catch a trout, then fish for bass. :)
 
#19 ·
My buddy swears by the rule:

When nothing seems to be working, try the ugliest lure in your arsenal.

[It's surprising how many times this has worked. Naturally nobody else will have another one just the ugly lure that the fish are nailing. So as a bonus you get to see everyone else scramble to find something similar. >:D ]

Crk
 
#20 ·
Trollers and still-fisherman...............ALWAYS secure your rod tightly...................a big carp, wiper, cat, etc. can make your favorite rod and reel nothing but a memory in one strike.

Soft plastics/bass fisherman...................when your plastic worms wear out to the point of trash................save the tail ends for spinnerbait trailers.

All fisherman...............when the bite is tough.........if you see crawdads and are able to catch one.............use tiny pieces of the tail meat as scent to tip your lure with. (where legal) Sometimes this can make all the difference................kind of like sucker meat for macks and corn for kokes.
 
#21 ·
When spooling new line on a spinning reel, run the spool under warm water to reset the memory before using (minimizes the line "jumping" off the spool after the first cast).

follow the birds. (Grampas rule)

If you are getting outfished by your buddy, start working really hard. The first thing is to change your bait (he's putting on new bait after every fish caught). Keep trying new lures/hooks. Move around to where you have a chance to get into biting fish. They are biting you just have to figure out how to get them on your line

When trolling for trout or walleye, if they aren't biting try going faster. Speed can kill!
 
#22 ·
mogul buster said:
Soft plastics/bass fisherman...................when your plastic worms wear out to the point of trash................save the tail ends for spinnerbait trailers.
If you fish with leeches (or crawlers for that matter) ...

After you have hooked up your leech or crawler, bite off a tiny chunk of one of your decrepitated plastic worms and thread this tiny piece onto the hook holding the bait. Make sure you push this "rubber bait retainer" past the hook barb. This will keep the leech on your hook no matter how much he squirms and will prevent those sneaky trout from stripping your crawler before it has a chance to get a real fish. ;D

Mac
 
#24 ·
1.Take a Q-tip to the line guides of your rods and check for cracks and snags ... Bad guides can create abrasion on the line and there goes the big-un !

2.First hand I learned that leaving your rods in the vehicle can also bake your line and you will break off a ton !!!!! even if it is new line . I reespool a few times out of the year and even the most expensive line will turn to junk in no time left in the truck/car .

3. Buy plenty of back up baits of the same type .... dont be afraid to bang the lure into cover (brush, rocks , weeds, wood ) that is where the fish are sometimes and they might smash a lure that bumps into their home .
 
#25 ·
a cheap line removeing tool is a drill and a allen wrench. Keep a little tension on the line till it catches and go for it. when done remove the wrench slide the line off and it stays in a neat little ball. also the bigget the wrench the faster it comes off. just becarful that the line dosen't get behind the chuck.

Kelly
 
#26 ·
Before starting the day of fishing. Put a little of your fish attract on your hand. Any little thing you touch will be on your hand ( oil, gas, dirt from truck, and ect).......
 
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