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Lake Gaston is located in both Virginia and North Carolina. It is a large lake of 20,300 acres. Many professional and amateur tournaments are held here each year, so it receives a good deal of fishing pressure. This is where we competed in the Regional Finals for the Red Man Tournament Trail in 2000. The main species of fish in the lake are largemouth bass, striped bass, and black crappie. Other species include some walleye, chain pickerel, white perch, bluegill, and catfish. The main forage base is composed of alewife, gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and herring.

Lake Gaston has relatively stable water levels, and high quality water. There is a good population of largemouth bass, with many large fish available. Most of the bass we catch at Gaston run around 15 inches and about 1 1/2 pounds. We have caught numerous 5 and 6 pounders and some larger fish were caught in the finals. In fact, some of these fish were 8 or 9 pounds. The lake record is 14 pounds 2 ounces, so there are plenty of big bass left in Lake Gaston. Gaston’s striped bass fishery depends mainly on stocking. Many striped bass are caught each year that weigh 3 to 8 pounds, but plenty of 20 pounders are taken each year. The walleyes are doing good at Gaston also and many trophy fish of 8, 9 , & 10 pounds are caught. We caught a few of the Strpiers while fishing for bass on the Lucky Craft crankbait shown below.

The striped bass make a spawning run each year up to the Roanoke river in April and May. Lake Gaston has a variety of structure also, such as submerged bridges, stumps, submerged roads, and lots of grass in the summer. Most of the water flowing into Lake Gaston comes from the Roanoke river. The visibility in the lake usually ranges from 4-8 feet, although heavy rains can make it muddy. There is a thermocline in Gaston in the summer at about 20-25 feet. In the summer, oxygen levels are low are far down as Great Creek. The bottom is sand and gravel with some flats covered in silt, and clay hillsides. The shoreline is mostly wooded, with some high slopes. North Carolina Power and Virginia Power owns the entire 350 mile shoreline. There are lots of docks, rip rapped banks, and brushpiles. there are really a lot weeds, including elodea, milfoil, and hydrilla. This is especially true in the creek arms and coves, with the deep weedline at about 10 feet. They do treat the grass and also have added some grass carps.

The best locations for largemouth bass in the spring (March & April), are the northside creeks, especially Pea Hill and Lizard. They normally turn on first as soon as the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees. The next places that turn on is the southside arms, especially Lees and Poe. We like to fish these areas around the boathouses, rip rap, and laydowns with a chrome / blue Ambush Stealth Diver and a Terminator Colorado spinnerbait. We stick to the structure that is in the 5-10 foot deep water. Bass here start to spawn around April 15th, and last till around June. The other areas that can be real productive are Pea Hill and Six-Pound Creeks. Sometimes we use floating worms, and wacky-rig them for some hot action. Another method that works good in these areas is soft plastic jerkbaits. During the tournament, and at other times also, we really caught most of the better fish on these baits. “Sizmic” Flu-Go’s” were our top producers. Lake Gaston is known for a good topwater bite. You can really get into some decent bass in these areas on buzzbaits and poppers also. Even Lucky Craft “Sammy’s” produce well at times.

Later in the year, about June, the largemouth like to relate to classic bottom structure like humps, points, and stream channels, or even large beds of hydrilla. These hydrilla beds produce large bass as well as numbers until about September. We usually probe the deep weedline with a Texas-rigged worm or Yamamoto grub. The ‘SENKO’s’ also produce well here. Usually in the mornings and at dark, we twitch jerkbaits over the top of the hydrilla, or even throw Terminator buzzbaits.

If you like to fish structure, then the main lake points at creek mouths like Pretty Creek are good. Another good spot that has bass on humps and drop offs is Hubquarter and Lyons Creeks. The 15-20 foot deep area are best, as that is where most of the baitfish are. Carolina rigged lizards are a good choice, as are for worms, ‘SENKO’s’ and grubs. At times, we catch good fish here on deeper crankbaits as well. The water starts to cool off a lot in October and November, and the bass start moving back to the 5-10 foot deep water. The best areas at this time are Jimmie’s, Lizard, and Six-Pound Creeks. We use a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig at this time, with a black/blue or brown/orange ‘Uncle Josh Pork trailer’.

We like to carry several spinning rods for the lighter lures, in different lengths, from 6-61/2 feet, with a medium action, in a good graphite rod such as a G Loomis and Falcon. We like Shimano and Tica reels, spooled with a 8-10 pound Trilene. For baitcasters, we carry a variety of rods, in 6 1/2 to 7 foot lengths, in a medium/hvy action, and a crankbait rod, in 7 foot. We use Falcon’s and G Loomis rods, and Shimano reels on most outfits, with 17-20 pound test.

All the tackle we use is from Delaware Tackle at www.delawaretackle.com

Owner of Anglers Radio and Delaware Tackle at http://www.reeltimeanglers.com

This article discusses the basics of choosing a fly fishing reel which is right for what you intended to do.

Fly fishing reels do two things. They store fly line, and they provide drag against a fish as it fights once landed. Most are made from aluminum. Be sure to check the quality of the reel - some cast molded aluminum reels are made cheaply, and can break more easily than solid block models. Beyond that, two different types of reels exist for the fly fisherman: the Spring and Pawl, and the Disc Drag reel.

The Spring and Pawl Fly Reel

This is the traditional fly fishing reel. Its advantage is that it provides for a very smooth, even pull-out as lighter, more sensitively-mouthed fish (like smaller trout) draw on the line. Particularly when using lighter tippets, this type is a good choice, since it protects the tipper better.

The Disc Drag Reel

This is the newer type of reel, designed much like a disc brake on a car. These types of reels are good for larger species or larger fish, as they can more easily exert a stronger tension once a bigger fish has attacked. Their main drawback is that they tend to be not as smooth as the Spring and Pawl reel. For most fishing conditions, this is probably immaterial. But on truly smaller panfish species, smaller or more wary trout, the Spring and Pawl reel is probably the way to go.

Paul Smith lives in the northwoods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He divides his time between his family, teaching the Japanese martial art of Aikido Aikido Marquette and building his outdoor gear website (and its more freewheeling sister, The Outblog

Bluefin tuna are one of the greatest challenges to anglers off the coast of New England, and Massachusetts continues to be a center of activity for giant bluefin tuna.Most tuna are caught chunking or trolling. I will describe the techniques used by top crews to catch these giants.

Chunking for Bluefin involves archoring on a good fishing spot known to hold bluefin. Once anchored, top crews deploy chunks, stick baits and live baits suspended on ballons at different depths. Most captains have their crew position the baits where at the depth they mark tuna fish on their fish finder.

Many top captains use Gamahastu Live Bait hooks. In determining the hook size, it is important to match the hook to the size bait that you are using. You shouldn’t use a hook that is too large, because it will detract from the presentation of the bait.

All top crews use fluorocaron leader. Leader varies from 150-lb to 220lb, with many crews fishing light gear (150-180) to get bites when they are hard to come by. Most crews start off with a long leader (say 15 feet), so they can cut back and recimpt the hook on if their leader gets nicked up by dogfish or other pests.

Many crews using light fluorocarbon also use H crimps instead of G crimps for their 150 or 180 fluoro. The lower profile H crimp must be done carefullly, preferably using the Jinkai crimping tool listed on this page.

They also use these crimps to attach a small wind on swivel. This way, the leader can be wound all the way on the spool, protecting the flurocarbon during storage, ensuring clean decks, and allowing the angler to reel the fish as close as needed to harpoon it.

All crews attach the sinkers and ballons using rubber bands. Sinker weight is selcted based on the spped of the current and the desired depth that you are trying to fish.

Most crews that troll bluefin fish spreader bars from their outriggers at about 3-4 knots. Most crews fish three to four spreader bars, two from the outriggers and one or two flat lines. Outriggers are rigged with roller trollers so that the line can be reeled through the clip to tease the fish into striking again if he misses the first time. The clip is set tight so that the outrigger sets the hook on the fish.

Fisherman use different spreader bar sizes and colors in their trolling spread based on experience and conditions. Snap swivels are used so that rigs can be swapped out easily. Thimbles and heavy chafe gear protect the mono where it connects to the hook and swivel. Most crews use the Mustad or VMC southern tuna hook style on their trolling rigs.

Fishermans Outfitter

You will find that there are several types of salmon that you could be after. You’ll find them in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans too. In the Atlantic, you will find the founding father of all salmon. This is the original fish name of a salmon. You will also find a wide range of salmon that are in the eastern North American areas that in lakes of all sorts. These don’t migrate as they like freshwater better.

The brown trout is one of the most well known of salmons. Yes, he is a salmon even though most think he’s a trout. Red salmon is also known as Sockeye salmon. These are found off of the coast of California and into the eastern pacific. You will find them off the shores of Japan as well as in the Andayr River in Siberia. Pink salmon is another option and is found in California, Canada and in Korea.

Another common type is Chinook salmon. These are known as spring salmon as well as blackmouth, and King Salmon. You’ll find them from the southern Californian coast to the Bering Strait. You can also find them in Alaska, Russia and in the Yukon Territory.

Baits For Salmon

You can use many varieties of baits on salmon. In freshwater varieties, go with plugs, worms, lures and flies. In saltwater, go with flies, streamers, crustaceans, and lures.

Gear For Salmon

For fly fishing, you’ll need a twelve to sixteen foot graphite or fiberglass rod. You will need fly reel and line too. In bait fishing, you’ll need a ten foot spinning rod and bait caster reel with up to a twenty pound test line. For Chinook’s, you’ll need a boat or a trolling rod. As you know, the Chinook are the largest of the salmon so you will need twenty to forty five pound test line.

When you are after Atlantic’s, go for a fly fish or use spoons, natural baits and plugs to help you. On the Pacific side, use trolling just off the shoreline and use estuaries.

No matter which of the mighty salmon you are after, you are sure to get a good fight. Be prepared with a full tackle box and a large cooler when you are after King Salmon!

Niall is a keen fisherman who is always looking at new tools to help him catch more fish. Visit Fish Finder Review for more information and great deals to help you find fish finders or other GPS and Sonar marine navigation systems. http://www.fish-finder-review.com

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Fish-Finder-Review.com

We all have used buzz baits and we know why the bass like them right? It’s because of that little stream of water. Wrong! It’s the sound! Yep, sound attracts the bass then sight.

Bass has exceptional hearing and sound travels 5 times faster in the water than in air.

On the other hand water isn’t a good conductor for light waves. Since only a few of your casts land by a fish, using a lure like a buzz bait that produces sound is a good thing.

Cast that buzz bait in the same location a few times and let the bass hone in on it. If you’re having late hits (when the bass hit behind the buzz bait) then slow down a little bit.

Keep the buzzbait on top and make sure the blades are going around to make the noise you need but don’t reel it so fast that the fish can’t pinpoint the location.

Just remember to let the fish have time to hone in on your lure and do it by slowing down your presentation.

Charles E. White has fished for almost 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office.

Charles has fished with people who have never fished for bass before and taught them how to become successful anglers and also has fished with the Pros in Florida. His new website about fishing for bass is at:

http://www.bassfishingweekly.com

There are lucky people who live on the salty coastlines, or maybe near a meandering river. For them, finding great fishing is as easy as simply casting their line. Most of us have trouble finding a great fishing destination and it isn’t always easy when there are so many choices across the U.S. The first place to start is whether you prefer to fish in fresh or salt water.

Salt water fishing is and intense sport that has huge rewards. To get the best game you need to take a boat at least 5 miles out, but it is well worth it. Tarpon are one of the most sought after game fish and there are many reasons. Like many saltwater fish, they put up a tremendous fight. You know you have a Tarpon when they have been hooked for a short while they will leap high out of the water. Other great fish to find off-shore are King Fish and Spanish mackerel. The best place to find a good charter that will take you out is in Ft. Myers, FL. This area is also a great destination for vacations because Miami is only a couple hours drive across the state on famous Alligator Alley. This highway is named for the numerous alligator that will rest along the edge of the road. Key West is also only a couple of hours away on a high speed boat service that runs between Ft. Myers and Key West.

Fresh water fishing is a more leisurely past time, but it requires much more knowledge about how to find the great spots. Fly fishing is a great way to experience the back rives. Yellowstone national Park has some great places to fish for trout. You can find some great cut-throat trout in the fire hole river located in western Yellowstone. There is also some great trout found in Loveland Pass. It’s a mountain road located outside Big Sky, MO. A good secret bait for fishing out west is a salmon egg called a Fire Ball. When you are running from hole to hole just a regular spinning rod with a hook and use the Fire Balls. Lodging is in abundance because most areas out west depend on the snow seasons for tourists. You can get great lodging amenities for a huge discount. I recommend a rental condo because some resorts are understaffed in the summertime.

Find out more great information about trout and fishing at http://www.abouttrout.info!

Are you a novice fly fisher who wants to fathom the beauty of fly fishing as a sport? Then best thing for you to do is try to gather as much information about the sport as you can; find the details on fly fishing techniques, gears, equipment, and lastly, the fishing spot.

Finding the right spot to fly fish needs load of patience; as there are many fly fishing spots all over the world, you need to carefully choose which best suit you. Most anglers actually made this a quest for them; finding the perfect river and spot to spend their day and looking for a nice catch. And many fly fishers are opting for fly fishing vacations. Don’t you think it’s great to fish on a weekend getaway with your whole family or with all of your friends?

But, a fly fishing vacation is also an outdoor sport that needs careful planning; there are number of things to consider. Before you can go to that vacation, you’ll need to get hold of rods and tackles, fishing licenses, etc.

Here are few tips on how to make your fly fishing vacation successful:

Consider a less known fly fishing spots. Most fly fishing locations offer incredible fishing grounds but other vacationers will probably crowd the place; however, you may still find a secluded stream or lake in a certain area where you might love to fly fish.

In finding an ideal spots, research is the best key that you could have. Browse some online sites about fly fishing vacations and compare each offer. Check out for airliner fares, hotel bookings and accommodations; don’t forget to check out discount and package options as it would be more ideal to spend extra bucks for your fishing gears and equipment than for your transportation. In some fly fishing spots, lodges and transportation are included in guided vacation packages; some might even include foods and other supplies.

Look for guides in case you are not familiar with the fishing location. There are many fly fishing vacations that offer guides; they are responsible for making sure that all loose ends are being taken care of to give you a more enjoyable fishing vacation experience.

I saw a recent article announcing that Canadian scientists will soon begin searching Lake Simcoe in the province of Ontario for a “lake monster” named Igopogo.

Much like the Loch ness monster, Bigfoot,Ogopogo, and the Abominable snowman, Igopogo has never been verified to actually exist beyond the random sightings of residents, boaters and –of course– some fishermen.

Indian legend handed down from the early nineteenth century,and some sightings in the 1950’s and 60’s have helped to fuel the speculation that a serpent like animal lives beneath the lake surface. Sonar and shaky Bigfoot like videotape have also given more added “proof” that Igopogo exists.

In August of this year, evidently a study funded by Discovery Canada science program, was to search the depths of Kempenfelt bay with sonar and underwater cameras searching for Igopogo, hoping to find the “dog like, horse faced, stovepipe necked, impish looking ,fishlike serpent”…..

No word yet as to the findings, but Toronto’s Molson ale plant is also being investigated for exceeding the seven percent alcohol content restriction for their beer.

It of course only figures that fishermen have been responsible for a number of these sightings, as we all know that bobbing about in the waters of a lake with copious amounts of adult beverages on board your vessel, (especially Canadian beverages) will most assuredly induce sightings of many mythical creatures, some folks even claim to have seen God.

But that’s another story.

I myself, never being one to scoff at or be a naysayer to the mysterious, am here today to announce the finding of another mysterious and legendary creature.

The Huckleberry fish.

Now, before you get on your search engine and start your quest for this heretofore elusive fish,
let me explain a little about the discoverer of this rare specie.

My five year old daughter.

Again, not to dispell the validity of her findings, but simply to inform the public I will give you her official “press release”.

According to the” my little toot” science program, the Huckleberry fish has been spotted in…someplace in Africa and resides in several lakes and rivers that flow through… oh…. let’s say Botswana…. It is a purplish fish that gets it’s color and flavor(evidently it is not catch and release) from the famed African Huckleberry. The “my little toot” science program hopes to use government grants, unused milk money, and any lottery winnings to help fund her research in Africa to prove that the Huckleberry fish exists. Her assistant and chief fish biologist,”dad” is expected to go along on the “investigation”, since he has a highly qualified propensity to fish aimlessly for hours, enjoys eating Huckleberries, and has been seen quaffing a few Molsons down from time to time.

I can assure you, that in her mind the Huckleberry fish exists and I am equally sure that it most certainly has nothing to do with the fact that she knows how much her dad likes fishing and huckleberry picking.

Either that or her kindergarten class has now been officially sponsored by the Molson brewing company.

Anyway, she informed me of this discovery just the other night and described the Huckleberry fish in depth, so I know it is real.

Nothing was mentioned about an “impish smile” though.

If you would like to fund the “my little toot” science program, be sure to send your lotto winnings, but please—no scratch offs, because that will only delay our research!!

In the meantime, we will be continuing our research of Bigfoot, since we had a recent sighting while investigating the Applegate Bigfoot trap here in Oregon.

We also found a bunch of empty Molson bottles—what a coincidence!!!!

A.J. Klott
Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.
If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at:
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com

Southeast Florida Swordfishing – “Purple Fever”

Once you have your tackle ready to go, let us describe a typical drift out in South Florida’s Gulf Stream. We are basing this drift using 4 lines. Some of your center console fisherman may be able to fish 5 or even 6 rods, but we believe 4 rods is sufficient and will cover the fathoms needed to catch that broadbill you have dreamed of. Swordfishing off the southeast coast of Florida has really taken a turn for the better. We are experiencing a fish size of 75-100lb on average. Although we are deemed to be the breeding grounds and anglers routinely catch “Pups”, we have our share of three-hundred pound plus fish move through. November thru January is usually some of our best months, as the water temperature is cooler. But with all good comes some bad. The seas are usually much rougher this time of year. In the summer time, we don’t see as much action, but we still get our share. This is a year-round fishery and will be around for a long time as long as we don’t abuse it. We ask that you please report you fish! Please report your catches and releases. We know you are not required to report a release, but by reporting that we are routinely catching the numbers, lessens the chances of commercial fisherman entering our waters. We cannot stress enough how important it is to report our catch.

We also want to practice safety especially while night fishing. We suggest that each angler on your boat carries a glowstick and whistle in his/her pocket. This way if they were to accidentally fall over, you would have a means of finding them. Another strong point is no sleeping! Cargo ships constantly are running through the swordfish grounds and if you are sleeping and they are on autopilot, trouble could be approaching. We have had some close calls to where we actually had to pick up and move to avoid a collision course with some freighters. Bottom line, if you want to sleep stay home.

Now lets fish!

Locating The Swordfish Grounds:

As you may know swordfishing takes place at night, as they are primarily nocturnal feeders. Leaving the dock in the late evening hours and coming back to the dock after midnight is the standard, depending on the time of the sunset. Calm seas have much to do with the decision of when to go out. Swordfish can be caught when it is rough or calm, but we must think safety first. The combination of a gps and good fishfinder is essential when finding good solid structure to start your drift. Off the South Florida coast, our sword grounds are generally between longitude 79-51W and 79-49W. This is roughly 15-18 miles off our coastline. A fishfinder that goes to at least 1500 feet is very beneficial; as you will see the canyons and structures that hold the bait, hence attract swordfish. *Tip – If you want to find the fish, set your fish finder range to just 100ft and you will find bait such as Tinker Mackeral or Sardines. Where there is bait, there is Sword! Swordfish are known to roam these deep depths around ridges and valleys. With the two combined units you are already ahead of the game. Radar is also an important piece of equipment, but not absolutely necessary. Once you are satisfied with your location, you want to spend the next 5-20 minutes figuring out your drift. The drift is a very important aspect. If you have heard that the bite is strong along the 79-50W line, you want to make sure you are drifting on this line. A top-notch sea anchor can work to keep you in this zone. Deploy your sea anchor off the boats center cleat for the best drift. But maybe, the bite is fluctuating from the west 48 lines to the 51 lines. In this case you would want to drift over and over these grounds. Turn on your vhf or check out our reports to see where the most action is for the night you are going out. With the proper drift you can stay in the zone all night and have baits soaking for the majority of the night. Don’t be in a rush to put the baits out. Take your time and factor the wind and current and decide, “Am I going to push in shallow or out deep”. Which side of the boats are the lines going to be on? How much wait should I be using to get my baits to the desired depth? How fast will my drift be? All these factors are worth considering before you turn off the engines and decide where you are going to ride out a drift.

Tackling Broadbills:Although a live bait seems ideal when setting out to catch any gamefish, don’t rule out your dead baits! Bobby Boyle of RJ Boyle Studios came out with a shirt that says, “Live Bait Sux”. Bobby definitely has a point when it comes to swordfish. As a beginner in swordfishing, we suggest sticking to just one live bait and the rest dead baits such as squid. You ensure a much better hookset when using a dead-bait, and your strikes will definitely not suffer from not using live-bait! Your sole livebait can be fished just under the boat around 85 feet down. It will blend in with the other baits that have congregated around your boat.

Lets discuss rigging your rods. We use mostly 50 wides, but have a few 80’s that are ready for that big wintertime swordfish. A 50w is plenty sufficient for swordfish. With the invention of hollow-core braid, guys can load their 30’s with the over 700 yards and be able to fish their light tackle rods for broadbills. When spooling the reels we suggest marking the last 400 feet of your line. Mark the line using waxline half stitches. This will enable you to easily drop your baits to the desired depth without having to count every time you setup. A counter can be used to count off the desired feet. If you can leave a loop in the waxline marker on your line, this would be ideal. Later on we will teach you how to tie the balloon or jug to that loop in the waxline. It is very important to make sure the waxline does not slip! Your first knot that will be used on your mainline is the popular bimini twist (about 5 ft). The knot acts as a shock absorber and is very beneficial to the rig. Take your bimini twist right to the ball bearing snap swivel and tie an offshore knot. Have this combination on all four of your rods.

Lets discuss your rigs. We first start out by measuring 15 feet of 200lb – 400lb mono leader. On the top end we crimp a loop using a nylon thimble so that we can attach it to our ball bearing snap swivel with ease. On the other end, crimp a 8/0 – 11/0 hook. Make sure the hook is very sharp, if not sharpen it. You should be able to press it against your finger nail and make a nice dent. On the hook you want to place a bridle that is used to bridle your live bait. It is a loop that is about 6 inches in diameter made out of rigging floss. Attach that bridle to the hook and you are set. Attach your live bait rig to your rods ball bearing swivel. At the swivel top circle you want to also attach 1 electralume and a flasher at your discretion. This helps to make your bait visible to the swords.

Lets rig your other 3 rods for a dead bait. A swordfish favorite is the squid. There are a number of ways to rig a dead squid, but the best method is to have the hook exposed half way down the mantle. We find this much more effective that placing the hook down by the eyes of the squid. . Once you have all four rods ready to be deployed, get out your jugs and weights, along with copper/telephone wire. Have the gaff ready to be deployed as some days you may drop the baits right into swordfish territory. We don’t know how many times we seem to drop a bait right on a swordfish. Tip* If you like to take your time in setting up, that’s fine. Go ahead and put out a flatline while getting your other rods ready. This way if you have a curious sword come to the boat, you atleast have a bait in the water. We have seen them come into the light on numerous occasions. If you don’t have a bait in the water, most likely they will just leave.

Setting up your first Drift

Drifting for swordfish is very very effective. Providing that you have your baits staggered, your chances of catching a South Florida Sword are very good! Now that you have 4 rods that are ready to be deployed, lets get some lines in the water. Once you find your desired area to fish, shut off all engines. Here you will analyze your drift. You can deploy a sea anchor if you think you are going to need it. Once you are satisfied with the direction and speed of your drift, get the first line out. As a general rule of thumb, get your longest lines out first, meaning jug/balloon baits. Check out our forums and communicate with fellow swordfish anglers regarding everything mentioned here. You may even find out what depth the fish were biting out the night before. But a general rule of thumb is on a New Moon, you fish the baits shallower. And on a full bright moon, you fish them deeper. Tip* Be sure to have a bait at 100 feet and 300 feet. These 2 depths are critical. Once you get a bite on one, you can adjust your other rods accordingly.

With the first rod, attach the live bait rig, along with your electralume and flasher. Then take about 12 inches of telephone wire or a #64 rubber band and attach a 32-ounce weight to the swivels top circle. Wrap the telephone wire about 6 times and pull to ensure it breaks away. Put it back on and let your bait down to desired depth. For this exercise, we will go 300 feet on the first line. Once the 300-foot marker on the line comes up, attach your jug or balloon to the loop you left in the waxline using telephone wire. You can attach the balloon or jug using telephone wire or a small rubber band. Again, test to make sure it breaks away when pressure is applied by fish. Let the float out about 50-80 yards from the boat. Don’t forget to put a glowstick into your jug for visibility.

Do the same to the second rod, but this time go to 200ft and let it out on the jug/balloon about 30 yards. It is very important to test different depths by the 100’s. Don’t forget to attach a lightstick to the jug/balloon for visibility. Once you have the 2 lines out on the jugs, lets move to your tip rods. The tip rods are called tip rods because that is exactly what they are. You will see the tip of the rod bounce heavily when a fish is slashing the bait. These rods are being fished right at the boat at varying depths. Apply the same rigs as mentioned above and set these rods at 150 feet and 100 feet. These will be your most active rods, as they are in the direct light of the boat.

Now that you have 4 lines in the water, lets get your 4ft light out and put it on the opposite side of the boat, to avoid direct light into your eyes. Turn off all boat lights and sit back and listen to your rods. Check all lines as needed. If you don’t have any action within 30 minutes to an hour, start by checking your tip rods. If the baits have been slashed than bring in your balloon/jug rods and re-bait. The 4ft green light can be a very important piece of the puzzle when swordfishing. We have had bait by the dozens including bar jacks, flying fish, and dolphin come to the light. With the bait we have seen swordfish follow right behind them. When swordfishing you want to have your best game turned on. Without the light at the boat you might as well stay home. We deem this light very effective. Think about when you see a boats navigation lights about 10 miles away. Imagine a swordfish. Their eyes are enormous and we bet can see much better than we think. This could be the difference between a fun-filled night and a very frustrating night. Check out the forums for more information on the secrets and tips.
Fish On? Now What?

Once you hear the drag being taken out or you see a fish surfacing, you want to jump on that rod fast. Each rod should have a different color light that distinguishes it from your other rods. The enables you to determine which rod the fish is on. You should of had your drag set at practically nothing, just enough to keep the bait from taking off line. Get on the rod and start cranking until you get tight on the fish. Once tight, start increasing the drag until you hit about 8-16 pounds of drag. Too much drag may cause the hook to rip from the soft mouths of these fish. The hook will automatically set and you are in for a fight of a lifetime. Have a buddy put the belt on you, so you can stand up and fight the fish properly. Do not arch forward or your back will begin to hurt very quickly. Do not rush the fish. These fish get in excess of 400lbs and have been known to keep anglers on the wind for over 8 hours! Once the fish is at the boat, it is ideal to have one guy handline the leader and another guy with the gaff. We also suggest using wind-on leaders. This will help avoid the dangers of hand-lining a big fish. A swordfish has to be at least 47 inches to keep. So before hitting it with the gaff, you want to decide if you are keeping the fish or not. We recommend not keeping a fish under 60 inches. This will help the bounce back of the swordfish industry. If you do decide to keep the fish, you want to gaff the fish right in the gill plate to avoid ruining the meat. Always wear tough leather gloves, as the bill is very sharp. *Tip – Keep your hands together when leadering the fish. This will help avoid the dangers of hand lining the fish.Tight Lines,Swordfishing Central

Michael Grimm
http://www.swordfishingcentral.com

I’ll admit that I have a fishing problem, I can’t seem to get enough time on the water. Some friends and family think I’m crazy…and they just might be right. If the wind picks up real hard, I envision a school of largemouth bass gorging themselves on bait fish being kicked around by waves…I see rain or snow in the forecast and my mind automatically thinks of those metro area reservoirs empty… No pleasure boaters, jet skiers, or rude unethical fishermen. Just a placid body of water filled with actively feeding fish calling my name. Not even when I sleep does my fishing addiction slow down. When my eyes close I dream vividly of catching trophy fish…the location and species changing nightly, but they all have the same theme. Monster fish caught in beautiful settings, such as twenty pound northern pike in the Canadian wilderness, or putting some muscle on a farm pond largemouth with nothing surrounding me but cattle. Hello, my name is Eric and I am a fishaholic!!!

My grandfather, who was patient enough to take me and my cousins fishing weekly was truly a saint. His tackle box was filled with baithooks, crankbaits, and spoons, and many other things that went unused. He used nothing but a fly and a bubble…Mosquitos and Adams were among his favorites. My cousin Jeremy and I could be slamming fish…one right after another using spinners, but my grandpa would just smile and continue to cast his fly and bubble. It was almost as if he didn’t care if he was catching fish. For years I didn’t understand why he wouldn’t adapt to the conditions and give the fish what they wanted. Some days we would catch fish…others we wouldn’t, but my grandpa always looked like he was loving every minute of it.

Sometimes I get so caught up in catching fish, I forget why I’m spending time in the outdoors. It’s like any addiction…I take fishing in the same way a drunk gulps down whiskey, drinking far too fast to really taste anything. Maybe thats why my grandfather enjoyed fishing and the outdoors so much. Much like a connoisseur of fine wines, he would enjoy every drop…and only in moderation. Savoring every drink for a minute or two just to get the full flavor of the wine. Those afternoons spent fishing for bluegill, or small stream trout will never leave my mind. My grandpa past away years ago but sometimes when I’m fishing, I’ll get a whiff of his scent. It’s a mixture of a freshly opened newspaper, coffee, and aftershave. It’s like he’s sitting right behind me enjoying the outdoors while I fish. I’m sure I’ve caught more and bigger fish than grandpa ever did, but it will be decades before I understand fishing the way he did.

In loving memory of William F. Cassidy

Eric Allee is a phenomenally successful fisherman in Colorado. He has a website dedicated to helping anyone catch more and bigger fish.

http://www.fishinsecrets.com