Fishing for fishing advice

[blhowes]

This morning I visited the cottage my parents owned and we visited during the summers. It hasn't been used for a number of years, and is run down and in need of cosmetic repairs. I'm thinking I may spend some time fixing it up so we can use it this summer.

Anyway, its right on a lake and the fishing's good. I use to fish there with my cousin summers when I was growing up. I thought it'd be fun to start using it and to take the boys out fishing this coming summer. Other than those summers fishing, though, I'm not much of a fisherman.

...Sooo, I thought I'd ask advice from those of you who are avid or semi-avid fishermen.

1. The cottage has an aluminum rowboat and I thought I'd like to pick up a small engine for it. Any suggestions (cheap and dependable)

2. What tackle do you recommend buying (so I don't get stuck in the middle of the lake thinking, "Bummer! I wish I had a ______________")?

3. What's the best bait for catching bass? pickerel? shark? (jk)

4. How do you find where the fish are?

 

[MrMerlin777]

When I would go fishing on Smith Mountain Lake some summers. A buddy of mine and I would just go at night, sit on the dock, put some rancid chicken liver on the hooks and drop'em deep. Lazy man fishing for Catfish... More of a time to sit and gab than anything else, but it was fun (bring your misquito repellant though).

 

[blhowes]

When I would go fishing on Smith Mountain Lake some summers. A buddy of mine and I would just go at night, sit on the dock, put some rancid chicken liver on the hooks and drop'em deep. Lazy man fishing for Catfish... More of a time to sit and gab than anything else, but it was fun (bring your misquito repellant though).

1. Rancid chicken liver
2. Mosquito repellant.

Sounds like a good time.

 

[MrMerlin777]

It was a very good time every time I went. Sometimes we'd actually catch somthing.

 

[BJClark]

blhowes;

4. How do you find where the fish are?

I don't know the best baits to use, but to find the fish you could try one or both of these:


1) a few days before you go out fishing...toss some dry dog food out in the lake...this will draw them in and get them used to looking for food at a certain time in a certain area. whala they are there looking for food at the time your looking to catch dinner.

2) drop alka seltzer in the water that will draw them in as they see the bubbles, they think it's live bait..

The first one is something my ex-sister in law does at the lake she lives on..

the second I read in a sports magazine at a local hospital..

 

[No Longer A Libertine]

Bring a kid, they'll always put you to shame with blind beginners luck but there will be fish.

 

[blhowes]

1) a few days before you go out fishing...toss some dry dog food out in the lake...this will draw them in and get them used to looking for food at a certain time in a certain area. whala they are there looking for food at the time your looking to catch dinner.

2) drop alka seltzer in the water that will draw them in as they see the bubbles, they think it's live bait..

The first one is something my ex-sister in law does at the lake she lives on..

the second I read in a sports magazine at a local hospital..

Thanks for your suggestions.

In my first post I wrote:

Other than those summers fishing, though, I'm not much of a fisherman.

Please don't take this the wrong way, but...Dog food? Alka Selzar? You're not pulling my leg, are you? -- (If those suggestions had come from a 'jokester', they sound akin to telling me to hop on one foot while banging a kettle.)

On the one hand, it makes sense, on the other hand...

 

[JohnV]

Don't know much about fishing, Bob. I just can't separate fishing from enjoying the sunshine, the outdoors, the coolness and the sound of the water, and smelly hands, and fun with whoever is along. Oh, and of course running out of sinkers and hooks.

My advice? Don't fish too far from the bait shop, just in case. Ask the bait dealer where the best place to fish is, and then ignore his advice. It doesn't usually work, but that way you always have another place to try.

 

[BJClark]

blhowes;

Please don't take this the wrong way, but...Dog food? Alka Selzar? You're not pulling my leg, are you? -- (If those suggestions had come from a 'jokester', they sound akin to telling me to hop on one foot while banging a kettle.)

On the one hand, it makes sense, on the other hand...

Actually, yes I am serious, the fish are attracted to the movement in the water...so as dogfood is thrown in it really does draw the fish...My ex-sister and bil, tossed dogfood out in the lake every night at the same time, so every night, early evening the fish were looking for 'food'. It could probably be any type of food, but they used dogfood they just took a handful and tossed it in the water...

My husband (who is an avid fisherman) also suggested using laying mash (something you feed chickens to lay eggs) he said, take a hand full and toss it out in the water around the dock the same time every night...it draws in the smaller fish that eat it, which in turn draws in the larger fish looking for food. But it's the same principle...and because it's the same time every day, the fish will know, every night at this time...food will be here...so that's where they will go.

he also said use a natural bait, crickets, worms, ect...

And as for the alka seltzer, it's the same principle, the water bubbles up making it look like live bait, so it draws the fish in closer to check it out.

I don't know about the hoping on one foot banging a pot...but it may work... Try it and let us know...

 

[blhowes]

Well, armed with such good advice, I think I'm ready to go.

 

[blhowes]

I don't know about the hoping on one foot banging a pot...but it may work... Try it and let us know...

If nothing else, it'll give the fish something to talk about

 

[bob]

Huh. And here I always figured the alka seltzer in the tackle box was to counter the effects of the box of chicken bought at the gas station next to the bait shop.

Small lakes and ponds are great places to fish with kids. They are usually stocked with bass, some type of panfish (bluegill, crappie, redear, sunfish etc), and sometimes bullhead and catfish.

Typcially, these fish are rather either to catch after they spawn in the late spring. As the water warms, you can usually locate these fish in shallows by sight. If you are fishing from shore, simply attach a small hook to a bobber and use wax worms or small red worms and cast to a place that is out of sight. (Usually if the fish can see you, they won't hit your bait.)

If fishing from a boat, cast parallel to shore and try to work the bait slowly toward you. I know that they say you have to be patient, but I have learned that usually if you don't catch something within a half hour, its best to try another location.

Fishing is great fun, even if you aren't successful in landing a fish.

 

[toddpedlar]

blhowes;

2) drop alka seltzer in the water that will draw them in as they see the bubbles, they think it's live bait..

Just don't do that if a seagull might get it... they can't burp. (and what happens can be ugly)

 

[Augusta]

Just don't do that if a seagull might get it... they can't burp. (and what happens can be ugly)

Eeww.

I got this mental picture......