This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – How to approach fishing shorelines – fishing.

Hi AMFisHers! This week AMFisH(LEARN more: www.amfish.ca) fishing vlog is a short video about how to approach fishing a new shoreline.

When it comes to fishing shorelines you has fished before and new shorelines the rule of thumb in most cases stays the same. When you approach a shoreline you want to start fishing, I always recommend starting with a very high confidence bait you love fishing! Now you might ask why, well it’s simple the second we as AMFisHers start using a bait we have caught fish on our confidence level increase astronomically.

Once you have that one confidence bait ready to go, take this part a few steps further by making sure you have another 4 to 6 high confidence baits ready, as they will come in handy after the first two passes across the shoreline. Next thing to consider is distance from the shore itself, you don’t want to be too far out and not getting the bait to the fish and you also don’t want to be to close casting past the fish, so a safe approach is to stay out far enough where you can try some cast’s really close to shore and some further out from shore. Once you find out where the fish are hanging out and striking the bait you can then adjust your position accordingly.

Below is an example of a typical shoreline one might see, that has a mix of some sandy beaches, trees hanging over the water, rocks and weeds, all excellent structure to fish!

I always suggest making two passes down a shoreline with the same bait, WHY well there are often so many good spots to cast that it is almost 100% impossible to hit every good spot with a cast, so by making two passes along the shoreline with each confidence bait you are increases your odds of determining if the fish are into that bait or not. You do not want to stop using a bait when the fish might be into that bait, so breaking things down like this is critical.

When it comes to those good spot and determining those good spots, this is where being very observant is of the utmost importance. As you slowly drift along the shoreline keep your eyes glued on any high fish catch percentage spots, these are the areas that stand out the most. Examples would be long submerged trees, large sunken rocks that are sticking up out of the water, sunken trees with thick bunched up branches, that shallow water that leads right into a deep drop off and those very shade filled pockets, these are all examples of high percentage fish catch spots. By studying the shoreline and determining where each cast should be will also help increase the amount of fish you catch!

The shoreline example below is more of a typical bay or inlet that would have some great structure around the shoreline with direct access to deeper water, again another great shoreline to find good quality fish and predator fish.

Fishing is kind of like opening a new puzzle and working on it for the first time, we as AMFisHers really need to focus on the important things that will result in a successful day on the water and once we have taught ourselves how to approach a strategy we can then deploy that same strategy in similar situations on different lakes to lead to even more successful fishing days.

Hope you found this video helpful!

The AMFisH guy…tight lines!

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This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – Observe the eyes of a fish you catch to learn about where it was holding in the water column – fishing.

Hi AMFisHers!  This weeks AMFisH(LEARN more here: www.amfish.ca) fishing vlog is about learning fish feeding habits from looking at a fishes eyes once you have caught it.

What can a fishes eyes tell you? Well for any of your fellow AMFisHers who may not know a fishes eyes can actually tell you where they are located in the water column and why they hit a bait your were using.  When you catch a fish, hold it horizontally and take a close look at where it’s eyes are pointing and sitting. Fish in many cases will always keep an eye on where the schools of bait fish are, for example if a school of largemouth bass are two feet off the bottom of the lake in 10ft of water they are most likely looking up towards schools of bait fish hanging out in the same area.

So with the example above if you were to catch one of those bass and examine it’s eyes once you bring the fish in, the eyes should be pointing upwards. A fishes eyes will actually remain in that position for several minutes, as they were locked in on bait fish they wanted to keep and eye on.  How can this help you? Well let’s say you are using your favorite spinnerbait and fishing it in 8ft of water with the bait running about 3ft deep and a fish strikes, once you look at it’s eyes it will tell you where the fish came from. If the eyes are facing upwards the fish came up at the bait from below it, if the fishes are are towards the front of it’s head the fish was chasing the bait from behind it in the same water column and if a fishes eyes are facing downwards then the fish struck the bait from the top.

This is great information for us as it quickly confirms where the fish are holding, with the example above any fish that had eyes pointing upwards was in 3ft or deeper water, any fishes eyes that were pointing downwards was in 3ft or less down from the surface and any fishes eyes that were towards the front of the head was right in that 3ft deep water column.  With this information you can continue catching fish with that same bait presentation until it stops working, then you start with either deeper or shallower baits to find what part of the water column the fish have moved to.

Fish usually tells us a lot about how they want to be caught, we just need to focus on what they are telling us. If you have been using a bait all day with no bites there is a reason for that, so don’t stick with one bait too long if it has not caught any fish. I usually give a bait a good 10 to 15 minutes, if there was zero interest I switch things up and start again. Focus on what the fish are telling you and you will start to catch more fish. Add in examining a fishes eyes once you catch it and you will increase your odds even further.

Hope you found this vlog helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

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This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – how to spool line on to a spinning real correctly – fishing.

Hi fellow AMFishers!  This weeks AMFisH(LEARN more here: http://www.amfish.ca) fishing vlog is about how to correctly spool line on to your spinning reels:

When it comes to spooling line on to your reels whether they are spinning or bait casting reels, it is very important to ensure that it is done correctly, as your line is the most critical part between you and the fish.

With spinning reels there are some little tips that can help, especially when it comes to line twist which can be a big pain, as it adds a very unnecessary coiling to your line if it’s not spooled correctly.  Make sure you have a secure knot(arbor knot is best for tying to a spool – see diagram below) as this connection needs to be a strong one.

Once your knot is secure to the spool you will want to make sure a few things are done prior to spooling the line on.  First you will want a nice tight line foundation on the spool so make sure your drag is tightened up quite a bit(tightest setting when spooling on braid to prevent line dig in) that way when you are holding the line it is spooling on evenly and nice and snug.  From here to eliminate any line twist you will want to make sure the line is coming off the spool in the opposite direction from how the reel is spooling it on.  For example is the reel is spooling line on clockwise and the line comes off the spool clockwise, it will create a lot of line twist, so the easy way to make sure this is avoided is to flip your spool over so it comes off in a different direction.

Unlike bait casters where the line spool is held vertically, with spinning reels you want to lay the spool of line down flat and let it coil off when it is going on to the reel.  All you need to do is hold the ling above the reel about 3 to 4 inches, between two fingers to ensure it is not wrapping around the handles while spooling is taking place.

Lastly you want to make sure you do not over spool line on, this can cause some serious issues with too much line as it will cause further issues with casting and getting into your spool due to coiling around it.  Make sure to leave some space closer to the edge of the spool, as this will also let the line work smoother on the spool.  See the chart below as a correctly spooled reel is the one you see on the left and an under spooled reel is the one on the right, try to avoid under spooling your line as it will impact casting distance and overall performance.

Typical use for spinning reels is when you are using lighter baits, as spinning reels will cast very light baits much easier than a bait caster will and spinning reels are also great from finesse presentations as well.  Below is a picture of a perfectly spooled spinning reel and as you can see it is not over spooled or under spooled which will allow it to perform at it’s best!

I can’t stress how important line is when fishing, it is the main connection between the fish and yourself, so make sure to take the time to do it right.

Hope you found this post helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

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This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – fishing leaders and when to use what size leader – fishing.

Hi fellow AMFisHers!  This weeks AMFisH(LEARN more here: www.amfish.ca) fishing vlog is about leaders and what size you should use for what application:

Leaders come in various sizes ranging from 4″ all the way up to 24″ and longer, with fisherman also making their own leaders of up to several feet to fit their specific application.  Most commonly used sizes for everyday fishing for pike as an example would be 12″ to 18″, as you want as much main line coverage as possible. What I mean by this is if a huge pike attacks your bait with a lot of force, the fish might inhale most of the leader along with the bait, so you don’t want those sharp teeth anywhere near your main line.

So how do you know what size to use for what application?  Common rules of thumb are to use smaller length leaders for casting and longer for trolling.  A shorter leader is best for casting as it along with the length of your bait will still leave some safe/comfortable swinging room around you to cast.  As you will see I discuss this in detail in this vlog as using a longer leader while trying to cast a long bait will only cause you nothing but grief and possible injury along with broken gear.  Trying to cast a 12″ bait on a 24″ leader is 36 inches of line that you need to swing back then forward, not an easy or safe task with a heavy bait.

On the other hand when you are trolling a 12″ bait you do want that extra long leader in the range of 18″ to 24″ in length and sometimes even longer.  When a big fish zones in on your bait as you are trolling and moves in for the attack with speed, in most cases the attack is so violent/aggressive that the fish takes the entire bait into it’s mouth along with some of the leader, so if the fish has your 12″ in it’s mouth and you have a 12″ leader on it where the fish also has half of your leader in it’s mouth, there is a high possibility that if that fish thrashes or turns quickly it’s teeth can cut your main line.  In that same scenario if you have a 18″ to 24″ leader on the fish can have a foot of that leader in it’s mouth BUT there will be very little chance of it’s teeth cutting your main line as the main line will still be 12″ away from the fishes mouth.

When you get into those short leaders in the 4″ to 6″ range they are great choices for when you are catching toothy critters like pike in that smaller range, where you just need a few inches on line protection from the teeth.  Due to us not knowing what size fish will attack our bait, I always suggest using a minimum length of 8″ to 12″ for a leader, that leaves you some extra line coverage if you get into some bigger fish.

Hope you found this vlog helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

LEARN more: www.amfish.ca

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This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – tips for trolling – fishing

Hi AMFisHers!   This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog is tips for trolling:

Trolling is a great natural way to present a bait to fish and comes in handy on those slow fishing days, as this natural presentation can result in strikes.   It’s also a great way to catch some bigger better quality fish as well, as you are covering a lot of water by constantly moving around the lake.

One of the biggest benefits of trolling is that you actually learn the lake bottom very well, when it comes to structure and spots that hold fish.   The more water you cover the better you will become and identifying key things like, drop offs, spots that fish stack up in, where the bait is holding and moving to, you learn a lot about what is happening below which is extremely priceless information.

Trolling is a little trickier without electronics so the first thing you will want to do is watch where people are trolling and when they leave the spot head over to check it out.   Start with working various depths to chart your path, use a shallow running bait to see how deep you get with it and from there you can go to deeper diving baits should the water depth allow you to.

Trying different speeds is also another great way to see how the fish want the bait presented to them, sometimes they will hit a very slow moving bait and other times if the fish are more aggressive on a feed they will hammer a bait very hard, so be sure to watch your fishing rod tip at all times.   I place a finger on the line as well so I get a very quick feel if something changes in how the bait is swimming.

While trolling be sure to gain a good feel for how each bait you use is moving through the water, because once that action changes you are either bumping off of structure, dragging through weeds or hooked into a fish, then key thing is to know how the bait moves and when the bait action changes.

When a fish does strike do not and I mean do not stop the boat, keep moving forward while you set the hook as any slack in the line will allow the fish a chance at getting free.   Keep that pressure on the fish with constant boat movement and when you feel the fish is on the hooks well you can put the boat in neutral to start fighting the fish.

When it comes to gear you can troll with various fishing rods, from medium action to extra heavy action gear/line, as trolling does not only have to be big fish strategy.   You will want to use a longer leader when trolling as well, something around the 14″ to 18″ range, as a fish can inhale the entire bait while trolling due to the force it attacks with, so making sure you have at least 14″ between the fish and your main fishing line is critical, sometimes you might even want to use a 24″ leader for even more coverage.

While trolling you should also try maneuvering in different patterns, by making larger S patterns side to side and big swooping long turns and many strike happen while the boat is making a turn, due to the drop in speed and the bait rising.   Letting off the throttle for a few seconds is also a good way to cause strikes, as a following fish will see the bait start to stop and rise which usually triggers a reactionary strike at that time.

If you are trolling for predator fish like pike and musky trying faster trolling speeds is also a good idea as well as some larger baits, remember fish exert a lot of energy striking at bait, so the bigger the meal sometimes the more likely a fish will move for that bait.

Trolling has a lot of benefits to offer a fisherman, so give it a try and once you start to master it you will see some bigger better quality fish being landed.

Hope you found this post helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

http://www.amfish.ca

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This weeks AMFisH fishing vlog – different ways to cast.

Hi fellow AMFisHers!  This AMFisH fishing vlog is about all the different ways you can cast:

When it comes to casting I can’t stress anymore more important than being a versatile as possible on the water.   Knowing how to reach those key spots with a cast is definitely a make or break situation on fish being caught.

In this video you will see the extreme comfort level I have when it comes to casting, this has taken a lot of practice but the benefit is huge as I can quickly react to anything I see happening on the water, this is priceless!

Your basic ways of casting are, side arm, overhand single arm, overhand double arm, single side arm cast, opposite side arm cast, which many of us do now BUT being able to react at a drop of hat with a very short cast over your head behind you, or a really long cast to a dock you already passed is the key thing.

Work on being very familiar with all your fishing rods and reels, this will allow you a lot of room for reacting when you need to grab a shorter rod and realize you have not used it much.  Practice casting as much as you can, on and off the water is the way to go.  Cast on your lawn, at the park, from shore into the lake, just practice as often as you can, before you know it you will be able to do things on the water you were never able to do before!

Hope you found this vlog helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

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Today’s AMFisH fishing blog post – tips for spooling line on a baitcasting reel.

Hi AMFisHers!   Spring fishing is almost here and I thought I would share a post with some tips in it for spooling line on to your baitcasting reels.

First fishing line does not last for many years and it ages quicker is left in direct lights so keep your spools tucked away in a dark place.  Depending on how often you fish it is a good idea to get into the practice of changing it every season, mono and fluorocarbon for sure, with braid you can usually get away with cutting off several feet to get to fresh vibrant line below.

Using a small one inch piece of hockey tape placed on your spool will allow for a nice grip for your line(see picture below) which is crucial for a good solid base line.

Next if you are only using mono or fluorocarbon you should use the arbor knot (reference the video at the bottom of this post)to connect your line to your spool, this is a great knot for this exact purpose.    Once you have tied your line to the spool you will want to spool it on nice and tight, make sure your drag is tight as this will give you a good solid foundation of line on the spool.

If you are using braided line you will follow the same steps above BUT you will want to spool you line on as tight as possible, a very strong foundation with braid can help prevent many issues.   Due to braid having zero stretch you can spool on 20 to 30ft of mono on the spool first(reference picture below), then tie your braid to the mono using a uni-knot(reference video link below) as this is a very strong knot for tying two pieces of line together.

Once your braid is tied to the mono turn that drag forward and spool the line on nice and tight.   You should be able to get a full spool of 150 yards on to the average baitcasting spool BUT be sure not to over spool your reel, keep an eye out for no line reaching above the spool edge, leave a little free space.

When spooling a baitcasting reel you will want to have you spool of line upright so the line comes off the spool and onto your reel spool the exact same way it is sitting on the spool you purchased.   By using an inexpensive spooling/line storage box similar to this(see picture below)one will allow you to spool your reels easily and quickly, as well as allowing you to have all your spools of line organized in one place.

When you are finished your freshly spooled line should loon like it does in the picture below, nicely spooled, even, tight foundation, not over spooled and ready to be used!

 

 

Hope you found this vlog helpful!

The AMFisH guy…

http://www.amfish.ca

http://www.facebook.com/amfish14