How to Use a Handheld GPS for Fishing Tips and Tricks

Instructions

1

Turn on your handheld GPS before you set off from the shoreline. Before putting the boat in gear, wait for the unit to acquire the satellites it need to mark your location. When it has the proper satellites and knows your latitude and longitude, press the button on the unit that marks your location. An icon will appear on the unit's screen and be stored in its log. Make a note on the icon that it is your starting location.

2

Watch the screen of your handheld GPS as you motor out onto the body of water. A line that shows where you have been, and where you are heading, will appear on the screen. Watch that line to chart your progress. Turn the boat off when you reach the location where you plan to fish, but do not turn off your GPS unit. Instead, keep the unit at the ready and whenever you catch a fish, miss a fish, or get a bite, press the button to mark the location on your GPS. Even if you do not catch fish, but believe you have located a good spot, mark the location. That way, you can go back at a later time and try fishing it again. Some of the spots worth marking are points and inside turns of drop-offs, weedlines, and rock piles.

3

If the handheld device you have allows you to download a map of the lake you are fishing, or has the lake pre-loaded into it (some units come with such software), look at the map and mark likely areas. Even if you have never fished those spots before, marking likely areas can save you time when you are on the water. You may not find or catch fish right on the spots you have marked, but once you do find or catch fish, mark the new spot. If the fish seem to be scattered about the area, keep both marks in your GPS log. If not, delete the original mark.

4

When you want to call it a day, find the icon you created when you left shore and press it. Now, your handheld unit will show you the route to take to get back there. As you navigate the boat, pay attention to your GPS to ensure you are traveling in the right direction.

Trout Fishing Tips in Colorado

Dry Dropper Rig

Using multiple flies and lures can be an effective tactic in Colorado waters. Trout spook easy, making conventional indicators too invasive for proper presentations. Colorado waters run clear, due to mountain snow melt and Rocky Mountain water clarity. By using a dry fly or floating lure as a strike indicator, and a weighted wet fly beneath, anglers can effectively fool Colorado trout into striking. This method is often referred to as a dry dropper rig.

Mysis

Many of Colorado's Gold Medal waters are located below reservoirs, and are designated as tailwaters. Using mysis patterns, or bait that imitates shrimp is an effective tactic when chasing these trophy trout. Throughout the year, anglers can have great success using these imitations, which are most effective in smaller sizes. Fishing mysis at varied depths will yield better productivity, as these insects move throughout the water column, dependent on the current flow rate emptying from the dam above.

Remote Areas

Colorado offers great backcountry fishing opportunities. State parks, national forests and hiking trails provide access into streams and lakes which receive little pressure from anglers. Rocky Mountain National Park and State Forest State Park are two wise choices during summer months. These areas produce beautiful brook, brown and cutthroat trout, many specific to Colorado. A permit is not required to fish these areas, although fishing licenses are required. Trout in these areas feed on a wide variety of insects and it isn't uncommon to have a 50 plus fish day.

Bass Fishing Tips for Cold Weather

Location

To catch bass, you must first find them. When the weather turns cold, bass do not automatically switch from their warm-weather locations. But they do tend to focus more on areas with two things: cover and access to deep water. As a result, focus on drop-offs, points and the edges of humps where there are pieces of cover such as green vegetation, rocks or timber. Bass will be schooled up during cold weather, so when you catch one fish, it is likely there are more in the area.

Slow Down

Once you find the bass, the next goal is getting them to bite. They will eat, but anglers should remember that bass in cold water are lethargic. That means your lure should be presented slowly and, in general, close to the bottom.

Lure Options

Some of the best lures for cold-weather bass fishing are jigging spoons, jigs and pigs, deep-diving crankbaits and small, finesse-type lures, such as small worms and tubes. Jigging spoons are especially effective once you have located a school of bass. Position the boat over the top of them and let the spoon down among the school. Jig it up and down slowly, and watch for your line to jump, which signifies a strike. Jigs and pigs should be presented slowly along the bottom in the manner of a crayfish that is moving around, and crankbaits should be cast far and retrieved slowly so they bump into the ground. Finesse lures can be especially effective when a cold front hits when the weather is already cold; that causes bass to become even more sluggish.

Lure Size

Because the weather is cold, many anglers decide to fish nothing but small lures, believing as they do that bass are lethargic and not willing to chase down a bait. But cold-weather bass still will hit a big bait, because they would rather have one large meal than multiple small meals. Use jigs and pigs and spinnerbaits that weigh up to 1/2 oz. or more and crankbaits that dive to 20 feet or more. Just focus on retrieving them slowly.

Break in the Weather

When the prevailing weather pattern is cold, as it is in the late fall or winter, a day or two of warm weather can cause bass to go on a feeding frenzy. Warmer weather will cause the shallow water to warm up, which in turn draws bass. Cast quick-moving lures such as spinnerbaits and crankbaits to take advantage of the action.

How to Fish From the Shore for Saltwater Fish

Instructions

1

Get a tide chart (available at tackle shops) and plan your surf fishing around high-and low-tide changes, when bait fish are most active. An hour before until an hour after each changing tide is a good time for surf fishing.

2

Tie a double-hook rig to your main line and attach 1 to 2 ozs. of sinker weight at the bottom, then bait both hooks. Squid strips and chunks of shrimp work well for flounder and sea trout. Bluefish, striper bass and smaller panfish, such as croaker and spot, will hit chunks of bloodworm or cut bait, such as mullet.

3

Get into a shotgun stance for casting by putting your right foot forward and pointing it toward your casting target (if you fish right-handed). Or put your left foot forward if you prefer to cast left-handed. Whichever way you fish, the foot planted forward in the sand should be on the same side of your body as the hand controlling the reel.

4

Plant your other foot back in the sand and turn it outward 30 to 45 degrees with your feet spread slightly more than shoulder width. Bounce on your knees a couple of times to check your balance until you have learned a comfortable stance.

5

Lift the surf rod above your head and behind you until the rod is parallel to the sand.

6

Pick your casting spot, which should be immediately behind the breaking surf where bait fish are gathering in the changing tide, to leverage the rod's power.

7

Swing the rod up and over your head, releasing the line when the rod tip is pointed at your casting target.

8

Give the rig time to sink and settle on the sandy bottom. You'll feel a slight pull when the pyramid sinker hits bottom.

9

Retrieve the line in a stop-and-go manner, twitching the rod tip frequently to bring the bait up off the bottom so it can settle again.

Hybrid Bass Fishing Tips

Bottom Fishing

Bottom fishing is a great way to find where bass are hiding throughout the day. All About Fishing states that striped bass, unlike many species of fish, even other bass, will normally congregate at the deepest points of a body of water. However, bottom fishing means different things in different places. To achieve success, you need to know what areas to look for when bottom fishing.

In a calm lake, the deeper areas or holes close to shore are a good place to put a hook. However, in rapid-moving water, like rivers with strong current, bottom fishing isn't necessarily in a deeper area, but rather in a spot where the dropoff is sharp. A big rise from a sandbar makes a great hideout for bass looking for a relaxing area to get away from the current.

The flatter and bigger the area of the bottom the better. It should have a lot of room to roam about without lots of obstructions.

Land Points

Seek areas where land jets out into the water. These points are common areas of congregation for school fish that hybrid bass feed on. Ben Sanders of Hybrid Striped Bass Fishing explains that anglers get better strike statistics if they troll slowly with the current right off points as this is where stripers like to hole up.

Warm Water Discharge

The areas directly below dams are very popular for hybrid bass because they love the colder water. As warm water flows away from the dam, cold water from the bottom rises to the surface, making the whole pool temperature lower. Ben Sanders of Hybrid Striped Bass explains that hybrid bass are drawn to fast moving water like that around dams and river mouths.

Top Water

During the warmer months more success in hybrid fishing comes from top-water fishing. Search for patterns of bait fish movement and run a top spinner or lure along that route. Hybrids will jump to catch it thinking it is a part of the bait fish school.

Another successful area to search for hybrid bass while top fishing is at the mouth of a river tributary. This is where two rivers meet and the flow is temporarily impeded while the waters combine. It provides an area of cooler water with less current. The points of the land areas at these junctions are popular with bait fish, hence a good place to find hybrid bass as well. The All About Fishing tips website suggests top water striper fishing is the ultimate thrill.

Shore Fishing Tips on Oahu

Locations

Fishing from shore in Oahu can take many forms. Anglers can choose from fishing the surf from sandy beaches, wade-fishing in the flats, piers, cliffs, docks and seawalls. Walk the ends of the numerous beaches in search of rocks and reefs that jut into the water. Many fish typically congregate around these points. Piers in Pearl Harbor, Wailua Bay and Sand Harbor are popular locations for putting anglers in deeper water off-shore without needing a boat. Wade into designated fishing areas at Pearl Harbor and Pokai Bay and fish the breakwater with squid or sand worms for a variety of species. Freshwater fishing for peacock and black bass can be found on Lake Wilson and the Nuuanu Reservoir inland. Be aware that unlike most shore fishing locations in Oahu, sections of these bodies of water may require a Hawaii fishing license.

Methods

Traditional fishing methods using spinning rods work well on Oahu. Live bait, lures, weighted hooks or cast-and-retrieve methods can all be successful traditional methods. To enhance your Oahu fishing experience, spend some time chatting with the locals and offer to share bait. You may find yourself being introduced to some traditional Hawaii fishing techniques. Slide-bait fishing off the cliffs past Makaha may help to put a hefty fish on your hook. Locals use extra-long poles to cast weighted line far off the cliffs then clip the hook and bait to their taut line to let gravity slide the rig off-shore. Simple-cane pole fishing for oama (juvenile goatfish) while wading off local beaches is a Hawaiian tradition. The fish are fried and eaten whole. Many locals congregate on Oahu docks and piers and fish for halalu and akule (types of mackerel) with larger cane poles or light spinning tackle. You might find an impromptu lesson on hand-line fishing---a traditional island method that uses no pole.

Gear

It's a good idea to bring a pair of shoes specifically for fishing on Oahu. Much of the fishing from shore requires wading into knee or waist-high water, especially when fishing the breakwater surfs. Sharp coral and defensive features on many of the fish around Oahu may pose hazards to bare feet. Basic gear can be found at many discount hardware stores around Oahu. Sifting sand off the beaches can provide you with plenty of sand worms and crabs for fresh bait. It's also a good idea to pick up a saltwater species guide and a copy of Hawaii's fishing regulations so you know what you're catching and if it's legal. Some species are open year-round while others must be released immediately if caught. The Pacific waters around Oahu are fertile ecosystems and you might be continuously surprised by what's on the end of your line each time you catch a fish.

How to Fix a Fishing Rod Tip

Instructions

1

Inspect the broken tip and practice fitting it back into place-- you'll need to achieve the original alignment when you replace the tip.

2

Using a lighter or a match, heat a glue stick until it begins to drip.

3

Place one drop of glue onto the broken end of the rod, making sure you don't get any glue on the fishing line. Fit the rod tip into place.

4

Hold the two pieces in position until the glue hardens. This should take only a few seconds.

5

Check the alignment. If the fishing line moves freely, you're done.