How to Build Tip-Downs for Ice Fishing

Instructions

1

Begin by constructing the "rod." Cut a 1-inch dowel rod to 24 inches in length. Use 1 1/4-inch tubing clamps to clamp the prespooled fishing reel to one end of the dowel rod. Screw one 1/4-inch eyelet into the dowel rod directly in front of the reel, then place another eyelet at the opposite end of the dowel rod. Pass the fishing line through these two eyelets to complete the rod.

2

Construct the base from 2-by-4 lumber. Cut a piece to a length of 20 inches, then cut the base into a point so you can punch it into the snow. Next, cut a 2-inch by- 2-inch deep square out of the top of the lumber, then cut notches on either side of this square perpendicular to the 2-inch side of the wood.

3

Complete the tip-down by attaching bait to the end of your fishing line and letting the line to a predetermined depth through a hole in the ice. Push the base of the tip-down into the snow approximately 10 inches from the edge of the hole. Hammer two finishing nails 8 inches from the base of the reel on either side of the rod and place the nails into the notches on the 2-by-4 base. The weight of the reel will keep the tip of the tip-down up until a fish takes the bait, at which point the rod will tip down, indicating a hit.

Tips on How to Repair a Cracked Fishing Pole

Instructions

Repairing an Incomplete or Vertical Break

1

Unscrew the rod and remove the fishing line so you are only working with the damaged section of the rod.

2

Assess the damaged section. If the damaged section of the rod is not broken into two separate pieces, but the crack nearly splits the section in two, cut the rod into two pieces at the break and follow the repair instructions under Repairing a Complete Break. Continue if the crack is small or runs vertically.

3

Sand and trim away splinters so the crack is as smooth as possible.

4

Fill the crack with epoxy and slide a ferrule over the damaged area, attaching it with more epoxy. Select a ferrule that fits snugly around the diameter of the damaged section of the fishing pole.

5

Allow the epoxy to dry before use. Reassemble the fishing pole and restring before use.

Repairing a Complete Break

6

Trim the frayed ends of the broken section of rod. Sand the broken edges to leave you with smooth ends on both pieces of the rod.

7

Apply epoxy to both broken ends of the damaged section and attach one end of a ferrule to each broken end. Select a ferrule that fits over the ends of the broken section, but does not slide up and down the rod.

8

Allow the epoxy to dry before use. Attach the ends of the ferrule to each other and string your fishing pole as usual.

Hybrid Striped Bass Fishing Tips

Suitable Water Conditions

Generally, hybrid stripers tend to avoid other fish, especially predators. Hybrids are usually found in deep pools and will hover around dropoffs. In streams and rivers, fishing is usually best near cool eddies, calm pools and near rock faces. They are also abundant near the mouths of moving water where they feed on small bait fish brought to them by currents.

Seasonal Success

Beginning in early spring and into summer, hybrid striped bass are extremely active and can be caught in areas where they are common. In fall, like their cousin, the striped bass, hybrids will school and feed on a variety of food near the water surface (called a boil). While fall hybrid boils are not as pronounced as those of the pure striper, they do offer solid fishing well into fall months. In fall, casts into deep, open waters will produce fish, while moving streams and rivers are often hot beds.

Lures and Tackle

Generally a fast-striking fish, hybrid striped bass are often suckers for flashy, moving lures. Most experienced hybrid anglers prefer crank baits, jigs, spoons and large, diving and top water lures, which are often the most successful in fall and moving water. Because hybrid stripers are capable of fighting like a pike, novice anglers tend to overcompensate with heavy tackle, which is simply not needed. Light to medium rods will allow for better feel and the ability to set hooks quickly. Line strength of eight to 10 pounds, on a standard spinning reel, will allow for long casts and enough strength to reel in a running wiper.

Ice Fishing Tips for Smelt

Gear

Ice fishing for smelt, which are generally between 6 to 8 inches in length, requires equipment similar to fishing for crappie or panfish. You need an ice auger, or spud, to make a hole in the ice, and a fishing pole made for jigging. You also need small jigs, bait--bloodworms, grubs, minnows and even slices of other smelt--and a depth-finder sinker. According to "Panfish" by Dick Sternberg and Bill Ignizio, smelt are known to bite at night. They suggest having an ice shanty to fish from and a heater to stay warm. Setting up a shanty in advance is common.

Once you've arrived at your shanty, or completed setting it up, drill a hole with your auger or chip the ice with your spud. Tie on your jig, or small hook, and clip on your depth finder. Place it in the water and open your fishing reel until you hit bottom, when your line goes slack. Mark this spot on your line by tying a small knot and then reel the line back in and remove the depth finder.

Bait your jig with a small piece of grub, bloodworm or other food. Some anglers prefer to use several hooks or jigs tied to a single line because smelt swim in large schools, and multiple fish can be caught at one time with this technique.

Drop the line down to the depth you like and begin jigging. When you feel a bite, set the hook and reel your fish in. Make sure to grab the smelt quickly; they often hold onto the bait but are not hooked properly and can wiggle off the hook and fall back into the water.

Location

You may go home empty-handed if you fish the wrong area of a lake known to have smelt. According to "Modern Methods of Ice Fishing" by Tom Gruenwald, smelt can be found in deep water from early to mid-winter; this means you need deeper fishing holes. Gruenwald indicates that late-winter ice fishing often finds the smelt in shallower water, where they are more easily collected. Sternberg and Ignizio add that the mouths near the creeks and rivers where smelt run during their spawning season are good target areas in the late-winter months.

Tips and Tricks

Dropping crushed eggshells into the hole to act like chum in the water is known to attract wandering schools. Gruenwald notes that in New England, anglers tie a small hook to yarn and dip it in iodine. The iodine leaves a seaworm-like scent in the water. Coastal smelt are known to feed on seaworm. When the smelt bites, their teeth get tangled in the yarn, making them easier to catch.

Tampa Bay Fishing Tips

License to Fish

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission offers lifetime recreational fishing licenses for residents. Visitors can make use of the many fishing charters available in the Tampa Bay area. If fishing from a licensed charter, you won't need to obtain a license; you also don't need one if you are fishing from a licensed pier. Non-residents, however, need a license to fish from shore or any vessel other than a for-hire vessel.

Types of Fish

There is no shortage of species in Tampa Bay. Snook, redfish, redfish trout, cobia, trout, tarpon, black tip reef shark, snapper, Spanish mackerel, pompano, and grouper are among the fish caught here.

Where to FIsh

Some good places to try fishing from either shore or a boat are the Skyway Bridge fishing piers, the Courtney Campbell Causeway, Fort DeSoto Park, and Gandy Boulevard Bridge.

The Skyway Bridge has two fishing piers, both already licensed. Dubbed the "longest fishing pier in the world," the piers are open 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Bait, ice, souvenirs, drinks and snacks, and tackle and pole rentals are available.

Fort DeSoto Park is in Pinellas County, Fla., and is comprised of five keys: St. Christopher, Madeline, St. Jean, Bonne Fortune and Mullet Key. The park has two fishing piers. Often caught species here include lady fish, permit, pompano, Spanish mackerel, and king mackerel.

Courtney Campbell Causeway connects Tampa and St. Petersburg, Fla. The bridge has frontage roads on each side where fishing is available. The catch here includes spotted trout, cobia, tarpon, snook, pompano, and lady fish.

Gandy Boulevard Bridge is also between Tampa and St. Petersburg. Both ends of the bridge have fishing piers. Both piers are handicap accessible and portable toilets are available. Possible catches here are spotted sea trout, pompano, tarpon, cobia, Spanish mackerel, and lady fish.

When to Fish

Winter is a great time to fish in Tampa Bay. The cold weather makes the fish look for warmer waters. So, says Captain Sergio Atanes, fish the west end of the bay at first light because sunlight will hit this area first.

Creeks with muddy, dark bottoms tend to absorb and keep heat, drawing snook, which has a low tolerance for cold, as well as redfish. Creek shorelines are usually 3 to 5 degrees warmer than other water, warm enough to draw fish.

Also look for concrete docks and seawalls. The sun will heat the concrete, which will transmit heat to the waters by it. Marinas are also good options, as they have ample seawalls and docks to draw fish.

Atanes also recommends areas near power plants; there are three in the Tampa Bay area.

Bass Fishing Tips for Small Ponds

Bass Fishing Tips for Diamond Valley Lake

Fishing Spots

When searching for bass in Diamond Valley Lake, look in rocky banks and steeper areas. Launch your boat and troll fish in deeper waters and backs of coves. According to California Game and Fish, structures were planted around the entire lake allowing the fish to spread out. Several small islands as well as underwater reefs are available for bass to conjugate. Other effective spots are near rocky shorelines in depths of 10 to15 feet. Also don't overlook the main points of land that sink into the water as spawning bass frequently hang on these points. During spring, dependable bass hotspots include areas around the rock quarry, the water inlet tower, behind the island in Rawson Cove and the small saddle dam on the north shore.

Lures and Baits

Use worms to get you the most bites with either split-shot, drop-shot or Texas-rigged. Other effective baits include smaller baits, jigs and reaction baits like topwater baits, spinnerbaits, jerkbaits, swimbaits and buzz baits. When casting for bass during the early morning, big topwater lures like the Zara Spook over submerged spots are most productive. During spring, use a lead head jig or a scrounger head rigged with a split-tail fluke in soft plastic with a pattern that imitates the color of shad baitfish.

Techniques

Use the lightest line you can get such as a 4 to 6-pound line because Diamond Valley Lake has relatively clear waters. When fishing on waters covered with trees and brush, use a heavier line set up. As the temperatures start to rise, shift to rigs with top water baits like shad pattern poppers. Fish during the spring and early summer for the most productive fishing because that is when the bass are spawning.