You can use almost any rock you find on shore to sharpen the point of a hook. Pull the hook point against a flat section of the rock and rotate to get all angles. Repeat several time.
When casting for walleye on a rocky bottom, add some action to your jig by letting it bounce on the bottom.
Twist your rubber worms to add more spinning action. The turbulence attracts predatory fish like walleye, muskie and pike.
Use two flies when nymph fishing for trout. Tie a second length of tippet about 1-1/2 feet long to the hook of the first nymph then tie the second nymph on the end. You can cover two depths if you retrieve slowly.
To clean out the eye of a hook or a fly, don’t buy a useless accessory tool, just use the point of another hook.
Lots of nibbles but can’t hook anything? Try sharpening your hooks and double your catch. Dull hooks don’t penetrate on a light bite. This works especially well on trout and perch.
When launching a boat by yourself, tie a section of rope from the bow of the boat to the rear rail of the trailer. Back in far enough to float the boat off the trailer then slowly pull the trailer out of the water. Your boat will be floating beside the dock, tied safely to your trailer.
Pike and muskie will eat food up to 1/3 their body size. If you want big pike or muskie, pull out the big tackle.
In warm summer waters, skip the waders. Wading boots plus pants or shorts will be more comfortable.
To keep you dry flies dry, spray them with Scotchguard.
When shore fishing with a pickerel rig, use a 1-1/2 foot length of 2″ PVC pipe, hammer it into the ground, then set your rod end in it after casting. Place a small bell on the rod tip. When it starts ringing, you have a fish.
Use maps or overhead pictures of a lake or stream and mark your catches on the map. Keep the map with your tackle box. It will work better than your memory.
If you can’t get your knots to stay tight and you are losing lures, and fish, use a small drop of super glue after you tie the knot. Wait 30 seconds for it to dry.
Use a fish stringer to hang your pots and cooking utensils. String it up between tree branches, tent poles, or your camper awning.
Bait fish often are found at the mouths of stream leading to rivers and lakes. Game fish will seek them out, especially in the evening.
Pick the fly line colour that most interests you.
When choosing lures for pike, pick the ones with contrasting colours, some brightness, and some wobbling action to create noise in the water.
Keep a fishing journal. Make a record of the water and weather conditions, dates and locations. Track what lures and techniques produced fish. Over time, you will find common practices and conditions, increasing your likelihood of catching fish. See the article in the PrairieOutdoors Journal.
Try small surface dry flies and small nymphs kept on the surface during summer sunsets. Some of the best trout fishing starts about a 1/2 hour before sunset and continues as long as the sky is light. See the article in PrairieOutdoors Journal.
In still water, look for reeds as excellent pike holding areas. Cast to the edge and retrieve.
The night before you go walleye fishing, soak your lawn in the late evening. After dark, take a flashlight and you will find the night crawlers.
Before handling a fish you plan to release, slip on a glove. You will be less likely to damage the fish.
If you’ve been using the same lure, bait and presentation, in the same location, and you don’t catch anything, move, change your bait, or your technique, but not all at once. Make one change at a time until the fish bite. Otherwise you won’t know what change worked.
Look for structure when fishing a lake. Large submerged objects, points, or shelves offer a contrast between deep and shallow.
Pay attention to where the pelicans and loons feed. The feed on small bait fish which attract the pike and walleye.
In the spring, fish (including lake trout) will gather in shallow water which will be warmer.
Use your depth finder to find a walleye hole. A drop off of anywhere from 10 feet to 30 feet will often hold walleye during the day.
On lakes and ponds, weedy areas are the most likely hiding places for fish.
When fly fishing a stream or river, cast up stream and let the current bring the fly to the fish.
Size of your fly is very important when fishing for trout. Tie your favorite patterns in several sizes.
Use a pliers or your fly tying vise to pinch down the barbs on your hooks. Fish will be much easier to release, getting them back into the water faster.
Salmon eggs are a very effective bait for trout. They can often be purchased from tackle shops and may come in roe sacks.
Just after the ice leaves a lake, the best fishing happens in early afternoon when the sun has had a chance to warm the surface water and slow moving fish become more active.
Wet the area of your fishing line with saliva just before pulling your knot tight. It reduces the friction and lessens the chance of your knot breaking.
