* How Important is Your Boat ?

image  from : ceduna.net

Fishing Articles by Sam Anderson

How Important is Your Boat ?
By Sam Anderson

As I pulled my Ranger 620 VS out of the garage the other day I started to think that many anglers don't realize that a boat is an extremely important part of your fishing presentation. Hundreds of articles have been written about how important your rod, line, and bait selection are, but few, if any have been written concerning your boat and how it is a factor in helping you to catch fish.

I know what you are thinking at this point. You probably think that a boat gets a person to a specific spot that you can't reach from shore. That is true, but your boat does more than that. Think about what you have in your boat. Yes, it is true that it not only makes it easy for you to reach the spot, but also your tackle, thermos and cooler. Again, your boat is more than an object to carry items, it is part of how you present your bait so that fish find it attractive enough to bite.

What then do you need to look for in a boat.? The answer of course will describe what kind of fishing you prefer and what items in a boat, "creature features" you can't live without. For example, how does this particular boat drift? Will it drift faster from the stern or bow? What or how do you need to compensate for an uneven drift? Do you need a bow mount trolling motor or a stern mounted trolling motor? Does your boat give you a dry ride? Are there places in the boat that are advertised as dry storage, but in a torrential down pour you discover that your expensive camera is ruined? How does the wind effect the boat? Does this boat have big enough side boards to take rough water?

My answer to all of these questions have been addressed by Ranger Boats. The Ranger Fisherman series boast an entire line of formidable fishing machines. From walleye and musky to bass and crappie, these multi-species rigs are among the most versatile anglers have to choose from. Whether it’s the rigorous demands of professional walleye trails or simply a weekend get away, this series is specifically geared to deliver superior performance both on and off plane. The 620 VS sports a deeper, wider vee hull to crush rough water. It’s bog 50" aerated livewell is positioned at the stern so re-entry in rough water carries a softer; more stable feel. Fuel capacity measures 50 gallons and is located on the center line of the hull for faster hole shots, solid tracking and responsive boat control. The 602’s integrated engine set back not only enhances acceleration, but virtually eliminates backwash from sudden stops.

Inside there’s a world of lockable storage and a built in cooler sits just in front of the passenger console. Gauges and electronics are positioned on the upper portions of the instrumentation panel while an all new digital switching system lines the lower panel. The 620 VS is a console boat that is 19’10" in length. If you are a tiller person Ranger has also included a the 620T. This is a beautiful boat that is 20’ 1/2" and is rated for a 115 ? 125 HP motor.

When a person spends as many days on the water a year as I do, it's important that thry fish in as much comfort as possible. The comfort level also is important when it comes to selection of a motor. My choice are Mercury Motors.

Mercury’s newest form of motors incorporates an onboard computer system called SmartCraft. SmartCraft operates in conjunction with the company’s 2001 OptiMax outboards to gather data from sensors all over the boat. It then uses that data to monitor over 15 different systems, including speed and fuel flow, then automatically adjusts each operation to peak efficiency. Like your car, SmartCraft responds to operator input, so you can program your engine and boat to perform exactly the way you want. Functions include Troll Control, which sets rpm up to 1,000. This function alone is ideal especially if I am pulling trolling boards or if I have multiple lines out forward trolling. It allows me to sit at my console and monitor my depthfinder and use the steering wheel to follow the active fish.

Although the backtrolling technique is still ideal for vertical jigging and live-bait rigging in deep water walleye professionals today favor trolling forward with a small "kicker," typically a 9.9 to 15 hp outboard. Why? It allows them to fish large bodies of water such as reservoirs more effectively at higher speeds than electric trolling motors can sustain. Forward-trollers commonly use crankbaits, bottom bouncers or weighted three-way rigs with crankbaits, spinners or spoons.

My Ranger 620 boat is equipped with a small four-stoke kicker motor from Mercury. It allows me to fish all day without using much fuel. This small engine is extremely quiet which makes for a more pleasant angling experience.

Your boat is as critical as the rod you select or the bait that you tie on. It delivers you to the spot to fish but it gives you the confidence to arrive there safely and works with you so that you can get the most fishing pleasure. It provides you with the tools you need to enable you to harvest a days catch and gives other members of your family http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gifa relaxed enjoyable experience. If you have selected the right boat you will notice that it stays in the family for a long time, because it has become part of your presentation. If you have selected the wrong boat you will see it in the classified section, because it just didn't fit the bill for your presentation purposes.

If you are interested in more information about Ranger Boats or Mercury motors drop me a line on the web, at www.samanderson.com and we can talk about your favorite fishing presentation.

This Fishing Article is brought to you by Sam Anderson
Please visit his Website for more information.

Source : http://www.walleyehunter.com/articles/anderson32.html

* Basic Live Bait

image from : fishing-day.net

In most fishing communities small fish for bait can be obtained. Sardines, anchovies, sardinella, mackerel, herring, squid and cuttlefish are good bait fish (Figure 16), but others can be used as well.
Figure 16. Various bait fish: (a) mackerel; (b) herring; (c) sardine; (d) anchovy; (e) cuttlefish; (f) squid

PREPARING THE BAIT

It is important to keep the bait as fresh as possible and to cut it to the right size for the hook you will use and the fish you want to catch.
Very often the bait fish is caught the evening before you use it. In such cases the bait fish must either be kept alive overnight or be well iced (Figure 17). If you have easy access to ice at a reasonable price, then you can ice your bait on board your boat and be ready to start off before sunrise the next morning. If you cannot get ice, then after killing the bait fish keep it well covered, wrapped in a large leaf and stored away from the sun.

Figure 17. Keeping the bait alive or fresh: (a) bait fish kept alive in net; (b) bait iced in boxes; (c) bait wrapped in large leaves and stored



Figure 18. How to cut the bait fish: (a) cut the head and tail off; (b) slice to suitable size; (c) if the bait fish is large, cut from close to dorsal fin to tail and (d) put the two sides together again and cut to size







The size of bait depends on the size of the hook and should range from a size that covers the gap or throat of the hook to one that covers the whole hook.
When you start cutting the bait, first remove the head (Figure 18a), then slice the fish into pieces as shown in Figure 18b. If the bait fish is a large fish, and the fish you expect to catch is of average size (grouper, snapper or croaker), then cut the large fish lengthwise first (Figure 18c) before cutting the bait to the preferred size (Figure 18d). Insert the knife into the fish close to the dorsal fin and cut forward, and keep the knife as hard against the backbone as possible.
Baiting the hook
We just showed you how to take care of the bait and how to cut the bait. Now you will learn how to bait the hook.
Live baits. Figures 19 and 20 show you how to attach the live bait to the hook.
Dead baits. Always put the point and barb of the hook right through the bait in such a way that the bend of the hook surrounds the backbone of the bait (Figure 21a). If you have split open the bait fish before cutting the bait to size, then the pieces without backbone must be threaded on the hook by putting the point and the barb twice through the bait,always with the barb on the skin side, as shown in Figure 21b.
If you are expecting to catch large fish and are using large hooks connected to the mainline with wire snoods, then small fish like anchovies or sardines can be threaded on the hook in one piece. First put the hook through the head of the bait fish and then through the centre of the body near the backbone or through the eyes (Figure 22a). A similar method is used with squid or cuttlefish (Figure 22b).
Figure 19. Some ways of rigging live bait



Figure 20. Rigging other live baits



Figure 21. Baiting with pieces of fish


Figure 22. Baiting with fish or squid in one piece



Lures
Natural bait can be caught in most coastal areas, but bait capture can be time consuming and may only be possible at certain times or in certain seasons. In addition, natural bait has to be replaced almost every time a fish is caught. However, most fishermen agree that natural bait is more effective than artificial bait or lures. On the other hand, the latter can be used repeatedly and for a long time. It is therefore worth trying to make a few lures and to compare the catches taken with lures to those taken with natural bait.
As you may know, lures are more and more commonly used in handline and troll fishing. The main reason for this is that it is possible to create a vibration with the bait or lure and the larger fish (the predator) can be tricked into striking or attacking the source of the vibration, especially when the shape and possibly the colour of the lure make it look like live bait.
Feathers, plastic, nylon and light metal can all help create the right vibration needed to trick the predator. You must always keep your line moving up and down if you are using a lure when handlining in order to let the lure simulate the movements of live bait as much as possible.
Various varieties of jigs and lures are available in most fishing communities (Figure 23), but you can also make them yourself. Some of the materials you can use to make lures are shown in Figure 24.
As an example, take a hook similar in shape to hook No. 10 in Figure 4.
First, take a piece of cloth and wrap it around the shank and tie it with thin electrical wire, string or nylon (Figure 25a).
Next cut small pieces of coloured nylon twine, untwist them into threads and tie over the cloth as shown in Figure 25b. Finally, tie a few feathers on top of the nylon thread and your lure is ready (Figure 25c).
You can also use wool or cotton yarn instead of nylon, or plastic strips instead of cloth as a first cover.
There are other types of synthetic lures. For example, you can cut out a strip of tyre tube or a piece of plastic, wrap it around the shank leaving a good piece extending below the bend and tie the other end firmly to the shank and the eye. You could also glue it together to form a long tube which you thread onto the hook and tie well (Figure 26).
Figure 23. Various types of artificial bait or lures



Figure 24. Materials that can be used to make lures: (a) wool or cotton; (b) rope fibres, possily coloured; (c) strips of cloth; (d) feathers from different birds; (e) plastic strips, preferably coloured; (f) twine or thin wire; (g) tyre tube or piece of thin rubber or plastic sheet


Figure 25. Assembling a lure


It is advisable, when using artificial lures instead of live bait, to smear the liver from the first fish caught on the lure or hooks. You are now ready to go handline fishing with gear made by yourself. Good luck!
Figure 26. Lure made of a piece of plastic or tyre tube


Source
Originated by: Fisheries and Aquaculture Department
http://www.fao.org/

Text: B. A. Bjarnason
Illustrations: M. Carlesi

The designations employed and the presentation of material in this publication do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city or area or of its authorities, or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

David Lubin Memorial Library Cataloguing in Publication Data
Bjarnason. B.A.
Handlining and squid jigging
(FAO Training Series, no. 23 )
ISBN 92-5-103100-2