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Frustrated fishermen keep asking, ” Where’s the water?” It’s a legitimate question. Despite a lot of rain last winter, central California is still suffering through low water levels.
This is my dock on a large lake in Central California. The closest water is almost 3/4 mile from where this picture was taken. The “full” level is the light brown line just below the trees.
I have been fishing since I could walk. At some point, I talked my Dad into buying me a fishing package advertised on a comic book…. 6 ft. rod, open-face spinning reel, plastic tackle box, stringer, bobber, a package of hooks and a plastic weight for casting. I practiced casting in the yard for hours. I decided I needed a lure to cast so I went to the local bait shop. A wooden floating Rapala caught my eye. Its still the best lure I have ever used.
Your boat is your most expensive piece of fishing equipment. At the end of every fishing season, winterizing boats is important. Proper winterization makes spring launching easier and saves your boat from damage while sitting.
The boat has is covered with beer and food. There are mud and sand deposits everywhere. Often water saturates floor boards or carpet. Food and beer can stain the floor and upholstery. Moisture can cause mildew.
State parks can provide great fishing. We think of county and state parks as great places to hike, camp, picnic and play. When there is a lake, there is so much more to do. Type “state parks” or “county parks” into your browser. You will probably find a list of parks, in your state, that offer fishing and boating. These parks are accessible and inexpensive. They can be a vacation destination out of state or a great day trip. Fishing lodges and guided trips are great, but not a possibility for everyone. Not everybody can get to an isolated lake or stream to fish. Accessible fishing in parks can be fun for the family or someone who wants to get away for a few hours of fishing.
Every fisherman wants to find hidden fishing spots with untouched water. Anglers ask, “Is there a good fishing spot near me?” It might be a rock sheltering fish in a creek. A drop off near the shore of a lake may attract feeding fish. A spring fed pond off the beaten trail attracts few people. A boat makes it easy to find an isolated spot on a lake or river. On board electronics make it even easier. On land, with so many people fishing, hidden fishing spots can be hard to find, but offer more fish.
I love stream fishing in the spring. Its too late fish spoons as water levels drops. Its too early to have a lot of success with dry flies because of debris on the water. But, choosing the right bait is pretty easy this time of year. Almost anything will work. There’s water in every stream. The fun and challenge of stream fishing is reading the water and knowing where to find the fish.
How do you store your boat? Years ago, our porch became a boat house. 
There are good reasons to store a boat, long term, under a boat cover.
We’ve waited all winter for the chance to get into that stream or stand along the bank of that river. Its time, but fast water from spring runoff can make things challenging and dangerous.
We should think about safety when we think of the fun of fishing in spring runoff. Ultimately, we want to be around to fish the rest of the year.
Sure, you may have been fishing all winter through the ice or in the ocean. Or you may live in a wonderful place like California where there is always open water. But its spring. As surely as that means the crack of a ball on a bat, it means fishing season. Its time to get ready.
If you are ice fishing, you need a hole in the ice. Most people use power ice augers. What are the advantages to a power auger? Are there any disadvantages?
Of course, power augers are effective. They cut through the ice in seconds. But there are things to keep in mind.
The speed and ease of a power ice auger more than makes up for these issues.
There are a number of models of power augers ranging in price from $250 to over $1200.
Price is determined by cubic inch of the engine. This determines the ease of drilling. The size of the auger is also a factor in price. Blades run from 6″ in diameter to 10″. The larger the blade the bigger the hole. Larger blades are more difficult to control. An extension can be purchased for power ice augers.
If you haven’t tried ice fishing, you don’t know what you are missing. You can sit in a shack. You can run between fishing holes. Watching ice fishing tip ups or jigging with a rod, its just fun.
Ice fishing tip ups and rods are used in a fishing shack. If a tip up is used, its generally set as a second line while a rod is used a few few feet away.
Rods makes more sense in a shack. You don’t have to go very far to tend a line.
Know you ice fishing regulations. Ontario, Canada allows two ice fishing lines per person. But, they must be 60 feet apart. This makes multiple lines in a fishing shack impossible.
Ice fishing has been around ever since there has been winter combined with a need to eat. Ice fishing is cold winter fun growing in popularity every year. People pack ice fishing supplies wearing ice fishing clothes and head out to the lake.
Fisheries have a catch and release policy to maintain fish stocks.
Catch and release helps the natural fish population continue to breed. Healthy fish populations are important for lots of reasons. They provide fun for fisherman. They are part of the local eco system. They are a food for other animals. Fisherman release fish to maintain the local population.
Holiday Sales are some of the best buys of the year. Fishing equipment, camping equipment and even web hosting is on sale.
Kids can fish as soon as they can hold a rod. Size is most important when choosing the best beginner rod for a child.
Holding the rod is the first step to fishing. Watching me, my kids wanted to hold a rod although they didn’t really know why. They were holding a rod long before they could cast. I would cast and give them the rod.
A rod between 2 and 3 feet long seems the best size. Its the right length to handle easily. Its long enough to play a fish.
Fishermen love fishing tackle for a Christmas. Single lures are great, but lure assortments are exciting.
The larger lure assortment the lower quality the lures.
Quality affects:
Some fishing purists laugh at the idea of a telescoping rod. I think they are practical, easy to carry and durable. You can choose the rod flex as with any rod.
My daughter gave me a telescoping rod many years ago. They’re for beginners. Right? That’s not me. Do you have one?
Carry-on luggage changed my mind. I just won’t pay $25 for an airline to ship my rod. The reel fits in the carry-on and, now, so does my rod at no charge.
Telescoping rods are for the beginner and for the practical.
Rods for all OccasionsRetailer selling fishing equipment carry telescoping rods for all types of fishing. Of course, extended length will dictate collapsed length.
So you want to buy fishing equipment?
Should you buy an expensive lure or a package of lures for the same price? Should you by a high end rod or a rod and reel combo for the same price?
Should you buy something that is familiar …. a replacement reel, for example or something novel?
Will the novel item be used? Will a familiar item be boring?
Canoe fishing is peaceful and exciting at the same time.
I love canoe fishing. Since I was a kid, I have always had access to some kind of a canoe for a fishing trip either inland fishing or salt water fishing. Sometimes, it would be a borrowed canoe. I say “borrowed” because I always brought it back. Sometimes, I would rent a canoe. Most of the time, I had a canoe of my own. Now I find myself selling my canoe because its too heavy for me to handle. I will keep canoe fishing but maybe from a fiberglass kayak.
No one will ever know who this stranger was who bought a great gift for special needs kids.
I was just talking with a guy today who is not really into fishing. As a matter of fact, his thing is race cars. He builds them and races them. But, he went into a hardware store recently and saw a bunch of last year model rods and reels on sale. He bought the lot thinking that he could find a way to donate them to needy kids or special needs kids.
