Real Time Analytics class="archive author author-james author-3">

Browsed by
Author: James Collins

Animated Fishing Lures Have Revolutionized Fishing

Animated Fishing Lures Have Revolutionized Fishing

This is an animated fishing lure.

I have been fishing since I was old enough to drop a line, hook and worm off a dock.  For my 10th birthday, my grandparents gave me a metal “BuddyBoy” tackle box with some This is type of animated fishing lurefishing gear in it.  There were sinkers, swivels, bobbers and a few lures.   There was a wooden Rapala with a joint.  It moved like a fish in the water.  Because it floated, I had the fun of jerking it on the surface or pulling it under water depending on how I wanted to fish.  My grandchildren have fished with that same lure.  These days, my grand kids are using animated fishing lures.  Animated fishing lures imitate minnows.  Live minnows cost a lot.  They have to be kept in a minnow bucket in the water.  They can be difficult to get on the line and they don’t last very long.  One jointed lure can last forever as long as I didn’t snag it on a rock.  Today, USB charged animated fishing lures revolutionize fishing fun.

Animated Fishing Lures

Animated fishing lures come in a variety of sizes.  The minis are great for panfish and bass.  Larger sizes attract pike and musky.  Of course, the largest size is for salt water fishing.  There are quite a few colors available for these lures.  So, the lure can imitate whatever kind of bait fish is in the water.

Bobbers with Animated Fishing Lures

these help with animated fishing luresThe joints in animated fishing lures cause the lure to swim in a circle.  All these lures sink so a bobber is a must.  However, no other special equipment is needed.  Bobber size is important.  The bobber keeps the animated fishing lure at the desired depth swimming in a circle.   So, if the lure pulls the bobber under, it will not work.

Recharging Animated Fishing Lures

The larger the lure, the longer the battery life.  This just makes sense as larger lurescan help use animated fishing lures have more space for a larger battery.  The largest animated fishing lure has a battery life of about 4 hours.  The smallest is about 45 minutes.  The batteries recharge with a USB connection so it is important that lures are charged at the beginning of the day.  It’s a good idea to carry a small portable battery charger.

Where to Fish with Animated Fishing Lures

These lures can be fished in either fresh or salt water.  In fresh water, they can be fished in either streams or lakes and ponds.  In salt water, they can be fished shallow or extremely deep, but they cannot be trolled.   Because a bobber is necessary, they are used in still fishing.  It is important to know the depth of water being fished because these lures are relatively expensive.  They can easily be lost to rocks, logs or other submerged structures because they move on their own.

Pros and Cons of Animated Fishing Lures

Pros

  1. The movement is realistic.
  2.  They are easy to fish.
  3.  They attract fish.
  4.  Almost any kind of fishing situation works.
  5.  Recharging is easy.

Cons

  1. They are more expensive that most other lures.
  2.  They need to be recharged.
  3.  Trolling is not an option.

Because animated fishing lures come in a variety of sizes and colors, they can be used for almost any kind of fishing.  Once in the water, the person using them no longer controls them other than retrieving and playing the fish.  As jointed lures, changed fishing many decades ago, these USB charged animated fishing lures revolutionize fishing today.

 

 

The Ultimate Topwater Bait

The Ultimate Topwater Bait

The Ultimate Topwater BaitFishing along the shore of a lake when I was 12 years old, I saw a big green bug stuck in the rocks. I picked it up.  It was a weird fishing lure with metal wings and two treble hooks. I didn’t realize that I had found The Ultimate Topwater Bait.  There was monofilament line tied to the eye.  I got rid of the monofilament and tied the lure to my line.  I had an open face Mitchel 304 which I still have.  The lake was calm.  My cast went a long way because the lure was pretty heavy and there was no wind.  As soon as the lure hit the water, I started to reel.  Immediately, a fish hit flying out of the water.  I was shocked.  I loosened my drag so there was no chance of the line breaking.  After a few minutes of  fun, I pulled a beautiful smallmouth onto the rocks.  I had not idea that the lure was a Tiny Crazy Crawler, the ultimate topwater bait.  I still have one in my tackle box.

Read More Read More

Best Lure Ever – Al’s Gold Fish

Best Lure Ever – Al’s Gold Fish

When I was a kid, Al’s Goldfish, the best lure ever, was free with the can of shaving cream my Dad bought.  I can’t remember the brand of shaving cream, but I got the best lure ever with every can he bought.  The lure was bright gold metal with a slight bend upward in the center.  It had a treble hook.  The was a simple eye to attach line.  The lure was light, but it seemed to catch every kind of fish in the lake.

Read More Read More

Homemade Ice Chisel – Inexpensive, Easy, Effective

Homemade Ice Chisel – Inexpensive, Easy, Effective

 

 

 

If you ice fish, you need something to cut a hole in the ice.  I have reviewed ice augers in the past.  The quickest to use is the gas powered auger.  A hand auger is less expensive and easier to carry, but difficult to use.  When I hiked into a lake, I did not want to carry a power auger.  I found the best alternative for me was an ice chisel.  I decided to make a homemade ice chisel.

Read More Read More

New Ice Fishing Gear 2021 Needed

New Ice Fishing Gear 2021 Needed

Halloween decoration have been in stores for two months.  Thanksgiving decorations are up.  This means that its time to start thinking about ice fishing and new ice fishing gear.

Ice Fishing Tip-up Rigs

Traditional Rigs

If you need one, you need 3.  Don’t exceed the rod limit.  These tips ups are basic but keep.  With a hit, they  new ice fishing gear includes tip-upsspool out line until you get to them.  You even get a minnow net.  Add a little bell to the arm so you don’t have to watch.  Tip-ups are as old as forever.  They’re simple and effective.  Just cut the hole in the ice and place the rig.

 

Read More Read More

COVID 19 Impact Changed Fishing

COVID 19 Impact Changed Fishing

I fish all year.  I usually have my boat serviced in February.   For me, at least, COVID 19 changed fishing this year.

The Impact of COVID 19 Changed my Summer

COVID 19 parked my boat and my motor home.

My boat is where I parked it after my last fishing trip in early February.  The motorhome is right in front of the boat and hasn’t moved since late November.  I should tell you that my wife won’t let me take the boat out by myself anymore because I am old.  With COVID 19 made it tough to find someone to fish with.  COVID 19 changed my summer.  We had planned to camp and fish in several different places.  Instead, we stayed home.  I did prepare for fishing next year.

Read More Read More

Downrigger Review Choose Fresh or Saltwater – They’re all fun.

Downrigger Review Choose Fresh or Saltwater – They’re all fun.

This guy needs a lot of things…. a bigger boat, a plan, a lifejacket and a downrigger just to name a few.  We all have our favorite fishing equipment brands.  Usually, they become our favorites by trial and error.  It’s helpful when someone tells us about a great product or when we read about something new.  Then all we have to do is give it a try.  This is no less true for something as common as downriggers.

Downrigger Review

This guy could have used a down rigger.

Read More Read More

Bilge Plugs Can Cause a Disaster So Install Them Properly

Bilge Plugs Can Cause a Disaster So Install Them Properly

Its true.  Bilge plugs can cause disaster.  More accurately, forgetting to install bilge plugs can cause disaster.  Friends of mine have sunk boats large and small by forgetting the bilge plug.  I have been running boats for 60 years.  Last week, I forgot the bilge plug.

Bilge Plugs Can Cause a Disaster

The Idea

My brother-in-law and I decided to spend a day on the water looking for bass.  We chose Lake calm bay ready for a boat with a bilge plugNacimiento in San Luis Obispo County in California for the excursion.  Boots towed the boat behind his truck.  I navigated.  We picked a weekday because weekenders and folks with kids weren’t likely to be on the lake.  As it turned out, we had the lake to ourselves.  That didn’t mean that the day on the lake would be easy.

Read More Read More

Fishermen, Frustration, Shrinking Lakes

Fishermen, Frustration, Shrinking Lakes

Where’s the water?

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.

 

fishermen frustrated on lake nacimiento

Read More Read More

The Best Fishing Lure

The Best Fishing Lure

The Best Lure Ever – In My Opinion

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.

Best lure rapala is the best lure

 

Read More Read More

State Parks, County Parks – Family Fishing Fun

State Parks, County Parks – Family Fishing Fun

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.

Read More Read More

Fishing Spots – Hard Walking, Better Fishing

Fishing Spots – Hard Walking, Better 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.

 

 

Read More Read More

Stream Fishing – Challenging, Exciting, Peaceful

Stream Fishing – Challenging, Exciting, Peaceful

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.
animated-fishing-image-0025

Read More Read More

Boat Cover – Long Term Protection, Beware

Boat Cover – Long Term Protection, Beware

How do you store your boat?  Years ago, our porch became a boat house.  You may store your boat in a garage or undercover at a storage facility.  Over the last few years, I have stored my boat, in my yard, under a good boat cover.

Why a Boat Cover?

There are good reasons to store a boat, long term, under a boat cover.

  • Boat Covers are cheap compared to Storage.
  • Covered boats are easily stored in a yard and kept safe.
  • The cover can be removed quickly and applied all season long.
  • A cover can be opened to get something out of the boat.
  • One person can put on the cover.
  • The cover can stay on when the boat is moved.

Read More Read More

Fast Water Fishing- Spring Runoff Action

Fast Water Fishing- Spring Runoff Action

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.


fast water fishing

Fast Water Means Safety First

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.

Read More Read More

Power Ice Augers – Effective, Heavy, Expensive

Power Ice Augers – Effective, Heavy, Expensive

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?  Need more time to ice fish – start an online business for free.

Power Ice Augers – Effective?

Of course, power augers are effective.  They cut through the ice in seconds.  But there are things to keep in mind.

  • Because they are heavy,  snow machine, sled or several trips is needed to carry them.

    power ice augers
    Eskimo Stingray S33 8 inch $349.99 You Save: $45.74 (13% ) $304.25
  • They are noisy.  But, only while running.
  • Test start your auger before you leave home because they are finicky.
  • They can pollute.  Make sure the gas cap is tight.  Use the right oil mixture.
  • Because they are powerful, they are dangerous.  Wrists can snap.  Clothing can get caught. Feet can get augered.
  • They are expensive.

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.

Read More Read More

Ice Fishing Tip Ups – Ice Fishing Rods

Ice Fishing Tip Ups – Ice Fishing Rods

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.

Inside or Outside

In a Shack

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.

Read More Read More