Angling Motivations

Have you ever thought to yourself, what motivates me to spend countless hours on a stream, lake, or river? Is it the time spent with friends and family? Is it the aesthetics? Is it the surprise of a float disappearing under the water? There is always a motivation that drives anglers to have a passion for fishing, and more often than not, there are multiple motivations.

Between the Hatches

Have you ever seen somebody on the stream with their fly rod held high? Do you wonder what they are doing in the middle of the stream? They are performing the art of high sticking also known as short line nymphing. This type of fishing will often out produce other techniques. Some of my best days on the streams occur when I am high sticking. It is a great skill to learn for use when there is no hatch present.

The New Berkley Trilene Transoptic Monofilament Line

Berkley has always been a leader in fishing line technology and this year’s offering is no different. 

Trilene Transoptic features a proprietary transition technology which is activated by UV light. Transoptic changes from clear to gold in sunlight and overcast conditions. UV light begins to filter out the farther down the water column it goes, causing this line to return to its clear color after a few feet of water depth. This color changing line is the perfect answer for the angler in search of a hi-vis line that won’t spook fish.

Our staff has used the line and has found it to be easy to handle even on spinning reels.  The price is very reasonable and anglers everywhere are already excited about it’s performance.

FishUSA offers this line in all sizes currently available.  You can learn more about this line by following  this link.

Selecting an Inline Planer Board

Inline planer boards were invented years ago, but their popularity has blossomed over the past decade.  While most popular on “big water” they have found use nearly anywhere anglers troll.  As their popularity grew, many manufacturers started producing them, and now there are plenty of models for the angler to choose from.

Inline boards are designed to take the trolled lure to the side of the boat where the lure can be presented to fish that have not been spooked by the boat.  Planer boards also allow anglers to troll many more lines without tangling.  While most inline planer boards are very versatile, some are particularly useful in certain situations.

Take a Kid Fishing…Angling with Children

If you are reading this you are most likely an angler.  When you started your fishing career, there was probably someone who started you in the outdoors.  In many cases it may be your father, but often it could be your mother, uncle or neighbor.  To keep the angling tradition alive, we must pass the torch to younger anglers.

Many anglers, even experienced ones, are unsure about taking youngsters fishing.  Below are some tips for family fishing.

Twelve Months of Lake Erie, PA

Pennsylvania has approximately 45 miles of shoreline on Lake Erie.  North of the city of Erie, 5000+ acre Presque Isle Bay is formed by a penninsula that is connected to the main lake by a narrow channel.  The open waters and Presque Isle Bay are very different in habitat and species of fish.  This allows a wide variety of angling opportunities throughout the year.  Preque Isle Bay also offers sheltered water to fish in case of rough water on the main lake.  Below are some “hot bites” that occur yearly.

Choosing the Proper Bait for Spring Trout Fishing

In many states, the opening day of  Trout Season is one of the true signs of Spring.  Every Spring millions of anglers from 3 to 93 participate across the country.  Some anglers fish hard from the opening bell til dark, whereas others seem just happy being outside and watching the spectacle.  In many areas of the country, trout fishing is brought by the stocking truck, where millions of browns, rainbows and brookies are released into streams, lakes and rivers by the States and fishing clubs.  Because these trout have lived nearly all of their lives in a hatchery, their diet is much different than their wild cousins.  Stocked trout also seem to tolerate angler pressure much better and will feed in the same conditions that would send a wild trout scurrying for the nearest rock.

Just because the stocked trout are not that selective doesn’t mean that they are always easy to catch, particularly when they have been hooked and lost (or released) a time or two.  By selecting the proper hardware, processed or natural bait, and presenting it in the proper manner, catching these trout will be much easier.