GPS technology and fishing

What type of fisherman are you? Are you satisfied go out and drop your fishing line and be totally unconcerned about if you catch anything or not? Is the time that you spend with your family, friends or even by your self enjoying nature what your trip is really all about? If you don’t caught anything that’s fine-you can always stop at the fish shop on the way home, but it would be nice if you caught something.Or do you feel like your trip’s been ruined because you didn’t caught anything, and go home frustrated. Or is fishing how you make your living, either by catching fish or taking customers out to fish? If you take a customer out to do some deep sea fishing, it would be much better to bring home a happy customer with his catch, who could be possibly a repeat customer or tells his friends about how great his trip was bringing you additional work. A frustrated customer will think twice about using your services again and when planning his next trip, might go elsewhere and may be steering other potential customers away from you. What if there was a way to make sure you go where the fish are? What if there was a way to guarantee that you would catch your limit, to be able to ensure that your customers will go home happy and raving about your great service.

With GPS technology it is now possible to go where the fish are and to remember the spot so you can relocate it. The other good thing about using a GPS while on the water is safety. You can enter the spot where you put your boat in the water in the memory of your GPS unit. Most GPS units hold at least 500 landmarks or areas where you want to get to. If you run into fog or bad weather you should be able to find your way back. Also if you stay out longer than expected you can find your way back in the dark. If you run into an emergency while on the water, you can call someone and let them know your coordinates, and then they could find you. If someone falls overboard a GPS unit can pinpoint the exact area where the incident happened and helping rescue crews with their rescue. This allows you to enjoy your day and not worry about getting back to land safely.

A chart plotter GPS with a map chip can give you your position relative to land features, water depth, and harbor entrances. Using a GPS with a water depth can allow you to follow the bottom looking for fish. It is also possible to let others know about a spot that you have found by using GPS coordinates.
Often people like to fish around a wreck, with a GPS unit you can enter the location of the wrecks to be able to find them easily. Plus knowing where a wreck is only part of the scenario, you need to know how deep that wreck is and if there are any areas you need to avoid. Often a fishing trip starts out before daylight, with a GPS you can pinpoint where you are going.
No matter what your intent is when you go fishing. A GPS can enhance that experience.

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Fishing Boats

Fishing is a popular water-based leisure activity. It ranks among America's top ten recreational activities. Fishing boats play a very important role in fishing. They provide easy access to get onto water and allow us to cover a larger fishing area.There are various types of fishing boats available in the market, such as: all-purpose fishing boats, aluminum fishing boats, bay fishing boats, pontoon fishing boats, outboard motors, bass boats etc. The range starts from canoes and ends at powerful cruisers or yachts. The prices vary based on the type of boats.
Each type of boat has unique characteristics. Though they are all used basically for the purpose of fishing, but there are subtle differences. The small, light weight bass boats are used for both leisure and competitive fishing. Central-console boats allow anglers to the fish from any place on deck. These boats are great choices for fishing in freshwater rivers, streams, lakes etc. Offshore saltwater boats are used for saltwater fishing that involves bigger fishes and heavy tackling.
Various types of fishing boats are exhibited in boat shows and fishing shows. You can purchase any kind of fishing boats through those shows. There are many fishing boat manufacturers in market, such as: Duckworth Boats Company, Angle Boats Corporation, Caravelle Boats, Cobia Fishing and Sport Boats, Dusky Marine Inc., Godfrey Marine, Fountain Powerboats, Osprey Boat Company and Pro-Line Fishing Boats.

by Santanub Boral

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Aluminum Fishing Boats : From Compact Jon Boat to Custom Design!

Looking around on the web for an aluminum fishing boat? You'll soon enough find out there are a number of different ways to go, depending on your needs and budget...
Are you looking for something very straightforward and uncomplicated you can quickly fit on your pickup? Or maybe you want something more sophisticated you can use for both tournament fishing and recreational fishing?
Another option - if money isn't your biggest concern - could be to look into a custom built boat with everything just the way you want!
You will probably know why you're looking for an aluminum fishing boat as opposed to a fiberglass or steel boat, but lightness (greater performance or fuel savings) and strength (around 35,000 pounds per square inch (psi) will deform it as opposed to 30,000 psi for mild steel) are probably the greatest advantages.
Price also comes into play as many an aluminum fishing boat owner have reported looking around for similar fiberglass boats and being put off by the prices.
In addition it is not only the purchase price, but also the maintenance costs afterwards which one need to take into account.
Aluminum is practically maintenance-free. If left unpainted aluminum will form a supertight layer of aluminum oxide on its surface and then will stay that way indefinitely.
What else is great about owning an aluminum fishing boat? Aluminum is fireproof and non-toxic; it is natural, and the most abundant metal in the earth's crust. It is easily repairable, and a great advantage for boats: aluminum won't absorb water!
What about price? Well, you can start looking at something that was designed to fit right into small pickup truck beds like a Meyers Explorer 12 Jon Boat. This one goes for only a few hundred dollars!
Then you can move up to something much more advanced like the Tracker Pro Angler V-16. The Tracker features large lockable rod storage that holds up to 7'6" rods, divided aerated livewell with Flow-Rite aeration, a deluxe console with a simulated burlwood switch panel and more.
On the Tracker there's always plenty of room for tackle, people and gear. Even an amateur would know that this was a great aluminum fishing boat after only one ride!
Then there's the Ranger Cherokee 217, which is known for an extremely wide front casting deck. It also features an extension-deck option to make it even bigger. (Note: Unfortunately Ranger stopped making them, but if you can find one, rest assured it's a solid boat. Crestliner's boats can now offer a similar quality in a bass boat).
You may also want to look at unique boats like those of Design Concepts. Their aluminum fishing boats are crafted with a revolutionary hull configuration called Drop-Keel. Instead of being flat on the bottom like other boats, Design Concepts boats are engineered to drop just below the water line before turning upward at the bow. This feature keeps the cutting edge of your boat in the water at all times.
Design Concepts also offer a "true lifetime warranty": even if you sell your boat, the warranty stays with it, ensuring you the highest value retention of any boat you can buy.
How about a custom-built aluminum fishing boat? As an example, King Salmon Marine lets you choose many details like the position of the console, overall length and hight, bottom width and thickness - even the type of aluminum alloy!

by: Neels Theron
- More on fishing boats at www.Fishing-Things.com

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Four Tips For Buying The Perfect Fishing Boat

The sun is about to rise and the weather is crisp. You pack your tackle box, grab your pole and buy some worms. You make your way to the fishing dock dreaming you had the perfect fishing boat so you were landlocked no more. Now that dream can become reality with these 4 easy tips for finding and purchasing the perfect fishing boat!Have a clear understanding of the purpose of the fishing boat. Obviously the boat is going to be used for fishing, but is it going to be used on oceans or in lakes? For day time trips or overnight stays? If you play to stay in your boat overnight, be sure to choose a boat with a hull which will allow you to ride the waves much better than a boat without one.

Make sure to have a clear understanding of your budget. Boats are very expensive items. You should be well acquainted with your finances before you take on the extra burden of a boat purchase. Boats with hulls for overnight stays and rough waters are obviously more expensive than small boats for small lakes. Know your limitations.
Read and understand the warranties fully before making a purchase. A warranty can be your best friend. Make sure the dealer you buy the boat from offers you the proper coverage in case there is any defect or problem with your boat. You don’t want to end up having to pay huge amounts to fix your boat because you forgot to check out the warranties!

Make sure the boat has proper certification .The NMMA, or the National Marine Manufacturer’s Association is an organization that tests boats that are manufactured by different companies. They only certify those boats that pass their rigorous testing. Any boat certified by the NMMA is one that you would feel safe owning.

Also, just like cars, boats must be registered. Be prepared to register your boat just like your vehicle (i.e. paying money). On top of that expense, you must now stock your boat with life jackets, brand new fishing gear, food and a cooler so you can get fishing!

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Fishing Rods: Types And Applications

Most people think of a fishing rod as being fairly straightforward, and to some extent that is an accurate idea. A fishing rod is, at its most basic, an implement for catching fish: a casting tool fitted with line, line guides and a reel for line stowage. However, beyond this basic definition, there is a wide range of rod variation. The style of rod being used depends on the type of fishing being performed. A fly rod, for example, would be completely useless in an ice fishing situation.


Fishing rods can vary in length from two to twenty-four feet, with the longer rods providing a greater mechanical advantage for casting. Rods are appraised according to a set specifications, which includes power, the weight of the rod; action, the rod's responsiveness to bending force and the speed with which it returns to the neutral position; line weight, the optimal weight of fishing line the rod can handle; lure weight, the weight of lure the rod is designed to support; and number of pieces, whether or not a rod may be dismantled into two or more pieces.
Aside from these more general specifications, fishing rods are designed for and named after certain fishing situations and styles. One of the most common is the fly rod. These are thin, flexible and designed to cast a lightweight artificial fly. Most modern fly rods are made of fiberglass, carbon/graphite or graphite/boron composites. Split bamboo fly rods are also available and often considered the most beautiful and traditional, but this type of fly rod also tends to be the most brittle.
Spin casting rods, which are quite common, are designed to hold a spin casting reel mounted above the handle. A spin casting reel uses one or two pickup pins and a metal cup to wind the line on the spool. This method reduces line twist and snare problems. Spin casting rods usually have small eyes (metal holes that the line is fed through along the pole) and a forefinger grip trigger.
Trolling rods are commonly used by amateur fishermen. The act of trolling refers to casting a baited line over the side of a moving boat and allowing the motion to pull the bait through the water. This style of fishing does not involve a great deal of skill and is thus quite common. Trolling rods are generally long, heavily built and possessing of relatively fast action. They are appropriate to use when going after fish such as salmon or steelhead.
Ultra-light rods are most often used when fishing for smaller species. However, some expert fishermen will use them when going after larger fish, as these rods create more of a challenge than their heavier counterparts. Ultra-light rods are relatively short, about five feet on average, and more limber than normal rods.
Surf rods are similar to spin casting rods, but these rods have longer grip handles intended for two-handed casting techniques. They are quite long, between ten and fourteen feet, in order to enable the caster to get the bait beyond the breaking surf of the shore. These rods also tend to be of heavy construction, as they must be able to cast heavy lures that will hold to the bottom in rough water.

by Victor Epand

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New Black Marlin Fishery in Fiji

Aboard Bite Me, we occasionally head well offshore and successfully target Blue Marlin on 80lb class bent butt chair tackle but looking for a grander black along Kadavu island's Great Astrolabe Barrier reef was going to be a whole new experience for us.

Having spent years trolling small light tackle bait rigs on the outer reef slopes for wahoo and sailfish, we had few encounters with big blacks but on one occasion, we did meet a monster that showed us they were there....just not interested in our small rigs. Fishing one afternoon from the smaller inshore boat, we trolled a large skip bait on 15kg gear that was taken by the largest fish I have ever seen, I huge black marlin. Somewhat reluctantly I picked up the rod that was now looking pathetically flimsy in the face of this fish and struck. The black didn't even notice. She cruised up the prop wash, spat the bait and idled under the boat. We all gawped over the side and saw she was actually larger than the 16ft boat. She was there or thereabouts, a grander and the most extraordinary sight, right under our noses.

What's more, the resort's divers have occasionally returned with stories of huge marlin encounters...and the pictures to prove it. One of my colleagues skippering the charterboat Wai Tadra tagged a black on the Kadavu seamount estimated at 950lbs. There is no doubt that large Black Marlin cruise the Astrolabe Reef but targeting and catching one was another matter.

Peter's interest gave us the perfect opportunity to give it a serious try.

We didn't muck around. We flew in Glen Gardener, a friend and professional deckie from Sydney Australia who normally works the deck leadering marlin aboard the charterboat 'Bounty Hunter'.

Glen brought with him and extra 18" flying gaff and two of Bounty Hunter's 130lb chair rods.

We fished 'Cairns style' in that we spent the mornings catching and rigging bait, the moved to trolling big lures around lunch time. Lures such as MBT's 22"Buddha and Pakula's big Smokin Joe.

Early afternoon, the time we most expected a bite, we switched to just one skip-bait and one swimming bait on the 130s

The weather frustrated our efforts for the first few days and we were confined to working the lee side of the island. Fishing so close to the reef, we expected heavy tackle losses to wahoo, mackerel and barracuda but Interestingly, with such big lures and baits out we found that the normal razor gang that just destroy skirts and baits generally tended to shy away. What's more, although bites were infrequent, they were always from super-sized fish. I was astonished when we landed a 100 pound Yellowfin Tuna that smashed a Lumo Smokin Joe just 30 yards from dry reef. Super-sizing the lures was weeding out the small fry and finding big fish where we didn't expect them.

Finally the wind eased. We woke to a calm overcast dawn, caught bait, carefully rigged our offerings, checked all our top-shots, re-checked all our drag settings and headed out to our preferred fishing grounds that were just 10 minutes away, right in front of the resort. It didn't take long. At 12:55 the skip-bait on the left rigger was engulfed in a ball of spray as a billfish left a hole in the wake.

Everybody sprang into action. Peter grabbed the howling outfit and made for the chair as the fish swam away with the circle hook rigged bait. When all was ready, the drag was eased up, the circle hook lodged in the corner of the fish's jaw and 300 pounds of angry black marlin took to the air.

I have seen and fought many blue marlin but this was my first black and the differences were amazing. Blues eat hard and fast then pick a direction and go go go with no intention of ever stopping. If you do manage to stop one, they then often sound on you and it can turn into a slug-fest. By all accounts, Blacks are totally different and this fish fought like a typical black. They charge around, mostly on or just under the surface with no clear battle plan and love nothing better than to put on a show for the photographers. They are as acrobatic as a Pacific Sailfish and as strong as an angry bull. What an amazing fish, and right here under our noses.

It took us one hour and ten minutes to bring the leader to hand. We had her in close fairly quickly but she was so green and therefore a serious danger to the crew, that we eased off and took our time. At 320lbs she smashed the existing M-130 Fiji National Record and Peter decided to weigh the fish. The first ever documented Kadavu Great Astrolabe Reef black that I know of tipped the scales just shy of 320lbs. Hardly a grander but what a start!

It is our intention to take every opportunity to continue fishing for Kadavu island's Black marlin and to tag and release enough to paint a clear picture of their habits and seasons.

Given the sightings by divers and our own experiences of huge Black marlin here, our aim is to find Fiji's first Grander.

Sometimes its fun being a charterboat skipper.....

The Gear:

* Penn International 130
* 130lb IGFA Class Greenspot Dacron
* 300 yard 130lb Torture IGFA mono top-shot with 6ft plaited double to Yo-Zuri HD Ball Bearing snap swivel
* 18ft 600lb Momoi Marlin Hard leader to 16/0 Mustad 39960BL Tuna Circle Demon hook.
* Baits - Shark Mackerel (Scad), Narrow Barred (Spanish) Mackerel

by Adrian Watt

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Have Fun Fishing With Your Kids

Often epoch as adults, we want to assign our hobbies and pastimes with our children. However, it can be fractious to elect when that activity is appropriate. Children have shorter interest spans that make it tough to assess when they are ready for certain equipment. Fishing is a joint hobby of many people around the world and many people are eager to launch their children to fishing the jiffy they can keep a fishing rod. Fishing is a tutorial in patience for children and a structured way to train them a sport that involves precision and security.

When you take your result fishing, the most important thing to keep in brains is their shelter. What kind of fishing are you demanding to institute? Are you thinking about a day of bottom fishing? Does quay fishing outfit your requests? Are you untaken to go all out and take your teen for a deep-sea fishing excursion?

Regardless of what you settle is best, you should have the major safety essentials with you always. A first aid kit is mandatory because, when a kid is involved accidents will ensue. Children tend to get poking, scratched, and acid, so you should to be arranged. If you are open out into the sea and away from the seashore, make constant that you have life jackets and make positive that your offspring is wearisome one even he or she has no goal of getting into the water. Keep in brains your toddler's abilities when it comes to swim. If you do not think that they are a spicy swimmer, you may want to keep your cruiser docked.

Make indeed to buy and sell your spawn's tackle box. A product's first tackle box should be small and lightweight. There is nothing thorny about the filling of a beginner's tackle box. All the teenager wishes are some pre-united hooks, some bobbers, a couple of weights, swivels, and small clippers or fingernail clippers to cut their line. A tackle box is a fingerprint for many who behold it as a special expression. Let your result see the basics so that the can body their own to represent themselves one-day.

Make effective to control by example when you take your outcome fishing. Teach them how to keep the line taut so that they will be able to answer well if a fish bites their line. As shortly as your daughter feels the sting, coach them how to set the hook. Tug back on the rod firmly to set the hook in the fish's lip. Take the time with your outcome to let them learn techniques like "live the fish." Part of the fun of fishing is the struggle between the man and the fish, so let your youngster have the entire experience and not just a part one.

When you start fishing to your product, you have certain advantages to lessons them at a younger slightly than adult age. Younger product had a better absorption value with a need to steep up as much information as they can. Take the time that you and your youngster are division to educate them about stick and announce regulations and fishing for food as disparate to pleasure. If your newborn decides that they want to let the fish that you ensnare go, make steady that you know the right way to discharge. Cleaning the fish can moreover make a child vomit or ask when the next trip is open to be, so use discretion in regards to age when preparing your clutch for feast.

There will be good days and bad days when fishing with your kids. Kids have a leaning to not eavesdrop, become uninterested swiftly or reduction snoozing at inopportune times. Patience is the key to win children out for a day of fishing. Repetition would also make your child more comfortable with the undivided procedure. Regardless of whether a fish is fixed or not, take the time to join with your child while with fishing as a free.

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Catfish fishing At Night

I love catfish fishing at night but if you don't know what you are doing it can be a very long and very boring night. Most catfish anglers will tell you that the best times to fish for catfish are at dusk and dawn and a few will know that there is another 1 -2 hour period in the middle of the night. The truth is you can catch catfish anytime day or night if you know what you are doing.
There are many reasons I like to fish at night. All the pleasure boaters depart the waters and on a calm night the water becomes clear and flat allowing you to see even the gentlest of bites. There is also very little competition for the good spots at night making it much easier to locate the fish. What bothers most anglers about night fishing are those long boring periods when the fish are not active.
I use an old secret that really isn't a secret at all and there are no boring periods. I use a light which first draws the zooplankton and then the bait fish as they come to feed on the zooplankton. You know what comes next is the game fish and then the fun begins. I am positive you have seen this food chain in action before even if you didn't know what you were seeing or why. Ask yourself why the best fishing on a dock is always the place where the lights are shining on the water or why you see fish in the water where your boat lights are. It is not chance they are drawn to the light.
If you are going to be catfish fishing at night you can purchase crappie lights at just about any tackle shop. These will help but are not strong enough to get the results I like. I paid good money for the one I have but it is worth. Remember you get what you pay for.

( by Douglas Burns )

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Catfish Fishing Tips and Tactics

The catfish fishing tips and tactics that you receive here have been time tested with excellent results and at best are very simple to use.
First you have to use some draw bait to lure the catfish to your location. Try salmon eggs sprinkled with garlic or whole kernel corn fresh frozen sprayed or soaked in tuna oil, just toss about a handful around the area that you are going to fish, this is called chumming. Wait about (5) minutes then you are ready to start catfish fishing. Well I’ll bet that most of you angler’s out there have heard that catfish fishing should be done at early morning or late evening.
The truth is Catfish feed when they are hungry no matter what time of day or night it is.Catfish like to feed close to the bottom. So try to get your rig in that zone about 1ft. to 2ft. from the bottom. Of course it’s always good to know the depth of the water you’re in but if you don’t, just cast your weighted rig into the water, wait for it to stop moving, reel in your line 1ft. to 2ft. that should do it. Once you have your baited hook in the zone it becomes a waiting game. This works well with all catfish species like Channel catfish, Flathead catfish, Blue catfish and Retail catfish.
What to do when you get your first bite? Be patient, catfish fishing requires being patient let the fish swallow the bait, you have time on your side. So many times have I watched people jerk the rods baited hook right out of the fish’s mouth, unbelievable! After the second nibble the fish should swallow the baited hook, then giving your rod a light tug upward this will set the hook in the mouth of the fish. Start reeling your line in if the fish starts to fight allow some slack in your line so that the fish will swim around to tire itself out so you can reel it up to the surface. Also you might want to fish close to reeds or shore line rocks. Catfish are more prone to be in shaded or reedy areas because of its nature and natural habitat. Good Luck,,,,,,,,,

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Topographic Maps

Topographical maps not only identify the lay of the land but some of the best places to fish. Tributaries, bends, and drop-offs prime holding spots of fish and are clearly marked on most topographic maps. Roads are clearly marked to identify surface and undeveloped roads that drift-fishing anglers are sure to encounter. Knowing where to put in boats is a vital element to a good day of fishing. Surface features where there are severe gradients are those where fish are likely to hold at the bottom of; this information alone makes it worth the purchase of the map, but there is more. Topographical maps identify launches not listed on any other kind of map; these launches are manmade and natural and are great tools for scouting out holds when rivers run low or high. Trails are perfect for bank anglers who want to recon rivers that offer regular runs of fish forecasted by the region but left to individuals to find the best fishing spots.

The best topographical maps will have designated rivers and lakes located near the front of the booklet with species of fish that frequent each waterway; this is yet another reason that this type of map is indispensable when it comes to a recon.

Reputable Topographical Maps will have these elements:

Highways :

to streamline travel times, shortest distances between points, capable of fishing multiple systems on a single trip.

Back-roads :

show the best access points to water whether fishing fresh or saltwater systems.
Trails :

for hiking to the water where most anglers and boaters will not be able to access diminishing fishing competition.

Borders :

(Counties, Regions, and Territories) will be clearly marked so anglers can verify fishing regulations that will invariably where borders are concerned.

Rivers :

are clearly marked. Cross-reference them with roadways, trails, highways, and city streets to find the best fishing spots making access points to water easy to find.

Lakes :

are important to consider when fishing tributaries that feed into and out of them. Topographic maps will identify boat launches and parallel roadways for easiest access.

Bays, Coves, and Inlets :

are essential holds for many species of fish and will be clearly marked on almost all topographic maps.

Boat Launches :

are absolutely essential when considering fishing fresh or marine environments. Take time to verify how large and steep each launch is as some are poised on primitive roads where launching may become difficult of your boat is too large or wide for the ramp.

Species :

of Fish are found in some of the best topographical maps making it that much easier not only to find where you’d like to hit the water but also make it an important tool for designating fishing seasons for each area.

Parks :

often times have varied fishing regulations that absolutely must be adhered; in almost all cases game wardens will not forgive ignorance if you keep fish where waters may only be catch-and-release.

Elevations :

identify the slope of rivers and the severity of water currents. Observing elevations an angler can figure out where to start fishing and where to stop. Elevations and topographical maps are the meat and potatoes of figuring fishing trips and the available species with each season. Each month of the year will have varied volumes of water largely dependant on precipitation whether it’s snow, ice, or rain.

Terrain Types :

affect the amount of water flow and soil saturation rates; this translates into water conditions that could overflow banks causing flooding during spring, fall, and winter months.

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