You've probably noticed that reading FishTalk cover to cover you'll uncover countless fishing tips, but was also include a couple of direct, specific fishing tips in each and every edition. So we've decided to pull our top 10 tips of the year, and slap them up here on the interwebs. Enjoy, people!
Fishing Tip #1: When planning to deep-drop for golden tiles, remember to always grab a pack of sea clams at the tackle shop. Many days they’ll hit just about anything but when they get finicky, it’s often sea clam that saves the day.Fishing Tip #2: If you like topwater fishing, carry an assortment of both stick-baits and chuggers. When it’s calm stick with the stickbaits, and remember that loud chuggers and poppers can actually turn off the fish in sedate conditions. But when it’s rough, reach for those noise-making chuggers and poppers – they can call the fish in from afar in those noisy conditions.Fishing Tip #3: When tog fishing, put the hooks in and out through the crab’s leg joints. This prevents the crab from breaking apart, and leaves the hook points exposed.Fishing Tip #4: When fishing for shad, remember to carry some split shot. When the fish are deep and the tiny jigs you’ll use aren’t heavy enough on their own, that little chunk of lead will make a huge difference in the catch. Photo courtesy of Eric PackardFishing Tip #5: You want to gear up for swordfish day-dropping? Spooling a reel with colored line (depending on the type you get every 10, 20, or 25 feet is a different color), is a must, as it’ll make it easy for you to know the exact depth your bait’s at even after cranking up a bit and/or re-dropping.Fishing Tip #6: Ready to try some night fishing? Remember that odd as it seems, black is often a top color choice for fishing in the dark. It creates a silhouette from below by blocking out what little light is available, making it easy for the fish to spot.Fishing Tip #7: When fishing for crappie stick with a light leader; six-pound test is considered heavy, for these line-shy fish. Photo courtesy of Eric PackardFishing Tip #8: When the wireman grabs the leader on a large pelagic on an outboard boat, immediately cock the engines away from the fish. That way, if it surges towards the boat you’re ready to hit the throttles and keep it away from the props.Fishing Tip #9: Always wash down reels with a gentle spray, never a direct blast. A high-pressure blast from a garden hose can drive water into the reel’s drag system and body.Fishing Tip #10: You have your sights set on specks? Remember: they like different retrieve styles depending on tide, depth, and light levels. Try fast, try slow, try steady, and try erratic until you figure out what they want. If the bite slows, start trying all the different cadences gain, and you’ll likely find that they’ve switched preference as the conditions have changed.
