MDfishing.org - Basics of Fishing Articles

More on the Vermont Trip (structure fishing)

Sun, 14 Jun 2009 10:52:50 -0500

As Duane and I were trying to locate the big fish that had apparently dissapeared, it got me thinking about the situation with which we were faced. When the wind and sun cooperated, the big fish were pulling up on the shallow flat just sunning themeselves. Beleive it or not, the fish were pre-spawners. We only saw one bed at the trophy lake, and all of the fish we caught were still full of eggs, and had no evidence of fanning the beds with their tails. These shallow fish were caught on poppers or twitch baits. They were in little pods of three to five fish together.

When conditions weren't quite as good, they seemed to be relating to the first or second drop off. A suspending jerk bait was deadly on these fish. There was emerging grass beginning at the first drop (6 ft) and continuing down to probably 15 ft. One day of our trip saw fish running baitfish (smelt, most likely) up against the first drop, usually a top water or slowly sinking bait (fluke) would do the trick on these actively feeding critters.

BASSMASTER Article

Sat, 15 Dec 2007 09:40:41 -0600

Thought some of you might be interested. There is an interesting article in the January issue of BASSMASTER about fishing for smallies using a catfish rig. The article was written about fishing the James River using this style rig in moving current. Case Plastics even got a plug at the end of the article. If any of you do not have a subscription and are interested, let me know, and I can scan it in and have MDFishing post it.

BAITCASTING 201

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:32:37 -0600

I’ve been limited to shore fishing for the last few years because of heath problems and this makes distance crucial in my situation. Whether trying to reach that clump of roots that’s way out there in a lake or trying to work the maximum surface in a river, any extra distance I can achieve is always a big plus for me. I’ll readily admit that distance is nowhere as important when fishing from a boat, where it comes in as a poor second to accuracy. Then, my “fishing” elbow requires that I use the smallest amount of force possible to achieve a given distance. This combination of factors explains why I’ll concentrate on what’s more valuable to me in my circumstances.

Baitcasting 101

Thu, 10 Mar 2005 22:30:40 -0600

Whenever a beginner asks for help in learning how to use a baitcasting outfit, everybody says "Practice, practice, practice!” But while practice cannot be overemphasised, if you don't know where to start, all you're doing is getting more and more frustrated. Trial and error may be OK for some people, but I think making all the possible errors before you figure out the right way to do it really stinks! I just hope the following material can help cut down the amount of time required to learn to use a baitcaster and maybe save a few reels from a watery grave.

The Six Seasons - Spring Issue

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 23:37:14 -0600

Spring temperatures should be categorized as from about 50 degrees to about 60 degrees. During this time the bass are generally in the pre-spawn or spawning stage.

The Six Seasons - Early Spring Issue

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 23:36:02 -0600

Early Spring starts as early as late January in the deep South to right after ice out up (April or even May) in the North East. Early Spring temperatures should generally defined as from 32 degrees to 50 degrees.

Spinnerbaits For Bass, A-Z - by Vernon Summerlin

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 23:30:51 -0600

The extreme versatility of spinnerbaits is well-known among bass fishermen, but few anglers take true advantage of this bait.

Bass Fishing's All-Purpose Bait: The Grub - by Bruce Ingram

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 11:47:22 -0600

They may not look like much, but soft-plastic grubs are among the most versatile and productive bass baits you can carry. Your imagination is the limit with these little gems.

Understanding bass forage: Crawfish - by Peter B. Mathiesen

Wed, 23 Feb 2005 20:05:18 -0600

Knowing crawfish and its habits will give you the upper hand when using imitation baits.

Understanding Smallmouth Bass

Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:32:18 -0500

Known for its aerial acrobatics and never-give-up determination, the smallmouth bass has a welldeserved reputation as the fightingest freshwater gamefish. After a smallmouth strikes, it usually makes a sizzling run for the surface, does a cartwheel in an attempt to throw the hook, then wages a dogged battle in deep water.

The Six Seasons - Fall Issue

Mon, 13 Sep 2004 11:20:13 -0500

Fall - Tactics and tips for the Fall feeding frenzy.

Catch and Release Tips

Thu, 09 Sep 2004 21:10:20 -0500

These tips are designed to aid you in the proper release of your smallies. Naturally, not all of these will apply in every situation and some can be modified for different circumstances. These suggestions apply only to fish you intend to release.

Plastic Worm Basics

Fri, 04 Mar 2005 23:39:51 -0600

"I have seen thousands of fishermen make a fatal mistake in fishing a worm. They lift their rods from the 9:00 position clear up to the 1:00 position in one giant sweep. That old bass that saw that worm land then fly over his head about three of four feet up probably thought that was a SUPER WORM" --Jimmy Houston

Want to know the fundamentals of plastic worm fishing?
Need a refresher?
This is a good article on the basics of plastic worms.