Tried

[ontariofisherman]

ok so I went out again this saturday and got skunked again.

 

is there anything like this in ontario and maybe a little cheaper in ontario.

 

Bass coach

 

I have tried to go to chapters and find books to read and nothing ever there. ( books or magazines )

 

tried to read what I can find on the internet but I don't find that I really learn to much from that.

Edited September 20, 2010 by fishermanjohn

[Nipfisher]

Hook up with another board member from your area. I'm sure someone on here would be willing to take you out with them and help you out. It will probably cost you the coffees but it will be worth it.

Oh, and they'll probably block out the background so you won't know where you are fishing..and hide their successful lures and tell you they always use mashmallows

[limeyangler]

ok so I went out again this saturday and got skunked again.

 

is there anything like this in ontario and maybe a little cheaper in ontario.

 

Bass coach

 

I have tried to go to chapters and find books to read and nothing ever there. ( books or magazines )

 

tried to read what I can find on the internet but I don't find that I really learn to much from that.

 

What about asking one of the bass fishermen on OFC to get out with you on your next trip?

 

Man...if there were more members up here i would be bugging the hell out of them to take me out and show me some tricks!

 

If i was you i'd ask for a member near you to come out with you

[thalweg]

Join a local bass club. Will accelerate your learning big time.

[ld17]

if at first you don't succeed, take up golfing..lol Sorry about that I just had to. The linders put out some very good DVD's and books on all species of fish. I have most of the books and they helped me a lot. I would recommend the books to anyone wanting to learn more. Also Italo Labignan has a DVD series he put out a few years ago. They have a wealth of information in the dvd's that no angler should be without. Check them out I'm pretty sure you'll learn something. Aslo I try to attend all the fishing shows and listen to the pro's during their seminars. You pick up a few tips here and there. Never give up man just keep at it and you'll get better. Like Mercer says a bass has a brain the size of a pinky nail. Their not that smart!

[ontariofisherman]

I was just using that as an example for learning ( bass, pike,walleye ), I just think that if I could learn how to catch one species of fish I could apply that to others and don't really care what I catch. just want to catch some fish with the wife. we don't get to spend much time together during the week with work.

[spinnerbaitking]

This would be 2 very good places to start even if you get out with some one else, were are you trying to fish now, lots of magazines out there FLW, Bassmasters, Ontario Out of Doors, Outdoor Canada, etc

Richard

 

http://www.basstalk.ca/

http://www.cbaf.ca/index.html

[archer379]

There is a fishing school through the ofah. You could try

[muddler]

Well now, there is no real quick fix for what you want. It does take time. Here are a few things that you can do to improve your odds in catching fish consistently.

 

1. Choose a spot that will improve your odds of catching a fish. Not all water contains fish. If you have a boat look for structure that might contain feeding fish. If you fish from shore look for areas that will support forage. If you fish a river look for habitat that is protected from overhead predators. There are a lot more types of areas to look for, but that will get you started.

 

2. Present all your offerings as naturally as possible. Most fish around heavily fished waters have seem a ton of baits so use the lightest line that you can and the lightest terminal tackle(hooks) you can get away with. 8 lb mono is plenty to handle most fishing situations. Present your offering as naturally. You're going to loose some tackle, that's part of the game.

 

3. Watch the other fishermen and talk to them. There is NO one answer to all questions. It takes time to learn what works for you.

 

4. Try live bait (worms, minnows, leeches) on a slip bobber.

 

5. Learn how use a jig and grub. I've caught just about everything on that.

 

6. Make sure your tackle is workining properly. Fill the spinning reel to 1/8 inch of the spool lip. Batcasters shoul be filled the same. Practice casting in the yard. Accurate casting is sometimes very imprtant.

 

7. Use good knots for your tackkle. Palomar, Orvis knots are the best I've used. Uni knot to uni knot for attaching mainline to running line. Orvis tippet knot for attaching floro leader to mainline. Except for the uni knot, these are the strongest knots I found...ever.

 

8. Above all else, enjoy the company you are with. Be it your fishing partner, the natural events happening around you, the nature of things. Eventually the 'catching' will become secondary. More often than not, the fish caught is a bonus to a great day in the outdoors. Share what you learn with others.

 

muddler

[Handlebarz]

Dang I would find it hard to not find someone to help you out from OFC have you tried posting in the hook up area? I know I have taken many members out fishing musky and eye's heck many have become great friends and I know they will be for life even if we live far apart and sometimes only meet up once a year.

 

The Linders have many great DVD's as said above and you can not beat them. Also try going to BPS or another store close by and ask them for advice. If you are just fishing bass its not hard at all watch Facts of Fishing heck if Dave can catch them any one can.

 

When I first started musky fishing I asked here to the OFC members what to do they helped me alot I then joined Muskies Canada and that also helped me out big time I had a good bunch of fishermen helping me out. I would also suggest you look into a local fishing club and get out to a meeting they have the same interest as you.

 

Hope ya find some to help ya get into fish

[Garry2Rs]

If a person is not catching any fish it could be presumed that they are doing a number of things wrong.

 

You can read and watch TV etc. but unless you have the basics, you might think the host or author is speaking Greek.

 

You need someone to show you, and answer your specific questions...PM me.

[ontariofisherman]

If a person is not catching any fish it could be presumed that they are doing a number of things wrong.

 

You can read and watch TV etc. but unless you have the basics, you might think the host or author is speaking Greek.

 

You need someone to show you, and answer your specific questions...PM me.

 

That's what I was thinking that I'm just missing the basics, I went to bps and they just tell me to buy some more lures and other stuff and $500-600 later and no fish.

garry2rs I will call you later in the week, I have have some time off next week.

[ctdd2006]

What about asking one of the bass fishermen on OFC to get out with you on your next trip?

 

Man...if there were more members up here i would be bugging the hell out of them to take me out and show me some tricks!

 

If i was you i'd ask for a member near you to come out with you

 

 

...like you need help!! If I'm ever lucky enough to be out your way I'll be stalking you to take me out!!!

[MJL]

Pretty interesting topic. Throughout my life I’ve always wondered why some anglers were more successful than others. I’ve come to the realization that, if you can competently use a rod and reel, own a set of eyes that can see, and have a brain that’s willing to learn, you can catch fish. I personally don’t know much about bass fishing. I only fish for them once a year (or less) on average). With that said, over the years I’ve thought about the various ways to approach fishing to become a more successful angler.

 

With just about every species of fish I wanted to catch, I went through a 6 part approach – I apologize to the fact that it sounds more like a text-book.

 

1. Information

 

Study your quarry and the environments in which it lives. In your case, it may mean: watching Bob Izumi or Al Linder on the TV or reading an issue of OOD to obtain information on possible tactics to try given a time of year or specific conditions. Forums (like OFC) are also great sources of info. You can never have too much info...Soak it up like a sponge!

 

Ideally you want to learn about where bass live (depths, preferred temperature, etc), what bass eat in nature (or key in on food items found in specific lakes), what bass do throughout the year (try to find info on seasonal patterns – this is perhaps the most important item to think about). What do bass do given specific conditions (like during cold fronts, heat waves, etc). This information will be your long term guide on how to fish for them.

 

Before your trip, you should familiarize yourself with the body of water. Topographic maps, hydrographic charts are excellent for this. Similarly you should obtain weather forecasts and determine what conditions to expect on the day you plan to fish. You can create a preliminary plan on what tactics you might need to use or a preliminary location on where to try, given X weather conditions at X time of year. You can do a great percentage of your “fishing” even before you leave the house in the hopes that you’ll be spending more time catching on the water.

 

It also can’t be understated...READ THE FISHING REGULATIONS BEFORE YOU GO FISHING.

 

 

2. Observation

 

It means comparing the conditions you currently see with information you’ve gathered in your information search (#1 above). If the weather man was wrong and the tactic you’ve chosen might not be the right approach, adjust and re-think your plan of attack. In this case, a guide and his/her knowledge is invaluable and can speed up your learning curve by showing you what to look for out on the water. Being able to adapt and select the right tactic and location is key. Most people (unsuccessful I might ad) fail to observe and they are keyed in on 1 spot and/or 1 tactic which might not be the correct approach - Because it worked for them last trip doesn't mean it's going to work for them this trip.

 

Observation also means looking for fish and/or wildlife activity. Polarized glasses are perhaps one of my important items of equipment I own. As a carp angler, I might look for carp rolling on the surface to determine where they are. Pike anglers often fish for pike in the shallows if they see them cruising there. Anglers fishing in the ocean look for flocks of birds and floating piles of garbage that collect in ocean currents. Trout anglers observe flying insects or they might use a small seine net to see what bugs are crawling on bottom. If you have a fish finder, looking for bait-fish may also improve your odds at catching predatory fish (like bass). Update your pool of information with real-time data.

 

 

3. Presentation

 

Fishing for the most part isn’t 1 complex activity. It’s a bunch of smaller, easy to do things that when all done correctly will lead to success. All I mean by presentation is doing all the little things right. Keep your hook sharp, be stealthy, try to keep negative odors off your lures to a minimum, check your line for frays and cast accurately.

 

4. Documentation

 

Also another area where anglers fail. Learning is paramount in becoming more successful. Saying you have 20yrs of fishing experience means squat if you can’t somehow use those experiences in a meaningful way. Spending more time on the water will make you a better angler ONLY if you learn something during that time.

 

You have to ask yourself, why did I fail or why did I catch fish. What exactly were the conditions when I caught a pile of fish? What were the conditions when I skunked? What lure did I catch fish on this trip...What didn’t I catch fish on this trip?

 

I have a photographic memory and can remember just about every trip I’ve been on starting from my first trip as a 2yr old (pretty weird I know)...If you don't have a photographic memory, I recommend keeping a diary of your experiences (some people use excel spreadsheets) to document weather conditions, catch rates, time of year, etc. This will become your information (as seen in #1) for future trips.

 

5. Benchmarking and self-improvement

 

For the most part, I go fishing to catch fish. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the scenery and the sound of running river water, but if I’m driving an hour away from home (and spending $ on gas), I want to catch a fish. I always aim to improve my skills and knowledge in the hopes I become a more versatile and successful angler. I try to benchmark my skills with those of someone or something that does what I want, better. It may sound strange but a lot of what I know about stalking trout was learned by watching sniper training videos on youtube – snipers are the stealthiest people I know of, who learn to gather intelligence from multiple sources and key in on details the best. You’re never too good of an angler to stop learning or incorporating new things into your fishing arsenal.

 

6. Respect the environment

 

It’s good for karma

 

 

 

Hope this somehow helps you on your way to catching more fish

 

Mike

[solopaddler]

Pretty interesting topic. Throughout my life I’ve always wondered why some anglers were more successful than others. I’ve come to the realization that, if you can competently use a rod and reel, own a set of eyes that can see, and have a brain that’s willing to learn, you can catch fish. I personally don’t know much about bass fishing. I only fish for them once a year (or less) on average). With that said, over the years I’ve thought about the various ways to approach fishing to become a more successful angler.

 

With just about every species of fish I wanted to catch, I went through a 6 part approach – I apologize to the fact that it sounds more like a text-book.

 

1. Information

 

Study your quarry and the environments in which it lives. In your case, it may mean: watching Bob Izumi or Al Linder on the TV or reading an issue of OOD to obtain information on possible tactics to try given a time of year or specific conditions. Forums (like OFC) are also great sources of info. You can never have too much info...Soak it up like a sponge!

 

Ideally you want to learn about where bass live (depths, preferred temperature, etc), what bass eat in nature (or key in on food items found in specific lakes), what bass do throughout the year (try to find info on seasonal patterns – this is perhaps the most important item to think about). What do bass do given specific conditions (like during cold fronts, heat waves, etc). This information will be your long term guide on how to fish for them.

 

Before your trip, you should familiarize yourself with the body of water. Topographic maps, hydrographic charts are excellent for this. Similarly you should obtain weather forecasts and determine what conditions to expect on the day you plan to fish. You can create a preliminary plan on what tactics you might need to use or a preliminary location on where to try, given X weather conditions at X time of year. You can do a great percentage of your “fishing” even before you leave the house in the hopes that you’ll be spending more time catching on the water.

 

It also can’t be understated...READ THE FISHING REGULATIONS BEFORE YOU GO FISHING.

 

 

2. Observation

 

It means comparing the conditions you currently see with information you’ve gathered in your information search (#1 above). If the weather man was wrong and the tactic you’ve chosen might not be the right approach, adjust and re-think your plan of attack. In this case, a guide and his/her knowledge is invaluable and can speed up your learning curve by showing you what to look for out on the water. Being able to adapt and select the right tactic and location is key. Most people (unsuccessful I might ad) fail to observe and they are keyed in on 1 spot and/or 1 tactic which might not be the correct approach - Because it worked for them last trip doesn't mean it's going to work for them this trip.

 

Observation also means looking for fish and/or wildlife activity. Polarized glasses are perhaps one of my important items of equipment I own. As a carp angler, I might look for carp rolling on the surface to determine where they are. Pike anglers often fish for pike in the shallows if they see them cruising there. Anglers fishing in the ocean look for flocks of birds and floating piles of garbage that collect in ocean currents. Trout anglers observe flying insects or they might use a small seine net to see what bugs are crawling on bottom. If you have a fish finder, looking for bait-fish may also improve your odds at catching predatory fish (like bass). Update your pool of information with real-time data.

 

 

3. Presentation

 

Fishing for the most part isn’t 1 complex activity. It’s a bunch of smaller, easy to do things that when all done correctly will lead to success. All I mean by presentation is doing all the little things right. Keep your hook sharp, be stealthy, try to keep negative odors off your lures to a minimum, check your line for frays and cast accurately.

 

4. Documentation

 

Also another area where anglers fail. Learning is paramount in becoming more successful. Saying you have 20yrs of fishing experience means squat if you can’t somehow use those experiences in a meaningful way. Spending more time on the water will make you a better angler ONLY if you learn something during that time.

 

You have to ask yourself, why did I fail or why did I catch fish. What exactly were the conditions when I caught a pile of fish? What were the conditions when I skunked? What lure did I catch fish on this trip...What didn’t I catch fish on this trip?

 

I have a photographic memory and can remember just about every trip I’ve been on starting from my first trip as a 2yr old (pretty weird I know)...If you don't have a photographic memory, I recommend keeping a diary of your experiences (some people use excel spreadsheets) to document weather conditions, catch rates, time of year, etc. This will become your information (as seen in #1) for future trips.

 

5. Benchmarking and self-improvement

 

For the most part, I go fishing to catch fish. Don’t get me wrong, I do enjoy the scenery and the sound of running river water, but if I’m driving an hour away from home (and spending $ on gas), I want to catch a fish. I always aim to improve my skills and knowledge in the hopes I become a more versatile and successful angler. I try to benchmark my skills with those of someone or something that does what I want, better. It may sound strange but a lot of what I know about stalking trout was learned by watching sniper training videos on youtube – snipers are the stealthiest people I know of, who learn to gather intelligence from multiple sources and key in on details the best. You’re never too good of an angler to stop learning or incorporating new things into your fishing arsenal.

 

6. Respect the environment

 

It’s good for karma

 

 

 

Hope this somehow helps you on your way to catching more fish

 

Mike

 

 

Mike, Mike Mike. Waaaay too analytical.

 

An innate ability can't be taught.

 

You either have the Kavorka or you don't.