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1. You can’t catch fish where there aren’t fish. The idea of patience in fishing is silly. I try to stick to the 20 minute rule; if I haven’t got a bite in over 20 minutes it’s probably time to either move on, or seriously switch my tactics. Fish for 20 minutes in a spot. Try a variety of baits, depths and retrievals.
No bites? That means no fish. Move on.
2. Don’t leave fish to find fish. If you are catching fish, don’t think that some other place could be even better. As long as you’re getting a strike at least once every 20 minutes and landing most the fish, stick around till the bite drops off.
3. Look for areas of change. Fish tend to congregate in areas where currents, flow, depth or other factors change. I like to look for areas where calm water meets a moving current, where there are sudden drop offs in depth, or where the bottom shifts from sandy to rocky.
4. Look for Structure. As a general rule of thumb, fish love to swim near structure or areas where they feel protected. Fish love to swim off sandbars, in weed beds, near docks and fallen trees, and they also swim near artificial structures.
5. Use live bait. When it comes to targeting the monsters, I have a strong preference for local and live baits. Fish naturally consume their prey every day, so they know what they eat; even the best lures are still just imitations.
Tips for keeping your live bait fresh: If you have trouble keeping bait fish alive, pick up a $15 water pump from your local aquarium store. These little pumps can keep bait fish alive for days. I also like to buy meal worms in bulk and keep them large flat plastic containers full of oats. They will live for weeks like this.
Tips that have worked for me for over sixty years. This year I may not fish at all. It is less than two weeks until opening day of trout season and we woke to 13 inches of new snow. The winter never ends.
Looking to try night fishing this year. Planning to do all the things day fishermen do but adding to that the dark moon to attract fish to my lights. Wish me luck.
whole new ball game night fishing dennis handy tip place a couple of joss sticks at the opening of your bivvy keeps the mosquitos out.
Bait color is very important also. If you can’t see farther than 3 feet in the water use bright colors. If the water is clear use natural colors. Also practice your retrieve in a swimming pool where you can see your bait and how it sinks and reacts to your retrieve. I agree with all of the 5 tips. In AZ. Desert The fishing is very different than woodland lakes , it’s a totally different ball game.
I would love to spend a day with KVD !