1
The Fish That Nobody Knows
Sheefish
Stendous leucichthys

As Einar Fleagle backed off the outboard’s throttle and eased the skiff up into the slough, we felt the snowmelt-driven surge of the Kuskokwim recede behind us. Stately conifers formed a towering canopy overhead, muting the sound of the river. Threading the boat through a maze of fallen logs, Einar idled another quarter mile inland before he killed the motor. After the long run downriver the slough’s current felt imperceptible, but as our momentum faltered and died we slowly began to drift backward. Over 200 miles from the nearest highway, the remote backwater had everything to offer but witnesses.

Fishing Internet Ad Agency Announces Launch of Mobile Fishing Guide Search Site
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Here's the deal... you're on the road. Maybe it's a family vacation... maybe it's a business trip. Whatever the reason, you find yourself in an unknown city with an afternoon, or even a full day to kill. Perhaps you simply can't handle another day lounging on the beach or by the pool. The spouse gives you a "hall pass" for the day and there's a whole ocean out your door, or you drove by a lake or river on the way into town. You remember gazing longingly at a boat on the water.

Fishing Internet Ad Agency Announces New Web Site With Targeted Ad Opportunity
www.ChattanoogaFishingForum.com provides potential for millions of ad impressions

First Light Net, owned by Predatorial Advertising Associates L.L.C., has added another website to its already lengthy list of fishing, hunting, outdoor and sports industries Internet sites. Chattanooga Fishing Forum (www.ChattanoogaFishingForum.com), better known as CFF among hardcore users, has skyrocketed in popularity since first coming online in 2005. With 2,400 registered users and tens of thousands of guest visitors, CFF continues to grow on a daily basis.

Do scents really work? Do scents attract fish? I am asked these questions many times from novices and pro fishermen alike. I know that most any articles you read stress the importance of scent to one degree or another.

A lot of scientific research shows some fish are drawn to chemical sources from hundreds of yards away. Other studies indicate fish can recognize aquatic plants and other fish in the same school by individual smell. A fish s ability to smell is documented to be approximately 1,000 times better than a dog. Fish Biologists also proved in some fish species that a fish s system of smell can double and even triple as the fish age. So how does a bass smell?

Bass have two nostrils on each side of their snout. One is the anterior nostril and the other is the posterior nostril. Water flows into the anterior nostril, over the olfactory nerves, and back out through the posterior nostril. No link exists between the sets of nostrils and their throat. As the water holding the scent molecules flows across the olfactory nerves, a message is sent to the brain, where the scent is classified as a positive or negative scent. Bass then act on the sense by a conditioned response.

Let us look at the normal behavior of a bass. Bass find their prey by sight or sound first. The last sense activated is smell. It still plays a critical role in a bass s life. When a bass hears or feels the presence of bait he comes over to investigate the movement or sound. As the bass moves closer to the bait, he is expecting the final stimulus, smell, to be coming from the bait. As he strikes and crushes the bait, he is expecting confirmation of the flavor of the prey by his sense of smell. Smell is an important final stimulus.

I also know that certain scents like gasoline or oil will repel bass. When reading articles, most of them will stress the point of keeping your hands free of such things as gasoline, oil, nicotine and sun tan lotion. You can buy hand cleaner specially formulated for fishermen to clean their hands periodically. If you eat in the boat while fishing, certain foods or sauces will provide a negative smell. The best advice is to use some of the hand cleaner and wash your hands frequently. In some research circles, thought is that when a bass is caught and released, it emits a chemical into the water that is interpreted by other bass as a negative smell therefore the other bass quit biting. I have seen this happen on numerous occasions. You are catching fish from one area, maybe two or three, and you release the last one caught and you get no more strikes. You know there are still fish there but they just quit you cold. This has happened to me more than once.

In response to a positive smell, bass generally will hold onto a worm emanating a positive scent for a longer time. This gives you an advantage of being able to get a good hook set and catching the fish. Three scents that appear to be positive scents are salt, anise, and garlic. Anise and garlic may be masking scents rather than attracting scents.

Now think about this: The smells or scents are transmitted to the fish by the water surrounding the fish. Now the old adage about oil and water comes into play. Many scents are oil based and although some of the oil molecules do disperse on their own, they frequently do not last long. This makes it necessary to add these scents quite frequently. Water based scents are just as bad or worse. These scents can, without drying the bait off, be thrown off the bait by casting. If you are buying these types of scents, it is going to get expensive. The scents that utilize fish oil as a base stay on the bait quite well and disperse readily in the water leaving a scent trail. Baits that have the scents built in like Yum or Gulp baits work very well also.

If you look at most worm packaging, you will notice that a lot of them have built in scents of one kind or another. Most of these contain garlic or salt and work well.

This is what my wife and I found out after a few years of experimenting.
When we practiced for tournaments, one of us would use a scent product while the other would not. After 4 or 5 months, we discovered that the one using the scented worm was catching more fish. Not extraordinary numbers more but enough of a modest amount more to notice. We noted that the bass tended to hit the worm harder and hold on to the worm longer thus providing many more opportunities to get a good hook set. We obtained a sponsorship from Fish Formula and utilized the crawfish formula scent while we worm fished. We also found another product called Worm Oil manufactured by Baitsense and used it with modest success. I honestly don t know whether either product attracts fish, but I do believe the products do make the bass hold on just a little longer thus providing the time to get a good hook set. If scents work to any degree, that may give you an advantage thus putting a few more fish in the live well. I think it is worth a small investment.

One word of caution about using most scents. The scents can be messy and you must be very careful with some scents, as they will stain your boat s carpet. I had better luck putting the scent into a round plastic container and just dipping the worm into the scented formula. When I finished fishing for the day, I would put a matching cover on the container and store it until the next trip.

At first glance Cabela’s 3 in 1 vest looks more like something out of Science Digest rather than Field and Stream. Don’t let first appearances scare you away. This special pack is loaded with room, tons of great features and an adjustable elastic-cord to help you tote whatever you might possibly need in a days worth of fishing. The bottom line is no matter what you are looking for in a fishing vest this pack will keep you organized and comfortable while you are out on the water which in turn will keep you happier and fishing longer.

The single most important reason behind wearing a fishing vest is to hold the many fly-fishing necessities used in days worth of fishing. Understandably, there are many different items that anglers wish they could bring with them on a day of fishing therefore having a vest that contains large and small pockets is must. Ideally having a vest that can store all your fishing necessities in one place is the best way to go. Front packs like the Pro-guide 3 in 1 vest tested here are great for fly anglers because the large front pocket can hold specialized tools and fly boxes. Having everything at your finger tips and not having to take off your vest to find items is a definite plus. Additionally the chest pack folds out into a working surface helping you keep everything right were you need it. Furthermore, the Pro-guide vest has a good variety and number of smaller sized pockets. These smaller pockets help you keep tiny items like split shots and strike indicators neat and organized.

Like other vests this pack has a normal large rear back panel pocket for carrying large items. In addition, to this large rear pocket, this vest has an optional backpack. Packing out for weekend or day long fishing trips is not ever easy. Having enough room for food, clothing and tackle is always a challenge but the Pro-guide vest most certainly makes things a bit easier. For guides or anglers who plan on taking kids out fishing, this pack is great. The Pro-guide vest has enough room to plan for foul weather and a delicious shore lunch while staying comfortable and functional. Demonstrating the finer points of casting and presenting flies to hungry fish can still be done with a full comfortable pack.

Another nice attribute of the Pro-guide vest is the padded shoulder straps and open concept design. The padded straps are very comfortable to wear with weight on the back, even for long hours. One word to the wise for anglers that have never worn a front pack before, be careful how you balance your vest. If too much weight is placed in the back you will feel like the vest is constantly riding up your chest. The open design and moisture wicking mesh of this vest make it enjoyable for fishing the hot summer months. On the other hand the Pro-guide vest is open allowing you to readily slide it over your favorite wading coat and fish during cooler the fall months.

Lastly the ability to wear this vest in three different styles is fantastic. The vest plus backpack is great for packing out for long fishing adventures. The front pack itself has enough room and features to handle a long day worth of fishing while wearing the waist pack alone is great for a quick trip to your favorite hotspot after work. The versatility of Cabela’s Pro-guide 3 in 1 vest is hard to match.

Overall this vest performed very well. Tough, comfortable, spacious and them some the Pro-guide vest is perfect for any type or skill level of fisherman. There is a lot to be said of vest that goes above and beyond what anglers expect. Cabela’s Pro-guide vest will help you get to and from the river with more ease than ever before.

There are a few essential items on the market that serious fisherman have learned to never leave home without. Whether it be bluegills, trout, or salt water game fish that you chase, these few special items make you days fishing not only easier but much more enjoyable. A good set of fishing pliers is one of these special fishing necessities, saving you time and trouble adjusting baits and setting up lines and keeping you precious hands out of harms way. Chances are you have probably never given much thought to the pliers you carry in you old tackle box but the new X tools by Shakespeare might just change that. Shakespeare rods, accessories and tools certainly are popular among anglers over the last few decades due largely in part to their high quality products and these tools keep up with this high standard of quality. Their previous generations of tools were among the best values on the market, and the new Hybrid X Pliers and Cutters feature carbide cutting blades and still manage the same great price.

Design
The new design of the X series of tools makes these tools easy to handle no matter how intricate the work is that you are doing. Problems crimping shots or opening split rings was not any factor when these pliers were tested. In addition to the ergonomic design of these pliers soft foam pads were placed on the handles of the X tools to allow comfort for the user. These pads make the x tools a pleasure to use and help the tools float high and dry.

Many anglers don't realize it, but the weather can be used to your advantage when fishing. How you ask? Simple, by doing a little study into the weather and how it relates to fish and fishing.

Don't worry, I'm not referring to becoming a meteorologist and watching the weather like a hawk, I'm simply referring to educating yourself a little bit so that you can use the weather to your advantage. As a matter of fact, the weather has more to do with fish behavior than you might have thought.

Do you pay any attention to the cows/horses in your local field? Have you ever noticed them being huddled together or on the flip side, frolicking, moving around, and eating? These two behaviors have to do with the weather, and the animals in your local field aren't the only things that are affected. The fish under the water are affected as well. When the weather changes (even when you don't notice it) the behavior of fish changes.

As the behavior of fish changes, so does their feeding behavior. And a fishes feeding behavior is what we as anglers need to be aware of. You see, fish detect pressure changes with their lateral lines, and these pressure changes are the weather. So, how do we use the weather to our advantage when fishing? It's actually much simpler than you might think.

You only have to know a few simple things, and the amount of bites you receive while fishing will increase dramatically.

Inshore Fishing Thrills
My first experience with Charlotte Harbor showed me what truly immense Florida marine habitat looks like- I simply was not used to losing sight of two opposite enclosing shorelines while I sat midway in the "bay" as mackerel struck with abandon and skyrocketed into groups of minnows and whitebait. I was out on Captain Ralph Allen's 18- foot Hewes Redfisher, which is one vessel out of his nine-vessel cruise and charter King Fisher Fleet (1-941-639-2628, 1-941-639-0969 www.kingfisherfleet.com).

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As anglers, aren't we always looking for another tip that may help us catch more fish? Articles are a great way to find tips, one of which might be the difference between an average fish and a trophy. A single tip could be the difference between one bite in 2 days and a stringer full of fish in two hours. You just never know when the next little tip might help you, so I'm going to provide you with some of the fish catching tips I've learned over the years in the hopes that one or two of them might help you catch more fish. Here we go:

Match Your Gear To The Fish - A very big mistake that many anglers make is using gear that's entirely too large for the type of fish they intend to catch. For Example I've been fishing on trout streams and seen discarded fishing line that was at least 10 pound test! This should be illegal, in my opinion. The biggest fish that you're going to catch out of a normal trout stream is 5 pounds. And that would be a complete monster. So there is no reason fishing line over 6 lb test should ever be used. For a normal trout stream, I use 4 pound test. Your gear, including your rod, reel, line, and lures/bait should be matched to the type of fish swimming in the water that you're fishing. If everything is matched properly, it will result in more bites, which will in turn result in more fish.