Deciding Factors for Fishing Success

1) Weather - Weather can make or break any fishing trip. Not only can the weather decide how comfortable you are it can also decided whether or not the fish are active. The wind direction and speed, amount of sunshine, pressure, precipitation and time of year all play a part in where the fish are, how active they are and on what they will be biting.

2) Location on Lake - Face it, if you aren't where the fish are, they aren't going to go out of their way to come to you. Deciding on a spot with all of the right ingredients (Cover, Water Temp, Depth, etc) will decide whether you catch fish or not. Choosing this spot isn't always easy, but paying attention to how the weather and time of year affect the fish will make the choose a little easier. Knowing a lake also helps tremendiously however even if it is your first time on a lake, use your electronics to your advantage and you will catch fish.

3) Bait and Presentation - Now we have all been out on those days where it doesn't really matter what you use, you will catch a fish every cast. We don't need to worry about those days, it's the days it seems no matter what you use nothing will bite. Even when fish aren't feeding it is still possible to get them to bite. Now depending on the species, with the right technique and presentation you can trigger the fishes aggression and get them to strike your lure.
Matching the lakes natural feed will also help out however sometimes fish are curious enough to try new things and an unknown bait may trigger them to strike. Whatever the case is, if one thing isn't working remember there is 100's of other things to try.
Now these aren't the only things that play a factor in fishing success but learning to master a number of techniques, choose good locations and learn where fish are in different weather will double the amount of fish you catch.

Bear Bait Options

Now everyone knows that bears are not a picky animal and will eat just about anything. For the most part that is true but there are a couple things that seem to draw the bears in time and time again. Now we don't want to tell you what you are using is wrong but if you add these couple things to your bait (If you don't already have them), the bears will thank you forever.

1) Deep Fryer Grease and Oats - The grease has soaked up all of the scents and flavors from the food that has been cooked in it and once it sits in the sun for a while it is evident why this draws the bear in; So many condentrated scents in a small space. The oats that are added to this mixture are mostly there as a filler but offer another special treat for the bears. Oats are a natural food for bears in the farmlands and the easy access to them will keep them comming back again and again.

2) Fish - This one seems obvious but there are many people that don't use fish for bait. Fish are great because of their potency once they sit outside in the sun for a while. The smell will draw a bear in from miles away and keep them comming back. Fish can also be hung in trees and offer the bears a challenge when they are at the bait. This will keep the bears around longer and give you a better chance to get the shot you are waiting for.

De-Breasting Ruffed Grouse

This simple trick will make taking the breasts out of your ruffed grouse as easy as pie and save you hours in the field. And of course you don't want to waste any meat so you can take the wings and legs after you get those breasts out.

All there is to taking the breasts out is step on the wings with your feet (1 foot on each wing). Grab the grouse by the feet and pull. There you have it that clean grouse breast ready to go in the oven.


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Big Game Gutting Trick

When hunting big game, especially elk and moose due to their larger size, carry a 6 ft length of twine or strong string in your pack. When you go to pull the guts out you can wrap the twine around the esophagus and use to give you something to get a good grip on to help you to pull out the guts. It helps keep things a little cleaner and will make it a little easier on yourself.

Glow Hook Charging

If you use glow in the dark hooks and want them to glow brightly, carry a small LED light with yourself. The ones that work best are the tiny one bulb lights that fit on your keychain. Give the hook a 3 second charge with the light when you bring the hook up to check the bait and the hook will glow bright and bring those fish in.

Ice Fishing Tips

Perch - The best tool you can purchase when ice fishing for perch is a good quality light weight rod. Perch can be finiky at times and you want to be able to tell when they are biting before they even bite. Lots of times they will even just hold the bait in their mouth and won't even let you know they are there. With a sensitive rod you can feel for these small indications and catch more fish.

Walleye - One great tip for catching walleye through the ice is to down size your rig. Most people use hooks that are too big for the size of bait they are using. Typically when we are ice fishing a smaller hook size allows for the fish to take the bait deeper and to get a good hook on those walleye. The smaller hook is also more sensitive to the lighter bites and allows you to pick up those finiky walleye.

Hunting Essentials

There are a few things every hunter must remember to take with him before heading into the field. Here is a brief list of those must have hunting items:

1) A weapon - most people carry one when hunting, it helps
2) A license - gotta keep it legal out there
3) A knife - if you plan on gutting your animal
4) A compass - your wife wants you to come home eventually
5) Extra Ammunition - we all miss once in a while
6) Water - very important, it can get hot out there
7) Toilet Paper - you never know when nature calls


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