Open Journalism For All - News, Documentaries And Information Services

Striper Fishing Lake Texoma
Four heavenly words-Striper Fishing Lake Texoma - describe some of the most interesting fishing that you are likely to ever face. This, of course, is only if you obtain a quality fishing guide as fishing for striper on Texoma lacking one is not going to yield you a good deal in the way of fish. A knowledgeable guide who has observed a lot of time striper fishing Lake Texoma will be adept to guarantee that you and your grouping or family truly understand Texhoma striper bass fishing the way it ought to be understood. You can fish without help, but if you want big stripers then you really have to think about utilizing a seasoned and educated fishing guide. Note well my recommendation - knowledgeable striped bass guides are not luxuries, they are a necessity!Phoenix Vacations
Phoenix vacations usually are amazing when it comes to either for yourself, or even all your household. Having much you want to do, you may needs to come back several times if you wish to feel sure tried it all. You will find all you need so that you can get pleasure from Phoenix vacations in one location once you use the internet. There are online websites that will help you find wonderful deals on every aspect of Phoenix vacations from vehicle renting to airfare tickets and resort rooms. These sites will complete all hard work to help you by checking out all their vast databases for bargains in order to provide you with the top deals for use in your next vacation.

Metal Chess Sets
Metal chess sets are perhaps the best way to pass through the time. Anybody who really loves the tactical and also thought provoking game of chess will truly enjoy how superior put together metal chess sets helps make the game much more enjoyable than it normally happens to be. When you’re looking at excellent metal chess sets you recognize it as the workmanship is simply splendid and fun to take a look at. You can get by with having metal chess sets which are poor and created using second-rate supplies, although they by no means last for very long and it will be much better to have quality from the very beginning so its possible to have fun with your chess games for many years in the future.

The French colony of New Caledonia is the perfect island destination for sportfishing and diving vacation, situated north west of New Zealand in the South Pacific.

If you are in to culture, shopping and dining, you will be titillated with Noumea, capital of the main island of Grand Terre. With excellent museums, the graceful dress shops of Rue de Sebastopol or the shops of Chinatown, and eating houses both informal and exclusive, Noumea has been called the Paris of the Pacific. But Grand Terre is bordered by its largest gem, the world’s greatest coral lagoon and second grandest coral reef, where underwater life bristles.

South east trade winds and its situation as one of the southern most Pacific islands give New Caledonia a idyllic, temperate climate year round. With consistant warm and sunny days there are unlimited opportunites for diving and fishing excursions. Dramatic coral, underwater canyons and caves supply the background for splendid dives and abundant fishing.

fishing holidays in New Caledonia accommodate any type of fisher. Guided charter boats for deep sea and big game fishing; cruisers and catamarans for rod, spear, and fly fishing; or small, local boats are all available for hire. Fisherman around the globe know that New Caledonia is one of the greatest and most beautiful bone fishing destinations in the world. Fisherman flock to this part of the world hoping to break records as the fish are renowned for their strength and speed.

The small islands and atolls are also perfect for snorkeling and diving. . . New Caledonia is a diving holidays paradise.

Travellers would be hard pressed to find another destination on the earth that provides such an glorious medley of sportfishing and diving holiday pleasures.

Lake Gaston is located in both Virginia and North Carolina. It is a large lake of 20,300 acres. Many professional and amateur tournaments are held here each year, so it receives a good deal of fishing pressure. This is where we competed in the Regional Finals for the Red Man Tournament Trail in 2000. The main species of fish in the lake are largemouth bass, striped bass, and black crappie. Other species include some walleye, chain pickerel, white perch, bluegill, and catfish. The main forage base is composed of alewife, gizzard shad, threadfin shad, and herring.

Lake Gaston has relatively stable water levels, and high quality water. There is a good population of largemouth bass, with many large fish available. Most of the bass we catch at Gaston run around 15 inches and about 1 1/2 pounds. We have caught numerous 5 and 6 pounders and some larger fish were caught in the finals. In fact, some of these fish were 8 or 9 pounds. The lake record is 14 pounds 2 ounces, so there are plenty of big bass left in Lake Gaston. Gaston’s striped bass fishery depends mainly on stocking. Many striped bass are caught each year that weigh 3 to 8 pounds, but plenty of 20 pounders are taken each year. The walleyes are doing good at Gaston also and many trophy fish of 8, 9 , & 10 pounds are caught. We caught a few of the Strpiers while fishing for bass on the Lucky Craft crankbait shown below.

The striped bass make a spawning run each year up to the Roanoke river in April and May. Lake Gaston has a variety of structure also, such as submerged bridges, stumps, submerged roads, and lots of grass in the summer. Most of the water flowing into Lake Gaston comes from the Roanoke river. The visibility in the lake usually ranges from 4-8 feet, although heavy rains can make it muddy. There is a thermocline in Gaston in the summer at about 20-25 feet. In the summer, oxygen levels are low are far down as Great Creek. The bottom is sand and gravel with some flats covered in silt, and clay hillsides. The shoreline is mostly wooded, with some high slopes. North Carolina Power and Virginia Power owns the entire 350 mile shoreline. There are lots of docks, rip rapped banks, and brushpiles. there are really a lot weeds, including elodea, milfoil, and hydrilla. This is especially true in the creek arms and coves, with the deep weedline at about 10 feet. They do treat the grass and also have added some grass carps.

The best locations for largemouth bass in the spring (March & April), are the northside creeks, especially Pea Hill and Lizard. They normally turn on first as soon as the water temperature reaches about 50 degrees. The next places that turn on is the southside arms, especially Lees and Poe. We like to fish these areas around the boathouses, rip rap, and laydowns with a chrome / blue Ambush Stealth Diver and a Terminator Colorado spinnerbait. We stick to the structure that is in the 5-10 foot deep water. Bass here start to spawn around April 15th, and last till around June. The other areas that can be real productive are Pea Hill and Six-Pound Creeks. Sometimes we use floating worms, and wacky-rig them for some hot action. Another method that works good in these areas is soft plastic jerkbaits. During the tournament, and at other times also, we really caught most of the better fish on these baits. “Sizmic” Flu-Go’s” were our top producers. Lake Gaston is known for a good topwater bite. You can really get into some decent bass in these areas on buzzbaits and poppers also. Even Lucky Craft “Sammy’s” produce well at times.

Later in the year, about June, the largemouth like to relate to classic bottom structure like humps, points, and stream channels, or even large beds of hydrilla. These hydrilla beds produce large bass as well as numbers until about September. We usually probe the deep weedline with a Texas-rigged worm or Yamamoto grub. The ‘SENKO’s’ also produce well here. Usually in the mornings and at dark, we twitch jerkbaits over the top of the hydrilla, or even throw Terminator buzzbaits.

If you like to fish structure, then the main lake points at creek mouths like Pretty Creek are good. Another good spot that has bass on humps and drop offs is Hubquarter and Lyons Creeks. The 15-20 foot deep area are best, as that is where most of the baitfish are. Carolina rigged lizards are a good choice, as are for worms, ‘SENKO’s’ and grubs. At times, we catch good fish here on deeper crankbaits as well. The water starts to cool off a lot in October and November, and the bass start moving back to the 5-10 foot deep water. The best areas at this time are Jimmie’s, Lizard, and Six-Pound Creeks. We use a 3/8 to 1/2 ounce jig at this time, with a black/blue or brown/orange ‘Uncle Josh Pork trailer’.

We like to carry several spinning rods for the lighter lures, in different lengths, from 6-61/2 feet, with a medium action, in a good graphite rod such as a G Loomis and Falcon. We like Shimano and Tica reels, spooled with a 8-10 pound Trilene. For baitcasters, we carry a variety of rods, in 6 1/2 to 7 foot lengths, in a medium/hvy action, and a crankbait rod, in 7 foot. We use Falcon’s and G Loomis rods, and Shimano reels on most outfits, with 17-20 pound test.

All the tackle we use is from Delaware Tackle at www.delawaretackle.com

Owner of Anglers Radio and Delaware Tackle at http://www.reeltimeanglers.com

This article discusses the basics of choosing a fly fishing reel which is right for what you intended to do.

Fly fishing reels do two things. They store fly line, and they provide drag against a fish as it fights once landed. Most are made from aluminum. Be sure to check the quality of the reel - some cast molded aluminum reels are made cheaply, and can break more easily than solid block models. Beyond that, two different types of reels exist for the fly fisherman: the Spring and Pawl, and the Disc Drag reel.

The Spring and Pawl Fly Reel

This is the traditional fly fishing reel. Its advantage is that it provides for a very smooth, even pull-out as lighter, more sensitively-mouthed fish (like smaller trout) draw on the line. Particularly when using lighter tippets, this type is a good choice, since it protects the tipper better.

The Disc Drag Reel

This is the newer type of reel, designed much like a disc brake on a car. These types of reels are good for larger species or larger fish, as they can more easily exert a stronger tension once a bigger fish has attacked. Their main drawback is that they tend to be not as smooth as the Spring and Pawl reel. For most fishing conditions, this is probably immaterial. But on truly smaller panfish species, smaller or more wary trout, the Spring and Pawl reel is probably the way to go.

Paul Smith lives in the northwoods of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. He divides his time between his family, teaching the Japanese martial art of Aikido Aikido Marquette and building his outdoor gear website (and its more freewheeling sister, The Outblog

Bluefin tuna are one of the greatest challenges to anglers off the coast of New England, and Massachusetts continues to be a center of activity for giant bluefin tuna.Most tuna are caught chunking or trolling. I will describe the techniques used by top crews to catch these giants.

Chunking for Bluefin involves archoring on a good fishing spot known to hold bluefin. Once anchored, top crews deploy chunks, stick baits and live baits suspended on ballons at different depths. Most captains have their crew position the baits where at the depth they mark tuna fish on their fish finder.

Many top captains use Gamahastu Live Bait hooks. In determining the hook size, it is important to match the hook to the size bait that you are using. You shouldn’t use a hook that is too large, because it will detract from the presentation of the bait.

All top crews use fluorocaron leader. Leader varies from 150-lb to 220lb, with many crews fishing light gear (150-180) to get bites when they are hard to come by. Most crews start off with a long leader (say 15 feet), so they can cut back and recimpt the hook on if their leader gets nicked up by dogfish or other pests.

Many crews using light fluorocarbon also use H crimps instead of G crimps for their 150 or 180 fluoro. The lower profile H crimp must be done carefullly, preferably using the Jinkai crimping tool listed on this page.

They also use these crimps to attach a small wind on swivel. This way, the leader can be wound all the way on the spool, protecting the flurocarbon during storage, ensuring clean decks, and allowing the angler to reel the fish as close as needed to harpoon it.

All crews attach the sinkers and ballons using rubber bands. Sinker weight is selcted based on the spped of the current and the desired depth that you are trying to fish.

Most crews that troll bluefin fish spreader bars from their outriggers at about 3-4 knots. Most crews fish three to four spreader bars, two from the outriggers and one or two flat lines. Outriggers are rigged with roller trollers so that the line can be reeled through the clip to tease the fish into striking again if he misses the first time. The clip is set tight so that the outrigger sets the hook on the fish.

Fisherman use different spreader bar sizes and colors in their trolling spread based on experience and conditions. Snap swivels are used so that rigs can be swapped out easily. Thimbles and heavy chafe gear protect the mono where it connects to the hook and swivel. Most crews use the Mustad or VMC southern tuna hook style on their trolling rigs.

Fishermans Outfitter

You will find that there are several types of salmon that you could be after. You’ll find them in both the Atlantic and the Pacific Oceans too. In the Atlantic, you will find the founding father of all salmon. This is the original fish name of a salmon. You will also find a wide range of salmon that are in the eastern North American areas that in lakes of all sorts. These don’t migrate as they like freshwater better.

The brown trout is one of the most well known of salmons. Yes, he is a salmon even though most think he’s a trout. Red salmon is also known as Sockeye salmon. These are found off of the coast of California and into the eastern pacific. You will find them off the shores of Japan as well as in the Andayr River in Siberia. Pink salmon is another option and is found in California, Canada and in Korea.

Another common type is Chinook salmon. These are known as spring salmon as well as blackmouth, and King Salmon. You’ll find them from the southern Californian coast to the Bering Strait. You can also find them in Alaska, Russia and in the Yukon Territory.

Baits For Salmon

You can use many varieties of baits on salmon. In freshwater varieties, go with plugs, worms, lures and flies. In saltwater, go with flies, streamers, crustaceans, and lures.

Gear For Salmon

For fly fishing, you’ll need a twelve to sixteen foot graphite or fiberglass rod. You will need fly reel and line too. In bait fishing, you’ll need a ten foot spinning rod and bait caster reel with up to a twenty pound test line. For Chinook’s, you’ll need a boat or a trolling rod. As you know, the Chinook are the largest of the salmon so you will need twenty to forty five pound test line.

When you are after Atlantic’s, go for a fly fish or use spoons, natural baits and plugs to help you. On the Pacific side, use trolling just off the shoreline and use estuaries.

No matter which of the mighty salmon you are after, you are sure to get a good fight. Be prepared with a full tackle box and a large cooler when you are after King Salmon!

Niall is a keen fisherman who is always looking at new tools to help him catch more fish. Visit Fish Finder Review for more information and great deals to help you find fish finders or other GPS and Sonar marine navigation systems. http://www.fish-finder-review.com

This article may be reprinted in full so long as the resource box and the live links are included intact. All rights reserved. Copyright Fish-Finder-Review.com

We all have used buzz baits and we know why the bass like them right? It’s because of that little stream of water. Wrong! It’s the sound! Yep, sound attracts the bass then sight.

Bass has exceptional hearing and sound travels 5 times faster in the water than in air.

On the other hand water isn’t a good conductor for light waves. Since only a few of your casts land by a fish, using a lure like a buzz bait that produces sound is a good thing.

Cast that buzz bait in the same location a few times and let the bass hone in on it. If you’re having late hits (when the bass hit behind the buzz bait) then slow down a little bit.

Keep the buzzbait on top and make sure the blades are going around to make the noise you need but don’t reel it so fast that the fish can’t pinpoint the location.

Just remember to let the fish have time to hone in on your lure and do it by slowing down your presentation.

Charles E. White has fished for almost 50 years for bass from California to Florida. In his lifetime, it is estimated that he has caught over 6,000 bass. His biggest bass is a 12 pound 14 ounce that hangs on his wall in his office.

Charles has fished with people who have never fished for bass before and taught them how to become successful anglers and also has fished with the Pros in Florida. His new website about fishing for bass is at:

http://www.bassfishingweekly.com

There are lucky people who live on the salty coastlines, or maybe near a meandering river. For them, finding great fishing is as easy as simply casting their line. Most of us have trouble finding a great fishing destination and it isn’t always easy when there are so many choices across the U.S. The first place to start is whether you prefer to fish in fresh or salt water.

Salt water fishing is and intense sport that has huge rewards. To get the best game you need to take a boat at least 5 miles out, but it is well worth it. Tarpon are one of the most sought after game fish and there are many reasons. Like many saltwater fish, they put up a tremendous fight. You know you have a Tarpon when they have been hooked for a short while they will leap high out of the water. Other great fish to find off-shore are King Fish and Spanish mackerel. The best place to find a good charter that will take you out is in Ft. Myers, FL. This area is also a great destination for vacations because Miami is only a couple hours drive across the state on famous Alligator Alley. This highway is named for the numerous alligator that will rest along the edge of the road. Key West is also only a couple of hours away on a high speed boat service that runs between Ft. Myers and Key West.

Fresh water fishing is a more leisurely past time, but it requires much more knowledge about how to find the great spots. Fly fishing is a great way to experience the back rives. Yellowstone national Park has some great places to fish for trout. You can find some great cut-throat trout in the fire hole river located in western Yellowstone. There is also some great trout found in Loveland Pass. It’s a mountain road located outside Big Sky, MO. A good secret bait for fishing out west is a salmon egg called a Fire Ball. When you are running from hole to hole just a regular spinning rod with a hook and use the Fire Balls. Lodging is in abundance because most areas out west depend on the snow seasons for tourists. You can get great lodging amenities for a huge discount. I recommend a rental condo because some resorts are understaffed in the summertime.

Find out more great information about trout and fishing at http://www.abouttrout.info!

Are you a novice fly fisher who wants to fathom the beauty of fly fishing as a sport? Then best thing for you to do is try to gather as much information about the sport as you can; find the details on fly fishing techniques, gears, equipment, and lastly, the fishing spot.

Finding the right spot to fly fish needs load of patience; as there are many fly fishing spots all over the world, you need to carefully choose which best suit you. Most anglers actually made this a quest for them; finding the perfect river and spot to spend their day and looking for a nice catch. And many fly fishers are opting for fly fishing vacations. Don’t you think it’s great to fish on a weekend getaway with your whole family or with all of your friends?

But, a fly fishing vacation is also an outdoor sport that needs careful planning; there are number of things to consider. Before you can go to that vacation, you’ll need to get hold of rods and tackles, fishing licenses, etc.

Here are few tips on how to make your fly fishing vacation successful:

Consider a less known fly fishing spots. Most fly fishing locations offer incredible fishing grounds but other vacationers will probably crowd the place; however, you may still find a secluded stream or lake in a certain area where you might love to fly fish.

In finding an ideal spots, research is the best key that you could have. Browse some online sites about fly fishing vacations and compare each offer. Check out for airliner fares, hotel bookings and accommodations; don’t forget to check out discount and package options as it would be more ideal to spend extra bucks for your fishing gears and equipment than for your transportation. In some fly fishing spots, lodges and transportation are included in guided vacation packages; some might even include foods and other supplies.

Look for guides in case you are not familiar with the fishing location. There are many fly fishing vacations that offer guides; they are responsible for making sure that all loose ends are being taken care of to give you a more enjoyable fishing vacation experience.

I saw a recent article announcing that Canadian scientists will soon begin searching Lake Simcoe in the province of Ontario for a “lake monster” named Igopogo.

Much like the Loch ness monster, Bigfoot,Ogopogo, and the Abominable snowman, Igopogo has never been verified to actually exist beyond the random sightings of residents, boaters and –of course– some fishermen.

Indian legend handed down from the early nineteenth century,and some sightings in the 1950’s and 60’s have helped to fuel the speculation that a serpent like animal lives beneath the lake surface. Sonar and shaky Bigfoot like videotape have also given more added “proof” that Igopogo exists.

In August of this year, evidently a study funded by Discovery Canada science program, was to search the depths of Kempenfelt bay with sonar and underwater cameras searching for Igopogo, hoping to find the “dog like, horse faced, stovepipe necked, impish looking ,fishlike serpent”…..

No word yet as to the findings, but Toronto’s Molson ale plant is also being investigated for exceeding the seven percent alcohol content restriction for their beer.

It of course only figures that fishermen have been responsible for a number of these sightings, as we all know that bobbing about in the waters of a lake with copious amounts of adult beverages on board your vessel, (especially Canadian beverages) will most assuredly induce sightings of many mythical creatures, some folks even claim to have seen God.

But that’s another story.

I myself, never being one to scoff at or be a naysayer to the mysterious, am here today to announce the finding of another mysterious and legendary creature.

The Huckleberry fish.

Now, before you get on your search engine and start your quest for this heretofore elusive fish,
let me explain a little about the discoverer of this rare specie.

My five year old daughter.

Again, not to dispell the validity of her findings, but simply to inform the public I will give you her official “press release”.

According to the” my little toot” science program, the Huckleberry fish has been spotted in…someplace in Africa and resides in several lakes and rivers that flow through… oh…. let’s say Botswana…. It is a purplish fish that gets it’s color and flavor(evidently it is not catch and release) from the famed African Huckleberry. The “my little toot” science program hopes to use government grants, unused milk money, and any lottery winnings to help fund her research in Africa to prove that the Huckleberry fish exists. Her assistant and chief fish biologist,”dad” is expected to go along on the “investigation”, since he has a highly qualified propensity to fish aimlessly for hours, enjoys eating Huckleberries, and has been seen quaffing a few Molsons down from time to time.

I can assure you, that in her mind the Huckleberry fish exists and I am equally sure that it most certainly has nothing to do with the fact that she knows how much her dad likes fishing and huckleberry picking.

Either that or her kindergarten class has now been officially sponsored by the Molson brewing company.

Anyway, she informed me of this discovery just the other night and described the Huckleberry fish in depth, so I know it is real.

Nothing was mentioned about an “impish smile” though.

If you would like to fund the “my little toot” science program, be sure to send your lotto winnings, but please—no scratch offs, because that will only delay our research!!

In the meantime, we will be continuing our research of Bigfoot, since we had a recent sighting while investigating the Applegate Bigfoot trap here in Oregon.

We also found a bunch of empty Molson bottles—what a coincidence!!!!

A.J. Klott
Author, writer of fishing humor,and “fly tack” peddler.A.J. writes about the people,characters and modern day events that surround the fishing world. His first book is due out in December of 2005.
If you need a laugh or a fun gift, visit his website at:
http://www.twoguyswithflys.com