Fishing Time

NEW FISHING TIME SOFT LAUNCH

2009-04-11T21:45:00.001-07:00

Free E-Book

2009-03-22T01:53:00.000-07:00

This is the first version of Common Marine Fishes around Singapore by Gonefishing. It's now available for purchase (<$5) Click Here

Hear what our readers say about the book!

".... It's fantastic to load into my mobile phone and check on the species whenever I head out.... ---Ed"

Bass Fishing 101
Bass Fishing 101 - Anybody who has been Bass fishing for sometime knows that it isn’t easy when you’re just starting out! I mean, GOOD information on this is pretty hard to come across. Especially the kind of information I wanted to know more about. This book covers everything there is to know about Bass Fishing. It’s like having your very own Bass Fishing expert that you can reference and ask questions anytime that you need to! You’ll also uncover a wide array of tips, including interesting facts that made them what they are today!

Fly Fishing: The Lifetime Sport free download

Fish and Amphibians (Britannica Illustrated Science Library) free download

Longman illustrated animal encyclopedia - Fishes free download

STINGRAY MIGRATION, Gulf of Mexico

2009-02-27T17:03:00.000-08:00

Looking like giant leaves floating in the sea, thousands of Golden Rays are seen here gathering off the coast of Mexico The spectacular scene was captured as the magnificent creatures made one of their biannual mass migrations to more agreeable waters.

Gliding silently beneath the waves , they turned vast areas of blue water to gold off the northern tip of the Yucatan Peninsula Sandra Critelli, an amateur photographer, stumbled across the phenomenon while looking for whale sharks.

She said: 'It was an unreal image, very difficult to describe. The surface of the water was covered by warm and different shades of gold and looked like a bed of autumn leaves gently moved by the wind.

'It's hard to say exactly how many there were, but in the range of a few thousand'

'We were surrounded by them without seeing the edge of the school and we could see many under the water surface too. I feel very fortunate I was there in the right place at the right time to experience nature at its best'

Measuring up to 7ft (2.1 meters) from wing-tip to wing-tip, Golden rays are also more prosaically known as cow nose rays.

They have long, pointed pectoral fins that separate into two lobes in front of their high-domed heads and give them a cow-like appearance. Despite having poisonous stingers, they are known to be shy and non-threatening when in large schools.

The population in the Gulf of Mexico migrates, in schools of as many as 10,000, clockwise from western Florida to the Yucatan.

Detailed Instructions On Every Aspect Of How To Make Your Own Beautiful Top Water Wooden Fishing Lures

2009-01-31T21:17:00.000-08:00

Have you ever wanted to learn how to make your own top water wooden fishing lures and did not know where to start? Have you ever wanted to learn how to build lures using thru-wire construction, saltwater metal lipped swimmers ??

Concave Mouth In Chugger/Popper Lures
One of the most difficult processes I found in lure making is getting perfect concave mouths in popper/chugger type lures. I will show you how to do it in great detail. You will learn of the tools you need as well as how to use them to create perfect lure mouths that are the same from one lure to the next. I have never seen this described anywhere else in another wooden lure making book. Next to the information on the painting processes that you will learn;this part may be the second most valuable thing you will learn in my ebook. You have to see it to believe how easy it is!!!
In addition to showing you how to make popper mouths like the one below; you will learn two more methods for making mouths in popper type lures Download the Ebook Here

Fighting a Fish and landing em....

2009-01-31T20:47:00.000-08:00

You listened to the bait shop guy and bought his equipment, so in return he offers a hot spot to try. After a couple of casts, you feel a strike and set the hook. The reel screams, and youre hooked up to a huge fish ... now what?

Take It Easy
The first thing to do is relax. New anglers tend to panic when a fish is taking out line and reel furiously, which puts a twist in the line for each time they crank it if they are using a spinning rod. Let the drag and rod do the work. Before the fight, you should have set your drag — using a hand scale — at around 25 percent of the line’s breaking strength, so if you are using 12-pound test, you should be using about 4 pounds of drag. Unless you have hooked Moby Dick, this should slow the fish down. If it looks like it’s not stopping, pull up the anchor and idle after the fish. But don’t apply more drag, just make sure to keep the rod at about a 45-degree angle to the water, and point it in the direction to where the line enters the water.

Steady As She Goes
When the fish slows down and stops taking more line, it’s time to go to work. The best technique for the catch is to gently pull the rod up and then reel down as you lower it, using a pumping motion. Do it in small, smooth strokes rather than large abrupt sweeps because it will help keep both the line tight and the fish much calmer. If the fish runs again, let it go and you will probably notice that this run is shorter. That’s a good sign — it means you are wearing the fish down. While you don’t want to horse a fish, you don’t want to let it rest during the fight either, so when the reel isn’t singing, you should be trying to regain line ... even if it is only a few inches at a time.

Close The Deal
When the fish gets close, this is a critical time in the fight because often it will panic when it sees the boat. If the fish is directly below the boat, make sure you don’t hold the rod too high, or it can break. If the fish suddenly goes under the boat, jam the rod tip straight down in the water so it won’t snag the bottom of the boat or foul on the engine’s lower unit. If you need a little extra pressure when pumping the fish, use the palm of your hand on the spool, but be ready to take it off if the fish runs. When a really big fish gets close to the boat, use side pressure to try to turn the fish’s head by smoothly pulling the rod toward the fish’s tail. This often causes the fish to give up the fight, which makes the next part easier.

Catch And Release

Use a net to land the fish.
If you are releasing the fish, make sure the net is wet, so it will be less abrasive to the fish’s protective slime. If you have a helper, place them between you and the fish and lead the fish toward the net by walking backwards when you can’t reel any more. Never try to sweep the net at the fish from behind, always net toward the fish’s head, because it can’t swim backwards. If you are keeping the fish for dinner, get it on ice. If you are releasing it, take a picture and get it back in the water, taking time to resuscitate it by grabbing it by the tail and moving it back and forth in the water until it swims off. Like the back of the shampoo bottle reads under its instructions: “Repeat.”

Fishing Time is now Fishing Times 2.0

2008-08-13T18:58:00.000-07:00

We are proud to announce the launch of our new website look version 2.1 Beta. Fishing Time was started May 2007 and ever since provided a platform for anglers and people interested in fishing to learn and share about fishing techniques and general information about the sport of fishing.
We have had tremendous number of readers and fans that we’ve decided to revamp the layout and outlook of Fishing Time (Now Fishing Times).
Our plan for the next couple of months is to transform this blog into a full fledged e-zine website.
We welcome suggestions, recommendations, investments and even parties interested to be part of the team.

We promise more information packed website, and we hope to see the sport grow further especially around the Asia Pacific regions.

Do visit our sister site http://fishforfood.blogspot.com/ for random articles and media on fishing and other related subjects.

As a goodwill gesture to all our readers, the “free” downloadable fishing e-book has been extended to September. So in order not to miss out your own copy please feel free to download a copy at the download page.

We are interested in exchanging links with other websites that are in similar topics but not directly related to what we do.If you are interested in a link exchange, please email to us the URL of the page where Fishing Times is listed. If done properly, link exchanges can benefit both of our website by improving our respective search engine rankings. Please note we are only interested in exchanging links if you have a Page Rank of 1.0 or higher. We ask that our page link be a maximum of 2 clicks from your Home Page. We also require that sites that we exchange links with have a maximum of 100 link exchanges. We believe in reciprocity and will extend the same terms and conditions to you. If you want to check your Page Rank score, use the Page Rank Lookup Tool below. We reserve the right to reject any link requests that are not appropriate or do not meet our guidelines.

Check Page Rank of any web site pages instantly:

This free page rank checking tool is powered by Free Page Rank Checker service

FishByte Solar-lunar calculator for best fishing-hunting times

2008-06-20T18:21:00.000-07:00

Download FishByte

Free Download Now

I've had a chance to try out FishByte and it works pretty well. For Singapore and other Asian countries, you'd have to add new locations and countries from Google earth.

It's a shareware and costs $29.90 to purchase.

FishByte is a computer program that stores your fishing-hunting locations and calculates the best fishing, small game hunting or big game hunting times for any location and any day.
How it works: First, you have to find your location on the built-in map. FishByte uses the power of Google Earth to find any location easily and quickly. Next, you select a day or a period of days when you will be fishing or hunting. FishByte will calculate the sunrise-sunset and monrise-moonset times and the moonphase-moon age for your location and dates and, if available, looks up the weather forecast for the selected place and day(s). Based on this information, FishByte can calculate up to four periods per day when wildlife will be more active during the day: when fish will strike, deer or other big game will show itself or small game will move. You can save or print out a report of these times to take it with you on your hunting-fishing trip.
FishByte, the trip planner: Additionally, you can type in the hours when you are free to fish or hunt, separately for workdays and holidays.

You can tell FishByte to skip certain days of the week; if, for example, you can't fish on Mondays, FishByte will skip Mondays. You can also tell FishByte to factor in the weather forecast or ignore it. Finally, you can choose between fishing, small game hunting or big game hunting.
Based on these settings, FishByte can calculate how good the day is. You can always switch between holiday hours/workdays, fishing and hunting and weather/no weather and see the changes in the evaluation at once.
Once you have a list of days and possibly several locations, you can view these results, sorted by a combination of date, location and how good the days are. You can add or delete individual calculations.

This way you can plan a sportsman's holiday half a year ahead, if you if you like, and choose the best times and places for hunting or fishing.

Setting the Hook!

2008-05-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

EXCLUSIVE - Little Black Book of Fishing

2008-05-06T08:08:00.000-07:00

Download Here

Little black book

The long awaited, updated Little Black Book of Fishing is out!

This is the release candidate version 0.5 before the full release version 1.1 this July in print.

This booklet will be available to the first 50 readers who SUBSCRIBE to Fishingtime & contact us!

Please provide your email address and tell us about yourself : Name and types of fishing interested.

First come first served.

GREAT NEWS!:

Now the ebook is available for download (Download link above)

Versus Country is back with Big Fish Madness!

2008-03-25T08:33:00.000-07:00

Versus
Country is back with Big Fish Madness, one of the
biggest sportfishing event. And its bigger
than ever!Big Fish Madness is a bracket-style tournament available on VERSUS
Country where 32 of the toughest of the tough will face off until just one fish
is left swimming, taking home the title of the "World's Toughest Gamefish".
Voting is open on

www.versus.com/madness
until March 27th and the winner will be decided on air in four nights of
the most spectacular fishing action on television, March 27/28 and April 3/4
during primetime on VERSUS Country.

Click here for Press Release!

Fishing Booklet- Get yours Now!

2008-02-24T04:51:00.000-08:00

Exclusive for Fishing Time's Reader!

Gonefishing has come up with the Little Black Book on fishing.. Full version available upon request. Here is a limited preview download for your reference. Print it out for quick reference...

UPDATED! AUGUST 18th 2007!

Next update: August 21th 2007 - Adding info on MORE Fishing Tips
we have some readers having trouble downloading so here's another alternative download ClickHere

ContactMe if you have problems downloding and I will email you the document.

Rate Our Ebook

@ eLibrary

Cleaning your reels

2008-02-04T05:44:00.000-08:00

Reels must be cleaned and greesed if you plan on making good use of them over time.
The key to dismantling and cleaning reels is to have an internal diagram of the reel handy.
Almost every reel we buy comes with a diagram and parts list.
Make sure you have this diagram and if possible the parts ready before you start to service or clean your reels.

Always wash your reel with the drag done up tight. This is to prevent forcing the salt further into the reel. Try not to spray the hose directly on to it in a jet. Muffle the hose with your thumb or just set the nozzle on a kind of a dribble. Alternatively use a bucket of warm soapy water and wash the reel by hand with a sponge or soft-bristled brush.

You can than air-dry the reel. Once it is dry use a light spray with CRC, WD40, Tackle-guard or similar is a good practise before putting them away.

Every year or two drop your reels in for a professional service. It doesn’t cost a lot to keep them in top condition and you’ll be glad you did when you hook that fish-of-a-lifetime and your reel performs as it should.

Link Exchange - Directory

Lure Fishing

2007-07-10T08:16:00.000-07:00

For me, nothing is more dynamic and no sport with more evolving learning curve than the art of Fishing. In fishing, you will never seem to stop learning something new with every single fishing trip.
Fishing covers many changing variables and needs utmost skills to adapt and make use of the constantly changing conditions.
With every experience and techniques gained we have to be on the learning curve and change our tactics and strategies. That’s where the fun begins, the uncertainties faced and the strategizing starts.

Here we have talked a lot about general fishing but in particular Lure fishing and the actual action of lure casting is more an act of active hunting rather than passive fishing.
Many believe that baiting tend to have a higher change of landing a catch but I firmly believe now that a right lure in the hands of a good angler will definitely land a sizeable catch relative to baiting.
Ardent baiters will tend to disregard luring as they believe that luring is too tiring and “fishes don’t eat plastics”
I have thought about this seriously and have studied the advantage of luring.

First of all a lure being retrieved right displays an aggressive motion where the fish is at its comfort zone will tend to strike the lure as a defensive measure.
All animals especially predators tend to have their own territories. In luring we call them strike zones. And when we cast our lure into that area we are mimicking another fish invading the fish’s “zone” enticing an attack.
A lure imitates a baitfish and a hungry fish will strike
Even though at an area where there are sufficient bait fishes available .. certain lures imitate an injured or wounded baitfish which is relatively an easier meal for the fish.
Amidst the schools of bait fishes a lure will be singled out as a different animal/fish and anything that stands out from the crowd usually will be singled out and attacked first.

I read somewhere in a magazine that it’s a generally accepted statement that 10% of anglers catches 90% of the fish.
There are published research that indicates the professional lurers have certain abilities or traits.
They have the instinct or knowledge that allows them to locate the target fish through years of practice.
The ability to impart action to their lure when retrieved or trolled very slowly so as to stay within the fishes strike-zone for as long as they could. Instead of just whizzing by the fish.
To vary and change the lure retrieval speed and depth as often as required.

My color is better than yours!
Remember my statement that we need to keep an open mind with fishing? When it comes to choosing a lure ..many of us will decide on color but are often unsure of which to choose and will go with the one that looks “good”.
We need to keep learning and stay on the learning curve.

There is however a rule of the thumb.
Dark Day = Dark Color
Bright Day = Bright Color

I have also discovered that purple/black lures and spinners work well in all conditions.
Orange color tinted lure is also very effective all rounder.

What about dirty water – casually known as Teh Tarik (Milk Tea) here locally.
Obviously the fish needs to be very close to the lure to see it. Hence color doesn’t matter. We need to make use of two things- Noise and vibration.
Use lure with strong action – Chug bug works well.

Also like the Kranji reservoir, when the water is thick with sediment or algae, the oxygen concentration is far greater near the surface of the water so we need to start popping the poppers.
Many anglers tend to choose lures to match the bait fishes …but if there are plenty of bait fishes around why would the fish choose your lure then? I believe anything that stands out will have a higher chance of being attacked.
Have you ever seen people landing huge snakeheads using poppers that look like your son’s toy or a marker pen?

Many anglers I speak to go for lures with red under the gills and near the tail – bleeding and injured fish. Also as I mentioned before – orangy tint at the belly is good.
But with all these theories and suggestions … think like a fish and choose the lure you like. Don’t bother with one that irks you because most likely you are going to keep using the one you like.

View larger version: http://img517.imageshack.us/img517/2703/stormluresdg5.gif

Bait Rigging

2007-06-23T05:08:00.001-07:00

The Gonefishing fishing sketch ebook is in progress right now and here we will post some work for preview. Let me know if you would like to contribute.

Setting DRAG ...

2007-06-19T07:06:00.000-07:00

Set the strike drag with the rod securely in a holder. The scale should read between 25 and 33 percent of the unknotted line strength when the drag starts to slip. 30-lb test line (shown above) should have a strike drag setting of between 7.5 and 10 pounds.

If you set the drag on a light-tackle outfit (12-pound test is illustrated above) with the rod tip pointed at the scale (top image), the reading should be about 15 percent of the unknotted line strength. When the rod is in the fighting position (bottom) friction will increase the drag

Paternoster and knots

2007-06-17T00:48:00.000-07:00

Remember! The knot you tie is the weakest point in your line. A good knot will retain more than 90% of the strength, while an improper knot will have less than one half of the line strength.

A paternoster is any style of hook rig where the leader is tied to a fixed lead, the hooks then are on droppers above the lead. Usually one to three hooks are used on a paternoster rig depending on the species you are after. The droppers can be either blood loops tied directly in the leader or more often a stop knot, bead, swivel, bead, stop knot arrangement is used.
Paternoster is a Latin name, meaning "Our Father", and its origin is said to be that St. Peter used a similar rig to catch a fish that was mentioned in a New Testament story. Whether this is so or not, the rig has been widely used in the Middle Eastern and Mediterranean regions for centuries and its use has since spread world wide.
It is believed that years ago, the Australian pioneers use to string up a Paternoster rig that was several hundred metres long with hundreds of hooks, lay them out in the Murray River, and catch Murray Cod.
Using Paternoster style running rigs are the best choice for many types of fishing situations. For shy fish such as Bream, Snapper and Threadfins, the Running Paternoster rig is an excellent choice as it allows the bait to be taken some distance freely without pressure. In addition, by varying the length of the drops to the sinker and the hook respectively alters the rig to suit a variety of fishing situations from estuary to surf casting, to bottom fishing from a boat in a fast current.

Steps in buying a fishing rod

2007-05-25T10:50:00.000-07:00

Rods are very specialized. For bass fishing you need a heavy rod for worms, a long, somewhat limber rod for crankbaits, a short, stiff rod for spinnerbaits and a light rod for casting ultralight lures. Choose from spinnning or baitcasting - you can get all actions in both. Walleye fishermen need different rods for different applications, too.
First decide on the rod type - Spinner or Baitcasting
Then select rod height (8', 9', 10'...)
Selct Rod action (From ultra light to mag heavy)
of course the budget.

Step One
Test the grip of the rod. Make sure the handle fits snugly in your palm.

Step Two
Choose the length of rod. 4½- to 6-foot rods are suited for lighter bait and fish such as perch and crappie. Shorter rods also work well in brushy areas. Rods 6½ feet and longer are good for bigger bait, longer casting distance and rougher fish (bass and catfish).

Step Three
Test for flexibility. Hold the rod in your hand as if you are casting, flip the end, and watch the tip for movement.

Tips & Warnings
Most sporting goods stores have experts to help you choose the rod for your type of fishing. Have an idea of how often you're going to fish, what type of fish you want to catch and where you'll be fishing. .

If buying used fishing equipment, check the rod for hairline cracks on the pole. When testing flexibility, listen for any cracking noise from the tip of pole.

Direction of the bend - With the rod tip facing you, bend the rod with one hand near the tip, and one hand near mid section of the rod. Do not hold the rod tightly while bending and let it move freely. Check and see if the ring's position is the same as the bend direction. This will help to determine if the line will sway when casting. Most mass produced rods do not conform to this. Only custom-made rods will. But, if you can get one at a mass production price, it would be a great buy.

A "Berly" good experiment

2007-05-19T03:11:00.000-07:00

What is a berley?

Usually ground-bait or chum used to form a trail to attract fish to you or your bait. Mostly used by trolling anglers or anglers fishing from a boat. However I felt that this shouldn't prevent shore anglers (from piers or jetties) to use this very good innovation.

First the ingredients:

The trick to successful berleying is to have the correct combination of ingredients, consistency of the flow and timing, and to my way of thinking those anglers who don’t use berley are mad, as it would have to be the most effective way of attracting the fish to you.
But when using berley, no matter what the combination is, you need to use it as a technique of getting the fish to you. Not as something that feeds the fish or takes them away from you. The main thing that you have got to remember is that the largest object that is floating down that berley trail is your bait with a hook in it.

I used a used cheese cloth and dump some fish intestine, ground baitfish, some prawn paste (Belachan- for those in Asia) and some prawn heads. Then I simply tie this to my main line with a swivel. Obviously I can't be casting far with this setup hence i fish by the jetty ... and results were great.

I was also thinking of doing a modified "cable car" rig where the berly will trolley along my main line after casting till the depths I wanted.

Once again ..fishing is about exploring and experimenting - so experiment away... we welcome any feedbacks or comments.

Latest Radar Plot for Singapore & Regions

2007-05-18T10:34:00.001-07:00

Color coding indicates amount of rainfall from very low (light blue) to very high (purple)

SINGAPORE CURRENT AND TIDES

One of the main driving forces of the Singapore costal and straits hydrodynamics are related to tidal changes and the monsoons.
Here is a computed monthly mean current of the tidal stream. (Singapore Maritime & Port Journal 2003, pp.151-162.)

Mean eastward and westward current derived from harmonic stream constituent in each month of a typical year the prediction shows a similar dominant mean westward stream during the northeast monsoon from November to March. The stream represents the net water movement from South China Sea westward into Malacca Strait.

During the southwest monsoon (June – September), the observed water movement is from the Java Sea northward into Singapore Strait, after which the water split into two streams that move westward and eastward into Malacca Strait and South China Sea respectively.

WHEN TO FISH? Wind

2007-05-18T10:17:00.000-07:00

Can wind affect fishing?

Besides the more scientific approach and published papers on the various theories of the effects of the environment on fishing, fishermen has been relying on their experiences and 'theories" and "concepts that have been passed down from generation of fishermen.

Here I would attempt to look at the effect of wind on your overall fishing experience.
Have you heard of the saying "when the wind is from the west the fishn at its best. But if the wind is from the east the fish bite the least" ?

If the weather is calm and warm for a certain period of time water is slack for some time and the undisturbed water may suffer from a lack of aeration thus oxygen.
On this note wind is something that should prompt us to pack our gears and head for the waters.

Why? you ask.

Wind blowing on shorelines and structures can inject oxygen molecules into the water these in turn creates waves that can increase the dissolved oxygen level, baitfishes and predators. Baitfishes will tend to feed on the planktons being disturbed by the wind activities. The predators will position themselves at the rear of the baitfish school and hitting on any of these bait that tries to escape.
Waves created will tend to create mud line - for shallow waters and creates a perfect ambush point for the predators to attack any baitfishes.

On windy days I have also notice that bait fish will seek out calmer water. This can be a good thing because we know that the predators will surely be looking for this too.

Wind Prevents light penetration:This allows the bass to come into shallower water to feed.
Look for windy shores, if there appears to be a current running, try to fish upwind if you can. Between boat handling into the wind and casting upwind, this is easier said than done.
If you are luring you would need to keep in touch with your lure on the retrieve, which suggests a fast retrieve on a heavier lure. Wind will make baitfish like Shad more active, select lures which imitate them.

Note that the wind can work in our favor only after we have considered all aspects of safety. It is obvious that on windy days fishing becomes more dangerous than on non-windy days. Would you be able to cast safely, would there be any safety issues at the spot where you intend to fish.. are some of the questions you need to ask yourself before heading out.

For Information on Asia's Surface Wind charts Click Here

FISHING HOOKS

2007-05-17T08:44:00.000-07:00

First the definition: A fishing hook is a hook used to catch fish. It may be barbed or barbless. It is usually attached to a fishing line. In general the hook is concealed within the bait or trailed closely behind or within the lure.

I just got back from my regular tackle shop and I saw a group of young anglers looking at the rack for hooks. They looked puzzled and couldn't decide what hooks to use. And usually they will go for the mid range - the one that's the "average size".

Who could blame them there are more than 50,000 different hook designs out there.

Here we try to shed some light on hooks.

Where is a good place to start but from sizing and naming conventions of the major categories of hooks and in fact is a very important part of your tackle because the type of hook you select will make a difference, and hook selection depends on the species of fish being sought.

Parts of a Hook

Fishing hooks come in many shapes and sizes and materials each variety serving a different purpose. Here is a brief overview of the parts that make up a fly-fishing hook.

The Eye is where your leader is threaded
and tied.

The Bend is the part that is curved.

The Shank of the hook is the straight
part that extends from behind the eye to the beginning of the bend.

The Gap is lies between the shank and
point of the hook.

The Barb is what makes a hook stick in a
fishes mouth (or your body parts). Some CnR anglers will remove the barbs before
using. This is to ensure easy de-hooking of the fish.

Hook Sizes- Size does matter

Fishing hooks use a twofold numbering scheme that measures from the smallest hook to the largest hook.

The smallest hook readily available is size 24. This is a hook with a 1/16 of an inch gap and it’s used for tiny fishes such as whiting or Tamban (sardines). As the size number decreases, the width of the hook gap increases, all the way to a size 1. A size 1 hook has a gap about ½ inch in width.

At this point the numbering scheme changes and begins with 1/0 , which is larger in size than a number 1 and goes all the way up to 20/0, the largest commercially made hook.

Don't bother remembering the numbers because there isn't really a standard although most manufacturers should make hooks pretty close to this numbering scheme. Variations still occurs.

For novice angles I would recommend a size 1 up to size 3/0. However a study of the anatomy of the target fish is important to decide upon the best choice of hook.

Types of Hooks:

Hook offset: For Up eyed hooks the shanks require more force and heavier line to set. And must be snelled in order to allow proper setting. On straight-eye hooks, tie directly with your favorite knot.

Besides sizes of hooks you would need to pay attention to the thickness of the hook depending on the target fish.

FURTHER READING

(From the Scientific Catch-and-Release Studies - South Carolina Department of Natural Resources)
Non-offset Circle hooks gut hooked the least number of fish in both studies (sub-adults and adults). Offset Circle hooks were intermediate. J-hooks gut hooked the most fish in both studies.

Despite the fact that offset Circle hooks gut hooked an intermediate number of fish, the largest percentage of these fish died as a result of hooking injuries.

When fishing for adult red drum, Non-offset Circle hooks caught almost 2 times as many fish as J-hooks did. They also gut hooked substantially fewer fish than J-hooks did.

The best hook to use when you will RELEASE some of your red drum is the Non-offset Circle hooks.

Setting The Drag On Your Fishing Rod and Reel

2007-05-16T17:50:00.000-07:00

THE ALL IMPORTANT BAIT FOR FISHING

2007-05-13T07:49:00.000-07:00

Making a lure/bait attractive to a hungry
predator will catch more fish. Here we will try to talk about the all
important and often taken for granted Bait...
Here's a list of some bait that we can explore:

Basically we can classify baits into the following just for the sake of
discussion-

Live or Natural Baits
Dead Baits
Synthetic Pastes (more for Freshies)
Cooked Baits (more for Freshies)

We will look at these baits and explore more about storing and rigging them
for successful catches.

Live or Natural Baits
Live bait, presented
properly, is one of the most effective option available to today's anglers. It's
also one of the best kept secrets to fooling the oldest, and largest of any
species.

Examples:
Crabs, White bait - Tamban (Sardinella albella or the
Sardinella sp.), Big Eyed Herring, Yellowtail scad (or Selar),Indian
mackerel (or Kembong),Yellowstripe scad (or Kuning),Chacunda Gizzard Shad,Wolf
Herring (or Saitoh), mullet,Whiting, Squid,Cuttlefish, Shrimp, Ragworm,Beachworms,Tubeworms
(sarong worms)

BLOODWORM

Rigging a live prawn is easy. I prefer to use double hook to secure the bait. Try not to hit the dark colored spine of the prawn while implanting the hook. Make sure you see the barb at the other end to ensure the bait will not fall off especially during a cast.

-Page currently under construction more will be
updated soon- Gone fishing

Testing out the Gonefishing's simple rig!

2007-05-12T03:43:00.000-07:00

I will be trying out the above rig which has proven to be very good in my previous trips.
Please stay tuned for updates!!!

When to go fishing...

2007-05-09T22:45:00.000-07:00

Here's an article for beginners on what is a good time to fish : Click here

But for the "Prime Fishing Times" based on Solunar effects are slightly more detailed .. and I try to make it simple.

Lets divide the fish feeding times into the following;
1. MAJOR FEEDING TIMES
2. Second MAJOR FEEDING TIMES
3. MINOR FEEDING TIMES

MAJOR FEEDING TIME
This happens during the Moon Transit Time. (Refers to the instant that its center crosses an imaginary line in the sky - the observer's meridian - running from north to south. For observers in low to middle latitudes, transit is approximately midway between rise and set, and represents the time at which the body is highest in the sky on any given day)
So when is today's MFT ? Click here Calculate the Moon Transit Time.
Most Major feeding times last from 2 to 2.5 hours

Second MAJOR FEEDING TIME
The Second Major for that 24 hour period will be approximately 12 1/2 hours later.

MINOR FEEDING TIME
Moonrise and Moonset times
Minor feeding times last from 1 to 1.5 hours

Sun and moon rise and set have a direct effect on the feeding activities of fish and game in all parts of the world. There is a definite correlation of feeding activities when the moon is straight overhead, (Moon Transit) and or on the opposite side of the earth.

PEAK TIMES!
When a Solunar Period falls within 30 minutes to an hour of sunrise or sunset you can anticipate great action! When you have a moonrise or moonset during that period the action will be even greater. And, finally, when the above times occur during a NEW or FULL MOON, you can expect the best action of the season!
(How do I know when's FULL MOON?) - Do not be afraid ... look at the bottom of this page for the Current Moon Phase !

WAIT! Some anglers asked me ... why do we need to calculate the Moon Transit time since it's obvious that HIGH TIDE would be where the moon is at it's transit ? Not quite ...
Since the lunar tide-producing force has the greatest effect in producing tides at most places, the tides "follow the Moon." Theoretically, high tide is at the Moon's transit over the meridian and low tide is about six hours later. Actually there is a time lag between the transit and the occurrence of the maximum because particles do not respond instantly to a time-varying force. High tide normally occurs somewhat later, due to factors such as viscosity, friction, and underwater topography.