Saltwater Fishing Tips and Freshwater Fishing Tips

5 Quick Tips on Understanding Fishing Line

2009-07-08T04:00:54Z

One of the most important parts of our tackle is our fishing line. There are so many brands, colors & sizes to choose from, but it really does not have to be that difficult.

Line Thickness & Spinning Reels

When selecting fishing line, line thickness is a very important factor to consider. If you are using a spinning reel for example, a heavy/thick line will not spool up very well & will not handle very well.

So if you want to use a heavy line on a spinning reel, you still can – you just need to be sure it is a thin diameter line.

Advantages of Thin Diameter Line on Spinning Reels

A thin diameter line will spool up nicely & cast off nicely. Also, the thinner the diameter is, the less visible the line will be to the fish… which is a big advantage.

Another clear advantage of thin diameter line is that you will be able to put more line on your spool. This is a huge advantage, as you can now buy a smaller reel & still have a large capacity of fishing line. Fishing with a smaller reel all day will also be less fatiguing.

Fishing Line Color

Fishing line comes in various colors. When considering line color, be sure to consider the color of the water you are fishing in. Clear line is best suited for clear water & your green based colors are best suited for “tea-stained” or murky water.

If you have a hard time seeing your fishing line & need to use a bright color, such as bright yellow fishing line, then be sure to tie on a clear – or fluorocarbon leader. Do not let your bright yellow fishing line go down to your lure or bait.

Braided Fishing Line

When using braided fishing line, always tie on a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Braided fishing line is great because it is a thin diameter line and you can get a lot of fishing line on your spool, but fish can see it. So always use a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader, if you plan on using braided line.

Fluorocarbon Fishing Line

Fluorocarbon fishing line is “virtually” invisible to fish and can be used in any water condition. It also has many advantages and although it is a bit pricey, it’s worth it!

Fishing line is a key component to consider, so be sure to keep these few tips in mind & get ready to have a great day on the water!

Until next time, good fishing,
Ivo

4 Tips on Choosing the Perfect Fishing Lure Color

2009-06-30T17:28:13Z

When it comes to catching fish, some typical questions anglers ask are “what did you catch them on” and “what color did you use”? These are probably 2 of the most common questions that we anglers carry in our vocabulary – and why not, they are important.

1) Does Color Make A Difference?

Yes, color makes a difference & can make a big difference. Even when fish are very aggressive & active, you may find that you are catching fish on all colors – but – you may have caught more fish or bigger fish on the “right” color. Lure Color is one key to having great days on the water.

2) Tips on Using Silver or Gold Colors

Silver & gold are your “bread and butter” colors. They are your basic colors which will work in all situations. As a general rule, silver is a great color to use on bright, sunny days, where as on darker, cloudy days, gold would be best.

Also, consider the water clarity you are fishing. If the water you are fishing in is clear, then silver would work best. Silver gives off tremendous flash in clear water, especially on a sunny day. Fish will be able to see your lure form quite a distance.

If the water you are fishing is rather “tea-stained” or a bit dirty or “cloudy”, then the gold color lure would be your best choice. Gold has fantastic reflective qualities in tea-stained/dirty water – much better that silver.

Keep these two simple tips in mind when choosing between silver and gold based lures, and you will be certain to have a better day of catching fish!

3) Dark Lures on Dark Days & Bright Lures on Bright Days

A general rule of thumb anglers follow is to use bright color lures on bright days & dark color lures on dark days. As a general rule, this is somewhat true, although keep in mind that black will always work, regardless of the day.

4) Lure Color & Different Depths

If you are fishing down 20 feet deep & catching plenty of fish on a particular lure, and then the fishing slows & you find out the fish have moved deeper – the same lure may not be as effective.

This is because as you go deeper, the reflective quality changes & thus the appearance changes. So the next time you ask “what color did you catch them on” the next question should be “how deep were you fishing”?

Choose you colors wisely & try different colors on different days & at different depths. Keep in mind some of the tips noted above & you will be able to figure a winning pattern!

Until next time, good luck & good fishing,

Ivo

Is there Any Special Setup for Striper Fishing, for the Viper Spoon?

2009-07-11T20:13:07Z

Viewer Question: “Hey guys how are you doing hope all is well. I was just wondering if there is any special setup for striper fishing, for the viper spoon. I’ll be going fishing on Thurs so if you can get back to me by tomorrow that would be great. Cesare.”

Hi Cesare.

I’m assuming that you’ll be fishing from a boat. If so, all you have to do is tie a snap to the end of your fishing line and clip on the Viper Spoon.

Best Size and Bait

Use the largest Viper that you have. (size SP5’s are great for stripers) Good baits to use are a whole fillet of mackerel, herring or bunker which you’ll probably have to fillet yourself.

Take your fillet and impale the ‘tail’ end of the fillet on the hook closest to the Viper spoon. Impale the other hooks along the length of the fillet. Always impale through the skin of the fillet, as this will help hold your bait much better.

Try to keep your fillet as straight as possible on the hooks as this will maximize the action of the Viper Spoon. You will want to make sure that the hook points are exposed, as this will enable much better hook sets.

Don’t be afraid to use large baits. Stripers will easily take large bait & remember large baits work great for large stripers! You can use thawed baits if you can’t get fresh. Sometimes supermarkets sell mackerel or herring, if you cannot find them at your local tackle shop.

We also have a video on how to rig your Viper Spoon for maximum fish-catching power.

How to Fish it

When you’re ready to fish, one method is to drift with the Viper Spoons for stripers. Bait your Viper spoon and make a short cast. No need to use a sinker in this case, as you will be fishing suspended.

As you drift, let out say 50 to 80 yards of line from your reel. Your Viper Spoon will be far away from the boat and probably somewhat close to the bottom.

Stripers may be spooked by the boat that’s why you want the bait to be far from the boat, and that’s why drifting is also very effective.

Make sure your bait is not dragging the bottom and make sure your bait is debris free at all times. In order to achieve this, every once in a while, pull back on the rod to allow the Viper Spoon to ‘lift’ otherwise all you have to do is hold the rod steady.

The Viper spoon will do the rest.

This occasional lifting will also enable you to cover more water above as well as below. Further, it may help trigger a reluctant striper to hit.

Thanks for writing in Cesare & I am very happy you are using the Viper Spoons as they will work great for you!

I wrote a second article for you and give you more Viper Spoon tips, in case you want to troll for stripers, or cast for stripers with the Viper Spoon.

Good luck on the water!

Claudio

Viper Spoon Rigging for Fluking in Long Island

2009-06-23T19:28:17Z

Viewer Question: “I saw your Field Test Review in my monthly On The Water Magazine. What size/style Viper Spoons do you recommend for Fluking in Long Island waters? What type of rigging is needed with these spoons for deep water fluke? And finally, what is the weight of these spoons? Thanks, Jim”
Hello Jim.

If I had to choose one size Viper Spoon, it would be size SP4. My favorite colors for Fluke/Flounder are Silver, Gold, or Bleeding Pearl Chartreuse. Although the beaded model will work great, because Fluke and Flounder love bucktail, I would prefer the bucktail model.

How to Rig It

This size SP4 Viper will accommodate a whole 8-10 inch squid or a cut-bait strip up to say 12 inches long.

All the other sizes of Viper Spoons will also work, but again, I prefer the size SP4. (My next choice would be a tossup between the SP5 & SP3 sizes)

The Viper Spoon is a light thin flutter spoon which will provide great action even at very slow drift speeds. This is a huge advantage for taking fluke.

In our experience with fluke, we know that they are not afraid to take large slow moving baits which results in catching larger fish.

The basic set-up to catch fluke with Vipers is with the use of a 3-way swivel and sinker.

To your 3-way, tie a 2 foot long drop line down to a sinker (sinkers can be anywhere from 3 to 16 oz - generally the deeper the water, the heavier the sinker).

Next, tie a 24 to 30 inch long leader line from your swivel to a snap that attaches your Viper. And finally, tie the line from the rod to the remaining eye of the swivel. Your set-up is complete.

What to Use

To begin fishing using squid for example, you would begin by impaling the tail end of the squid to the hook closest to the spoon then impale the remaining hooks along the length of the squid. Your bait should be nicely streamlined for great action of the Viper.

With your motor off, you will probably have enough drift speed to operate the Viper (no need to troll).

Test the action by dropping the Viper under 1 foot of water. If the viper has a nice rocking motion then your drift speed is good and you can send the rig down to the bottom.

Keep the sinker in constant contact with bottom and try to keep your line as vertical as possible to allow the Viper not to drag bottom.

Watch the rod tip for subtle bites as they could be large fish.

Fluke are attracted to the flash of the spoon and the overall action of the spoon/bait combination from a distance away and will hone in to investigate. As it gets closer to the spoon it will attack the trailing bait.

Hope this answers your questions Jim and thanks for writing.

We also have a video on this matter: Video Rig for Fluke and Flounder

Good fishing! Claudio.

4 Different Baits/Lures to use when Fishing for Snook

2009-06-23T19:48:42Z

The beauty of fishing for snook is that it gives you an opportunity to use a multitude of different baits. You can use live bait, cut bait, or artificial baits and you can be assured that snook will give you a great fight as well!

Consider using different baits/lures for snook under different situations

1) Crank baits

Snook will readily take a crank bait. Typically, you will want to use a crank bait when you want to cover plenty of water, fast and when the snook are active. For example, it’s not a good idea to use a crank bait after a cold front.

Deep diving crank baits will get you down to the bigger snook, where as shallow diving baits will most likely net you smaller snook. It seems as though the larger snook are usually cruising the bottom, and the smaller snook may suspend a bit.

2) Buck tail Jigs

Snook love buck tail. When selecting a buck tail jig, keep in mind that a bit of red buck tail will go a long way towards helping net a snook. Also keep in mind the depth you will be fishing & the strength of tide when selecting the weight of your buck tail jig.

Generally, if you are fishing 20 feet deep, with a “fairly strong” current/tide, you will need to use a 2 oz. buck tail jig. It will take 2 ozs to get you down there and keep you in contact with the bottom.

If you can find a buck tail jig on a stand up head, tip it with some sort of cut bait. The cut bait will add more bulk to your jig & the stand up profile will present it nicely to feeding snook.

3) Spoons

Snook will readily take a spoon. The challenge is getting them down to them. If you are using a Viper Spoon, be sure to bait it with cut bait or artificial bait as this will give you a definite advantage. Get it down to the bottom with a 3-way swivel & drop sinker set up.

If you are using conventional spoons, use heavy spoons in order to get down to the bottom quicker. Jigging spoons are also very effective, especially when tipped with bait.

4) Flies

If you love fly fishing, snook will be right up your alley. Streamer flies worked closer to the bottom will net you bigger snook & again, look for a bit of red in your fly.

Location

Snook love cover. Snook will sit behind cover, inside cove or around cover & look to ambush a meal. Snook can also be found roaming the sandy shorelines, but if you can find some structure, you’ll be sure to find some snook… its hit & miss on the sandy shorelines.

Fishing for snook is very exciting & offers something for all different types of anglers. Along with all the above, snook will readily take all sorts of live bait or cut bait. Should you happen to catch a keeper snook, keep in mind that they also make for fantastic table fare!

Until next time, good fishing!

Ivo

You are the First to Know - Advance Press Release to Subscribers and Viewers of Thundermist Fishing Tips

2009-06-04T00:36:51Z

Thundermist Lure Company presents… the “Perfect Series”, their new line of innovative fishing tackle! The Perfect Series will contain Thundermist Lure Company’s very own new, innovative fishing tackle and/or our own new twists on existing fishing tackle. The first product to be launched (soon – in the coming weeks) in the Thundermist Lure Company’s Perfect Series will be an exciting new

If the video does not load, you can view it here: The T-Turn

3-way swivel called the “T-Turn” and we are very excited about its release, because it will be a welcomed addition to the anglers tackle box!

Consider these great features, benefits and applications.

Highlights/Benefits of the “T-Turn”

Greatly reduces line twist
A pleasure to fish with
No frustrations
Attractive design
Very effective in helping to catch more fish
Strong / durable / dependable
Makes fishing time more efficient
Greatly reduces tangles
Maximizes lure action

At 55 lb. capacity, the T-Turn contains 3 high quality, smooth performing, rolling swivels, which minimize line twist & maximize action. A premium black nickel finish is somewhat camouflaged and great in both fresh water and salt water.

So many applications for use

Use when trolling
Use when drifting
Use when still-fishing
Use when bottom bouncing
Use while casting
Use with lures
Use with artificial flies
Use with live/cut bait
Use with plastics

Whether casting, drifting or trolling - fishing form a boat or from shore - the T-Turn keeps your line tangle free, even in varying strong currents which keeps your 3-way connection neat and “perfect” every time!

Use it for everything!

Versatile applications:

Freshwater, saltwater
In current, in calm water
Deep or shallow water

Great for all game fish – here are some, just to name a few:

Walleye
Trout - Salmon
Fluke – Flounder
Pike - Musky
Catfish
Freshwater & Salt Water Bass
Weakfish – Sea trout
Red fish
Snook
And so many more!

Testimonial

Recently, while filming a trout episode for the Thundermist Fishing Tips TV show, Ivo was using the T-Turn 3-way swivel, while bottom bouncing streamer flies.

Each cast Ivo made was retrieved in tangle free. It always came in perfect and allowed Ivo to keep fishing. There was an angler beside Ivo, also fishing for trout, who was regularly untangling his line and he noticed that Ivo was never getting tangled.

Ivo approached the angler and showed him the new T-Turn swivel. The angler was very excited to see this new swivel and now realized why Ivo was not having any troubles. He wanted to know where he could get some T-Turns.

Ivo explained to the angler that they are not available yet, as we only have a few production samples, but Ivo gave him one to try.

The angler immediately tied the T-Turn on his line & continued fishing, except this time, each time he reeled his line in, he was tangle free. After numerous casts the angler finally yelled over to Ivo, “these T-Turns are fantastic. I can’t wait to get more… These will sell great!”

Needless to say, Ivo was very happy with the response, and we are very excited about the new, soon to be released T-Turn 3-way swivel, as part of Thundermist Lure Company’s Perfect Series.

Now available at the Thundermist Lure Company Online Store!

Ivo