Tip of the day.....February 5

[Peanut]

I don't know how common this info is across jurisdictions, but the Fishing Guide we get with our licences (the ones that rarely get read) contains two nice sets of information every year:

1. A list of the lakes stocked the year before, and the number/size of fish stocked;

2. Test netting results from the previous year's sampled lakes.

I have fished several lakes in the last 2-3 years that were commonly thought to be poor lakes based on either very good test results, or a few years after a large stocking program, with consistently good results.

By keeping this info from these books over a period of years a person can develop a decent database of stocked and tested lakes that generally are out of the public eye.

derrek.

"It's the weaseling out of things that sets us apart from the animals.... Except the weasel."
- H.J. Simpson

[lecklund]

Great idea! I have been doing that for about 4 years now and also I logged everything I catch throughout the fishing season. I put everything into the computer and I print it out into my fishing book, that's what I call it. It has a wealth of information, from various people like pros, dad, grandpa, or anybody. I divide it up into sections from months, lakes, weather situations, etc. Great tool to read during the winter months in preparation for the upcoming season.

[bigfish1965]

My tip of the day. If you are downrigging harnesses, and any particualr rod is not recieving strikes when you go through the school, try a quick snap to release the harness and allow it to flutter up. We recieved many bonus fish doing this last year. The change in action seemed to trigger strikes.

[Tim FRick]

I do that allot but with spoons/crankbaits off the riggers on lake erie with good results. I believe it's the lure raising up that gets them going. Another tip is when trolling with downriggers for steelheads, if your not getting any action is to raise the ball up or down a few feet. Sometimes the steelhead will follow your bait waiting for some change in action to hit it.
Good Luck, and pray for a slow warming, windless spring!!
Tim FRick

[bob oh]

For sure on the windless Tim..... especially April