Good Bait To Use To Catch
Tip: Go catch some bull cats to use as bait. Catfish will eat anything that comes in front of them. So set up a trout line or something of that nature and use the bull cats for bait. You can use them for bait because they are not a game fish. The line will act like their is a bigger fish on it but that is just the bull cats. You will not see that much movement from the line once you have your other catfiish on it. All you will see is the tree branch sagging. Good Luck catching those big ones.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Channel Catfish
Fishing Type: Any

Wd-40
Tip: The next time your catfishing try a squirt a little WD-40 on your bait.They like the smell for some reason because it works.If you dont believe me fish with more than one reel and put a little on one and just bait on the other and see what you think.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Channel Catfish
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Night Chumming
Tip: Adding chumming to your tatics can really produce a nice stringer of fish. First get your bait fish or fish parts from your most recent trip. Get a cheap hand cranked meat grinder (Wal-Mart has just the thing) put your bait fish and /or fish parts in. Grind to a fish paste, store in freezer bags and freeze,on your next night time crappie trip suspend fish paste in a potato sack or some kind of sack that will allow the chum to be dispensed in the water. Hang sack about 3 to 4 ft above your fish light.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Black Crappie, White Crappie
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Jug Fishing
Tip: When jug fishing for catfish, I like to to divide and paint my jugs different colors. Then I will dedicate a different bait for each color. This way I can see what bait is getting the most attention from the fish as soon as they hit it, even before I go to recover the fish. If you like to jug fish in a body of water with current, say a river as I do, Then it is best if you have the same length of line on each jug or they will not stay in a group and can get spaced out pretty good.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Blue Catfish, Channel Catfish, Flathead Catfish
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Live Bait Rig
Tip: A live bait rig that is used in Europe that I have found works very will and is easy to rig. Start the rig with a section of line about 10 to 15 inches long. On one end tie a barrel swivel and on the other end two hooks. The hooks, treble hooks, are set apart so that one is hooked through the lip of the bait fish and the other through the tail. The main line runs through the barrel swivel down to a weight. The bait fish can run up and down and around the main line. In doing so it is fighting with the main line. All the action will draw the fish to your bait. You can set how deep you are fishing by using two small split shot above and below the barrel swivel.

Water Type: Any	Types of Fish: Any
Fishing Type: Any

Catch And Release Tip
Tip: I know that all of us try not to harm the fish when we are releasing them, however I've seen some anglers make this mistake that can harm the fish. When releasing the fish they pull the fish back and forth in the water! Pulling it backwards is bad because it forces water backwards throught the gill slits. They don't get any oxygen from the water this way. It is best to let the fish swim away on its own. If it is really stressed, from putting up a big fight, try pulling it gently forward so that it can take in water through its mouth and force it over the gills on its own. It should revive pretty quickly, and be around to catch another day!

Water Type: Any	Types of Fish: Any
Fishing Type: Any

Buzzbaits
Tip: When fishing with Buzzbaits over submerged grassbeds most people seem to fish too fast.I have had the best bites when I slow down the retrieve and allow the buzzbait just enough speed to stay above the surface.I also use a bait called the, hydilla gorilla,The blade taps the lead head of the bait and gives the bait a tap, tap, tap, that bass cannot resist. The 1/2 and 3/4 oz baits seem to work better than the smaller versions. Don't forget to use a stinger hook for those short strikes. Good Luck.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Largemouth Bass
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Rainy Day Help
Tip: The Park District in our area is very good about stocking Bass, and channel cats in the small ponds in our parks. Each of the ponds are fed by storm drains. On those rainy days, as the water is following into the pond from the storm drains I will cast live night crawers into the in flow and allow the worm on a small light hook to flow with the water. The larger bass and channel cats are drawn to the incoming water and will be holding at the edge of the current. It is very surprising how large the fish are in some of these ponds.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Any
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Smart Fish
Tip: One of the lakes in my area is very clear, and a great producer of large bass. But being a C and R lake with a lot of fishing pressure it becomes more difficult to get a hook into the 20 inch + bass that hang around under the docks. I have watched Bass ( More then one at a time) of 20 inch + swim out from under the dock and take a close look at all the bait, them swim away. I have found that by using hydrocarbon fishing line, small hooks, very light weights if any at all, I have had increased success. I have also found that due to the noise of walking on the docks, I have started to cast to the sides of the docks before going onto them. The way the docks were built you cannot cast under them.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Largemouth Bass
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting

Stubborn Bass
Tip: On days that are usually cold or an overcast day that the bass just won't seem to bite anything you throw at them.Try using a soft plastic worm and when you fish it only move it a couple inches at a time and only move it about once every three to four minutes.I have found that when the bass are being stubborn this technique works very well.And remember to use a plastic worm that would look natural to the fishing environment.

Water Type: Freshwater	Types of Fish: Any
Fishing Type: Spinning/Baitcasting