Keep Your Hooks Sharp!
Tip: One fundamental skill many anglers lack, is the ability to quickly sharpen a hook back to needle-sharpness. It's not hard, and if you've been using dull hooks, I can guarantee more fish in the boat if you'll follow this simple advice: keep a small stone, fine emery board, or hook file with you at all times when fishing. Check your hooks at home and on the water, and if one becomes dulled, touch it up by taking the hook in your off hand, and using the stone or file, gently stroking the point, from the barb upward to off the point, on three sides. Practice doing this at home until you have mastered the technique; when properly in this way, the point will return to needle sharpness very quickly. Test the new point on the pad of your thumb, or on your fingernail - if you can feel the point easily prick the skin of your thumb, or if it feels like it instantly 'grabs' the fingernail, you have a sharp hook, and sharp hooks are a sure way to more fish in the livewell. Good fishing!

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

Saving Soft, Salty Stickbaits From Tearing On A Wacky Rig With A Girdle!
Tip: Throwing a wacky rigged senko or other soft, salty stickbait is a sure-fire way of catching bass in many areas; the biggest downside is the cost of baits and how fast they get torn up. Being very effective but somewhat expensive, I'd like to share this tip given to me by a friend. Give the stick a girdle. When you're throwing a senko wacky style, first take about 2 inches of electricians tape and wrap the center of the senko, in a single clean wrap of about two layers thick. Stick the hook through the tape and senko, and it's almost certain to last much longer than a bait without the 'girdle'. This also opens up another option for experimentation - color. Electrical tape is available in a range of colors, including the common black, red, yellow, green, etc. My favorites to date are green pumpkin/pepper or watermelon/red flake with black tape, or pumpkinseed with red or orange tape. Give it a try; you'll appreciate spending more time catching rather than going back for a new stick after every catch. Good fishing!

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

Were The Fish Are
Tip: Did you know that 90% of bass live in the middle of the lake? Use a big deep diving crank bait with a very shiny body and you will catch more monsters then you ever thought.

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

When Bass Fishing In The Spring
Tip: When bass are bedding in the spring: Rig a rubber worm on an off-set shank hook with a bullet weight. Cast along the bank or into weedy areas where the bass are bedding. Let your worm sink, and then slowly with a lot of patience reel in while lightly popping your rod. This will cause the worm to bounce along the bottom. Variate the movements of the worm and let it sit in the same spot occassionally. Most bass go crazy for this. Not because they are hungry, but because they are aggressive. *please be aware of rules and regulartions for you area pertaining to bed fishing

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

What Catfish Love!!
Tip: When we go fishing for cats in the neighboring pond, we have found that they love weiners, cheese and pieces of ham.

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

How To Hook Your Bait
Tip: When using shiners or any bait fish, hook them from the bottom of their mouth and then bring it through the top of the mouth. The bait will stay alive longer and you will catch you more fish. I use this and it seems to work great for me

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

Spinning Baits
Tip: My favorite bait would have to be the spinner bait. A spinner bait can be used in several different ways according to the speed you use and the way you hold your rod. I can speed up the bait for top water fishing or slow it down for deeper fishing. My favorite color is the white with a green trailer. the white one seems to catch in pretty much any water condition for me

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

Power Finesse Tube Fishing
Tip: When fishing lakes that tend to stay stained use heavier line and smaller tubes for more bites and more landed bass.

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

Getting To Know Your Lure.
Tip: Whenever I buy a new lure I never just throw it out there first thing. I cast it off to the side not too far and observe how it reacts to different retrieval speeds, and I look for how Quickly it will descend or float if not suspend. I also try to remember how it felt on the line when it swam so I can know what it's doing in the water when I'm fishing and I have to rely on sense of feel.

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

Jigs Are The Most Awesome Thing Ever!
Tip: In the cold months when the fish move to deeper water, I use a jig to get deep and avoid snags. The first cool thing about the jig is the weighted hook. It always stands the hook part up so it won't get stuck on rocks. Second, the jig features a set of stiff bristles that stick out of the weighted hook to gaurd against weeds. Third, the jig has a skirt that puffs out when it stops moving in the water and lays against itself when being reeled in or dropping. You can add soft baits from curly tail grubs to worms to crawdads, and you can be real creative with this part to make your jig custom. When fishing the jig, work it with a swimming action (small tugs on the tip of your rod while slowly reeling) on the way down to the bottom. Once you hit bottom, work it slowly to let it bump into the rocks on the bottom once in a while. This is a proven method of catching bass in cold weather.

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