Sea fish photographs

Sea fish

I have been asked on a few occasions to create a species guide, which I have started to do, but I need some pictures of fish to go with it. I have hundreds of photographs of most species, but nothing digital. Have you got some digital photographs of fish that you would be happy for me to use here on the fishing-blog???

If you have a few pictures you are happy to share, please email them to me – sawant.neeraj@gmail.com

Thank you in advance. I will of course mentioned the photo provider and give you a link if you have your own site or business.

Image from – neeraj sawant

Sand eel spinning

Spinning with dead baits

When most people think about spinning, they think about posh plugs, lures, feathers or spinners. There is another option and a very viable one at that. Dead bait spinning is a great option to catch fish and one you must explore.

Well, you will be glad to know that it is not complex. All it means is using dead sand eel, small Pollock, joey Mackerel even squid and presenting them with the action of an injured individual. You get lots of attractive qualities. Scent, look, feel, colour and a vulnerable, easy meal. This combines to a deadly combination to help improve your catch rate and provide dinner for your family.

Due to the set up, you are also able to fish hard in gullies, banks and between ground as well as using balanced fishing tackle to target your species. This last point is one of my mottos – light balanced tackle – It will provide you with much better sport.

A simple clean rig. A weight on your Main line at your desired breaking strain to a swivel (use a weight carrier to prevent line abrasion). I like the torpedo weights and spinning weights, they prevent line twist. A trace as long as you can handle to a hook to match your target species. ( Don’t be scared to use a large hook for Bass and most predators, look at the size of their open mouths! )

Thread the hook through the mouth of your dead bait, then the hook point should come out of the belly. A few turns of bait elastic to secure it and off you go.

Treat this like any other lure. Cast from boats, kayaks, shore or rock and retrieve at a moderate pace. Then try changing the retrieve rate and style until you find what works. If you get interest, keep reeling at the same pace and wait until your rod goes heavy, then strike and play the fish in.

Please comment on this post if you would like to add anything to this set up, or you disagree with my opinion!

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Spider Hitch - Fishing Knots

The spider hitch is a knot similar to the bimini twist. It creates a double in the line, which is easier to handle and tie. This also allows for stronger knots because a double line is stronger than a single strand of line when tied.

This is a very popular knot with big game anglers as it creates a very good shock absorber and has very similar attributes to the very popular bimini twist, but it is much easier and faster to tie. It is suitable for lines up to 15kg.

Personally I would always tie a bimini twist when I had plenty of time to get it right, but I have tied the spider hitch when rushed and it has performed quite well.

The reports I have read suggest it performs well for small sportsfish, but don't expect it to hold up with bigger game fish. For them you really should try to learn the bimini twist!

This video shows the process of tying a spider hitch very clearly - thanks to the creator of it!

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Rigging a live shrimp (prawn) for bait fishing

I get many requests from people asking how to rig certain baits for bait fishing, but the most requested bait rigging lesson would have to be hooking live shrimp or prawns.

The reason for these requests is probably because live shrimp and prawns are probably one of the best and most versatile baits available to anglers. Where do you find the humans at the all you can eat seafood restaurant? Fighting over the fresh prawns! Fish are a bit the same and at times will ignore almost everything else you present to them. A live bait also kicks and flicks through the water attracting all the fish in the vicinity to investigate what is going on.

Now all you have to do is catch the little things, but that is another post for another day.

How to hook a live shrimp / prawn?
I could tell you, but it is probably better if I show you. This great little video I found on youtube shows the process of hooking prawns and shrimp very clearly.

View the original article here

Bonefish fishing video

My last post was dedicated to one of the most sort after sportsfish so I thought I would continue in that vein and post a great little angling video of one of my favorite fish - the bonefish.

These great fish are a top angling target because of the fight they offer anglers as well as the great exotic tropical locations they are caught in. They are most often targeted on fly gear, but they can be caught with most of the popular methods of fishing. Bonefish form large schools over the flats where they feed and are targeted by anglers trying to spot the fish (called flats fishing). They are not often taken for food and although they are edible they are quite bony (hence the name).

The bonefish can reach 10kg and over 100 cm and feed mainly on small crustaceans and worms living in the sand. Like tarpon, they are also known to be able to breathe air from the surface of the water.

Enjoy the video

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Redfish fishing video

Redfish (also called red drum or channel bass) are a favorite with anglers from from Massachusetts to Florida in the USA. These fish fight hard, grow big and respond well to a variety of angling techniques. They are often caught on lures and flies, but anglers using bait also account for their fair share of fish.

They are a popular fish to target in "no motor zones" as these areas are often home to the largest fish. In these locations a canoe, kayak or small boat with oars/pole can be used to access these great fishing locations. While these fish can be found in relatively deep water they are most often targeted by anglers in fairly shallow water where they put up a great fight!

I hope you enjoy the video!

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Speed Clinch Knot

When you are out on the water or walking along a river it is sometimes an advantage to be able to tie quick knots. You might have lost a fish (and your hook/fly), gotten snagged or simply want to change hook size or fly. In many of these circumstances you will want to tie a knot quickly to get back into the fishing action. However, in the panic of a hot fishing session, quick knot tying can often lead to inferior knots.

The speed clinch knot was developed to prevent this problem as it is a fast knot to tie, yet remains a solid fishing knot for most situations. With practice this knot can be tied in less than 20 seconds! Here is an instructional video showing the process.

View the original article here