canned tuna recipes: Fishing

Showing posts with label Fishing. Show all posts

Showing posts with label Fishing. Show all posts

Great fishing holidays

Currently I am on the road and am using one of those fancy wireless internet usb connections to post this for you.

I have been on some great fishing holidays, The one where I caught my first tarpon was probably my favorite. My dream fishing destination is probably Fiji or Tonga but I would also like to fish New Zealand for the big trout that live in the many great rivers. I also would like to fish the Midway Islands (maybe I just want to fish everywhere).

Basically the point of this little post is that I am wondering what was your favorite fishing hoiday or dream destination? Please leave a comment.

The top five reasons I go fishing

This blog now hosts over 250 posts and I thought it was about time I shared some of my favorite things about this great sport. So here it is:

Relaxation - Life is stressful these days and it is only getting worse. Fishing is my ultimate relaxation tool. It is sort of hard to stress out sitting on a lake, river, estuary or ocean with nature all around (apart from losing that fish of a lifetime of course!). It is also hard to think about what I need to do tomorrow, which makes this reason number 1!
Fun - Lets face it fishing can be frustrating, but that is half the reason we keep returning to it. So the saying goes if fishing was easier more people would take up golf! However, fishing is great fun too!
Family and friends - My old man is my best fishing partner and this has brought us closer together, even though not much is said out loud. There is something about sitting in a boat with someone for a long time. Fishing also helps you make great lifelong friends with the same passion!
Excitement - I was once watching a great fishing show one day and the host was hooked up to an obvious monster. He turned to his fishing partner and said "When this no longer gets me excited I will know that I am dead." That says it all really.
Nature - For people that cannot understand my fishing addiction this is the reason I use to explain to them why I go fishing. I could write a book about the amazing things I have seen in nature while fishing. A pod of dolphins dancing right around the boat, turtles surfacing next to the boat and scaring the hell out of me with that sound they make, manta rays flapping water into the boat, monster schools of pelagic fish on a feeding frenzy and birds feeding on the scraps and that is just to name a few. These memories are etched in my mind forever and when I am too old to get into the boat any more will be some of my fondest memories!

Have your own top reasons for going fishing? Please leave a comment.

Removing a fish hook from your hand (or body!)

Firstly I must apologize because this blog has been completely untouched for about a month now after a 90% drop in visitors overnight which I have been trying to solve for a while. Today the search numbers are back up a little so hopefully things are going in the right direction (fingers crossed). Enough of that boring stuff though!

As an angler you have probably had a hook stuck somewhere in you at some point during your adventures. Many anglers visit the hospital to get the hook removed, but sometimes our fishing adventures take us far from the hospital and we need to remove the hook ourselves! This little technique is one every angler should know, but I am unsure if sticking the hook in your arm to practice (or demonstrate on video) is a great idea. I advise people to always keep a pair of these clamps in your tackle box, but this method can also be used with string or fishing line to pull on the hook.

Best fishing songs

Fishing is a subject that much has been written about over the years, but there have also been some fantastic fishing songs written as well. My personal favorites would have to be take me to the river (not technically fishing I guess) and fishin' blues, but there are many great ones out there.

Do you have a favorite fishing song or do you have a tune you like to listen to when you are fishing. Please leave a comment.

Strangest fishing baits

A while ago I was looking around my favorite fishing forum and I found a thread dedicated to strange fishing bait people had used (or seen used). I was quite surprised by the number of non traditional baits that people have tried and just how successful they were.

I know in England it is normal to use Luncheon Meat (Tinned Ham) for carp and catfish, in some parts of Australia anglers regularly use chicken for bream and some Americans use only their hands to catch catfish - see catfish noodling!

I have also heard of potato, red meat and cheese being used as baits to varying degrees of success (although the health problems associated with fish and cheese should be considered). There was even a story in my local paper where two Greek anglers were pouring ouzo on their baits with extraordinary results.

What I want to know is have you ever tried a weird fishing bait and if so what were your results? Please leave a comment!

A bad days fishing is still a bad day

I must still be in a bit of a tizz over my blog disappearing from google and receiving very few visitors (sorry about that).

Sometimes it feels like all the bad days that you have avoided catch up with you all at once. I am sure you know what I am talking about. On these days it feels like you could win the lottery, but you would lose the ticket or maybe eat at the nicest restaurant only to be the only one that ordered the oysters and get food poisoning.

Sometimes these bad days even spread over to your fishing experiences. You might leave the bungs (plugs) out of the boat (guilty), forget the bait (guilty), forget to tie the anchor down to the boat (not guilty) or even worse.

This video shows what can happen when that "even worse" occurs. This video is entitled "how to ruin a Saturday" and just makes me want to cry for the guy!

The perils of being a fishing blogger (attention google)

Before I start this post I have to say this - don't get me wrong I love blogging for all my readers out there. This isn't a rant about you!

Sometimes working with the Internet can be frustrating. Over the past 3 days my blog has all but disappeared from google causing my visitors to drop back to the loyal few readers (thanks for sticking with me!) from almost 300 average visits daily. I can't for the life of me work out what is going on because I don't use shady tactics to promote the site nor do I use/steal content produced by other people (I write all this stuff myself).

Hopefully things will get back to normal soon because my confidence and enjoyment have taken a bit of a hit and I am looking for some good news!

If anyone is experiencing the same thing or has some advice please leave a comment.

Thanks for putting up with my rant. I promise I will get back to the fishing tomorrow.

Catching a sea snake while fishing (with video)

During our most recent fishing trip my wife caught a sea snake (which is the inspiration for this post). Fortunately for us is wriggled its way off the hook and we didn't have to debate who was going to take it off the hook for too long (for the record I was volunteered for the task!) I have previously encountered a sea snake many years before that also released itself - so I have been lucky!

Catching a sea snake is one of those things that you don't want happening to you when you are fishing in Australia - ever! The sea snakes that frequent our waters are the most venomous snakes in the world and one bite can kill a grown man in 10 minutes! I don't know about you, but I fish more than 10 minutes away from my local hospital!

This short video I have found is quite interesting. A British tourist fishing in Australian waters caught a cod (called grouper elsewhere) that had actually eaten a sea snake, and was still alive. I catch quite a few cod and they have the reputation of eating almost anything and I think a sea snake fits right into that category! Enjoy

Reef Fishing Video - Insane Action in Australia

This video is definitely amateur and it's noisy, but this fishing video shows some of the most insane reef fishing action that has ever been captured. It sounds a bit like my boat when the fish go off - I am known for being a little bit noisy myself (OK a lot noisy!) Congrats to the boys on the boat - it looks like so much fun! Apparently many fish were released, which is also great to hear.

This video was filmed on the great barrier reef and is fairly typical of the reef fishing available on the largest reef in the world. It really is a great fishing destination and all serious anglers should get there at least once in their lives. There are many fishing options available including everything from the ever popular reef fishing to serious sport fishing for grandeur marlin!

I really enjoy reef fishing, probably because the fish hold all the cards early in the fight and because you never know what you are going to pull up. The reef is also home to some of the best eating fish available! I hope you enjoy this great little video.

Fishing at the olympics

It is safe to say the most of the world is in Olympics mode (I have even noticed a drop in visitor numbers to this site!) So while the blog is a little deserted I thought I would put up my arguments for and against about fishing being included as an Olympic sport!

For

Most countries participate in the sport of fishing in some form.
It is a traditional and ancient sport.
Each Olympics could have a different target species.
It would raise awareness of angling and what anglers do to care for the environment.
It would encourage the continued growth of catch and release fishing.

Against

Animal rights activists would be against it.
It doesn't make for great TV (this is debatable I guess).
Transporting all the necessary equipment to the Olympic country could be a chore (although it can't be much harder than transporting a horse or a drunk athlete!)
It isn't a traditional Olympic sport.

Hopefully the IOC is listening/reading to my thoughts and we will see fishing at the Olympics one day!

Of course this is all just a bit of fun, but feel free to tell me what you think - please leave a comment.

Amazon Piranha Fishing - Video

Piranha are, arguably, one of the most well known fish in the world. There is such mystery and folklaw attached to these fish they probably have more false stories circulating about them than true stories. I am sure you have heard stories of these man eating fish tearing shreds off swimmers and overtured ferries with packs of piranhas eating everyone that doesn't get out of the water fast enough. These stories make good Hollywood movies, but they are far from the truth as they are generally non violent.

There are about about 33 species of piranha (no one really knows exactly) and most make for very good fishing and eating. They respond aggressively to lures and flies and will attack a bait hard. In the following video the anglers use meat for bait and the piranha just love it. I love the old school fishing rods (or trees should I say?). It is well worth a watch.

This video also shows how to cook, clean and fillet a piranha which might be useful for someone I guess - enjoy.

Giant Catfish - Fishing Video

The catfish we get here in Australia can get big, but nothing like the sizes of the giant catfish caught in other locations around the world. Our catfish even have poisonous spines that can kill you which means that Australians like catching catfish about as much as catching a cold. However, since writing this blog, I have come to realize that catfish are a prized catch in certain parts of the world and if you are in any doubt as to why then just watch the fight from the catfish in the video!

I have written about catfish before such as the biggest catfish ever caught, catfish noodling video and night fishing for catfish as well as the strange story of the catfish that swallowed the basketball. As this is my fifth catfish post I decided to try and find a really interesting video of a giant catfish to mark the occasion. This video of a guy catching an awesome giant catfish and is well worth a watch. This huge fish puts up a strong fight (take a look at the bend in that rod) and it was really great to see it released after capture. Enjoy!

How to catch trout

Trout fishing was one of my favorite pastimes until I made the move to tropical Australia where the only trout fishing available is coral trout on the tropical saltwater reefs (not that I am complaining though!)

There are a few species of trout that are caught recreationally, but the most important recreational trout species would be the rainbow and brown trout. Both species grow big, fight hard and take flies, which makes fly fishing the most popular form of targeting these magnificent fish.

Fly fishing for trout
There is much written on the subject of fly fishing for trout so I wont go much further into the area. Basically fly fishing for trout has been around almost as long as the trout itself and is not only a traditional method of catching these fish, but can be great fun too! The basic premise of fly fishing is to present a recreation of the natural food the trout are eating in fly form to entice them to bite.

Other forms of trout fishing
While dedicated fly anglers may find this sacrilegious, there are many other ways to catch trout and some can even be more successful than fly fishing at times. Many anglers use natural baits to catch trout (either under a float or on the bottom) and there is a growing number of anglers using soft rubber baits and hard body lures.

Whichever method you decide to use the pursuit of these wonderful fish will take you to some of the best locations in the world with the awesome scenery you are unlikely to forget!

Removing fishing line from your reel

As I was getting the boat ready for tomorrows fishing trip with my old man I spent quite a bit of time replacing old line on one of our many rods. Removing fishing line from the reel is one of my least favorite activities. As I was doing it today I spent some time thinking that there must be a better way and when I got back to my place decided to do a google search. I found a great little video of a product that fits into your drill and removes the old line in seconds.

It looks like it would be fairly easy to make something similar for yourself with an old bait casting reel and a drill attachment. I know that there are some fancy electronic line removers that tackle shops use, but this method would be cheap, fairly easy to make and be very easy to use.

If you do watch the video and/or have any grand ideas feel free to drop me a comment and tell me all about it.

(sorry for the poor video quality)

Heli Fishing (Helicopter Fishing)

Traditionally heli fishing is about using a helicopter to get to remote locations that not many people fish. People who have undertaken this type of fishing tell stories of some of the best fishing and remote locations on the planet. Some heli fishing operations are set up exclusively for fishing, but many anglers simply hire a helicopter and pilot for the day. The second option will only work if you know exactly where you want to fish as only the specialist heli fishing operations will take you to the hot spots they have already found.

Advantages of helicopter fishing

Fish almost untouched locations.
Get to remote locations in comfort.
Superb views from the helicopter.

Disadvantages of helicopter fishing

Cost - it can be very expensive (get a group of mates together and split the cost!).
Generally heli fishing charters are shorter than a mothership based charter.

If cost is really a problem for you then you should check out this video below. It is heli fishing with a difference and is absolutely hilarious! A must watch video!

How to catch marlin

Marlin are arguably the most iconic fish in sportfishing circles. Men have been known to shed a tear after an encounter with one and each fish caught is etched in an anglers memory forever.

There are four species of marlin that make up recreational catches; the blue marlin, black marlin, striped marlin and white marlin. All of the marlin species fight extremely hard and the two bigger species (blue and black marlin) can grow well over 1000 lbs!

Marlin Fishing Techniques

Marlin are an aggressive fish that respond well to teasers and plastic skirted lures trolled across the surface of the water. Most anglers consider the action of the lures on the surface far more important than color. Trolling speed is about 7-10 knots and allows the marlin boats to cover a large area.

Marlin anglers also troll natural baits such as striped tuna, bonito and Spanish mackerel. Sometimes natural baits are used in conjunction with a skirted lure to enhance the trolling action.

Marlin are also caught on live baits; either slow trolled, at drift or at anchor. Live baiting usually takes place once the marlin are located with teasers or at an area that marlin are known to frequent such as a FAD.

Marlin Tackle

Marlin are big fish and require quality rods and reels and a lever drag reel is almost essential. Most marlin anglers use a minimum of 24 kg line and 200 lbs monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. Remember that marlin will make light work of any flaw in your tackle, line or knots.

200th Post

I really cannot believe that this is already my 200th post. Since I have started posting daily (well almost daily) the time has really flown. The most popular posts since this blog went live are:

Baitcaster reel casting instruction
The picture and story behind the great white shark and the kayak
The biggest catfish ever caught
100th post (About those famous sharks pictures)
Cast net instruction

I celebrated this milestone with a bit of fishing early this morning with my wife and Dad. We had a fun little session off the local rock wall and as luck would have it I caught two of the biggest fish I have ever encountered off the rocks.

Tomorrow Dad and I are playing tour guide to some visitors and will spend the morning fishing the harbor from the boat so I am really getting my fishing fix this week.

Before I finish this post I want to say thanks to all my readers for continuing to visit and keeping me motivated to continue with this blog. 300 here I come!

How to catch sharks (shark fishing)

As I have previously posted, shark fishing is not really my thing. Where I live sharks are considered something of a pain when reef fishing, but I understand that sharks are a very popular targets in other parts of the country and indeed the world.

Catching sharks
The key to catching sharks can be found in one word chum (also called berley or ground bait) and lots of it. Sharks have relatively poor eyesight, but one of the best senses of smell of any animal. A large majority of a sharks brain is dedicated to smell and research suggests sharks can find food by smell alone from kilometers away. Some popular forms of chum for shark fishing is tuna chunks, small baitfish, tuna oil, chicken. Some people blend/mince all their fish frames up into old milk cartons and freeze the mixture to use. Best results are usually found when an angler creates a chum slick, which usually includes mixtures of fish oil and fish bits added to the slick in a consistent manner. Chum can directly be thrown into the water or added with the aid of a chum dispenser.

What you need
Sharks will make short work of low quality tackle and shark fishing requires top quality tackle. Most anglers use 50-80 pound mainline with a 200-300 pound leader usually made of wire to prevent bite-offs. A wind on leader is a very good idea! Hook size is usually between 10/0 - 12/0 and strong hooks are a necessity. When targeting smaller sharks you can get away with hooks down to about 3/0 in size. A fighting belt and harness is also a great idea when shark fishing.

Bait for sharks
Without wanting to make this sound too simple - Sharks eat fish. Any fresh fish flesh will do and tuna is one of the most popular.

Remember shark fishing can be dangerous. Always prepare well before tackling the biggest shark species. Always check local regulations when targeting sharks.

Friday Fishing Report

Sorry this report took so long. I have had one of those weekends and a nasty stomach bug has kept me down for a couple of days (it wasn't from the fish I caught and ate fortunately).

It was cold when dad and I headed out before the sun poked its head above the horizon. When I say cold I mean it was about 20 degrees (about 70 degrees Fahrenheit for the Americans reading this), but I am from the tropics after all and I was cold! We haven't had much luck lately and the weather report was not favorable so I hadn't prepared quite as well as I usually would. I usually make up about 5 or 6 spare leaders in case we get bitten off, snagged or reefed by a big fish and keep them in a snap lock bag.

First up we fished a shallow water wreck and the fish were on straight away. I hooked a big fish only to have it eaten on the way up by a monster barracuda that probably could have swallowed me whole. We used the half fish for cut baits and before they hit the bottom dad hooked and subsequently lost a massive fish we never sighted (1 leader lost). I quickly re rigged his line and before I turned around he was on again. This time he fought the fish for about 10 minutes and as it came close to the boat it surged towards the anchor and busted him off (2 leaders lost). I re rigged his line again (this time with 100 pound fluorocarbon leader) and after about 2 minutes he hooked and lost another monster within about 0.5 seconds of hooking it (3 leaders lost).

The bite slowed down after this and we moved to another wreck, but the wind proved a little too strong and we headed for a sheltered sloping rock/reefy area. However, while at the second reef dad had his hook bitten off by what was probably a shark (4 leaders lost). At the reef we started pulling up an assortment of small reef fish, which were released to fight another day. We made one last move into a slightly deeper part of the reef and started catching more small reef fish until I hooked (and landed) a beauty. By this time my old man managed to find a snag or two and lose another couple of leaders. My rod buckled over again soon after and I had my second good fish of the day over the side. With the wind really picking up we called it a day with a couple of fish in the box and some really great stories of "the one that got away."

In the spotlight

You may or may not know that the ultimate fishing blog has been spotlighted at the Outdoor Bloggers Summit Blog. I was very impressed with the review of my blog and if you are interested in reading the article it can be found here Spotlight week 3.

As I approach 200 posts I am still excited about the prospects for this blog and amazingly (for a quiet guy) I still have plenty of things to say as well as ideas for future posts. If you have anything you would like to see me write about feel free to leave a comment.

Tomorrow I will be out fishing all day and hope to bring you a report of a fantastic days fishing then.