Angler fish facts

I first saw an angler fish in the Iron Chef "angler fish battle" or was it Finding Nemo - I can't remember now, but it is one weird looking fish. However, angler fish are one of those weird creatures that seem to capture everyones imagination. It's weird looking, a little scary and apparently the liver is the only part worth eating (according to the Japanese anyway).

Angler fish facts

• The angler fish is so named because of its strange method of catching prey. They dangle and wiggle a filament attached to their head (see the angler fish pictures below) to look like prey and attract small fish. When these fish get close enough the angler fish swallows them whole. Their jaws are actually controlled by an automatic reflex when their is contact with their tentacle.
• Angler fish are deep sea fish by nature and are found worldwide.
• There are many different species of angler fish - some are pelagic, while others remain on the bottom of the ocean floor.
  
• In Japan the liver of the angler fish is worth approximately $100US while a whole fish will set you back about $150
• Some angler fish have arm-like pectoral fins that they use to walk along the ocean floor

Angler Fish Pictures

There are many species of angler fish and some are very difficult to photograph because of the lack of light in the deep parts of the ocean they live. However, there have been some really great photographs of angler fish captured.



My personal favorite picture

Scary looking isn't it?

I hope you have enjoyed this post.

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How do fish finders work

If you are a regular reader of my blog you will have noticed I have been answering some of the questions I get asked via email the last few weeks and this post is no different. I must get asked about this at least once a week so I thought it was time to tackle the subject of how fish finders work.

How do fish finders work
A fishfinder (also called a depth finder or sounder) is made up of two parts that work together seamlessly. The receiving unit processes the signal and interprets the data which it displays on an LCD screen. The sending unit, called the transducer, sends the sonar signal to the bottom and when it receives the signal back it sends this signal to the computer for interpretation and display.

The underwater part
A fish finder sends an acoustic pulse directly downwards to the seabed and records the returned echo. The sound pulse is generated by the transducer that emits an acoustic pulse and then “listens” for the return signal. The time for the signal to return is recorded and converted to a depth measurement by calculating the speed of sound in water. The time interval, measured in milliseconds, between the pulse being transmitted and the echo being received, allows bottom depth and targets to be measured.

Fish finders can be used to detect bottom structure like wrecks, reefs and snags. With practice anglers can even distinguish a hard reefy bottom from mud or sand.

Sound waves travel differently through fish than through water because a fish's air-filled swim bladder has a different density than seawater. This density difference allows the detection of schools of fish by using reflected sound. (wikipedia)

Why do fishfinders show arches

As the fish swim through the beam they are shown as arches. If your boat is stationary and the fish are stationary you will see a straight line instead (as the sound keeps bouncing off the fish).

This is best explained with a picture:


You can set up your fish finder to fish show symbols or arches. Fish symbols are shown when the sophisticated computer detects enough of an echo to be a fish. However the computer can make incorrect detections and most serious anglers use fish arches and choose to interpret the data themselves.











Two soundings - one using fish arches the other using fish symbols.

Do fish finders scare fish? Can fish hear the fishfinder?
The simple answer to this question is no. Fish cannot actually hear the sound emitted by the fish finder as the frequency is out of their hearing range. As for whether they can feel it in their swim bladder, that is still up for debate. For what it is worth I have caught good fish with the sounder on and off so I don't put much reliance in this theory.

I hope you have enjoyed this post. If you have any topics you would like to see me post about or want to know more feel free to email me or leave a comment.

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Where do sharks live

Sharks hold a certain fascination for many people and I have been pleasantly surprised by the amount of people visiting my shark posts so far. I have been watching some of the shark week on the discovery channel lately and I thought I would share some of what I have learned.

Where do sharks live?
Contrary to popular belief sharks are only found in 30% of the world oceans making 70% shark free. However, most coastal areas will be home to at least one species of shark. Research shows that sharks cannot live in water deeper than 1500 meters and this makes them susceptible to overfishing.

Great White Sharks are found in almost all coastal waters with temperatures from 12 and 24° C. There are large concentrations in Australia, South Africa and California.

Tiger sharks can be found close to the coast in almost all tropical and sub-tropical waters and will sometimes stray into temperate and cool waters.

Mako sharks are found in almost all tropical and temperate waters worldwide.

Interesting shark facts

• The bull shark is well known for its ability to live in both fresh and salt water - imagine the surprise if one made its way into your local bass lake!
• In the 16th century sharks were usually referred to as "sea dogs"
• Sharks never stop swimming, even to sleep, otherwise they would fall to the sea floor.
• Black-tip reef sharks have swum the Suez canal to colonize the Mediterranean Sea.
• While snorkeling in Australia, Luke Tresoglavic was bitten by a small wobbegong that didn't let go. He had to swim to the shore and drive to get help with the shark still attached to his leg.
• During an experiment a scientist plugged on nostril of a shark - it swam in a circle.

Fishing
Sharks are susceptible to overfishing and many species are now on the endangered list. As you might expect sharks are very good fighters and can grow to enormous sizes. Some sharks are also good eating. However the fact that they are under so much fishing pressure and can be downright dangerous near a boat means that you should think carefully before purposely targeting sharks.

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Fishing advice

This question comes up a lot in my conversations with fellow anglers - where is the best place to get fishing advice? There are many places where fishing advice abounds including fishing forums, local fishing media, tackle shops, fishing clubs, other anglers and even pubs. However, not all of this advice is useful and it always pays

Before asking for any local advice remember to respect the locals and they will respect you. Buying someone a beer and listening to them for a while is more likely to get results than talking up your angling prowess endlessly.

I personally use a combination of all methods for finding fishing advice. I read everything I can in the local media including current fishing reports. I always ask at my local tackle shop for a bit of current advice (spending a few dollars always helps too.) I am part of a grapevine of local anglers that share information, which makes it very easy to find out where the fish are biting currently.

Fishing advice from forums
I think this deserves its own section and I don't want to offend anyone here, but I don't find all of the advice from them very helpful. I find it too hard to weed out the really useful posts from the people who are simply talking themselves up without any real useful information. After saying all that though if you are prepared to take the time you will find plenty of useful information.

Wherever you go for fishing information and reports there really is no substitute for exploring your local area and working out the hot spots yourself.

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Fishing Lure Earrings

Fishing lure earrings are exactly what you would imagine them to be, either lures that have been turned into earrings or specially made for the purpose. They are certainly a fashion statement and while not everyone can pull them off they can certainly work for some people.

My wife has a pair and wears them when we go fishing or as a talking point at various events. She even caught me looking at her ear one day when I had forgotten my spare lure box, but quickly shut me down with a "don't even think about it."

I am not really sure where you can get them from (if you know please leave a comment). I think my wife got them from our local jeweler, but we do live in a fishing crazy town. I saw a set of spinnerbait earrings on ebay the other day, which were so cool and this was the catalyst for this post.

There are more and more women getting into the sport of fishing and as this number grows you can expect to see more accessories targeting this market. Lately I have noticed more pink fishing rods than ever before and I read that one of the major tackle companies are donating some of the profits from these rods to breast cancer research, which is really great to hear.

Here are some of the cooler ones I found while searching the net:



I love these ones apparently they are "fun and waterproof" :-)

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Ice Fishing Knots

Like all forms of fishing ice fishing requires strong knots that can handle the tough conditions they will be put through. Choosing the correct knots for ice fishing depends on the line you are using. Contrary to popular belief you do not need a special type of line for this form of fishing either monofilament or braided fishing line will work well with a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader to withstand any abrasion.

Ice fishing knots

Line to leader
There are many good knots for this situation and the knots listed below work equally well with monofilament or braid. Just remember to add some extra turns if using braid.

Albright knot
This knot works well joining lines of very different diameters. You can find instructions (and a video) for this knot at my earlier post - how to tie an albright knot.

Uni to Uni (Double Uni) Knot
This knot is my personal favorite for joining my line to my leader. It is easy to tie, but still retains its strength. You can find instructions for this knot at my earlier post - how to tie a double uni knot.

Leader to hook (and other terminal tackle)

Improved Clinch Knot
This knot works well with mono and braid lines (increase turns when tying in braid). It is simple to tie and sufficiently strong for most situations. You will find the instructions for this knot at the post how to tie an improved clinch knot.

Jansik Knot
One of the most popular ice fishing knots the jansik knot is easy to tie and has one of the strongest knots strengths when tied correctly. I have not tested it with braided line. You will find instructions for the Jansik knot here.

Uni Knot
Another popular method of joining the leader to a hook is the uni knot. You can find instructions for the uni knot at the post how to tie a uni knot.

Advanced knots
Although the need for advanced knots when ice fishing is rare. There are a couple of advanced leader knots that may be useful.
Bimini Twist
Bristol Knot

I hope this little post has helped you out. If you would like to see any knots that aren't on the list (or think I have made a glaring omission) feel free to leave a comment.

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Bass video lessons

Bass are probably one of, if not the, iconic freshwater sportsfish in the world. I have had heaps of requests for bass lessons or tips. These requests keep pouring in so I had to do something about it. Unfortunately I am not from the US and I have never caught and American bass. Luckily though there is plenty of information on the web and I was able to piece together this little informative post (with videos).

These bass video lessons are presented by Doug Hannon one of the most famous bass fishermen who just so happens to be called the bass professor.

Video 1 - Big Bass Tip
In this video Doug Hannon talks about the secret to catching big bass, that really isn't a secret at all. What he says can easily be related to your fishing.



Video 2 - Big Bass love structure
In this video Doug talks about finding the right structure and fish that are active. There are some fantastic underwater shots to help explain the different types of structure.



Video 3 - Moon phases and bass
In this video Doug talks about the effects that the moon phases have on big bass and their feeding habits.



I hope you have enjoyed this post. There are many more video lessons available and if you would like to request anything in particular feel free to leave a comment.

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