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Spring is here. You head out early in the morning, your fishing
gear packed into the back of your SUV. You're looking forward to
a day on the lakeshore and are hoping to catch a pickerel or
perch. When you arrive, you pack your gear to the rocky shore
and decide, for the fun of it, to use a nightcrawler for bait.
You slide it onto your hook and cast. The bait sinks below the
surface. Bang! A fish strikes. It is a good sized catch and a
fighter. You can see it flipping and thrashing in the cool
water, trying to free itself of the hook. You play the fish
until it tires, bring it into shore and scoop it into your net.
Much to your surprise, you've landed a northern pike.
Lake fishing is any type of fishing that is done on a lake. It
can be shore fishing from a pier or marina or from a rocky
shoreline. It can also be boat fishing, trolling or fly fishing.
There are a wide variety of fish species found in lakes around
the world. Lake species include bass, trout, catfish, perch,
pickerel, northern pike, muskellunge, sturgeon, walleye and
salmon.
If you plan to fish from a boat, you will need to own one, rent
one, or go lake fishing with someone who has one. To fish from a
boat, you will need a rod, reel, tackle, trolling equipment and
a lake or fish map. If you are a beginner, use a basic lake
fishing kit. This includes a six to eight foot graphite or
fiberglass rod with a basic closed or open faced reel. Fishing
line should be 8 to 15 pound-test, depending on the fish species
you are targeting and the depth. Fishing near the surface
requires 8 pound-test, while fishing the middle or bottom
requires 15 pound test. The larger the fish species, the higher
pound-test line you will need.
You will also need a variety of different sized hooks, ranging
from medium to large. Split shot sinkers are best. If you are
planning on fishing the bottom, larger weights will be
necessary. Remember, when buying sinkers, be sure they are lead
free in order to protect the environment. Floats can vary from
cork to plastic to foam. Torpedo floats work great as well.
Floats of various sizes can be used, but remember, smaller is
always better. You don't want the fish to see your float.
A variety of bait, both live and artificial is used for
different species of lake fish.
Trout
Live bait for trout includes worms, insects, insect larvae and
crayfish. Artificial bait includes streamers, spoons, spinners
and dry and wet flies.
Bass
Live bait includes worms, shad, insects, insect larvae, frogs,
crayfish and minnows. Artificial bait includes spinners,
streamers, Mepps, spoons, jigs, crankbaits and clousers.
Walleye
Live bait includes nightcrawlers, crayfish, minnows, chubs and
leaches. Artificial trolling bait that is best is jointed
minnows and spinner rigs.
Salmon
Live bait includes worms, prawns, crustaceans, insects and
insect larvae. Artificial bait includes lures, flies, plugs,
streamers and spinners. Prepared bait such as egg sacs and
scents also work well.
Catfish
Catfish in a lake are usually channel cat. They are attracted to
cut bait, worms, crayfish or peeled crayfish tails, mollusks,
minnows, cheeseballs, breadballs, shrimp, chicken entrails and
liver.
Pickerel
Pickerel feed on aquatic insects and invertebrates. Use
nightcrawlers, minnows, crayfish, insects and frogs. Artificial
bait includes worms, spinners, spoons, streamers and Mepps.
Perch
Perch feed on minnows, insects, insect larvae, crayfish, snails,
nightcrawlers, grubs and maggots. Artificial bait includes
worms, lures, spinners, streamers and jigs. Use small lures when
fishing for perch, as they have small mouths.
Northern Pike
Pike are predators. They will take nightcrawlers, minnows and
smelt. Pike, especially females heavy with eggs, prefer dead
bait because it provides an easy meal. Artificial bait includes
wobbling spoons, spinners, split minnows and red and white
spoons. If you are removing a hook from a northern pike, use
needle nose pliers to avoid injury.
Muskellunge
Live bait for Musky includes live fish bait that is 10 to 12
inches. Suckers work well, as do leeches, frogs, insects and
sunfish. Artificial bait includes spoons, bucktails and large
plugs. Muskies are fighters and will strip reels, break rods,
mutilate bait and bend hooks.
Sturgeon
Sturgeon like fresh bait and are bottom feeders. They are
attracted to clams, eel, crayfish, smelt, salmon eggs, shad,
nightcrawlers and fish heads.
Lake Trolling
Trolling is the use of either large or artificial bait pulled
through the water behind a moving boat. It is used on lakes,
especially for trout and walleye. The boat can be powered by a
motor or oars. The bait can be trolled at any depth and is
intended to resemble live fish. Trolled plugs, spoons and flies
can be fished deep by adding weights or using leadcore line.
Live bait is fished below a sliding float when trolling.
If you wish to take up lake fishing and have concerns over
equipment or bait that you should use, ask an experienced lake
angler to give you some tips, or invite them to come along on a
lake fishing trip. Any experienced lake angler will be able to
help you with equipment, bait, casting and trolling issues. This
could be a family member, friend, neighbor or a staff member at
a bait and tackle shop that specializes in lake fishing.
Fishing
Facts |
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