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Lake Fishing
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.
Learn how to make your own fishing lures for only a few cents
each.
Click here to read more.
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.
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