Daily Archives: August 22, 2010

Fishing Strategies

What You Need to Know about Koi

The term “koi” actually means “carp” in Japanese. They are domesticated common carps. Koi breeding started in Japan in the 1820’s. To date, koi breeding is very popular and an extremely  lucrative business. Koi fish now come in various color patterns and combinations that can involve black, red, orange, yellow, silver and green.

Backyard koi ponds, with the wonderful sound of running and cascading water, can provide relaxation to the mind and soul. They give owners their desired peaceful and tranquil environment.  These ponds can be amazing sights especially when koi owners introduce living plants to the koi ponds, replicating in the process a real pond environment.

In a few instances, though, these koi fish and plants cannot seem to co-exist.  Koi fish could at times be very difficult to manage especially when mixed with plants.  Owners often try to place these potted plants on the pond floor and allow them to sit there.  Larger koi can sometimes knock off these potted plants and create real problems to the owners.

Koi can also have the tendency of “digging” up the soil.  But, that does not mean you cannot have any plants in your pond at all.  Koi pond owners can be really creative in finding solutions to these problems.  You can wrap netting over the tops of the pots to keep the koi from digging in them.

Pea gravel placed on top of your plants can also solve the problem.  Larger and bigger pots can take the weight of river stones.  With the stones on top of the pots, the koi fish will have a harder time knocking them over due to their weight and they will not be able to get to the dirt underneath the stones in order to dig it up.

Water lilies can provide a great look to your koi pond.  They come in several different varieties including ones that grow well in shallow water and ones that grow better in deeper water.  They really provide your koi with shade and shelter even if they are not oxygenating plants.  Plus, having plants in the water will attract insects.  Koi fish are omnivores and will search the plants’ foliage to seek out insects and larva to munch on.

Other than the insects that the koi fish search out from the plants, they can also be looking for some other types of food.  It is not unusual for koi fish owners to mention that they successfully trained their fish to eat out of their hands.  Koi fish have the ability to be able to recognize the person who feeds them and will approach that person during feeding time.  Watermelons, lettuce and peas are favorite foods of the koi fish, other than the usual pre-made koi food.

It is really an amazing experience to watch your koi fish in various colors swim with grace in your backyard pond. They give their owners so much pleasure and in return, these owners reward the koi with unrestricted generosity and care.

JAMES FIELD is a koi fish expert. For more great information on koi fish, visit http://www.koifishadvice.com/.

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Fly Fishing in Cincinnati ? Come and Join the Fun!

Spend a day learning to fly fish and open up the door to a lifetime of angling adventures and memories. Upon completion of this full day, comprehensive school, you will be skilled and confident enough to pack up your fly fishing gear and head out to enjoy a trip on the water of your choosing. The elements of the sport we feel are essential for beginners and cover in the school are as follows:

· Equipment Knowledge and Selection

· Casting Techniques & Presentation

· Reading Water

· Wading Techniques

· Fishing Knots

· Fly & Leader Selection

· Fly Presentation

· Proper Fish Fighting Techniques

· Lots of time spent fishing!

The setting for our fly fishing schools is a sportsman club in Manchester, Indiana. The location is a short drive from Cincinnati, Ohio. The club is comprised of 1000 pristine acres of rolling hillsides housing 14 ponds and a man-made trout stream. The waters are home to largemouth bass, smallmouth bass, panfish, trout, carp, and catfish. In addition to the breathtaking scenery, a newly remodeled lodge with full amenities is at our disposal.

The fly fishing schools run from March-August. The cost of the school is $175 and includes all fly fishing equipment, a hearty lunch, and beverages. Accommodations at the lodge or nearby casino hotels are available, and we would be happy to make those arrangements for you. The schools are limited to 4 or 5 participants, ensuring a lot of personal attention.

2008 Introductory Fly Fishing School dates:

March 29th

April 5th

April 12th

May 10th

June 7th

June 28th

July 12th

August 2nd

The following items are recommended items for the beginning flyfishing school:

· Flyrod and reel if you own one. If not, one is provided as part of the class.

· Sunglasses-Polarized sunglasses are strongly recommended as they help cut the glare on the water allowing you to “see through” the water.

· Sunscreen

· Hat

· Hiking shoes or similar. Recommend against wearing open-toe shoes

· Bug Spray-usually not bad but you never can tell.

· Camera

· Any personal medications

· Clothing recommendation is long pants (lightweight) and a short sleeve shirt (no bright colors)

· Rain gear if appropriate.

(If you have any questions regarding what to wear or bring, please do not hesitate to call and ask us. We will be more than happy to review the checklist with you.)

To reserve a slot for an upcoming school, please call us at 513-871-3474. If you cannot attend any of the available dates above, you can email or call us and we will place your name on a list and contact you if we open additional school dates. Private schools are also an option if the dates above do not fit your schedule.

For more information, feel free to contact the school instructor, Brian Barnard, at Brian@BestGear.com.

Brian Barnard is a Federation of Fly Fishers licensed instructor at Best Gear, an online supplier of field and stream apparel and Kentucky fly fishing and Ohio fly fishing experts.

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Fishing Tips

Flathead Catfish Fishing Secrets Of Bring Up The Big Guys

When seeking out various types of fish, it’s good to have some general knowledge about not only that particular species’ preferred habitat but also about its habits, food preferences, and lifestyle in general.


While it’s not common for humans to think about animals and fish having a “lifestyle”, the idea is quite important to determining the best tactics to use in hunting or fishing for a species. This is definitely true of certain types of catfish, especially flathead catfish. Fishing for catfish is a popular sport throughout the United States, but tactics for catching different types of catfish vary greatly.


For example, most catfish are considered to be opportunistic feeders. This means that they are literally scavengers, seeking out the easiest meals they can find. They’ll eat other hunters’ “leftovers” – pieces of dead fish and other bits and bobbles – to avoid having to hunt down food. They’ll survive off insects and invertebrates native to their waters, and they’ll even eat plants to satisfy their hunger.


However, flatheads are different, meaning that flathead catfish fishing requires a different approach.


Flatheads, which may also be referred to as mud cats, shovelhead cats, johnnie cats, yellow cats, Mississippi cats, and Opelousa cats, are not simply scavengers. While they would not turn down an opportunistic meal, they are predators and prefer to hunt down live fish.


They are also one of the largest breeds of catfish around, growing regularly to sizes of three or four feet in length and weighing up to 100 pounds. Therefore, unlike many smaller species of catfish, you’ll need heftier equipment and specialized bait to attract these monsters.


Flathead catfish fishing requires live bait. In fact, the live bait you use should be sizeable in order to attract the flatheads because they do not appreciate a small meal. While you can use invertebrates, like worms, you will have to stuff your hook with several night crawlers to increase your chances of drawing in a flathead.


More useful bait would consist of large minnows or small shad and carp, as these are typically included in their diet anyway. If you choose not to use live bait to attract a flathead catfish, fishing with stink bait is probably the only way to attract your catch. This works on occasion because catfish find food mostly based on smell rather than sight, and large chicken livers or other rotting stink bait foods will permeate the water and drawn in your prey.

Dan Eggertsen is a fishing researcher and enthusiast who is commited to providing the best catfish fishing information possible. Get more information on flathead catfish fishing here: http://www.askcatfishfishing.com

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Carp Fishing Equipment

How do bait boats help in catching those great carps?

While I do admire the wonders of nature while keeping an eye on my rods, my main target remains to catch some great carps. Let’s imagine we are now sitting at the edge of a pool, alleged to be populated by numerous carps, pike and other fish. We have our rods, bait and we need to decide where to have our swim.

How would you select your swim? Following your fishing experience, trusting your fellow anglers’ opinion, … ? Most of the time we are talking about hard to reach places, which puts us for another challenge: get our rig and bait over to that presumed ideal fishing spot. So we would like to be able to locate the fish and get our rig and bait to that spot with maximum accuracy and minimum risk. We need a tool to transport both bait and rig to the spot where the large fish have their meal.

 Thanks to modern technology we have the perfect solution via a radio controlled bait boat. If the rc bait boat is fitted with a fish discoverer, you can finally fulfil all the aspirations of a real carp or pike angler: find the ideal fishing spot and get yourself over to that perfect position with rig and bait to catch them fish. These radio controlled bait boats come in different taste and flavours, so when selecting your rc bait boat you need to always keep in mind your goal and your needs.

Is the function for finding fish with your rc bait boat required?
As mentioned in paragraph above, we want to locate the fish, in which case the fish finder function is necessary.
Be aware of the fact that there are bait boats that only deliver the more common purpose of a bait boat, which is to render the lure on your preferred location. As those rc bait boats do not accept the fish finder option, will not be able to add the fish finder function afterwards.

What is your normal quantity of bait?
The bait boats’ capacity is specified in kg or lbs. If the weight of your bait boat is specified to maximum 0.5kg, you could have to arrange multiple trips if your desired bait quantity is much more. Make up your mind about this specification as it also has implications for the price.

What is the maximum distance from your rod to your swim?
This range is expressed in m or ft and generally varies between 200 and 600m. Exceeding the distance might cause you to lose radio control over your rc bait boat. It is up to you to select the bait boat with the appropriate maximum range in line with your fishing style.

Is fishing at any time of the day a requirement?
Navigation lights and led indicating your bait has dropped will come in handy if you prefer fishing at night or in misty circumstances. Bait boats equipped with gps steering capabilities are ideal for this kind of work, but their high cost makes them less attractive.

What is your budget?
We hope that the selection criteria above allow you to evaluate your needs and choose your bait boat within your budget.

Smart fishing requires keen tools and talent. At heliosonline we provide a bait boat campaign to allow for better selection and use  of your rc bait boat.

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