Fishing articles

30 Secret Fishing Tips

From the experts who never tell

The tension backstage was intense during the weigh-in at the 2006 Bassmaster Classic, and it wasn’t because of the number of fish in each contestant’s bag. The nerves had more to do with fear that another bag might be opened: the one holding a personal fail-proof tactic.

“You try to keep stuff as secret as possible,” says Dean Rojas, who finished 12th at last year’s Classic. “Maybe it’s a color that worked in a certain situation or a certain way to cast your lure, anything to give you an edge over the next guy. That’s why you never see the older guys talking.”
Or as Pat McIntire, CEO of fishing tackle manufacturer Pure Fishing, told us, “We talk to anglers so we can create new products, but they won’t give full disclosure in front of each other. Alone, one on one, that’s when the really good stuff comes out.”

So rather than bring groups of anglers to your home, we did the next best thing. We took them aside, one by one, and got their best tips. Try them out the next time you hit the water, and when you start pulling fish in your boat, please do us a favor: Keep the secret to yourself.

In the holiday spirit of giving, the Recreational Boating & Fishing Foundation has announced that anglers can print a 'Fish Trip IOU' at AnglersLegacy.org when they take the Pledge to take someone new fishing.

"What better gift to give this season than sharing your time out on the water with family and friends," said RBFF President and CEO Frank Peterson. "As a thank you to those who take the Anglers' Legacy Pledge and become Ambassadors, the 'Fish Trip IOU' will help you get your friends and family involved in the sport you love. By taking someone new fishing, you are also giving back to the industry and resource."

One of the country's biggest and longest-running artificial reef research projects is about to widen its scope, and the payoff could be healthier grouper in the Gulf of Mexico, a University of Florida researcher says.

Over the last 17 years, UF researchers have built and placed a 26-mile line of artificial reefs in the Gulf and studied its impact on gag grouper, a popular game and food fish.

The reefs give shelter that researchers believe helps young gag grouper grow to adulthood and replenish heavily harvested populations.

With winter approaching, BoatU.S. Marine Insurance has reviewed its claim files and reports the following six most common mistakes made when winterizing a boat: