The Fergus Falls Daily Journal

Anglers, this one included, are often on the search for magical baits and fishing techniques that can make our fishing trips more successful. Sometimes they do appear. More often, however, paying attention to some simple, but very important details can mean all the difference in the success of a fishing outing. Here is a look at a couple details this angler finds important.

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Paying attention to detail can make difference for anglers [UPDATED]

Published 7:44am Tuesday, July 3, 2012 Updated 12:50pm Tuesday, July 3, 2012

Look first

One thing my days fishing walleye tournaments and following the national tournament trails taught me is the importance of using my fish-finding sonar unit in locating walleyes, especially in summer when these fish often hold on deep water structure like underwater humps, points, and islands. Cruising over these structural elements and seeing the telltale arches indicating the possible presence of walleyes is one method top walleye anglers use every day to increase their successes.

Looking beneath the boat with sonar for the presence of walleyes before actually wetting a line is a time saver. When weed-related fish like largemouth bass are my target, I can now use sonar to help me save time in this situation as well. Using the Side Imaging feature on my Humminbird sonar units, I can now “look” to both sides of the boat searching for the presence of weed clumps along flats and drop-offs that are likely bass-holding hotspots. Again, this saves me time in my fishing search.

Use good hooks

 

Quickly locating fish is a detail important to any fishing trip. Another important, yet oft-ignored, detail is paying attention to the hooks used to hook and hold fish. While lots of round-head jigs, for example, might look alike, a big difference can be in the quality of hook used in building that jig. For that reason, I pay careful attention to the hooks present on any of the jigs and lures I use. I want sharp hooks, but also strong hooks with tips that will not roll over easily.

Not only is using good hooks important, but so is keeping an eye on the hooks during the course of the fishing day to be sure they are still in their best fish-hooking and holding condition. Even the best of hooks will occasionally bend or the point will roll, so monitoring or replacing a hook or the actual jig may be necessary during the fishing day.

Mike Frisch is a western Minnesota fishing guide. Visit his website at www.fishinwithfrisch.com or follow him on Facebook.