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FISHING TECHNIQUES

Florida Fishing	Naples Pier	Sanibel-Captiva	Naples	Live Shrimp	10,000 Islands	Summer Fishing
Bait/Lures	Fishing Holes	Techniques	Artificals	Fish On	When to Fish	Where to Fish

Still fishing

Still fishing is a versatile way to go. You can do it from a pier, abridge, an anchored boat or from shore. You can still fish on thebottom or off the bottom in ponds, lakes, rivers and streams for avariety of species. And you can still fish during most seasons andduring any part of the day. Your equipment and the size of the hooksand bait you use depends on what kind of fish you¹re after. But yourbest equipment for still fishing is patience. You have to wait for thefish to bite.

Drift Fishing

Drift fishing allows you to fish over a variety of habitats as yourboat drifts with the currents or wind movement. You can drift fish onthe bottom or change the depth with a bobber or float. Natural baitswork best. But jigs, lures and artificial flies will produce goodresults, too. You can drift fish on ponds, lakes, rivers and streamsany time of the day and year.

Live Lining

Your line is “live” when your boat is anchored in a flowing body ofwater like a river or stream. Use live or prepared baits and keep themon or just off the bottom. Live lining off the bottom allows your lineto drift with the current through holes and rocks where the fish may beholding. Your equipment and the size of your hooks and lures depend onwhat type of fish you’re after.

Chumming

To attract fish or get them biting again, you can throw “chum” into thewater where you’re fishing. You can use ground-up bait fish, cannedsweet corn, dead minnows in a coffee can (for ice fishing), pet food,even breakfast cereal. Or stir up some natural chum by scraping thebottom with a boat oar. Be sure not to over-chum. You want to get theminterested in feeding; you do not want to stuff them before they get achance to go after your hook. Chumming is not legal in all states.Check local fishing regulations to make sure you are not illegallystimulating the hunger of your future catch.

Bottom Bouncing

Bottom Bouncing is done from a drifting or trolling boat, and it’s agreat way to attract or locate fish during most seasons and times ofday. Use a buck tail jig or natural bait and drag it along the bottom.The dragging motion causes the lure to bounce along stirring up smallclouds of sand or mud. After a few strikes with bottom bouncing, youcan drop anchor and apply other methods to hook the particular kind ofspecies you’ve attracted.

Trolling

Most trolling is done using a small electric motor that moves the boatquietly through the water so fish aren’t spooked. But you can alsotroll by towing a lure while walking along the edge of a shoreline,bridge or pier. The speed of the boat determines the depth of yourbait. And the depth of the bait is determined by the species of fishyou’re trying to catch. Use a spinning reel or a bait caster fortrolling. Some states don’t allow motorized trolling, so check out yourlocal fishing regulations to avoid tangling with the fish enforcers.

Jigging

Jig fishing is popular and challenging. Why? Because the person fishingis creating the action that attracts, or doesn’t attract, theparticular type of fish he or she is trying to catch. Here’s how itworks. Cast out and let your jig hook sink to the bottom. Then use yourrod tip to raise the bait about a foot off the bottom. Then let it dropback to the bottom. You can jig up and down, side to side or up anddown and sideways. Jig rigs come in all sizes, shapes and colors, andcan be used with or without live bait.