by: Angela Carter
What type of fisherman are you? Are you satisfied go out and drop your fishing line and be totally unconcerned about if you catch anything or not? Is the time that you spend with your family, friends or even by your self enjoying nature what your trip is really all about? If you don’t caught anything that’s fine-you can always stop at the fish shop on the way home, but it would be nice if you caught something. Or do you feel like your trip’s been ruined because you didn’t caught anything, and go home frustrated. Or is fishing how you make your living, either by catching fish or taking customers out to fish? If you take a customer out to do some deep sea fishing, it would be much better to bring home a happy customer with his catch, who could be possibly a repeat customer or tells his friends about how great his trip was bringing you additional work. A frustrated customer will think twice about using your services again and when planning his next trip, might go elsewhere and may be steering other potential customers away from you. What if there was a way to make sure you go where the fish are? What if there was a way to guarantee that you would catch your limit, to be able to ensure that your customers will go home happy and raving about your great service.
With GPS technology it is now possible to go where the fish are and to remember the spot so you can relocate it. The other good thing about using a GPS while on the water is safety. You can enter the spot where you put your boat in the water in the memory of your GPS unit. Most GPS units hold at least 500 landmarks or areas where you want to get to. If you run into fog or bad weather you should be able to find your way back. Also if you stay out longer than expected you can find your way back in the dark. If you run into an emergency while on the water, you can call someone and let them know your coordinates, and then they could find you. If someone falls overboard a GPS unit can pinpoint the exact area where the incident happened and helping rescue crews with their rescue. This allows you to enjoy your day and not worry about getting back to land safely.
A chart plotter GPS with a map chip can give you your position relative to land features, water depth, and harbor entrances. Using a GPS with a water depth can allow you to follow the bottom looking for fish. It is also possible to let others know about a spot that you have found by using GPS coordinates.
Often people like to fish around a wreck, with a GPS unit you can enter the location of the wrecks to be able to find them easily. Plus knowing where a wreck is only part of the scenario, you need to know how deep that wreck is and if there are any areas you need to avoid. Often a fishing trip starts out before daylight, with a GPS you can pinpoint where you are going.
No matter what your intent is when you go fishing. A GPS can enhance that experience.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Three Good Reasons To Take Up Fishing
by: Dog Lane Fishery
For the non-angler fishing can seem like a strange sport. It involves lots of waiting around on a river bank, possibly for whole days and nights, and the likelihood of getting cold and wet is very high. After all that, you may not even be rewarded for your patience and you might go home empty handed and disappointed. So why on earth would anyone be tempted to go fishing?
Every angler will all have his own theories as to why the sport is so popular, but it’s likely that they will include some, if not all, of the following aspects:
Weather
You can fish in any weather. In the summer, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more glorious way of spending your time. It’s hot, the birds are singing, and the countryside (and hopefully, the water) is teeming with wildlife. Even in the winter, however, fishing can be immensely enjoyable. You can get a feeling of man against the elements. How well you are prepared for the weather can make or break your fishing trip. If you’ve come well wrapped up, with plenty of food and hot drink, then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
Escapism
Going fishing allows you to have some time to yourself. We all lead busy lives and now and again it is important to take a break, do something for ourselves and forget about the daily grind. With only your own thoughts for company and possible a radio or a good book, fishing gives you time to reflect on recent events.
Camaraderie
Just as fishing is a good time to enjoy your own company, it’s also a good excuse to get together with some mates. You’d be surprised how many new friends you can make as well, especially by visiting the same venue regularly. Competitions are also great fun because you’re pitting your wits against other anglers. There’s obviously an element of luck involved, but it’s also about using your skills and techniques in such a way as the situation demands.
For the non-angler fishing can seem like a strange sport. It involves lots of waiting around on a river bank, possibly for whole days and nights, and the likelihood of getting cold and wet is very high. After all that, you may not even be rewarded for your patience and you might go home empty handed and disappointed. So why on earth would anyone be tempted to go fishing?
Every angler will all have his own theories as to why the sport is so popular, but it’s likely that they will include some, if not all, of the following aspects:
Weather
You can fish in any weather. In the summer, you’ll be hard pushed to find a more glorious way of spending your time. It’s hot, the birds are singing, and the countryside (and hopefully, the water) is teeming with wildlife. Even in the winter, however, fishing can be immensely enjoyable. You can get a feeling of man against the elements. How well you are prepared for the weather can make or break your fishing trip. If you’ve come well wrapped up, with plenty of food and hot drink, then you’ll get a lot of enjoyment out of it.
Escapism
Going fishing allows you to have some time to yourself. We all lead busy lives and now and again it is important to take a break, do something for ourselves and forget about the daily grind. With only your own thoughts for company and possible a radio or a good book, fishing gives you time to reflect on recent events.
Camaraderie
Just as fishing is a good time to enjoy your own company, it’s also a good excuse to get together with some mates. You’d be surprised how many new friends you can make as well, especially by visiting the same venue regularly. Competitions are also great fun because you’re pitting your wits against other anglers. There’s obviously an element of luck involved, but it’s also about using your skills and techniques in such a way as the situation demands.
Maine Fishing Landlocked Atlantic Salomon
by: Ronald Moody
Landlocked Salmon Atlantic Salmon are know only in the State of Maine. Some of the other names are Sebago Salmon or Quananiche and the scientific name is Salmo Salar. The average size is 16-18 inches and 1-2 pounds, but 3-5 pound fish are not uncommon. Adults are generally silvery wiyh a slightly forked tail and small x-shaped marking on the back and iper sides. Juvenile salmon have a dark red spot between each pair of parr marks. Mature males develop a kype or hooked jaw, during the spawning season.
Landlocked salmon are a freshwater form of the sea run Atlantic Salmon. Prior to 1868, landlocked salmon populations occurred in only four river basins in Maine, St. Croix including West Grand Lake in Washington County, the union, including Green Lake in Hancock County, the Penobscot, including Sebec Lake in Piscataquis, County, and the Presumpscot, including Sebago Lake in Cumberland County.
Today, landlocked salmon provide the primary fishery in 176 lakes comprising nearly 500,000 acres. They are present and provide incideatal fisheries in an additional 127 waters comprising about 160,000 acres. Maine supports one of the larges sport fisheries for this species in the world. Landlocked salmon also provide good fisheries in 44 rivers and streams totaling about 290 miles.
Hatchery stockings are needed to maintain fisheries in 127 lakes. These lakes do not sufficient amounts of suitable spawning and nursery areas to produce wild salmon. Without regular stockings, salmon in these lakes would disappear entirely, or their numbers would be very, very low. About 123,000 salmon were stocked annually in Maine lakes from 1996 to 2000.
Natural reproduction supports salmon fisheries in 49 lakes. These are lakes that have sufficient spawning and nursery habitat to produce enough salmon to support good fisheries. Most of these waters are located in western and northern Maine. Salmon spawn in lake outlets or inlets during the period from mid October to late November. Eggs are buried in gravel from 4-12 inches deep and remain there until hatching early the following spring.
Young salmon spend from 1 to 4 years in a stream environment prior to migrating to a lake. Recent studies in Maine show most wild salmon spend 2 years as stream dweelers. In wild salmon populations, most males spawn first at ages 3 and 4, although a few spawn at ages 1 and 2. Females usually spawn first at ages 4 and 5. Spawning runs of wild salmon may be composed of fish ranging in age from 1 to 10 but 3, 4 and 5 year old individuals make up the bulk of most runs. Landlocked salmon may be repeat spawners, but most fish observed on spawning runs are spawning for the first time. Salmon may spawn in consecutive or alternate years, some may spawn in consecutive years then skip a year, and some may skip 2 or 3 years between spawning.
Salmon populations sustained by natural reproduction often more older age fish those supported by stocking, wild salmon usually exhibit slower growth do hatchery salmon, so they reach legal size and harvested 1 or 2 years later. The oldest landlocked salmon on record in Maine was years old.
Rainbow smelts are the principal forage species for salmon in Maine lakes. Without adequate numbers of smelt, salmon growth and body conition will be poor, markedly reducing value as a sportfish. Maintain adequate numbers of smelt for forage is the most important element of salmon management in Maine. Extensive studies conducted in Maine clearly show that salmon growth rates, and consequently the size of fish available to anglers, is best in lakes with excellent water that do not have large populations of other smelt predators, particularly lake trout.
From 1996 to 2000 Maine open water anglers voluntarily released over 60% of their catch of legal salmon, ice anglers released about 25% of their legal salmon catch. Catch and release of salmon has improved fishing in many lakes, but in others it has resulted in depressed smelt populations and smaller salmon, because there are too many salmon. Maine fishery biologists have responded by reducing stocking rates by implementing fishing regulations designed to restore a reasonable balance between numbers of smelts and salmon.
Hatchery salmon generally provide fisheries for larger fish than do wild salmon because the number of smelt predators can be strictly controlled. Therefore, precise management for particular types of fisheries, such as those emphasizing trophy fish, is usually best achieved with hatchery stocks rather than wild stocks.
From 1996 to 2000, the average size of salmon harvested from all Maine lakes was 17.4 inches and 1.7 pounds, the largest since department fishery biologists began conducting scientific creel surveys in the 1950’s.
Landlocked Salmon Atlantic Salmon are know only in the State of Maine. Some of the other names are Sebago Salmon or Quananiche and the scientific name is Salmo Salar. The average size is 16-18 inches and 1-2 pounds, but 3-5 pound fish are not uncommon. Adults are generally silvery wiyh a slightly forked tail and small x-shaped marking on the back and iper sides. Juvenile salmon have a dark red spot between each pair of parr marks. Mature males develop a kype or hooked jaw, during the spawning season.
Landlocked salmon are a freshwater form of the sea run Atlantic Salmon. Prior to 1868, landlocked salmon populations occurred in only four river basins in Maine, St. Croix including West Grand Lake in Washington County, the union, including Green Lake in Hancock County, the Penobscot, including Sebec Lake in Piscataquis, County, and the Presumpscot, including Sebago Lake in Cumberland County.
Today, landlocked salmon provide the primary fishery in 176 lakes comprising nearly 500,000 acres. They are present and provide incideatal fisheries in an additional 127 waters comprising about 160,000 acres. Maine supports one of the larges sport fisheries for this species in the world. Landlocked salmon also provide good fisheries in 44 rivers and streams totaling about 290 miles.
Hatchery stockings are needed to maintain fisheries in 127 lakes. These lakes do not sufficient amounts of suitable spawning and nursery areas to produce wild salmon. Without regular stockings, salmon in these lakes would disappear entirely, or their numbers would be very, very low. About 123,000 salmon were stocked annually in Maine lakes from 1996 to 2000.
Natural reproduction supports salmon fisheries in 49 lakes. These are lakes that have sufficient spawning and nursery habitat to produce enough salmon to support good fisheries. Most of these waters are located in western and northern Maine. Salmon spawn in lake outlets or inlets during the period from mid October to late November. Eggs are buried in gravel from 4-12 inches deep and remain there until hatching early the following spring.
Young salmon spend from 1 to 4 years in a stream environment prior to migrating to a lake. Recent studies in Maine show most wild salmon spend 2 years as stream dweelers. In wild salmon populations, most males spawn first at ages 3 and 4, although a few spawn at ages 1 and 2. Females usually spawn first at ages 4 and 5. Spawning runs of wild salmon may be composed of fish ranging in age from 1 to 10 but 3, 4 and 5 year old individuals make up the bulk of most runs. Landlocked salmon may be repeat spawners, but most fish observed on spawning runs are spawning for the first time. Salmon may spawn in consecutive or alternate years, some may spawn in consecutive years then skip a year, and some may skip 2 or 3 years between spawning.
Salmon populations sustained by natural reproduction often more older age fish those supported by stocking, wild salmon usually exhibit slower growth do hatchery salmon, so they reach legal size and harvested 1 or 2 years later. The oldest landlocked salmon on record in Maine was years old.
Rainbow smelts are the principal forage species for salmon in Maine lakes. Without adequate numbers of smelt, salmon growth and body conition will be poor, markedly reducing value as a sportfish. Maintain adequate numbers of smelt for forage is the most important element of salmon management in Maine. Extensive studies conducted in Maine clearly show that salmon growth rates, and consequently the size of fish available to anglers, is best in lakes with excellent water that do not have large populations of other smelt predators, particularly lake trout.
From 1996 to 2000 Maine open water anglers voluntarily released over 60% of their catch of legal salmon, ice anglers released about 25% of their legal salmon catch. Catch and release of salmon has improved fishing in many lakes, but in others it has resulted in depressed smelt populations and smaller salmon, because there are too many salmon. Maine fishery biologists have responded by reducing stocking rates by implementing fishing regulations designed to restore a reasonable balance between numbers of smelts and salmon.
Hatchery salmon generally provide fisheries for larger fish than do wild salmon because the number of smelt predators can be strictly controlled. Therefore, precise management for particular types of fisheries, such as those emphasizing trophy fish, is usually best achieved with hatchery stocks rather than wild stocks.
From 1996 to 2000, the average size of salmon harvested from all Maine lakes was 17.4 inches and 1.7 pounds, the largest since department fishery biologists began conducting scientific creel surveys in the 1950’s.
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