Rigging Pink Plastic Worms for Steelhead Fishing

Many steelhead anglers have had success with pink plastic worms.  They can be fished under a float or drift fished.  Since plastic worms float, you'll have to add some weight (i.e., split shot) to get them down deep enough to where trout are feeding.

The video below shows how to rig your line with a pink worm.

For more tips on rigging pink plastic worms, click here.

For more steelhead fishing tips, click here. 

Fly Fishing Lessons for Kids

Looking for a great gift idea for the child in your life?  How about fly fishing lessons.  The Rivers and Glen store in Augusta, Georgia will be holding a fly fishing clinic for kid.  There are three different dates available.

• December 21, 2010 from 12 - 2 pm
• January 11, 2011 from 3 - 5 pm
• January 24 from 3 - 5 pm

Each class is $50 and will start with the basics including tying knots and fly casting while actually fishing at the same time.  Parents will be asked to drop their kids off at various local lakes (including Hammond’s Ferry ponds) for the clinic.  Equipment and snacks will be provided, although kids are welcome to bring and use their own fly fishing equipment.


As kids master their skills, they'll be able to attend more advanced classes in the future.  For more information about the fly fishing clinic for kids, click here. You can also call the phone number listed below for more information.

Rivers and Glen Fishing Clinic for Kids
Tuesday, December 21, noon-2 p.m. January 11 and 24, 3-5 p.m.
$50 per class
706-738-4536
We:b:  riversandglen.com

Fishing With Live Shrimp

Fishing with live shrimp is a favorite for many trout anglers ... especially with those fishing for speckled trout.  It's a well known fact that many speck fisherman will follow the shrimp boats when fishing for speckled trout. 

Rigging your pole with live shrimp can be done a couple of different ways.  Regardless of the method used, be careful when hooking the shrimp so as to not kill him.  The best thing to do is to hook the shrimp in the tail.  This will not only help to keep him alive, but also allow the shrimp to swim freely.  Small light-wire hooks are also preferred when fishing with shrimp because they allow the shrimp to swim more freely.

Not sure how to properly hook a shrimp in the tail?  Watch the video below.

Free Lining

One of the most popular (and easiest) methods is to put a live shrimp on a hook and toss your line into the water.  You don't need any additional weight if you're fishing near the surface, although you can add weight if you want to fish below the surface. The goal is to let the shrimp swim freely so they look more natural to trout feeding in the area. This means you need to leave the bail open after tossing your line out.   Because line is being pulled off the spool (either by the shrimp or by you letting more line out as needed), this method is often called "free lining".   You can see free lining in action by watching the video below.  

 

Popping Cork

Fishing shrimp with a popping cork rig is a favorite tactic among anglers. In this method colorful, trout-attracting floats that make a popping sound are used. The popping action of the cork mimics feeding fish. The video below shows how popping corks work.  Plastic or live shrimp can be used with popping corks.

Jigging

Live shrimp can also be attached to jig heads and fished deeper around docks and other deep water structures. Jigging works best in the colder months when trout are feeding in deep holes in channels off the main river. A 1/16 oz jig head with a size 2 hook should work well.  

Putting shrimp on a jig head is done differently than putting shrimp on a hook for free lining.  When jigging, you'll want to hook the shrimp from the underside through the head between the eyes and the brain.  Amazingly enough, this will keep the shrimp alive and allow him to swim freely. 

Top Five Winter Speckled Trout Lures

If you live in an area where you can fish for speckled trout, you'll love this article.  I stumbled across it this morning and thought it was too good not to share. It's titled, "Top 5 Winter Speckled Trout Lures".

For more speckled trout fishing tips, click here.

For more winter trout fishing tips, click here. 

How to Use Augers for Ice Fishing

Augers are a necessary piece of equipment if you want to do any ice fishing.  The videos below explain the different types of augers and how to use them.

Types of  Ice Fishing Augers

 How to Use a Folding Ice Fishing Auger

Pros and Cons of Inline Ice Fishing Augers

How to Use an Inline Ice Fishing Auger

Pros and Cons of Offset Ice Fishing Augers

How to Use an Offest Ice Fishing Auger

Ice Fishing Tips - Identifying Different Types of Ice

It's that time of year again where lakes are freezing over in many parts of the world.  Many trout anglers enjoy ice fishing, so I thought it would be nice to share some ice fishing tips.

To ice fish, you have to use an auger to cut a hole in the ice first.  As you cut through the ice, you may notice the different layers of ice.  The video below will help explain the different layers of ice you may encounter.

There are different types of augers and as the video explains,the kind of auger used, often depends on the type of ice you're cutting through.

Anchor ice is the hard, submerged ice layer.  It gets its name from the fact that it is "anchored" on the bottom. If cutting through anchor ice, you'll want to use an inline, solid stem auger.

Another thing to consider is the size of the hole.  Fishing for large lake trout through the ice is a favorite winter activity for many trout anglers.   Some of these trout are too large to be landed through a 7-inch hole.  What's the solution?  The video below explains.

For more winter trout fishing tips, click here.