There are many different ways to catch fish. Some people like to use rods, others use nets, some like to do it from the shore, while others fish from a boat or a kayak. With so many different types of fishing, you can be certain that there are many different types of gear available on the market.
Before we start talking about the gear, we need to go over the most popular types of fishing. We will give you details on how to properly use different fishing techniques and equipment that should help you become a successful angler. Knowing what to do and how to do it is the recipe for success. Below you will find more information about the fishing techniques and how they became so popular.
Table of Contents
Kayak Fishing
Kayak fishing is the type of fishing that is done from a kayak. It was originally developed by people who were living in the Arctic region. Kayak fishing has since evolved into a real sport, and it is becoming more popular by the day. Kayak fishing is ideal for catching fish like cobia and flounder because it's stealthy, so the fish don't get scared so easily.
The modern kayak fishing is popular in both salt water and fresh water. It can be done in all parts of the world, but it's mostly tied to warmer regions. Kayak fishing is performed from specialized fishing kayaks. They are not expensive and are easy to maintain. These small boats can be stored in small spaces, and they can be put into action in a matter of minutes. Serious kayak anglers customize their kayaks all the time.
Kayak manufacturers have realized that they have to improve their products and customize them for anglers. Today, kayak fishing is performed from specialized kayaks that were designed for anglers. They have special hatches, rod holders, built in coolers. GPS locators and equipment mounts. Some of them also include anchor trolleys, running lights, and live wells. Kayaks used for fishing have to be stable, and that is why they are wider than standard kayaks, even though they look similar. They are wider so anglers could stand up and fish without falling into the water.
Each kayak has a large storage space inside the hull and fishermen use it to store gear, rods, spare paddles, and any other fishing equipment. Some kayaks feature an outrigger that increases their stability even further. The most popular fishing kayaks are made out of polyethylene which makes them cheap and durable. Kayaks with hard shells are more popular than inflatable kayaks because they are much sturdier and easier to stand up in. To move around in a kayak, anglers use paddles to stay silent and get some exercise on the way. Some kayak models use propellers or flippers and a foot mechanism.
Techniques for kayak fishing are the same that are used on fishing boats. The only thing that is different is the set up because kayaks are much smaller than vessels.
The kayaks used in fishing are equipped with all kind of accessories that make the fishing easier. Bottom fishing can be done from a kayak because the trolling speed doesn't have to get above 10 knots as it was thought earlier.
One of the methods that were developed by kayakers is the softbaiting fishing method. It involves jig heads and soft lures in shape of fish. Kayak fishing used to be performed only in saltwater, but it slowly found its way inland into freshwater rivers and lake. Freshwater kayak anglers usually target smallmouth bass, muskellunge, largemouth bass, and salmon.
Fly Fishing
Fly fishing got its name because an artificial fly is used to catch the fish. Fly rods are used to cast the bait, and the line is specialized for this type of fishing. Since the lures are very light, anglers have to use entirely different techniques to cast the bait. The flies that are used are designed to mimic insects, baitfish, and other organisms fish eat regularly.
Fly fishing can be done in saltwater and freshwater, but the techniques that are used are not the same in every habitat. The main difference between fly fishing and other types of fishing lies in the fact that the weight on the end of the line carries the hook through the air, while spin and bait fishing use weights to get more casting distance.
The flies that are used in fly fishing are usually made of fur, feathers, fastening hair, and other materials. They can be natural or synthetic. The first flies that were used were made out of natural materials, but these days, synthetic flies dominate the market.
Flies are tied in a way that makes them attractive to fish. They are made in all sizes, colors, and patterns that mimic the insects and other organisms that the targeted fish eat. The reel was a wide drum that could spool out the line without effort, allowing it to drift far out with the current.
Different materials were used to make fly fishing rods. Bamboo fishing rods were the most popular because they are lightweight and sturdy. Some anglers still use these rods today.
Casting Techniques
While other casting methods usually cast the lure, fly fishing is a method that casts the line. Flies used in fly fishing are just too light to cast them and let the line follow, and that is why the line is heavier and easier to cast than in other types of fishing. To cast the line, anglers swing their rods from side to side to create an impulse that they use to unfurl the line when the rod tip reaches the highest velocity
There are many different casting techniques that depend on the conditions in which anglers fish. The most used cast is the forward cast. Anglers swing the fly over their shoulder and then quickly whip it forward to cast it. The movement of the rod amplifies the power of the anglers arm which helps him cast the line much further.
Some of the fly fishing techniques that are used the most
Surf Fishing
Surf fishing is the sport of catching fish from the shore. It can be done by casting a lure, and it includes all types of fishing that are done from the coast. This includes rock jitters, rocky beaches, and fishing piers as well. Beachcasting and surfcasting are specific types of surf fishing where the angler casts into the surf or close to the shore. Surf fishing is mostly done in saltwater.
Equipment
Basic surf fishing doesn't require long casting distance and that's why most fishing rods used are between 7 and 18 feet long. They have an extended butt section, and they feature a spinning or revolving spool casting reel. Fisherman also needs bait or lure as well as hooks, lines, and leaders. The equipment used is determined by the fishing conditions and the targeted fish. Reels, rods and most of the tackle used for surf fishing are resist to corrosion and abrasive effects of the salt water and the sand.
Surfcasters mostly use artificial lures. There are hundreds of different lures available on the market, and they can be purchased at local tackle shops. Most anglers carry a surf bag that has a number of different lures they change depending on the fishing conditions.
Surfcasting
Surfcasting is a technique that differs from ordinary surf fishing because fishermen use very long rods to cast the bait further into the water. To cast the bait, they have to use their entire body. Double handed casting techniques allow fishermen to cast the line ever further, and some experienced fishermen use the pendulum technique that can enable them to cast the bait over 700 feet. Danny Moeskops is the record holder with a casting distance of 313.46 yards.
Beachcasting
Beachcasting is a popular form of fishing that is mostly practiced in Great Britain. Fishermen that use this technique use rods between 12 and 16 feet. They stand on the beach or the shoreline and cast the bait out to the sea. The bait can float or weighted down with lead weights. Most fishermen use live bait like mussels, lugworms, sand eels, and others, but some use artificial flies and spinners.
The overhead casting technique is most used, but anglers also practice pendulum casts and off-ground casts. The pendulum technique is advanced, and it's used only by veteran fishermen to cast the line over 300 feet.
Baitcasters always aim for a certain zone where the fish tend to converge. The location of that zone depends on the conformation of the seabed. It takes some time to understand how baitcasting works to become a successful fisherman.
You have to observe how the waves move and where they break out. It is the point where the bottom height of the wave is lower because that is where the water is stirred up the most and where the fish are.
Game Fishing
Game fishing is a sport for professional and amateur fishing enthusiasts. What separates this type of fishing from others is the fact that all fish that were caught are released after weighing. Game fishing is done in fresh and saltwater. Some fisherman eat the fish they catch, but most of them release it back in the water. Many fish species are regarded as game fish and salmon is a species that is exploited commercially.
The fish species that are targeted by anglers depends on the location where they are fishing. Some fish are targeted as food, while others are sought for because of their fighting abilities and the fact that they are difficult to catch. Big game fishing refers to game fishing large saltwater fish like tarpon, tuna, and baitfish. Anglers who go after these fish species are usually very experienced because they are hard to track and even more difficult to reel in.
Anglers in North America are often looking for redfish, bass, trout, salmon, common snook, pike, walleye and others. The most targeted fish are called panfish because they can fit in a pan. The most popular species are perch, rock bass, crappies, sunfish, and bluegill. Panfish are usually hunted by inexperienced anglers because they represent a good place to start perfecting the skills and techniques needed to catch larger fish in the future.
Big Game Fishing
Big game fishing is also known as offshore sportfishing or blue-water fishing. This is a recreational style of fishing, and the anglers are always after large saltwater fish like marlin and tuna. Big-game fishing was established as a sport with the invention of the motor boat. This happened in the early 20th century.
The most target species are the swordfish, marlin, and sailfish. Anglers sometimes even fish for mako, tiger, hammerhead and other species of large sharks. Smaller species like wahoo, dolphinfish, Barracuda, and others are often used as live or dead bait to catch big game fish. These fish are targeted because they offer a challenge for experienced anglers who sometimes spend hours trying to reel in a fish.
Trolling is the most used technique where the anglers set off multiple lines and pull the bait behind the boat. Anglers also turn to chumming or chunking which refers to the process of throwing pieces of dead fish bait into the water from the boat to attract big game fish. Australians refer to it as Berley.
Anglers get the rush from fighting large fish that hook up to the line. Big-game fishing is done in a team. One angler stays on the back of the boat to fight the fish, while the other maneuvers the boat to keep the fish behind it. The reels used in big-game fishing were designed with specialized drag mechanisms that allow the line to escape when the fish starts pulling. The angler waits for the fish to slow down and then starts reeling it in. This process goes on until the fish is too tired to fight back and the angler can reel it in.
Bass Fishing
Bass fishing is a popular type of fishing where anglers go after different species of bass. It has a long history, but today's modern bass fishing became a multi-billion dollar industry. The rules of the sport have changed since the beginning and anglers today can use the most advanced technology to seek out and catch bass fish like smallmouth bass, spotted bass, and largemouth bass.
During the early 19th century, anglers that had money in the US were fishing for trout and salmon using fly fishing rods. Smallmouth bass and other bass species were only targeted by some anglers and most of them used poles and live bait to fish. When the first artificial fly was created in mid-19th century, fishing became even more popular. There was a wide range of different flies available on the market soon, and fishing as a sport became even more popular. Bass fishing was still falling behind other types of fishing until the plastic worm was created in the 1950s. This worm is what revolutionized bass fishing.
Bass fishing became popular in the US when largemouth and smallmouth bass were introduced in all parts of the country. They were transported by train and freed in all parts of the US. Today, bass fish have taken over warmer waters where trout used to live.
The modern bass fishing was established as a sport in the early 20th century. That was the time when artificial flies and other equipment became available on the market. Oddly enough, spinning reels and rods didn't become popular until the mid-1950s. Nowadays, anglers use all types of fishing tackle and techniques to catch bass fish. In fact, many of the equipment available today was created by fishermen who wanted to make bass fishing easier and more efficient. Today, many anglers use sonar and other hi-tech equipment that helps them catch more fish than before.
Bass fishing as soon attracted many professional anglers which lead to the development of competitive bass fishing. Today, this is a huge industry and many companies that produce fishing tackle support the sport today. Professional bass anglers compete in bass fishing pro circuits in local, national, and even international contests. Many of them are sponsored by a tackling company and angling is their job. Anglers are awarded prize money when they win a competition.
Every angler has his own set up for bass fishing. Some of them use braided lines, some use fluorocarbon, the bait and lures are also different from angler to angler.
The most popular set up in the US is the so-called Texas rig. It is one of the most popular and efficient ways of bass fishing because it's simple to set up even for beginners.
The biggest bass fish that was ever caught was a 22-4 pound largemouth bass. George Perry caught it in a small lake in Georgia. A Japanese fisherman caught a bass in Lake Biwa in 2009 that matched the longstanding record made over 80 years ago.
Deep Sea Fishing
Deep sea fishing is also called big-game fishing and offshore sportfishing. It is a recreational type of fishing where large fish are targeted because of their power and the challenge they bring with them. Some anglers release the fish back into the sea, while others take their catch home. To count as deep sea fishing, the bait has to be dipped lower than 30 meters into the water.
Big-game fishing has become a huge attraction for tourists and angling enthusiasts around the globe. More and more traveling companies add big game fishing in their offers, but it was not always like that. Big-game fishing was a sport that started after the invention of the motor boat. The sport was founded by Charles Frederick Holder in 1898, but it became popular after the first world war. Anglers have always been attracted to large fish, and these are some of the biggest fish species in the world.
Deep sea fishing has become so popular in the last couple of decades, a number of popular TV shows about anglers came about. Deep sea fishing can bring in a lot of income because a single fish like a large tuna can be sold for thousands of dollars. Apart from tuna, the most popular species are swordfish, sailfish, marlin, other large tunas like bluefin, yellowfin, and even sharks. Many of these fish are well over 400 pounds in weight and anglers have to use sturdy equipment to reel them out of the water.
The equipment that's used in deep sea fishing is probably the toughest of all fishing tackle you can find on the market. Anglers use different techniques, and the fishing is always done from a boat. They use spinning rods and reels that are big and sturdy, and they use the thickest and strongest lines that can hold the weight of large fish.
Deep sea fishing has to be done in a team of at least two because someone has to control the boat to make sure that the line is always in the back. If the fish manages to slip under the boat, the line can break, and the fish can escape.
The most popular locations for big-game fishing can be found all over the world. Avalon, Florida, Queensland, New Zealand, Nova Scotia, Croatia, and many other locations have become popular spots for anglers who are looking for a challenge. Some anglers go as far as 70 miles out to sea to find the best place to fish. Most of them use sonars and other equipment to spot the targeted fish easier.
Big-game fishing is a sport, and as such, many tournaments and contests take place every year. Professional anglers then compete to catch as many fish as possible. The weight of every fish is added, according to the rules and the winner is the one with the highest result.
Apart from standard fishing techniques, kite fishing is a technique that is also used. The kite is very effective on dolphin fish, tuna, marlin, sharks, and other big-game fish. Smaller live bait is hooked to a line that hangs from a kite that is positioned away from the boat. Once the fish hook up, they will try to go deeper, but the kite will hold them in place and take the stress of the fish so the line won't break so easily.
