JRW Fishing…We help save you time & catch more fish.

There is something almost spiritual about fishing in a river for your favorite species of fish. I don't know whether it's standing in flowing water, hearing the flow of the current, or simply being in the majesty of nature, but river fishing is something that simply feels right to me. In this article I'm going to outline 3 sure fire tips that will help you catch more fish wile river fishing. These techniques can easily be modified and adapted to river fishing from a boat as well, so wading isn't at all a necessity.

When river fishing, either from in the water while wading or from out of the water while in a boat, remember to use the water to your advantage. When river fishing we want to use the current to our advantage as much as we can. It's a good idea to study how fish react to flowing current and what we as anglers should do in various situations. There is a myriad of books available on such things, and the more you understand current the better off you'll be when river fishing.

The first thing I want to cover is your shadow. This particular tip is for those of us who wade, but it's nonetheless important. We need to be aware of where our shadow is being cast. In river and stream situations, casting a shadow onto the hole we're trying to fish is a sure fire way to get almost no bites. Larger and more experienced fish will become "spooked" if they detect the presence of anything out of the ordinary, and you shadow qualifies. Pay attention to where your shadow is being cast.

Let's get down to business and the 3 sure fire techniques that will help become a better river angler.

Polarization - When I list polarization a one of the sure fire techniques, I'm referring specifically to polarized fishing glasses. Quality polarized glasses are a "must have" item for any serious river angler. Polarized fishing glasses help to cut through the glare of the water and allow you to see into the water. The bottom line is that any true river fisherman needs a pair of quality polarized sunglasses.
The Weather & Moon - You need to pay attention to the weather & moon. These two forces of Mother Nature have as much of an impact on your ability to catch fish as the type of bait you use. Being on the water when these two forces of Mother Nature are the most conducive to fishing is most certainly a "sure fire" technique.

Natural Presentation

Start employing these techniques sooner, rather than later, and you'll begin experiencing much more success while river fishing. I've personally been using every one of these techniques with a great degree of success for more than 25 years, and know how effective they are. If they work for me, they will work for anyone.

Being On The Water When Fish Are Active
Many anglers put little or no effort into being on the water when the fish are the most active. To most anglers any time that they can go fishing is the best time to be on the water, and there's truth to this statement, but with a little education an anglers success rates can be increased dramatically. I'm not referring to becoming a scholar on subjects live the weather and moon either; I'm simply referring to spending a little bit of time understanding how things such as the weather and moon impact out ability to catch fish. Have you ever had one of those epic days fishing, where it seemed like you could do no wrong? When it seemed as if no matter what you threw into the water resulted in fish being caught? Not only were a lot of fish being caught, but they were quite large as well? Well, days such as this are a ton of fun, and happen because you're on the water when the fish are the most active. And the fish being active has to do with the weather and moon. These incredible days fishing are because you're on the water when both the weather and moon are in your favor, rather than just one of them. When you understand how these two factors really affect fishing, you can begin to plan your fishing trips accordingly. This way you can be on the water when the fish are the most active as much as possible. Many anglers simply think that fish biting is due to the type of bait or lure that they're using or worse, that fish bite or don't bite based on dumb luck. The truth is that the bait and/or lure that you employ obviously have an affect, but the fish being active has a larger affect. This is why familiarizing yourself with the weather and moon and the way they impact fish behavior is so important. To a certain degree, through gaining this knowledge you can make sure that you're on the water when the odds are in your favor and the fish are the most active. The easiest thing to do is make sure that you always plan your fishing trips during full or new moon phases. Fish are always more active, and thus bite more readily during these two moon phases. My point is that there are some times of the day, week, and/or month that are better for fishing than others, and as anglers we should be aware of such information. The more knowledge we gain, the better anglers we become, it's as simple as that. And besides, what's the worst that can happen? That I'm full of crap and you continue to have the same amount of fishing success as you have always had? That's the worst that could happen. On the other hand, maybe there's truth to what I'm saying, and you'll begin to catch more fish. Employ this information and see what happens? You won't be disappointed.

The Best Time To Be On The Water Fishing

As fishermen we get a finite amount of time to spend out on the water fishing, so we want to maximize our time as much as we possibly can. So, is this possible? Is there one time that's better than another for fishing and can these times be predicted? There are most certainly ways to tip the odds into your favor, which is what this article is about.

To determine the best time to be on the water fishing, with any level of reliability the key lies with two forces of Mother Nature. Specifically, the weather and moon. The weather and moon have a lot to due with the best time to be on the water fishing. This might sound strange, but it's nonetheless true. Let me begin by asking you a question.

Have you ever had one of those epic days fishing, where t seemed like you could do no wrong? Like no matter what you threw into the water resulted in fish being caught? Not only were a lot of fish being caught, but they were quite large as well? If you've ever had the pleasure of experiencing this phenomenon, you might have thought is was because of your prowess as an angler?

The truth is that it probably had to due with the weather and moon both being in your favor, and you fishing at this "perfect time" without realizing it. The good news is that this type of situation can be with a fair degree of regularity. Not having both factors in your favor, but certainly one of the two. It all has to do with understanding how the weather and moon relate to fishing. A little research on the weather, moon, and fishing goes a long way to making sure that you're on the water at the best time.

It's not necessary to become a meteorologist or astronomer either. All that has to be done is a little research. As a matter of fact you can learn what needs to be learned in about an hour of reading. This might sound crazy, but it's true. The information really isn't at all complicated, especially if you have it in one place. The information is actually quite simple.

For example, you should always be on the water during two phases of the moon (one of them being when the moon is full). When there's a full moon, fish are much more active, and thus much more apt to bite! There are simple rules that pertain to both the weather and moon and fishing that you as an angler need to be aware of. There are other simple rules for the weather, just like being on the water when the moon is full.

The more you understand about the weather and moon, the better. Armed with this information, you will always be able to make sure that you're out there when the best time to be on the water fishing is. There is simply no reason to rely on dumb luck when you don't have to. True fishing is more sophisticated than simple dumb luck.

Spring Fishing Tips

There are few things that people enjoy more than the springtime. The smell in the air, the warming temperatures, the birds happily singing their songs, and of course for those of us who fish, getting out on the water after being "out of commission" for six months or so. In this article I'm going to discuss some spring fishing tips that every angler should keep in mind. These tips will not only help you catch more fish in the spring, some of them will help you catch more fish no matter what season it is.

Let's start with your gear. In the spring, many times water conditions are much different than at other times of the year. For example, in many areas of the United States, river and streams are much higher than at other times of the year. This can have to do with rain fall or run-off. When we're dealing with higher water conditions, the best thing to do is use a longer rod. As an example, in the spring I use a six-foot six inch ultra light rod, rather than my normal five foot ultra light rod. This helps tremendously with "feeling" not only my bait, but also bites and bottom. A great spring fishing tip is to employ a longer fishing rod.

How about your clothes, shadow, ands yourself? Many species of fish, especially in cold clear water, are very spooky. If they detect anything unnatural, they will tend not to bite. This is why paying attention to your clothes and shadow is so important. You want to where drab clothing, rather than clothing that stands out. When fishing in small rivers and streams it's also incredibly important that you not cast a shadow on the area that you're fishing. This will "spook" any larger more experienced fish that may be in that hole.

In the spring the weather can be less than predictable. This is why understanding the ways that both the weather and moon impact fishing is so important. This may be the most important spring fishing tip. These two forces of Mother Nature have quite an impact on fish, and the more you know the better. The goal is to be on the water when the fish are the most active. This is accomplished by using these forces of Mother Nature to your advantage.

How about presenting your bait in a natural manner? This tip is true for all seasons, but seems to have more impact in the spring. As anglers, we want our bait to appear as much like it does in nature as is possible. If you ever use live worms as bait, this is why you need to use pre-tied gang hooks. You see, gang hooks enable you to present live worms in an outstretched and natural manner, which makes a huge difference in the number of bites you receive. Presenting your bait in a natural manner is always important, but especially important in the spring.

These spring fishing tips will help you be more successful on your next fishing trip. How am I so sure of this? Simply because I've been using every one of these tips for more than twenty years and know how effective they are. Give one or all of them a shot sooner rather than later. You won't be disappointed.

Ultra Light Fishing

There is no more challenging and enjoyable form of fishing than ultra light fishing (in my humble opinion). Ultra light fishing simply means using rods, reels, line, and baits that are matched to the type of fish that you're fishing for. To me, this only makes sense, and rather than calling this type of fishing 'ultra light' to me, this type of fishing is fishing.

In my humble opinion there is entirely too much "winching" going on, that's being passed of as fishing? In other words, many anglers use rods, reels, line and bait (s) that are entirely too heavy for their quarry and they end up simply "winching in their catch. If you're a "meat fisherman" and don't care about the sport of fishing, by all means winch away!

But for those of you who enjoy the sporting endeavor called fishing, ultra light fishing is for you. Let me provide a couple of examples to help make my point. When fishing for fish such as trout and smallmouth bass out of small rivers and streams, ultra light action rods and reels, spooled with line no heavier than six-pound test would be considered ultra light fishing. So would fishing for walleye or large mouth bass with light action rods and reels, spooled with six or eight-pound test line.

Of course certain situations, such as heavy weeds or tons of underwater debris warrant the use of heavier gear, but many anglers don't vary their gear for the specific situation. They use heavy gear for all fishing situations and this mistake costs them a lot of fish. This is why ultra light fishing or more specifically matching your fishing gear to the fishing situation is so important.

Ultra light fishing is not only more fun, it's also more effective. Just like making sure that you're fishing at the proper times is important, so is the size of your gear. For many species of freshwater fish the diameter of the line that's used makes an enormous difference. Remember, for most fish, if they can see your line, they are much less apt to bite your offering.

If you have any question about the validity of what I'm saying, do this: Get yourself an ultra light action rod and reel, spool that reel with four-pound test, and head out to your local small river or stream. Use a gang hook rig or small lure and spend the afternoon fishing. As soon as you hook and battle your first 15 + inch trout or smallmouth in the 2-3 pound category, you'll be hooked! I'm telling you catching fish on ultra light gear and light line is as much fun as can be had while clothed!

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