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When we got down to the docks we unloaded and headed for a little area where I knew might produce a fish or two. We sat down on the bank to get comfortable and to rig up the fishing pole. It was when I opened my tackle box is when I got 100% of her attention with all the colorful lures, spoons, crank baits, plastic worms, etc. etc. Her actions and expressions were that she had just seen the best jewelry boxes ever and it was dad’s jewelry box. While the tackle box was open, I focused all my attention on her, as I knew that these colorful and wonderful objects could cause her harm. As she started to reach in to pick up a colorful lure that had a double set of triplets hooks I immediately blocked her reach and told her “that everything in here will bite you” how else do you explain to a 3 1/2-year-old?

After having a lengthy conversation at a 3 1/2-year-olds level, I picked out a lure to rig up the fishing pole, and close the tackle box. During this time I was explaining to her, what I was doing and what I was trying to do. It was within the first couple of cast when I hooked into a largemouth bass. I positioned my daughter to where she was able to reel in the fish while I was holding the pole. She struggled a little but managed. When the fish broke water she stopped reeling, turned around with eyes the size of silver dollars, well maybe quarters, and asked, “What was it?” I explained to her that it was a fish and she was reeling it in. We finally landed the bass and it was approximately a pound and a half not bad for her first fish.

I put the fish on the stringer and her attention left fishing and focused in on the fish. She kept picking it up and putting it back in the water. After about 30 min. we decided to go back home as she lost interest. As soon as we got home she ran into the house and told everyone how that “worm swam down in the water and bit that fish right in the mouth.” That was 26 years ago and I still get a laugh from this memory even to this day.

Today, my daughter has two young sons of her own who are four and five. She has taken them on several fishing trips where they have caught fish on their own using their Spiderman fishing poles. Usually after these fishing trips, she stops by to fill me in on who caught what and who did what. My daughter may not realize it just yet but she is creating her own fishing memories of  her kids.

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These old- time fly fishermen will more than likely tell a beginner that the most important technique you should learn when starting to acquire skills needed for fly fishing is your casting techniques.

To develop your fly fishing casting skills, which should not be done at the river’s edge, but at home in your backyard where you can practice as often as you need until your skills are developed. These casting skills should include reasonable distance and accuracy. At first, practice for distance along with developing technique that does not whip the fly. There are two common casting techniques that fly fishermen use, or at least I have used. One technique is the over the head back and forth cast as if you are using a whip. The other is what is referred to as the role cast which is often considered the side cast. The role cast is often used when there’re obstacles behind a fisherman such as a tree where the fisherman cannot use the over the head, back and forth technique. It is this over the head back and forth technique if not developed correctly can result with a popping noise this popping noise as mentioned above is referred to as whipping the fly and will actually destroy the fly.

Once a new fly fisherman overcomes the whipping of the fly and has achieved distance with his or her casting then it is time to move to the next level of accuracy. Developing accuracy to deliver your fly behind a boulder out in the river 40 feet away requires practice. Here again this is achieved not at the river but in your backyard. To achieve this scale simply put up two targets these targets can be anything that you would like them to be. Place these two targets at the 11 o’clock and two o’clock positions. You’re probably wondering what does this have to do with learning how to cast? Think of it in this fashion you’re at a river and you want to cast upstream and let your fly drift downstream. 11 o’clock represents the upstream position where the two o’clock represents the downstream position. It is these two positions of casting accuracy that becomes the next level.

Once you have achieved accuracy and distance and can cast in a single motion from the two o’clock position to the 11 o’clock position and do it gracefully than you might be ready to go to the river to try your luck.

As time went on my skills improved, and I started getting bites, but I can never get these fish reeled in because I would always lose them right at the bank of the river. This happened for several days when I came up with this bright idea at least I thought it was for a 12-year-old. The next fish that bites instead of reeling it in, I would just take off running up the bank and pull the fish in. It sounded like a good idea to me. So the next fish that struck my lure off, I went, I did not even bother reeling, I just took off running and before I knew it, I had eight fish. These were big trout 14 to 18 inches, Brown, rainbow and cutthroat. I thought to myself “man this cool… all I have to do is take off running.”

That evening we had a big fish fry and of course, the following morning I was back down at the river. However, this time I had the company of three younger brothers, and we were all going fishing. It was early in the morning when I hooked into a fish and took off running as soon as the fish broke the water it came ashore as if it pulled like a skier behind a ski boat. After my brothers saw, my technique, they quickly adapted to the style, and we start catching fish. It was somewhat funny watching him trip and fall over the logs stumbling over the rocks trying to get this fish on shore, but we had fish to take home.

The next day all four of us was back down at the river, and yes we were catching fish with the technique that I discovered to be successful in bringing the fish to the shoreline. It was getting late in the morning when I noticed Frank our step dad approaching our location. He asked “how we were doing, and if we were catching anything?” One of my brothers produced a string of fish that we have already caught. I could tell by looking at Frank’s face that he was surprised. It was no sooner than my brother put the string of fish back in the water when one of us had a bite, and he took off like a jackrabbit running up the bank to get the fish on shore. It was during this time that Frank’s head went from left to right and start looking around. When he realized there were no bears or anything else that would harm us, he asked my brother “what are you doing?” my brother explained the technique that I discovered to get these fish on shore. After the explanation, Frank simply shook his head and said, “Fishing is not a foot race.”

The most important factor in choosing a fishing rod is to determine what type of fishing you are going to do and then choose the fishing pole.

When choosing the right rod for yourself, there are a few things to consider.

First, you must determine the type of fish that you are going to fish for, and you should consider the type of waters, i.e. river fishing, lake fishing, creek fishing, etc….

Secondly. You should consider the comfort of the rod and reel how it fits in your hands because after all you are going to probably be holding onto the rod and reel combination for a few hours during your fishing trip. The length of the rod can also be determined depending on the type of fishing environment that you may be fishing. An example would be you probably would not want a seven or 8-foot fly fishing rod to fish a creek when a 5-foot ultra light would be ideal. However, probably many others and I have used fly fishing rods of this length for creek fishing.

Fishing rods are designed for the angler to be able to feel when a fish bites this is also referred to as the action of the rod. The lighter the action the more sensitive the rod will be when a fish strike. The labeling of the rods actions are marked usually between the reel mount and the first eye. The rod’s actions are labeled as ultra light, light, medium, medium/heavy, or heavy.

To determine the action you would also have to consider the type of fish that you would be fishing for an example might be an ultra-light action would be great for fishing a creek for 6-inch Brook trout where a medium may be ideal for 3-pound bass. Therefore, the bigger the fish the heavier the action gets, which simply means the stiffer the rod.

What would be a good all round fishing rod? I am sure that this will vary from opinion to opinion, but if I were, just starting out I would probably go with a spin cast rod and reel combination with a medium/light action.

Many may say that a bass angler is no better than his/her bass lures. In reality, this may only be half-true simply because a bass lure is effective when the angler knows how to present the lure to the prey.

There are a variety of bass lures accessible by the nearby bait and tackle store, but their selection may not make all lures accessible to you. When fishing for bass a bass angler would want a variety of different style lures. If your local bait and tackle store has a limited variety of lures many of these lures can be found right here on the Internet, such as bass fishing lures as the Pro Series Jig with dual rattles, or the Pro Sequence Spinner along with several others from deep divers the crank baits.

Lures are important when it comes to bass fishing. However, the largemouth bass is probably the most aggressive of the freshwater bass species. Largemouth Bass will usually strike at anything that enters their territory or anything that might annoy them. The largemouth will go after a variety of different lures from top water too deep divers. When choosing a lure for largemouth, consider a lure that has a weedless feature because most largemouth bass thrives in the underwater weed environments. Largemouth Bass are most active during the warmer months, and during the mornings and evenings is the best time to fish.

Another favorite is the small mouth Bass, which may be the scrappiest for its size. The small mouth bass is usually associated with a rocky bottom of a lake and often found in the same environments as crawfish since crawfish is one of their favorites. Fishing for small mouth anglers will want to keep in mind to choose lures that would represent more of natural bait. Small mouth bass are most active during June or during the spawning time in early fall. The best time of the day to fish for small mouth would be in the early mornings and late evenings.

So how do you pick a good Bass lure? This is actually a loaded question as many factors are involved ranging from weather conditions to water temperatures. These two factors alone could actually create several articles on the subject itself so we will focus just on choosing a Bass lure for general conditions.

The all-time favorite lures for bass fishing have been the plastic or rubber worms, spinner baits and crank baits. Depending on your fishing, style and your desire to cover large areas of waters trying to locate schools of Bass than a person may want to consider a spinner bait lure or crank bait lure. These types of lures require the angler to constantly be casting and reeling so that the lure has the action desired by the fish. This constant casting and reeling covers more area and when a fish strikes, it is immediately felt through the anglers fishing pole. This type of fishing style could be considered the hit and run approach.

If an angler chooses not to use the hit-and-run approach and wants to cover smaller areas of water and thoroughly fish that area then he may choose to use a plastic or rubber worm as his lure. These types of lures are worked slower in comparison to spinner bait or crank bait lure. The rubber worm can be very appealing to Bass especially when the fish are schooled over underwater structures.

One of the all time favorites when rigging a rubber worm is the “Carolina Rig” and “Texan Rig”. Even though the rubber worm lure drive bass crazy there is one drawback and that is the inability to sense a strike. Largemouth Bass will normally strike the lure when it is in a freefall state therefore allowing slack in the fishing line. This excess fishing line slack will allow the Bass to actually spit the lure back out before the angler has a chance to set the hook.

Any type of lure mentioned above can make a bass fishing trip exciting and enjoyable… Good luck!

There are three types of reels: bait casting, spinning reel and spin cast reels. I will discuss each reel from my own experiences.

Baitcasting Reel: I first learned how to cast using this style of reel at an early age I discovered that these types of reels are famous for backlashes. A backlash is when the reel spool continues to play out line even after the lure has hit the water creating a bird nest of tangled line. There are a few ways to overcome this drawback.

1.Develop a style when casting using your thumb as a drag. When your lure hits the water press down on the spool with your thumb to stop any excess line from spooling out from the reel.

2.Correctly adjust the reel for each lure. These adjustments must be done whenever lures are changed with a significant difference of weight. This adjustment is very simple and can be done in a few seconds. Hold your rod in a horizontal position, set the spool tension by loosening the tension until the weight of lure begins to un-spool the line from the reel due to the weight of the lure. When this happens, simply tighten the spool tension just enough to where the lure stops.
The baitcasting reel is one my favourites for trolling.

Spinning Reel: The spinning reel also known as the “Open Face” spinning reel is probably the most widely used reel out on the market today. Anglers from the professional level to the novelist or the weekend anglers often use these reels. The spinning reel is one of my favourites to use for fishing.

These reels have a stationary spool that moves in an up-and-down motion when cranking the handle while the bail rotates around the spool spinning the line back onto the spool.

Spinning reels take some skills but can be easily accomplished with a little practice when it comes to casting. To cast a spinning reel hold the fishing pole where the reel is positioned beneath the rod. Use your middle finger and place it in front of the “foot” of the reel. Take your index finger and hook the line with your first knuckle just behind the fingernail. Now take your other hand and release the bail by pulling it up and across the top of the spool. Now you are ready to cast. When you want to release the fishing line simply straighten out your index finger and the line will start to un-spool. When your lure hits the water, crank the handle and it will set the bail to the closed position to where no more line will be un-spool.

What are the drawbacks from using an open face-spinning reel? There is one that I can think of right off the bat and that is after a while your fishing line will become twisted.  When your line becomes twisted, simply replace your fishing line.

Spincast reels: The spincast real is also known as the “close face” reel or the “pushbutton” reel. This type of real is ideal for the beginning anglers or young children as they are quite simple to use.

The spool portion of these reels are encased which helps prevent tangling of the fishing line and it also keeps little fingers away from moving parts. These reels are very simple to cast by depressing the button with your thumb and holding it down to prevent the line from un-spooling. When you are ready to cast hold the button until you are ready to release your lure and then simply release the button. These types of reels are ideal for the beginners.

Angler can fish from the bank or from a boat went fishing at Banks Lake and have the opportunity to determine what type of fish they would like to pursue. If you were a bass angler, you would probably head out to what is called the Punchbowl area when largemouth bass are in the shallower weedy waters to spawn in late spring.

If an angler would prefer small mouth bass, then head to any part of the lake where the bottom is covered with rocks or gravel where you will find that these fish are abundant. These areas are easy to find since the lake shores are about 95% rocks and gravel. When fishing for smallmouth in late spring or early summer try a small top water lure along the shoreline’s early in the morning and late in the evenings. Some have said that this is the best fishing action the lake has to offer.

If you are not a bass angler, then you may be interested in catching trout or the landlocked sockeye salmon a.k.a. kokanee or silvers. Trout angler can catch fish from the banks of Banks Lake using salmon eggs, power bait or marshmallows with the average fish coming in between 15 and 18 inches. Fisherman who would prefer more of a river type environment would probably want to go where the canal empties into the lake on the north end. The last time I fished that area, I caught a 23 inch, which weighed in at just less than 5 pounds.

If the landlocked sockeye salmon were your game than your best bet would be trolling with down riggers and flashers. Most fisherman use leaded line to get to the depths of where the fish are, which is between 50-70 feet deep. Banks Lake provides some the best fishing in Eastern Washington for kokanee.

Banks Lake offers fishing for all skill levels and offers the best opportunity for young children or kids to learn how to fish and yet be able to catch a fish, two, three, or four… Young children would enjoy the fishing that is offered in these areas with a simple setup of a bobber and a jig. There are plenty of places to catch panfish such as perch, crappies and sunfish.

There are several facilities for launching boats and camping from private resorts to state parks, and all of these facilities can provide the angler with current and additional resources. If you are planning a vacation at Banks Lake, I would suggest that you contact Coulee Playland resort to make reservations.

Enjoy your vacation and remember Banks Lake has a wide selection of fish and fishing methods for all skill levels and fun for the entire family.

You will soon uncover numerous specialized fishing sites, as well as there take on different views. Some go forward and take technique by using a travelog or encounters from anglers saving the reader time from heading to numerous locations to confirm the hotspots or simply weren’t. You will find other sites that are particularly educational, while others may be for social issues concerning fishing. Heading to a discussion boards or dialogue boards could most likely be the best spot to get information or questions answered within a short period of time.

For those who have concerns regarding fishing techniques, using the correct lures or baits, or are looking to purchase a better fishing rod but need to have one that meets the waters you’re fishing in, or are searching for a good place to fish, then there is a lot around the internet. You’d be astonished what you could uncover and some of the information can be extremely beneficial.