Magazin On The Secrets Of Selling

Finding Romantic Gifts for someone you care about is a decision of a lifetime. If the relationship is young the gift must say something about the receiver. If the relationship is more mature, the romantic gift must address your relationship with your romantic interest. Some of the romantic gift standards are jewelry, apparel and fragrances. Modern romantic gifts can be anything from housewares, kitchenware and sports memorabilia. We always struggle to get the best romantic gift for a loved one but the best romantic gift is one from the heart. The best romantic gift may very well be a new swimsuit or opulent fragrance but the best romantic gift may also be an electronic dictionary or leather vest. A romantic gift is from the heart and meant to tell the other person how we feel. We want everything to be perfect before handing the romantic gift over. Give the gift that “rocks their world.” Giving gifts which are natural and practical say a great deal about how you see your intended. Giving gifts which are opulent and lavish can speak to the heart of love to say “You are worth it all.” How better to say “I care” then with a spontaneous romantic gift that the other person will never forget in a million years. For the perfect romantic gift, go to Shodega.com

A recent survey indicated that one of the most frequent objections network marketers get is the “pyramid objection.” Here’s an incredibly brilliant MLM training tip that teaches you how to explain MLM without raising any red flags in the prospect’s mind.

As Forrest Gump would say, you never know what you’re
going to get.

Not too many things get me more excited than the prospect
of hooking and landing big fish. The mere thought of setting
the hook on a 300 pound marlin, hearing the scream of the
drag as the fish pulls off line and watching the acrobatic
leaps that follow really gets my heart pumping. Fortunately
for me, a two and a half hour flight and a 30-minute drive is
all it takes to find myself in the “billfish capital of the world”.
What more can a sport fisherman ask for?

Well, for starters, variety. Just like biting into a randomly
selected piece of chocolate, when you set out the trolling
lures here in Los Cabos in search of the next big one, you
just don’t know what it will be. Different seasons bring
different possibilities as does different sides of the Baja
peninsula. The diversity of game fish here never ceases to
amaze me and even a slow day on the water offers the
opportunity to see some of the oceans greatest creatures.
Whales, porpoise, sea turtles and bat rays that often school
by the hundreds and perform what almost appears to be a
choreographed routine of synchronized jumps. On a spring
trip to Cabo in late march of this year, my partner Dolores
Peralta and I had another opportunity to experience the
diversity of life in these nutrient rich waters.

Jacqueline “Jacquie” Lee, owner of Guerita II, set us up for
two days of fishing with Captain Efren Beron Zamora and
crewman Jesus Alfredo Espinoza. Efren has a lifetime of
experience as an angler, guide and captain and has a love
of the ocean that rubs off on crew and passenger alike. The
Guerita II is a tournament rigged 34-foot Crystaliner
equipped with everything the avid angler could need or ask
for _ Shimano Tiagra 50 wide LRS & Penn International
reels, Shimano Black Steel IGFA rods and an outstanding
selection of lures, this wide-beamed fishing machine
boasts top-of-the-line electronics to help get you on the bite
fast.

We arrived at the docks at 6:30 in the morning, a little late for
Captain Efren’s liking as he planned on running out about
30-40 miles in search of warm, blue water where he hoped
to put us on striped marlin and tuna. While waiting on our
arrival Efren had already loaded up on live bait from the
pangeros that supply the fleets and with no delay, we were
on our way. Winds this time of the year can be unpredictable
and on this day, the winds helped build a fairly large swell.
We motored our way out to sea on a bumpy but dry ride to
the fishing grounds. Once he found the water conditions that
best provided the chance for large billfish, he switched
driving positions to the tall tuna tower while Alfredo began to
set out our spread of lures. Purple and orange Zukers set
out at the fifth wake behind the boat, trolling feathers in pink
and white and Mexican flag patterns on the third wake and a
dark colored Marauder set close to the boat.

A few hours passed as we crisscrossed areas where
colder water met warmer, Efren’s eyes trained on the
surface scanning for signs that fish were near - circling and
diving birds, the tail of a marlin cruising for its next meal, a
pod of porpoise balling bait. None of the usual signs
appeared until Efren’s eagle eyes spotted a feeder, a
marlin
actively working the ocean surface. A quick turn of the boat
and a punch of the throttle controls placed us in the perfect
position to present our spread of lures to the fish. The
marlin took notice and struck one of the lures back at the
fifth wake. The jigstrike started our adrenalin flowing and we
scrambled to the deck to ready for a battle. The marlin let
loose the lure just as Alfredo cast a live bait back to entice a
bite. After a few tense moments, the marlin took the bait, the
reel left in free spool in order to give it time to fully take the
bait. Flipping the reel into locked position followed by three
to four strong and sharp lifts of the rod tip set the hook on a
good sized striped marlin.

Dolores took her position in one of the two fighting chairs
mounted on the stern and within seconds the marlin was
giving us a show. Several vertical leaps and violent shakes
of its broad head and the fight began. The key to landing
marlin is the hook set. Everything depends on whether or
not the hook was in the right position when the hook set is
made. Many times, the marlin takes the bait only partially
and the hook never pierces the mouth fully when the set is
made. Unfortunately, this was one of those times. Shortly
after the first series of jumps was made, a second series
began and on this series the hook was thrown and the fish
was lost. Spooked by the encounter, the marlin sounded
and was soon nowhere to be found.

We continued on in search of another marlin, my turn in the
chair coming next. A short while later, a starboard reel
started to scream. Nothing was visible on the surface so the
likelihood of it being a marlin was slim. From the strong pull
and speed of the fish, we thought it would be a tuna and
sure enough it was. The fight lasted only 5-10 minutes and
soon we had a twenty-pound yellowfin on deck.

The trolling continued and for several hours and we had
nothing to do but occasionally switch out lures and scan the
horizon for signs of life. Efren spotted a true prize in the form
of a swordfish. While these great eating game fish can be
found here most of the year, they prefer colder water so
spring is generally the best time of year for this sought after
species. Although the sword made a turn towards our
spread and a live bait was cast directly in front of it, this fish
was apparently well fed and no matter how appealing the
presentation, it would not take the bait or strike a lure. As
they say, that’s why they call it fishing and not catching. The
balance of the day produced only suntans and relaxation.

On our second day on the Guerita II, we arrived at 5:30,
determined to beat Efren and Alfredo to the boat. Once
again, Efren had made it to the boat well before us and once
again, he had already baited up. If I didn’t know better, I’d
say he must have slept on the boat just to make sure we
wouldn’t arrive before him! We headed out, stopping off to
check in with the port authorities to present our manifest
and fishing licenses. A recent change in fiscal policies
keeps the revenues from fishing licenses within the state
where the activity is taking place. This restructuring has
apparently heightened the diligence of officials responsible
for ensuring that everyone on a boat possesses a valid
license, even those not fishing. Makes sense that if you get
to keep the money, you’re more likely to make sure everyone
is playing by the rules and buying their licenses. Those that
did not have licenses in hand were sent back to the docks to
get them or there would be no fishing that day.

This day we decided to switch to the Sea of Cortez side of
the cape and concentrate our efforts on some of the
in-shore species that Los Cabos waters offer up. One of the
benefits of a pre-dawn start is the experience of viewing
some of the most spectacular sunrises you’re likely to find
anywhere in the world. The skies here light up with all the
colors of an artists canvas with the endless reflection of the
ocean surface. Everything is bathed in reds, oranges and
yellows and the sky appears to be on fire. The sight alone
makes the trip worthwhile.

The Guerita II cut through the calmer waters of the Sea of
Cortez with ease by benefit of the natural windbreak that the
East Cape coast provides. We set out a mix of CD 4
Rapalas in a sardine pattern and started to work the
underwater ledges and rock piles in search of sierra or
Spanish mackerel, dorado or tuna. We ran across pods of
porpoise working bait schools to the surface. These
working pods often hold schools of tuna just below that pick
off bait from the edges of the bait ball but today, we found
just the porpoise. Off in the distance, Captain Efren spotted
surface activity and turned the Guerita towards it.

Within minutes we were surrounded by thousands of
Humboldt squid. Denizens of the northern most portion of
the Sea of Cortez, these alien looking creatures have slowly
made their way down to the southern tip of the Baja in recent
years. With tentacles reaching up out of the water like some
kind of extra terrestrial meat eating flower, we watched in
awe as they fed on floating red crab. Just about anything we
tossed into the water was immediately engulfed by the
toothy tentacles of the squid and with constant pressure and
slow pumps and reeling, we brought them to the gaff.

Legends abound about the ferocity and strength of the
Humboldt squid and while many of these tales are true “fish
stories”, there is ample credible evidence of the potential
for injury and even death from these marine cephalopods.
Recently, a Discovery program featured an in-depth study of
the Humboldt squid in the Sea of Cortez. During times of
agitation, such as when these animals are being fished by
fleets of pangeros who make a significant share of their
income from the sale of the tasty beasts, they can and do
become very aggressive. One pangero spoke of his
encounter with the squid with fear and respect. While
working a large school, he lost his balance and fell into the
water. Within seconds, several five to six footers locked onto
him and began to pull him under, all the while biting into his
flesh with their impressive and powerful beaks. He
managed to free himself and make his way back to the
surface and into his panga, scared and exhausted. The
scars that he showed tell the tale all to well. He also told of
others that did not fair so well, never making back to the
surface.

While events like those have occurred, the squid are usually
no more than curious about visitors to their domain. It is the
frenzied activity caused by fishing these creatures that
creates the aggressive and often cannibalistic behavior.
Divers have been able to get up close and personal with
the Humboldt squid when no fishing pressure was present,
all without being attacked or harmed in any way. The
aggressive behavior and flashing of colors associated with
a feeding frenzy brought on by fishing pressure is simply not
a normal occurrence, but more a reaction to the situation at
hand. You need not fear the squid but make sure to stay
away from the business end. Tentacles with hundreds of
toothed suction cups lead to a bird-like beak with incredible
power. Ink on the other hand can reach you from
astonishing distances as my partner, Dolores, can testify.

While fighting a squid estimated at about fifty pounds, she
experienced the jet blast of a Humboldt squid firsthand. As
the squid was gaffed, Alfredo jumped off to the side leaving
Dolores directly in the path of what seemed to be gallons of
ink shooting from out of the squid. In a split second she was
covered head to toe in the slimy, dark liquid. Being the
trooper that she is, she laughed it off, wiped herself clean
and tossed her line back out to catch another one. By that
time we had been joined by over a dozen other charter
boats
and pangas and everywhere you looked, people were
battling these impressive animals. Great fun, an awesome
sight and great table fare was the end result. We left the
spot having boated 3 squid and cleaning the ink from the
deck of the boat.

Our next area of focus was just a few hundred feet from
shore working the reef structures that line the coast.
Catching eight to ten pound sierra on light tackle is an
experience I recommend highly. We picked off a few sierra
and even landed a small mako shark before we called it a
day and headed back in, all the while amazed at the beauty
of the azure blue and turquoise green waters of the Sea of
Cortez.

So if you are one to enjoy the ocean and the surprises that
such a aquatic paradise promises, fishing the waters of the
Pacific ocean and the Sea of Cortez in Los Cabos is a
dream come true. Finding the right boat and crew is of the
utmost importance in ensuring a successful and
memorable charter. When it comes to making that choice,
we can’t recommend Jacqueline Lee’s Guerita II and the
knowledge and hospitality of Captain Efren Beron Zamora
and crewman Jesus Alfredo Espinoza enough.

To book your trip, visit their site at
http://www.gueritasportfishing.com or call 011-52-624-143-4465
and tell them Cabo’s Best told you all about them.

Richard Chudy and Dolores Peralta are the co-owners of
http://CabosBest.com, a travel information portal for Los Cabos,
Baja Sur, Mexico. An avid and frequent Cabo traveller,
Richard brings his travel experiences to the web for
others interested in exploring all that Cabo has to offer.

To
reach him, email caborich@cabosbest.com or call 1-818-702-0876.

Copyright 2005 CabosBest.com

Many men have found bass fishing quite a relaxing experience. Although Bass fish have been known to be quite a fighter and a struggler the sheer excitement of waiting and finally snagging it releases certain chemicals into the body that provides a euphoric feeling making the experience all worthwhile and satisfying.

Many men and women have come back from a bass fishing expedition feeling light and perky even though they have been outdoors the whole time. The strenuous activity seems to have recharged their bodies.

The popularity Bass fishing has garnered over the years has grown to an all time high with more and more people discovering its joys. Some though are reluctant to start because they have not got a single shred of idea on what to do. Here are some tips to get you started and some secret to act like an experienced bass fish catcher.

Baits

Artificial baits have been known to catch quite a few Bass! You can also use baitfish, such as a mullet, with much more visually attractive artificial bait over it or with its backbone removed so that it swims more naturally and with a 2-ounce egg sinker on the hook to keep it just under the waves.

Approach

The best way to get a surface fish, as in any other fishing, is to be sure you keep your distance. Fishing down the creek would help if the water flow is fairly decent. It doesn’t have to be a lot but enough to keep your bait moving. If there are any bushes, trees, or shrubs around try to hide behind them then cast your line in (fly fishing rods are great for this matter).

But remember, to quietly sneak up to them. Any hole with a lot of fish in a river or creek takes a lot of patience. If they hear or see you, you’ll probably not get any bites. Also look for rocks around the creek. If the soil is moist or damp, lift up the rocks and you may find some native worms. .

For night time bass use a black jitterbug. Replace the hooks with better hooks and if there’s no moon then use some sort of glow in the dark paint on the under side of the lure or they will miss it a lot.

If you have lily pads in a spot or two, then the best advice if it is deep is to run a worm or any soft bait slowly along the bottom right next to the lily pads. You can also buy plastic frogs and mice to skip along the top of the lily pads.

Location

Water weeds extending about five feet out into the water are a very good source of bass cover. You can run any kind of artificial bait along the edge of them and usually snag one or two. Or you can put a weed less worm right in the middle of the weeds.

Try to look for underwater structures like big rocks and big stumps. They serve as cover for the bass. Try all the kinds of lures that you can. Cast in one area around five times just to see if there is any fish that need teasing.

If you catch a fish DON’T LEAVE THAT SPOT stay there and fish more after you have removed the hook. Fish will follow the fish on your line and try to steal the bait. Especially if it is white bass you can sometimes catch two at a time with crappie and perch that is if you have a double rig.

Worms usually work well during light to heavy over cast skies and spinners usually work better in the morning when the sun is reflecting off the water. When you set the hook, try to keep your line tight and maybe even give it another set. When they jump it is real hard to keep your line tight.

Make sure you aren’t using dull hooks. Also, smaller hooks can penetrate easier, making them harder to throw. In most instances, though, nothing beats an aggressive hook set, and then keeping steady pressure on the fish, especially when they go airborne.

The Practical Bass Fishing Tips for a Successful Fishing Experience

Many men has found bass fishing quite a relaxing experience. Although Bass fish have been known to be quite a fighter and a struggler the sheer excitement of waiting and finally snagging it releases certain chemicals into the body that provides a euphoric feeling making the experience all worthwhile and satisfying.

Many men and women have come back from a bass fishing expedition feeling light and perky even though they have been outdoors the whole time. The strenuous activity seems to have recharged their bodies.

The popularity Bass fishing has garnered over the years has grown to an all time high with more and more people discovering its joys. Some though are reluctant to start because they have not got a single shred of idea on what to do. Here are some tips to get you started and some secret to act like an experienced bass fish catcher.

Baits

Artificial baits have been known to catch quite a few Bass! You can also use baitfish, such as a mullet, with much more visually attractive artificial bait over it or with its backbone removed so that it swims more naturally and with a 2-ounce egg sinker on the hook to keep it just under the waves.

Approach

The best way to get a surface fish, as in any other fishing, is to be sure you keep your distance. Fishing down the creek would help if the water flow is fairly decent. It doesn’t have to be a lot but enough to keep your bait moving. If there are any bushes, trees, or shrubs around try to hide behind them then cast your line in (fly fishing rods are great for this matter).

But remember, to quietly sneak up to them. Any hole with a lot of fish in a river or creek takes a lot of patience. If they hear or see you, you’ll probably not get any bites. Also look for rocks around the creek. If the soil is moist or damp, lift up the rocks and you may find some native worms. .

For night time bass use a black jitterbug. Replace the hooks with better hooks and if there’s no moon then use some sort of glow in the dark paint on the under side of the lure or they will miss it a lot.

If you have lily pads in a spot or two, then the best advice if it is deep is to run a worm or any soft bait slowly along the bottom right next to the lily pads. You can also buy plastic frogs and mice to skip along the top of the lily pads.

Location

Water weeds extending about five feet out into the water are a very good source of bass cover. You can run any kind of artificial bait along the edge of them and usually snag one or two. Or you can put a weed less worm right in the middle of the weeds.

Try to look for underwater structures like big rocks and big stumps. They serve as cover for the bass. All I can say is try all the kinds of lures that you can. I usually cast in one area around five times just to see if there is any fish that need teasing.

If you catch a fish DON’T LEAVE THAT SPOT stay there and fish more after you have removed the hook. Fish will follow the fish on your line and try to steal the bait. Especially if it is white bass you can sometimes catch two at a time with crappie and perch that is if you have a double rig.

Worms usually work well during light to heavy over cast skies and spinners usually work better in the morning when the sun is reflecting off the water. When you set the hook try to keep your line tight and maybe even give it another set that’s how I do it but usually it only takes one set. When they jump it is real hard to keep your line tight.

Make sure you aren’t using dull hooks, first of all. Also, sometimes smaller hooks can penetrate easier, making them harder to throw. In most instances, though, nothing beats an aggressive hook set, and then keeping steady pressure on the fish, especially when they go airborne.

Along with the great surge interest of the people with bass fishing in the entire state, comes another kind of freshwater fishing which needs vigorous physical strength, open yourself to the interesting world of peacock bass fishing.

A peacock bass is actually from the cichlids family of fish not from the bass family, though it resembles that of a largemouth bass. It would normally have waylaid attacks to a piteous and unwary victim from a knothole and show his insatiable desire for food. It would just take hold of a very puny prey from afar and would eat it voraciously as if it hadn’t taken any food for years.

On the other hand, unlike its North American counterpart, the peacock bass is a lot more eye-appealing and vibrantly decorated with the various shades of green, blue, orange and gold. But we should not be taken in to these dazzling faade because, as a matter of fact, they are far more aggressive than the largemouths that they can even shatter the rods or destroy the tackle that would already be enough to restrain the toughest of the largemouth.

One more difference which can be observed is that the largest among largemouth are always the female while in peacock bass, either the male or the female can grow to a large portion.

The peacock bass, which is known as pavon in Venezuela and Columbia and tucunare in Brazil and Peru, is generally categorized into four distinct species: (a) the speckled peacock, (b) the peacock pavon or tucunare, (c) the butterfly peacock, and (d) the royal peacock, but fish biologists still suggest that various other types may actually be present to the whole of South America

It may have acquired its name from the fact that the spota black circular “eye spot” which is notably rimmed in gold–on the base of the caudal fin which bears a close resemblance to the tail plume of a peacock fowl.

Male peacocks are normally described to have a well-known hump on their head which is used as a battering ram in battles with other males and to protect the fry and their territory as well. Some believe that the hump may be a fat deposit that the male peacock uses to nourish himself when he is not feeding on fry.

It should be well-noted that before we indulge ourselves with the activity we should prepare everything that would be needed at first. We can log on to the web, read magazines or such other activity if we want detailed information about it. Consultations may be done online so we could be provided with a lot of options to choose from. It would serve as our guide on what are we going to bring, basically, on what we are going to need when we go peacock bass fishing.

We should not also fail to notice the tips that expert fishers have especially for beginners because this would literally be a whale of help aside from having a guide during the activity. Its better that you already have something in your mind about what’s going to happen in order that you’ll be able to assess whether you can do it or not. And since it as mentioned that peacock bass fishing somewhat requires physical strength it would be better to train our body long before the activity.

People would claim that the most excellent peacock bass fishing could be found on Brazil’s Rio Negro River and on Venezuela’s Lake Guri. If you happen to have a spare time and you don’t know how you’re going to spend it, try to visit the place and experience the satisfaction that peacock bass fishing would render upon you.

This activity is unquestionably one that will offer us great fun and that we will surely stop thinking about our worries even just for a couple of hours or so. We oftentimes disregard the fact that we should give ourselves a break after having a hard work to give our minds a time to refresh our thoughts, our body to relax.

This would surely be a once-in-a-lifetime experience that everyone of us must take advantage of. The challenge that is offered when catching an unruly peacock bass and the memories that you’ll have with your fellow adventure-seekers will all be a part of your memoirs that will certainly linger on your thoughts as long as you are alive.

For free bass fishing tips and Florida bass fishing secrets, visit www.bassfishingsystem.com/ today.

Beyond a doubt the best fly fishing rod material is good bamboo properly selected, cured, split, glued, and correctly proportioned. It possesses strength combined with lightness, resiliency, pliancy, power and balance in greater degree than either steel or solid woods.

Formerly anglers and rod makers could draw fine distinctions between male and female Calcutta and Tonkin ” canes,” but under present conditions good Calcutta is very rare and the word ” Calcutta ” is be¬coming merely a trade term. Good bamboo of all kinds is more difficult to obtain and a good piece of Tonkin is better than an indifferent one of Calcutta. Male Calcutta, however, is supposed to be superior to either the female or Tonkin. The cheapest split cane is known as steel vine or African cane. It is light colored and makes up into good, inexpensive bamboo fly fishing rods.

Six Strip and 8 Strip Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

We assume that you know that bamboo is split and then glued together in order to utilize the hard outer enamel and reduce the diameter of the pieces. Some rods are made of bamboo split into six sections (hex¬agonal) and some in eight (octagonal) but the six strip construction is more often used. Some makers claim that the eight strip, being more nearly a true cylinder, possesses better action but this seems to be more theoretical than practical, while the tiny tips of an eight strip rod are likely to be ” soft” due to the comparative amount of glue necessary to hold the pieces together. Eight strip rods cost more than the six strip and if the angler wants a round bamboo fly fishing rod they are preferable to the six strip planed down as planing certainly must injure a rod. As a general rule a well-made six strip rod leaves little to be desired.

Special Feature Bamboo Fly Fishing Rods

A novelty in bamboo fly fishing rod making is what is known as the ” double built ” rods which are made of two layers of split and glued bamboo, one within the other. They are heavier and strong, and it is claimed, hold their shape better, than ordinary rods and are popular for sea and salmon fishing but unnecessary, I believe, in single hand fly rods. An English innovation is the steel center rod which consists of a fine piece of well-tempered steel running as a core through sections of regular split bamboo. The makers claim this construction gives a rod of superior casting power with only of an ounce added weight. Friends who possess rods of this kind are enthusiastic admirers of this construction for heavy fishing.

An American maker supplies a rod of ” twisted bam¬boo ” which he claims equalizes the strain and pro¬duces better action. I have never tried a rod of this type so am unable to pass on its merits, but Perry Frazer, in his ” Amateur Rodmaking,” speaks well of it.

To get more fishing tips then make sure you visit http://www.fishingcenterguides.com

Will M has been fishing for over 10 years and picked up a lot of good tips for catching many types of fish

Discover How To Choose A Good Fly Fishing Rod By Reading Our Article On How To Pick A Fly Fishing Rod

Bass fishing tackle is the material or equipment that you need in order to be able to catch a fish. Bass fishing tackle can entail everything from hooks to lines, weights and other such additional, helpful pieces that will have you catching all the bass fish you have ever wanted to.

There are many different opinions on what bass fishing tackle to use, what is the best, what is the worst. Much of it can be helpful, but you also want to be sure that you take the time to experiment with some yourself. You might just end up having a different experience.

To help you purchase the best bass fishing tackle for your needs there are many bass fishing tackle stores that can help you. These stores can give you advice, offer you special deals, and even teach you more about the great sport of bass fishing. For example, if you are new to the fishing world in general, terminal tackle is a specific type of bass fishing tackle. It is the tackle that is tied to the end of a fishing pole line and can include a hook, a weight, and a lure to name just a few options.

Also, depending on what type of bass fishing you are planning on endeavoring into will determine what type of bass fishing tackle you will want to choose. For example, for deep sea fishing or inshore fishing you will need to use different types of tackle. If you choose tackle that does not suit the fishing location, your fishing experience will not be as fruitful.

For your ultimate guide on all your Bass Fishing needs just follow the links in the post to Your Fishing Source. There you will find useful articles, news, links and resources on all your fishing needs.

Standing on deck allowing the wave action to bounce your weighted herring or plastic lure off the bottom a hundred or more feet below is called ringing the dinner bell. Halibut will travel hundreds of yards to investigate the thumping of your lead lure as it will swallow the noisy lure…

The recognized tug, tug, then a strong pull begins the underwater rodeo. The heavy one pound lead nose on a split tail white scampi bounces off the ocean floor actually calling the halibut to the lure. At 200 foot deep the ocean is totally dark. But a white lure seems to be the best color for halibut. A 20-pound “chicken” halibut fights likes a 60-pound salmon. The huge flat surface is added resistance teamed with muscle for a fish that is determined to stay on the bottom. The normal is three trips to the surface and two trips back to the bottom before you can land a 40-50 pound halibut.

Just as the halibut nears the surface where a net or gaff awaits, all that muscle turns the fish toward the bottom and the line screams off the reel. The Alaska halibut will not stop until it reaches the bottom again. Now you know what you have and you pray your equipment stays together.

Captain Jerry threw out the anchor on the lee side of a spit in 150 foot of water. The tide was just beginning to come in, the “Dancer” was bobbing as the tide began to race back in. With 18-foot tides, a lot of water is displaced every 12 hours. The sandy bottom was ideal for halibut to wait for the tide to bring in the next meal. The sound of the anchor hitting the bottom had rang the dinner bell. The 55-foot cabin cruiser had pulled the slack out of the anchor chain and lined out facing into the incoming tide.

Dan dropped his one-pound lead nose white scampi lure over the side and waited for the reel to unspool. The foot long plastic lure hit the bottom with a thump. The slack was taken out of the spider wire line so the lure could be bounced on the bottom to create an underwater thump that seems to lure halibut from hundreds of yards away. Alaska halibut fishing had always been a dream, too far away to even imagine. From the day of decision it had been over 11 months of planning, preparing and dreaming for this day of fishing for halibut off Prince of Wales Island. A minute had passed then 5 minutes; Dan was thinking “the bite” hadn’t started yet. Then it happened. Small yank, yank then he set the hook. Dan had caught several “chickens” so he knew it was a halibut. Suddenly the short stubby deep-sea pole formed a “U” and Dan began to lift the rod and reel down. The familiar yank, yank, yank as the fish refused to leave the bottom did not deter the stout built 6’ 1”, 30 year old as muscle warred with muscle until the cry was heard from the skipper on the flying deck, “my God the boy has hooked a keeper!” The fish looked slightly greenish brown and appeared to be gliding at an angle towards the boat but 6 to 8 feet under the surface. At 3 feet from the surface the addled fish saw the boat, bright sunshine and an excited angler all at once and did an about face heading back to the bottom. The Penn reel screamed as every bearing surface and brake rebelled as the 5 foot behemoth slipped out of sight. That foray had taken 20 minutes, Dan called for help. 6’ 4” brother Paul with arms as big as a man’s thighs said “let me have that!”

In the April Alaska cool, beads of sweat poured down Paul’s face, the yank, yank, yank, reel up and scream down had taken its toll. Weakly he said “I’m gonna need a break!” Dan grabbed the short stubby “U” shaped pole and began to reel. Paul had lasted exactly twenty minutes only to have a brief glimpse of a shadowed recluse before the line screamed and the halibut returned to the deep.

The fishing pole had fibers that were releasing long ways on the rod, the famous reel was making a strange squeaking sound as it reeled up and a disturbing grinding sound as the break squealed off line. The halibut was coming up but Dan gave out in 10 minutes. Paul grabbed the rod and manhandled the rod, fish and reel. 10 minutes later he hollered “it should have been to the top by now, what is happening?” The brake on the reel had completely failed and as the line was reeled in the fish took back at its’ leisure. Dan took the next watch. Within 5 minutes Dan yelled, “I see color!” Captain Jerry was standing on the bow with a 22 rifle. Just as the halibut broke the surface Captain Jerry fired and dispatched the 124-pound giant halibut.

Alaska allows the dispatching of large halibut on the surface due to the tremendous power a halibut has after coming on board. These fish have been known to break the fisherman’s arms and legs contributing to several deaths by the flailing powerful tails.

Alaska halibut fishing doesn’t get any better. From a “chicken” to a keeper the thrill is always the same. It starts with the same question “Have I hooked the bottom?”

Jim Zeller writes for numerous outdoor blogs and websites. Check out his favorite online Fishing Forum or his choice for the World’s Largest Fishing Directory

When choosing a Caribbean charter yacht, there are three categories of yachts. They are power yachts, sailing yachts and multihull sailing yachts, such as catamarans and trimarans. You can also have a special Caribbean charter to learn about the art of sailing a yacht. This will give you the knowledge and training you need to charter a yacht all on your own without the need of a captain and crew. When you book a Caribbean charter yacht, you can browse the yacht catalog to choose the yacht that best meets your needs.

You can choose a Caribbean yacht charter that specializes in bringing passengers to the best scuba diving locations. This type of yacht has all the space you need for storing your equipment as well as staterooms and a dining room. If you are new to scuba diving, you can take lessons from the skilled crew of the Carribean yacht charter and get the instruction that you need. There are times when you can just relax on the deck of the Caribbean charter yacht or enjoy trips onshore to experience the true Caribbean culture.

The company you choose to deal with for your Caribbean yacht charter will supply you with a sample itinerary for a week long vacation. However, you don’t have to stick to this schedule and you can make different decisions where you want to travel on the Caribbean charter yacht. The Carribean islands you choose do have to be navigable and have appropriate anchorages and the captain will be able to give you advice about this aspect of the charter. You do charter the yacht yourself, so you won’t have to share your Caribbean yacht charter with another group.

There are occasions when you can book a Caribbean charter yacht where you do not know the other passengers. An example of this could be a singles only charter or a ladies only charter. Of course, you will know this when you make the booking for a Carribean yacht charter, but it is helpful to know that you can enjoy a yacht charter without having a group of your own lined up. While you might think that a Caribbean yacht charter is very expensive, but when you compare it with the cost of a vacation at a tropical resort, there is very little difference between the prices.

Fly to the island of St. Thomas to meet the Caribbean charter yacht. From there you can sail to the island of St. John and have a leisurely lunch on board the yacht. Spend some time swimming, walk along the beach and drink in the Caribbean sunset. When you arrive back at the yacht, there will be a scrumptious meal waiting for you. If this sounds like an idyllic vacation, there is a Caribbean charter yacht waiting for you to make your booking.

To find out more about Sailing Vacations visit Peter’s Website Your Sailing Vacation and find out about Caribbean Yacht Charters and more, including Luxury Yacht Charters, Crewed Yacht Charters, Bareboat Charters and Florida Charters.

Chain Pickerel,(Esox Niger), are a formidable gamefish, that are actively pursued by some, and despised by others!

Chain Pickerel can be found throughout the Northeast, and down to Florida. In some areas, these are prized as trophies that deserve the same respect as a big largemouth bass, in other areas, such as in Florida, many anglers consider them nothing more than a nuisance.

Many inexperienced anglers mistake this fish for a Northern pike, but there are distinct differences in these two species. The Chain Pickerel is distinguished by it’s chain like pattern along it’s body. The Chain Pickerel doesn’t reach the same proportions as its counterpart, the Northern Pike. Most Chain Pickerel are considered large when they reach 3-4 pounds. A true “TROPHY,” is anything above the 4 pound mark. The state record for Chain Pickerel in most states is between 6 and 8 pounds. Each year, in the spring, fall, and winter, large specimens are caught that are in the 4-5 pound range on average, but very few giants over 6 pounds are caught at any time of the year. The Chain Pickerel actually hit the best in the winter and early spring, and start their spawning process as water temperatures climb into the 40’s. Unlike most other species, they don’t make beds, and they deposit their eggs on strands of vegetation, sometimes mixed with sticks, and other structure. They don’t defend their young either, they deposit the eggs and move on, devouring their own young soon after they hatch.

LOCATIONS AND TACTICS:

Chain Pickerel hit well in the winter months, and even through the ice. They usually cruise the same areas as other gamefish such as largemouth bass, crappies, yellow perch, and other panfish.

Pickerel will savagely attack schools of baitfish, or individuals, whatever is the easiest prey at the time. I have caught Chain Pickerel with Catfish lodged in their mouths that were too large to swallow, and they still were attacking other baits. I have even found Chain Pickerel laying dead or dying, on the surface with huge bluegills stuck in their mouths, yet at other times, only want a small bait on or near the bottom.

The best locations for Chain Pickerel in the winter is along points, with drop-offs near deeper water, and areas that contain some underwater cover and vegetation nearby. They will be shallow at times, even in very cold water, but are always near the baitfish, and deeper water escape routes. They can be found by deep water brushpiles also, due to the fact that these same areas hold other types of prey, and panfish, thus the pickerel aren’t far away.

Contrary to popular belief, Chain Pickerel can be caught in the dark, but this is more of a rare occurrence than a standard rule of thumb. In the early spring, many of the pickerel will be in water near the shoreline, and emerging grasses, and other vegetation, gorging on baitfish, and preparing to spawn. They can be in water as shallow as a few inches, to a couple of feet. The easiest way to catch chain pickerel is on live bait. They like medium to large shiners, and big minnows. This has always been a standard fare for pickerel. There are other methods though that will take real “Trophies,” and not so many of the more common 2-3 pounders.

The best way to catch larger chain pickerel is to use a small jig such as a shad dart, in yellow/red, or yellow/white combinations, in a 1/64 ounce size, up to about an 1/8 ounce. These are really small baits, and a lot of finesse is required to catch chains on these lures. The other bait that works well is a 1/16 to 1/4 ounce brown or brown/black hair jig. Both these jigs should be used first without any other bait, such as minnows attached to them.

You first need to find the areas that will hold the pickerel; drop-offs, near points, humps, vegetation, and other cover. You should rig this jig on 4-6 pound test line. This is what makes the lure have the correct action and depth that trigger some of the bigger fish. It is the same principle as smallmouth fisherman use on Pickwick. They use 6 pound test line, not because the fish can see it, but because it allows the lure to maintain the proper fall, depth, and action, that catch the larger fish.

I like to rig two rods, with a shad dart on one, and a hair jig on the other. I start by letting out about a hundred feet of line, and slowly trolling these baits in wide, 360 degree circles over the chosen areas. You will pick up leaves and grass if you’re doing it right, if you don’t. slow down. The majority of strikes will feel like nothing more than grass or leaves on the lure, but most of time it’s a big Chain Pickerel!

I can’t overemphasize the importance of watching the line! If the line moves, or does ANYTHING, that it hasn’t been doing, then set the hook. You can’t set the hook the same way you do with a bass. It takes a slower short snap in the wrist, while reeling the line up tight, and applying just the right amount of pressure. The drag setting is critical, since you are using such light line, and light equipment.

Most of the time, I take the anti-reverse off, and backreel. They will make some long runs and head to the deeper water on the bottom, and try to wrap you up in the trolling motor, and break you off under the boat as they get close. The only way to get good at landing them, is to catch them. Practice is the only way to get a feel for landing them on this light equipment. If you don’t get any takers after working 2 or 3 of your best areas, then add a small minnow to the back of the lures, but go to a 1/8 or 1/4 ounce, in brown/orange or lime green.

Troll them the same way in these areas again, while casting another rod to search the areas, and impart more action to the bait to try to develop a pattern that they want that day. Pickerel are ferocious one day, and finicky the next. They are unpredictable sometimes, so don’t give up. On a good day, I have caught 5-7 Chain Pickerel that were all over 4 pounds, and usually 2 or 3 over 5 pounds. I have caught others in some Delaware and New Jersey Lakes, that exceeded 6 pounds. I caught a Chain Pickerel in 2000, that won the Delaware State Sportfishing Tournament for the year, that was 6 pounds, 14 ounces, just a few ounces short of the state record!

EQUIPMENT:

You need 3 or 4 spinning rods for these tactics, in the 5 and 5 1/2 foot range, ultra-light to light action, with a good degree of sensitivity. I like G.Loomis rods, but there are other good light action rods you can use for this as well. They should be paired with a good reel, such as a Shimano or Daiwa, with a great drag, set lightly. But as I mentioned before, backreeling, with the anti-reverse off, is really the best way. I use Stren line in 4-6 pound test for this, as it gives the lures the proper action, and depth. Recently though, I have experimented with some superlines with good results.

BEST LOCATIONS:

Here in the Northeast, (Delaware, New Jersey, and New York), in particular, some of the places that hold the largest chain pickerel are Horsey’s Pond, in Lower Delaware, Killens Pond in Dover, and the Nanticoke River, (Broad Creek), in Seaford.

In New York I like Lake Champlain, and in New Jersey, Farrington, Union, Assunpink, and Hopetcong, are among some of the better lakes, although there are many more that produce big chains as well. Employ some of these tactics this winter and in the spring on some of these lakes and I think you will be surprised at the results. You won’t catch as many pickerel using some of these methods, but they will be BIG!

Steve vonBrandt sponsored by Gary Yamamoto Custom Baits, TTI-Blakemore, Okuma, and Ambush Lures. 1998 BBWC, NAFC Hall Of Fame angler. Reeltimeanglers at http://www.reeltimeanglers.com