Fishing Reels

Parts of a spinning reel: 1: Pick up or bail 2: Reel seat 3: Reel foot 4: Handle 5: Support arm 6: Anti-reverse lever 7: Skirted spool 8: Fishing line 9: Drag adjustment knob

A fishing reel is a device used for the deployment and retrieval of a fishing line using a spool mounted on an axle. Fishing reels are traditionally used in the recreational sport of angling. They are most often used in conjunction with a fishing rod, though some specialized reels are mounted directly to boat gunwales or transoms. The earliest known illustration of a fishing reel is from Chinese paintings and records beginning about 1195 A.D. Fishing reels first appeared in England around 1650 A.D., and by the 1760s, London tackle shops were advertising multiplying or gear-retrieved reels. Paris, Kentucky native George Snyder is generally given credit for inventing the first fishing reel in America around 1820, a bait casting design that quickly became popular with American anglers.

In literary records, the earliest evidence of the fishing reel comes from a 4th century AD work entitled Lives of Famous Immortals.The earliest known depiction of a fishing reel comes from a Southern Song (1127–1279) painting done in 1195 by Ma Yuan (c. 1160–1225) called "Angler on a Wintry Lake," showing a man sitting on a small sampan boat while casting out his fishing line.Another fishing reel was featured in a painting by Wu Zhen (1280–1354).The book Tianzhu lingqian (Holy Lections from Indian Sources), printed sometime between 1208 and 1224, features two different woodblock print illustrations of fishing reels being used.An Armenian parchment Gospel of the 13th century shows a reel (though not as clearly depicted as the Chinese ones).The Sancai Tuhui, a Chinese encyclopedia published in 1609, features the next known picture of a fishing reel and vividly shows the windlass pulley of the device.These five pictures mentioned are the only ones which feature fishing reels before the year 1651 (when the first English illustration was made); after that year they became commonly depicted in world art.

source from http://www.wikipedia.com/

Fish Hooks

A fish hook is a device for catching fish either by impaling them in the mouth or, more rarely, by snagging the body of the fish. Fish hooks have been employed for centuries by fisherman to catch fresh and saltwater fish. In 2005, the fish hook was chosen by Forbes as one of the top twenty tools in the history of man.[1] Fish hooks are normally attached to some form of line or lure device which connects the caught fish to the fisherman. There is an enormous variety of fish hooks in the world of fishing. Sizes, designs, shapes, and materials are all variable depending on the intended purpose of the fish hook. Fish hooks are manufactured for a range of purposes from general fishing to extremely limited and specialized applications. Fish hooks are designed to hold various types of artificial, processed, dead or live baits (Bait fishing); to act as the foundation for artificial representations of fish prey (Fly fishing); or to be attached to or integrated into other devices that represent fish prey (Lure fishing).

The fish hook or similar device has probably been around man for many thousands of years. Examples of some of the earliest recorded fish hooks were from Palestine about 7000 BC. Man has crafted fish hooks from all sorts of materials to include wood, animal[2] and human bone, horn, shells, stone, bronze, iron up to present day materials. In many cases, hooks were created from multiple materials to leverage the strength and positive characteristics of each material. Norwegians as late as the 1950s still used juniper wood to craft Burbot hooks. Quality steel hooks began to make their appearance in Europe in the 1600s and hook making became a task for professionals.

Commonly referred to parts of a fish hook are: its point - the sharp end that penetrates the fish's mouth or flesh; the barb - the projection extending backwards from the point, that secures the fish from unhooking; the eye - the end of the hook that is connected to the fishing line or lure; the bend and shank - that portion of the hook that connects the point and the eye; and the gap - the distance between the shank and the point. In many cases, hooks are described by using these various parts of the hook. Example: Wide gap, 2X Long Shank, Hollow Point, Turned Down Ring Eye Bait hook.

Contemporary hooks are manufactured from either high-carbon steel, steel alloyed with Vanadium, or stainless steel, depending on application. Most quality fish hooks are covered with some form of corrosion-resistant surface coating. Corrosion resistance is required not only when hooks are used, especially in saltwater, but while they are stored. Additionally, coatings are applied to color and/or provide aesthetic value to the hook. At a minimum, hooks designed for freshwater use are coated with a clear lacquer, but hooks are also coated with gold, nickel, Teflon, tin and different colors. Mustad, for example, produces hooks in six colors, including black.

source from http://www.wikipedia.com/

Fishing Rods

Basically, there are 3 materials used in today’s fishing rods; fiberglass, graphite and in high-end and custom fly rods, bamboo. There are also composite rods, made from a combination of fiberglass and graphite.

For the purpose of this article (plus the fact that it is way out of my area of knowledge), we will forget about bamboo and stick to the others.

There are advantages/disadvantages to both fiberglass and graphite, depending on what they are used for.

Fiberglass is much more flexible and can handle abuse (usually inflicted by the angler, seldom by the fish) much better than graphite, although it is a little heavier and less sensitive. Fiberglass rods are much better suited for trolling, downriggers, Dipsey’s, planer boards, etc., where the rod is under constant pressure and sensitivity is not really an issue. Most other applications are better served by graphite rods (although many anglers still prefer fiberglass for all of their fishing).

GLX, IMX, SCIV, SCII IM6, Titanium, FTII,. It’s enough to drive an Angler crazy! What does it all mean? To get past all of the marketing hoopla and get to the meat of it, it helps to know a LITTLE bit about how a rod blank is made and today’s graphites.

Believe it or not, today’s fishing rods are still built by hand, rolling graphite material on to tapered steel mandrels. For companies like St. Croix, G Loomis, etc. that have literally dozens & dozens of models, it means having a lot of different size and tapered mandrels (no, a 5 foot rod is NOT a six foot rod with a foot cut off).

It should be noted here that most of the rods sold under various tackle company and store names are not made by the companies that have their name on them, but rather by rod manufacturer’s to their own specifications. Much like Sear’s does not manufacture anything).

A little about graphite. For our purposes, graphite is rated by "Modulus of Elasticity," referring to the relationship between stress and strain. It usually defines the stiffness to weight ratio of the fibers used to construct the rod blank. Generally speaking, the higher the modulus of the fiber used to make the blank, the lighter the resulting blank can be for any given stiffness. A graphite fiber called IM6 pretty much revolutionized the industry. With IM6, you had a high modulus, high strain rate graphite that made it possible to produce a lighter, more sensitive rod.

The modulus of graphite used in rods keeps getting higher and higher, making for more sensitive, lighter and more efficient rods. With that comes a trade off. There is no doubt that the higher the modulus rod , the easier it is to break and the less (angler) abuse that it can take. Graphite in of itself is very strong and the increasingly high modulus of top end graphite enables rod blanks to become lighter and more sensitive due to the ability to make blanks with thinner walls. Of course, the downside to this is they are much more susceptible to angler abuse. The thin walls just cannot stand up to rough handling and being banged around in the boat, truck, etc. The type of fishing that you do and the way that you treat your equipment should determine your rod choice, NOT company hype or status.

Is there any benefit to using a high-modulus, top of the line rod for bottom-bouncing? Probably not. Is there benefit to using one for jigging? Probably. Only you can decide if the benefit increase can justify the large cost increase.

Another important thing to consider in a rod is Action. Action is used to describe the flex point of a rod, NOT it’s power. Generally, a Fast action rod will flex in the upper 1/3 of the blank, a Medium/Moderate action will flex in the upper ½ of its length and a Slow action all the way to the butt.

Power generally refers to a rod’s stiffness/resistance to bending and is usually defined in terms like Ultra-light, light, medium, etc. Thus, you can have light power/fast action rod which is light and flexes in the upper third or a light power/slow action rod which would be the same power but flexes all the way into the butt. Again, this should be determined by the type of fishing that you will be doing with the rod.

There are a couple of things to look for when purchasing a new rod (in addition to the blank itself)
Check out the grips. Not all cork is created equal! Quality cork rings are VERY expensive and other than a few of the top companies, few use them. Look at the handles closely. Compare them to top of the line rods and you will see the difference. Although they may look pretty good, grips on cheap (and many not so cheap) rods are usually built from inexpensive cork grips which are riddled with pits and imperfections which are hidden by the use of fillers. It makes for a nice looking grip until the filling starts to fall out (and it definitely will). Make sure that the thickness of the grip is sufficient and will be comfortable in your hand after fishing with it for a few hours.

Guides are another area where corners can be cut by manufacturers. There are 3 main guide manufactures, Fuji, Pac Bay and American Tackle, that are used by the top end companies. Many manufactures cut corners by using cheap components. Look at rods made by G Loomis, St. Croix, Rogue, etc. and compare the guides/components on the other rods to them. You will be amazed at the difference, not only in the quality but the number, size and spacing.. You may not be able to afford (or even want) one of the high end rods, but compare!! There are some very good less expensive quality rods out there that use the same components as the big guys, you just have to be selective.

One final thing! Look for quality of workmanship. Remember, every fishing rod is still hand made and the quality can vary from rod to rod even in the same model from high end companies. You particularly want to inspect the guide wraps closely. Make absolutely certain that the epoxy coating completely covers the little gap/tunnel at the base of the guide foot. If water gets down in that tunnel, it’s only a matter of time before the guide will fail.

One thing to always remember when fishing with a high-end (or any rod, for that matter) rod is to avoid “high-sticking” When you have a snag or very large fish, resist the temptation to point the rod to the sky and horse it. That is just asking for a broken rod. Always point the rod directly at a snag. Put the stress on the line, not the rod!

source from http://www.dwfonline.com/

Fish Anatomy

The anatomy of Lampanyctodes hectoris
(1) – operculum (gill cover), (2) – lateral line, (3) – dorsal fin, (4) – fat fin, (5) – caudal peduncle, (6) – caudal fin, (7) – anal fin, (8) – photophores, (9) – pelvic fins (paired), (10) – pectoral fins (paired)

A fish is any aquatic vertebrate animal that is covered with scales, and equipped with two sets of paired fins and several unpaired fins. Most fish are ectothermic (or cold-blooded). Fish are abundant in most bodies of water. Fish can be found in high mountain streams (e.g., char and gudgeon) and in the deepest ocean depths (e.g., gulpers and anglerfish). According to FishBase, 31,500 species of fishes had been described by January 2010.

Food prepared from fish is also called fish, and is an important human food source. Commercial and subsistence fishers "hunt" them in wild fisheries (see fishing) or "farm" them in ponds or in cages in the ocean (see aquaculture). They are also caught by recreational fishers and raised by fishkeepers, and are exhibited in public aquaria. Fish have had a role in culture through the ages, serving as deities, religious symbols, and as the subjects of art, books and movies.

Most fish exchange gases using gills on either side of the pharynx. Gills consist of threadlike structures called filaments. Each filament contains a capillary network that provides a large surface area for exchanging oxygen and carbon dioxide. Fish exchange gases by pulling oxygen-rich water through their mouths and pumping it over their gills. In some fishes, capillary blood flows in the opposite direction to the water, causing counter current exchange. The gills push the oxygen-poor water out through openings in the sides of the pharynx. Some fishes, like sharks and lampreys, possess multiple gill openings. However, most fishes have a single gill opening on each side. This opening is hidden beneath a protective bony cover called an operculum.

Juvenile bichirs have external gills, a very primitive feature that they share with larval amphibians.

Many fish can breathe air via a variety of mechanisms. The skin of anguillid eels may absorb oxygen. The buccal cavity of the electric eel may breathe air. Catfishes of the families Loricariidae, Callichthyidae, and Scoloplacidae absorb air through their digestive tracts. Lungfish and bichirs have paired lungs similar to those of tetrapods and must surface to gulp fresh air through the mouth and pass spent air out through the gills. Gar and bowfin have a vascularized swim bladder that functions in the same way. Loaches, trahiras, and many catfish breathe by passing air through the gut. Mudskippers breathe by absorbing oxygen across the skin (similar to frogs). A number of fishes have evolved so-called accessory breathing organs that extract oxygen from the air. Labyrinth fish (such as gouramis and bettas) have a labyrinth organ above the gills that performs this function. A few other fish have structures resembling labyrinth organs in form and function, most notably snakeheads, pikeheads, and the Clariidae catfish family.

Breathing air is primarily of use to fish that inhabit shallow, seasonally variable waters where the water's oxygen concentration may seasonally decline. Fishes dependent solely on dissolved oxygen, such as perch and cichlids, quickly suffocate, while air-breathers survive for much longer, in some cases in water that is little more than wet mud. At the most extreme, some air-breathing fish are able to survive in damp burrows for weeks without water, entering a state of aestivation (summertime hibernation) until water returns.

Fish can be divided into obligate air breathers and facultative air breathers. Obligate air breathers, such as the African lungfish, must breathe air periodically or they suffocate. Facultative air breathers, such as the catfish Hypostomus plecostomus, only breathe air if they need to and will otherwise rely on their gills for oxygen. Most air breathing fish are facultative air breathers that avoid the energetic cost of rising to the surface and the fitness cost of exposure to surface predators.

source from http://www.wikipedia.com/

Fishing Tips

On removing hooks and lures from hooked fish...

Most anglers like to be "macho" and forcibly remove the hooks with brute tugging and manipulation. May I urge that you always use a TOWEL or CLOTH to get a firm grip on the fish before you start to work on removing the hook.

This simple precaution will save you a lot of grief. I promise you. A small towel or cloth is a "must" piece of equipment when you expect to catch fish. Imagine what happens when you're holding a struggling fish without a cloth and the fish slips out of your grip... especially if you used a treble hook. All I can say is "Look Out!".

source from http://www.oldmaster85.com/

Fishing Story

The appointment was made. Stan and I would meet at the dock shortly after daybreak when the tarpon would be most cooperative. We knew the big fish would be in a receptive mood if we got out early enough. Stan would get the gas and bait. I would meet him at the dock with the lunch.

It was a nice morning with a little chill in the air and I was glad that I had put on my jersey. When I got down to the dock, there was Stan standing by the boat with wet hair dripping and hanging over his face, his body soaking wet and shivering in the chill air.

"What happened" I asked . He shook his head as if in disbelief and spoke softly between tightly clamped lips. "I came down here at daybreak, put the boat at the dock and went over to the marina to get shrimp, a few hooks and some other things. When I got back to the dock, I saw the boat about 50 feet out in the water floating away on the tide with the rods and tackle boxes. I didn't know what the hell to do! I stood there a few seconds watching the boat and then took off my shoes and jumped in. I swam over to the boat, grabbed the bow line, towed it back, tied it to the dock and waited for you."

After hearing his tale of woe, I thought it best not to say anything. I just handed him a dry towel and my sweatshirt. We got into the boat and took off. No, we didn't catch a damn thing !!!

Moral... always remember to tie your boat to the dock.

source from http://www.oldmaster85.com/

Fishing Methods

The four basic methods of angling are bait fishing, fly fishing, bait casting or spinning, and trolling. All are used in both freshwater and saltwater angling, but the first and last are most commonly used in saltwater.

Bait fishing, commonly called still fishing in North America and bottom fishing in England, is certainly the oldest and most universally used method. In English freshwater fishing it is used to catch what are called coarse fish: bream, barbel, tench, dace, and grayling (i.e., all fish but game fish, those that provide the angler with sport by the way they fight capture).

A bait is impaled on the hook, which is set by the angler when the fish swallows it. Common baits are worms, the maggots of certain flies, small fish, bread paste, and cheese. The bait may be fished on the bottom, weighted down with what is called a ledger in England and a sinker in the United States, usually of lead, or it may be fished at any desired depth. A buoyant object, called a float in England and a bobber in the United States, made of quill, cork, wood, plastic, or a combination, suspends the bait at the desired depth.

In order to attract fish, what is called ground bait by the British and chum by Americans may be thrown in the water. Chum is commonly soaked bread or meal, to which some of the bait being used on the hook may be added.

Rods used are usually 10 to 15 feet long, with a fixed-spool reel and monofilament line of 1- to 6-pound (450- to 2,700-gram) strength.

In North America, where most of the fish are predatory, still fishing is practiced with less specialized tackle, the traditional rod being a long cane pole. Freshwater fish taken by this method include bluegills, crappies, perch, and catfish, as well as bass and walleyes.

Ice fishing through holes cut in frozen lakes is particularly popular in the northeastern United States and the Great Lakes-St. Lawrence Valley region of the U.S. and Canada. Equipment is commonly a three-foot rod with a simple reel or a cleatlike device to hold nonfreezing monofilament line and a tilt or tip-up to signal when the fish has taken the bait. Fish taken vary from pan fish (crappies, bluegills, and perch) to larger game fish (pike, walleye, bass, and lake trout). Ice fishing became increasingly popular in the 20th century in Scandinavian and other European countries where heavy freezing permits it.
source from http://www.oldmaster85.com/