For everything from lazy summer fishing in a pond, to ice fishing competitions over a frozen winter lake, Trails.com’s Freshwater Fishing section has articles and videos for everyone interested in the sport. We can teach you the best knots for braided line, how to make your own bait, and even how to cut a hole through ice with an auger. Learn how to catch everything from striped bass to river eels with Trails.com. Regardless of where you fish, we want to ensure that you come home with your basket full at the end of the day.
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Fishing rods are built to be strong and flexible when catching fish, but when transported or stored they can be damaged easily. Proper storage of fishing rods is important to maintain their integrity. When properly stored and transported, fishi...
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Most anglers that target fish such as bass will make use of an offset shank fishing hook. This hook has a bend of 90 degrees a short distance from the eye, then another quick bend in the opposite direction. The theory that lies behind an offset s...
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Walleye prefer deep freshwater lakes with a hard sand or rocky bottom. They're regarded as one of the best-tasting freshwater fish species for their white, flaky meat. In addition, the fact that walleye can be very hard to catch makes them a favo...
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Fishing can be a maddening affair at times as the fish bite really well one day only to go quiet the next. Experienced anglers have learned to watch the barometric pressure readings as this plays a major role in fish activity.
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One of the most prized of salmon caught in the rivers and creeks of Alaska and the Pacific Northwest is the sockeye salmon, sometimes also known as the red salmon. Sockeyes are quite different from their relatives such as the king or coho salmon ...
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While fly-tying is the most well-known way to make your own fishing lures, it can be simpler than that. No matter what kind of fisherman you are, building your own fishing lures at home is almost as easy as stocking up on the right supplies.
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Making your own catfish bait, often called dip bait, is easy and inexpensive. All you need are a few simple ingredients and a strong stomach. To make the bait, combine all of the ingredients in a 5-gallon bucket, mix them together and store the f...
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Tube lures are a simple type of fishing lure than can save a fishing outing on days when traditional lures aren't working well. These lures are designed to imitate the motion and looks of a minnow or crawfish, are inexpensive and last a long time...
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The Shasta Lake area is one of California's best places for recreation. With hiking, fishing, water sports, canoeing, kayaking and mountain biking trails, the region is a playground for the adventurous. Lake Shasta's distinctive arms provide plen...
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Fishing equipment can be as complicated or as simple as you want it to be. At its most basic, it consists of a pole, line, a hook and bait. But even at its simplest, a good net can minimize awkward plunges and fights to get that fish the last few...
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It is no simple chore to walk into a tackle shop and choose a fishing line for those unfamiliar with the various types on the market. Today's fishing lines have designs that make them better suited to specific ways of fishing. These fishing lines...
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Correctly choosing the right fishing line strength is a bit more difficult than it looks. An angler who rigs her reel with a fishing line that is not appropriate for that type of set-up may find that the line does not cast well or the reel perfor...
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Anglers have three major types of fishing lines from which to select to put on their reels. Each of these fishing lines has its assets and shortcomings. Experienced sportsmen have found this out through trial and error, using all three, and then ...
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There are two reasons an angler has to put on a new fishing line. One is that she has just purchased a new reel and needs to spool it with line. The other is that worn out and nicked old line needs replacing to avoid losing a fish from the line b...
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Lewiston, Michigan, is located in the northeastern portion of the Lower Peninsula. There are many fishing opportunities in the area with the abundance of inland lakes and streams. From warm-water species such as bass, pike and walleye to cold-wat...
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Stink bait is an unpleasant concoction of fragrant ingredients designed to catch catfish and carp. Most catfish enthusiasts have their own stink bait recipe, but they all have one thing in common: dough. Without some flour to hold all the disgust...
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How reliable your hook and line are has a lot to do with the knot you use to tie them together. Poor knots can come undone in the water when a fish is aggressively fighting after being hooked. The palomar knot is one of the most common knots used...
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It doesn't matter how good your fishing equipment is if you don't have the proper knowledge to keep it together. Attaching lures or hooks requires specific knots to get the job done. Fishing line is harder to deal with than rope or string. Specif...
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A good fishing rod holder will support both the weight of your rod as well as the weight of a prospective fish, all while holding your rod in the correct position. Why buy a fishing rod holder when you can make your own? To start, you'll need to ...
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The reasons for removing a boat propeller include damage to the prop, tangled fishing line and maintenance. Because it is one of the easier things a boater can do, you might want to try it even if you don't have mechanical experience beyond check...
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The Vexilar is a fish finding device used by ice fishermen, which employs sound waves emitted from a transducer to locate fish under the ice. The Vexilar determines the size and depth of solid objects like fish, your lure or the lake bottom by re...
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The vastness of Alaska makes it impractical to have one set of regulations to cover all the fishing in the state. For this reason, the state divides itself into five separate regions, with a set of regulations for each one. However, there are man...
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An angler who purchases a brand new reel or someone who desires to replace old fishing line with a newer, more reliable spool needs to learn the arbor knot. The arbor knot gets its name from the part of the fishing reel that the line actually wra...
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Wyoming is home to some of the best fishing in the world, and its remoteness has kept its rivers wild. Wyoming law allows anglers to fish on private property from a boat, so taking a guided fishing trip is especially worthwhile. Whether you are ...
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The bait an angler uses includes many different kinds of creatures. Fishermen can target a select group or species of fish with some baits, while others catch an array of fish. The angler has to present these baits in ways that appeal to the sens...
