Mini tubes rigged on 1⁄32-ounce jigheads are one of the best baits for crappies. The fish usually respond better to a steady swimming action than to sharp snaps, and crappies will more often hit jigs shaken through brush on the way up than on the drop. After the lures have reached bottom, raise them slowly and gently shake them loose if they become stuck on a limb. Outdoor Life Online Editor
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To fish a fallen tree sticking out at right angles to the bank, move out about half a cast past the point where the treetop disappears into deeper water. Begin casting a lure to where you think the tree ends, then cast progressively farther up the trunk into the branches. To avoid snags, cast and retrieve in the direction most branches are angled. Move closer as necessary. Outdoor Life Online EditorSide-planer trolling boards can be used from an anchored boat to work crankbaits across wing dams. Anchor 150 feet above a dam face. Let a diving crankbait out about 40 feet, attach the planer board and send the rig downstream. When the bait reaches the dam, engage the reel. The board will swim the lure across the dam face. Reposition to cover a new area. Outdoor Life Online EditorInstead of hooking a crayfish through the crown or tail fin, slip a small rubber band around its midsection and push the fishing hook under the band. Not only will the rigged crayfish stay alive and frisky, but hooksets will be improved as well. Though the main channel beneath a bridge is usually near the span's middle, often there are secondary channels in shallower water that hold fish. Sometimes such a ditch will swing in close to one of the banks; if so, concentrate on the area between the ditch and the bank. If a secondary channel runs near a bridge support or piling, focus on the spot between the drop-off and the nearest support, especially when it has trapped cover against its base. Outdoor Life Online EditorUse a 10- t0 12-foot fiberglass bream pole to fish small runs. Dab a spinner, small minnow plug or bait into pockets and runs. The great length of the pole lets you cover a surprising amount of water with little or no movement. And it lets you work the offering in a variety of ways until you hit upon the one that trout want. Outdoor Life Online EditorIf you run solo in a lightweight boat with a tiller outboard, odds are you're constantly struggling to see over the bow as the weight aft makes the boat squat. Get a tiller handle extension and move your seat amidships. The better-balanced boat will ride flatter and will also be less squirrelly in steering. Outdoor Life Online EditorWhen fishing through dead standing timber, concentrate on trees that have fallen or whose large limbs have broken off and toppled into the water. Submerged horizontal cover amid all that vertical timber can be dynamite to fish because bass are attracted to such changes in the norm. Outdoor Life Online EditorOne of the best spots for steelheads is the first good holding water down-current from the junction of two tributaries. When fishing upstream in the two tributaries that have joined, look for the first holding water in the smallest fork. Even if the stream doesn't look like much, it could give you a pleasant surprise. Outdoor Life Online EditorOne of the best spots for steelheads is the first good holding water down-current from the junction of two tributaries. When fishing upstream in the two tributaries that have joined, look for the first holding water in the smallest fork. Even if the stream doesn't look like much, it could give you a pleasant surprise. Outdoor Life Online Editor
As you prep for a season of awesome angling, check out these 10 illustrated fishing tips, so that you make the most of your days on the water.
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