250 lb Catfish!!!

We start this video half way through the fight of this man’s lifetime. You don’t see a 250 lb catfish every day let alone fight one with a small stick and some line.  So I think we can all sit back and enjoy the real lunker this man pulled in!

Just to bring the size into perspective.

250 lbs is like…

What would you do if you had a 250 lb fish hooked up? Please leave a comment answering this absurd question below!

How to remove a fish hook from your arm… Live Demonstration!

I’m sure many of us have gotten “hooked” on fishing in some way or fashion but hopefully when we say hooked it does not entail a fish hook through the arm. If you ever do find yourself in one of these sticky situations the techniques in this video are sure to help!

If you cringed as much as I did please leave a comment below!

The Zebco 33: Where it all began

Fishing is a way of life that many of us learn at a young age. It is a pastime that sticks with us through thick and thin. Fishing is a sport that can continue to offer a thrill even after the millionth time out on the water. This makes me stop to think what really get’s a person set on fishing and what got me into the fishing frenzy. As I considered all the different things that I began to love about fishing it all came back to that moment I received my first rod and reel combo, the Zebco 33. This rod and reel combo is great for both the early and late beginners like myself. At this point I must admit that beginning at an age of around 17 is a little late for people to be just beginning their fishing story but this is where I began. Although with little experience the love of fishing is something that came naturally. Getting out on the lake and taking a couple hours out of a busy day was just what I needed. Although I had gone fishing before it was when I received my Zebco 33 when I really began to learn more about the sport. With the little knowledge that I had of fishing at the time, the Zebco fit my fishing style perfectly. Not being a seasoned veteran I would not necessarily have understood the ins and outs of a spinning reel and would have been guaranteed to end up with endless hours of backlash if I were to use a baitcaster. Obviously, it’s not your top of the line custom built beauty that you see nowadays but it was perfect for getting me into the sport. I would highly recommend this for new beginners because of the ease of casting and the quick retrieval. I would also like to use this blog post to really describe the reason for this blog. This blog is something I am putting together because I love to fish and have a strong interest in learning everything I can about the sport itself. Through this learning process, I would like to share what I am learning in what I hope to be an easy and understandable manner. As I progress through this blogging experience and continue to write the fishing story that I will grow to love hopefully there is something for you to learn also.

 

Apparently, the Zebco 33 can literally do it all! Watch this video to find out why!

 

Please feel free to leave a comment about how you became the fisher you are today!!

Man Catches Monster Bass with Bare Hands

 

Have you ever gotten out to the lake and realized you forgot something? Whether it be a scale or a pair of pliers it is just a minor setback for a good day of fishing. What if that thing you forgot were your rod and reel? You would for sure turn around and go pick those up, right? I think this man answers the question in a way not too many of us would! Watch the video to find out why!

 

If you or anyone you know have any odd ways of scoring the big one please feel free to send in your videos to firewaterfishing1@gmail.com and your video could be featured on this blog! Don’t forget to leave a comment!

5 ways to avoid/lessen the impact of backlash with a baitcaster

What is Backlash? When using a baitcasting reel one problem many young and even old fishermen run into is the occurrence of backlash. In order to explain what backlash is allow me to set a scene. Imagine on your first day of a fishing trip you are over excited to get that first cast out and into the water. All the sounds and fresh smells have your blood swelling through your system and your adrenaline surging. With all this extra adrenaline you cast your line as hard as your body will physically let you. As your lure soars oh so gracefully out into the air, a quiet and soothing gust of wind blows in on your face. The same gust of air that takes the sail right out of the lure you just cast. As your lure slows down and hits the water your line is still flying at the speed of your adrenaline. With the lure slowing and the line still spinning there is nowhere for the line to go. This continued motion is what creates the obscene mess that backlash has to offer. Often times it is referred to as a “bird’s nest” due to the mess it leaves behind on the spool. This mess is what often times ruins a day of fishing due to the crazy amount of time it takes to “clean up” and untangle the damage that has been done. Although this fishing trip ruiner could just as easily have been avoided by using a couple simple preventative actions such as these.

 

1. Avoid casting directly into the wind- As pictured in the above section one should avoid casting a line directly into the wind. With increased wind speeds the lure that is cast will tend to slow down in the wind and the line will not. This combination will oftentimes lead to a messy spool. Instead, try to cast with the wind so that the lure and line travel at the same speed until the lure makes contact with the water
2. Use the right amount and combination of brake- When first starting out it is much easier and more forgiving to turn up the braking systems. Although it will warrant shorter casts it makes learning a lot easier and more efficient. As you become used to the way the baitcaster casts gradually loosen the brakes to a comfortable point. These actions will greatly reduce the amount of backlash incurred.
3. Use the right lure- By this, I mean using the right weight of lure for the setup you have. It ties in with the right amount and combination of brakes. When just starting out often times it is easiest to use heavy lures such as crank baits or larger swimbaits. This will help prevent over spinning of the spool and lower the risk of backlash.
4. Use the right line- Everything we do in fishing starts with selecting the right line and is just as important to reducing the damaging effects of backlash. Although both types of fishing line, braided and monofilament, are able to be used on a baitcaster it is much easier to untangle monofilament than it is to untangle a braided bird’s nest. Although this is not necessarily a tip for prevention it will be helpful for a beginner learning how to cast a baitcaster. Since it is much less expensive and time consuming to change and replace monofilament line than braided line.
5. Practice makes perfect- When initially starting to use a baitcasting reel it is often times easy to find yourself overcasting your ability. In order to solve this, a little bit of practicing and gentle adjustments of the spool tension control are necessary. Initially, it may be necessary to tighten the spool tension control a little tighter than the typical “letting the lure drop slowly to the ground” method. This will help to prevent overrun and backlash. Although make sure to continue to loosen your spool as you gain experience because overuse of higher tensions will wear out the tension the spool will provide in the long run.

 

Unfortunately, even with these preventative actions backlash is still an occurrence that comes up while fishing. When it does happen one of the steadfast methods for untangling it is to apply thumb pressure to the spool and working it out with the reel. Here is a video explaining how to do exactly that:

 

If you have any stories of yourself or friends dealing with backlash issues please leave a comment below!!