There are a few basic methods that are effective in catching catfish. Bear in mind that specific methods are applicable to specific kinds of waters. That is because techniques and baiting mixtures are formulated for specific targets.

The following methods are simple, yet proven successful when used:

1) Rigging method – Depending on the bait used, loop the bait holder or the treble hook from a line to a preferred distance to the end. Bait movement is not suggested; therefore, a weight must be used to allow the rig to be still. A good distance shall be about 18" to 24."

Same as the first method, using the Slipweight to make the bait stable is also effective. The weight does not matter as long as it can slide in the line. The fish will not feel any weight and it will be late until they realize that the bait is fake.

Multibait technique allows multiple catches at once. Simply place three-way swivel along the line. As it draws more strikes it makes a great choice for catching more catfish at the same time.

2) Bait – Experts opt for chicken livers or medium sized shrimp from groceries. The shrimp's tail and skin must be removed and body should be big enough to slide up in a number 6 hook. This is simpler than the chicken which necessitates the use of pantyhose. A diameter of a quarter is wrapped in a piece of pantyhose leaving a tag end then attach it through the treble hook. Blood worms, minnows, catfish paste, night crawlers, snails, living or dead small fish, and dough baits are also good choices of baits. Remember that the best baits are always those that nature produced.

3) Chumming – Fishermen catch more catfish with this method. This is simply throwing balls of mixtures of natural recipes in the fishing area. This attracts more catfish; the trick is that the mixture should be right enough for the catfish to feed heavily. The hook that will be used to fish normally must have the same recipe for the bait. Adding a good smelling flavor into the pasty mixture attracts catfish more.

4) Tackling – Although the technique involved in this method is by far effective, it's still the bait that attracts and brings the catfish in. As simple as it is, the tackle should be about 6 feet long with a spinning real. Choose heavier lines to allow more battle between the fisherman and the catfish. It doesn't necessarily have to be expensive. The experience you get from a cheaper tackle is no different from an expensive one.

Make sure the grip is secure hooks are removed by pliers after catching the fish. Avoid being stuck with the fins as some are poisonous. Just simply sliding the hand up to its belly from tail, placing the fingers behind one side and thumb behind the other can remove the catfish from the hook without any harm. Happy catfishing and good luck!

Download your free catfishing tips guide now. Lots of great tips and techniques to improve your fishing. http://www.secretfishingtips.com/freeguide.html

Basically, fly fishing is not only one of the fastest growing sports; it is one of the foremost forms of conserving natural resources as well as providing aquatic recreation.

Fly fishing is, very simple when three things are right: you must have a suitable rod; you must get a line to match it; and you must learn correct casting technique.

For people who wish to know some tips on fly fishing, here is a list of some pointers that could help anglers harness their fly fishing skills:

1. Material of the rod

When starting out, it is always best to start with a cheap option. Once your fishing improves and you are enjoying it,
you can then progress onto more expensive options.

2. Line

It is important to know that on any given rod, the fly fisherman should use the same size line for anything from small trout and bluegills up to the largest sea fish.

In choosing the line, anglers should get a C level, an HCH double-taper, or a GBF three-diameter. This choice is based on the fact that a high percentage of fly rods bought nowadays are hollow glass, and that a great majority of these works best with lines of those sizes, almost regardless of lengths or weights.

3. Learning to cast

In casting, it is important to get about 20 feet of line out front. Anglers should always remember to cast a straight line. Avoid jerky movements even if it is on a faster mode in order to do so.

Boiled down, there should be no reason why you should not learn the fundamental principles just as easily as those who now enjoy fly fishing.

Probably, the best and surest way to learn to cast successfully is to spend a day on the stream with some fisherman who is a competent caster.

Lessons learned on the stream are the best tips you can acquire anywhere in your quest for learning fly fishing.

Most of all, enjoy your fly fishing!

Download your free bass fishing tips guide now. Lots of great tips and techniques to improve your fishing. http://www.secretfishingtips.com/freeguide.html

Since the water is slow, clear and shallow, the fish seem to be extra skittish. This means you need to practice extra caution to have any luck. If you can see the fish in a beaver pond, more than likely they can see you, too. All but the very small and gullible fish will retreat to safety. Avoid the overwhelming temptation to walk up to the pond to spot the fish.

Instead, keep a low profile and delicately cast to any rising fish or bulges you see in the water. Be sure to concentrate your efforts on the pond's inlet, the main stream channel, the deeper water at the dam itself and any other good holding water you may notice. Since beaver ponds offer such an abundance of food, the majority of trout will feed on the surface only when there is a large hatch in progress. Some of the smaller fish may feed on the stray bugs, but for the most part they will be eating nymphs under the surface of the water.

I like to stand just below the actual beaver dam and cast into the deep water behind it. It's easy to sneak up on the fish from here and you don't need much line to present your fly. This will usually yield a fish or two, but it is a tough place to fish (although there really aren't any easy places in a beaver pond). Most of the time, you will either snag your fly on a piece of wood or hook a fish that beelines to its shelter under the dam. Whatever the case, plan on losing lots of flies.

I will never forget the time I hooked a large native cutthroat trout in a small beaver pond in Colorado. Again, I approached the pond just under the dam and hooked it on my first cast, which is often the case in beaver ponds. After a rather lengthy battle, I finally got the fish within arm's reach when the unthinkable happened. The fish made one final run, but this time dove below the dam and tangled itself around large piece of wood. I tried my best to untangle the leader, but to no avail. I had to snap the tippet. With a long branch, I reached the line and pulled the fish up to the surface of the water.

Besides a sly approach, the key to successful fishing on beaver ponds is to give them a break. Unless it's a huge pond, don't plan on fishing more than 10 to 20 minutes before all the fish are spooked. Instead, catch a few trout, give it a break then come back. I usually fish a beaver pond pretty heavily when I first get there and then break for a half-hour or so. During this time, I usually have lunch, take a nap (ah, fishing!) or more likely fish my way up the creek until I hit another pond. If there are several beaver ponds in one area, as is often the case, some of the best fishing can be in the channels that connect them. Concentrate on these channels while you give the ponds a break.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Fishing

There are two types of high mountain lakes: those above the tree line and those below it. Some lakes are at such an elevation that they are above the level where trees can grow. These lakes usually sit at the bottom of a talus slope and offer very little cover for fish. Since these lakes are nutrient-poor compared to their lower neighbors, food is scarce and they tend to have fewer trout. This doesn't necessarily mean the fishing isn't good, though. As long as you don't spook the fish (which can be quite easy), you can take advantage of the scarce food situation. Hungry fish are eager fish. Because of the fierce competition for food, some of these high alpine trout will aggressively attack anything that even resembles a meal.

Because lakes below the tree line offer more food, they typically house more fish. There is usually more cover for these fish to hide. The two drawbacks to these lakes are the abundant food (fish won't bite if they're not hungry) and the fact that they can be in heavily forested areas, which makes casting difficult. This can also shelter a lake from the sun.

I remember a hike I went on a few summers ago in Colorado. I tried to time my trip just as I thought the lake was thawing out in mid-June, since this time offers some of the best fishing of the year. During this time the fish are usually hungry and eager to bite anything that looks like food. I also think fish seem to forget some of their nervous habits over the long winter months and appear to be a bit less spooky just after the thaw. On this particular trip (as with many others), I had to use snowshoes to reach the lake only to discover that it was still iced over. I was probably two weeks early. Not wanting to give up, I took out my map to see if there were any other lakes in the area. Luckily, I spotted a small, unnamed lake on the map that rested just above the tree line. Although it was a little higher in elevation, it sat on a south-facing slope. I decided to give it a try since it received a bit more sun.

I reached the lake an hour later and I was in luck: the lake was just about ice free. I was sure I was the first fisherman to cast a line in that lake all year, but before I did, I hiked up a small hill overlooking the lake to scout the situation. I couldn't believe what I saw. It seemed every trout in the lake was cruising the shallows for food and probably enjoying the warmer water as well. They weren't schooled up (brook trout rarely are); instead it was as if each fish was out only for its own survival. To make the story short I got strikes on about every cast. This just shows that timing is as important as the many other ingredients of successful fly fishing.

Keep in mind the pros and cons of each type of high mountain lake and don't be afraid to hike a while to get to that elusive water hole that every fisherman claims to have found, though few probably actually have.

Michael Russell

Your Independent guide to Fishing

I always tell my friends or students what my father used to tell me "If you want to get started in any activity, go where that people get their stuff". If you are into fishing, go to a fishing store and look around, ask questions and look for the "ad wall" and you will find lots of information and people who can teach you.

But what if you can't find someone to teach you or if you are just curious about it? There is always a way to start called "instructional videos". You can find some of them in VHS, but now mostly all of them are now in DVD.

It was in the mid 80's when I was a fairly good playing the bass (the instrument, not the fish) when these videos started to be popular in music instruction. At that time they were fairly cheap. In these videos you can see some of your favorite players giving one-on-one lessons and watch them as many times as you need to. I have to say my playing did improve with this practice.

For this matter, fishing videos are the same; they teach you a new skill or help you improving one that you already have. Sure there are boring parts, like in the music instruction practicing music scales and modes, and on the fishing videos some of the explanations about things you already know.

I have to say that there is nothing like in person training, but this "new" modality of teaching and learning is also helpful. Consider two things: one is having someone you admire tell you his secrets and the other is the "distance learning" value based on constructivist principles, where you are required to invest more mental effort in the non-automatic processing of information.

For Fly Fishing there is a wide range of DVD's and most of them are very informative and dynamic. One I like is "Trout Bum Diaries, Volume I: Patagonia". It might not be a "formal" instructional video but you can learn some things just by watching the expedition to the Patagonia and sharing the joy for the adventure with these guys. There are some other more "traditional" videos like the Bob Nudd's series or "Atlantic Salmon – A Life on the Edge" which are also a great DVD's.

Another way to learn from a video is to watch your favorite fisherman…Yourself!
Something you might want to do is this: I started taping my music gigs to show my students how practicing the boring music stuff is actually done in real life and for finding weak spots in my playing to fix. Later, I started taping myself while fishing to have some happy memories on video as well as to check out on things I do while fishing. This is a good idea if you want to have a record of your own improvement.

So maybe now you'll want to consider getting fishing videos as your first contact with fishing if you are new to it, for your own amusement if you are an experienced fisher or just tape yourself to check improvements. Who knows? Maybe you can even start you own instructional series!

"Tony the Tuna" is a fishing enthusiast and a regular contributor writer for Fly-Fishing-North-America.com. If you want to learn more about fly fishing visit http://www.fly-fishing-north-america.com