How To Catch More Fish, In Less Time, With Less Effort Today

Two things to get us started.

First, this is a long post, 1,022 words to be exact, but it will be worth it.

Second, I absolutely realize that the headline makes it sound like some crazy, infomercial snake oil designed to help you part with some of your hard earned cash—but it isn’t.

I am not talking about some magical bait or attractant, or some crazy new technique making the rounds on the professional tournaments. I am talking about a simple, time tested principle.

Pareto’s Principle, to be exact. [Read more...]

3.5 Reasons To Use A Wading Staff

I am way too cool to use a wading staff when I go fly fishing.

I’m young and athletic (for now), and I can sit back and have a chuckle at the “old dudes” trudging through the water with a goofy wading staff.

After a quick laugh to myself I get back to my fishing and ever so nimbly bound from rock to…SPLASH!

Damn it—now I look like an idiot.

I’ve learned a few of these lessons over the years fly fishing, and these days, won’t hit the water without a good staff. Here are 3.5 reasons you should do the same. [Read more...]

The Positive Side Of Low Water Levels

lake lanier low water levels 266x300

Lake Lanier In One Of It's Drier Moments

I’ve spent the last few days talking to a few friends in different parts of the country. A few of them mentioned how low the water levels of their favorite local lakes were at the moment.

As I have Lake Lanier in my back yard, I can certainly sympathize—it’s down over 5 feet right now, and has been in worse shape over the past few years. [Read more...]

The Only Fishing Tip That Will Make You A Better Fisherman No Matter What!

This will be a short post.

So short in fact, it could probably be a tweet (follow us on Twitter @ManVersusFish), but I felt a little more space was needed to make sense of it.

You see, there are thousands of great fishing tips out there that work under different conditions. You might need cold weather tips, you may be looking for some fly casting information, or you might be looking for lure combinations to use when the water is stained and the sun is hot.

You will no doubt find some great tips for all of those conditions.

But I only know one simple tip that will work across all conditions, for all species of fish, in all locations… [Read more...]

The Greatest Fishing Lure Ever Created In The History Of Mankind…Ever!

Yeah, that title should sound a little crazy!

How can one bait claim to be the greatest, most amazing, catches-fish-like-no-other bait ever created in history?

What is this magical piece of fishing engineering? The Alabama Rig? Some kind of crazy gimmick lure pedaled on late night TV? Can something this amazing even be legal?

All of these questions will be answered and more, just keep reading… [Read more...]

The Dirty Dozen Carp Flies That Work!

carp flies 300x225

The Golden Ghost

Fly fishing for carp can be a killer rush—but, it can also be incredibly frustrating.

This frustration is quickly compounded if you have a wealth of experience fishing for other species, like trout or bass, because the techniques and equipment will be unfamiliar. This is exactly why you need carp flies that work.

Great carp flies will mimic the way carp eat—which can be very different from the way trout or bass feed. Having the right flies on hand is extremely important, as is using the right techniques.

Before we get into the flies, let’s look at how carp feed. [Read more...]

Three Common Sense Tips For Winter Fly Fishing

I was recently on one of my favorite fly fishing forums, and someone was mentioning how much trouble they were having with winter fly fishing.

Not only did they have a great deal of personal discomfort, but they were also dealing with things like line freeze, and ice on their guides.

Here are three super basic tips that will help you avoid some, if not most of that, while you hit the river in these super cold temperatures. [Read more...]

Czech Nymphing

Competitive fly fishing is somewhat of an anomaly to fisherman in the US.

We see huge bass fishing tournaments on TV all the time, but rarely do we hear of the fly fishing versions. Indeed, there are not a ton of competitive fly fishing tournaments to be found here.

However in Europe, this is not the case at all. In fact, the technique that you will learn shortly comes directly from a fly fishing competition in 1984.

The Curious Origins Of Czech Nymphing

So, one would automatically think that, given the name, this fly fishing technique was born in Czechoslovakia, right? Well, that would be incorrect.

In 1984, the Czech team was introduced to this method of fishing by the Polish team. By introduced, I mean the Poles kicked their fly fishing butts!

The technique was born out of necessity as the Polish team had limited resources and gear available to them in their native Poland. Instead of complaining about it, they developed a short casting technique that still allowed them to put fish on shore.

The following year, the World Championship was held in Poland, and the Czechs, using the method they learned from the Poles, took home the silver medal—the gold went to the Polish team.

In 1986, the Czech team again used this technique in competition, this time walking away with a gold medal for their methods.

The Long And “Short” Of Czech Nymphing

So, by now you are probably saying, “Alright, let’s get to it! Tell me how to do it!”

Absolutely, I thought you’d never ask!

Czech nymphing uses two or three nymphs. I like to use three in deeper water, two in shallower water (no brainer there, right?). You don’t really “cast” the flies so much as you flip, or roll them out. When performing this technique, your fly line will probably not ever have to touch the water at all.

Once you have your nymphs tied on, and you are ready to hit the water, you will flip your flies upstream, just as in a normal fly cast. However, instead of a long cast, you will be flipping only a preset amount of leader. I like to let my top fly get no more than 6 inches under the surface in most situations.

Once you’ve flipped, you are going to start your drift. Since there is not an abundance of line out in the water, there really isn’t a need to mend. You will want to keep your line below your rod tip. As the flies drift, follow the flies with the tip, keeping the same speed.

Important Note: Maintaining the same speed as the flies during the drift, and keeping the line taught. If you do not, you will have a very hard time setting the hook and catching the fish. When fish bite on this technique, they don’t usually blow up on it, and the strike is very subtle.

When the flies get fully down stream of you, go ahead and make another flip. Yes, that really is the whole technique.

Czech Nymphing Equipment

The great part about this technique, is that it doesn’t require any special equipment. You can use your favorite fly rod, in whichever weight you like and is appropriate for the species of fish.

You can also use your favorite fly line, and fly reel. Really, despite what you may read elsewhere, you do NOT need to make any significant changes to your fly fishing equipment to utilize Czech nymphing. Use whatever you are comfortable with using.

Here is a quick tip about choosing a leader for Czech nymphing. Make sure your leader is not longer than your rod. For example, if you have an eight foot rod, your leader should not be longer than 8 feet. This will make controlling your flies, and setting your hook much easier.

A Quick Czech Nymphing Video

Here is a great video to give you some live action and get you started Czech nymphing.


Fast Tube by Casper

I hope you will give this technique a try on your next trip to the river. It really is very simple, and a lot of fun to do.

How To Use Solunar Tables To Catch More Fish

We got a question from one of our readers about solunar tables and whether or not they really work. Furthermore, they were wondering if they should plan their trips according to some of the tables that they have seen published. So we’re going to try to answer this question based not only on our experience but also some empirical data.

Let’s start with the actual published data available to you and me. Oh, there doesn’t seem to be any from any source that would be considered authoritative. Well, that part was easy! But if this is the case, why are these tables published everywhere and is there anything to them?

Let’s look at this from a skeptical angle to see what we can find. To begin with, these tables are based on sun and moon influences that we all know do indeed have some validity. However, for them to work perfectly would require a few things that just don’t happen in the real world. The first being that the weather is always 100% predicable, day after day, week after week, month after month, and so on ad infinitum. Unfortunately, we all know that this just isn’t the case. Inclement weather can roll in at a moment’s notice and completely mess up a pattern that was well established days earlier.

Another problem is that these tables all assume that your local water is completely static. There is no fluctuation in current, the water level and temperature never rises or falls and there are no other more local variations that will affect the tables’ predictions. Man, I sure wish I could find such a place! Then all you would have to do is read the table for day and time and every day you went fishing would be your best day. Once again, reality bites.

But what about the times when I have gone fishing that coincided with the tables and it did work out? Okay, let’s look at those times and other factors that may have been in your favor besides the solunar tables.

I’m sure that most of you are aware that the spawn for bass will usually coincide with water temps reaching a certain point as well as the first full moon after the proper water condition is met. This is one of those keys that the tables can guesstimate but can’t nail down in your area. You have to keep checking the water temp and take advantage of the situation when it presents itself. One of the best times of the year can be the pre-spawn as bass are moving up.

Another well-known factor in catching both numbers and quality of bass is fishing the 3 hour period surrounding the rise and fall of the sun as well as the rise and fall of the moon. Even on days that are considered lower potential by the tables, fishing at these times can yield great days no matter the specie you’re targeting.

All of us have probably had great days on the water when the solunar tables say we shouldn’t. There are a number of reasons for this that mostly involve more immediate environmental conditions.

Have you ever fished a lake that publishes dam release times? This sudden increase in current will often trigger the most aggressive bite of the day. This is again a matter of knowing the body of water that you intend to fish and finding that information.

Have you ever fished a body of water that, for some unknown reason, is suddenly the recipient of a phenomenal hatch of shad or mudbugs or some other food source? This can be a huge boom for anglers who are in the right place at the right time. Here again, local knowledge is the key to taking advantage of an otherwise unpredictable opportunity.

There are so many factors that go into making a great day fishing that are not and cannot be accounted for by using just the solunar tables. Does this mean that they are completely bogus and not worth taking a look at? No, like every other tool in the anglers’ arsenal they have their place. In my opinion however, the more immediate environmental factors such as current, local weather, available forage, water conditions and local knowledge of any body of water have a greater impact on your day fishing than the tables.

That’s why doing a little homework on a particular fishery prior to making your first cast is always time well spent. Couple this with using the time period surrounding the rising and setting of both the sun and moon will really increase your odds of having a truly epic day on the water.

See ya’ on the water …

The Effect Of Barometric Pressure On Fishing

No matter what type of fishing you do, the environment is going to have a say on how well you do during your next trip.

All sorts of factors will come into play every time you get out on the water. From cloud cover, cold and warm fronts, sunshine, and water temperature—all of that will matter at the end of the day.

One of the more overlooked environmental factors is barometric pressure. Hopefully, you’ve already read how cows can predict your fishing success (if not, why not now?), today we will take a much more in depth look at what barometric pressure can do to the fishing.

Before we really dive into it though, keep in mind that keeping an eye on the barometer will not ensure, or rule out, a great fishing trip. I’ve had great days when all of the environmental factors pointed to a terrible day, and vice versa.

Don’t let a barometer, or anything else for that matter, keep you off the water.

Barometric Pressure And Fishing

So what exactly is barometric pressure?

A barometer measures the weight of the atmosphere above us. The measurement is best taken at sea level, so if you are significantly above or below, a correction factor is used. Obviously, the higher you are, the lighter the atmosphere is.

The effect of this atmospheric pressure on fishing is more readily seen in shallower water. This makes sense if you keep in mind that deeper water will exert a huge amount of pressure on the fish, thus making the air pressure much less significant.

Now that you have a general overview of what barometric pressure is, let’s get down to some brass tacks and look at pressure trends and fish activity.

Fishing In High Barometric Pressure Situations

High pressure tends to result in sunny and clear skies.

Fish will typically look for cover in these situations. To take advantage, fish shallow baits close to cover.

Be warned: If it starts getting really hot, this can often turn the bite completely off.

Fishing In Rising Barometric Pressure Situations

It isn’t a high pressure day, but the trend says it is rising. This will typically result in skies that are starting to clear up, and the sun is starting to get through a lot more.

Typically, fish will be moving in from the deeper water to the shallower water to feed. It is still a good idea to attack cover, and fish in the shallow to medium range.

If you are struggling with this tactic, cover lots of water to find the fish. Plan your retrieves and tactics to move from deeper to shallower water.

Fishing In Normal Barometric Pressure Situations

The fish won’t really be reacting to this type of pressure all that much.

This is a great time to experiment with baits, retrieves, colors, and new patterns. You never know what might garner a strike when things go “normal.”

Fishing In Falling Barometric Pressure Situations

If there is a sweet spot on the barometer for catching a lot of fish, this is it.

When the pressure starts to fall, the weather will start getting a little dodgy. This seems to signal the fish to feed like crazy, and you can have an absolutely killer day.

Figure out what the fish are feeding on, match it, and go to town.

Fishing In Low Barometric Pressure Situations

This is where things get really tough.

Often times, fish will really shut off in this situation. They typically move deeper, and you will have to really buckle down to get them to bite. Fish deep structure with things like jigs and swim jigs.

Make A Barometer Journal

Writing down different environmental factors while you are fishing can be very helpful. You will start to pick out patterns when things seem to be random.

Next time you go fishing, write down the air temperature, the barometric pressure, the water temperature, what baits you used, etc.

Keeping track of everything you experience on the water will make you a better fisherman, and give you more tools to use in the future.

See ya on the water…

Switch to our mobile site