This is a cool tool to check out and bookmark.

SOLUNAR FORECAST.COM offers free online monthly solar lunar (solunar) predictions for any location worldwide providing the best times to fish. The free version is the demo version and it appears that you can use it as often as you want as long as you register a user name and password.

Registration is easy and only asks for that you assign yourself a user name/password, give your email address and make up a security question.

They also sell a downloadable full version of the Solunar Calendar software for $9.99 (immediate download)

Check it here:

http://www.solunarforecast.com/solunartripplanner.aspx

Technorati Tags: best time to fish, fishing, solar lunar forcast; solunar forecast, Solunar Forecast.com, tide calendar

White’s Ceramic Lures are made for deep sea, near shore and fresh water and are designed in a variety of shapes and sizes of trolling heads and surface plugs. According to the site, ceramics “cast farther than plastic or wood and have much better action on the surface than metal”.

White’s website Fishing Lures Hawaii gives all the details including how to purchase.

Here is a link to a video from that site on the manufacturing process of these unique lures that are virtually indestructable.

http://www.fishinglureshawaii.com/videos.html

Colorful Surface Plugs

Technorati Tags: cermaic lures, fishing lures, Mark White Ceramic lures, surface plugs

Good chapters on every method and technique of saltwater fishing: jigging, trolling, fly fishing, surf casting, chumming, etc.

Includes descriptions and best techniques for catching 75 of the most popular game fish found on North American coasts including feeding habits and preferred environments. Good sections on equipment (rods, reels, boats), tying knots and proper techniques for cleaning and cooking your catch.

Saltwater Fishing Made Easy

 

 

Technorati Tags: Fishing Books, fishing instruction, saltwater fishing

TackleTour.com, a site that promises 100% independent review, conducted a challenge in June, 2007 that was labeled the Fluorcarbon Showdown Sequel to their March 2007 article regarding fluorocarbons. They tested a number of manufacturers’ fluorocarbon lines for stretch, strain or deformity, visibility and knot-ability. The results are mixed but interesting. Some of the test methods used are iffy- line in a swimming pool to test invisibility- and hey, we aren’t fish and can’t really know what they see- but other tests, such as the stretch tests are easier to understand.

Here are some excerpts with links to the full article (a long one- good for when you are bored at work and need a fishing related diversion):

Perhaps no single review in recent TackleTour history has garnered as much attention and received as much comment as our March 2007 article comparing some of the more popular and well known fluorocarbon lines on the market today. It was our full intent to launch, from that previous article, a series of spinoffs and standalone product reviews, but it was becoming more and more obvious that there were some remaining, nagging issues that required our attention. Like how about our claim that fluorocarbon lines have as much stretch, if not more, than our baseline monofilament; or our use of the Polamar knot to assess knot strength; and how about the whole visibility issue? Yeah, how about all that stuff? Let’s find out!

Stretch II: Rather than take what was left of our supply spools to filling our reels and go fishing, we took them all back to the lab for some additional tests…. The majority of our fluorocarbon lines remained constant throughout but, surprisingly, a small number of them were affected by extended time in the water…READ MORE

Strain or Deformity: Some materials can be placed under a specific, constant load or stress and then, bounce back or recover from that stress once the pressure is relieved. Monofilament is a good example of this. While it might be stretchy if held between your fingers and pulled, once you stop and let go it returns to its original length. Fluorocarbon does not share this ability…READ MORE

Visibility: One of the other nagging issues regarding FC lines is the general claim of their invisibility under water. This has proven to be a difficult claim to test – that is without scuba certification and equipment. The following are some pictures we took in a swimming pool behind the premise that if the lines are invisible, or at best, hard to see in a swimming pool, results should be even more pronounced in a natural body of water where clarity will be considerably less. We rigged up the lines in a holder and marked a small section of each line with a black marker so we could have an idea of where to look for each product…READ MORE

Knots: Finally, the last remaining issue for us with the fluorocarbon lines, before making the decision on which products to really spool up and go fishing with, is what knot or knots to use? In Part I of our Fluorocarbon Showdown, we used the popular palomar knot exclusively. We tested each lines’ strength with this knot and compared it against tested tensile values. What we found was all but one of our test subjects, including our baseline Trilene XL, fell below 90% knot strength when compared to the tested strength of the line. Disappointing to say the least so we’re left to question, was it the line or was it the knot? We hear quite consistently that the palomar is not the best knot to use with FC lines, but we also hear that FC lines have terrible knot strength. So which is it?…READ MORE

Technorati Tags: fishing line, flourocarbon fishing line test, flourocarbon review, fluorocarbon fishing line

The Secret About Night Fishing Line
By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Eggertsen]Daniel Eggertsen

The Best Type Of Line For Night Fishing

Here is a topic that is often debated between night fishermen.  Depending on how you like to fish at night, here is what you should look for in general:

If you are going to be fishing with a blacklight, you will want to be sure you spool up a clear blue fluorescent line.  The clear blue is especially made to work well with blacklight night fishing, so it is highly recommended.

When you go night fishing, never use a line that is less than 20lb test.  20lb is the minimum weight you should even think about.  You won’t be dealing with those wimpy “day fish”.

Ideally, if you are blacklight fishing, you will want to use the 20lb clear blue fluorescent line.  When the blacklight hits that line, you will be amazed at how well that line shows up.
Of course, if you do not need to watch your line closely (such as when you are using a spinnerbait) then the color is not as important.

Why do you need a minimum of 20lb test line?

Simple, the fish you will be catching at night are going to be bigger!  Sometimes we catch fish twice the size as those we caught during the day at the same spot.

The bigger fish feed at night, so while your buddies are catching the little guys during the day, you can come in and take the ‘monsters’ at night.

Berkley makes a good clear blue line for night fishing.  You should probably get a spool before you plan a night fishing trip.  It is called the Berkley Trilene XT Fluorescent Clear Blue.  You can pick up a pony spool for about $2.50 and a filler spool for under $6.00.

If you are not blacklight fishing, the color is not as important as the strength of the line.  Just make sure it is strong enough to handle the big boys you may come across out there at night.

Daniel Eggertsen is a long time fishermen, as well as President and Founder of   Evening Secret Fishing – ( http://www.eveningsecretfishing.com/specialsecret/night-line.php)

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Daniel_Eggertsen http://EzineArticles.com/?The-Secret-About-Night-Fishing-Line&id=27897

Technorati Tags: Berkley Trilene XT Fluorescent Clear Blue, fishing line, fluorescent fishing line, night fishing, night fishing tips

Technorati Tags: fishing instruction, Fishing Knots, fishing line, tying fishing knots

Bass Pro Shops website is a great place to shop for fishing line but also has a number of excellent articles on various topics including how to choose the right line. Here is an article from their website that provides a good tutorial on the various choices of line and when to use them.

Choosing the Right Fishing Line

No single type of line is perfect for all fishing conditions.

Line is arguably the single most important equipment item for fishermen. It plays a key role in bait and lure presentation, in hooking fish, and in landing the fish one hooks. Yet most anglers remain confused and uneducated about the types of line now available, and the special properties each exhibits. That’s unfortunate, because understanding the pros and cons of different line types, and using that knowledge to employ the right lines in the right situations, can greatly improve one’s fishing success. This article was written to help in that respect.

Monofilament

In 1938, DuPont announced the discovery of nylon, a “group of new synthetic superpolymers” that could be made into textile fibers stronger and more elastic than cotton, silk, wool, or rayon. The next year, DuPont began commercial production of nylon monofilament fishing line. This new line, primitive by today’s standards, didn’t catch on immediately; older fishing lines, particularly braided Dacron, remained popular for the next two decades. In 1958, however, DuPont introduced Stren, a thinner line of more uniform quality that could be used with different types of reels, including newly introduced spinning and spincasting tackle. This line was quickly embraced by fishermen, and led to a boom in sportfishing popularity because it helped make fishing much easier.

Monofilament products remain popular, accounting for more than two-thirds of all fishing lines sold. As the name suggests, this is a single-component product. It is formed through an extrusion process in which molten plastic is formed into a strand through a die. This process is relatively inexpensive, producing a less costly product–that being the main reason monos are so widely popular. But it’s important to remember that cheaper brands of monofilament usually don’t receive the quality-control attention, additives and attention in the finishing process that premium-grade lines receive. As a result, they may not offer the superb blend of tensile strength, limpness, abrasion resistance, and knot strength characteristic of more expensive monos. In other words, you get what you pay for. Cheap off-brand monos usually don’t perform as well as more expensive name brands, so “buyer beware.” If you decide to use monofilament, test several name brands and stick with those you come to know and trust.

Braided

Before the discovery of nylon, braided Dacron was the most popular line. Dacron possessed poor knot strength, low abrasion resistance and little stretch, however, so it was used much less after superior nylon monofilaments were introduced. Today, it maintains only a very small niche in the marketplace, being used primarily by some catfishermen, who believe its softness improves their catch rate; as backing material on fly reels; and, for a few anglers, as a big-game trolling product.

In the early 1990s, gel-spun and aramid fibers such as Spectra, Kevlar and Dyneema entered the fishing line market, creating a new category of braided lines often called “superlines” or “microfilaments.” These synthetic fibers are thin and incredibly strong (more than 10 times stronger than steel). Individual fiber strands are joined through an intricate, time-consuming braiding process to produce ultrathin, superstrong, sensitive, yet expensive lines.

Anglers who experimented with early superlines were frustrated by low knot strength, backlashes, poor coloration, damaged equipment, impossible snags, and more. To many, these disadvantages outweighed the benefits of strength, microdiameter, and ultra sensitivity — particularly considering the exorbitant costs. However; makers of superlines have made continual advances and improvements to the raw material fibers and the process that converts them into fishing line. Coloration, castability, and strength have all been improved, overcoming some early disadvantages.

Lures dive deeper and faster when connected to superlines. And because it’s smaller in diameter, superline is less visible to fish than monofilament, and anglers can spool more line on their reels. Superlines have little stretch, transmitting strikes instantly to the rod tip, thus providing more positive hook sets. Plus, superlines allow longer casts, making them ideal for shore-bound anglers. High break strength and low stretch permit better manhandling of big fish.

Saltwater anglers use most of the braided superlines. Sometimes, the line is used as a backing for mono, allowing anglers to use small reels while increasing line capacity. Many anglers prefer the softness of braid for vertical jigging and trolling.

Superlines require a palomar knot for best results. Put mono backing on your reel before spooling superlines to prevent “slipping” on the reel and to conserve line. This also adds firmness to the spool for better casting and less backlashes. Tie a Uni knot to connect to the mono.

Do not overfill reels with superline. Overfilling creates loose strands after a cast and more backlashes. Fill to one-eighth inch from the spool rim.

A more recent innovation is fused line, made by fusing, rather than braiding, the gel-spun fibers. This process produces what appears to be a single-strand line that is also ultrathin, superstrong, and very sensitive. These lines are larger in diameter and offer a bit less strength than original braids, but they are somewhat easier to cast and tie, and generally more affordable.

Fluorocarbon

Fluorocarbon is a polymer that’s nearly invisible in water because it has an almost identical refractive index (an indication of the degree at which light refracts or bends as it passes through a substance). It is inert, so it resists deterioration by sunlight, gasoline, battery acid, or DEET (a common ingredient in insect repellents). And it doesn’t absorb water.

Fluorocarbon fishing leaders originated in Japan, where anglers are particularly fussy about bait presentations. Japanese fisheries are heavy pressured, so lifelike bait presentations are important. Nearly invisible fluorocarbon lines enhanced this quality.

Ultimately, U.S. anglers began using fluorocarbon leaders, primarily in saltwater and fly fishing applications, for the same reason the Japanese were using it — low visibility. It caught on when anglers reported catching more fish with it. The original fluorocarbon leaders were stiff and very expensive, but new technologies have produced more flexible fluorocarbon at more affordable prices.

Fluorocarbon certainly offers advantages in clear-water situations where fish are heavily pressured or slow to bite. Also, because fluorocarbon does not absorb water, it won’t weaken or increase in stretch like nylon fishing line. Added density makes fluorocarbon very abrasion-resistant, so it’s ideal for rough conditions, and makes it sink faster than nylon lines, so lures dive deeper and faster. And because fluorocarbon stretches slower and less than nylon, particularly when compared to wet nylon, it’s much more sensitive.

Fluorocarbon lines, like superlines, require special attention. The Trilene knot is the best to use with this type line. Make all 5 wraps when tying the knot, and excessively wet the line before cinching the knot to prevent line weakening. Always test the knot before fishing.

Fluorocarbons are still stiffer than nylon, even when wet. This requires more attentiveness to the line when casting, and finer “balance” of tackle. If heavier fluorocarbon line is used on lighter rods, reels and lures, anglers will experience more difficulty. Baitcasting reels may require additional adjustment for the extra momentum created by the heavier weight of fluorocarbon. Adjust mechanical brakes to the weight of the line and lure to maximize casting distance and minimize overruns.

Conclusion

No single type of line is perfect for all fishing conditions. To choose the best line, anglers should consider the size and species of fish being targeted, the type of water being fished, the type of tackle being used, and other factors. Then one must consider all the qualities needed in a good line for those situations, including proper breaking strength, diameter, abrasion resistance, stretch, flexibility, knot strength, visibility and durability. You might simply pull any spool of line off the tackle dealer’s shelf and luck into one that will work right for you. But today more than ever, with the many types of lines available, it’s important to devote time to studying each line and its characteristics so you will have the best for each fishing situation. By doing so, you’ll improve your catch rate. And catching more fish, after all, is what we all hope to do.

Technorati Tags: Bass Pro Shops, braided line, fishing line, fishing line online, fluorocarbon, monofilament