Bass Fishing: Getting Started

So you’re thinking about taking up bass fishing …

Many people think bass fishing is complicated. Not true. It’s actually a fun and relaxing activity.

Of course, there are always tips, tricks, and techniques that will help make your bass fishing trips more enjoyable … and successful.

So what are some of these ‘insider’ bass fishing secrets that you need to know? 

First and foremost, you’ll want to find out about the bass in the area where you plan to fish. Things like …

• Where they like to hang out
• What kind of weather conditions they like
• What bait is most appealing to them
• What time of day they like the best
• What water depth appeals most to them
• What kind of water they prefer — muddy or clear, warm or cool

The next thing is to make sure you choose the right bait. Bass fishing baits can include crank baits, spinner baits, plastic worms, buzz baits, top water lures, live bait, plus many others. The one you choose will depend a great deal on where you intend to fish, the time of day, and several other factors.

Choosing your bass fishing rod and reel is usually based on the type of bait you will be using. Of course, comfort and ease-of-use is also important. The variety of rods and reels that are offered can be overwhelming, so it’s best to buy from a reputable shop where you can get solid advice.

In fact, the best place to go to get started in  bass fishing is your local sporting goods store. However, don’t just talk to any sales rep. Ask for the bass fishing expert. This is the person that’s going to lead you in the right direction and give you the guidance you need to go out and land the “big one.”

Mountain Biking Safety Tips

As with any sport, safety is a main concern when you go mountain biking. One of the most important safety tips is to wear a helmet.

The second most important step is to always ride in control of your mountain bike. By riding in control you will not only prevent crashes, but you will also keep others on the trail safe. When you ride out of control, you lose the ability to adjust to the terrain as you ride over it. This can — and usually does — result in serious injury to yourself and others.

Follow these helpful guidelines and you’ll remain safe when riding your mountain bike.

• Gear
  As already mentioned, alway wear a helmet, as well as other necessary safety gear for the conditions that you plan to ride in.

• Never ride beyond your control
  There is never any shame in walking the areas of the trail that you don’t feel comfortable riding — and you should never let anyone else tell you that there is.

• Keep your speed under control
  Always make sure you keep your speed at a level where you can quickly adjust to any obstacles or change in the trail.

• Know your trail
  Never push the limits on trails that you aren’t familiar with. Take trails you aren’t familiar with at slow speeds until you learn them better.

• Slow down around blind corners
  If you can’t see past a corner, always slow down. You never know who or what might be on the trail on the other side.

• Start small, then go big
  Work your way up to stunts or obstacles. Practice in less difficult or dangerous situations before you move up to something more dangerous.

• Play it smart
  If you start to question what you’re doing, you probably shouldn’t be doing it. Go with your instincts.

Buying a Mountain Bike

Buying a mountain bike can be time consuming — even frustrating — if you don’t know what you’re looking for. Listed below are some tips and things to be aware of before you lay down your cash on a mountain bike.

• Determine your price
  There is really no limit on how much money you can spend on a new mountain bike. That’s why it’s important to figure out what your price range is and how much your willing to pay for a new bike before you go shopping. Avoid buying your mountain bike from mass merchant stores, such as Wal-Mart. Instead, support your local bike shop. You’ll get a much better bike and much better service, not to mention good advice.

• Find your style
  All mountain bikes are designed with several different riding styles and terrain types in mind. You’ll need to figure out what type of riding you will be doing the most. Will you be doing smooth riding, cross country racing, mountain cruising, or lift-accessed downhill? This is an important step in making your selection. The bike you select needs to fit your personal style and not that of the sale’s staff.

• Full suspension or hard tail
  If you can afford it, a full suspension mountain bike is always worth the purchase. A hard tail, without rear suspension, is much lighter weight and pedals more efficiently, but full suspensions offer more comfort and overall better control. You’ll want to make your decision based on your price range, riding style, and the type of terrain you’ll be riding on the most.

• Find your favorite
  Comparing mountain bikes component to component is nearly impossible, as there are far too many combinations available. The best way to go about doing this is finding a few components that are the most important to you and making sure the rest or the minimums fall within your price range. You can start with the fork then look at the wheels and rear derailleur.

• Sales and seasons
  During the year, prices of mountain bikes can fluctuate quite a bit. Spring through summer is the main buying season. If you can wait, you will probably get a better price in the fall or winter — and may even save as much as a couple hundred dollars. Many bike shops will also offer discounts or other accessories if you buy from them. 

• Find a good dealer
  Finding a good bike dealer is more important than finding the best price.  Make sure the dealer is interested in selling you a great bike that’s suited for you — not just a high-priced one. Also, a good dealer will have a clean repair shop.  If you get the impression you can really trust the dealer, you probably can.

• Test ride
  Test ride as many bikes as you can within your price range and riding style. You’ll find that some bikes will feel right, while others won’t. The more bikes you can test drive, you better you’ll understand what works for you and what doesn’t.

• Do the research
  Product reviews and bike reviews are some of the best ways to find out about a mountain bike’s reliability and overall performance. Always look at what other owners have to say about a bike before you make that final purchase.

Mountain Biking for Beginners

Mountain biking is an exciting sport that can be enjoyed by anyone who knows how to ride a bike. However, it is not the same as your average bike ride. There can be danger involved, so you should master a few basic skills before you hit the trails or dirt.

There are several places where you can practice these beginning skills — a local park, school, bike path, or simply around your house. Better yet, if you can find a location with a steep hill, you’ll be one step ahead of the game.

1. Get a feel for your pedals

Practice moving your foot away from the pedal, first while sitting on your bike with one foot on the ground. Next, move on to releasing and replacing your foot while pedaling around for a bit. Those with toe clip and clipless type foot pedals will want to spend a bit more time practicing.

2. Sit and spin for position

Simply sit on your bike and pedal around. You should keep your arms slightly bent. Adjust your seat height so your leg is 70 to 90 percent extended at the bottom of every stroke on the pedal. Keep your body relaxed as there will never be a position where you should have either your knees or your elbows locked.

3. Shifting gears

Get a feel for shifting gears with your bike. The higher gears are harder to pedal and will go faster while the lower gears are easier to pedal and will help you go up hills.  As you get to steeper hills, its best to shift before you get to the hill rather than while you’re on it.

4. Coasting

Spend a bit of time coasting while standing up on your pedals. Keep your arms bent but don’t lock your knees. Try experimenting with shifting your body towards the rear end of the bike.

5. Pedal while standing

Get as comfortable as you can with pedaling while standing on your bike. Try lifting yourself off the seat while standing on the pedals, then crank them around. Do this in higher gears on flat ground, then again in lower gears while on a hill.

6. Dropping down a curb

Try finding a curb where you can easily get to the upper portion of it.  Practice at a moderate speed, standing and coasting right off the curb from the upper level to the lower level. Try this at different speeds until it becomes second nature.

Once you practice these techniques and get the hang of them, you’ll be able to hit the trails feeling comfortable on your mountain bike. Even though it may take some getting used to, it’ll become second nature before you know it.

Get Hooked on Bass Fishing

If you haven’t ever tried bass fishing, you’re in for a treat! Hundreds of people are hooked, pardon the pun, on this hobby and many others are trying to find out what the buzz is all about.

Bass fishing is much more than just catching a fish. Its about getting those prized big bass and having the opportunity to show it off!

If you’re just beginning the sport, the first thing to focus on is the type of lure you will use because the bait can make all the difference in the world on whether you go home empty-handed or with a load of bass.

Surveys among pro bass fisherman have shown that plastic worms are the best. Ranking second and third were are the spinner bait and the crank bait. Using a worm is slower, but absolutely effective and is very seductive to bass. They usually work best when the bass are schooled over a particular structure.

When using a plastic worm, you need to be able to sense when the bass strikes. If you can’t, it’s usually due to a sinker that is too heavy and a line that is too thick. To help you to overcome this predicament, you are advised to use a variable buoyancy worm using lead strip sinkers. Here are some of the advantages:

• No moving lead on the line to dampen the feel of a gentle pickup
• You can apply the precise amount of lead to deliver the worm action needed
• It makes it easier for a bass to inhale the worm
• It aids in hook setting
• It’s easier to shake loose from snags
• You can cause the worm to hang virtually suspended over the bottom when fishing shallow water.

To tell how much lead strip is needed, wrap one strip around the hook and bury the barb in the plastic worm. Ease it into the water and watch it sink, it should barely settle toward the bottom. If it sinks too fast, take some off. Make sure to use no heavier than 8-pound mono line, preferably 6 pound.

Advantages of using a spinner bait are that it can be moved more quickly across the surface and can be bounced on the bottom, sent against a tree limb, and moved in many different ways in order to stimulate strikes. It is a great probing lure for the shoreline because of its tangle-free construction.

Crank baits cover a lot of water in a hurry. Using them, you can check out a spot without wasting too much time. You can use them for locating fish that may be scattered.

The most important thing is, no matter what lure you select for the particular lake that you are fishing on, you need to make it as easy as possible for the bass to get at it. How do you do that? Drop that lure right in front of them! Scientists have proven that bass calculate the amount of energy it will take them to go after the prey.

Where to fish? Bass love ambush spots offering lots of cover from the bait. They like to hide and pounce on their prey.

Aside from considering the lures, it is also important to determine the accurate time to go bass fishing. Dawn and dusk are definitely when the biggest bass can be brought in because this is when they are feeding. Bass are much more likely to follow the bait when they’re feeding because they are less aware of threats.

There is one exception to fishing during dusk or dawn and that is when the water is below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. This temperature wipes out certain aquatics and terrestrials, which nullifies the food chain feeding.

As you spend more and more hours and days on bass fishing, you will acquire lots of knowledge about the right lure and technique for the proper way to do this sport. The best advice most experienced and seasoned bass fishermen offer is to examine the fishing conditions, ask for tips from anglers familiar with the waters you are fishing in and finally, try many different lures and bass-fishing techniques until you discover what works most effectively to the situation, and which one you are most comfortable with.

Go Day Hiking

Day hiking is a great spring and summertime activity. The objective is to hike or walk for the day and return to your place of origin that same day, usually as night approaches. Anyone capable of walking can day hike.

Whenever you go on a day hike, always be ready for any weather conditions — especially in the spring when sudden showers can appear almost without warning. And be sure you know how to find your way back to your starting point in case the weather gets too bad.

Always have plenty of water with you (at least 2 liters), particularly in the summertime. It’s also important to have some good high protein food with you, such as various power bars, bagels, “gorp”, peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, fruit, and chocolate chip cookies.

The best clothing to wear is made from high tech material that wicks the sweat from your body, is warm, and light. Don’t even consider cotton or wool clothing.

It’s suggested that you wear a hat because it keeps you cooler (and helps prevent wrinkles and skin cancer). Choose a light hat with a large brim. It may look “dorky,” but this is not the time to be worrying about fashion. Also use sunscreen. Even on cloudy days.

One very important thing in day hiking is selecting the correct footwear. Make sure it is designed specifically for hiking. It should give your feet comfort while walking. Suggested styles are cross-trainers with ankle support, trail-running shoes, or a lighter hiking boot. Never purchase your footwear solely based on looks.

Carry as little as possible (carry less, go further), but always consider the risks involved when planning what you will take with you. For example, well-established trails will probably require less “survival” items.

Plan your walking schedule before you leave — and stick to it! You don’t want to end up miles from your car or campsite and be too tired to finish your hike.

Day hiking is the ultimate recreational activity. It’s a great sport to challenge yourself and your friends by setting a goal … and achieving it. Best of all, it’s good for your physical, mental, and emotional well-being.

So … go take a hike! A day hike, that is.