Posts Tagged ‘advice’
Okay, Friends, I need your help. I can’t tell if the Set Your Hook blog and newsletter are getting the job done for you.
I’ve been writing the Set Your Hook newsletter for nearly five years now. But what I’ve found is that I have some GREAT articles that get a lot of comments (both on the blog and emailed back to me) and then a lot of articles that seem to fall flat.
Examples of articles that you like:
The goal of Set Your Hook was to be a resource for people just getting started in fishing. I take my own knowledge, research tips and tricks from experts and try to produce a quality weekly article for you.
But I feel like I’m not doing a good job at it.
Just between you and me, I’ve pretty much reached the end of what I KNOW about fishing. From here on out, it would be a lot of research and compiling of the “truth” from other experts. And maybe that’s fine, but I want your opinion about the future of this blog.
Here are some of my thoughts about it all. But what I REALLY want is for you to leave me comments or email me about YOUR thoughts. Because at the end of the day, I don’t write this blog just to see my words in print. I write it for you.
- Focus more on a section of beginner fishers. Like maybe women. Or women with kids.
- Focus on a species, like trout. Of all the fresh water fish out there, I know the most about trout.
- Focus on tackle. All types of tackle and what you do with it.
- Or… What are YOUR thoughts?
Here’s something really weird though: I DO get a fair amount of search engine traffic from fishing terms like ‘gang hook’ or ‘worm threader’ or ‘fishing for pike’. But I can’t tell if those searchers are finding what they’re looking for or not!
Now, what about video? It seems that the two fishing videos that I’ve done have gotten some good results.
Video links
Do you want me to do more videos about basic techniques? Knots? Tackle? Putting line on a reel?
Of course, on the other hand, I could just call Set Your Hook a grand experiment and then move on to something else. But if I do that, what would you be interested in reading about?
Keep in mind that I want to gear everything I write towards the beginner!
And, in case you weren’t aware, the Thursday Set Your Hook fishing article is just ONE of the 5 weekly articles I write. If you haven’t looked, check out TheOutdoorPrincess.com to see all the topics I cover.
So if we decide that the time for the Set Your Hook blog and newsletter is over, never fear that I won’t find something else to fill our Thursdays with!
The bottom line is I really need your help! Tell me what I’m doing right, what I can improve on, and what you want to see more of.
And PLEASE, don’t just read this and NOT comment! Set Your Hook doesn’t get as many comments as the other blogs I write, but I don’t want to assume that you aren’t out there, somewhere, reading it. Comment or email me and let me know what you want.
All the best!
KIM
Crayfish, also called crawfish, mudbugs, or crawdads, are closely related to the lobster. (I will admit that that’s one point in their favor!) They are pretty easy to catch and very easy to cook. Plus, they’re nearly free.
(Okay, in my opinion the FREE bit makes them better than lobster!)
Before you go out to catch these guys, be sure you know what the fishing regulations for your area are: In Arizona there is no limit, but they can’t be transported live.
I do all of my crayfish fishing at night, in the early evening at sunset until I get too cold to continue. My favorite crayfish lakes are near Flagstaff, Arizona, or in the White Mountains.
While you’re out fishing for game fish, keep an eye out for likely crayfish hiding spots: large rocks along shore, under boat docks, etc. A sure-sign is to find claws in the water.
There are two ways of catching crayfish:
- One at a time with bait and a string
- A bunch at once with a baited trap
If you’re going to go after crawdads with a baited string, you’ll need the following:
- A flashlight
- Bait, tied to a long string (I like fish heads)
- A net
- An ice chest
- Dry shoes, clothes, etc.
Tie the fish head to the string by poking the string through the mouth and out the back of the head. In Arizona, it’s okay to use fish heads, but not pieces of the game fish.
Fish guts work well, but they’re hard to keep on the string. I would try putting the fish guts in a nylon stocking or a little mesh bag.
Other baits can be raw chicken or pork, canned cat food, or hotdogs. I always use cotton string because it fills with water and sinks; nylon string usually does not.
No matter what type of bait you try, be sure that it s fresh. Crawfish are scavengers but aren’t too keen on eating anything that’s rotten or spoiled. I can’t say I blame them!
Then, gently toss the head into a crevasse between rocks or just at the edge of the dock. Keep gentle tension on the string and when your fish head starts walking away, you’ve got a crayfish! Pull up gently until your friend can get the net under it.
TIP: Don’t bring the crayfish all the way up to the surface of the water: it’ll let go! Slow movements are the best, and remember, crayfish usually swim backwards, so you can get them to swim back into the net!
Then, put the crayfish into your ice chest. Make sure there is some water in the bottom of the chest first! Make sure you don’t over-crowd the ice chest with crayfish. Live crayfish should not be transported, because they can get into any other body of water.
I’ve never had any problems taking them back to a campground adjacent to the lake to cook them right away, but, again, check with your state’s regulations before moving them. Arizona prohibits the transport of live fish (crawfish included) but I did as Game & Fish if it was okay to take them back to camp live. The officer requested that I put a bag of ice in with the crayfish and return to camp immediately and cook them.
Now that I’m older (not 9 and thinking that falling in a cold mountain lake after dark is fun) I use crayfish traps from Trapper Arne. ESP Boss and I use the same types of bait: fish heads! The trap has a large safety pin the in center that I pass through the fish head.
And yes, I bait the traps. It might be a bit gross, but it’s worth it to have fresh crayfish for lunch!
Tips for placing traps:
- Make sure the trap is fully submerged.
- Tie the trap to something so you can pull it up the next morning!
- Label the trap with your name and address. In Arizona, we also have to put the number of our fishing license on the trap as well.
- Make sure you remember where you put it!
Early the next morning, we pull the traps up and take it back to camp for cooking. A huge advantage of the traps is that we’re not cooking and cleaning crayfish by lantern light!
I like The Trapper, which is made by Trapper Arne himself, in Payson Arizona.
What’s a keeper and what gets thrown back?
We keep crayfish that are big enough not to fall through our net holes, about 1″. If they’re smaller, they get tossed back. Any females carrying eggs under their tails get put back immediately- they’re a mess to clean!
Although I imagine we should keep them to further limit population growth… What are your thoughts about it?
Tomorrow, I’ll share my favorite crayfish cooking recipe and cleaning tips! So be sure to check TheOutdoorPrincess.com for the article!
Readers Weigh In:
Have you ever caught and eaten crayfish?
Would you rather catch them with a string or a trap?
I’m heading off for a long weekend of camping, fishing, and geocaching today. One of my favorite lakes near Flagstaff is Ashurst Lake. Just looking at the lake, you can tell that it is a volcanic rock depression that was dammed to form the lake. (There are few natural lakes in Arizona!)
Typical shoreline for Ashurst: rocks, rocks, and more rocks!
What that means is that the lakebed is full of jagged volcanic rocks that are only interested in one thing:
Snagging my tackle and dragging it to the watery depths, never to be seen again!
3 Tips For Fishing Rocky Lakes
Tip #1:
You know the feeling: something just nibbled your bait and you want to make sure it’s still there. In a rocky lake, resist the urge to reel in slowly, thinking of course, that a trout can’t resist a moving target. What happens when you reel in slowly is that your weights and bait are on the lake bottom and can easily fall into the crevices between rocks and become trapped. If you reel in quickly and steadily, the weights and bait will rise above the lake bottom and minimize the chances to get snagged.
Tip #2:
Okay, it happened: your line is caught in something under the water and you want your tackle back! The first thing is to reel in any slack so your line is tight, but your pole isn’t bending. Then, walk up the shore, keeping the tension on your line, while you jerk your line up and down. (When I say ‘jerk’ I mean using abrupt motions, I don’t mean trying to rip your tackle out of the water!) If that doesn’t work, try releasing the line and then reeling in again. And the last part of the tip: with the line tight, hold your rod parallel to the ground and gently pull backwards. As soon as you feel the rocky lake bottom give up your tackle, follow Tip #1!
Tip #3:
There’s no avoiding it, you’re going to lose your bait and all your tackle; you just can’t get it unstuck. Well, believe it or not, there’s a right way to break your line. Instead of jerking and pulling on your line until it snaps, you’re going to have to cut it. First, release the line and set your pole up on the shore where you’re not going to step on the tip. (I like to prop my pole against my chair- way out of the way and safe.)
Then, get as close to the water as you can, bend down and grab your line. (If you squat or kneel at the edge of the water, you’re less likely to fall in!) Reaching out, pull your line towards you and, as close to the water as possible, cut the line. Be sure to check your line for fraying and signs of stress before putting any more tackle on.
Some great cutting tools are a pair of fingernail clippers, a pocket knife with scissors, or needle nose pliers.
Oh, you might also want to consider moving to a new bit of shore- if there’s a tackle-eating-snag down there, it will be after your new tackle for dessert to the first set it ate!
Readers Weigh In:
- What type of lakes do you fish? (Rocky, weedy, sandy, etc)
- What are your suggestions for getting your line out of the snags?
