A Featured canada fishing lodges Article
General Fishing Product Category Review: Are Circle Hooks for You?

Originally published in Procats Online Magazine

Originally published in Procats Online Magazine

Circle hooks have created a debate in the last few years between anglers who fish rivers and those who fish lakes. When using circle hooks in rivers, I havent had much trouble fishing in good current. Although they performed well in current, fishing calm water areas such as the big reservoirs I ply for giant blue cats, the hook design gave me a bit of a problem with the hook-up ratio in the slack water. I began having hook-up problems when I fished areas with no current because the bait wasnt held straight on the hook. Full circles were oftentimes double hooking back into the chunk or live baits causing me to miss a lot of fish. What would I do when I am anchor fishing in a lake with a lot of slack in my lines due to boat sway from the wind? I went back to my old standby treble and J-style hooks for quite awhile.

Circle hooks are designed to hook the fish without much rod movement by the angler. Just leave it in the rod holder and as the line gets tight and the rod bows down, the pressure penetrates the hook into the corner of the mouth of the fish and the fight is on. I felt this was a no brainer in current areas, but I tried to picture how these specialized hooks were going to work in lakes without current. I tried to imagine how a fish swims off the bait in a lake as opposed to a river. Without current, the fish could swim in any direction with the bait. The fish might swim at your boat or they might swim crossways with your boat, making a tight line hook up with a circle hook very difficult. A year ago I learned from some other catfishermen that Daiichi came out with a modified circle hook that would work in all situations. If the fish didnt swim away from the boat, the angler could still set the hook on the fish! Last year I gave the new circle hook called the Circle Hook Lite a try.

After I began to use the hook, I found out in short order that a quick, had jerk wasnt the ticket to hooking blues manually with circles. As soon as we started using a long sweep of the rod, we started hooking fish that werent being very cooperative. Fish would move to the boat, away from the boat, along side the boat every direction you could imagine and we were catching them just as good if not better once we learned good circle hook technique.

Anatomy Of The Circle-Hook Hook Set

Once you notice a fish has taken the bait and is not moving away from the bait and is not moving away from the boat and tightening the line, pick up the rod. Then reel in as much line as possible until you feel the steady pressure of the fish on the end of the line. Once the tip of the hook has started to penetrate, the hook and the fish will do the rest. Its as simple as that. If the fish isnt giving much resistance, you can use a long sweeping motion of the rod to bury the hook.

Other Benefits

The other neat option that the CircleChunk Light has is a bait-stop barb on the shank to help with that persistent problem of double hooking your bait. There is no perfect hook, we all have to accept the fact that sometimes the most bone jarring of strikes never result in a hook up, and some little pullovers result in a mighty deep hook set, but after using these hooks for a year Im convinced they work better than my old stand bys.

I was a pretty hard sell at first, Ill have to admit, but Im glad I gave the circle chunk lite a try. I have used them in both current and slack or dead water situations. These hooks perform the same wherever you fish. I feel good about using hooks with such consistent performance as well as being a quality-made and super-sharp hook right out of the package. After years of trying all kinds of hooks from big treble hooks to kahyle hooks, I believe that the improved circle hook Daiichi has come up with is a fantastic option for any angler.

Fishing done right is work, and the harder you work at the perfect hook set the happier you will be with the reward at the end of your line.

You have permission to publish this article free of charge as long as you are not selling it and that you include the author bylines immediately visible with the article and, if published in an electronic medium such as on a web site, you provide a link back to ozark-lodges-fishing-trips in the author bylines, both where the web address is listed as well as well as with the text Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service:

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeff Williams runs a Truman Lake Hybrid Bass and Lake of the Ozarks Catfish Fishing Guide Service offering lodging and guided trips in Missouri. To book a trip, learn more tips, or find out how Capt. Jeff would fish your own local waters, call 1-866-HOOKSET or visit ozark-lodges-fishing-trips today!

Business Cards Go Fishing!

The offline effort of business cards should focus on getting your website address out there for everyone to see. How do you broaden your reach by using this simple, but one of the most effective marketing tools? (Assuming that you already to have a good stack of business cards with the who, what, where, why and most importantly your URL information stated in them.) Most likely, you have handed out numerous cards to people you have met on the streets and youve hit up various business/retail storefronts with your business cards that sit by the cash registers which pretty much go unnoticed. The good news with leaving your cards at the checkout counter is that its still a viable place to get people to notice your cards if its presented in a unique way. What you need is some serious bait for potential customers to sink their teeth into. This is where we go fishing folks.

Business cards are left everywhere, and seriously, left behind. If they are just sitting in a pile, its hard to grab the attention of the person if its just dormant, or if there isnt a catch to it. Instead of just leaving business cards at the counter, offer various retail places a fishbowl. Yes, Im talking about those small, clear glass fishbowls. Provide a small sign to encourage other patrons, business owners, corporate employees, and anyone who has business cards, to drop in their cards, conducting a monthly drawing for a free prize. Of course, on the sign, you would indicate what the prize would be. It can be a free service or product that you currently provide, gift certificates to local restaurants, or even tickets to a Broadway show. You will find that you will get more people to take your business cards because youve hooked the patron in participating in your contest. People just love to do things for free, and if it only takes dropping in a business card to enter a simple contest. Each month, after you conduct your monthly drawing, you would announce the winner on your website for others to see, and even put a small article in the newsprint about who won the monthly drawing. This will get people to keep dropping their cards in those fishbowls, because people are always fishing. What a great way to lure potential customers. Thats what I call a serious hook to new consumers!

Whats even more appealing about using this form of tactic is that youve gained two valuable things through this process. One, you have gathered email addresses, and pertinent information to build up your email database. Secondly, you are promoting your business through an effective means of offline advertising that gets noticed. Business cards are a terrific way to reel in more visitors to your site, simply because you are offering something of interest and value for potential customers.

Business cards go fishing! Its the most versatile, affordable and portable form of marketing tool out there. Get your marketing tackle box out and get those minnows to your website. So, cast away folks, because people are always biting for the next free deal!

About the Author:

A synopsis on canada fishing lodges .
Smith Flow

Ideal for small/medium faces the Smith Flow is extremely flexible for maximum comfort. Lightweight Carbonic lenses offer exceptional impact resistance and polarized performance at great price. The right choice for active endeavors, the diverse all-polarized Carbonic Series is built for speed and style. Based on a foundation of shatter resistant Carbonic lenses, this series is available in full selection of tint and frame styles. Photochromic (PC) lenses are available in some select lens colors. The PC lens changes tints according to how dark or bright it is outside, allowing you to see better as light conditions change. Smith Optics use Techlite Lens ; Glass is #1 for optical clarity & scratch resistance. Give it a specialty TLT grind to reduce the weight and you've got yourself the world's lightest Techlite glass lens. Chemically treated to increase shatter resistance. ANSI Z80.3 surpassing impact resistance and prismatic power. 100% UVA/B/C. Perfect for low impact hyperactivities and loitering with intent. Visible Light Transmission (VLT) is the percentage of available light allowed to reach the eye. Different lens tints offer specific VLT to enhance vision in different light conditions. Product Details Fit: Small/Medium Frame: TR-90 Grilamid Lens: TLT 8 Base Carbonic Interchangeable Lenses: No Polarized: Yes Warranty: Lifetime Warranty Shipping: Free! Smith Flow Lens Options • VLT 13-23% • medium to bright conditions Copper A UV sensitive photochromic carbonic lens with a copper / gray tint. Moderate contrast and comfortable on the eyes. Very versatile through various levels of light transmission. • VLT 12% • low to medium bright conditions Brown A medium to dark brown lens providing the best combination of true color transmission and medium contrast. • VLT 12-34% • medium to bright conditions Gray *Special Order - Returns require a 25% restocking fee* A UV sensitive photochromic carbonic lens with a gray tint. Provides true color transmission and natural hues. Versatile through various levels of light transmission. Excellent all around use. TLT Lenses: What are they? When you curve a lens it can bend the light passing through it and distort what you see. Tappered Lens Technology (TLT) contours the thickness of the lens so that light travels through without distortion. What you see is what you get? With TLT Without TLT UV Protection Linked to eye diseases, cataracts, and temporary conditions such as "snowblindness," Ultraviolet Radiation (UVA/B/C) is magnified by snow-covered surfaces. All Smith lens tints protect your eyes from 100% of these harmful forms of solar radiation.

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O-Ring Yarn Indicators

Yarn O-Ring Indicators are a great way to detect strikes while fishing nymphs. The O Ring design allows you to attach the indicator without cutting the leader. To attach fold the leader in a loop small enough to fit through the O Ring. Push enough leader through the O Rig to allow the indicator to fit through. After the indicator has gone through the loop pull the leader snug to hold in place. To adjust push open the loop in the leader and slide the indicator as needed. Try Troutsmen Dry Fly Dressing on your indicators to keep them floating high on the water. If you'd like a specific color please make a note in your order comments and we'll try to get you that color if it's in stock.

Price: .99

R. L. Winston Vapor Rod

This year, we are pleased to introduce the Winston Vapor series, which offers true high performance for under $300. Designed with more experienced anglers in mind than our Ascent series, these 4-piece, fast-action rods are lightweight, very responsive and have a wide casting range that will allow you to make delicate presentations up close or, when the need arises, go for some real distance. Winston Vapor rods have a beautiful metallic olive green finish and a matching olive green aluminum rod tube and rod bag. Weights 3 thru 6 have a Nickel plated Brass uplock reel seat with Kingwood insert; 7 thru 10-weight rods have a Nickel Silver Anodized Aluminum uplock reel seat with fighting butt. Designed in Twin Bridges, Montana, Winston Vapor Rods come with an Unconditional Lifetime Guarantee. 3-WEIGHT This shorter length rod is perfect for fishing streams and spring creeks with small and medium-sized flies. 4-WEIGHT These rods can handle bigger flies, weighted patterns, as well as a fair amount of wind. 5-WEIGHT If they could own one rod, most trout anglers would buy a 5-weight. Versatile rods that will cast everything from tiny dries to streamers. 6-WEIGHT A rod for larger trout, nymphs and streamers. Great for floating and sinking lines. 7-WEIGHT Great big water, big fish streamer rods. The 10â is a longer rod for steelhead and salmon. 8-WEIGHT Whether youâre after salmon, steelhead or a saltwater species like bonefish, this rod will meet your needs. 9-WEIGHT Designed with stripers in mind, this rod is also terrific for hard-fighting fish like snook and large redfish.v 10-WEIGHT The Vapor for such species as jack crevalle, permit and cobia. A great choice for big fall-run stripers, as well. --> Product Details Handle: Cigar on 3 thru 6-wt.; Full Wells on 7 thru 10-wt. Sections: 4 Reel Seat: Nickel plated Brass Uplock with Kingwood insert on 3 thru 6-wt. Nickel Silver Anodized Aluminum Uplock with 1â EVA/cork fighting butt on 7 thru 10-weight. Backed by a Lifetime Warranty Free Shipping Rod Case Included

Price: 295.00

William Joseph V2 Wader

Should only rich people be entitled to stay warm and dry? Should only people who can afford it be privileged enough to enjoy the newest technologies? We think not. But beyond disposable income there the savy anglers among us who think it imprudent to spend a half a months rent on a pair of waders. In a world that too often rewards pretension, we commend you. The New William Joseph V-2 Waders offer comfort, confidence and performance in a non smoking, moisture free environment. With articulated knees and feet, as well as some of the most breathable technical material we have ever used. The V-2 will go head to head with any wader on the river, regardless of cost. With new Willy J features, such as a neoprene upper gasket a watertight front pocket on both the inside and out, friends and foe alike will think you spent hundreds more on your waders than they did on their fake Rolex.

Price: 189.00

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With numerous photographs and illustrations, easy-to-follow instructions, and a liberal dose of good humor, the author shares his 40 years of angling expertise, including how to:

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