Heritage fisheries are carefully maintained aquatic preserves in various parts of the world where a tradition or habitat surrounding fishing has been protected from today's modern hazards. A heritage fishery may be a lake, river or part of the ocean; its locale having less to do with its heritage designation than preservation of a certain style or era. Heritage fishing's purpose is twofold: to experience fishing as it was in the past and to preserve fishing for the future.

Glendalough State Park is the newest member of the Minnesota State Parks family. Its land was given to the state by a private donor in the 1990s and the lakes on the park acreage were fished privately for nearly a hundred years. No one other than members of the donor's family or their guests was allowed to utilize the lakes at Glendalough State Park. As a result, fish sizes and populations in the Glendalough lakes are more representative of historic times than of modern times.

Annie Battle Lake, the largest of the Glendalough Lakes, allows the angler to experience fishing as it was in Minnesota during the 1800s. Motors of any kind are not allowed on the lake. Canoes and rowboats are available for rental at the park office and shore fishing is a pleasure from any location here. Gas powered vehicles are prohibited, as are any type of electronic fish-finding device.

Large bass, panfish, walleye and northern pike abound under the crystal clear waters of Annie Battle Lake because the waters are unpolluted by gas or oil. Catch-and-release regulations and fishing limits are strictly enforced here, maintaining the size and count of the population for generations to come. A small brook connecting Annie Battle Lake to another of the park lakes is waist deep with a sandy bottom, providing excellent wading areas for bass fishing.

The Lave Net Fishery at Blackrock on the Severn Estuary in Wales is the last of its kind in Wales and has also been designated as a heritage fishery. Treacherous tidal waters averaging speeds of 7-8 knots have witnessed generations of fishermen pass along this fishing technique. Less than a dozen lave net fishing licenses are issued by the Welsh government each year, with all belonging to a local association dedicated to preserving this unique method of salmon fishing. The only noticeable difference between modern and historic lave netters are that they now sport waders as opposed to animal skins.

The lave net itself, a Y-shaped structure constructed of wood and a hand-made net, remains unchanged. Anglers wade into the river and either "cower", waiting for the salmon to approach him, or watch for the telltale salmon splashes announcing their location. The fisherman can then net the fish before they head to deeper water. This kind of fishing is restricted by law and by the tides. Anglers have about 1.5 hours before low tide to practice their craft when conditions are calm. Their knowledge of the tides and of the area, received from the generation before, serves as their guide.

Kjaerra Laxefiske on the Kjaerrafossen River near Helgeland, Norway dates back to 1388. Ownership of the two heritage fisheries here is marked by the "markebol", a medieval unit of measurement. Salmon are caught via the use of ancient fishing tools, while the buildings surrounding the fisheries were restored to medieval timber and stone during the 1950s. Visitors are welcomed to the weekly opening of salmon pots every Thursday where the catch of the week is revealed.

Wherever they are located, heritage fisheries are an important part of the environment and the community. In addition to offering the simple thrill of fishing itself, they provide an opportunity to learn from the past, as well as preserving the present heritage of fishing for future anglers.

Word count 628

Technorati Tags: Fishing

Can you use a normal fishing rod for ice fishing? I don's want to go out and buy a ice fishing pole so can anyone give me some advice for using normal rods for ice fishing?

Is it physically possible to, yes but realistically you really can't, at least not effectively. You need to be closer to the hole to detect the lighter winter bite and get a good hook set. The size of most ice shacks rules out the use of long rods when you're in them. You can use your reels off your regular rods and ice fishing poles are very reasonable. I have a "noodle" rod that just has 2 pegs, 3" apart, that you just unwind to the desired depth. It is very sensitive and i don't need a spring bobber on it. When I catch a fish I just pull it in hand over hand after I set the hook. I think it cost me $7 or so. Good luck!

New to fishing with lures what kinda lures do i buy, there is so many what kind do i get for freshwater and saltwater fishing, i do a mixture of both... What lures do i get there is so many!!

New to fishing?

For freshwater fishing for Bass:

There are 6 different categorys of lures:
1. Topwaters
2. Crankbaits (Hard plastic lures)
3. Soft plastic lures
4. Jigs
5. Spinnerbaits
6. Misc. oddities

A good idea is to have "at least" a couple of each kind but as a "newbie" concentrate mainly on "Soft Plastics", "Spinnerbaits", & "Crankbaits".

More Bass are taken on soft plastic lures than any other lure. Soft plastics include- Various 7-10" Worms, Lizzards, Crawdads, Etc.

Good "general" colors for Soft Plastics would be
Black, Smoke, Red Shad, Watermelon & Pumpkin. Any variation of these colors would be fine for most Bass fishing situations. Experiment and find the one that works well in your local lake/river. "Berkely Powerbait & Gulp", "Culprit", "Senko"(Gary Yamamoto), "Yum" , Etc.

For Spinnerbaits- Variations of White, Chartruese, Green, & Crawdad "Skirt" colors. And gold & silver blades. If there is a large concentration of shad/shiner in your fav lake/river try using" WillowLeaf " blades, whereas, generally "Colorado" & "Indiana" blades are good for most situations. Hank Parker's Spinnerbaits, "Titanium", "Strike King" & "Booyah" are some good names in S-baits.

Crankbaits- Gold, Silver, Shad, Shiner, Perch colors. "Rapala's", "Yozuris", "Rat-L-Traps", "Cotton Cordell" & "Mann's" are some good hard plastic companys. You would need various lures in different "depths". To begin with, concentrate on depths between 1'-10'.

Saltwater?

I am originally from FLA so I will give you info for flats fishing Gulf Coast to North Carolina. If you are West Coast dis-regard info.

1. Jigs (with softplastic curly-tailed grub-bodys or live Shrimp/Mud-minnow)
2. Hard plastics
3. Topwaters
4. Spoons

Jigs are #1 in a flats situation. Use curly-tailed Grub-bodys or "Swim Baits". As the water gets "clearer" use "Whites", "Crystal", "Cream", Etc. If the water is dingy-muddy use Chartruese, Greens, Pumpkin, Electric Chicken, White/Red-tail, Etc. You will need 1/8, 1/4, & 1/2 OZ weights of jigs. Try to "match" color of jighead with plastic grub-body. Berkley "GULP" is currently the #1 soft plastic.

Hard plastics- Mullet, Pogey, Sardine colors. Make sure to get "wide wobble" for satlwater applications. Yozuri "Crystal Minnow" & "Mirrolure's" work well in saltwater.

Topwater- Mullet, Sardine, Pogey, Etc. Topwater's in saltwater situations are great used as a "searching" lure for Spec Trout, Reds, Snook, Spanish, Etc. If you get a "hit" at a top-water lure , "slow down" in that area and quickly fish your Jig/Grub rigged rod. If you use a freshwater topwater make sure to switch the hooks out to 3X strong. And you should learn the art of "walking the dog"- a very important topwater retrieve. "Heddon" makes excellent topwater lures.

Spoons- Look for "wide wobble" spoons like the Bagley's "Chat R B", Nemire "Red Ripper", & Johnson.

#1 thing I could tell you to up your catch ratio with lures?

Make sure to "sweeten" all lures with spray fish attractant (for salt or freshwater!).

Check my backlogged "starred Questions" for further info.

Hope this helps ya? Good luck & Good fishing!

There are many myths that surround using live bait instead of artificial and most of them are not true. Live bait is still used by many anglers. The one factual part of live bait, which no one can dispute, it that is often messy, and it smells terrible. If you can surmount these two factors, you will be in good shape to try live bait on your next fishing outing.

There are some basic principles that should not be ignored when using live bait. None of the principles concerning live bait are clean or nice, but they are mandatory. You should never handle live bait when your hands are dry. Bait has a slimy layer on the outside, which is protective as well as inviting to predators, and if your hands are dry you will risk removing that layer.

If you are running short on live bait, try to save the bait that dies in your live well or in a nearby bucket. When your live bait has run out, you will still be able to use the freshly dead bait on your hook to attract fish. All you have to do is cast your line and bob it a little to give the appearance that your decoy has some life left. Be careful of the weight that you put on a line with live bait. Fish are going to spot a weight if it is too heavy and weighting down the bait. Your weight or sinker should be light enough to give the bait the appearance of free floating in the water.

Seasonal fishing can change the perspective on live bait. For instance, the summer months can be brutal, especially in the South. You may need to adjust your thinking and practices when the summer months hit. Keeping the bait alive will be the hardest obstacle for any angler in the summer. In order to keep your bait living, you will need to change out the water regularly so that the oxygen can keep flowing through to the bait. However, you can't just stop at changing out the water.

The temperature of the water is crucial because the water on the surface is hot and deadly for living bait. Therefore, having ice on hand to put into the live well will be the most beneficial way of keeping your live bait happy until they reach the hook. There is also a bait shortage during the summer months on things like shrimp and live croaker. You will save yourself a lot of time if you call the bait shop the night before to ensure that the bait you want is available. The shrimp are the most common bait in the summertime, but they are not as effective as you may think. When everyone is using shrimp, the fish are not as excited by them because they see them everywhere. Try using a baitfish that is not as often used in the summer months and guarantee a better chance of catching a fish.

Some other tips you should keep in mind when fishing with live bait is to never hook your live bait in the eyes. The reason is that you want the bait to see the fish approach them because they will become more excited and it will cause the fish to latch on better. Another thing is that you should add water softener salt to the water that is holding your live bait. The salt will make the scales of your bait harder while instantaneously preserving the slimy coat that attracts predators.

Lastly, you should make sure that you know how to properly throw a casting net before trying to catch bait. People often times throw the net too hard or too soft and this results in frustration and a net that does not consistently open.

Live bait can come in handy when you are trying to have a big day out at sea. Reason and logic will tell you that a fish would be more attracted to real food as oppose to faux food. However, the live bait does increase the workload so make sure you are prepared to deal with the entire package before committing to fishing with live bait.

Word count 703

Technorati Tags: Fishing

Can you use a normal fishing rod for ice fishing? I don's want to go out and buy a ice fishing pole so can anyone give me some advice for using normal rods for ice fishing?

Is it physically possible to, yes but realistically you really can't, at least not effectively. You need to be closer to the hole to detect the lighter winter bite and get a good hook set. The size of most ice shacks rules out the use of long rods when you're in them. You can use your reels off your regular rods and ice fishing poles are very reasonable. I have a "noodle" rod that just has 2 pegs, 3" apart, that you just unwind to the desired depth. It is very sensitive and i don't need a spring bobber on it. When I catch a fish I just pull it in hand over hand after I set the hook. I think it cost me $7 or so. Good luck!

Hi. I'm trying to buy a gift for my brother-in-law, and he loves to go out on the boat and go fishing. I don't know anything about fishing, but I would like to buy him some lures for a gift. Any recommendations? He lives in the Ft.Lauderdale area on the water, so he fishes in saltwater.
Thanks
thank you everyone for you help! much appreciated

Agree with whoever said Super Spook. Heddon Zara and Super Spooks are some of the best saltwater lures period, especially the plane white "bone" color in my experience. DOA Shrimp are great too. I also really like Spro brand Prime Bucktail Jigs.

Overall, you can't go wrong with a spook though.

i bought a fishing rod, but i dont know how to pick it up to use it....
i select 'grab' when the option comes up and drag it into my person, but when i return to the main screen to use it, i go to pick it up and it just goes back in my pocket.
help?

your dropping it you have to click use it or carry it

take it to your person and equip it nook explained how to do it

same process as your net watering can and shovel
they made it all the same which is great

most of my life ive only used real bait to saltwater fish like shrimp, mullet, live minnows etc.

but i want to try and start lure fishing in saltwater, only thing is where im at the only accesible saltwater fishing for me is from land in a intercoastal like area, a really wide channel with some shallower areas to the sides by the fishing docks. the water looks stained i guess, like tea

You choose a lure by what you know about the species of fish you're after and what they eat. It also helps to know what fish are in the area ( seasonal fish and or regulars) at the time and what baits ( seasonal or not) are there as well. Knowing this will help you decide what lures you should get because matching the hatch doesn't always apply.it's what's on the buffet line that matters. ; )~good luck catchin'.

Often times as adults, we want to share our hobbies and pastimes with our children. However, it can be difficult to decide when that pastime is appropriate. Children have shorter attention spans that make it difficult to calculate when they are ready for certain things. Fishing is a common hobby of many people around the world and many people are eager to introduce their children to fishing the minute they can hold a fishing rod. Fishing is a lesson in patience for children and a structured way to teach them a sport that involves precision and safety.

When you take your child fishing, the most important thing to keep in mind is their safety. What kind of fishing are you trying to introduce? Are you thinking about a day of bottom fishing? Does pier fishing suit your needs? Are you going to go all out and take your child for a deep-sea fishing excursion?

Regardless of what you decide is best, you should have the basic safety essentials with you at all times. A first aid kit is mandatory because whenever a kid is involved accidents will happen. Children tend to get poked, scratched, and barbed, so you need to be prepared. If you are going out into the sea and away from the shore, make sure that you have life jackets and make sure that your child is wearing one even he or she has no intention of getting into the water. Keep in mind your child's abilities when it comes to swimming. If you do not think that they are a strong swimmer, you may want to keep your boat docked.

Make sure to buy and stock your child's tackle box. A youngster's first tackle box should be small and lightweight. There is nothing complex about the contents of a beginner's tackle box. All a child needs are some pre-tied hooks, some bobbers, a couple of weights, swivels, and small scissors or fingernail clippers to cut their line. A tackle box is a fingerprint for many who view it as a personal expression. Let your child see the basics so that they can build their own to represent themselves one-day.

Make sure to lead by example when you take your child fishing. Teach them how to keep the line taut so that they will be able to respond properly if a fish bites their line. As soon as your child feels the bite, teach them how to set the hook. Tug back on the rod in order to firmly set the hook in the fish's lip. Take the time with your child to let them learn techniques like "playing the fish". Part of the fun of fishing is the struggle between the man and the fish, so let your child have the entire experience and not just a partial one.

When you introduce fishing to your child, you have certain advantages to teaching them at a younger rather than older age. Younger child have a greater absorption rate with a desire to soak up as much information as they can. Take the time that you and your child are sharing to educate them about catch and release regulations and fishing for food as opposed to pleasure. If your child decides that they want to let the fish that you catch go, make sure that you know the right way to release. Cleaning the fish can either make a child vomit or ask when the next trip is going to be, so use discretion in regards to age when preparing your catch for dinner. There will be good days and bad days when fishing with your kids. Kids have a tendency to not listen, become disinterested fast or fall asleep at inopportune times. Patience is the key to taking children out for a day of fishing. Repetition will also make your child more comfortable with the whole process. Regardless of whether a fish is caught or not, take the time to bond with your child while using fishing as an excuse.

Word count 672

Technorati Tags: Fishing

i bought a fishing rod, but i dont know how to pick it up to use it....
i select 'grab' when the option comes up and drag it into my person, but when i return to the main screen to use it, i go to pick it up and it just goes back in my pocket.
help?

your dropping it you have to click use it or carry it

take it to your person and equip it nook explained how to do it

same process as your net watering can and shovel
they made it all the same which is great