| Around 10% of the world's total fish species can be found just within the Great Barrier Reef. |
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| The toxin in puffer fish is 1200 times deadlier than cyanide. |
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| Strange fish facts |
| Many Fish can taste without even opening their mouths. |
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| Fish Facts |
| Most brands of lipstick contain fish scales |
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| Did you know? |
| American Lobsters have longer life spans than both cats and dogs, living over 20 years. |
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| When you need a good reason to go fishing! |
| Going fishing outdoors increases your vitamin D, which helps regulate the amount of calcium and phosphate in your body, keeping your bones and teeth healthy. It boosts your immune system and has been linked to fighting depression. |
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| Some fishes lay their eggs on land instead of in the water |
| The mudskipper even takes this further, even mating on land. These fish burrow and lay their eggs in mudflats before returning to the water. |
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| In three decades, the world's oceans will contain more discarded plastic than fish when measured by weight, researchers say. |
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| As of 2020, there were 34,000 known fish species around world. That’s more than the number of species in all other vertebrates: birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians combined. |
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| God Bless The Troops |
| We sleep safely in our beds because rough men stand ready in the night to visit violence on those who would do us harm. - George Orwell |
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| One fish is called a fish. Two or more are still called fish. |
| However than one species of fish are called fishes. |
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| Did you know that |
About 60% of US Anglers practice catch and release.
Women make up about 33% of fresh water anglers and
about 85% of fresh water anglers begin fishing at 12 years old. |
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| Just how man species of fish are there? |
| As of 2020, there were 34,000 known fish species around world. That’s more than the number of species in all other vertebrates: birds, reptiles, mammals, and amphibians combined. |
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| Even Catfish are finicky |
| Taste Buds ? Catfish have a more refined sense of flavor than humans. Our 10,000 taste buds may seem like a lot, but catfish can have as many as 175,000. This helps them find the exact location of their next meal. |
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May 11, 2007; 12:07PM
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Category: Fishing Tackle For Sale
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Name for Contacts: Niall Kendall
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Phone: 07985411922
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| Description: |
if you want vintage fishing lures for pennys! which i know you will, email me at niallkendall@hotmail.com and i will send you all you need for them! many thanks!
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December 2003 Fishing Photo Contest
$50 worth of free fishing tackle for the photo with the most votes. Contest open to all anglers.
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Michael Thing40.8lbsYellowtail |
Click the image for full story |
| Michael Thing, 39 |
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| We were in a Halibut tourney drifting in about 35' of water 250-300... |
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538 vote(s)
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May 19, 2003; 09:01AM - Circle Hooks for Billfish
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Category: Trolling techniques
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Author Name: Carlos Morales
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Tip&Trick Description 1:
What are “circle hooks”? To a fisherman seeing one for the first time you kind of wonder why anyone would use them or took time to invent them. They are similar in size to the more common “J” shaped hook but the opening is smaller and the barb points toward the body of the hook forming a circular shape, hence their name. At first glance it would appear fish would seldom be caught with circle hooks because the barb points the wrong way and the smaller than usual opening would difficult hooking anything.
Surprise, surprise, first impressions are wrong. Depending which study an angler consults, circle hooks have been shown to be as effective or more effective than “J” hooks for catching all types of fish including billfish. Some studies say fishermen catch 60% more fish, others 100% more fish with circle hooks than with “J” hooks. Catching more fish is a bonus but the real advantage of circle hooks is that they are designed to hook a fish in the lip or corner of the mouth and this happens about 95% of the time, preventing “deep hooking” and “foul hooking”. Removing a circle hook is fast and easy, take a pair of pliers and rotate the hook out of the mouth.
A “J” hook works by attaching itself wherever soft tissue is available. Normally, as soon as a fish bites, the first thing an angler does is “set the hook” by swiftly pulling the rod up and reeling in some line. This violent maneuver guarantees (anglers wish) that the barb of the hook will penetrate some soft tissue inside the mouth thus hooking the fish. Some fish, like billfish, have bony mouths so when the “J” hook tries to find purchase it just slides along and it either pops out of the mouth with the bait or attaches to the the upper palate, throat, pharynx, oesophagus or in the stomach. Anglers who practice catch and release know deep hook injuries, caused by any type of hook, are often mortal due to bleeding and that the hook sometimes is left inside the fish since its so deep there is no way to remove it without killing the fish. This is not a problem for the angler fishing for tasty, sought after fish like Dorado (dolphin), flounder, mangrove snapper, redfish, grouper, etc., since the whole point of going fishing is catching fish to eat.
Here is where circle hooks come in. They have been around for years and were adopted in the late 1970’s for use by longline commercial fishing boats because not only did fish hook themselves but also studies showed they were 85% more effective than “J” hooks and the hooked fish were alive when the longline was retrieved. It is ironic that recreational anglers, to preserve fish, have recently adopted commercial fishing hooks known and used for their ability to catch large numbers of fish.
We did say fish hooked themselves and we are not joking. When fishing using circle hooks and a fish takes the bait, do not set the hook! Wait. Count out one Mississippi, two Mississippi, etc., meditate about why there are no pregnant ladybugs, speculate on the price of bananas on Mars, just don’t set the hook! As the fish swims away the line becomes taut allowing the hook to rotate inside the fish’s mouth and lodge itself in the corner of the mouth. When the rod is flexed and the line taut that means the fish is hooked. Patience is very important because if the angler tries to set a circle hook the same way as a “J” hook, more often than not it will just be pulled out of the mouth of the fish. After a bite a mate on our boats grabs the rod but doesn’t do anything until the billfish swims away pulling the line taut and bending the rod, then he counts to five and “tests” whether the hook has been set by reeling in some line. This technique usually works very well.
If a “self-hooking hook” was not good enough, circle hooks have other advantages. Once hooked, billfish tend to leap and violently shake their head side to side to try and loose the hook. It looks spectacular and anglers love it but “J” hooks are sometimes dislodged this way. The circle hooks round shape and the direction of the barb helps to prevent dislodgement so fish don’t de-hook as much when doing their aerial stunts. Another great advantage is that humans hook themselves less in the hand, ear and/or other body parts and clothes with circle hooks because the barb points toward the body of the hook.
Not all circle hooks are created equal though. Besides “normal circle hooks” there are “offset circle hooks” whose barb does not point to the body of the hook but opens up, similar to a “J” hook’s. Depending on the degree that the barb is offset, 4 to 15 degrees, they become about as effective as “J” hooks at deep hooking as in their ability to catch fish. Like “J” hooks, “offset circle hooks” also cause more foul hooking of fish. Foul hooking means hooking a fish by the eye, gills, etc. Billfish depend on their eyesight to hunt and catch their prey so an eye wound seriously diminishes a billfish’s ability to feed and damaging the gills hampers the billfish’s survivability. Some circle hooks are made out of stainless steel and will not degrade with time so if a fish is lost with a stainless steel hook in it, that hook will be in the fish forever.
In Guatemala “catch and release” for all billfish is the law. Since it’s beginning our company has adopted a circle hook only policy for bill fishing and releasing the fish unharmed is a very important goal. Guatemala has the best sailfishing in the world and we do our best to keep it that way.
Happy fishing and tight lines!!
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Dec 9, 2007; 09:35PM - Custom Fit Boat Cover
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Category: [other]
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Price: Varies
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Name for Contacts: Elite Outdoors
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Phone:
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City:
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State: MO
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Country: USA
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Description 1:
When only the best will do! A perfect fit: measured, tucked, darted and approved by Hurricane's own pattern and design craftsman. Vulnerable wear and stress points are double reinforced with an extra tough material sewn to the underside of the cover. An unbreakable 1/4' poly draw rope sewn with the perimeter hem enables the cover to be cinched tight to the hull. 1' poly loops are sewn around the perimeter of the cover to accept a Hurricane strap/buckle tie down kit, bungee cords, or rope ties for positive securing to the boat. Built tough to take the exposure and abuse that boat covers are exposed to when trailering, storing, or mooring.
Westland has over 16,000 Exact Fit Custom Cover patterns for over 200 different boat manufacturers. You will have your choice of 3 fabrics and over 30 colors.
To check to see if we have a custom cover pattern for your boat please Email Us your year - make - model - any accessories like towers, swim platforms, bow rails, radar archs, etc. |
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Description 2:
Sharkskin color chart...also, available in Sunbrella |
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Sep 10, 2003; 06:59PM - 1000 pound plus Black Marlin caught in Los Suenos Costa Rica
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Category: Costa Rica
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Author Name: Dr. DeCarol Williamson
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On Saturday, August 30, 2003, Dr. DeCarol Williamson from North Carolina landed his first grander Black Marlin of his lifetime. This is reported to be the largest fish ever brought into Los Suenos, Costa Rica to date. Dr. Williamson told me by phone his story – and what a story it was. He decided to go fishing north of Los Suenos scouting out the area as he was a new arrival to the resort area. While fishing on his 38’ boat “El Jefe” trolling Williamson lures, one of the reels started screaming out line. He was fishing a Penn International 50TW loaded with 50 lb. Ande monofilament line, trolling a large lure, usually a teaser, but had anticipated a Black Marlin was possibly in the area as some had been hooked during the previous weeks. The fish, estimated at 1,000 to 1,200 pounds, was only seen two times popping his head out of the water to a point where it was known in the early stages that the fish was in fact a Black Marlin. The size was underestimated in the early stages of the fight due to the distance it had popped up out of the water (700 feet away from the boat). Only the captain on the bridge was able to see the fish clearly. After a 1 hours 45 minute battle, the fish was about to be leadered and as the deckhand reached for the leader, he took a half wrap on his hand and got his first look at the monster below. Shock and awe is what happened next as he turned to look at Dr. Williamson, his eyes had grown to about double their normal size. The deckhand was about the tell Dr. Williamson just how big this fish really was, but before he could speak, the monster took off and the leader was no longer in his reach. The Black Marlin proceeded to strip off of the line from the reel as if the drag not been set at all. The drags were set at 17 lbs. strike and this monster peeled it off the reel like it was in freespool. The angler had seen the bottom of his spool on four separate occasions during this battle that was to be a tagged and released fish from the start of the fight. As with most large Marlin, the fish sounded straight down, and when the captain observed this, he put the throttle down and drove away from the fish hoping to plane the fish up or walk it to the surface. It worked but the fish had nothing left and, unfortunately exhausted his strength in his last attempt to escape. The fish floated upside down to the surface about 45 minutes later. A gaff was used by an inexperienced angler who turned his head away from the fish to gaff it and placed the gaff horizontally into the fish. Dr. Williamson was saddened by the death of the fish as he had every intention to release the fish from the beginning of the battle. Once the fish was gaffed, more problems were encountered as the fish would not fit sideways through the Marlin door because its girth was far too wide. With three people trying to get the fish through the door, they finally decided to try to get the fish inside of the back of the boat by backing down on it with the door open. It took over 30 minutes to get this 1,000 lb. plus fish into the cockpit area of “El Jefe.” Even though the beam of the boat is 14 ft. with more than 12 ft. of space in the rear of the boat, the fish was brought in and placed on one side of the boat. Unfortunately, the boat was listing so badly the giant had to be repositioned in order for the boat to return to port. With a great deal of difficulty, the grander was moved to the rear of the boat and placed from port to starboard as well as possible given the work area available. Once they returned to the port, the issue of removing the fish from the boat had just begun. Calling for the forklift used to lift large boats out of the water, the fish was finally lifted out of “El Jefe.” There was no scale large enough to weigh the fish in the Los Suenos area, so the Marlin was loaded onto a flatbed truck only to find that it would need to be moved again as it required an even larger vehicle. The weight of the fish was collapsing the leaf springs and bottoming out the shocks to the point where the bed of the truck was resting on the rear tires. The fish was cleaned and donated to anyone who wanted it right there at the docks. Dr. Williamson stated after the battle that he was retiring from fishing grander Marlin, but I truly believe this is temporary idea – he will return to fishing granders once all of his muscles and bones have healed.
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