http://www.articletrader.com/ Articles at ArticleTrader en-us http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/freshwater-habitat-fish-attractors.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/freshwater-habitat-fish-attractors.html Thu, 16 Apr 2009 13:32:47 -0500
Fish attractors are best used in freshwater lakes that lack cover. Fish attractors, like the Honey Hole Tree, provide a surface for biological fish food to grow. It also provides an optimal breeding ground for many species of fish, including the largemouth bass. The cover makes the fish comfortable and helps them to hide their eggs, stalk their prey and protect their young.

Fish attractors should be made of a material that does not release harmful materials into the water. They should also be made of something that will not degrade over time. Many people have used milk crates, tires and stake fields to add cover and structure to the bottom of their lakes. One important thing to consider when adding a fish attractor is whether or not you plan on fishing in the lake. Structures that easily snag a fishing line are not desirable in a fishing location.

When deciding where to place a fish attractor, depth and bottom cover should be assessed. For smaller fish, you can put a fish attractor in shallow water. But, for large game fish such as the largemouth bass, you should place the fish attractor in deeper water that measures between twenty-five and thirty-five feet deep. As a general rule, you want twenty feet of clearance above the attractor to provide a good bass habitat. This also allows for boat motor clearance in lakes that are frequently travelled. Before you place a fish attractor in a lake, check with local officials to make sure you are compliant with local laws, or they may remove your fish attractor.

The coverage already available at the bottom of the lake may be of importance. You may want to consult a lake management company if you are not sure of your location. Lake bottoms that are already covered in aquatic weeds may not be the best place for a fish attractor. The over-abundance of fish habitats can create too much cover for small fish creating an imbalance of large and small fish in the lake.

If you do have a good spot for a fish attractor, it can help to populate your lake with fish. Not only will you give them a good place to hunt, lay eggs and raise young, but you will also give them a life of low stress. This will encourage them to mate more, have a higher rate of young survival and grow larger in the long run. Plus, you will have a sweet honey hole to fish without ever snagging your line!

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About the Author: Brad Metzler is the owner of Honey Hole Tree Inc., an industry leader in the production and sale of fish attractants like Honey Hole Trees and Turtle Traps. Honey Hole Tree Inc. also consists of Lake and Pond Management Professionals that are dedicated to finding the most economical solutions and strategies for your fish attractant and stocking needs.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/noodling-for-catfish.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/noodling-for-catfish.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:40:07 -0500
Most noodlers do not go at it alone. There is a real risk of drowning if you stick your arm in a big one’s mouth. Catfish caught by noodling can weigh up to around sixty pounds. The catfish latches on and tries to get away. Noodlers report not being able to get their arm or hand out and end up in a struggle with the fish to get back to the surface. This is why some noodlers wear scuba gear when they dive. Noodlers generally have a spotter at the surface when they go down for a catfish. The spotter will help them out of the water, help secure the fish and help retrieve the hand.

Noodling is easiest in water that is shallow or at least not over your head. Spring and summer are the best times to find catfish in their nests. They spawn when the water gets up to around 70 degrees or higher. Once they lay their eggs, they do not often leave their nests.

Noodlers will generally test a hole before they stick their hand in it. They will prod with a stick to figure out if it is a catfish in there, or something else, like a turtle or a snake. If it is a catfish, they will sometimes create a barricade around the hole, lessening the fish’s chance of escape. They will use logs, rocks or other people to stand close, trapping the fish in the desired area.

Catfish usually bite to defend their nests. This makes noodling a little easier. Sometimes they will just nip a finger and you will need to try to cram in your hand to grab it behind the gills. Be prepared, because catfish do have teeth. They also will spin once they have latched on. The teeth are small, but they can draw blood and break through the skin. Some noodlers use gloves, but most see gloves, small hooks or using scuba equipment as cheating.

If you want to improve your noodling success, you can create a habitat where big catfish will want to spawn. Fish attractors, such as Honey Hole Trees or Shrubs, are very useful. They create an area where catfish feel safe. They are inclined to hunt and spawn around this type of cover, increasing the population of catfish and increasing the size of the catfish. Natural cover can be more dangerous for noodlers because of the constant threat of snags. Check with your state before you go noodling, because it is illegal in some areas. Whether you find a hot bed of nests or use fish attractors to lure in the big guys, you’re sure to have a great time noodling with your friends.

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About the Author: Brad Metzler is the owner of Honey Hole Tree Inc., an industry leader in the production and sale of fish attractors like Honey Hole Trees and Turtle Traps. Honey Hole Tree Inc. also consists of Lake and Pond Management Professionals that are dedicated to finding the most economical solutions and strategies for your fish attractant and stocking needs.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/fishing-for-alligator-gar.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/fishing-for-alligator-gar.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:39:13 -0500
Alligator gar fishing trips are gaining in popularity, especially in the southern states. Alligator gar are prehistoric beasts and are believed to have barely evolved at all over the past 100 million years. They are truly dinosaurs living in front of our eyes. They can grow to be around 300 pounds and over 10 feet long. If you hook one of these fellas, you had better have some help to pull it in.

Gar swim close to the top of the water and are sometimes easy to spot from your boat. This makes them a popular choice for bow-hunting fishermen. But, for the most part, people that fish for the alligator gar respect the living fossil and do not kill it. They catch it with a hefty hook and whole fish as bait, and then they lasso the head to pull it into the boat. Once the fishing is over, the alligator gar are released back into the water.

The alligator gar actually has a primitive lung. It can live and breathe outside of the water for hours. This ability to breathe fresh air plays a big part in the alligator gar’s survival. Low oxygen levels in the water and droughts that threaten most species barely affect the alligator gar.

The alligator gar has a lot of huge teeth, two rows on the top jaw and its mouth closely resembles the snout of an alligator. They can be quite ferocious and great care and attention to safety should be taken when fishing for these fierce fighters. Alligator gar are not known for attacking humans. The meat is very bony and widely thought not to be very tasty, but is fairly popular in Texas and some other southern states. They are mainly fished for sport by fishermen who love the fight of this giant opponent.

Alligator gar have not really been protected because they do not hold any commercial value. Populations have started to diminish and fishing restrictions have recently been placed on them. In most states, you can only take one or two alligator gar. This is primarily because alligator gar do not reach spawning age until they are twelve years old. Overfishing is a huge threat and populations have already been wiped out in Illinois, Indiana and Ohio.

Habitats of the alligator gar are also affected by humans. Without areas to spawn, the alligator gar simply won’t. This is why many states employ professional lake and stream managers to ensure that the alligator gar and other vulnerable species have safe places to hunt and breed. Wildlife managers use large fish attractors to create safe-havens underneath the water. These large, permanent structures are quickly becoming more and more popular as their effectiveness and eco-friendliness becomes more apparent.

If you fish for alligator gar, consider going with a guide. Respect the importance of the population by practicing catch and release fishing. Be safe and you could be in for the fishing trip of a lifetime.

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About the Author: Brad Metzler is the owner of Honey Hole Tree Inc., an industry leader in the production and sale of fish attractors like Honey Hole Trees and Turtle Traps. Honey Hole Tree Inc. also consists of Lake and Pond Management Professionals that are dedicated to finding the most economical solutions and strategies for your fish attractant and stocking needs.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/proper-lake-management.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/proper-lake-management.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:38:09 -0500
Finding innovative, economical and environmentally friendly ways to manage large bodies of water has always been a top priority for those who truly care about our lakes. Without proper management, lakes can have poor water quality, become depleted of oxygen and fish will die. Water quality is generally the first thing to suffer. That can be followed by algae saturation, weed overgrowth and deoxygenation of the upper lake zones.

When a lake is in ecological balance, its plants can absorb nutrients and its bacteria can metabolize them. Wind, sun and rain provide enough aeration and photosynthesis to keep the oxygen content of the water at an optimal level. This is a delicate balance that can be easily upset. Water quality testing is the first step to proper lake management. A water quality test will show nutrient levels, algae blooms, oxygen demand, pH, phosphorus and nitrogen content.

Weeds and other organic matter in the lake will grow and then eventually die. The decomposing matter creates a plethora of aerobic bacteria. These bacteria are useful to the lake in the right amounts, but when there are too many, they quickly deplete the lake of oxygen. All of the aerobic digestion will cause the water to emit a foul odor and you may see fish start to die. The overactive aerobic bacteria will cause the bottom of the lake to become completely deprived of oxygen, forcing the lake to depend on photosynthesis, wind and rain for its oxygen. The water quality can quickly deteriorate, exhibiting excessive nutrients, low oxygen and little or no circulation.

You can recognize signs of poor water quality and act quickly if necessary. Weeds and algae are the first thing you will visually notice. If the water turns completely green with algae, it can deplete oxygen over just a few hours and you may get massive fish kill-offs, or even algae kill-offs. When the algae die, it will turn the water brown and you may notice a distinctive smell.

Lake management is a very broad field and there may be no simple answers to your problems. Lake management experts are trained in identifying problems, or even potential problems, and can save you a lot of money in the long run. They are well-versed in increasing oxygen levels, circulation and monitoring aerobic bacterial levels. They are also trained in maintaining or increasing fish populations in your lake. A variety of solutions are available, including fish attractors, that can help your fish population soar. Insect problems, odors, oxygen problems, fish kills and eventual lake death can be avoided if the appropriate lake management program is implemented from the start.

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About the Author: Brad Metzler is the owner of Honey Hole Tree Inc., an industry leader in the production and sale of fish attractors like Honey Hole Trees and Turtle Traps. Honey Hole Tree Inc. also consists of Lake and Pond Management Professionals that are dedicated to finding the most economical solutions and strategies for your fish attractant and stocking needs.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]> http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/fish-attractors-honey-hole-trees.html http://www.articletrader.com/sports/fishing/fish-attractors-honey-hole-trees.html Fri, 13 Mar 2009 21:37:07 -0500
Permanent structures in your pond or private lake can help increase your fish population. They encouraging spawning and help protect fry from other fish and predators. Users have reported not only an increase in fish population, but the fish are also growing bigger.

When fish have appropriate fish attractors at the bottom of the pond, their stress levels decrease. They will feed more and breed more. In the past, fishermen have tried and tried to produce such structures to help out the quantity and quality of fish in their ponds. You may have heard of the popular Christmas tree habitat. People would throw their Christmas trees off of the pier after Christmas every year to provide some cover and breeding grounds for their fish. This works pretty well for a while. The problem is, natural debris will rot over time and can cause so many fishing line snags that it’s not hardly worth trying to fish near them.

Other items have also proven themselves to be semi-useful, but snags or deterioration have always been a problem. The Honey Hole Tree is designed with the fish, the environment and the fisherman in mind. It’s essentially a cone covered in hoses. The air escapes the hoses allowing the entire structure to sink to the bottom of the pond. The materials will not deteriorate or rot and the design mimics actual shrubs, trees or grasses that a fish would feel comfortable nesting or feeding around. The slick hoses offer a revolutionary benefit of very rarely snagging hooks and lines.

Having fish attractors like artificial habitats in your pond will help you to support a bigger fish population stocked with bigger fish than you could have raised before. Not only will you harbor more and bigger fish, but you will also have a good idea of where they are hiding, feeding and breeding.

The Honey Hole Tree has about ninety-three branches extending three feet each from the center cone. This is a really big fish attractor that stands six feet tall. Honey Hole Shrubs are also available for more shallow areas. You can place multiple shrubs or trees in areas where you would like fish to congregate. You are sure to enjoy the abundance of snag-free fishing that you will experience with one or more of these innovative fish attractors.

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About the Author: Brad Metzler is the owner of Honey Hole Tree Inc., an industry leader in the production and sale of fish attractors like Honey Hole Trees and Turtle Traps. Honey Hole Tree Inc. also consists of Lake and Pond Management Professionals that are dedicated to finding the most economical solutions and strategies for your fish attractant and stocking needs.

Source: http://www.articletrader.com ]]>