Catching your supper from the lake is a wonderful sensation – you can’t beat the freshness of ‘lake to pan’, not to mention the satisfaction of self-sufficiency. You can make your meal on the shore or bring home your bounty to feed your entire family. Either way, a good day of fishing usually starts on a boat.

There are as many fishing ‘golden rules’, guaranteed methods, and fishy tales as there are fishermen. There are also some excellent books dedicated to the subject – these are rather large – so there is a lot to say. This is what works for us; it’s simple and we rarely go hungry.

Why Fish On A Boat

We’ve been on tons of fishing adventures and we have appreciated each one, but our best fish stories always start with a boat, because it’s the platform that gets us out there in the first place. The boat is the common core that makes it happen, and the boat has the ability to turn old experiences into new ones.

You Get Further, Deeper, and Bigger Schools:

It’s no secret that with a boat of your own, you can scout for the perfect fishing spot, and, securing your position, you can relax and wait for a big one to bite. Another perk of fishing on a boat is the ease of which you can change locations in the event of “no bites”. Going out fishing in your boat takes more than just setting anchor somewhere and casting your line. To make the most of your fishing trip, you need to do some advanced planning. First, identify what type of fish you intend to catch and see if they’re active during the season. Conversely, you can check when that fish is most active – like the best weather conditions and wind direction that suit them – and schedule your trip for that time. You also need to determine where you want to fish, and which rod and bait would be the most suited for that area.

Prior to heading to the lake, your vessel should be in top condition. You don’t want to have mechanical trouble while out on the lake or river.

You also need to have an anchor with the right size. There are instances when a larger anchor is better, such as when fishing in deep water, as it can hold down your boat better.  You also need to have enough chain – the minimum length, as a rule of thumb, should be as long as your boat, but it can be longer.

It’s best to do your research to find out which anchor would suit your boat and your needs. Since different brands tend to have different sizes, it’s best to cross-check two or more manufacture sizing charts. 

Trolling:

Trolling is a technique in which you let a baited line trail behind your slow-moving boat. This lets you cover a wider area, which often results in catching fish with less effort. This method can be used on a lake and is done by casting a baited line and then securing the pole onto the boat.  You then move your boat slowly along the water. If you’re on a river and there is a large current, move your boat in its direction because that’s also the direction the big fish are taking. This is one of the ways in which they conserve their energy, so they are likely to follow the lure when it is moving in their direction.

Popular Lakes:

One of the most common complaints we hear about boat fishing is the overcrowding of popular lakes. On some popular vacation lakes, boat activity can trigger some fish into biting.  You will notice a lot of times on the weekend where there is light boat traffic the fish don’t bite well but after the boat traffic increases and stirs up the water, it tends to activate the fishing.

If you find fish congregated in an area that receives heavy boat traffic, concentrate on that area rather than seeking a calmer spot that might have less fish.   It will be harder to fish the area and it can get a little more irritating, but you have a better chance of getting bites because of the greater concentration of fish in one spot.

How To Avoid Boat Traffic

You can avoid some boat traffic by fishing early and late in the day.  Boat traffic begins slow and then gradually slows down during the last two hours of daylight.

Boat traffic might not affect fish feeding habits, but it does cause the fish to seek different eating locales.  All the surface commotion tends to lock fish closer to the bottom, so you should entice the fish with bottom-bouncing lures, such as 1/2- or 3/4-ounce jigs and 8- to 11-inch plastic worms with 3/8- or 1/2-ounce weights.

Fishing Deep

You have an advantage in this situation if you know how to fish deep-water structure.  When heavy boat traffic disturbs your favorite fishing hole this summer, look for ways to use the traffic to your advantage instead of quitting for the day. With a few adjustments and a move to deeper water, you can still catch fish even during peak boating times.

 

We hope this helped you take the plunge and try boat fishing! If you are looking for a new fishing boat, Bretz Capital Sports has an amazing inventory of fishing boats! Let the professionals at Bretz Capital Sports Sales help you! Visit us at 9900 W Fairview Ave, Boise, ID 83704. Or call us at (208) 323-1500 today!