Questions & answers
675 straight answers to the questions anglers actually argue about — fish senses and behaviour, line, reels, rigs and lost fish.
Lines
- What actually separates a good braid from a cheap one?
- Why does one "20 lb" braid feel twice as thick as another?
- Is Japanese PE and North American braid the same material?
- Why is precision PE so much more expensive?
- x4 or x8?
- How do PE numbers work, and what do they convert to?
- Does PE float or sink?
- My braid fuzzed and faded within a month — is it worn out?
- Do I always need a leader on PE?
- Soft or stiff fluorocarbon for the leader?
- Is fluorocarbon really invisible?
- Why does fluorocarbon "feel" low-stretch when it stretches as much as nylon to break?
- Are pink or green fluorocarbons a gimmick?
- What colour PE should I use?
- Is nylon monofilament still useful?
- Why is nylon wrong for finesse rigs?
- What is "fluorocarbon-coated" or "hybrid" line?
- What is ester line?
- What is fused superline (Fireline-type)?
- My fluorocarbon main line coils and jumps off the spool.
- Fluorocarbon keeps breaking at the knot.
- How do I pick pound test?
- How often should I change line?
- Does PE damage rod guides, and why does it sing?
- Which line in wind?
- Which line in cold water?
- What line for Ned, drop shot and shaky head?
- What line for frogs, punching and flipping?
- What line for jerkbaits, crankbaits and swimbaits?
- How long should the leader be, and which knot?
Spinning Reel
- Why does my line twist into coils after half an hour on a spinning reel?
- Can I fill a spinning reel with fluorocarbon or nylon as the main line?
- Shallow, standard or deep spool — which one should I buy?
- 2500 or 3000 for bass?
- What do the S, SS, M, D, C, HG, XG, PG letters mean?
- Gear ratio: high speed or low speed?
- How full should I load the spool?
- Why does braid slip and spin on the spool under drag?
- What are wind knots and how do I stop them?
- Should I close the bail by hand or with the handle?
- Why does the drag stick or jerk instead of running smoothly?
- Does a bigger spool really cast farther?
- Left-hand or right-hand retrieve?
- Can I use a spinning reel in salt water?
- The reel grinds or feels rough — what is worn?
- How do I match the reel to the rod?
- Why is the line piling up at one end of the spool?
- Does the reel's weight matter?
Suspending Jerkbait
- Why does my jerkbait sink (or float up) on the pause when the package says "suspending"?
- How long should I pause?
- Extra-fast or moderate action — which rod is right?
- How long a rod?
- Fluorocarbon or PE braid — and is nylon ever right?
- Rattling or silent?
- One-piece or jointed?
- What is "slow twitch" and when do I use it?
- Can I fish a jerkbait in grass at all?
- Do I need a loop knot?
- What size for smallmouth versus largemouth?
- When is the water too warm for a jerkbait?
- Which reel speed?
- How do I get it deeper?
- I get bit but keep losing them — why?
- Colour — natural or bright?
Crappie
- Do crappie ever stop eating zooplankton?
- What size minnows and shad do crappie prefer?
- Do crappie really eat their own young?
- Why do such tiny jigs catch such big crappie?
- How does the crappie diet shift through the year?
- What do crappie eat at night versus during the day?
- What do crappie NOT eat?
- Do crappie eat freshwater shrimp and scuds?
- Is late fall really a big-crappie window?
- What happens to crappie as the water starts cooling in early fall?
- What is the basic crappie jig setup, and why so light?
- How does a slip float work, and why is it the crappie rig?
- What is spider rigging?
- What is dock shooting and why is it deadly?
- What are the core tactics for ice-fishing crappie?
- How have modern electronics changed crappie fishing?
- How many crappie should I keep, and what size?
- What does the crappie year look like at my latitude?
- How do I unhook and release crappie so they survive, especially in summer?
- Are crankbaits any good for crappie?
- Beyond the basic jig, which other lures catch crappie?
- Can you catch crappie on a fly rod?
- Why does one dropped pair of pliers scatter the whole school?
- Does a trolling motor spook crappie?
- How do crappie find a jig in muddy water?
- Can a bait move too aggressively for crappie?
- How does a crappie school move through a single day?
- What decides the exact depth a school suspends at?
- Do crappie schools return to the same spots?
- What are "roaming basin schools" and how do I fish them?
- Why do certain docks hold crappie year after year while identical-looking ones stay empty?
- Do crappie ever use rock, riprap or tailwaters, or is it always wood and docks?
- Is there a maximum depth for crappie?
- Why are summer crappie pinned to one exact depth band?
- Where do crappie go in late winter under the ice?
- Where do crappie go right after the spawn?
- When and where do crappie stage before the spawn?
- What actually drives the crappie calendar through the year?
- Why does the same crappie spot fire the same week every year?
- Live minnow versus plastic — how much does smell really matter?
- Are scent products worth it for crappie?
- What sunscreen is best for crappie fishing — does sunscreen on my hands hurt the crappie bite?
- Best insect repellent for crappie fishing at night under lights — will DEET melt crappie jigs and line?
- What glue keeps crappie tubes and jig bodies on the hook, and does glue smell turn crappie off?
- What temperature do crappie spawn at — and is it one event?
- Why do male crappie turn almost black in spring?
- How deep do crappie spawn?
- Why is crappie fishing great one year and dead two years later?
- Is it wrong to keep spawning males off the beds?
- How long does the crappie spawning window last?
- Why does my line go slack instead of thumping when a crappie bites?
- Why a sweep set instead of a bass-style hookset?
- Why do I keep missing fish when I lift the jig?
- Why does a slow-falling jig out-fish a fast one?
- When should I fish a float, and when tight-line?
- What does a crappie do once hooked, and why do so many come off near the boat?
- If a crappie misses my jig, will it come back — and do they ever hit at the surface or under the hole?
- Why are summer crappie out over the open basin instead of on the bank?
- How can crappie hover motionless in mid-water for hours?
- Can I release crappie pulled up from deep water or deep ice holes?
- What water temperature are crappie most active in?
- Do crappie really feed all winter?
- Why do crappie get so hard to catch in midsummer?
- What does a cold front do to a crappie school?
- Why do crappie nest in colonies instead of spreading out like bass?
- Do male crappie actually defend their nests?
- Is there a pecking order inside a crappie school?
- What kind of lake grows the best crappie — fertile, infertile or in between?
- Why does crappie fishing fall apart during fall turnover?
- Why should I keep my jig above the crappie, never below?
- Why does fishing around lights at night work so well for crappie?
- Do black crappie and white crappie prefer different water?
- How should I pick jig colors for crappie?
- Do crappie feed at night?
- Do crappie really see colour? Where do white, yellow, green and blue jigs fit?
- Are glow jigs worth it for crappie?
- How do moonlight, wind and rain change the crappie bite?
- Why are crappie such a prized ice-fishing target, and when is the ice bite best?
- How deep do crappie hold in midwinter?
Largemouth Bass
- What do largemouth actually eat?
- How big a bait can a largemouth take?
- Do largemouth really eat frogs, mice, and even birds?
- Do big largemouth only eat big baits?
- How important are crayfish in the largemouth diet?
- How does largemouth forage shift through the seasons?
- Will largemouth pick up dead or motionless bait?
- Do adult largemouth bother with leeches, worms, freshwater shrimp or fish eggs?
- In northern waters, do largemouth eat gobies, suckers or ciscoes?
- When do largemouth move shallow in fall?
- What is the best time of day to catch largemouth?
- What is the best season to catch a truly giant largemouth?
- How should my approach differ between clear and stained water?
- When should I downsize my bait?
- Why is the bite so good right before a storm?
- How do I make sure a released largemouth survives?
- How do I fight a largemouth hooked near heavy cover?
- I missed a fish on a good spot — is it worth going back?
- What are the best lures for largemouth bass, and when does each category shine?
- Do live shiners and other live baits catch largemouth bass?
- Can you troll for largemouth bass?
- Can you catch largemouth bass on a fly rod?
- Do rattles help or hurt?
- Can bass hear my trolling motor or me moving around the boat?
- Do largemouth stay in one area, or do they roam the whole lake?
- How deep do largemouth actually go?
- Dawn or dusk — is one actually better?
- Do big largemouth live alone?
- Do largemouth roam at night?
- Does boat traffic push bass off their spots?
- Will I find largemouth in a tailwater below a dam, or out on the open mud basin?
- How does the thermocline affect where largemouth hold in summer?
- At what water temperature do largemouth start biting in spring?
- Does rain help the largemouth bite?
- Does scent on soft plastics really matter?
- What sunscreen should I buy for largemouth bass fishing so it doesn't ruin the bite?
- Which bug spray is safe for largemouth bass fishing — does DEET really repel bass and melt soft plastics?
- What glue repairs torn largemouth bass worms, Z-Man ElaZtech baits and cracked crankbaits without leaving a smell?
- At what water temperature do largemouth spawn?
- Do largemouth and smallmouth hybridize in the wild?
- How do I find largemouth beds?
- Do male or female largemouth guard the nest?
- How long do largemouth guard their fry?
- Is bed fishing harmful? Should I do it?
- Do largemouth eat while spawning?
- Do largemouth spawn more than once a year?
- Does the full moon really trigger the spawn?
- Why do largemouth sometimes just "hold" the bait instead of running with it?
- Why did the bite feel like dead weight instead of a hit?
- What exactly is a "reaction strike"?
- Why am I getting short strikes that only nip the tail?
- Why do largemouth follow my lure and then refuse it?
- How should hook-set timing differ between soft plastics and treble-hook baits?
- Do largemouth jump, and why do they throw crankbaits and lipless baits so often?
- How deep do largemouth go at midday in summer?
- What is the best water temperature range for largemouth fishing?
- A cold front just passed and the bite died — why, and how long until it recovers?
- Do largemouth defend a territory outside of the spawn?
- Why do repeated casts to the same spot finally draw a strike?
- If I catch one fish from a group, do the rest spook?
- Why can the same dock produce repeatedly?
- Where do largemouth rest, and will a resting fish still bite?
- How do largemouth do in moderately fertile (mesotrophic) lakes?
- What colors can a largemouth actually see?
- Can largemouth see my line? Should I worry about line visibility?
- Does braided line spook largemouth?
- Can largemouth see at night? Is night fishing actually worth it?
- Do orange, yellow or glow-in-the-dark baits do anything for largemouth?
- Is a bright moon better than a dark night for largemouth?
- Do largemouth feed in winter or under ice?
- Can I still catch largemouth right before ice-up?
- Is there a dusk bite for largemouth under the ice?
Muskellunge (Muskie)
- What do muskie actually eat?
- How big a prey fish can a muskie swallow?
- Do muskie eat bass — and do they ruin bass fisheries?
- How often does a muskie eat?
- Are live sucker rigs ethical — and legal?
- Do muskie really eat ducks and muskrats?
- What do muskie eat in southern reservoirs that have no ciscoes or perch?
- Do adult muskie ever eat small stuff — crayfish, gobies, insects, leeches?
- Why is fall the trophy muskie window?
- How late into fall can you realistically catch muskie?
- Where do muskie go when the weeds start dying in fall?
- Bucktails, rubber, gliders, topwater — when do I throw which?
- Do I really have to figure-8 on every single cast?
- What release gear do I need before targeting muskie?
- What rod, reel, and line does muskie fishing take?
- What should I expect from a guided muskie day?
- Is the "fish of ten thousand casts" literally true?
- When should I book a trophy muskie trip, by region?
- Do weather, barometer, and moon phases matter for muskie?
- Is rain good for muskie fishing?
- Beyond bucktails and big rubber: do spinnerbaits, lipless baits, spoons and jigs catch muskie?
- Can you catch a muskie on a fly?
- Do muskie hear my boat and trolling motor?
- Do rattles help or hurt on muskie baits?
- How does the lateral line help a muskie track a lure?
- Why do big-thump bucktails shine in stained water?
- Do muskie have a home range?
- Should I target structure-related fish or suspended fish?
- What daily windows should I plan a muskie day around?
- Do the same muskie really get caught over and over?
- How far do muskie travel through the seasons?
- Where do muskie sit when there are no weed beds — wood, docks, sand, tailwaters?
- Do muskie ever use really deep water — or sit on the bottom?
- Why do muskie suspend over open basins in summer?
- What is the late-summer oxygen squeeze?
- How long do muskie take to recover after spawning?
- Where are muskie before the spawn, right after ice-out?
- What actually drives the muskie year — temperature or daylight?
- How does latitude shift the muskie calendar?
- Does scent matter for muskie lures?
- Why does a muskie sometimes grab a live sucker and then drop it?
- Does sunscreen matter when muskie fishing — what sunscreen do muskie anglers actually need?
- Will DEET bug spray ruin my muskie baits — what insect repellent is safe around expensive muskie lures and leaders?
- How do I repair torn muskie rubber baits and tooth-damaged wooden muskie lures — which glue holds?
- Why do muskie spawn after pike, and what does it cost them?
- When and where do muskie spawn?
- Do muskie guard their eggs or fry?
- Why are pike fry so dangerous to muskie fry?
- Why are so many muskie fisheries stocked?
- What is a tiger muskie?
- Why do muskie seasons open so late in spring?
- How do I convert follows into strikes?
- A muskie just ate boat-side in the figure-8 — now what?
- How do you get a hookset through a big rubber bait?
- Why do I miss so many muskie?
- Do I need a wire leader for muskie, or is fluorocarbon enough?
- Why do serious muskie anglers obsess over hooks?
- What does a hooked muskie actually do — run, jump or dig in?
- What is the core summer muskie pattern — weeds or open water?
- Can a muskie caught deep be released safely?
- Are muskie a warmer-water fish than pike?
- When is the water too warm to fish for muskie?
- Do muskie feed in winter?
- How does temperature set the muskie's feeding rhythm?
- Are muskie territorial?
- Can muskie and pike coexist in the same lake?
- How many muskie does a lake actually hold?
- Do muskie live in fast rivers and small lakes?
- How does fall turnover affect muskie fishing?
- Why do muskie follow a lure all the way to the boat without hitting?
- Does the figure-8 really work, and what is the mechanism?
- What are the best light windows for muskie?
- How should I pick colors for big muskie baits?
- Is night fishing for muskie worth it?
- What do we actually know about muskie colour vision?
- Do white, glow or UV finishes matter on muskie baits?
- Where do muskie spend the winter under the ice?
Yellow Perch
- What do yellow perch actually eat?
- Do perch really eat each other?
- Why do tiny baits out-fish big ones so consistently?
- How does a shiner or shad forage base change the game?
- Do perch feed at night at all?
- What do the big jumbos eat that the small fish do not?
- Why is a piece of worm such a reliable perch bait — do perch eat worms and leeches naturally?
- What is simply too big for a perch — frogs, mice, suckers, ciscoes?
- Why is fall the jumbo window?
- When do perch abandon the weeds in fall?
- What is the single best perch rig, and why does it work?
- Live minnows or plastics — when does each win?
- How should I run an ice hunt with electronics?
- How do I catch jumbos instead of buckets of dinks?
- Perch keep stealing my bait while I fish for other species. What can I do?
- Are perch good eating, and how many can I keep?
- What does the perch year look like at my latitude?
- Why are perch the perfect species to start a kid on?
- Is a rainy day worth fishing for perch?
- How do I unhook and release perch without hurting them — or my hands?
- Do perch hit spinners, spoons and small hard baits — or only jigs and bait?
- Can you catch yellow perch on a fly rod?
- Does drilling with an auger spook the school? How long until they recover?
- Does noise matter more over hard bottom?
- How does a perch find my jig before it can see it?
- Can aggressive jigging call perch in from a distance?
- What does "stay on fifty" mean in perch fishing?
- Do schools shift depth during the day?
- Why am I on dinks while the guy 200 m (656 ft) away fills a bucket with jumbos?
- Do perch schools reuse the same spots year after year?
- How far do perch migrate over a year?
- Do perch use rock, points and current, or only weeds and mud?
- How deep do perch schools go on big lakes?
- Is there enough oxygen in the deep basin under the ice?
- What is winter-kill, and why does it shape so many perch lakes?
- Is there a post-spawn lull like bass have?
- Where do perch stage before the spawn?
- What actually drives the perch year — calendar, temperature, or light?
- Why is my buddy's lake 300 km north on a completely different schedule?
- Why does tipping a jig with a minnow head work so well?
- Are waxworms and maggots really better than plastics?
- Do scent products help for perch?
- Can sunscreen on my fingers stop yellow perch biting — which sunscreen should perch anglers buy?
- What bug spray won't ruin tiny perch plastics and light line — is DEET a problem for yellow perch fishing?
- Should I glue small plastics onto perch jigs — which glue works and will yellow perch taste it?
- Can I catch perch during the spawn itself?
- When and where do perch spawn?
- What exactly is the perch egg ribbon?
- Do perch guard their eggs like crappie or bass do?
- Why do perch lakes run in boom-and-bust year classes?
- What eats the eggs, if nothing guards them?
- Is there a closed season for perch during the spawn?
- I feel tap-tap-tap and miss every time. What am I doing wrong?
- Deadstick or jigging — which cadence actually catches perch?
- Why do perch keep biting the tail off my minnow?
- What hook size should I use, and what is the logic?
- When exactly should I swing?
- How does a yellow perch fight once hooked, and how do I land the jumbos?
- Will perch follow a jig up off bottom — even to the ice hole?
- What does a summer day look like for a perch school?
- Why do perch pulled from deep water come up bloated?
- Can deep-caught perch be released?
- What water temperature do perch feed best in?
- How can perch keep feeding all winter when bass shut down?
- Why do perch slide deep in high summer?
- Do cold fronts slow perch down the way they slow bass?
- Are perch territorial at all?
- Why do perch schools sort themselves by size?
- Are the biggest jumbos loners?
- Do yellow perch live in current, or in infertile rock lakes?
- Does fall turnover mess up perch fishing the way it does bass?
- Why does the perch bite die completely at dusk?
- Do color and flash matter on ice jigs?
- How deep can perch feed by sight?
- Do cloudy days help or hurt the perch bite?
- Can yellow perch see colour, and which jig colours earn their place?
- Do white, black or blue baits work for perch?
- What is the best time of day through the ice — and why not dusk?
Northern Pike
- What do pike actually eat most?
- How big a prey can a pike really swallow?
- Do pike really eat ducklings and muskrats?
- Dead or alive — does a pike care?
- How does the pike menu shift through the year?
- What is the gorge-and-fast cycle, and how do I fish around it?
- Do pike ever eat insects, leeches and other invertebrates?
- Do pike eat shad and alewives?
- Why is fall the trophy pike season?
- What happens to pike as the water starts cooling in early fall?
- Spoons, inline spinners, or soft baits — when does each shine?
- How do I rig dead baits properly for pike?
- What is the ice-fishing playbook for pike?
- Which leader material should I actually use?
- What release tools do I need, and how do I not get bitten?
- Why release the big pike in particular?
- When is the trophy window at my latitude?
- Can I really catch big pike from shore?
- Are crankbaits, jigs and weedless soft plastics worth throwing for pike?
- Can you catch pike on a fly rod?
- How well do pike hear?
- Do rattles in lures help or hurt for pike?
- How does the lateral line help a pike hunt?
- Does a lure's vibration pattern really matter for pike?
- Are pike homebodies or roamers?
- Do big pike patrol regular routes?
- What is a pike's daily rhythm?
- Why is the weed edge such a magnet for pike?
- How do river pike position differently from lake pike?
- Do pike use docks, flooded timber, sand flats or tailwaters when there is no weed edge?
- How deep is too deep for pike?
- Why can't big pike just go deep in summer where the water is cold?
- What is winterkill, and why does it matter for pike lakes?
- Why is "bass spawn time" such a famous pike window?
- Where are pike in the weeks before they spawn?
- Is the pike really the earliest spawner among gamefish?
- How much does latitude shift the pike calendar?
- Why is dead bait so deadly for pike if they are sight hunters?
- Do scents and attractants on lures make a difference for pike?
- Can pike smell danger — does handling scent on bait matter?
- Do I need a special sunscreen for pike fishing, or is scent-free sunscreen overkill for northern pike?
- Will DEET bug spray hurt my pike lures, line and leaders — what repellent should pike anglers buy?
- How do I fix pike-chewed soft swimbaits and tooth-marked hard baits — which glue, and does glue smell matter to pike?
- What does pike spawning actually look like?
- Why do pike spawn in flooded marshes at ice-out?
- Do pike guard their eggs or young?
- What do spring water levels have to do with pike conservation?
- Why do some lakes fill up with stunted "hammer handle" pike?
- Why are there closed seasons for pike in spring?
- What eats pike eggs and fry?
- What is the S-strike, and why should it change how I retrieve?
- A pike followed my lure to the boat and just... left. Why, and what now?
- Do I really need a wire leader every single time?
- Single hooks or trebles for pike?
- I missed a strike — will the pike come back?
- How do I handle the head-shake without losing the fish?
- How should I re-think a lake for pike in high summer?
- How does a pike hover dead-still, then explode?
- Do pike get barotrauma when pulled up from deep water?
- Why do the big pike disappear from the shallows every summer?
- Do pike feed in winter?
- Is it true that catch-and-release can kill pike in warm summer water?
- What water temperature makes pike feed hardest?
- Do pike defend territories?
- How much do pike really eat other pike?
- If I keep a big pike, does that "open up" the spot?
- A lake "full of pike" — good news or bad?
- What is a mesotrophic lake, and is it good pike water?
- Does fall turnover shut pike down like it does bass?
- Why does flash work so well on pike?
- What colors show up best in stained water?
- Do pike hunt by sight at night?
- Why do pike so often hit a lure from below and behind?
- Can pike see a lure under the ice?
- Can pike tell colours apart, or is it all flash and contrast?
- Do rain or a bright moon change the pike bite?
- What is the winter pattern for pike under the ice?
Smallmouth Bass
- How important are crayfish to smallmouth, really?
- What is the round goby story in the Great Lakes?
- Do smallmouth feed on the surface?
- What do young smallmouth eat before they switch to fish and craws?
- Which baitfish matter most — smelt, alewife, perch?
- Why do smaller baits often outfish big ones for smallmouth?
- What do smallmouth eat in winter?
- Do smallmouth really eat leeches and hellgrammites?
- Do smallmouth eat sunfish, young suckers — or other bass?
- Will a smallmouth eat frogs, mice, fish eggs or a dead baitfish?
- When does the fall feed-up happen, and how good is it really?
- What are the best conditions for a smallmouth trip?
- Why does finesse fishing rule for smallmouth?
- When should I throw moving baits instead of finesse?
- How do I fight a smallmouth — bow to the jump?
- What about barotrauma when I catch smallmouth from 10 m (33 ft) or deeper?
- What is the best season to catch a trophy smallmouth?
- Do smallmouth bite at night?
- Does rain help or hurt smallmouth fishing?
- How do I avoid deep-hooking smallmouth on finesse baits, and how should I hold one?
- Is live bait effective for smallmouth bass?
- Can you troll for smallmouth bass?
- Do in-line spinners and spoons still catch smallmouth?
- In river current, do smallmouth feed by sight or by feel?
- How far do smallmouth actually migrate?
- Do smallmouth school?
- Why do wind-blown points and reefs turn on for smallmouth?
- Do smallmouth roam open water chasing bait?
- Do smallmouth move shallow and deep within a single day?
- Do the same rocks hold smallmouth year after year?
- When are tailwaters productive for smallmouth?
- Does a summer smallmouth have to move deep?
- At what water temperature do smallmouth start feeding in spring?
- How do river smallmouth seasons differ from lake smallmouth?
- Does sunscreen on my hands scare smallmouth bass, and which sunscreen should I buy?
- What insect repellent should I use when smallmouth bass fishing — DEET or picaridin?
- How do I repair smallmouth bass tubes, ned rig baits and jerkbaits — which glue works on which lure?
- Can I fish for smallmouth in early spring anywhere I want?
- Do smallmouth and largemouth hybridize in the wild?
- What water temperature do smallmouth spawn at?
- Where do smallmouth build their nests?
- How deep do smallmouth spawn in ultra-clear water?
- How long does the male guard, and what is the fry ball?
- Do female smallmouth leave right after spawning?
- Is bed fishing for smallmouth worse than for largemouth?
- Do river smallmouth spawn in the main river or run up tributaries?
- When do smallmouth spawn in the north vs the south?
- Why do smallmouth slash at my moving bait and miss?
- Are smallmouth really harder fighters than largemouth, pound for pound?
- What is a "reaction strike" and why does banging rocks trigger it?
- Why is the smallmouth bite on a tube or drop shot just a faint "tick"?
- Do smallmouth strike out of aggression or hunger?
- Should I set the hook differently on a smallmouth?
- Are smallmouth as cold-front sensitive as largemouth?
- How hot is too hot for smallmouth?
- How aggressive are bed-guarding male smallmouth?
- Why do smallmouth attack lures far bigger than what they eat?
- What do gobies and crayfish have to do with smallmouth beds?
- Outside the spawn, do smallmouth defend territory on structure?
- Does catching a bed-guarding male doom the nest?
- Can smallmouth live in small ponds or in truly cold northern lakes?
- Why are smallmouth so line-shy in clear water?
- Do smallmouth really inspect a bait before eating it?
- Fluorocarbon or braid for smallmouth?
- Can smallmouth see my boat? Does boat noise matter?
- Why do smallmouth follow my lure to the boat and then turn away?
- What colors work for smallmouth in clear water vs tannic water?
- Where do orange, yellow and glow fit in smallmouth colour choice?
- Do smallmouth feed all winter?
- When do smallmouth bite under the ice — is dusk worth staying for?
Trout (Rainbow · Brook · Lake)
- How does a trout's diet change as it grows?
- What does a stream rainbow actually eat day to day?
- Why are brook trout famous for eating anything?
- What do lake trout eat?
- When is the egg bite, and why does it work so well?
- How do I pick bait or lure size for trout?
- Do trout eat suckers, sunfish or dead fish?
- What is the fall pattern for brook and lake trout?
- How should I fish the weeks when summer breaks into fall?
- Spinners, spoons, or flies — when should I throw which?
- Why do trout anglers insist on barbless hooks and wet hands?
- Why do people say a thermometer is the most important trout tackle?
- How do I catch lake trout in summer without special gear — and with it?
- What are the basics of ice fishing for trout?
- I'm a beginner at a stocked trout pond — how do I actually catch one?
- What does a year of trout fishing look like at northern latitudes?
- Should I keep trout or release them?
- Do bass lures — jigs, tubes, crankbaits, topwaters — work for trout?
- Are live minnows a good bait for trout?
- Will talking or footsteps on the bank scare trout?
- How much does wading noise spook trout?
- What does the lateral line do for a trout holding in current?
- Can trout feel the vibration of my lure?
- Do stream trout really stay in the same spot all season?
- How do trout move around in a lake, compared to a stream?
- What do stocked trout do after the truck leaves?
- Do lake trout migrate within their lake?
- Do trout move and feed at night?
- Do trout use wood, reeds, docks or mud bottom the way bass do?
- Do trout hug the bottom?
- Why do trout lakes need to be deep or spring-fed?
- What is a "summer squeeze" or summer kill for trout?
- Why do tailwaters below dams hold trout in places otherwise too warm?
- Where do trout go right after spawning?
- Where are trout right after ice-out?
- Why do brook and lake trout spawn in fall but rainbows in spring?
- How does latitude change the trout fishing calendar?
- What does a cold front do to trout?
- How good is a trout's sense of smell?
- Can sunscreen, bug spray, or gas on my hands ruin the bite?
- Are scent products legal and worth using for trout?
- What is the best sunscreen for trout fishing that won't put trout off — scent-free, mineral or spray?
- Does DEET bug spray damage fly line and scare trout — what insect repellent should trout anglers use?
- Which glue is safe for repairing trout lures, soft beads and trout worms — will super glue smell scare trout?
- What does the spring rainbow trout run look like?
- What is a redd, and why must I never wade through one?
- When and where does each trout species spawn?
- Do trout guard their eggs or young like bass do?
- Do stocked hatchery trout spawn successfully in the wild?
- Why are there closed seasons for trout, and why do they differ by species?
- Do other fish eat trout eggs — and is fishing the "egg bite" ethical?
- What is the difference between a sipping rise and a slashing rise?
- When do I set the hook — is it different for flies and spoons?
- Why do I get so many short strikes and bumped lures?
- Why do lake trout follow my lure all the way up without hitting?
- Why do trout takes feel like a tap — or like nothing at all?
- How do trout fight, and why do so many come off at the net?
- Where are lake trout in summer, and how deep is deep?
- Can I safely release a lake trout caught from deep water?
- Why do trout gulp air at the surface, and why do lake trout "burp"?
- Why is 20 °C (68 °F) the famous cutoff for trout catch-and-release?
- When should I actually stop fishing for trout in summer?
- What are the ideal temperatures for rainbow, brook, and lake trout?
- Do trout feed in winter?
- Can stocked trout survive the summer in my local pond?
- Is there really a pecking order among trout in a pool?
- Do trout defend their spawning areas?
- Do lake trout school like other fish?
- Can a moderately fertile (mesotrophic) lake hold trout?
- What does fall turnover mean on a trout lake?
- Why do trout refuse my fly or lure even when they are clearly feeding?
- Does tippet or leader diameter really matter, or is that fly-shop mythology?
- Can trout on a stream actually see me standing on the bank?
- What light conditions are best for trout fishing?
- Do UV finishes and bright colors actually catch more trout?
- Do trout see blue, green and yellow? How is their colour vision different from a bass's?
- Does a bright moon help or hurt trout fishing?
- What happens to trout during the ice season?
Walleye
- What do walleye mainly eat?
- Why do cisco and smelt lakes grow the biggest walleye?
- Why does the fishing die during the mayfly hatch?
- What size bait should I use for walleye?
- Does the walleye's menu change between day and night?
- Do walleye eat crayfish and gobies?
- Do walleye eat bluegills, frogs — or their own young?
- Will walleye eat a dead minnow — and do they eat fish eggs or scuds?
- Why is late fall the trophy walleye window?
- What changes for walleye when the water starts cooling in early fall?
- What is the best time of day to fish for walleye?
- How do I fish a jig and minnow for walleye?
- How does a crawler harness work, and when should I pull one?
- How do I troll crankbaits for walleye?
- Is casting shallow at night for walleye really a thing?
- What is a basic ice-fishing setup for walleye?
- Should I keep the big walleye I catch?
- How do I plan a walleye year at my latitude?
- How do I hold, unhook and release a walleye properly?
- What are the best lures for walleye, and when does each category shine?
- Do walleye hit topwater lures?
- Do hair jigs, spinners and spoons have a place in walleye fishing?
- Do bass lures — spinnerbaits, Texas rigs, big swimbaits — catch walleye?
- Can you catch walleye on a fly rod?
- Does boat noise or an ice auger spook walleye?
- How does a walleye find my lure in total darkness?
- Do rattles and vibration actually help for walleye?
- How far do walleye actually migrate?
- Do walleye school?
- Why are walleye deep at noon and shallow at dusk?
- Do the same reefs and points reload with new walleye?
- How do river walleye differ from lake walleye?
- Do walleye ever use docks, wood or reeds, or is it all rock and breaks?
- Do walleye ever live deeper than 25 m (82 ft)?
- How does the thermocline decide where summer walleye live?
- Why are walleye sometimes suspended out over the open basin?
- Bass are just starting to spawn — where are the walleye?
- When and where does the walleye pre-spawn happen?
- Why does the walleye's whole year run earlier than the bass's?
- How much does latitude change the walleye year?
- Why does live bait outfish plastics for walleye — and when does it not?
- Minnows, leeches, or crawlers — why does the best walleye bait change with the season?
- Does sunscreen ruin the walleye bite when I'm baiting leeches and minnows — and which sunscreen is safest?
- Best bug spray for walleye fishing at dusk: will DEET on my hands put walleye off live bait?
- What glue should I use on walleye jigs, paddletail plastics and crankbaits, and will the smell hurt the walleye bite?
- What does the walleye spawn itself look like — and can I fish it?
- When and where do walleye spawn?
- Do walleye guard a nest like bass do?
- Why do walleye have boom and bust year-classes?
- Why are walleye seasons closed in spring across most of Canada?
- Do walleye eat during the spawning run?
- Does walleye stocking actually work?
- What does a walleye bite actually feel like?
- Why do walleye keep biting my minnow in half — and what is a stinger hook?
- How should I work a jig for walleye — snap it or drag it?
- How fast should I troll for walleye?
- Circle hook or octopus hook for live-bait walleye rigs?
- What does a walleye do once hooked, and how should I play it?
- Do walleye follow a lure and hit at the boat or right under the ice hole?
- What is the standard summer walleye program?
- What happens to a walleye pulled up from deep water?
- Can a deep-caught walleye survive release?
- What is the walleye's ideal water temperature?
- Do walleye feed in winter?
- Is the midsummer walleye slump real?
- How do cold fronts affect walleye?
- Are walleye territorial?
- Why does hooking one walleye seem to switch the whole school on?
- What makes a "community hole" keep producing year after year?
- Can walleye live in a small pond or a small shallow lake?
- What does fall turnover do to walleye fishing?
- Why are dusk, dawn, and night the best walleye hours?
- Do walleye see color? Why do gold, orange, and chartreuse work so well?
- Does moon phase matter for walleye?
- Why does wind chop turn the walleye bite on?
- Can walleye see in really muddy water?
- If bright sun bothers walleye eyes, are sunny days hopeless?
- Is rain good for walleye fishing?
- Where does white fit in the walleye colour palette?
- How do walleye behave under the ice?