One of the most important things that affects casting distance is your fishing line. Choosing the right fishing line will greatly increase the range of your casts. Fishing line that is both limp and thin (small diameter) is ideal because it allows your line to “fly” off the reel and through the guides with little friction or resistance – resulting in a further cast.

Limp is the same thing as low-memory when it come to fishing line. Limp/low-memory line comes off your spool straight. This is great for casting because the fishing line “flows” through your guides smoothly with minimal friction. High-memory line, on the other hand, comes off your spool in coils and creates a high amount of friction as it goes through the guides. The friction slows down your line, resulting in lost casting distance.

The diameter of the fishing line also plays a role when it comes to casting distance. The thinner your line is, the further it will cast. The reduced surface area of thinner lines lowers the amount of friction as it goes through the guides. Also, thinner lines are less affected by breezes and winds. And since thinner usually means lighter, the line won’t put extra weight on the lure/bait to pull.

This is why you should go with limp/low-memory and thin fishing lines if you want to cast further. I have personally noticed a big difference in my casting distance when I use limp and thin line. Here are some of the best fishing lines on the market for distance casting:

Trilene XL

Trilene XL (extra-limp) is probably one of the most popular lines for casting distance. Since it has been around for a while, it’s been well tested and is loved by anglers.  Great Monofilament Fishing Line! See Prices or Buy Here.

Stren Magnathin

Stren Magnathin is a nylon monofilament fishing line with a high strength-to-diameter ratio. Because of it’s thin diameter and limpness, it’s great for super-smooth, long-distance casts. See Prices or Buy Here.

FireLine Fused Original

FireLine Fused Original is a “superline” that is made by fusing multiple strands into one line by the use of heat. It’s super-strong, super-thin, and super limp. Hence the name “superline”. See Prices or Buy Here.

SpiderWire UltraCast

SpiderWire UltraCast is a braided line made especially for smooth, long distance casting. It’s super though and has a thin diameter. It also has no-stretch but yet is very limp. Nothing gets away! See Prices or Buy Here.

When it comes to putting some new line onto your reel, you need a secure way of attaching it. So, what is the proper way of tying line to a reel? I use the Arbor Knot. The Arbor Knot is a great and super simple knot that “loops” your line tightly around any reel (spinning, casting, or fly). This allows your line to be securely tied to the reel and prevents the line from slipping around the spool.

Once you have your Arbor Knot in place, you can spool on your fishing line. Hope this helps.

Ha ha ha… You all have got to see this fishing video clip compilation from Americas Funniest Home Videos. This collection of funny fishing videos is one of the best ones I have seen. Just about every clip was either funny or amazing (mostly funny)! Ouch, I’m still hurting from laughing so hard…

Here are my favorite parts:

0:01 – Fisherman gets overly excited. Funny!

1:10 – Pike escapes boat. To bad for the anglers. Ha ha…

3:17 – Ice fisherman makes out with a fish. LOL!

4:18 – Man drops fish. There goes his dinner.

6:06 – He’s got a big one. My favorite one! So funny!

Enjoy.

Every angler needs a good digital camera to capture the exciting and memorable moments of their fishing trips. That way you have pictures to go with your fishing stories. And if you every start forgetting the details of that amazing fishing trip, all it takes is one glance at a photo to refresh your memory and bring those details back.

There are hundreds of digital cameras out there, so what is the ideal camera for fishing? Here are the most important qualities to look for:

Waterproof – Since fishing is done in water, it makes sense for the camera to be waterproof. You don’t want your camera to go bad from a little splash or dunk in the water.

Shockproof – Dropping and bumping things is just a reality of life, especially when outdoors. You need your fishing camera to handle falls on the rocks and still work perfectly afterward.

Compact – When going fishing you don’t want to carry around a large and bulky camera. A fishing camera needs to be compact enough to fit in your pocket for easy access.

Quality Images – You need the camera to take high quality pictures of your fishing and outdoor adventures. You want your photos to be focused, sharp, and clear.

Now that you know what to look for in a digital camera for fishing, here are a few of the top digital cameras that have the qualities mentioned above:

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Casio Exilim EX-G1

12.1 Megapixel – 7 Foot Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 10 feet deep (for 60 minutes). See Prices and Buy HERE.

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Pentax Optio W90

12.1 Megapixel – 4 Foot Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 20 feet deep. See Prices and Buy HERE.

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Ricoh G600

10 Megapixel – 5 Foot (1.5 meters) Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 3.28 feet (1 meter) deep. See Prices and Buy HERE.

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Canon PowerShot D10

12.1 Megapixel – 4 Foot (1.22 meters) Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 33 feet (10 meters) deep. See Prices and Buy HERE.

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Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS2

14.1 Megapixel – 10 Foot (3 meters) Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 33 feet (10 meters) deep. See Prices and Buy HERE.

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Olympus Stylus Tough 8010

14 Megapixel – 6.6 Foot (2 meters) Fall Shock Resistant – Can be used underwater up to 33 feet (10 meters) deep. See Prices and Buy HERE.

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I hope this short guide helps you when buying a new “rugged” digital camera for fishing or outdoor activities.

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Go to any store that sells fishing tackle and you will see a vast array of colorful lures, baits, and hooks. You will most likely find hundreds of different colors and combinations. So what are the best colors for fishing? How is an angler to choose the best color (or colors) for fishing?

First of all, do fish even see color? I have heard yes and I have heard no. Well, the truth is… we don’t know for sure. There just aren’t enough studies to indicate that all fish see or don’t see color. There was a study done on gold fish that indicates they may see some color, but as far as the game fish of North America go, we don’t really know.

And since we don’t know, I like to put the colors into categories based on brightness instead of based on color. The categories are: bright colors, neutral/natural colors, and dark colors. When I go fishing, I don’t ask myself: “should I use white, olive, or black?” Instead I ask: “should I use bright, neutral/natural, or dark?”

When choosing the best color for fishing, it all boils down to these two things:

(1) Water Clarity – How clear is the water? Is it murky, stained, or clear? What’s the visibility range? For murky water with low visibility, use very bright colors (like white and chartreuse) and very dark colors (like black and purple). These extremes of the color spectrum will be most visible in murky water to the fish. In clear water with good visibility, use neutral/natural colors (like tan, olive, and brown). Neutral/natural colors are the best when visibility is not an issue.

(2) Color of Natural Prey – What color is the natural food that the fish eats? Does it eat bright colored food, neutral/natural colored food, or dark colored food? If the fish is used to eating dark colored food then it will strike a dark colored lure more often. So, figure out the color of the natural prey and choose your lure/bait colors accordingly.

This is how I “usually” choose the best color for fishing, and it works great. But I don’t always follow these guidelines. Sometimes I will tie on a random colored lure – that is completely the opposite color than it should be – and still catch fish. I believe that anything that even slightly resembles food can be used to catch fish. Choosing the best color for fishing just improves your chances.

One final tip: THE BEST WAY TO FIGURE OUT WHAT COLOR TO USE IS: Test, experiment, and try. Get to know the body of water. Get to know the fish in the body of water. After a while, you will learn EXACTLY which colors the fish prefer.

If such a small amount of colors will catch fish in just about any situation, then why are there so many colors and color combinations available? Well, a fisherman once said to me while shopping for lures: “These are meant to catch fishermen, not fish” And I completely agree. It’s all about the business. The fishing company’s primary goal is to sell more. The secondary is for their products to catch fish. Don’t go buying every color combination out there. Stick with the basics: Bright, Neutral/Natural, and Dark.

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