Top 8 Effective Fishing Techniques You Might Not Know

When going fishing, it's not just about taking your fishing rod; it's about choosing the right time and duration to achieve good results. Timing is crucial in any activity, and fishing is no exception. Did you know that during heavy rain and strong winds, fish tend to hide? Even if you drop bait into the water, they won't come out to feed. On scorching sunny days with intense light and heat, fish also avoid searching for food. The ideal time for fishing is during spring when fish often come to the water surface. If you go fishing during this time, you're sure to have a good catch.

The ideal fishing time is 1-2 hours after a rain shower. During this period, fish bite aggressively, so anglers should seize this time to fish, ensuring they never return empty-handed. However, the feeding time varies for each fish species, so you need to research the behavior of the specific fish you want to catch to determine the exact feeding hours.

Water Surface is also a criterion to assess whether the area has many fish, suitable for your fishing spot. According to the experience of seasoned anglers, a rippling water surface with bubbles indicates a high fish presence. This bubbling phenomenon occurs as fish perform respiration and chase prey. The more bubbles, the larger the fish, and the area is rich in fish life. Professional anglers can recognize the water surface with human shadows or fishing rod shadows, making fish scared and unwilling to take bait. Therefore, you should avoid areas with this condition to ensure your fishing productivity!

Typically, before fishing, one will determine the first fishing spot. If you find a place with many bubbles floating on the water surface, congratulations, you have discovered a potential fishing spot that has not been explored by others. All you need to do is cast your rod and reap the rewards.

Choosing a place with plenty of fish, strong fish currents, means we've won 60% of this game full of chance. Here are some places that are worth casting our fishing rods the most

• Tree branches: It's not difficult to understand that casting near large branches where the branches fall into the pond in the direction of the wind is a place where fish gather and feed strongly. The branches, flowers, leaves, and fruits are all natural food familiar to fish.
• Water outlets and inlets of the pond: If the water level here is not too shallow, meaning it is about 1m deep or more, then this is where fish gather and swim around, looking for food abundantly.
• Downwind and midwind areas of the pond: Downwind and midwind areas are always where fish feed the most. Waves are created by the wind. When there is wind, the rolling waves make the fish feed vigorously because the water in the surface layer provides enough oxygen for the fish, preventing them from floating to the surface to breathe.
• Quiet areas of the pond: Have you ever been to a pond and seen waves rolling everywhere, suddenly there is a quiet corner and the middle of the pond with no waves? That is where fish gather. It's the most common place that everyone tends to overlook.

Just like every human has a unique personality, preferences, and strengths, no one is the same. And fish species are similar. There's a saying that goes, 'know the enemy, know yourself, and you can win a hundred battles.' Fishing is like going to battle; without understanding the living habits of fish, you might as well go home empty-handed. Fish come in many types, each with different characteristics. Some prefer living in shallow or deep waters, some like clear water or muddy areas, some prefer solitary living or in schools, and some have fast or slow feeding habits.

Before going fishing, you need to identify the target fish species and then study their living environment and habits. This will help you pinpoint the exact locations where they thrive. Once you know all of this, choosing the right fishing rod, reel, bait, or fishing line will no longer be a difficult task, right?

The fishing rod is a crucial tool that determines the success of your fishing session. It is considered a reliable ally, extending your arm, making it easy to detect the movements of the prey, and increasing the ability to conquer it. However, since the advent of technology, newcomers to the world of fishing feel extremely confused when faced with many choices: which brand of fishing rod to buy, for each fishing purpose, different types of fish, different fishing terrains, which type to choose. This is truly a daunting issue for those who lack concepts and knowledge of using fishing rods.

Regarding the fishing location: If fishing in a river, you should choose a rod with a length from 1.6m to 3m, whereas if fishing in the sea, the fishing rod should have a length from 3.2m to 4.5m.

Regarding the types of fish: For large fish, use a large rod, while for small fish, use a small rod. For fishing carp, catfish, it is advisable to choose a rod with high flexibility. For fishing rohu, tilapia, catfish, snakehead fish... it is better to choose a large and strong rod.

The fishing rod, regardless of the location or type of fish, must be sensitive so that when the fish nibbles the bait, shakes the float, we can accurately know when the fish is testing, when the fish has taken the bait, to have a precise and successful strike, hooking the fish.

For successful fishing, paying attention to bait selection is crucial. Bait plays a vital role in determining whether you can catch fish successfully or not. Don't think that just having good bait is enough; each type of fish and fishing spot has a completely different bait formula.

Regarding the fishing location: Typically, we know that bait comes in two forms, natural and homemade. If fishing in ponds or lakes, it is advisable to use homemade bait such as industrial food, potatoes, bananas, etc. However, if fishing in rivers, using fishing rigs, or in the sea, it is better to use natural bait such as shrimp, worms, crickets, or snails.

Regarding each type of fish: Floating fish species like carp, rohu, or catfish often prefer baits like shrimp or bananas,... While bottom-dwelling fish like catfish or loach prefer to eat artificial baits. For fish living in rivers, they tend to bite and nibble, so you should choose a bait that is tough to prevent it from being crushed when bitten.

However, regardless of the fish type or fishing location, you should choose your bait to be diverse so that you can easily attract and lure the fish successfully.

The accompanying accessories for fishing also need to be appropriate for the fishing process to be effective.

Fishing Hooks: There are various sizes and types of fishing hooks available at fishing supply stores. Choose the one that suits each type of fish, such as the J-hook for bottom fishing, the treble hook for catching catfish, and smaller hooks for catching smaller fish like minnows and rohu. Using smaller hooks is preferable because they can conceal the bait to deceive the fish, making them bite quickly.

Fishing Floats: There are two common types of floats: cork floats and foam floats. If you're fishing at night, consider using illuminated floats. The choice of using floats depends on the type of fish you are targeting. Floating fish species like catfish or tilapia are best caught using floats.

Fishing Sinkers: Various types of sinkers, such as pyramid sinkers for beach fishing, round sinkers for fast-flowing water, and pencil sinkers, should be chosen based on the fish species and water conditions.

Fishing Lines: For small fish, use fishing lines, and for larger fish, use durable fishing lines. Choose a line length suitable for the length of your fishing rod.

Not everyone knows how to jerk the fishing rod properly, so many people lose their catch even when the fish has bitten the bait.

We should pay attention to the jerking technique as follows:

• Whenever you see the float moving in a certain direction, jerk the rod in the opposite direction so that the hook will be pinned into the fish's mouth.
• If the float sinks suddenly, do not hesitate, but jerk quickly in the straight-up direction.
• If you see the float being pulled and then stopping, if you jerk the rod, it's just a matter of luck because that fish only took a bite of the bait and released it.

Jerking too gently can make the bait slip out of the fish's mouth. Jerking too hard can cause the fish's mouth to tear and the hook to fall back into the water. Therefore, jerking the rod should be just right, neither too light nor too hard. With experience in the profession, you can determine the position of the bait underneath by just looking at the position of the float: If the float stands upright and floats half above the water surface, it means the bait is suspended in the water without touching the bottom. Conversely, if you see the float floating horizontally on the water surface, it means the fishing bait has touched the bottom.