Flippin is a quiet but powerful bass fishing technique. You use it when the weeds are thick (matted), working a reed - Kissimmee grass line or when working docks. The bait is Texas rigged worm/craw imitation and the weight size varies with the type of cover you are flipping to. For matted cover, use 1/2 - 1 1/2 ounce bullet weights. For reeds - Kissimmee grass lines, I usually use from 1/4- 3/8 ounce weights. The line needs to be at least 20 pound test either mono or braided.

The presentation starts like a slow overhead cast bringing the rod to a 45 degree angle. Pull approx. 3-4 feet of line off the bait casting reel with one hand while thumbing the spool. Keep the thumb pressure on the line and quickly dip the rod tip toward the water's surface, then in the same motion lift the rod tip back to the 45 degree angle while releasing the line. Keep your lure moving as close to the water's surface as possible. This will keep the lure entry into the water much quieter. As the lure enters the water, release the thumb pressure and allow the lure to sink vertically.

The feel of the bite when flipping is usually quite different than the casting bite. Most of the time the lure will have a mush feeling or start moving sideways. The conventional thump bite does happen, but not as often. When you feel the mush bite, drop the rod with slack line (this keeps the bass from feeling your unnatural movements), reel the slack in and set the hook. If the line is moving sideways, always set the hook in the direction opposite of the pull.

I find that most of my bites happen during the initial fall. However, I usually follow up the initial fall by jigging the lure up and down in a slow methodical fashion for 3-4 jigging motions. This jigging motion is just a slow pull up, then letting the lure fall back down. If you want to catch more bass, you have got to try this method!

The Billfish Foundation (TBF) has done a lot to promote billfish conservation and has been instrumental in shifting past catch-and-kill practises to Tag & Release in most parts of the world. We fully support TBF and Tag & release all billfish from our game boats, the only exceptions being a fish that is clearly a National or World record.

TBF have noticed an increasing tendency nowadays for some anglers to lift a billfish (particularly sailfish) out of the water to photograph the angler with his catch.

If you choose to Tag & Release, there are four very good reasons not to lift your billfish out of the water:

1. To state the obvious – Fish can't breathe out of the water and a billfish brought to the transom will almost certainly be, at the very least, 'out of breath'. If you lift the fish out of the water, you are starving the fish of oxygen just when it needs it most. Imagine running up a flight of stairs and then trying to hold your breath when you get to the top.

2. Fish have a protective coat of slime on their bodies that helps them fight infection and parasites. In hauling out a large fish and handling (even with gloves), you will inevitably damage or remove some of this coating.

3. The billfish's skeleton is designed to support the fish in water – not in air. If you haul a sailfish over the transom and try to hold it up, you are probably causing internal damage which may later kill the fish.

4. A thrashing billfish in the cockpit? Are you nuts? It's just going to injure itself and maybe you too! If the fish is so exhausted that it can't kick, lifting it out of the water and starving it of oxygen is likely to be the last straw.

We have, in the past removed a couple of sailfish from the water for photographs. We don't do it any more. Nowadays, we photograph all billfish in the water after the fish has been tagged and the hook removed. Photos are a wonderful reminder of past memories for our guests and even more so to see their catch gently swimming behind the boat before release. We recommend you consider following the advice of The Billfish Foundation not to remove your catch from the water.

The whole point of Tag & Release is to gather scientific information for future conservation purposes and to release the fish unharmed. If you haul a billfish out of the water, you are damaging and possibly killing the very thing you are trying to conserve and protect.

Not much sense in that is there?

Many anglers enjoy fishing for trout. When I say 'fishing for trout', I'm referring to fishing for the four main species of trout: brook, brown, cutthroat, and rainbow. Many anglers, including myself, spend a lot of time in rivers and streams chasing these beautiful fish. If you've never had the pleasure of experiencing catching an 18+ inch trout in the flowing waters of a river or stream using ultra light fishing gear, put it on the top of your "to do" list. It's easily one of the most enjoyable things that you can do with your clothes on!

There are a few tips that will enable you to catch more trout when you're out fishing, and I'll explain a few of those tips in this article. The first tip as far as trout fishing is concerned is to use gang hooks for your bait presentation, rather that a single hook. Gang hooks are simply a pair of hooks tied in tandem, which enable you to present live bait (especially worms), in a completely natural manner. And if you're a synthetic trout bait angler, gang hooks enable you to present twice as much bait!

If you fish for trout and don't use retractors, you should. A great tip for trout fishing is to have as much equipment as you can right at your fingertips. This is what retractors are great for…keeping your lightweight fishing equipment such as hemostats and nail clippers at your fingertips for easy access. The less time that you spend digging through your pockets, the more trout you will catch. Time spent digging through your pockets is time you could have been spending fishing for trout. A great tip for fishing for trout is to employ a retractor or two.

Trout can be a very finicky species of fish, so the more naturally bait smells the better. I don't know if you realize it or not, but the scents on our hands transfer to whatever bait we're using. How many trout do you think you will catch if your bait smells like a cigarette? Well, if you smoke, your bait smells like a cigarette! A good practice is to grab a handful of grass or dirt and rub it into your hands before baiting up. Even if you don't think you have any foreign smells on your hands, better safe than sorry, right?

When fishing for trout, these simple tips will help you catch more fish, there's no doubt about it. Remember what Steven Wright said of us anglers (no matter what kind of fish we attempt to catch), "There's a fine line between fishing and standing on the shore looking like an idiot." Our goal should be to avoid standing on the shore, looking like an idiot as much as possible. Because there's no question about the fact that quote is true. I know I've spent my share of time standing on the shore looking like something, and that something could well have been an idiot.

Angling can take on many different forms and can be as simple as catching perch with a cane pole, as complex as flyfishing, or high pressure like tournament bass fishing. However, each type of fishing requires different fishing gear.

Angling equipment depends on the type of fish you want to catch and where you'll be fishing. For ponds or small lakes, an ultralight to medium weight pole is just fine. Keep in mind what size of fish you can expect to catch, as bigger lakes may have bigger fish, requiring sturdy poles.

Catfish, walleye, lake trout, and bass may need a heavier weight rod. Heavier fishing gear provides more control when you're trying to reel in your catch. Also, angling with heavier rods and reels allows you to use bigger lures with more weight, making it easier to cast farther.

Likewise, the type of fishing boat you have has a big impact on your fishing experience. For the most part, recreational boats like ski boats, speed boats, and pontoons don't make a good fishing boat. Many of them are too large and cannot be safely maneuvered around structures to allow successful angling.

If you are fishing a lake or other large body of water, especially if there are many waves or rough water, a fishing boat whose bottom has a V shape will usually fare better than a flat bottomed boat. In V bottom boats the V shape helps to stabilize the boat against waves when fishing and it cuts through waves when moving between fishing spots.

The weakness of a V bottom boat is that it cannot go into shallow water. This is usually not a problem on many lakes, but it makes taking a V bottom boat on many rivers somewhat risky. A flat bottom boat, on the other hand, if the motor is fitted with a 'jet' instead of a prop, can make it through water only a few inches deep.

No matter what type of fishing gear you kit yourself out with or how much money you sink into a fishing boat, you won't find the perfect equipment to catch fish. Of course, trying to use the most appropriate gear for a great catch while you're out angling is the best thing to do.

Just keep in mind the type of fish you're trying to catch and which area you'll be angling in. Also, try not to be too specific in your equipment. Many fishing boats are built for angling only in certain conditions, which leaves you high and dry the rest of the time.