The black drum is very similar to one of the famous fish we catch where I come from (Australia for the new readers out there) so I have a bit of a connection with these great fish. They fight hard, grow big and taste great (in the smaller sizes) so it is little wonder they have a small, but dedicated following.
The black drum gets its name from the weird sound it can produce and from its black color (obviously). They are capable of producing tones to 501 khz as a mating call.
World record black drum The biggest black drum ever caught was recorded at a whopping 113lbs (51kg for the metric folk out there). I can only imagine the fight that a fish that big would produce!
Black drum trout fishing video This is certainly an amateur video and it is quite short, but it certainly captures the charm of these wonderful fish. Enjoy.
When it comes to cooking I have a simple motto that goes something like this - “the simpler the recipe the less mistakes I can make.” Fortunately when cooking fish there are hundreds of simple recipes that even I can’t get wrong. Fish also has the added benefit of being very quick to cook and if you add to that the health benefits of fish oils, protein and low saturated fat content it makes sense why so many people are making the switch for traditional red meats.
Simple baked cod recipe This recipe follows all of my rules. It is simple, quick to make and absolutely delicious. For this recipe you will need:
Cod (or other fish) fillet
Diced tomatoes
Chopped Leaks
Bell Pepper (green)
Minced Garlic
Cooking Spray
Salt and Pepper
Breadcrumbs
Parmesan Cheese
Crushed potato chips
Paprika
Cayenne
Melted Butter
The following video will show the process for this fish recipe and is only 2 minutes long. Enjoy
If you do try this recipe feel free to leave me a comment.
I thought I would take a break from the usual “instructional” type posts and try something a little bit different and hopefully fun! Enjoy these funny trout fishing quotes:
“The trout fishing was good; it was the catching that was bad.” - A.K. Best
“My Biggest worry is that when I’m dead and gone, my wife will sell my trout fishing gear for what I said I paid for it.” - Koos Brandt
“Today she met me at the door, said I would have to choose, if I picked that trout fishing pole today, she’d be packing all her things and she’d be gone by noon….well I’m gonna miss her!” - Brad Paisley
“Fly fishermen are born honest, but they get over it.” - Ed Zern
“Three-fourths of the Earth’s surface is water, and one-fourth is land. It is quite clear that the good Lord intended us to spend triple the amount of time trout fishing as taking care of the lawn.” - Chuck Clark
“There’s a fine line between trout fishing and just standing on the shore like an idiot.” - Steven Wright
“Catch and Release trout fishing is a lot like golf. You don’t have to eat the ball to have a good time.” - Anon
“I knew my tippet was too big when the willow tree I’d hooked on my back cast came flying over my head.” - Jimmy D Moore
“I don’t exaggerate… I just remember BIG!” - Anon
“The two happiest days in a boat owner’s life are the day he buys the boat and the day he sells it.” - Avery Wiseman * I have tried to attribute these quotes to the correct author. Any corrections are needed please leave a comment
Trout trout fishing was one of my favorite pastimes until I made the move to tropical Australia where the only trout trout fishing available is coral trout on the tropical saltwater reefs (not that I am complaining though!)
There are a few species of trout that are caught recreationally, but the most important recreational trout species would be the rainbow and brown trout. Both species grow big, fight hard and take flies, which makes fly trout fishing the most popular form of targeting these magnificent fish.
Fly trout fishing for trout There is much written on the subject of fly trout fishing for trout so I wont go much further into the area. Basically fly trout fishing for trout has been around almost as long as the trout itself and is not only a traditional method of catching these fish, but can be great fun too! The basic premise of fly trout fishing is to present a recreation of the natural food the trout are eating in fly form to entice them to bite.
Other forms of trout trout fishing While dedicated fly anglers may find this sacrilegious, there are many other ways to catch trout and some can even be more successful than fly trout fishing at times. Many anglers use natural baits to catch trout (either under a float or on the bottom) and there is a growing number of anglers using soft rubber baits and hard body lures.
Whichever method you decide to use the pursuit of these wonderful fish will take you to some of the best locations in the world with the awesome scenery you are unlikely to forget!
As I was getting the boat ready for tomorrows trout fishing trip with my old man I spent quite a bit of time replacing old line on one of our many rods. Removing trout fishing line from the reel is one of my least favorite activities. As I was doing it today I spent some time thinking that there must be a better way and when I got back to my place decided to do a google search. I found a great little video of a product that fits into your drill and removes the old line in seconds.
It looks like it would be fairly easy to make something similar for yourself with an old bait casting reel and a drill attachment. I know that there are some fancy electronic line removers that tackle shops use, but this method would be cheap, fairly easy to make and be very easy to use.
If you do watch the video and/or have any grand ideas feel free to drop me a comment and tell me all about it.
Traditionally heli trout fishing is about using a helicopter to get to remote locations that not many people fish. People who have undertaken this type of trout fishing tell stories of some of the best trout fishing and remote locations on the planet. Some heli trout fishing operations are set up exclusively for trout fishing, but many anglers simply hire a helicopter and pilot for the day. The second option will only work if you know exactly where you want to fish as only the specialist heli trout fishing operations will take you to the hot spots they have already found.
Advantages of helicopter trout fishing
Fish almost untouched locations.
Get to remote locations in comfort.
Superb views from the helicopter.
Disadvantages of helicopter trout fishing
Cost - it can be very expensive (get a group of mates together and split the cost!).
Generally heli trout fishing charters are shorter than a mothership based charter.
If cost is really a problem for you then you should check out this video below. It is heli trout fishing with a difference and is absolutely hilarious! A must watch video!
My wife decided it would be a good day to have a walk along the beach and a bit of a fish and then some breakfast (I wasn’t going to argue). As I was setting up for tomorrows trout fishing trip I was experimenting with a new rig and remembered a great knot for attaching lures which I thought I would share with my readers.
The loop knot or “anglers loop” is one of the most popular methods of attaching a lure to a monofilament or fluorocarbon leader. It is extremely popular because it allows the lure to swing freely which means the lure can swim with a more natural action. A lure with a quality action often leads to more bites and more fish!
How to tie a loop knot
The loop knot is quite simple to tie with a bit of practice and is absolutely essential if you are an avid user of lures. It is a sufficiently strong knot and can be tied in both light and heavy line strengths. This instructional video shows the process very clearly.
Before I start explaining this one I must admit that I am not a great fan of sushi. I love fish, but just can’t stomach it sushi style. Fortunately you can use smoked salmon with this recipe and I have had no trouble with it. I can highly recommend it to all the sushi wary people out there!
This is one of the simplest salmon roll sushi recipes out there and even I made it for my wife to test it before posting it. You will need some sticky rice (cook it with 25% more water), salmon (smoked it ok), soy sauce, wasabi, ginger and Saki. It takes virtually no time to make and the longest part of the preperation work is cooking the rice.
How to make Salmon Sushi Roll Fortunately, for you and me, there is a great video I have found showing the process of making this recipe which is very easy to follow. It is supposedly a romantic dish, but I am not sure why, maybe it just sounds better that way! Enjoy!
Bridle rigging a bait is one of the most popular methods of rigging a live or dead bait. It is a method most often used for trolling for large game fish like marlin and sailfish, but can also be used for live baiting from a drifting or anchored boat.
Bridle Rigging is a popular method of hooking a live bait because the baits can swim naturally and often live for much longer than other rigging methods. As this method requires a needle through the eye socket of the fish it is considered a slightly gruesome method of attaching a bait by some people. This has lead to the common occurrence of hooking the bait through the tough “nose” area in front of the eye.
This technique also works well for rigging skipping dead baits for trolling. This method can be used with any small baitfish, but is generally used on large baits (skipjack tuna) for slow trolling for big fish!
I love trout fishing with spinning rods, they are easier to use than any other type of reel and great for beginners. Lets face it not everyone enjoys trout fishing with a baitcaster and even though a spinning reel is not quite as accurate with some simple tips you can make it work for you.
Many anglers believe that accurate pitching (or pitch casting) can only be achieved with a good quality baitcaster. However, this is not the case and there are a couple of very successful anglers with killer pitching techniques for spinning reels. Pitch casting is very useful for trout fishing in close quarters especially when there is cover overhead or to the side of where you are casting from or casting to (such as casting under a dock or a tree). It is also a useful method of casting in the shallows when you do not wish to spook the fish.
How to pitch cast
The technique for pitch casting with a spinning rod is not difficult, but does require a bit of practice. Set up a target in the backyard or local park about 20 feet away and practice casting to it.
The following video shows a very popular, and effective, pitch casting technique.
