Fishing Tips:

• Check the weather

Always make sure the weather's suitable for fishing. A little rain never hurt anyone, but lightning, hail and gusty winds have. It's like golfers hiding underneath a tree during a thunderstorm, fishing in a storm just isn't smart.

• Bring water

It's always nice on a hot day to have something to drink if you're out there any length of time. Otherwise, you dry out way too fast.

• Have something comfortable to sit in

Rocks just don't cut it. The last time I went out, I figured I'd sit on a rock, just to get there and have the rock covered in mud, and having left the chairs at home, well...sitting on a pointed rock makes you concentrate more on how uncomfortable it is than actually paying attention to your line and pole

• Avoid the middle of the day

Not only is this normally the hottest, but I've caught fish easier in the morning and evenings. You can also get some great shots of sunrises and sunsets.

• Bring light during the night, and bugspray

Bugs can be a real pain if you're using a light in the night. I would imagine those candles that ward off bugs could be a way of dealing with this, but make sure you have some bugspray to keep them off of you easier.

• Make sure you have batteries, and a camera

I never got a picture of the striper I caught, because I didn't bring a camera with me, and we didn't get an exact weight, because my weightfinder had a dead battery. It's a real annoyance when you need something and it isn't there.

• Landing the big fish

I know how not to land one. My dad had a big catfish on the line, and it got away because I couldn't grab onto it right. Make sure you can get a good handle on the fish, on your terms and not theirs.

• Double check your knots and rigs

Another reason we lost the catfish is because the hook's knot came untied...always make sure your knots are tight, and you have multiple rigs in case you snagged one up and need another one.

• Bring extra gear

If you're like me, you'll gut hook many a bluegill because you haven't caught that catfish you're after. Make sure you have extra hooks so you can spare the bluegill by having another hook rather than killing it to get it, although, bluegill fillets work really well...*idea*

Hopefully, this helps someone out. The easiest way to learn is by watching other people screw up, and taking their advice.