Jigging

Jigging is when you let your lure drop straight down and then bob it up and down to attract the fish. Jigging works great for all kinds of fish if you can find the right location to try it. It is ideal on less windy days because if you start to drift too fast you will end up trolling instead of jigging.

Trolling

Trolling is when your boat is drifting (either from the wind or a small motor) and you let your lure lay a ways behind the boat. The motion of the boat will keep the lure constantly moving which creates the action required to attract the fish. You can combine jigging and trolling by speeding up and slowing down your lure as your trolling by making the "jigging" motion with your pole. Trolling can be very relaxing because it required minimal effort from the fisherman.


Bobber Fishing

Bobber fishing is great for beginners. In order to bobber fish, all you need to do is put some bait on a hook and place a bobber some distance from the hook. Whatever this distance is will be how deep the bait sits in the water so you can adjust depending on where you are casting. Once you have casted your line out with a bobber, you leave it there and all you have to do is watch the bobber to see if it goes under water. When a fish takes the bait it will try to swim and as a result will pull the bobber under. This makes it an easy way to catch fish while allowing the fisherman to relax.

Casting and Reeling

Casting and reeling is a great way to fish with almost any form of lure. The idea is to just cast your lure out a ways and then reel it back in and repeat. It is very simple but yet very effective because once you have learned to aim your casts you can place your lure in places that it would otherwise be hard to reach. My favorite way to fish is casting and reeling while slowly driving down the shoreline. This is my favorite because it works well and it keeps you busy because you are always doing something.

Ice Fishing

Ice fishing is a little bit more tricky than regular fishing because your range is very limitted. It is not easy to just move around if you are not catching anything because in order to move, you have to move your whole ice house, all your gear, and then drill new holes once you arrive at the new location. A common ice fishing tactic is to use what is called a "tip-up". A tip-up is a device that holds your fishing line and connects to a flag. This way you can sit in the ice house and play cards or games and not have to pay too much attention to the hole. When a fish takes the bait it will pull the flag down, signalling that it is time for you to pull your line up. Another more active way to ice fish is to use an ice fishing pole, which is just like a regular fishing pole only much shorter. When you fish with an ice fishing pole you can also jig your lure to help attract the fish.