Fishing Tips For Crappie, Catfish, Bass, Walleye, And Saltwater Fishermen
If you like catching crappie, catfish, bass, walleye, or any saltwater species, you're in the right place. I spend my days finding, contacting, and hiring fishing experts of all shapes 'n' sizes to send along their best fishing tips and tricks.
Many of these are posted to OldSchoolFishingSecrets.com for all to enjoy... free. You're also invited to sign up for one of our Friday Fishin' Newsletter Publications.
These online newsletters focus on a specific species of fish, and the best practices for catching them.
To dig into the fishing tips, just click any link on the left, or any of the links below to begin...
Click here for Crappie Fishing
Click here for Catfish Fishing
Click here for Walleye Fishing
Click here for Saltwater Fishing
How To Trigger Instant Crappie
Bites
With 4 Jig Styles
So, minnows are the best all-around crappie bait, year round. But there are situations where jigs will perform better, and give you a serious advantage.
Here are the 4 styles of crappie jigs that work best:
1. Jigs with feathers or bucktail attached.
2. Jigs with plastic bodies attached to the hook.
3. Jigs that are placed inside plastic bodies.
4. Horse-Head jigs w/ spinners.
So, in that first category, is the simple Marabou jig. One of the most effective, long-lived jigs ever made for crappie.
Read more about crappie fishing jigs here.
How To Catch Flathead Catfish With
Old School "Stealth Rigs"
First off, for catching flathead catfish I recommend a 7' medium/heavy action rod (minimum)... and a bait-casting reel (I like Penn's and Ambassadeur's).
Use 4/0 hooks... nothing smaller. I know this might sound like the gear is a little much for freshwater fishing, but flathead cats have huge mouths, and your baits should be large too.
Test out any or all of the following baits: live sunfish (only if legal in your area), big shad, goldfish, and 7" shiners.
I recommend using stainless steel hooks, exclusively... anything weaker will easily be "straightned out" by a decent sized flathead.
Use 1/8 oz. split-shots or bigger because you'll be fishing on the bottom in heavy cover. If they're big you can simply pull them off without losing the fish or the rig.
Read more about catching flathead catfish here.
"Wacky" Bass Fishing Tips That
Trigger Strikes Like Crazy
Before I get to these "unique" (to say the least) bass fishing tips, some quick notes about the most commonly caught bass species. Keep these notes in mind as you absorb the tips...
Largemouth bass use smell and vibration to locate prey, though are mainly sight feeders. They are ambush hunters, and like to hide and "pounce" on their prey, swallowing them whole. They prefer slow-moving waters with lots of cover. They can be caught year-round.
Smallmouth bass typically like the same conditions as a trout does. Moderately flowing water, that is clear...and slightly warmer... around 70-70 degrees. They are "ambush" predators like the largemouth. The same baits work for smallmouth as for largemouth, except the sizes should be smaller.
Read more about our bass fishing tips here.
4 "Quick Hit" Tips For Catching Saltwater Stripers
Want a good "fish fight"? Catch a big striper. That's the one thing you can count on when you hook one using the tips below.
These guys can be caught any time of the day, but they are active night feeders...and if you're serious about catching them, that's when you'll fish. At night.
If you do fish for them during the day, they have extremely good eyesight, and if the water visibility is good, you'll need to make sure to use invisible fishing line...and to make sure your hook is hidden.
Stripers are a migratory fish that travel in schools. So, if you catch one, there are more to be had...all of which will be "about" the same size as your first.
Also, bait coloring does not matter as much as it does with other fish.
Read more about our striped bass fishing tips here.
Trolling For Walleye: 5 Critical Keys
Trolling is a key technique for finding the fish. In fact, I always recommend that people start off trolling, especially in spots they are unfamiliar with.
Here are some tips for getting the most success on each trolling run:
1. Use Rod Holders - spend a little extra on these because they are so critical. I recommend rod holders that are permanently attached to a boat...no the cheap "velcro" style holders. Make sure are setup in a pattern that prevents tangling ofo your lines - as you will be trolling multiple lines from multiple rods obviously.
I recommend 2 rod holders at the front of the boat just behind the prow where the boat width is thickest on most models. Then at least 2 more on the rear section on either side of the motor.
Read more about how to troll for walleyes here.
