How to fish Fishing really is not as simple as it may seem, however just about every child has been fishing once in their childhood. There are many different kinds of fish just as there are many different kinds of techniques. You can use artificial bait, as well as live bait, aswell as many different everyday household items. But before you can pick any of that you need to pick a location, location and weather is the key! When it comes to being successful at fishing, location is everything. You can not catch what is not there. Typically, Fish and other critters like structures, dips and dives in the creek, river, or ocean floors. Depth of the area is not always that important. But tide usually is. When fishing a river, bay or ocean you have to pay attention to the tide. High tide is usually best as the water is deeper, which allows fish access to areas where they can only feed periodically. Bridges are great spots; they offer cover and protection to the fish. And if the bridge has lights they can act as a bonus since most fish are attracted to the lights. But then you need to figure out which fish is in season. When fishing a bay, ocean or river the time of year and the temperature play a big role in whether you will have a successful day on the water. A lot of fish are only around for certain months. Some migrate north, while others migrate south, and then some will go out into the deeper water. Although water temperature in my book is more important than air temperature is, at least when it comes to salt water fishing(ocean or bay). It is what determines if fish will hang around or migrate. A change in water temperature can cause fish to swim off in a hurry. Most fish go south in the winter and come back north in spring or summer months to lay eggs. But select fish will stay around our area all year. When the fish start migrating is when the big fish are caught. But no matter how great the location is if you don’t have the right bait then your location will not help at all, we will talk about that next. To choose the proper bait you must identify what species you’re aiming for. You must take into effect if you are fishing saltwater like an ocean or bay, or freshwater like the local creek or lake. Then you can choose to use a lure, also known as artificial bait, or use real bait, dead or alive. Both can offer a rewarding trip. Lures are more for the seasoned fisherman as they take more time and technique to master. Where as bait falls more into the “right place, right time” category. Worms are the preferred bait for most freshwater bait fisherman. But corn, hotdogs, chicken and other household items do find their way onto a hook. Common bait for saltwater anglers is mullet and bunker. But eels, squid and clams do get used regularly. Fishing with bait takes a lot of patience as you spend most of your time waiting and staring at a rod tip, that is when you are not replacing your bait. While when using artificial bait you are constantly casting and retrieving your lure, trying different jerks and motions. Lots of time is spent mastering either of these methods. There are different baits that perform better at night, just as there baits that work better during the day. Colors of lures take a big part in their effectiveness. But this is all trial and error. What works for me, may not work for you. Or what works for you may not work for me, and so on and so forth. Technique is a tricky subject. Whether you fish salt water or freshwater, bait or lures, you have a technique. It could be good and it could be bad. Some people like to fish straight out while others like to cast upstream or cast downstream. Some fish directly on a structure, while others just cast and hope for fish to come by and bite. Most lures like a slow retrieval. But like people, not all fish are the same, different fish like different things. So whether you are fishing from a fishing pier or a boat, an ocean’s surf or a river’s bank, you can not catch anything by sitting here and reading this paper, so get out and FISH!