Guidelines in Buying Koi Fish

If you are thinking of purchasing Koi fish, there are several guidelines that you must first consider before buying. It is important that you must first be acquainted with what there is to know regarding Koi fish. It is also important that you must not hastily buy the first Koi fish that you like, because you might be disappointed buying them. Remember, Koi fish are ornamental pet fish that is usually enjoyed for a long time (for those who do not know, Koi fish can live as long as six decades or sixty years and can also grow as long as three feet).Koi fish is a Japanese-bred fish that is related to the carp family and is primarily designed as an ornament. Koi fish are major attractions to homeowners and pet lovers because of the immense beauty and coloring.

Guidelines in Buying Koi fish

Nowadays, there are many people that are captivated by the dazzling and magnificent beauty of Koi fish. Most of them are enticed to collect numerous and sometimes expensive Koi fish. The most dazzling and magnificent Koi fish can cost as much as half a million dollars. Koi fish can be purchased on your local pet shop or through a public or private source, or through amateur or expert Koi fish breeders or collectors. A pond set up for a collection of Koi fish cannot be completed at once with just a wink of an eye. Accumulating and gathering Koi fishes for breeding usually takes time. Accumulating sufficient amount of Koi fish collections is surely an investment that accounts to sufficient money, heartache, and time devotions.

Things that you must expect when buying Koi fish

Most people have lots of expectations when buying Koi fish. Mostly these expectations are the main reason why they want to buy these beautiful ornamental pet fishes. For the most part, it is important that you will be the one to choose your own personal taste when it comes to the type or variety of the Koi fish that you want to obtain. If you are planning to purchase Koi fish, it is important that you first consider several factors such as the variety of the Koi fish, quality, the price range and where you will be buying the Koi fish. Most of all always make sure that your budget for the Koi fish is sufficient enough. Bear in mind that it is essential that you must have sufficient or adequate funds to sustain the maintenance of the Koi fish (such as foods, maintenance and in some cases, medications).

Keep in mind that having Koi fish is not as easy as other types of pets. These dazzling ornamental pet fish require extra effort in keeping them (such as garden pond or aquarium maintenance, foods, electricity for the filter, etc.). They typically need added attention especially during spring season. That is when the water temperature of the garden pond or aquarium becomes erratic, of which can cause consequences.

http://www.about-koi-fish.com/buying-guides/

About The Author

Sherlock Four is a writer and author of http://www.about-koi-fish.com

Sucker Fishing - Learn the facts that can help you catch the trophies

The sucker fish family of the Cypriniformes order, also known as Catostomidae, is a family of freshwater fish with 80 species, native to North America, eastern Siberia and east central China, particularly in rivers but also in any other freshwater environment. Catostomidae is abundant in northern Minnesota, where they are harvested and smoked.

Suckers feed on insects, dwelling organisms such as worms and crustaceans and worms, as well as small fish for the larger suckers. All species are characterized by their mouth, located on the underside of the head, having thick, fleshy lips that give them their name because it enables the fish to attach to rocks in the quicker flowing waters.

Sucker species include the Genus Carpiodes, with the River carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), Quillback (Carpiodes cyprinus), Carpiodes dialuzona, and Highfin carpsucker (Carpiodes velifer). The Genus Catostomus include Utah sucker (Catostomus Ardens), Yaqui sucker (Catostomus bernardini), Cahita sucker (Catostomus cahita), Sacramento sucker (Catostomus occidentalis), Mountain sucker (Catostomus platyrhynchus), and Rio Grande sucker (Catostomus plebeius) among others.

Suckers of the Genus Chasmistes species include Shortnose sucker (Chasmistes brevirostris) and June sucker (Chasmistes liorus). Genus Cycleptus with Blue sucker (Cycleptus elongatus) as the most representative, Genus Deltistes with the Creek chubsucker (Erimyzon oblongus) and the Lake hubsucker (Erimyzon sucetta).

There are many other species such as the Genus Hypentelium, Genus Ictiobus, Genus Minytrema, Genus Moxostoma, Genus Myxocyprinus, Chinese sucker, Genus Thoburnia, and Genus Xyrauchen. All of them less than 2 feet (60 cm) in length, with the largest species reaching nearly 40 inches (1 m) in size.

Sucker is not fished for recreationally in North America and not highly prized for their flesh; however, there are some of them appreciated by fisherman and anglers, including the Quillback, Highfin Carpsucker, Lake Chubsucker, Sharpfin Chubsucker, Spotted Sucker, River Redhorse, Blacktail Redhorse, and Grayfin Redhorse.

Quillbacks live in large streams and creeks if permanent pools are present, although in Florida they are restricted to the larger rivers avoiding entering into the smaller tributary streams. Quillbacks can be caught at the Escambia, Choctawhatchee and Apalachicola rivers with no danger of population decline.

Carpsuckers are basically commercial fish in some areas of the central United States, because they are good to eat, although basically bony. Small species are important food items for game fishes. Large variety of suckers can be found in north Minnesota, North Carolina, Ohio, and Wisconsin, northward from Louisiana to the Texas-Oklahoma border and particularly along the Gulf Coast, from Louisiana eastward to the Choctawhatchee River of Florida.

There is a website that has great information on most species of freshwater fish. It has details that pertain to each species of fish such as habitat, spawning, eating habits, the best lures and baits and more, the website is called: Fishing Stringer, and can be found at this url:

http://www.fishingstringer.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

About The Author

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

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Trout Fishing Guide

trout you are after and their feeding habits to better understand and plan your approach.

There are three very popular types of trout:

• Speckled trout (brook trout)
• Rainbow trout
• Brown trout

The species and type will depend on where you are fishing at and what part of the world you are in.

Brook trout (speckled trout) thrive in smaller streams of good water quality, in pools of water more shallow than where you typically find other types of trout. They are smaller in size than other trouts but can be very aggressive.

Rainbow trout are typically native to the west coast of USA but due to stocking, they are found in many other areas as well. They occupy large water of streams and rivers and have different habitats than the other two types. They are famous for their "tail-walking" which is similar to water acrobats and is quite exciting for many fishermen to watch.

The Brown trout is larger in size compared to the Brook trout and the Rainbow trout. It is found in abundance in many areas of Europe and USA. This type of trout are usually more difficult to catch as they are wary of fishing lures and bait and not aggressive as the brook trout. More patience are required when fishing for brown trout. They are usually found in deeper pools of water and most often feed early in the morning or late in the afternoon.

Before you set off for your trout fishing trip, do you homework. Find out as much about the area/ streams/rivers that you will be fishing on. Are there many fishermen fishing there too? What's the temperature and climate? Is the area a public or government owned that has regulations? Go on the internet and join a forum so you can ask around people who have fished there before.

The more you know about the area and the fish that you plan to catch, they more successful you will be in your trout fishing attempts.

To learn more about fishing, tips and news, please visit http://fishing-funsite.com

About The Author

Soh Suad Hun is the webmaster of http://fishing-funsite.com

Bulrush Bass Fishing

The bulrush (bullrush, reeds) is often confused with cattails. Bulrush tends to grow in slightly deeper waters and have more of a circular cross section as compared to the semicircular section of the cattail.

Depending on the time of year and bass feeding habits, bulrush often dominate in fish catches over cattails. I believe it's primarily due to the depth of the water (it grows in deeper water). The larger bass tend to migrate to the first structure they come to when actively feeding, and the bulrush is often closer to these deeper water migration routes.

My personal favorite technique for fishing bulrush is to pitch a Texas rigged worm. I tend to use a harder, straight tailed worm over a ribbon tailed one. The reason is that the ribbon tail will often wrap around the bulrush stem thereby wasting time and aggravating the fisherman as well as spooking fish. My favorite worm for pitching is the Zoom trickworm in the Junebug (purple/green flack) pattern. The weight I use with the Texas rig varies with water depth and wind. The shallower the water, the lighter I go. A lighter weight gives the worm a more natural fall and can get more strikes, however if too light, the worm may catch on the bulrush stems and not finish it's way to the bottom. The windier the day is, the heavier I go. This gives me better control during the pitch as well as better feel for what's biting on the other end of my line. Too light of a weight on a windy day will throw off your pitches and often get your wrapped around a bulrush stem.

The only time I resort to heavy weights is when I'm flipping matted cover in the bulrush. I'll use 1/2 - 1 oz weights in this type of situation. If matted cover exists in bulrush, you've got to get your flippin stick out and flip the mats. If you don't you will lose out on many opportunities to catch above average bass. In working the bulrush patches/lines start back from the bulrush approx. 10-15 feet and pitch. Pitch forward of the boat if possible and restrict any side pitches or back of the boat pitches. The reason for this is that the bass are often spooked by the boat passage, and by pitching sideways or towards the rear of the boat you are often pitching to spooked fish or fish that have moved due to being spooked.

Always be a line watcher, whether pitching, casting or flippin a soft plastic. Any twitch of the line or sideways motion of the line often indicates a strike, so reel down and set the hook even if you don't feel the typical thump!

When pitching, work both deep into the bulrush patch and to the outside edge of the bulrush. Try to make contact with the stems whenever possible, but don't neglect the open pockets and also work right in the middle of those pockets.

If you follow these tips, I'm sure you will be doing more catching with less fishing!

About The Author

Paul Bruessow

20 years as a avid bass fisherman in Florida fishing local and club tournaments. Websites: http://www.floridabassfishing.us and http://www.floridabasslakes.com

Betta Fish Is The Perfect Pet Fish

I still remember the first time I saw two beautiful looking fish in a friend's house. One fish was blue and the other was red, and they were swimming majestically in their fishbowls. That was my first encounter with a fish species known as Betta fish or Betta Splendens or Siamese Fighting Fish (three names that refer to one fish).

Up until today, I'm still keeping a few of them in my house, and they make perfect pet fish for my family. Every member of my family loves them.

Why do I like most about Betta fish, you may ask. Definitely, I have many different reasons, but here are three of them.

1. Betta fish are beautiful pet.

It's a tropical fish that comes with different colors such as red, blue and yellow. Some Betta fish have more than one color on their bodies. Believe it or not! I can spend hours looking at how Betta fish move in their bowls but even if you don't know a thing about Betta fish, you will be mesmerized by their colors alone.

2. Betta fish are easy to care.

Betta fish are hardy type of fish and they can live in a small container. A small fishbowl is enough to house one Betta fish, but be aware that two male Betta fish shouldn't be placed in one container. Or else, these two Betta fish might fight until death (that's why they are also called Siamese fighting fish).

3. Betta fish are responsive.

If you have a Betta fish in a small fishbowl and you move closer to the fish, you'll see that your fish will turn its head to look at you. That's what makes me fall in love with Betta fish. They are responsive to your presence and aware that you are there, unlike many other pet fish.

So, you can now consider if you want to adopt Betta fish as your family pet or for your kids. They are lovable creatures and you will know it immediately one you have a Betta in your house.

About The Author

Rosalinda Zamora is a betta fish lover. To get FREE info about caring for betta fish, go to http://www.BettaFishSecret.com and she'll surprise you with more awesome articles from betta fish experts.

Perch Fishing - Learn the facts that can help you catch the trophies

The yellow perch is a fish that is prevalent in quite a few different areas. Some areas that have yellow perch in the lakes and rivers are Canada, the Great Lakes region and even through Pennsylvania all the way to South Carolina.

These sought after fish are also seen in other states such as Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Indiana and Utah. It is important to learn about the habitat and habits of the yellow perch in order to know the best ways to catch these types of fish.

The yellow perch is found in the states listed above in the many lakes and rivers which permeate those regions. These fish tend to eat during daylight hours and maintain an active lifestyle, so to speak. The yellow perch are most still when it is nighttime, which makes it easy for daytime fishermen to catch this type of species. The yellow perch is part of the Percidae fish family and is related to the walleye and the sauger.

As for the spawning habits of the yellow perch, these fish tend to do so at nighttime in 50-degree water temperature. They produce quite a bit of eggs and are said to spawn anywhere from 4,000 to 40,000 eggs. The spawning period of the yellow perch occurs in the springtime.

As for unusual characteristics, the yellow perch has a unique defense mechanism to protect against predators. When the yellow perch is threatened, it will raise its spiny fins to inflict injury on the predator and protect itself. The sharp fins usually do the trick with regard to warding off enemies.

For those who like to fish for yellow perch, there are a few tips which may help in yielding the best catch. First and foremost, since yellow perch are most active during the daytime, it is wise for fishermen to fish during daylight hours to increase the odds of catching one. Another tip relates to the bait and lures to use for catching yellow perch. Since yellow perch are caught quite easily due to their fondness for a wide array of items, one can use almost any type of bait or artificial lure to reel in the yellow perch.

The yellow perch makes a wonderful catch for fishermen of all skill levels. If one is looking to fish during daylight hours and lives in one of the many areas above, the chances of catching a yellow perch are more than likely.

There is a website that has great information on most species of freshwater fish. It has details that pertain to each species of fish such as habitat, spawning, eating habits, the best lures and baits and more, the website is called: Fishing Stringer, and can be found at this url:

http://www.fishingstringer.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

About The Author

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

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Trout Fishing - Learn the facts that can help you catch the trophies

There are many different types of fish which individuals fish for exclusively these days. One variety of fish which is highly sought after by fishermen everywhere is the trout. There are many different subspecies of trout which come in a variety of colors, lengths and weights. This freshwater fish is touted as one of the favorites among game fish found in lakes, rivers and streams.

Most of the different subspecies of trout are found in cold water lakes, streams and rivers. They tend to migrate from place to place and swim in the various areas of the water. They are found throughout the United States as well as parts of Asia and Europe. As for the menu items which trout desire, they mainly feed on aquatic flies such as mayflies and dragonflies. Zooplankton and small fish are also a delicacy for certain types of trout, depending on where they are located.

One of the interesting characteristics about the trout is that they have fins which are lacking in spines. This tends to separate them from some of their other fish counterparts. As for their average age and size, this tends to vary greatly among the various subspecies of trout. In general, trout tend to live many years and can get to great sizes, some even topping over 50 lbs. or more.

There are a few things which trout fishermen can do in order to yield the best catch. First and foremost, those who fish for trout may find that they will catch the most trout by using a particular fishing method. Those who use fly fishing techniques will be most likely to catch the most trout in the fastest time possible. It is important to point out however that rod fishing is also an option.

Trout are attracted to certain types of bait and lures. Some which yield the most interest from trout include spoons, jigs, flies, salmon eggs and worms. Once the trout bites, it is important to set the hook as quickly as possible. In order to catch as many trout as possible, it is important that one engages in their fishing as quietly as they can. As trout are easily scared off, it is important to move slowly and use a natural looking bait or lure so as to be effective in catching this popular fish.

There is a website that has great information on most species of freshwater fish. It has details that pertain to each species of fish such as habitat, spawning, eating habits, the best lures and baits and more, the website is called: Fishing Stringer, and can be found at this url:

http://www.fishingstringer.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

About The Author

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 5 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970's-80's.

Get a Credit Card or Fast Cash Loan!

http://www.rb59.com

Tournament Bass Fishing, Is it for You?

I remember my dad taking me and my brothers fishing in Michigan many years ago. We would often go to a local river, lake or cut to fish for perch, bluegills or anything else that would hit. Often, the fish weren't biting and my dad and brothers would want to pack up and go home. I would almost always ask to stay a little bit longer but usually the answer was a vote, and I normally lost.

I distinctly remember a trip to a Michigan cut, off of Lake Huron, when supposedly the perch were running. After a couple of hours soaking minnows, we had not caught a thing. My dad had a friend who lived within a mile of the cut and told us to pack it up and we'll all get warmer at his buddies house. I complained as usual and asked him if I could stay because I thought the fish would start biting when the water started warming up later in the day. He took a while to answer and replied "Paul, aren't you cold? Let's warm up at my buddy's place. Besides, the fish aren't biting." Of course my answer was, "Dad, please can I stay longer? I know they'll start biting." Dad said, " You know Paul, you must love fishing. I'll tell you what, you can fish for a couple of hours and I'll take Mark and Matt with me unless they want to stay." Was I ever happy and of course my brothers didn't want to stay, so they took off with dad.

It was cold, about 40 degrees and I checked/changed my minnow every 5 minutes or so. I'd cast up the cut, down the cut, changed my spot but nothing seemed to want my bait. I was watching my line (no bobber) when finally I got a bite. Jerked on the pole and reeled in a 10" perch. Within about 10 minutes I caught about 5 perch, stringered them all up and time expired as my dad and brothers came to pick me up. Darn, I wish they had stayed at my dad's buddies house a little longer.

Well guess what, they were so surprised that I caught some fish, we got to stay a couple more hours and we came home with a nice bucket of yellow bellied perch (Mmmm, these were delicious).

Prerequisites for a Tournament Bass Fisherman:

So what's my point? The point is that you either love to fish, even if they aren't biting or you like to do it once in awhile. If you love fishing as I do, you can be very competitive in bass tournaments, while if you only want to fish once in awhile, you won't be too successful. If you are the latter, just fish for fun and save your tournament entry money.

Another prerequisite for a good bass tournament fisherman is the will to compete. If you are laid back, just like to cast your line out and wait for the fish to hit, then tournament fishing isn't for you. I grew up playing baseball, running some track and enjoyed these sports. I also had a bunch of brothers, so competition has been instilled in my personality. In fact, whenever I get together with my best bass fishing buddy (met him in Gainesville, Florida while going to UF for my degree) either fishing for fun or prefishing for a tournament, we are always raz each other. If he has more fish, he'll yell something my way saying something like "So, when you going to learn how to fish" or " That's a sissy bait your throwing, no wonder you can't catch any fish!" Big fish also has the braggin rights and usually we tease each other with sayings like this, "How many more dinks ya gonna catch?" or "My one fish outweighs all 3 of yours", etc. It's always competitive, so if you have this spirit in your blood, then you can be a good tournament fisherman.

How to Start Bass Fishing in Tournaments:

OK- So you think you have met the prereqs and want to tournament fish. Here's my first suggestion, join a local bass club. There are many published bass club lists on the internet, so just Google with "Bass clubs your state" for a list to start with. You could also inquire at a local lake and talk to some fishermen there.

There are two types of bass clubs: 1- Draw tournament and 2- Team tournaments. The draw clubs have boaters and non-boaters prior to the tournament launch, the boaters are paired with non boaters through a random draw out of a hat. If possible, try this club style 1st and fish a few tournaments as a non-boater. You will be surprised how much you didn't know about bass fishing when you see how your boater partner fishes. It's great to learn from more experienced anglers!

The team type clubs have the same non boater and boater teamed up all year long. If you have a good fishing buddy that you want to fish with, go ahead and join this type. The main disadvantage of this style of tournament fishing is that your learning curve for competitive fishing is much longer because you don't have any experienced tournament fishermen to learn from. You'll miss out on some special tips on how to flip, pitch, sidearm cast, prevent splashes during pitching, Texas rig correctly, etc. If you do this style, read a lot of online information and perhaps subscribe to Bassin' or Bassmaster magazine (I think FLW also has one).

So, you followed my recommendation and want to join a draw style club tournament so what's next. You will usually need to attend their club meetings. In the south, there's usually one club meeting a month while in the north it maybe as often as twice a month because of their limited fishing season. At the club meeting they usually discuss new members, tournament results, payouts, the next tournaments location and a sundry of items. In that meeting, you usually decide to go boater or non boater. After this, the boater is paired with the non boater and you'll find out who your partner will be. If there are more boaters than non boaters, it's usually worked out who will be the boater through a rule or through negotiation between the paired boaters. During the meeting, get your partners phone number so you can call him. During this meeting, the boat launch position is usually announced as well.

Prior to the actual tournament call your partner. When you get a hold of him ask him the following questions:

1- Do you want me to come to your house and we can go together or do you want to just meet at the ramp? Tell him you will share all gas expenses with him which is the norm for draw tournaments or team tournaments for that matter. Of course you don't have to pay for his truck gas if he says just meet him at the ramp. You will always need to split the cost of the boat gas!

2- How many rods can I bring and how much tackle ? Can I bring my cooler or do you have one for my drinks? If the boater has a small boat, he may ask you to downsize the amount of equipment to bring. This is a common courtesy, besides you are using his boat aren't you?

3- Do I need to bring my lifejacket? Lifejackets are a mandatory item for bass tournaments, however your boating partner may already have 2 and your extra one may only crowd the boat. Ask him just in case he doesn't have an extra, or he doesn't like strangers using them out of courtesy.

4- What time do you want me at your house or ramp? There's nothing more aggravating to a boater than a late non boater. Usually the boater will "pad" the travel time with an hour or so to allow for gas stops, snack stops and possible flat tires. So if your are not spending the night before at a local hotel near the lake, be ready to get up very early to make the trip to the boaters house or be ready for an early pickup by the boater. Just be ready when the boater asks you to be.

5- Would you like me to make some sandwiches for you? Although not a mandatory question, it is a nice offer and the boater will be more willing to help you during the tournament.

I probably forgot some questions, but please ask the ones I listed. Things will go a lot more smooth if you do.

Pre Tournament Preparation

Prefishing: The most neglected part of pre-tournament preparation is the lack of pre-fishing. If you are a boater or non-boater, just like a class in high school or college, if you don't do your homework you will not do well on your test. Just think of the tournament as a test and pre-fishing as homework.

Pre-fishing involves checking out the lake where the tournament is to take place prior to the actual tournament. No matter how many times you have been successful on this lake in the past, you should pre-fish to find the dominant pattern for the current weather conditions, water levels, cover and time of the year. Try to pre-fish as close to possible to the tournament date. During prefishing, never stick more than 2 fish in one spot, and if the fish are not very active such as in cold fronts, you may want to limits it to 1 fish. After that, use hooks with the barbs removed if you want further verification that the bass concentration is good and don't set the hook on any more hits in that area. If you are sight fishing, just use your GPS to mark the spots and maybe toss a hook less bait to verify that the fish would be willing to hit the bait.

Try a variety of baits and locations during prefishing. GPS all of the spots that produced fish and note the cover/depth and weather conditions when/where you caught fish. If you are the non-boater, it is still your obligation to pre-fish if you have a boat. You need to help your partner as much as possible, and you never know as you may have better spots than your boating partner. Try prefishing with a partner. The partner does not have to be your boater/non boater, but the more lines in the water with various baits, the more likely you will find the successful pattern.

Fishing Tackle: Make sure your reels have good line on them i.e. the line is not old or has not taken too much set resulting in tight curly loops. Replace the line if necessary. Lube up your reels if time permits.

Retie all lures with fresh knots while removing the 1st couple of feet of line. You never know if you have nicks or knot abrasion from your last fishing trip. If you still have plastics on your hook, throw them away, leave the hook barren until the day of the tournament, then put on your soft plastic. This retains the smell/scent of the bait.

Be sure you have adequate fish scent for your soft plastics as well as enough toothpicks for Texas rigged baits. Make sure you pack your pliers and clippers.

Sharpen all of your hooks. If possible replace your worm hooks with new ones. Crankbaits such as Rattletraps often have dull hooks. Replace them with sharper ones like Gamagatzu's.

While pre-fishing, tune your lipped crankbaits by bending the eye so they run straight.

Finally, use a rod cover if possible prior to storing the rods in your rod locker (it's also good for the non boater). This will not only protect the rods, but will prevent the rods from tangling inside your box.

Boat Gear and Tow Vehicle: As a boater you need to check the following:

1- 2 cycle oil reservoir is filled and take an extra gallon if possible.

2- Fill up the gas tank or at least put in enough to last the whole tournament.

3- Charge up your trolling motor batteries and big motor battery.

4- Check your trailer tires/tow vehicle tires for air pressure and lube the trailer wheel bearings via the zerk fitting.

5- Fill up your tow vehicle and check the oil and antifreeze.

6- Bring an inexpensive 12V air inflator and tire plug kit. These work great in case you get a screw/nail in either your tow vehicle or trailer tire.

7- Make sure your vehicle jack will work on your trailer, if not you may need to buy a bottle jack for your trailer in case it gets a flat.

8- Make sure your spare tires have air in them.

9- Always hook up your safety chains when towing and check your winch strap/cable for any signs of wear.

10- Be sure to plug in your trailer lights

11- Put in your boat plug just to be on the safe side. If it is raining you can always bilge or pull out your plug at the ramp. It's better than trying to get the boat back on the trailer when it's sinking because you forgot to put the plug in!

12- Check your boat lights out to make sure they work.

13- Make sure you bring your raingear and lifejackets.

14- Make sure you have non expired flares, fire extinguishers and whistle or horn.

15- Check your boat registration/trailer registration. I leave these in a compartment in my boat.

16- Pack your float markers.

17- Bring your fishfinder and GPS.

18- Check all your trailer and tow vehicle lights.

19- Bring your weigh in bags.

There's probably some other things, but this list should always be checked.

Boat Ramp Launch Preparation and Launch: 1st, make sure you leave early enough to get to the boat ramp at least one hour before safelight. Safelight does not equal sunrise! It is usually 30 minute to an hour before sunrise. Bass tournaments start the launch process at safelight.

Bass tournament fishermen are often impatient. That's their competitive nature going to work and rookies at boat ramps are often aggravating to tournament fishing pros. The main reason is the amount of time the rookies take to launch their boat.

When you get to the ramp and you are approaching a line of boats switch to your parking lights only (as long as you can see in front of you). This helps the fishermen who are launching their boats see the ramp and the path their boat is taking while they back up. Bright headlights in their eyes while backing up blinds them!

While in line, both you and your partner need to make launch preparations. here's the list:

1- Keep your parking lights on and exit the vehicle.

2- Remove your boat straps, transom saver and double check that your boat plug is in.

3- If a vehicle ahead of you pulls up, get back in your vehicle and pull up again. This will prevent a line forming that goes out to the main highway.

4- Prime your fuel bulb in your boat.

5- Put in your boat lights.

6- Lower your motor to a lower position, but not to low as to hit the ground while going over bumps/grade.

7- Make sure everything is out of the tow vehicle and in your boat that you are going to take. If there is a boat check in the line, open up your livewells and your compartments so the check can be done quickly.

8- If you are next in line to launch, line up the tow vehicle and boat to the ramp. If the non boater can, have him back in the boat with you in it. Make sure you tell him to close all windows, bring the keys and lock up the vehicle after he parks. Tell him to watch you for hand signals as the backup lights will light you up and that you will be having him stop when the tires first touch water. This is so you can undo the bow strap/cable. Also have him open up the side window so he can here you just in case something happens or he misunderstands your hand signals. Usually a come here motion with your hands means keep backing up while a palm forward (like a policeman stop) means stop. Tell him to take his time. A point to the left or right means that the boat needs to go that way, while a straight back come here means to go straight back.

9- When the tires 1st hit the water (this is approx. and may vary according to what you like), indicate a stop. Go to the front and undo your bow strap. Get back in the boat driver seat, and have the non boater come back until the boat is floating, then give him the stop signal. Give him the go forward signal (motion forward) so he can park.

10- Lower your motor the rest of the way for carbureted motors (not necessary for EFI systems) and put your idle bar in the best position to start . Prime the motor by holding the key in (most motors) and start the motors. Get out of the way of the ramp as soon as you can and find a spot to beach or dock.

11- Turn on your boat lights.

12- Warm your engine until it's warm enough that it will be easy to start at launch time. Then turn it off.

13- Plug your livewells.

14- While your partner makes his way back to your boat, get the rods out you are going to use and strap them in with your Rod Savers or bungies on your front deck.

15- Use your flashlight and get your soft plastics on.

16- Now your ready for the pre-tournament meeting.

Pre-tournament meeting:

This meeting is usually held when all fishermen have launched their boats. It may start before if there are late arrivers, but those late arrivals will just miss the meeting.

During the meeting, the size limit, the number of fish per fisherman or boat, off limits, weigh in time and other items will be discussed. Make sure you get the weigh in time and the official time. The official time is the one announced that corresponds to the tournament directors time. Therefore offset your watch to match the tournaments official time.

Once the meeting is over, go to your boat, dawn your lifejackets and attach your kill switch. Don't start your motor until it gets closer to your launch number. This just makes it easier to hear the tournament director.

If the boat check is on the water, idle slowly by the check point with livewells running. They will signal you to go if they see you are clear.

When your boat number is called idle beyond all other boats, once you have cleared them, get on plane quickly so you don't hold up the line. Never start to plane if there are alot of boats idling in your planing path. Just use common sense here as no one likes to have a wave come over the sides of their boat when another boat planes right next to them!

Tournament Time

If you and your partner did your "homework", you won't be doing a lot of lure changing, tying lures or running around the lake trying to find biting bass. If there was a major cold front or other major change like water level drop, you may have to adjust. Still rely on the spots you caught fish in pre-fishing but you may have to flip or go to the next closest dropoff to find the fish you located during practice.

The non boater must respect the boaters preferences, however if you developed a good rapport prior to the tournament, things will go much smoother. The non boater usually has rights to 50% of the front of the boat during a club tournament. In some big tournaments this is not the case. If you want the front, just be courteous and ask. If the boater says no, don't bring it up any further and do the best you can from the back. A boater that always says no to a non boaters request will often be found out at a later time and will no longer be welcome in that club.

If you are a non boater and fishing from the back of the boat always cast towards the front or side of the boat, never behind when working a weed/timber line. Just respect the boaters line and never cast over his line or into the path of the trolling motor.

If you are the boater, just remember when you 1st started and how unfair it was when that boater never let you up front. Don't you remember the club murmurs of a certain individual that constantly backboated his partner, elbows out like a chicken so there was no way a non boater could effectively cast. I guess this is the biggest downside of a draw tournament!

When you catch your 1st fish, quickly measure it, closed mouth on a metal ruler like the "Golden Rule". Make sure it measures as not only can you be penalized at weigh in but you could get a ticket from the wildlife officer. Close the drain plugs for your livewells if you haven't already and turn on the aerators. Put the fish in the livewell as soon as possible. When the livewells are full, I like to switch over to recirculate and put my timer on.

If you gut hook a fish, I normally leave the hook in it's stomach and cut of the line. This will do a lot less damage than ripping out the hook.

If you get a limit, I cull by weighing all my fish and using a numbered float system. For example, #1 float = 2.8 pounds, #2= 1.5 pounds, etc.. I record this on a piece of paper. When I get my next fish over the limit, I release the lightest one and place the new weight on the paper for that float number. Hopefully you'll be doing this all day long, but remember never to have more fish in your livewell than the limit.

Netting fish properly is also very important. The last thing you want to do is to wack the fish in the side or the head and knock off the fish. When your partner has a fish on, quickly reel in your line and get the net. Try to get the net near the water, when the fish approaches, try to net it by submerging the net before the fish and getting it head first. That way the fish is swimming into the net rather than away from it. Never hit your partners line or the side of the fish with the net. Usually your partner will let you know when to net, but you must be ready!

If it is hot, be sure to add ice to your livewells on occasion. Also make sure you use sunscreen.

When it gets close to tournament weigh in time, remind each other of what time it is and how long it's going to take. Make time adjustments according to weather conditions. A thunderstorm or high winds in the afternoon will likely double or triple the time it took you to get to your spot. Just make sure you adjust for this.

It's time to go, so put on your lifejackets, attach the kill switch and go!

Weigh In

If there is a big line, keep your fish in the livewell so they don't have to be in un-oxygenated weigh in bag. When the time is close, quickly move your fish into the weigh bags being careful that the fish don't jump out of your livewells (Hmmm, has this ever happened to me) and into the lake. For the too close for comfort fish, re-measure and if not sure ask the tournament director for a courtesy measure. This will prevent measurement of short fish and a hefty penalty.

Watch the scales while your fish are being weighed. If the scale doesn't closely match your culling weigh paper, ask for a retare of the scale if possible. Sometimes the scales mess up do to low battery or wind conditions.

If your in the money, congrats! Shake the tournament directors hand with a big smile on your face.

If you got the prereqs, you've got to try tournament bass fishing! So pre-fish and Do ore Catching with Less Fishing.

Sincerely,

The Largemouth Herald

About The Author

Paul Bruessow

20 years as a avid bass fisherman in Florida fishing local and club tournaments. Websites: http://www.floridabassfishing.us and http://www.floridabasslakes.com

Does Your Fishing Net Have Holes In It?

Finding borrowers is a lot like fishing. You throw out your offer and see who bites.

There is a lot of debate at the moment as to which bait is best. A-paper borrowers and sub-prime borrowers each have their own advantages and disadvantages. Regardless of the bait you're using, it's all worthless if you can't get them in the boat once you got them to bite. In other words, your fishing net has holes in it.

The most successful companies in the world spend a large part of their revenue building systems to develop and nurture a relationship with their customers. For example, Amazon sends regular emails with coupons and purchase suggestions and American Express uses membership upgrades. Why should a mortgage company (or individual) be any different?

A mortgage office that desires to exist long term should seriously consider implementing systems to develop relationships. Consider the profit margin on each closed loan. Then consider that most Americans refinance once every 3-4 years. Even if you spent $5 a month per person, keeping your relationship with your borrower is infinitely cheaper than finding a new one.

At a bear minimum, a monthly newsletter or postcard will keep your name in front of past customers. There are many excellent companies on the net. I recommend www.hotleadmachine.com because of their low cost and 50 customer minimum requirement. The newsletter comes in full color with your picture or logo included.

More advanced marketers would benefit from a short term system designed to ensure the customer moves forward with their home financing. The costs of finding new qualified borrowers is increasing daily as competition increases. With the availability of trigger leads, the need to keep marketing even after the sale is undeniable.

My Lost Borrower Campaign, which is fast becoming standard operating procedure in many offices, provides a multi-step marketing campaign designed to eliminate borrower fallout. As of this post, there is no other program like it available anywhere.

"Make a sale and you'll make some money. Make a friend and you'll make a fortune." -Jeff Gitomer.

About The Author

Brian Diez

I've been in the financial sevices field for over 7 years and have had some incredible success. I cracked the code and unlocked the secrets of mortgage marketing. Now I'll share them with you.

Read more from Brian Diez at http://MortgageMarketingProgram.blogspot.com

Choosing A Saltwater Fish Tank

What to Look For in a Saltwater Fish Tank

The decision to purchase a saltwater or marine fish tank for your home or office should not be taken lightly. Marine fish will have requirements far greater than freshwater fish. However, once you’ve decided to purchase a saltwater aquarium you’ll be rewarded with a stunning range of tropical and reef fish to choose from.

But first you’ll need to purchase your tank. The selection process can be time consuming and confusing because the range of tanks available is large. The best advice is usually to purchase the largest tank you can afford and that will fit in the available space. There are numerous stories of people starting out their fish tank hobby with a small fish tank only to find in a short space of time that they wish they had purchased a larger tank!

A 30-gallon saltwater aquarium is probably the smallest tank you should consider. A fish tank of this size will provide sufficient surface area to allow adequate exchange of oxygen into the water and to provide a comfortable swimming environment for your fish.

The oxygen supply in the water together with the water temperature will determine the success or otherwise of your fish keeping hobby. Tropical saltwater fish require a water temperature of about 75 degrees F. The warmer water in the saltwater aquarium will tend to deplete the oxygen in the water which means that the surface area becomes important. The addition of aeration equipment is usually desirable to increase the oxygen concentration. Aeration can usually be provided in conjunction with your filtration equipment.

Saltwater fish tanks are available in both acrylic and glass. There are advantages and disadvantages to both. Some of the advantages of glass aquariums are
* Glass fish tanks are usually cheaper than acrylic tanks
* Glass fish tanks are more scratch resistant than acrylic tanks
* Glass fish tanks won't discolor with age
* Glass fish tanks won’t require as much brace support as acrylic tanks although the stand needs to be able to support a great weight

Advantages of acrylic fish tanks
* Acrylic fish tanks are lighter in weight than glass fish tanks
* Acrylic fish tanks can be custom made in a shape to suit your home
* Acrylic fish tanks are less likely to break
* Acrylic fish tanks can be purchased online

Setting Up Your Saltwater Fish Tank

Bringing your new saltwater fish tank home from the store is only the first step. Never be tempted to purchase fish at the same time that you acquire your aquarium. There are many steps to complete prior to introducing fish to their new home.

First, you need to install your tank in its desired location. Avoid locating your saltwater fish tank in any spot that receives sunlight. Sunlight will cause algae to grow in your tank and whilst this will not usually harm the fish it is unsightly and spoils the appearance of your aquarium. Also avoid any locations close to room heaters or where the tank will be exposed to drafts.

Many acrylic fish tanks come with a built-in stand. Glass tanks will require a sturdy stand and should have a layer of polystyrene or rubber placed between the tank and the stand to absorb any unevenness. If the tank is unbalanced it will eventually crack.

Check your new tank for leaks. Fill it with water and let is stand for a day or two. Once you have confirmed that it is water tight you will need to thoroughly clean the tank and all equipment. Rinse thoroughly. Do not skip the cleaning and rinsing step just because you’ve purchased a new tank and it appears sparkling clean. Your fish will die if there are any contaminants left in the tank! Don’t forget to wash the gravel before adding it the tank. Add all your other equipment in accordance with the manufacturer’s directions. Your pet store will have provided advice on how to set up your saltwater fish tank.

After you have added your salt water and confirmed that the salt and chemical levels are correct you’ll need to run all your equipment for at least 72 hours to filter and heat your water and stabilize your tank. Let the aquarium cycle to build up the correct biological levels.

The hardest part of setting up your saltwater fish tank is now complete and now you’ll be able to go and select your colorful fish!

About The Author

Alison Stevens is an online author and maintains the website http://www.goldfishsite.com/blog/ to assist anyone who wants to get started with setting up an aquarium fish tank and gain an understanding of fresh and saltwater fish tank maintenance.

Fish Oil Reduces Symptoms Of Exercise Induced Asthma

Fish oil can reduce the symptoms of exercise induced asthma to below the threshold for diagnosing it and at the same time lower the need for emergency medication according to the results of a trial carried out by Indiana University in Bloomington, USA.

The trial was a randomised double blind cross over study and involved 16 people who had mild to moderate asthma and who normally took medication on a daily basis to control it. During the trial those taking part were given either fish oil or a placebo for a period of three weeks. The dose of fish oil was quite high containing 3.2gr of Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 2gr of Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

Both at the beginning and at the end of the trial, the participants were subjected to lung efficiency tests and had their sputum analysed for pro inflammatory cells and markers. Those who were given fish oil showed improved lung efficiency of about 64% and reduced their need for emergency medication by around 31%. They also had a lower level of pro inflammatory cells and markers in their sputum. These promising results are believed to be due to the anti-inflammatory effect of the Omega 3 fatty acids that are present in fish oil.

What is exercise induced asthma?

After exercise and sometimes even during exercise, the airway passages in people with exercise induced asthma become inflamed and narrower resulting in decreased lung efficiency, often making it necessary to use inhalers. The constriction of the airways causes various symptoms including coughing, tightness across the chest, wheezing and shortness of breath. These symptoms generally start to ease off gradually over a period of half an hour or so following exercise.

No one really knows what causes it but it is thought to be triggered by the drying out and cooling of the airway passages which results in the cells releasing pro inflammatory chemicals which then causes a narrowing of the airways. Consequently, exercising in cool and dry conditions outdoors is more likely to result in an attack of asthma than physical activities such as swimming where the air is moist and warmer.

One major problem with exercise induced asthma is that it can be a barrier to exercise for many people, particularly youngsters who can be put off sport and other physical exercise because of it. It is also on the increase and the reason for this is thought to be linked to an increased consumption of Omega 6 fatty acids in the diet along with a reduction in the amount of Omega 3 fatty acids. Omega 6 is known to be pro-inflammatory whereas Omega 3 has anti-inflammatory properties and it is this difference in ratio that is thought to be responsible for a rise in a number of health problems.

Omega 6 is found in processed foods, vegetable oils, meats and dairy products so there is an abundance of them in our diet. The Omega 3 fatty acids EPA and DHA on the other hand are only found in oily fish or fish oil as plant sources of Omega 3 do not contain EPA and DHA, they are in the form of Alpha linolenic acid or ALA, but the problem with ALA is that our bodies cannot easily process it to produce EPA, which is the fatty acid best known for its anti inflammatory effects.

You would have to eat an awful lot of fish to get the same amount of EPA that is present in fish oil, which isn't a good idea due to the potentially harmful toxins, including mercury, that are found in our fish. So, for this reason, fish oil offers a viable and safer alternative. Another point worthy of consideration is that long term use of medication for asthma can make it less effective and of course as with any medication there can also be unwanted side effects so if fish oil can reduce the need for medication and inhalers in people with exercise induced asthma, then that is exciting news indeed.

Conclusion

Fish oil is already known to offer both preventative and therapeutic health benefits for a number of conditions and so is an excellent supplement to promote good health in general. However, a word of caution, if you are thinking of trying fish oil supplements it is essential to opt only for the best quality fish oil known as pharmaceutical grade fish oil due to the potentially harmful toxins that can be present in lesser grade fish oils.

About The Author

Dave McEvoy is an expert in omega 3 fish oil EPA with over 20 years experience; for more information about fish oil and how it can help come and visit. http://www.mind1st.co.uk/fishoil_fishoilsupplements.asp

What Dead Fish Have To Do With Your Business

While on a recent trip, I got a call from my pet sitter. Apparently we had a bit of a tragedy in my salt water aquarium.

All my fish died. Actually nearly everything in the tank died.

It all started with the death of one of my sea urchins. While sad as that was, what made it a tragedy was that sometimes sea urchins release a toxin when they die. And this toxin is toxic enough to kill everything in the tank.

My starfish. My crabs. My fish.

Everything, that is, except bristle worms. (For purposes of this article, it's enough to know bristle worms are terrible pests in salt water environments and they sneak in from other necessary items you add to the tank.)

My pet sitter worked for years at a pet store, and completely cleaned out the tank -- changed the water, cleaned the filter, etc.

And what she discovered was that my tank was basically a walking time bomb. My filter was about two steps away from failing completely. The bristle worm population was so bad it was about to take over my tank (and probably harass and kill the creatures I WANTED in the tank), plus the salt concentration was out of whack.

So, basically, my salt water aquarium would have crashed and burned whether that sea urchin died or not.

The worst part was there WERE signs. My starfish was coming out in the day more, which it doesn't typically do. My snail and other sea urchin had died a few weeks before. My fish were looking stressed. The ammonia in my tank had gone up.

But, even worse then that, I had been telling myself for MONTHS that I really needed to find someone to take care of the tank for me.

You see, there are 3 things I like to do with my aquarium -- buy fish, watch the fish and feed the fish. Notice what's NOT on my list -- check filter, change water, repair pieces of equipment that I'm not even sure what they do much less figure out if they're working properly, etc.

But my fish (and other critters) were fine. They had been fine for years. I fed them, bought a new friend every now and then, and watched them. So even though I KNEW I should be doing those "other, not-so-fun" tasks, the aquarium appeared to be fine on the surface. Therefore, I told myself I could wait to do those other tasks. No hurry, I said. I'll get around to it next month.

Well, next month never happened. And I paid a high price for that.

So what, I can hear you asking, does any of this have to do with your business? Well, let me explain.

Perhaps, for the most part, your business is doing okay. Maybe even better then okay. You're making money, enough to pay the bills and maybe a little more, plus you're building your reputation and your customer base little by little.

But there are a few glitches. Perhaps you still do your own books, so your invoices are always going out late and your cash flow is erratic. Perhaps you do all your own customer service, so you don't always contact your customers in a timely fashion (and have probably lost potential clients because of it). Perhaps you do your own product fulfillment, and find that you fall behind getting products out the door.

Or maybe you do have some help, maybe you've hired a virtual assistant. But it's not a good fit and each month feels like a struggle to get things done. (Plus you don't have any time to find a new assistant.)

Or maybe you know you need a more aggressive marketing strategy to get new clients in the door, but you can never find the time to actually start implementing.

But whatever it is (or, more likely than not, multiple small things) they're on your "next month's" to-do list.

After all, everything is running fine. You're making money, granted not as much as you could be, but you're paying the bills. You have clients coming in the door. You're getting things done.

Right?

Well, sure. Until all the fish die that is.

Now I'm not trying to overwhelm or panic you because you aren't doing enough, but, well, there ARE some things you need to be doing (or not be doing). You need to regularly market your business. You needn't be trying to do everything yourself. And when you do decide to hire someone, you need to get the right people on your team.

Because, if you don't, well, you know what could happen.

For instance, don't market your business regularly, and you'll never have a steady stream of clients coming in the door. Insist on doing everything yourself (such as your bookkeeping and product fulfillment) and what happens when you get busy? Things start falling through the cracks and when that starts to happen, money invariably falls through the cracks as well.

Hire the wrong people and not only can they screw up your business, but they can cost you both time AND money.

Let it go on long enough, and you could wake up one day with a business so in trouble you don't even know where to turn.

Or, worse yet, no business at all.

I'm not saying you have to tackle everything at once. But what I AM saying is those little things you keep ignoring (and you know the ones -- they nag you constantly because you know if you took care of them, they would make a huge difference in your business and/or life) you ignore at your own peril.

A better strategy would be to deal with one issue at a time. Starting TODAY. Then, move to the next issue. And the next.

Chances are, not only will you keep all your fish alive, but you'll probably find yourself making more money and growing your business faster then you ever thought possible.

(And, to finish my fish story, what am I doing differently? I'm hiring my pet sitter to come in once a month and do all those unpleasant maintenance tasks. My only regret is I didn't think to do this months ago. All my fish would probably still be alive.)

About The Author

Michele PW (Michele Pariza Wacek) owns Creative Concepts and Copywriting LLC, a copywriting, marketing communications and creativity agency. She helps people become more successful at attracting new clients, selling products and services and boosting business. To find out how she can help you take your business to the next level, visit her site at http://www.writingusa.com. Copyright 2006 Michele Pariza Wacek.

Krill Oil or Fish Oil - That is The Question

You may not be old enough to remember the 1950s commercial jingle, "Brill Creme, a Little Dab Will Do Ya." Doesn't matter. You do need to know about the next big thing for staying healthy and it is... (drum roll please)... krill oil (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/krill-oil.php). A Daily Dose Will Do Ya.

No matter how you look at it, or what your sex, or whether you're 21 or 81, there's one thing your body truly has to have: essential fatty acids (EFAs). And here's the rest of the story. See, your body doesn't make them for you. So you must get them from the food you eat and from supplementation.

Essential fatty acids (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/omega-3.php) are mostly omega-3 and -6 EFAs that come from the oils of plants, fish and tiny shrimp-like cold water crustaceans called krill. This article is about essential fatty acids and why it makes sense to choose krill oil as your most beneficial source of essential fatty acids.

The three major types of omega-3 fatty acids are ALA or alphalinolenic acid; EPA or eicosapentaenoic acid; and DHA or docosahexaenoic acid.

Omega-6 fatty acids help omega-3 fatty acids in the body. But you need to consume them in the right balance. The improper balance between omega-3 and omega-6 is known to lead to disease, but the right ratio can support good health.

The explanation is that omega-3 reduces inflammation (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/krill-oil-joints.php), and omega-6 turns it up. Many researchers believe that too much omega-6 in the typical American diet is a big factor in the growing number of inflammatory disorders. Too much inflammation leads to pain and many diseases.

But deciding how much of which foods to eat is sort of like rocket science for people that have nothing else to do. However, nutritional supplements solve that problem because you can see what's in 'em on the label.

So now you're probably asking, which source of EFAs should I choose for nutritional supplementation? Plant oil, fish oil or krill oil? We'll leave plant oil on the shelf for now and go ahead with what you need to know about the two marine sources.

You'll be happy to know that krill oil is coming on like gangbusters in essential fatty acid and antioxidant supplements for waging a very effective war against inflammatory and other diseases.

What makes krill oil better than fish oil? krill oil has 48 times more antioxidant power and is much more absorbable.

Want to know why krill oil is easiest to absorb but were afraid to ask? The krill's EFAs are bound with phospholipids instead of the triglycerides of fish oil. And guess what, it's phospholipids that are foundational to cell membranes in the human body.

The unique bond between the krill's omega-3 EFAs and its phospholipids gets antioxidants through the wall of the intestines and into your cells. And that's major.

At the beginning of this article we listed 12 health concerns in addition to just plain staying healthy. Every one of them, and more we haven't mentioned, can most likely be helped by taking krill oil supplements every day.

Of course, be sure not to use any marine form of EFAs if you have seafood allergies (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/krill-allergy.php); and ask your medical professional about any interactions with medicines, particularly blood thinners.

About The Author

Victoria Doval is freelance writer specializing in topics relating to health maintenance through natural and whole food dietary supplementation. She contributes to various health industry websites including Neptune Krill Oil (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/) and recommends pure krill oil (http://www.krill-oil-benefits.com/krill-oil-benefits.php) as a supplement with many times more antioxidant value than fish oil.

Aquarium Decorations Creating Homes for Fishes

Aquarium decorations----Creating Homes for Fishes

Aquarium decorations are not only beautiful to look at they also have an important purpose. They provide fishes with homes---- hiding places and natural borders resembling their natural habitat. There are many different types of decorations, for instance Cave dwelling fishes love aquarium decorations that structure like caves, holes and crevices. Whereas Fishes that live in dense vegetation prefer plants and other types of tiny hiding places. Decorations are crucial for a happy and healthy aquarium they also keep fishes from getting bored.

Tanks: There are many variants of tanks big, small, quadrilateral or polygonal. The size of an aquarium should be according to the size and the number of fishs you plan to keep.

Also tanks come in a variety of tinted glasses.

Plants: They are the the most beautiful, inexpensive source of decoration for your aquariums. Fishes love the aquatic plants as they are part of their natural habitats. They come in all varieties, costing anywhere from a few bucks to hundreds. Plants are very useful as well; they bind carbon dioxide and oxygenate the water. They also use organic waste products as nutrition and remove potentially harmful compounds from the water. Plants can also be used to keep a check on the water quality of an aquarium; the plant will start dieing before the fish if the water suddenly becomes toxic.

Wood, Rock and Coral: An aquarium can be like a miniature true habitat for the fishes with these decorations. Drift wood and mangroves can create a beautiful effect in the aquarium, plus some fishes particularly thrive on Drift wood. But be careful as Drift wood might lower pH levels and the hardness of the water. So it is best used in aquariums with soft slightly acid water. Stones and rocks make excellent decorations. But again caution is needed; you should never use rocks that affect your water’s pH levels or stones that might contain toxins. There are also fake rocks that resemble real rocks, but these are pretty expensive. Rocks can be used to create caves which many fishes are passionate about. Coral are a beautiful addition to marine aquariums; in fact they may prove necessary for a healthy marine habitat. But can be dangerous to fresh water aquarium and should not be used as they be harmful.

Gravel or sand: Both are great both come in a variety of color. Gravel comes in white, brown and black, or blue, red, green, yellow the whole rainbow spectrum. Sand again also has a plethora of colors white, black, blue, yellow, red, green. Both of these can be layered in multiple colors.

Glass marbles, Ceramics, Plastic: Ok all are unnatural materials and might look slightly tacky, but fishes don’t give a fig for this, they enjoy them enormously. Glass marbles though are not a good bottom substrate out of a biologically as flora does not thrive on them, can add beautiful colors to the aquarium. It’s best to use them sparingly or add another more functional substrate below. Ceramics are excellent aquarium decorations. All sizes and shapes can be used as long as they do not have sharp edges. However ceramics tend to grow algae that might be hard to. Plastic they are cheap, colorful and yes tacky, but can be found in a variety of fun shapes. Treasure chests, skulls, divers, pirates, plants and ships you name it and stores have them.

It is imperative that you only use aquarium decorations that are safe to use in aquariums. If you have salt water aquariums they should be saltwater-safe also. If you don’t take this precaution your fish will die due to the organisms and toxins released by the decorations

Decorations have both practical and aesthetical use if done tastefully and carefully you can create a miniature aquatic ecosystem that both you and your fish can enjoy.

About The Author

Tony Williams has an expert in installing lighting and having a website http://www.hamiltontechnology.com, for more information on aquarium lighting, aquarium accessory, and saltwater aquarium lighting. Visit Site to know more about on metal halide aquarium lighting

Your Choices For Bass Fishing Hooks

Experienced bass fishermen have already learned about the different types of bass fishing hooks available. Novices in the sport should take the opportunity to learn about the different type of bass fishing hooks and their particular uses and advantages.

Off Shank Hooks

Off shank hooks are best used with artificual bait. They feature a bend at the top of the hook where it is connected to the fishing line. Shank hooks are constructed in this manner by design. The way they function is by turning directly in to the fish's mouth when the hook is set. The way the fisher sets the hook impacts whether or not he or she catches a fish, particularly when using artificial lures. While regular hooks can be effective, shank hooks help catch a greater quantity of bass fish. They also deliver consistent results.

Straight Shank Hooks

Straight shank hooks are very effective when used with live bait. Minnows, for example, work very well with this straight shank hooks. The design of a straight shank hook doesn't inhibit the movement of the live bait. Because this type of hook allows the bait to swim, the bait is able to do its job. The bait's job is to draw fish to it. Upon striking at the bait, the fish actually inhales it. When the hook is set, it then gets caught in the hard bony sides of the mouth of the fish.

Super Sharpened Shank

Super sharpened shank hooks work well with artificial bait. With the super sharpened shank, the user is able to put the artifical bait higher on the hook. This keeps fish from getting away as a result of getting the bait wih shoreter strikes.

Each of type of bass fishing hooks is unique. These hooks can be used in many different ways. Bass fishers have many choices to make when it comes to selecting fishing hooks. Each individual must select the best bass fishing hooks for his or her purposes. It comes down to a matter of personal preference. For more info see http://www.knowbassfishing.com/ on Bass Fishing

Outsmarting Savvy Bass

In some of the most popular fishing locations, many bass are able to separate lures from food. Bass are even able to even detect certain types of hooks. Bass fishing hooks are still effective, though, because they are made to entice the bass to strike at things that are not food. When you are dealing with these very aware fish, though, the best approach is to hide your hooks as much as possible. You have to outsmart the bass. Remember that you are on their turf. The bass fish are at home in the fishing waters. They are more familiar with them than you, or any human, will ever be. Therefore, it is crucial to be very particular with your fishing processes. A savvy bass fish might spot your hook and stay away due to recogizing the risk it poses. Some fish are even able to snatch the bait off the hook before the fishing enthusiast realizes a fish was anywhere around. Good fishers will stay very aware and notice whatever action happens to set their hooks.

About The Author

Wade Robins

You can also find more info on http://www.knowbassfishing.com/Midwest_Bass_Fishing/ on Midwest Bass Fishing and http://www.knowbassfishing.com/Striped_Bass_Fishing/ on Striped Bass Fishing. http://Knowbassfishing.com is a comprehensive resource to know about Bass Fishing.

Fish Oil Benefit

In the quest to achieve better health and wellness, fish oil supplements have become an increasingly popular way to take advantage of many different medical benefits. Fish oil originates from the tissues of oily fish, such as carp, herring, salmon, and fresh tuna. Today, fish oil is recommended as part of a healthy diet because of the amount of omega-3 fatty acids contained, which is known to reduce inflammation throughout the body and lessen the threat of coronary heart disease (among other things).

There are two main ways to include fish oil as part of a healthy diet. The first involves the consumption of oily fish, including sardines and cod, which contain oils throughout their body and about their gut, unlike other species of fish. Depending on the species, oily fish fillets may offer up to 30% oil. Besides omega-3 fatty acids, oily fish also provides a good source of vitamins A and D.

The second approach towards increasing the amount of fish oils in a diet is to purchase fish oil capsules or supplements. Many people are said to prefer the consumption of fish oil capsules because they are easy to follow and do not require laborious measurements in making sure recommended daily values are satisfied. To explore some of the many benefits associated with fish oil supplements and consumption, a few examples can be found below:

Decreased Pain Levels and Inflammation

Omega-3 fatty acids may posses the power to lessen inflammation in the body, as well as ease the pain associated with arthritis and cystitis. Rheumatoid arthritis patients often report an improvement in joint pains and inflammation when taking fish oil supplements.

Treats Depression and Stress

Some individuals have been able to ease their symptoms of depression by implementing omega-3 fish oil supplements into their diet. Fish oils have also been linked to showing promise in treating bipolar and psychotic patients. Supplements may also help to promote the overall mood of patients, and may even reduce premenstrual stress.

Cardiovascular Improvements

The heart, arteries, and veins may benefit from fish oil because it has been known to help lower cholesterol levels and blood pressure, while at the same time improving "good" cholesterol levels.

Fights Strokes and Heart Attack

The threat of stroke and heart attack may be decreased with the introduction of fish oils into a diet because they may help to prevent blood clots and other damage to the heart. A decreased risk of sudden death and heart attacks has also been seen.

Enhances Brain Activity

Fish oil is known to boost intelligence and overall happiness in users, as well as improve the memory and ability to stay focused. In the elderly, the risk of dementia and memory loss sometimes decreases with the use of fish oil supplements. Additionally, mothers who consume or take a high amount of omega-3/fish oils during pregnancy often give birth to children with a higher IQ.

Combats Childhood Disorders

Children, who suffer from disorders, such as ADD and ADHD, have experienced a better quality of life when incorporating fish oil fatty acids into their diet. Additional conditions that respond to fish oils include dyslexia and compulsive disorders.

These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.

About The Author

Lori Matthews studies health, nutrition and wellness. She enjoys writing articles on health for both people and pets. Please visit http://www.pure-fish-oil.com/omega-fatty-acids.htm for more information.

Alaska Fishing Lodge The Trip Of A Life Time

When choosing to visit to Alaska one of the activities that should be considered is Alaska fishing. Besides seeing the sights and experiencing seasonal changes in weather there is just plain relaxing. Consider stopping at the nearest Alaska fishing lodge. There are so many packages available and so many offers that you surely will find one for your family.

A great Alaska fishing lodge is one that offers all the amenities with easy access to the water. Any package should include close proximity to the oceanfront lodging, great meals, guide services and fish processing. So you get everything you need all in one trip. There are many choices in fishing lodges. Alaska also offers a great variety and quantity of fish to be caught. They can be caught in different regions of the state and at various seasons. Alaska most popular fish is the salmon and the runner up is halibut.

In the South central region there are various choices of fishing lodges. First, Alaska Tree Tops Fishing Lodge. Then there is Alaska Accommodations and Fishing Charters, Alaska Adventure Company, LLC Wilderness Place Lodge. In the southeast region there are several selections in lodges such as Alaskan Advantage and Shelter Cove Lodge and Salmon Falls Resort. The southwest offers the Alaska Rainbow Lodge. There are many more selections of Alaska fishing lodges that are available. By searching the web you may find out which lodge is best to suit your needs and who offers the best package and pricing.

Most fishing lodges offer valued deals on shelter, food, and fishing equipment rentals. How can you select what is best for you? Decide on what region has the fish you are looking to catch. Pricing varies on lodges, regions, seasons and packaging. A package can start from $75 and range up to thousands of dollars. Guides are included in these packages to show you the region and where the fish reside, how to catch them best and when is a good time to go fishing.

Alaska fishing lodges are fully staffed with professional fisherman who have been guiding on fishing subjects for many years. They love fish and will give the best fishing experience to maximize your chance for success. This should keep you coming back for more. Alaska fishing lodges offer stays from four to seven nights and offer a variety of options to meet the client’s needs and desires. Most of the lodging are owned and operated by Alaskan residents.

When fishing in Alaska timing is everything. In other words each species of fish has a time when they are most available and when there is an abundance of that particular fish. When booking a reservation with one of the resorts, check to see if the fish you want to catch are available during your visit.

About The Author

Eliseo Lao is an avid fishing guy.

For more info about fishing please visit http://www.charasfishinginfo.com

Canadian Fishing Trips

The time is now and you are getting ready for a fishing trip to Canada with your friends and coworkers. There are about 15 of you planning to head out and leave your jobs, wives and children behind for an opportunity to go fishing in Canada.

Most people think that when men go off on a fishing trip to anywhere whether in Canada or the States, that they are going off to smoke their pipes and cigars, drink beer and tell tall tales to each other.

In fact, a Canada fishing trip can be like that, but if you are true sportsman, you are going all that way to actually fish. The opportunity to be out in nature where you can relax and let go of the daily stress you endure with your jobs is just one of the many benefits you will derive.

Ever since you were a small boy, you have been fishing in the local river or streams within in your State. Now, you want to have an opportunity to go on a real fishing trip and Canada is your choice for this adventure. You have read that there are more than 100,000 lakes where you can fish for many different species. You can test your wits against salmon, muskie, trout or dozens of other species—all depending upon the location you choose for your Canadian fishing trip.

Figure out which type of fish you are interested in catching and then determine which province in Canada can meet your needs. Remember that Canada is much bigger than most people think and your options on where and when to have your Canadian fishing trip are unlimited.

Depending on how rugged you want to be, you can plan to camp out in the wilderness, you can rent a full-service recreational vehicle, stay at a lodge or outpost when you go to Canada. They are all geared to helping the sportsmen get the most out of their fishing trip. In fact, if you want to take your family along, many of these options will also work well with the wife and children.

You might want to consider hiring an outfitter to help you coordinate the little details you may have not have considered. The outfitter should be able to help you through any bureaucratic rules of the region, obtain fishing licenses and take care of any other little problems that might come up.

Remember that your Canadian fishing trip will only be as good as you make it. Be realistic and plan ahead for what you want to do, when you want to do it, and be ready to make adjustments to your plans. Uncooperative weather, fish not biting, or any other problems may pop up. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself and know that this Canadian fishing trip is just the first of many that you will take over the next few years.

About The Author

Frank J Vanderlugt owns and operates http://www.canadian-fishing-now.com Canadian Fishing

Boat Fishing Tips and Tricks

Boat Fishing

If you're keen to find a fun family activity, then give boat fishing a try. There's nothing better than heading off on your boat with the wife and kids, talking about the fish you plan to catch that day.

It's important to realize, though, that there are lots of different types of boat fishing, and each one has specialized boat requirements. You can do everything from dangle some bait on a string over the side of a canoe, right through to high-tech rods and a powerful cabin cruiser. It just needs to be seaworthy - the rest is up to you! But if you're keen to buy a boat, you need to do some homework first. It can be very confusing walking into a boat show or dealership and seeing so many choices. You need to think about what you're planning to do with the boat before you can decide which one to buy. Here are some popular boat fishing choices.

Freshwater Boats

If you enjoy fishing in freshwater lakes, rivers or streams, then you don't need a massive boat. Instead, choose an aluminum or fiberglass boat. Make sure it's easy to transport and lightweight. Popular choices include bow riders, runabouts or walley boats, with either a small or dual console. These boats are fine for family freshwater boat fishing outings.

Offshore Saltwater Boats

Fishing out on the open sea is the most common thing people think of when you mention boat fishing. Most people enjoy fishing offshore because they get the chance to catch huge fish and use heavy tackle. It's important to have a dependable, heavy boat for this type of fishing. You'll encounter plenty of different weather and situations on the open sea, so you need to be able to rely on your boat. You can choose twin or single outboard motors, and you definitely need a cuddy cabin or a center console. If you want to spend a bit more, you can start to look at the more luxurious boats, including a bluewater or convertible with luxury quarters, and maybe even an elegant living area. Bigger boats generally have powerful inboard diesel engines as standard.

Inshore Saltwater Boats

If your tastes run to tarpin, snook, trout, bonefish or redfish, then you will want a boat suitable for inshore saltwater fishing. It's best to have a light boat that is smaller than a 25-footer. All you need is a single outboard motor. You're likely to be in shallow water at least some of the time, so something like a flat or baby boat works well. These have a spacious deck you can use for casting, and are still float well in shallow water.

Bass Boats

This type of boat is generally suitable for tournament and sport fishing. They're colorful, fast, and ride low in the water. It's preferable if the bass boat has a trolling motor mounted on the bow. Generally they have a platform at both the bow and stern ends, which makes casting much easier. You can choose from aluminum or fiberglass.

Float Tubes

These don't really qualify as boats, but fly anglers find them very handy for fishing in mountain streams, ponds and lakes. A float tube is simply a flotation device containing a seat. The angler is partially submerged when seated in the float tube, and uses fins on his feet to navigate around on the water. They're tricky to handle, and fly-casting requires lots of practice. You can choose between round float tubes, which are similar to an inner tube, and pontoon float tubes, which have an air chamber either side of the fisherman. The pontoons are slightly eiasier to maneuver, as their v-shaped design reduces the amount of water resistance.

It's always a good idea to speak to experienced anglers who either have their own boat or use one regularly. They can give you lots of help in deciding which type of boat is right for you. Read magazines, guides, and talk to your local boat charter service. Fishermen generally love to talk about boats, and you can learn a lot to help you select the perfect fishing boat for your needs.

About The Author

Steve Dolan is an experienced and keen fisherman, who enjoys the outdoors almost as much as catching the fish! Go to http://www.bestboatfishing.com to find more articles and information.

A Fishing Guide Made Easy

Fishing is considered a favorite past time among Americans. A majority of Americans have had the ultimate fishing experience. Fishing is the activity of catching species that live and breathe underwater.

Today more advanced fishing techniques were developed to make the activity more exciting and challenging. Before 2005, all fishermen had to do was hit a macro to catch a fish. Today there is a more developed fishing system; it involves fighting a fish to reel it in.

A simple fishing guide would make understanding fishing easier. There are five steps to follow for beginners. Start out by preparing your rod and reel. The reel has to have a line then press the button of your spin-cast reel. Make sure that enough line is pulled to thread it through all of the guides of the rod.

In the second step of the fishing guide it is important to attach a hook. One thing about hooks is that they come in different shapes and sizes. An acceptable size to use is #6 or #8. A clinch should be used to tie the hook to the line.

The third step of the fishing guide involves attaching a bobber by threading the line to the top and bottom hooks. The purpose is to attach the bobber so the fish hook hangs just above the structure.

Attaching the bait is the next step. Attach the bait to the hook using either worm rig method, worm rig for bait stealers method or doughball method.

The final step in the fishing process is to cast and retrieve. First cast the bait, then turn the reel crank forward until it clicks to prevent more line from coming out. You know you are catching a fish when the bobber moves or when you feel a tug on the line. Make sure the hook is in the fish's mouth. If more detailed instructions are needed there are numerous fishing guides on the web or in books.

One guideline is very important before going fishing. Check the fishing regulations to see if the fish you catch according to size is legal to keep. If it is a fish that is not legal to keep, it must be released and handled as little as possible.

If this is a fish that can be kept a good way to keep it alive is to place it in a cooler until it is ready to be cleaned. So if your purpose is fish as hobby and use the catch and release method, fishing regulations do not need to be considered. Fishing is mostly done for recreational purposes, such as fishing tournaments or hobby but some actually catch fish that they plan to cook with. Whatever the reason your reason for fishing is it blends well with the American way of life. Remember to take along your fishing guide!

About The Author

Everything you ever wanted to know about fishing, but never dared to ask, please visit : http://www.youronlinefishing.com and unlock your free report 'How to plan and budget the fishing trip of your dreams'