I hope everyone is enjoying their summer and is taking advantage of some fun in the sun. From time to time I get the chance to help out a new angler in the store. I enjoy explaining the local tactics, different choices of bait/lure and how to correctly set up their rod. This week I wanted to explain a few fishing terms and some of the equipment used at Convict Lake. Have a great week and I wish everyone a Happy 4th of July.


9 common fishing terms explained:

Hook - (1) A curved piece of metal used to catch fish. (2) A clever advertisement to entice a fisherman to spend his live savings on a new rod and reel. (3) The punch administered by said fisherman's wife after he spends their life savings (see also, Right Hook, Left Hook).

Line - Something you give your co-workers when they ask on Monday how your fishing went the past weekend.

Lure - An object that is semi-enticing to fish, but will drive an angler into such a frenzy that he will charge his credit card to the limit before exiting the tackle shop.

Reel - A weighted object that causes a rod to sink quickly when dropped overboard.

Rod - An attractively painted length of fiberglass that keeps an angler from ever getting too close to a fish.

School - A grouping in which fish are taught to avoid your $9.99 lures and hold out for Velveeta cheese instead.

Tackle - What your last catch did to you as you reeled him in, but just before he wrestled free and jumped back overboard.

Tackle Box - A box shaped alarmingly like your comprehensive first aid kit. Only a tackle box contains many sharp objects, so that when you reach in the wrong box blindly to get a Band Aid, you soon find that you need more than one.

Test - (1) The amount of strength a fishing line affords an angler when fighting fish in a specific weight range. (2) A measure of your creativity in blaming "that darn line" for once again losing the fish.


Tactics/Bait: It is that time of year when the morning and evening sessions are producing larger and more fish. If you are fishing mid-day make sure to get past the selves and fish the deeper water. Roostertails, Panther Martins and spinning type lures were doing well in the lake this week. Also throw Tasmanian Devil's or a silver Vibrex. In the creek salmon eggs and small spinnings were the hot ticket. The most successful Powerbait colors were peach and yellow. Chunky Cheese Garlic is always a deathly choice. The South Shore and Inlet were the hottest spots once again this week. Other locations fishing well were Hangman's Tree, Jetty and North Shore.

Here is a list of other baits/lures that can be productive: Sierra Slammers, Tasmanian Devil, Green or brown Marvel Fly Lures, Trout Teasers, Panther Martin, NeedleFish, Rooster Tails, and Bite-on Fury Shad or Lip Ripperz Hatchery Dust on Powerbait.