10 Great Tips to Catch More Predators This Summer
Luck is not everything. Try these tricks to increase your chances of reeling in some of your biggest catches!
1. Fish during lower temperatures
In the hot summer days oxygen levels below the water surface often drop critically. That might have a negative impact on the fish feeding behaviour and activity. The critical water temperature is over 20°C/68°F. In that temperature, not only is fish more passive but also some bigger predators like pike might not recover after a fight.
TIP: Look for more active fish in the early morning or late evening when air temperature gets lower.
2. Check the weather forecast
When weather comes into play, it's always best to rely on your fishing tools that can help you determine where the fish are hiding, or the effects that the weather is playing on their behaviour that day. Fish are more in tune with their environment than perhaps people are! They can pick up on minor changes in the pressure and will adjust their behaviours accordingly. In fact, pikes and other predators feel the effect of changing pressure before it takes place.
TIP: Monitor the weather forecast regularly while fishing, and keep in mind that sudden changes in atmospheric pressure can cause the fish to become active, passive, or even move away from the current location. Using Fish Deeper app you can monitor weather temperature, precipitation, wind, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and other data.
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3. Get some light and extra power
Fishing sessions become longer during the summertime. It is often night-time when you are unpacking and getting your boat or kayak ready or packing your stuff up after the whole day of fishing. In this case, a comfortable lantern is a necessary attribute. In the outdoors, you never know when you will need your phone. A dead battery can keep you from taking awesome pictures, sharing with your loved ones, and leave you vulnerable during emergencies.
TIP: Have both the light and the power you need during fishing trips with Deeper Power Lantern. It has a built-in mobile power bank, so you can charge your phone, camera, or Deeper anytime, anywhere.
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4. Familiarise yourself with the waters
Successful fishing sessions often occur in well-known waters. As is already known, predatory fish (depending on the species) are kept in shallow or deeper places, also in waters with harder or grassy bottoms. Depending on the fish you want to catch, choose what places are important to you; make sure there are such places in chosen waters.
TIP: It is important to analyse the bathymetry before fishing in new waters. You can easily explore the waters with Fish Deeper Premium. After looking at the bathymetric maps, mark the shallower places on the Fish Deeper app. In this case, you will save a lot of time fishing, because you will know exactly which potential places should be checked.
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5. Get on the boat
When water warms up, predators often move to deeper, colder waters. As a result, it can be increasingly difficult to find pike when fishing from shore. Can’t find them? Just get on the boat or kayak and discover further waters! Deeper sonars are a smart, versatile, and convenient alternative to traditional boat fish finders. Easy to mount, no batteries and no wires needed.
TIP: To easily use Deeper sonar while boat fishing, try Deeper Sonar Flexible Arm Mount 2.0 for Boat or Kayak and Smartphone Mount for Boat and Kayak, and you're good to go! Easy way to use a castable sonar while boat fishing. Versatile product.
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6. Pay attention to bottom structure
Different predators prefer different bottom structure. Pike could be found on grassy bottom waters while perch and zander – in waters with harder bottoms. Depending on the bottom structure and the fish you want to catch, scan those waters with Deeper sonar and search for the right place for fish to be.
TIP: When looking for a certain predatory fish, pay attention to the structure of the bottom. You can find pike on a grassy bottom, and perch or zander in waters with a harder bottom.
7. Change lure retrieving pattern
A trait of any successful angler is being able to put a pattern together that'll catch fish. It consists of lure, rod, reel, lure retrieve etc. It is important to choose all these things according to the fishing method and the fish you want to catch.
TIP: If you are properly prepared for predator fishing (have chosen correct reel, rod, and lures), you are in the right place (the sonar shows an active, hunting fish), butyou still haven’t caught any fish, try to change the lure retrieving pattern. Try different reeling speed, longer pauses, twitch the lure few times in a row and then let the lure settle back to the bottom. Anything could work, just don’t give up and experiment!
8. Choose the right techniques and gear
Murky and wavy water lets you get away with a lot of stuff. But clear and calm water increases underwater visibility and gives predator plenty of time to study your bait as it moves. In that case, it’s extremely important to choose the right fishing techniques and gear, as any wrong action can repel fish.
TIP: Stay as far back as possible from the potential catch and increase the casting distance as much as possible. Also do not forget to downsize - fish with thinner diameter line, more realistic and smaller baits.
9. Keep all your gear handy and close to you
You can certainly notice that when that active period comes, everything becomes extremely time-sensitive. When fish are active, the least you want is a broken line. Every minute is important if you want to catch THAT fish. At this time, it is important that all your fishing gear is conveniently arranged, and the most important items are by your hand. How many times did it take a long time to search for line clippers, towel, or other stuff, when you could be fishing in the meantime? Since warm water and low oxygen level could cause damage to the fish, get your kit such as scales, pike gag, forceps, unhooking gloves, line clippers, etc. ready for a quick release. The quicker it gets back in the water the less stressed it will become.
TIP: Keep the most used stuff by your side using a tether. You will save time during the most important moments, and fishing will not only become more enjoyable but also comfortable.
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10. Don’t forget proper tools for weighing and measuring
We really all want to know how big our catch is, which can be done by weighing the fish or measuring its length. It is important to pay attention to a few moments when measuring fish. The portable scales hook can injure the fish, as large catches can weigh more than 10 kg/22 lbs! Therefore, always use a fish weighing bag when weighing larger fish. However, it is important to handle small fish with care too when weighing them, as the hook can injure the gills and interfere with the breathing of the fish.
TIP: Deeper Scales have a length measuring instrument, so with this product you can weigh or measure the length of the fish, depending on the situation.
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