Naturally occurring lakes, rivers, and ponds, as well as man-made lakes are usually freshwater and will have entirely different marine life than saltwater life. As a result, freshwater fishing can be an entirely different experience than saltwater fishing. In this blog, we’re going to take a look at several helpful freshwater fishing tips you should follow.

Do Your Research

Sure, you probably already know how important it is to research the best fishing spots. However, there are several additional things you should research specifically for freshwater fishing before getting out there. First off, the time of day matters. The time of day can affect how active fish are, the temperature, lighting, and type of food that the fish are looking to eat. A common rule of thumb for many anglers is to fish at sunrise and dusk because this is generally when fish are most active. Other things to research include the fish in the region and common bait used in the region.

Get A Topographic Map

Just like topographic maps of land, there are topographic maps that can help you learn and understand the bottom of a body of water. But why is this important? Although you can’t always predict exactly where fish are going to be, you can certainly make an educated guess. Fish often navigate towards shallower areas during feeding time. There's a handful of Fishing Mobile Apps that can give you some great topographic maps. You can also use things like a deeper fish finder to get a sense of the structure, or even a wireless fishing camera to get an HD look at the structure.

On the other hand, if you’re fishing on a body of water in a discreet location, you’re not going to have access to a topographic map if you don't have service. Instead, you should focus on casting in areas with overhanging trees, along the bank, or in calmer parts of the river. Fish like to hide from predators in this area while looking for food.

Wash Your Hands

All anglers, at one point or another, have dealt with stubborn fish. Either they circle around your bait without biting, or they constantly nibble on your bait without actually going in for the kill. Although there are a lot of reasons they could be doing this, they might actually be smelling human scent on your bait. Believe it or not, fish have an impeccable olfactory perception (sense of smell). Try using products like de-fishing soap in order to remove odor from your hands before handling your bait.

Patience Is Key

Above all, patience is key while freshwater fishing. After all, it’s called “fishing” for a reason, not “catching.” That means you’ll need to keep at it if you want to be successful. Fish shops are a great place to meet the locals and learn some helpful tips as well. If you’re not getting any bites, it never hurts to pack up your things and move to new area, or if you have an underwater fishing camera with you, you could verify if there's in fact no fish in that area.

Try Our Underwater Fishing Camera

The benefit of fishing in the 21st century is that we have technology on our side. Although marine radar devices work well enough, there’s a better option for both beginner and expert fishers alike: the GoFish Cam underwater fishing camera. This device is attached directly to your line and records underwater footage in HD quality, not only allowing you to scout out the area, but getting some great fishing footage that you can upload directly to social media. Get yours today!