This was my first time ever blogging. Honestly it has taught me a lot about the Internet writing

world. I never knew how many people used the Internet to get there writing works out to the world.

At first, I wasn't too excited about this assignment. But after I checked out other peoples' blog sites, I 

changed my mind. I posted one post in the beginning of summer. After this, I realized it would be 

much more effective if I posted me blogs all at once. That way, people would have a chance to fully 

understand all of the fishing techniques I posted. For example, if someone saw my post about dolphin 

fishing but already knew how to dolphin fish and actually wanted to know how to marlin fish, they 

wouldn't have a chance to because it wasn't posted yet. 

     In the end, I had a lot of fun blogging. I thought it was going to be boring, which it was at first, but

it ended up being a lot of fun. I enjoyed teaching people about fishing. I want together as many

people involved in fishing as I can because I love it so much and I think other people would too of

they just gave it a chance or tried it out for themselves.

While blogging, I also learned a few things myself. Some of the blogs I posted were researched

because I wasn't an expert on the subject myself. Like for example, I did not have a lot of knowledge

on marlon fishing. I have only been marlin fishing a few times and both of those times I was with

people who knew what they were doing. I also learned from a few other blog posts I did. Overall I

think that the blog posts taught me a lot about writing to the public and writing in general.

Shark fishing

Shark fishing is one of the most fun fish to fish. For sharks under 10 feet you need an open rod with high pound test. A 6/0 to 8/0 hook will do. For bait you should use any type of medium sized fish like  a tuna, dolphin or Bonita to name a few. Make sure you have a big enough boat to handle a ledger sized shark just incase they get on the line. For sharks over 10 feet, don't attempt to fish for them unless you have some experience with catching fish. If you don't, Avoid fishing for fish this size. If not, you will new an extremely large reel and pound test over one hundred. You will also need - hook over a 10/0 with mono or wire leter. Be prepared for a big and long fight.

Sail fishing

Sail fishing is a lot like marlin fishing. You need large open reels and heavy pound test. To catch 

dolphin you either need to troll or you need to live bait. When trolling you should use large lures or 

baits like squid and ballyhoo. The more effective way to catch sailfish is by live baiting. Goggle eyes 

and small tuna are good bait for sailfish. You need a 7/0 hook or bigger with at least 70 pound test for 

whatever fishing method you use. 

Dolphin fishing for beginers

Dolphin are one of the most popular fish to fish for in the world. This is mostly due to the fact that they are found basically everywhere. There are two different ways to fish for dolphin: live baiting and trolling. When trolling for dolphin, you want to be between 300 and 300 feet, or roughly 1-25 miles offshore. You will need open faced reels and strong rods. At least 40-pound test is also needed. If you are using more than one rod, you will need outriggers to help keep your line from becoming tangled.

There are many different types of baits you can use for trolling. The most common are rigged ballyhoo with skirts. You can pick these up at any marina or bait store. Other baits you can use are artificial bates like lures and gigs with skirts. You will also need a letter of extremely strong line or mono line. When you put your baits out, make sure they are all separate from each other and are at different lengths out to avoid becoming tangled. Make sure that the drags are loosened up a little and the clicker is on as well. When you hear a hit, the clicker will go off. Then all you have to do is take the rod, turn off the clicker, and real em’ in. Make sure to bring a fighting belt and gaf for bigger dolphin. 

Fly Fishing

Fly-fishing is a completely different way to fish. The difference between fly-fishing and normal fishing is that in fly-fishing you are using a bait that is almost weightless. To compensate for this, the line of the fly-fishing rod is heavy. It’s usually coated with plastic or wax to add weight. Instead of using the lures weight to cast out the line you use the lines weight. 

     The baits that you use for fly-fishing are usually artificial flies or other invertebrates made out of feathers or plastic. There is a specific way you have to cast using a fly fishing rod. The best way to cast out your bait is to you use the forward motion technique. To do this, you have to throw the bat behind your shoulder and then let out some line. Then you sling the line forward from over your shoulder. Let the bait flow down the river until you get a hit. 

Bass Fishing

     Bass are one of the most sought-after sports fish in the United States. They are freshwater fish and found in lakes, ponds and sometimes rivers. They require a little different fishing gear then saltwater fish. You will need a light action spinner rod. There are a few different types of bait you can use for bass. You could either use live bait or artificial bate. For live bait, worms work best. You want the worms to be sitting in the middle of the water, and not sink to the bottom. To avoid them sinking to the bottom you have to use a bobber. Attach the bobber about 5 feet in front of the hook. Now all you have to do is wait for the bite. When you see the bobber start bouncing in and out of the water you will know you have a fish. If you have a circle hook you do not need to set the hook because it will set itself, just start reeling. If you have a regular hook, set the hook with a quick upwards jerk of the rod. 

How to Throw a Cast Net

     Cast nets are used to catch baitfish; Baitfish usually live in schools making cast netting very effective. Throwing a perfect cast with a cast net takes some practice. Cast nets consist of net, lead sinkers, and a long string. When the cast net hits the water, the lead sinkers sink to the bottom. When you pull the cast net towards you to bring it in, the sinkers all merge together trapping the fish inside the net.

     Cast nets come in many different sizes, from three feet to 25 feet. If you are a beginner, it is easier to start off with a smaller size. The first thing you are going to want to do when throwing a cast net is to tie the end of the string around your wrist so you don’t loose the cast net. After you have done this, in the same hand, put the extra string into 4 or 5 loops and hold it. Next you take your free hand and grab a sinker at the bottom of the cast net. With that same hand, grab every third sinker until you have 4 or 5 sinkers. Then take your other hand with the string in it and grab a sinker at the opposite end of where the sinkers in your other hand are. Finally, you need to spin your hands back 270 degrees and throw the cast net releasing it when it is out in front of you. Also, make sure to let the sinkers sink for at least a few seconds before pulling it in. 

Catfishing

There are many different types of Catfish. Fortunately, most catfish are scavengers and feed off the bottom of the lake, river or ocean. The best way to catch catfish is to attach a chunk of bate onto the end of the hook. Use a 3/0 to 8/0 hook depeding on the size of catfish you want to catch. The best thing to do is be patient and wait for the bite. If you don’t want to hold the rod the whole time you can make a rod holder. Good material for this are plastic pipe shells or medal holes. When you do bring in a catfish, be fevy careful. They have barbs on the sides of them that could do some serious damage to you. 

Marlin Fishing

Marlins are one of the biggest fish in the ocean, and they put up a hell of a fight too. These fish are endangered so you cannot keep them, making them one of the most valuable sports fish. To catch these fish, you will need some heavy fishing equipment. Huge open reels and strong pound test. There are two ways to fish for marlin: trolling and live bait. Live baiting is the more effective way. Good live baitfish for marlin includes small tuna, dolphin, and bonita.  To make sure you don’t kill the live baitfish when hooking it, you have to hook it in the right spot. The live batfish can be hooked in a few places: the top of the nose, the top of the eye socket, the very top of the back, and at the start of the tail. Throw the fish out and let some line out, keeping the drag loose. Kites can also be used to help keep the bait at the surface and visible.

The other way to marlin fish is trolling, for this you will have out 2-8 lines. Big lures as well as dead baitfish can be used for bait. These fish will have you fighting them for hours so make sure you being a fighting belt and a fighting chair. 

Swordfishing

     Swordfish are prime targets for many fishermen worldwide. Sword fishing is a little bit more complicated than some other types of fishing but can still be done by anyone. Sword fishing is primarily done during the nighttime. They usually stay between 500 and 2000 feet, but do occasionally come close to the surface. You need to be about 15 to 25 miles offshore as well. Swordfish can get hundreds of pounds in weight so you will need heavy deep see rods and reels along with heavy pound test.  On top of heavy pound test you will also need about 200 feet of mono leter. If you take a trip to your local marina or bait store they will have swordfish rigs already hooked up and ready to buy. This will save you the trouble and time of making them yourself. Swordfish’s favorite food is squid so that is the suggested bait to use. Two things that are necessary for sword fishing are a luminescent lights (can also be found at local marina or bait store) and balloons or water jugs. Since you are fishing at night, the light is needed to make the bait more visible.

     The balloons or water jugs are used as bobbers. This way you can easily see if a swordfish has hit the bait or not. You can put up to 4 lines out at once, but you have to make sure they are all at different depths to avoid tangles and to cover more area of where the swordfish or swordfishes may be. After all four lines are in the water, you sit and wait with the boat engine off. Make sure to keep the drag on the bail really loose, so that the line is basically about to fall off the reel. Once you get a hit you want to jump on the rod as fast as possible. Tighten the drag and reel. If you have a new, sharp hook it will set itself as the line tightens. Make sure you bring a fighting belt with you because it can take hours to reel in some swordfish. Good luck and have fun!

Lobster Diving

   

     Lobster diving is a fun, but dangerous, thing to do. To do this with scuba tanks, you must get certified first. There are two ways to diver for lobster. They are to free dive and to scuba dive. Free diving takes place in usually between 10 and 40 feet. Divers can only hold their breathes for a short amount of time before having to come back up to the surface. But with scuba diving, you can stay underwater for hours.

     To catch lobster, there are a few forms of equipment available. One way to catch lobster is with a net and a tickle stick. The tickle stick is a long metal pole used to draw the lobster out of his hiding spot. The idea is to lure the lobster out of his hiding spot and into the net. Make sure to bring a bag to put all your lobsters in. The other way to fish for lobster is with a looper. A looper is a metal pole with a metal loopp attached to the end of it. At the bottom of the looper stick, there is a little lever that can control the size of the loop in the front. What you do is wrap the medal loop around the lobsters tail and quickly pull it tighter. Be sure to bring a measuring stick with you in the water so you can measure them on the spot and not have to worry about bringing them up to the surface.

Yellowtail Snapper Fishing

Yellowtail are one of the most allusive snapper there are. They are found in most warm water, tropical environments. There are a few ways to fish for them. One way is called bottom fishing and the other is known as flat lining. Bottom fishing is where you drop a piece of baits or baits to the bottom of the ocean with a lead sinker. Typically, you want to bottom fish over reefs since thats where most snapper hangout. There are a few different types of bottom fishing rigs, many of which can be bought at any fishing store. Depending on the current, you will want between 1 and 6 ounces of lead weight. A 3/0 to 5/0 hook will work just fine as well. Yellowtail snapper are not too picky of eaters, but the best bait to use for them is squid. Squid is best for not only snapper but most reef fish because it can be cut into small pieceseasily and is durable, plus the fish love it.
     Flat lining is the other fishing method for yellowtail. This technique is a little harder than bottom fishing but can be much more effective. Unlike bottom fishing, flatline reqires little to no lead weight. If there is no current, no weight is needed. If there is a little current, you may want to add .1 to .2 ounces of lead to your line. Fishing shops and marinas sell little lead weights that can be attached directly to your line. Whether you're bottom fishing or flat lining for yellowtail, a small spining rod is all you need.
The lighter pound test you have the better. When the line is thinner it makes it less detectable for the yellowtail. To start flat lining, you need to attach a small hook to the end of your line. Add a small amount of weight if needed. Bait the hook with a very small piece of squid or other type of bait. Flat lining is most effective when you are chumming. Chumming the water will help get the fishes attention.  You make your own chum yourself but i suggest just buying it. Put it in a bag, tie the bag to your boat, and throw it in the water. A line of chum will be in the water. Now you can throw in your bait and flat line. When you throw your bait in the water, keep your bail open. Either let line out yourself slowly, or let it do it on its own. When you get a bite, you will see your line begin to go out at a much faster rate. When you see this let the fish run for a couple seconds then close the bail and start reeling. Yellow tail don't put up too much of a fight but make sure you flip em in the boat quickly before a baracuda or small shark gets them first.

Becoming a Dolphin Fishing Pro

     This is for novice, as well as experienced, fishermen. It's designed raise you're fishing skill in all fishing categories. This particular blog focuses on becoming an expert dolphin fisherman, and not the porpoise; I'm talking about mahimahi. To the novice fishermen, this information will be vital to your success in your first dolphin fishing exertion. To experienced fishermen, you may think to yourself, "I've been fishing plenty of times and have caught a plethora of different kinds of fish, why would I need a help teaching me how to catch dolphin." Well, if you fall into that category, you're dead wrong. It doesn't matter if you've never been fishing before in you're life, or you've a 40 year grouper and snapper vet, because dolphin fishing is a whole different ballpark. You can brag all you want about how many bass or trout you've caught, but it will do little good in regards to becoming an expert dolphin fisherman. Even if you've been dolphin fishing before, and you've maybe even snagged a few dolphin here and there, regardless, this blog will benifit you're dolphin fishing skill tremendously.

     First let's start off with the equipment. For all you fishermen with light action reels, they aren't going to cut it for dolphin, unless you don't mind catching babies or loosing big dolphin. Nope, you're going to need deep see open reels, and for all you who don't know what that means, I'm talking about the fishing rods with the reel that faces up not down. with these, the bigger the better, although unless you plan on catching a huge dolphin, the smaller ones will work fine. You're going to need to equip you're fishing poles with 40-80 pound test to avoid getting you're line snapped. You're also going to need pliers and a knife. 

     Another question you might ask yourself is what kind of bait should I use? well, fortunately you have many different options. You're first option is live bait. When fishing with love bait, you want to be in 200-1000 feet of water; In other words, 1-3 miles off shore. You will need anywhere between a 4/0 and 8/0 hook. As far as what kind of bait to use, you can't go wrong with pilchards, goggle-eyes, or any other kind of bait fish. If you're wondering on where to find these "baitfish" There are guys whose jobs' are solely to catch baitfish, and you can't purchase any of the catch at most marinas. And if you want to save a few bucks, you can go out and catch them yourself with a light action reel. Once you have the baitfish, you're going to need to either purchase a live well or place them in a bucket or container of saltwater. When you're all set up out in the ocean and ready to fish, you're going to want to hook the baitfish through wither the lip, nose or tail of the fish, as these are the strongest and met durrable parts of the fish, posing little to no harm to the fish as well as reducing the likelihood of the baitfish getting off the hook. Once you've hooked the baitfish, you're going to want to slowly let out line until you have between 50 and 100 feet of line out, then set the reel to strike. You can do this by switching the knob on the side of the reel. Then you simply put the rod in a rod holder and wait for a strike. 

     The other method to dolphin fishing is known as trolling, with this method, you place 2-4 lines out in the water and slowly troll between 1 and 30 miles offshore. If you're going to troll with more than 2 lines, you will need to purchase outriggers. Outriggers reduce the likelihood of you're lines getting tangles while trolling. As far as what baits to use for trolling, you have a couple options. You can either use ballyhoo or an artificial lure. If you take a trip to you're local fishing store they will hook you up with the best lures or baits to troll with. When trolling, you need to keep the boat at between 7 and 10 knots; this is the optimal speed to troll for dolphin at. 

     Another thing you have to be aware of is that dolphins frequently travel in school, or packs. That means when you catch one many more are likely to follow. In that case, you should always have bait ready to chum the water with as well as light action reels with hair hooks ready to throw a piece of bait on and drop in the water. Make sure if you do get into a school of dolphin, you always keep one in the water on a hook, as it greatly reduces the chance of the dolphin leaving if one is still there.

Taking all this into consideration, you're officially ready to start dolphin fishing. good luck and keep me updated on you're results.