By Nic Di Gravio

If we were to actually take the time to look at a map of Ontario we would realize how lucky we bass anglers really are. From the southern Lakes of Erie and Ontario to Lakes Huron, Georgian Bay and northern Lake Superior to Ontario’s near north lakes of Nippissing and Muskoka to name a few, Bass fishing in Ontario is simply fantastic!

Every one knows that the north shore of Ontario’s Lake Erie is a Smallmouth factory with huge fish being caught, but I have also seen monsters come out of Lake Simcoe tipping the scales at 7lbs. WOW! That’s a big Smallmouth! I have fished small inland lakes in Ontario’s Bruce Peninsula and hooked 4 to 6lb Smallmouth and Largemouth. Lake St. Clair in the southwest is another Bass haven of Ontario along with the infamous Kawarthas of south central Ontario. The Kawartha Lakes – Pigeon, Scugog, Rice, Buckhorn, Sturgeon and Balsam get their fare share of Bass angler traffic and still cough up a big supply of Largemouth and Smallmouth.

Ontario’s Walleye waters of Bay of Quinte, is becoming more and more of a Bass anglers paradise, with bigger fish weighing in at the tournament podium every year. Lake Ontario from Kingston to the St. Lawrence is an excellent Smallmouth fishery, just ask Pro Angler, Shaw Grisby, from Florida where his favorite fishing area is and he will mention Kingston. Lakes Couchiching, Muskoka, Nippissing, the list is virtually endless for good Smallmouth and Largemouth lakes where weights of 5lbs and up are being caught. Some of Southern Ontario’s river systems like the mighty Niagara, Detroit, St. Lawrence, Ottawa, Grand, Saugeen and even the French river of the near north have world class Bass fishing.Whether fishing from a canoe or from shore these rivers are a must for any adventurous Bass angler.

Ontario does have good sizes and numbers of Bass, but we must keep in mind the growing season here is cut in half in comparison to State side. Our winters last more than 4 months which means that a ‘hog’ of a Bass could be upwards of 10 years of age depending on whether you’re in the north or south. Lake Erie with its good population of Bass can handle the taking of a few good fish. Even lakes of Simcoe’s caliber can stand to loose a few, but small inland lakes, in my opinion, can’t handle everyone taking trophy Largemouth or Smallmouth.

Due to the short growing season taking big fish in large quantities from these waters could be devastating to the bass population. Smaller fish can be harvested in smaller lakes, but lunkers, I think should be released for the simple reason that ‘Big Bass make more Bass’ for us to pursue or harvest.

I have been Bass fishing Ontario waters for close to 36 years now and if I live to be a hundred I still will not be able to fish half of the lakes this province provides. Largemouth and Smallmouth are here in abundance and untouched like Ontario’s wilderness.

When fishing for Bass in Ontario I would say that from the Northern tip of Lake Superior and beyond to the southern most tip of Pelee Island, Ontario is truly a Bass angler’s paradise!

Copyright 2006 ProBassFishing.ca

Visit Nic DiGravio at http://www.probassfishing.ca

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By Trevor Kugler

In this article I’m going to list some of the most effective summer bass fishing lures. I’m listing these lures in no particular order seeing as how “the best” bass lures are the ones that work best for each individual angler. Everyone has their favorite bass fishing lures; the point is that you might not have some of these effective summer bass fishing lures in your tackle box/bag. If you don’t have any of these bass lures available you probably want to add them.

When water temperatures rise above the mid eighties bass fishing can become much more difficult. Bass (especially largemouth bass) prefer water temperatures from the mid seventies to the mid eighties, and when the temperatures rise above the mid eighties bass fishing can become tough.

A great way to combat high water temperatures is to fish in the early mornings. This is when the water will be the coolest and cloudy days and rainstorms can help with the water temperatures as well. During the summertime it’s also a great idea to go fishing when there is the least amount of activity on the water. Once all the toys come out, bass fishing can become all but impossible on many lakes and reservoirs.

So what are the effective bass fishing lures that you need to know about and have access to in the summer?

1. Top Water Baits – These baits can perform best during the mornings and evenings during the hot days of summer. There are many different varieties of top water bass lures that are effective and some of the best are frog imitations and soft stick baits. Frog imitations such as the rebel Teeny Wee Frog can be extremely effective during the summertime.
2. Shad Imitations – During the summer months many lakes and reservoirs are full of Threadfin Shad. These bait fish are a staple food source for bass all year, but especially in the summertime. When it comes to bass lures one of the most effective is the KickTail Minnow. Of all bass fishing lures available today, this may be one of the most effective. Shad imitations are a must for any tickle box/bag.
3. Slow Falling Plastics – Plastic worms and grubs are excellent bass lures in the summertime. After your early morning fishing and the day (and water temperatures) start to heat up bass will move to deeper cover. Throwing soft plastics at these bass can be a very effective technique. At this time of the year many times strikes come as the lure is falling, so the less weight you can use the better. Slow falling plastics can be a great option in the summer.

If any of these bass baits aren’t in your fishing repertoire I would add them. These bass lures are all effective when fishing during the dog days of summer and will help you experience more bass fishing success. Just remember there is nothing that will help you bass catching ability like spending time on the water fishing, so for God’s sake get out there!

Trevor Kugler is co-founder of JRWfishing.com and an avid angler. He has more than 25 years experience fishing for all types of fish, and 15 years of business and internet experience. He currently raises his five year old daughter in the heart of trout fishing country.

Effective Summer Bass Lures – http://www.jrwfishing.com/fishing_lures.html

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By Terry L Alexander

Night fishing walleyes is tougher than fishing them in the daytime. Nothing surprising about that as it’s just harder to see when you’re fishing at night. Don’t let that stop you though. I’ve caught lots more bigger fish just after sunset than I have during the full sun of daytime. Walleyes are probably the fish most fished for at night, up north.

Probably bass or crappies down south. Fall is, to me, the absolute best time for night fishing walleyes. The water has started to cool quite a bit and the prey fish that walleyes feed on have moved in closer to shore in most fishing lakes. The walleyes know winter is coming and go on a feeding spree before the good fishing lakes freeze over.

For night shore fishing walleyes I used live bait about 99% of the time. Casting was just to much guess work when fishing from shore. Considering I was fishing walleyes it was very rocky and snag filled where I fished. Live bait and lighted bobbers worked very well for night fishing. One of the things that may surprise you the most about shore fishing at night is the fact that you don’t have to cast out very far at all. Walleyes see very well in the dark and some nights you can actually see their eyes reflecting light from flashlights.

We made sure to be at the lake every fall starting around Oct. 1st. Never before the first freeze of the year. Anyway, after a few overnight lows below 32 degrees we’d get to the lake just before sundown, get baited up and start fishing. The frogs would be migrating into the lake and when we’d shine the spotlight out about 20-25 feet from shore, the depth was only about 2 feet, you could see the walleyes lined up should to shoulder and facing shore, just waiting for the frogs to come to them. Kinda like the people at at a good buffet line in Vegas.

The walleyes weren’t picky about what they bit on. Anything that was alive and wiggled would catch walleyes. We used live minnows around 3-4 inches long and lighted bobbers. Just a simple lighted bobber, a couple of split shot and the hook tied directly to the end of the line. I’ve also used fluorescent lures at night with a good deal of success. The trick is to keep them glowing and I accomplished that by using the flash from an old 110 camera. It would make those lures really glow. You see, it’s not the length of time exposed to light, it’s the intensity of the light that makes the lures glow so bright.

One things for sure, there aren’t lots of fishermen fishing at night. Most are daytime fishing people. If you don’t like crowds grab your fishing rods and head for the better night fishing spots that you know about. Fishing at night can be a lot of fun and night walleye fishing can be great. You’ll probably have a better night catch than you do in the daytime.

I’ve been fishing for over 60 years and I’ve learned a lot of little tricks and tips during that time. If you want to catch big fish check out this article I wrote on Northern Pike Techniques. You might also like my blog at Freshwater Fishing Tips. It’s full of tips and tricks you can use to catch more fish.

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By Andrew Martinsen

Summer Walleye fishing tactics are essential if you want to catch these fish in the warmer weather.

It’s well known that it can be tougher to catch these glorious fish during this time of year, so care needs to be taken to try different tactics from what worked during the Springtime if your normal walleye techniques aren’t bringing in the quantity or size of fish you desire.

The first tip to fishing for Walleye n the summer has to do with where you will find the fish. When the weather warms up, the Walleye move into deeper water where the temperatures are cooler. This means you must go farther away from the shore to find the Walleye. Underwater structures are a big favorite of these fish during the summer, because these also help lower the water temperature as well as create a great place for bait fish to hang out. Where the bait fish go, the Walleye will follow, and this is true no matter what season or month it is.

Find out what the main species of forage for Walleye is in the water you are fishing, and try to use bait that is close to this natural food source. Walleye can be slow and lazy, especially during the summer months, so make your bait an easy meal that the fish does not have to work for, and you will be pleasantly surprised with the results.

Some good rigs and bait to try during this time would be bottom bouncers in combination with a spinner-crawler rig. Crankbaits will work well if the Walleye are twenty feet or above. If the fish are deeper than this, it may be advisable to switch to a drop shot rig or just a bottom bouncer. Live bait, including minnows, worms, leeches, and night crawlers will work well at almost any depth. Jigging spoons and jigs will also usually get good results in the summer.

Because summer Walleye are usually located deeper than at other times of the year, some anglers use a line which has a lead core. This allows anglers to use any lure and still guarantee that it will go deep enough. There is a color coding for every ten yards of line, so it is simple to keep track of your fishing depth as well, simply by verifying the markings on the line. Weed beds can be a great fishing spot during the summer, and Walleye really like these spots because the weeds not only cool the water and block the sun but also provide more oxygen in the water. Weed beds also provide a great hiding spot for the bait fish, which attract the Walleye.

When days get warmer and the summer months arrive, you don’t have to give up on Walleye fishing until fall. Fishing for Walleye can be just as successful during the summer as it is during the spring, fall, and winter.

As always, have fun out there and stay safe.

Andrew Martinsen ‘s WalleyeFishingSecrets.com showcases ways to get the adrenaline going out on the water by getting more big bites more often.

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By Dennis M Mitchell

Crankbaits can be one of the most productive baits you can fish. I discovered how productive crankbaits can be several years ago. Crankbaits are very versatile and can be used in many situations and under a variety of conditions.

Proper Equipment

The rig I like to use for crankbaiting is a 7 ft medium action rod, 12 lb. test green low-vis line, and a good quality baitcast reel.

My favorite crankbait rod is a 7 ft., medium action Team All Star rod. The blank is IM10 graphite. When you crankbaiting, you want to use a medium action rod. A heavier action will rip the bait out of the fish’s mouth. The 7 foot rod is great for two reasons. Number one, you get great casting distance with the 7 foot rod. Number two, you get a great hook set with the longer rod. I will talk about hook setting later. If you are fishing in a tight situation, such as around docks, trees, or boat docks, then a 6 foot rod is better. Casting around cover with a shorter rod is easier than with a long rod. But most of the time, you are not fishing in a tight situation with a crankbait, the longer rod is better. The longer the cast, the more water you cover.

The reel I use is an Abu Garcia® Ambassadeur® C3 Classic Round Baitcast with a 5.3:1 gear ratio. I don’t think it is necessary to have a high speed reel. A high gear ratio may cause you to retrieve the lure too fast. Most of the time, a medium speed retrieve will produce the most bass. That is not to say that there are times when burning the lure will produce fish. I believe those times are the exception, not the rule. Also keep in mind that there are times when a slow retrieve is in order, which is difficult to achieve with a high gear ratio reel. The 5.3:1 gear ratio will suit your needs a majority of the time. I have done some modifications to my reel. I have added ceramic bearing, which make a huge difference in casting distance. I have also replaced the worm gear (the part that moves your line back and forth on the spool) with a ball bearing worm gear and ceramic pawl. I also replaced the stock idler gear with a ball bearing idler gear. In addition, I replace the handle with a longer handle.

Most of the time, 12 lb. test line is a good choice for crankbaits. Twelve lb. test is a good trade-off between strength and diving depth. There are two problems with using heavier line. For one, you will sacrifice how deep your bait will dive. Secondly, heavy line makes noise that the bass can hear, which can affect how many fish you catch. There are situations that heavy line is in order. If you are fishing around brush, then moving up to 17 lb test line is appropriate. However, as a rule of thumb, try to stick with 12 lb. test. And always use low-visibility line, such as the green color. There is no reason to use fluorescent high-visibility line when throwing a crankbait.

One more very important piece of equipment for the serious crankbaiter is a lure retriever. This is a heavy lead weight with wire loops that attach to your line and dangling chains. The weight is connected to a heavy retrieve line. You loop the weight onto your fishing line and slide it down to the snagged crankbait. When you knock your lure off the snag, you pull the lure retriever back with the heavy line. You will get about 95% of your snagged baits back with a lure retriever. They cost between $10 to $15 and I have saved over a thousand dollars in lures over the years. That makes it a very good investment.

When to use a Crankbait

The best condition to throw a crankbait is stained water. Crankbaits don’t work very well in extremely muddy water or very clear water. Stained water is defined by the ability to see a white lure from a depth of 2 to 4 feet. If you have more than 5 to 6 feet of visibility, the water is a little too clear for a crankbait. On the other hand, if you have less than one foot of visibility, the water is too muddy. Two to four feet of visibility is ideal for a crankbait.

Light level and wave action also play into the effectiveness of a crankbait. A windy day with some chop on the water is ideal for crankbaits. Flat water with high bright sun is not the best condition for cranking. But you can catch fish under those conditions with a crankbait.

Water temperature is also important. Wait until the water is at least 50 degrees before using a crankbait. If the water is cold, there are much more effective lures than a crankbait.

You can use a crankbait in many of the same situations most people would throw a spinnerbait. One of the main reasons a crankbait is so effective is that most people don’t throw them and bass aren’t used to seeing them. Everyone throws a spinnerbait and the bass see a lot of them. Throw a crankbait and the bass are seeing something they haven’t seen many times before. I also use crankbaits to determine the mood of the bass. If they are not biting a crankbait, I know to use something like a jig or soft plastic with a slower presentation.

Crankbait Colors

In the spring, my favorite colors are crawdad and firetiger. Crawdad can be a good color all year long. After the spawn and early summer, baby bass is very effective. Later in the summer, shad is good. The Bandit Tennessee Shad color is very good. In dirtier water, the chartreuse/blue back color is very effective. In the fall, start using crawdad again. Shad can also be good in the fall, but I have more consistent luck with crawdad.

Crankbait Styles and Models

Flat sided baits produce a tight wobble. Wider baits will produce a wider wobble. In colder water that is 50 to 55 degrees, you want to use a flat sided crankbait, such as the Bomber Flat A or a Fat Free Shad. In cold water, the bass prefer a tight wobble. As the water gets warmer, you want to use wider bait with more wobble. In the summer when the water is very warm, you can use very wide bait, such as a Fat A, that has a lot of wobble.

My favorite crankbaits are the Bandit 100 and 200 series, the Norman Middle N, and the Bomber Flat A, 6A, and Fat A.

How to Fish a Crankbait

To key to success with a crankbait is making sure it bumps off objects or structure. The biggest mistake I see people make is throwing a crankbait into open water. This will not be productive. It must be bouncing off of rock, off of trees, brush, around boat docks, or even just bouncing off the bottom. A crankbait dredging the bottom looks a lot like a crawfish. And a bass loves to eat crawfish!

One of my favorite ways to fish a crankbait is to parallel a rock bank or bluff. The steeper the bank, the closer to the bank I get with my boat. If it is a bluff bank that drops quickly to 7 – 10 feet of water, I will get my boat about a rod length away from the bank and cast parallel to the bank ahead of the boat. Then I will point my rod tip towards the bluff bank and make as much contact as possible with the bank when reeling in my bait. The key is I want my bait to be bouncing off the rock. I cannot emphasize enough that your bait must be bouncing off of objects or it will not be productive.

Rip Rap must have been invented by someone who loves to throw a crankbait. Rip Rap banks are some of the best cranking water around. The same technique can be used on rip rap as you use on a bluff bank, except you can usually position the boat further from the bank. Parallel the bank and cast towards the shore. Again, you want your bait to bounce off the rocks.

Fishing around standing timber can be good with a crankbait too. I have caught bass off of flats that nothing on them except standing timber. I would position my boat, cast far enough past the tree to allow my bait to dive to the correct depth, and retrieve it making sure it bumped the tree. Again, your bait must be bouncing off of the tree or it will not be productive. I will position my boat and try to fish all side of in individual tree or group of trees this way. If you have a tree row, you can almost treat it like a bank. Parallel the tree row with your boat and retrieve your bait down each side of the tree row. Just make sure your bait is bumping the trees.

Fishing around boat docks can be effective with crankbaits as well. Just make sure the retrieve depth of your bait matches the depth of the fish. If the bass are hiding right underneath the dock, then a shallow driving crankbait is in order. Just retrieve the bait right down the side of the dock, much the same way you would a spinnerbait. If the bass are deeper, then there usually needs to be other structure around the dock, such as submerged brush, to make a dock productive. The same rules apply as before. If a dock is over deeper water and the bass are deeper as well, your crankbait must make contact with brush or the bottom. Just retrieving your lure through open water isn’t productive. The only exception to this is when the bass are shallow right underneath the dock and your retrieve a shallow diving crankbait down the side of the dock.

Crankbaits can be very effective around brush. A lot of anglers will throw a spinnerbait in that situation, but I like to use a crankbait. You would think with all the treble hooks, you would constantly be hanging up. But the diving bill and the body of the crankbait make it fairly weedless. I am not afraid to throw a crankbait into a brush pile. But be careful. A big bass may hit it and break your arm!

When I’m reeling in my bait, I like to have my rod tip pointing down towards the water. You get maximum depth that way and you can feel your bait better. If you snagged on something, you can usually just raise your rod tip up and pull your bait over the snag.

One more point. Don’t reel at a constant speed. Vary your retrieve speed as you are reeling in your bait. I like to use a stop and go retrieve where I reel a few turns, stop about a half second, and reel again, while stopping my retrieve every few turns of the reel. The more erratic your lure looks, the more likely a bass will nail it.

The Strike and Setting the Hook

Bass will usually strike a crankbait fairly hard. Don’t set the hook hard like when you are fishing a worm or jig. Simply sweeping your rod when you feel a bass is sufficient for crankbaits. You do need to pay attention to what your lure is doing at all times. One reason is what I have said numerous times before. Your lure needs to be bumping objects. If you don’t feel your bait bumping into rocks, logs, brush, etc., then you need to change what you are doing. Another reason is bass don’t always hit your crankbait hard. Sometimes, they just swim up behind it and suck it in. When you reel in a crankbait, you will feel the throb of the bait wobbling. When a fish swims up and sucks it in, the only thing you feel is the lure quits wobbling, like it hooked a leaf. Big bass are notorious for doing this. If you feel your crankbait stop wobbling, SET THE HOOK! You may just reel in a leaf. But sometimes, you will have a really big bass.

Summary

Crankbaits can be very productive and should be part of every angler’s arsenal. When everyone else is throwing a spinnerbait, try a crankbait instead. You will be pleased with the results.

Bass clubs are the backbone of tournament fishing. Joining a bass club is the best way to improve your skills and take your fishing to the next step.

Dennis Mitchell is a member of the Raytown Bass Club [http://www.raytownbassclub.net] and has been tournament fishing for 20 years.

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By Navodita Maurice

All of us are familiar with them. They are easily available in the ponds, streams, lakes etc. during the rainy season their croaking sounds can be easily heard which disturbs our peace. We are talking about the frogs. Frogs belong to the phylum Chordata and class Amphibia. They have the potential to live on water as well as on land. They are anuran which means that they are tailless and belong to the order Anura. Majority of the frogs possess long hind limbs, webbed digits, short body, protruding eyes and no tail. Frogs have great powers of jumping from here and there which is governed by their short body and long hind legs which help in performing jumping.

They have a permeable skin and are semi-aquatic, prefer to live in the humid areas but can easily walk on land. They are oviparous and lay their eggs in ponds and lakes. The larvae that hatch out of the eggs are called tadpoles which are characterized by the presence of gills and they complete their development in water. Adult frogs are carnivorous and feed on gastropods, annelids and arthropods. They are easily noticed during their mating season by their croaking sound.

Frogs are easily available in the tropic and subarctic regions but majority of the species are found in the tropical rain forests. They form the diverse group of vertebrates and about 5,000 species are known till present. Some species are however on the verge of extinction. Frogs are different from the toads as the toads prefer to live in dry habitats and this distinction is made on the basis of convergent evolution. The word frog has been derived from an Old English word frogga which means ‘to jump’.

Taxonomy

The order Anura encompasses about 4,810 species under 33 families out of which Leptodactylidae includes 1100 species, Hylidae includes 800 species and Ranidae includes 750 species. 88% of the amphibian species are the frogs. All the members of Anura are frogs but those belonging to the family Bufonidae are considered as true toads. The skin of the frogs is moist and smooth while that of the toads is dry and warty except the fire bellied toad Bombina bombina whose skin is slightly warty. Frogs and toads are broadly classified under three suborders. The first one is Archaeobatrachia, which comprises 4 families of primitive frogs. Second is Mesobatrachia, which includes 5 families of more evolutionary intermediate frogs and the third one is Neobatrachia, which is the largest group and contains the remaining 24 families of “modern” frogs,found throughout the world. Neobatrachia is further divided into the Hyloidea and Ranoidea. Some species of frogs can be hybridized easily for example the common edible frog Rana esculenta is the hybrid of Pool frog R.lessonae and the Marsh frog R.ridibunda.

Morphology and Physiology

Frogs are quite peculiar among the amphibians. Among the two groups of amphibians, the salamanders and the caecilians they are unusual as the adults lack tail and their hind legs are adapted more to jumping as compared to walking. Their physiology is similar to other amphibians as oxygen can easily penetrate through their moist skin. This feature enables them to breathe through their skins. The oxygen is easily dissolved in the moist layer of the skin in the form of a film and is passed to the blood from where it is transported later on. The frogs always keep their skin moist. This mode of respiration also makes frogs susceptible to the toxins dissolved in water and is responsible for decline of population of certain frog species. Frogs have long hind legs with elongated ankle bones. Their vertebral column is also short comprising of about ten vertebrae followed by a fused tail bone called as coccyx.

The body size of frogs range from 10 mm to 300 mm. the skin loosely covers the body as there is no connective tissue. The texture of the skin may be smooth, warty or folded. They have three eyelids. One is transparent which protects the eyes underwater and the two are translucent to opaque. They have tympanum on either side of the head which helps in hearing. They have pedicellate teeth. Most frogs have teeth only on the upper jaw and vomerine teeth on the roof of their mouth. The teeth are basically for holding the prey in place from where it is swallowed.

Feet and Legs

The legs and feet vary in structure depending upon the habitat of the frogs whether they live on trees, ground, water and in burrows. The frogs are supposed to be very quick to capture their prey and escape from their predators and must be suitably adapted to their environment. Frogs those living in water have webbed toes but the degree of toes to be webbed is directly proportional to the time spent in water by the frog. The African dwarf frog has completely webbed toes as it is completely aquatic whereas White’s tree frog has half webbed toes. The frogs adapted to arboreal mode of life have toe pads located on the ends of the toes for gripping on the vertical surfaces. The pads are made up of interlocking cells that have very small gap between the adjacent surfaces. When the frog applies pressure on the pads the interlocking cells help in gripping the irregular surface. The small gaps between the cells help in gripping by capillary action and this also allows the frog for maintain grip on the smooth surface also. The ground dwelling frogs lack all the adaptations that are present in the aquatic ad arboreal frogs. They have very small toe pads and very little or no webbing at all. Some burrowing frogs have a toe extension called the metatarsal tubercle which helps in burrowing.

Jumping

Frogs are generally considered as exceptional jumper but perhaps the best jumpers of all the vertebrates. The Australian rocket frog can leap about 50 times higher than its body length resulting in jumps of about 2 meters. The acceleration of the jump may be twice as that of gravity. The capability of jump, distance of jump varies with the species. The musculo-skeletal morphology is highly modified for performing the jumping activity. The bones tibia, fibula and the tarsals are fused into a single strong bone just like the radius and ulna in the forelimbs. The metatarsals are also elongated and help in jumping. The ilium is fused with the sacrum and aids in jumping especially in the Ranids and Hylids and functions as the power provider for jumping. The elongation of limbs is the basic factor which governs the height as well as the distance of the jump.

The muscular system is also highly modified according to the habitat of frogs. In modern frogs almost all muscles are involved in performing the jumping movements and only few are involved in bringing back the body to its original posture. The muscles are also greatly enlarged in size and the muscles that are involved in jumping form about 17% of the body mass of the frog. Presently it is hypothesized that the frogs store their energy by stretching their tendons and use it like spring and release the store energy in one stroke only.

Skin

Many frogs are reported to store water and oxygen through their skin near the pelvic area. However, the permeable skin is also responsible for water loss. Some tree frogs have a waterproof layer over their skins which help in reducing the water loss. Other frogs also minimize water loss by becoming nocturnal, living under the shades during the daytime and coming out in night for capturing the prey. Some frogs rest in such a way that their skins are in direct contact with each other and this helps in reducing water loss.

Majority of the frog species use camouflage as their prime defensive weapon. Most camouflaged frogs are nocturnal in habit which adds a good source of their survival from the predators. Some frogs have the ability to change colour but they are capable of acquiring shades of only one or two colours like the White’s tree frogs vary in shades of green and brown. Warts and skin folds are generally found in the ground dwelling frogs and the arboreal frogs have smooth skin as they can easily cover themselves under the leaves. Some forgs change their colour during the day and the night time as the light and moisture content helps in contraction and expansion of the pigment cells.

Poison

Many frogs bear mild poisons that make them unpalatable by their predators. All the toads have poison gland called the parotid gland located behind the eyes on top of the heads. Some poison dart frogs are completely toxic. The chemicals present the toxins of the frogs may vary from irritants to hallucinogens, convulsants, nerve poisons and vasoconstrictors. Many predators of frogs are capable of protecting themselves from the poisons of frogs. Others including human beings may be severely affected by the toxins of frog. Some species of frogs obtain poison from the ants and the arthropods they eat and produce an alkaloid that is toxic and this alkaloid is not derived from the food they eat. Some native people of South America extract poison from the poison dart frogs also. The alkaloid epibatidine, a painkiller which is derived from the poison dart frogs is 200 times more potent than morphine. Other chemicals that have been isolated from the frogs are thought to be useful against the treatment of HIV infection. The dart and arrow poisons are under investigation for use in therapeutic drugs. The skin secretions of some toads contain bufotoxins especially the bufotenin is psychoactive.

Respiration and Circulation

The skin of the frog allows entry of oxygen as well as carbon dioxide. The skin houses large number of blood vessels. When the frog is underwater the oxygen is absorbed through the skin and is transported directly to the bloodstream. On land lungs are used for respiration. The lungs resemble human lungs but the chest muscles are not involved in respiration an also the frogs lack ribs and diaphragm. While breathing through lungs the frogs take air through the nostrils and compress it at the floor of the mouth and then the compressed air is sent to the lungs.

The heart of frogs is three chambered. In the three chambered heart the oxygenated blood from the lungs and the deoxygenated blood from the tissues enters the atria which are separate and which later on enters the aorta by spiral valve. The blood finally enters the pulmonary artery. The spiral valve prevents the mixing of two types of blood and enables the frog to maintain higher metabolic rates and remain active. Some frogs are even able to survive in oxygen deficient water also.

Digestion and Excretion

The digestive system of frogs begins with the mouth. The upper jaw bears teeth called the maxillary teeth which are used for grinding the food before swallowing. These teeth are very weak and cannot be used for catching the prey. The frogs use their sticky tongues for catching the prey. The food after grinding enters the stomach through esophagus. The food then enters the small intestine where most of the digestion takes place. The pancreas secretes pancreatic juice and the liver produces bile which enters the intestine and mixes with the food and thus the frog extracts nutrients. The food after digestion enters the large intestine where water is absorbed and then the waste products are passed towards the cloaca. All the waste products leave the body through cloaca and cloacal vent.

Nervous System

The fogs bear a highly developed nervous system consisting of brain, spinal cords and nerves. Many parts of the brain resemble with that of the humans. The medulla oblongata is responsible for controlling the activities of digestion, respiration and other automatic functions. Cerebellum controls the muscle coordination and body posture. The relative size of cerebrum is smaller in comparison to that of the humans. There are ten cranial nerves and ten pairs of spinal nerves. The ear has semicircular canals that are responsible for balancing and orientation.

Life Cycle

The life stages of frogs are similar to that of other amphibians including egg, tadpole, metamorphosis and adult. The breeding behaviour of frogs is very interesting as they produce a mating call in order to attract the female. After mating the female lays thousands of eggs wrapped in a gelatinous covering in water. The eggs are highly vulnerable to predation so frogs use a number of diverse techniques in order to save their progeny from predators. In the colder climate the embryo is black in colour in order to absorb more heat from the sun which fastens the development of the frog. Some frogs lay their eggs in small packets of leaves which they make in order to save them from the predators and provide necessary moisture to them. In some frogs the tadpoles after hatching directly jump into water. The eggs hatch into tiny tadpoles which have oval bodies and vertically flattened tails. Only one species have semi-terrestrial tadpoles. The tadpoles are completely aquatic and they lack eyelids, lungs, front and hind legs and possess a cartilaginous skeleton. Like fishes the tadpoles also have lateral line system, gills for respiration and tails with dorsal and ventral folds of skin foe swimming. Some species which hatch from the eggs as tiny frogs do not have gills. Tadpoles also lack true teeth but they have keratinized structures in their upper jaws called keradonts and the lower jaw also bears three keradonts surrounded by a horny beak.

The tadpoles feed on algae and diatoms which are filtered by the gills indicating that they are herbivorous. Some species are carnivorous and also show cannibalism. Tadpoles are at the risk of being easily caught by the fishes, birds especially the kingfishers, newts and predatory diving beetles. Tadpoles of some species are also toxic to their predators. Some tadpoles have the capability of overwintering and then metamorphosing in the next year. The tail of the tadpole also contains some vertebral structures that give rise to the urostyle in later part of the life and the tail also lacks solid segmental structures but it bears a notochord. When fully developed the tadpole undergoes metamorphosis which includes transition from larval stage to the adult form. Metamorphosis includes many drastic changes that help the tadpole to develop into an adult. These changes include development of fore and hind limbs, loss of gills and development of lungs and loss of tails. The length of the intestine also shortens as they transform their feeding habit from herbivorous to carnivorous. The eyes also migrate rostrally and dorsally and are adapted for the binocular vision as found in the adult frog. The final stage of transformation of a tadpole to the adult frog involves apoptosis which means programmed cell death and loss of tail.

After completing metamorphosis the frogs leave water and start their terrestrial lives and if they are aquatic then they may live in the water as well. Almost all species of frogs especially the adults are carnivorous feeding on gastropods, arthropods and annelids. Frogs are also consumed by many mammals and birds. Frogs are also consumed by humans. The average life span of frogs is about 40 years and some species especially those of the temperate region are also known to hibernate during the winters.

Reproduction

When the frogs reach maturity they assemble near a water source which may be a pond of stream. Some also reach back to the places where they were born. During the breeding season the male frog calls a female by a special sound called the mating call or croaking and it becomes a chorus used by the males to attract the females towards themselves. The mating call is unique for every species. The females do not croak at all. After that the male and female undergo amplexus where the male tightly holds the female with his forelegs. The fertilization is external the female releases the eggs outside her body and the male soon releases a sperm solution over them resulting in the swelling of the eggs which attain a protective covering. The eggs are brown or black with a clear gelatinous covering. Most temperate species reproduce between the late autumn and early spring. Reproducing in the early season ensures better availability of food as well as faster development of the tadpoles.

Parental Care

20% species of frogs show parental care and this topic needs further concern. Some species of poison dart frogs lay their eggs on the forest floor and protect them by continually guarding them and also urinate on them to keep them moist. After hatching the parent carries the eggs to a water holding bromeliad and feeds them on unfertilized eggs. Some frogs protect their eggs by keeping them inside their bodies. Some frogs keep their eggs inside their vocal sacs and release the tadpoles after hatching of the eggs.

Call

The sound of some species is so loud that they can be heard from miles away. The call of a frog is unique for a species. Frogs call by passing air through the larynx in the throat which is then amplified by the vocal sacs. Some species lack vocal sacs but can produce loud calls as they have greatly enlarged buccal cavity acting as the resonance chamber that amplifies their call. The species of frog that lack vocal sacs and are not able to produce large calls gather near the flowing water and communicate by other means. The main reason of producing a call is to attract a female by the male. Males either call singly or in groups. All calls are produced by the males by keeping their mouths closed. When frogs are in danger they also produce a distress call by keeping their mouths open resulting in high pitch sound.

Distribution

Frogs are distributed all over the world except Antarctica and many oceanic islands. The diverse population of frogs is present in the tropical areas as plenty of food is available and the temperature range is suitable according to their need and also they are capable of defending themselves. The population of frogs has declined since 1950s resulting in complete extinction of 120 species and one third has joined the category of threatened species by 1980s. Habitat loss, change in climate conditions, pollution, infectious diseases including chytridiomycosis. Many environmental scientists believe that frogs are good biological indicators as they participate actively in the food chain as well as in the food web. Many programmes including the conservation of frogs have been started since 2007. They have also been shifted to zoos and aquarium in some countries and the year 2008 has been declared as the Year of the Frog. The earliest frogs evolved in the Jurassic (188-213 million years ago). The major evolutionary changes include shortening of the length of body and loss of tail. The fossils of frogs have been recorded all over the world except Antarctica.

Uses

Frogs play a very important role from commercial point of view. They are a source of food as frog legs are a source of delicacy in China, Philippines and France. Dead frogs are also used for dissection in the schools and colleges for studying the anatomy and physiology but this practice has been banned as the population of frogs is declining. Frogs are also used as model organisms since the history of science. Galvani discovered the relationship between electricity and nervous system by studying the physiology of frogs. The human chorionic gonadotropin found in substantial quantities in urine of the pregnant females when injected into the frog Xenopus laevis induce her to lay eggs. Robert Briggs and Thomas King cloned a frog by the technique of somatic cell nuclear transfer in 1952 and later on through this technique the sheep Dolly was cloned. Frogs are used in the research of embryology as they resemble very closely with that of the development of human embryo. Xenopus laevis is a very efficient experimental frog used in the concepts of human pregnancy. The genome sequence of X. leavis is under study and will be completed latest by 2015.

Frogs have also been a part of fairy tales from a long time as they are ugly, clumsy and are considered very talent. The Moche people of Peru are famous for worshiping frogs. We can conclude that frogs are very important in various fields of our life.

Navodita Maurice

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By Clair Schwan

Most of my wild game recipes have something to do with the grill. I’m big on flames and wood smoke when it comes to cooking. If you haven’t tried smoking some of the fish you’re catching, then you have new culinary territory to explore. How about smoked panfish?

Combine a rod, reel, line, hook and red worms with your favorite fishing spot, and get yourself a mess of fish. Clean the fish as you normally would (remove head, fins and tail), but leave the skin and scales in place. Remove the upper and lower fins right down to the spinal column. Also, be sure to slit the skin on the top and bottom of the fish so the skin and scales on each side of the fish aren’t connected.

What You’ll Need:

• clean charcoal grill with a top and standard wire grilling surface
• briquettes
• wood chips (mesquite or hickory)
• paper towel
• cooking oil
• cleaned, rinsed and patted dry panfish

The Process of Smoking the Fish

While you get your grill up and running (with the grilling surface removed), soak a handful of wood chips in water. After the fire is hot, place the wire grilling surface over the fire to get that hot. Use a little oil on a paper towel to (quickly and carefully) wipe the grilling surface. This makes certain it’s clean and provides better assurance of a stick-free operation.

Drain excess water off of the wood chips and carefully move the grilling surface out of the way so you can spread the chips over the top of the coals. After you’ve spread the wood chips, replace the grilling surface and put a single layer of panfish on for cooking/smoking. Center the fish over the coals, allowing enough room to turn the fish with a flat blade BBQ spatula/turner/flipper.

Cook the fish using a low heat. Allow enough air inside the bottom of the grill to keep the fire going, but close down the top vents to keep the hot smoke in there to do its job. Slow and low is the way to allow the smoke to permeate the meat and make the wood chips last longer. Turn the fish if the skin/scales start to brown up from the heat, otherwise, leave them cook on one side for about 45 minutes before turning them over for another 45 minutes on the other side.

Check periodically to see if the fish are cooked sufficiently. Heat of the coals, length of time on the grill, and distance from the coals will all play a role in determining how long the fish can and should stay on the grill. Don’t be too concerned if some of the skin blackens as the scales and skin help protect the flesh from burning.

If your fire goes out or is too low, but you know you’ve done a good job of smoking the fish, you can finish cooking on a cookie sheet in the oven.

Your Reward

If you’ve done this right, you should have tender and moist fish with the consistency of fried fish but with a nice smoked flavor. The sides of the fish should easily fall away from the main skeletal structure with just a little effort, leaving you to pick out only the rib bones and a few stray bones from the fins that may still be in place. The meat should slide off of the skin and scales quite easily.

Clair Schwan isn’t much of a cook in the kitchen, but he can sure fix things up nicely on the grill, especially if there is smoke involved. He believes that fishing and cooking are a key part of self reliance. Discover how a self directed life contributes to satisfaction and happiness at http://www.Self-Reliance-Works.com

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By Kathy Barnhardt

Your children waited all day for you to come home from work. They behaved like angels for the babysitter, so you took them fishing as promised. Limits of panfish were filled and now you are wondering, “how do I clean these things?” No fretting necessary. Just follow the basic steps of panfish cleaning and the task will be done in no time.

To begin with, you’ll want to gather some items from the house or garage. These items are basic tools that will easily accomplish the job. The items you will want to have on hand consist of: newspaper, large soup spoon, knife with 4-5″ blade and a bag or something of that nature to place intestinal material into. After you have gathered these items, you are set to begin cleaning your panfish.

There are two ways to clean the fish. The instructions following will apply to “scaling” the fish. This form of cleaning is used when planning to cook the fish whole with head removed. Be aware that the bones will still be intact and they are not meant to be consumed when cooking fish in this manner.

1. Lay the fish on a solid surface that has been covered with newspaper or a cutting board. If using a cutting board, remember to clean the board with hot, soapy water or bleach spray when finished.

2. Using the metal, large soup spoon, begin scraping the fish from the tail to the head. This motion will remove the fish scales. You may need to apply slight pressure. Holding the tail will be useful when applying this cleaning technique. After removing all scales from both sides of the fish, you are ready to move on to the next step.

3. Removing the head is done by inserting the blade of your knife into the fish directly behind the gill fins and cutting through to the other side. This will need to be done on both sides of the fish if the head is not removed with the first cut. Once the head has been removed you are almost done cleaning the first fish.

4. Removing the intestines out of the fish can be done by inserting the knife blade into the belly of the fish at the base of the tail. After the knife is inserted, follow the bellies full length with the tip of the knife. The fish should spread open enough for intestinal removal to be done at this point.

5. The last step in cleaning and preparing the fish, is the cleansing. The fish are cleansed by rinsing under cool water. Cool water is used to cut down on the sliminess of the fish.

You have now successfully cleaned your first batch of fish.

Last but not least, a little information in regards to the fish material that was removed. Fish parts can be buried in gardens or disposed of by way of normal garbage removal. There is a positive to garden burial and a negative. Plenty of nutrients will be added to your garden soil as the material breaks down if buried. The negative, neighborhood cats and dogs may find the urge to dig in your garden nearly uncontrollable.

Written By:
Katherine Barnhardt
Joehank@brainerd.net

Through my writing I choose to deliver with passion and knowledge applicable information that displays both the positive and negative surrounding a specific topic or issue. It is that passion and information being given to the reader in an understanding format that will develop interest and create discussion or action in regards to a topic or issue.

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By Jeff Bausch

First of all what is a panfish? They are smaller fish that can sometimes be easy to catch when nothing else bites. However some are not so easy to catch. You will need some extra knowledge to catch others like the crappie. Bluegill, rock bass, various types of sunfish and crappie are examples of panfish species. They can be some of the best fighting fish pound per pound you can catch without spending much money on your equipment.

What kind of equipment will you need? Like I said you will not have to spend a lot of money. All you need is a basic rod and reel, maybe a spincast combo set or a spinning reel with a light rod. You could also fish for panfish with a cane pole or a telescopic pole that can extend up to 20 feet long for those hard to reach areas from shore or a boat. I know some people that only fish with these inexpensive poles for crappie. They say crappie spook so easy that when you pull up in a boat they will scatter. If you dont get to close by using a 20 foot pole you will not spook them.

Where do you find panfish? Look under docks and piers, near and around weed beds and lily pads. They will also hang around submerged rock piles and just about any other structure in the lake or river. Tree stumps, fallen trees just to name a few. Many times close to shore in the spring you will find bluegill. They will spawn in shallow areas that are rocky, which are sometimes close to shore. Crappies are a little harder to find and catch. They can be found in the shallows only in the spring, then around weed beds in the summer in deeper water. Sometimes they will suspend in 15 to 20 feet of water when the water warms up in the summer. Perch can be found in the same areas that you find bluegill and crappie.

Learning how to catch panfish also includes what baits to fish with. Bluegill and Perch like worms and crappie prefer minnows. All of these baits must be live. Panfish will bite on some artificial lures like spoons and swim baits that resemble live bait. When panfish are aggressive, like when they are protecting their nests during spawn, they may hit on almost anything they see as a threat to their eggs.

Learn how to catch panfish, the big ones! Now I said catching panfish can be pretty easy. However the big ones can be a little harder to catch. Bluegill can be plentiful around shorelines, piers, and docks and under parked boats. Many of them may be smaller with some bigger ones nearby. Look for the big panfish on their spawn beds in the spring and around weed beds, rocky points, tree stumps and many other types of structure that may be in deeper water. Depending on the water temperature and time of year will tell you how deep. If you do not have a temperature gauge fish at different depths while trolling or drifting in order to find them.

I am sure you will find this article helpful in your quest to catch your limit of crappie or any other panfish you are fishing for. Learning how to catch panfish is your key to success on any lake or river.

If you would like to know more please check out this page of crappie fishing tips.

Jeff Bausch has been fishing for over 40 years. He started a lake map business with the best fishing spots marked plus a fishing newspaper many years ago. Fishing has always been a passion, now he is sharing his fishing knowledge about how to use lake maps and how to fish any lake with great success.

Crappie Fishing Secrets and Techniques

Fishing Tackle Supply store

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By Eliseo Lao

Without argument one of the most well known areas for anglers that want to land that record breaking fish is in the cold, northern waters of the most northerly of the US states. Alaska salmon fishing, in the rivers, lakes and the ocean on the western side of the state are world renowned for their excellent salmon fishing and the huge number and variety of fish that exist in the waters.

Hot Spots for Salmon

Literally waterways in Alaska will have some type of salmon species that are native to the location, but there are some areas that are particularly known for their trophy-sized salmon of various types. Below is a general list of the body of water and the type and size of salmon that are typically for the area and body of water.

Kenai Peninsula and River – one of the most famous of all the Alaska salmon fishing hot spots, the Kenai Peninsula and river are home to several varieties including King Salmon, Chinook, Silver and Sockeye or Red salmon. Typically the variety of salmon will have different weights but the fish in this area may range in size from 25 to 90 pounds for mature adults.

Golsovia River, on the edge of the of the Bering Sea – this is a quiet yet highly productive area of the Alaska salmon fishing tour area, renowned for not only salmon but also for Artic Char fishing opportunities. The salmon species that are found in this area include Chum, Pink, Silver and King salmon. The best time for fishing in this area is June to August, with most guests easily reaching their limit and then using a catch and release program to continue to enjoy the fishing experience.

Sitka – this area of Alaska has always been known for its fishing opportunities. There is a limit on King salmon at one per day or three annually, but there is no annual limit on Silver salmon, also known as Coho, and a six per day catch restriction. Sitka is one of the larger cities in Alaska so it makes an idea base point for families that are going on Alaska salmon fishing trips.

Yentna River – one of the most popular fresh water salmon fishing systems, there are a variety of creeks, rivers and tributaries that are excellent to fish for several varieties of Alaska salmon. Fishing can be done by boat, off the shore or even by nets with the proper licensing and depending on the time of year. The varieties of salmon that can be caught in this area include King, Silver, Sockeye, Pink and Chum. Typically salmon are fished using spin or fly-fishing methods in these waterways.

Alaska salmon fishing offers breathtaking scenery in largely pristine and untouched areas. Many of the locations, especially the remote fishing lodges require fly in access to the lodges, but also provide the best opportunities to fish areas where there is a largely untouched salmon population. Alaska salmon fishing has its peak seasons between July and August when the weather is relatively warm and there is ample daylight for long hours of fishing enjoyment.

Eliseo is an avid fishing guy For more info and related article about fishing http://www.charasfishinginfo.com

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