Temps are coolin’ down — get out there and fish

Now that our summer heat appears to have left (at least for a short while), it’s a great time to be on the water with your fishing pole. With water temperatures cooling, fish are likely to be deeper than they have been and beginning to fatten up for the coming colder weather.

Catfish: With Region IV Game and Fish currently planting channel catfish at local ponds including West Wetlands and Fortuna Pond, it’s time to try your luck. Try using a medium action rod. Stinkbaits works really well for bait. One fisherman mixes strong cheese with flour and peanut butter, mixing in enough sardine oil to keep it good and greasy, but real thick and doughy as well. He lets the concoction sit in the sun a day or two, and when it ripens, it’ll stay on the hook better. Hot dogs soaked in sardine oil, whole minnows, fish meat (mackerel or blue gill are good) or chicken livers are also good. Blood bait or any of the Berkley prepared baits are also winners. Check out Yuma fishing equipment dealers to see what might best suit your needs.

Use a bait needle to run a two-foot leader through a 5-inch piece of bait, then tie on a big 5/0 hook. Fasten the line on a three-way swivel with one leg going to the main line, the other tied to a lighter, 12-inch length of monofilament line attached to a 2-ounce drop sinker. You can also hook chunks of cut bait just once through one end — this will aid in releasing scent as the bait rotates and bounces in the water flow.

A channel catfish will usually take the bait in its gaping mouth as it swims forward. No savage strike — just the tug at the line when he tastes the bait. The fish will resist swimming and the current will begin to carry him downstream as he crunches the offering. This is when you need to reel in slack line quickly and set the hook hard. Jean Wilson

Bass: If it’s bass at shallow waters you’re after, one Yuma angler suggests using a small crankbait with a large lip to make it wiggle and dive from 2 to 6 feet. Fishing over submerged bottom cover using short casts followed by quick retrieves may just do the trick.

At shore waters where it drops off into deeper waters, try working with larger big-lip lures that dive 6- to 30-feet on a steady retrieve. Check out areas with hydrilla, cattails, brush or flooded timber, then swim and cast freely — the big lip and body should shield the hooks behind them — no hang ups. When you feel the body touch something, nudge the lure with your rod tip while reeling in and it will bulldog its way along. You’ll find these lures ideal for crawling over limbs, logs, fallen trees, lily pad stumps, riprap and rocks. If a lure gets lodged against something, give it slack line and it will usually float free.

Kids and fishing: This weather is perfect for taking kids fishing. If you haven’t tried it yet, it will provide a lifetime of enjoyment for youngsters if they get to try their hand at the sport and get started on the right foot — and so good to have family fun together.

Remember to be flexible when fishing with kids. I have to remind myself of this all the time when fishing with my youngest grandkids, to do what they like best. Bobber-fishing seems to appeal to most all youngsters because they can see the bobber go down when they get a bite. And a cane pole for a beginner can oftentimes save the grief of tangled fishing line, offering more time for fishing fun and less time spent in frustration untangling knots in the line.

Pick an interesting spot to do your fishing with them - some place where there are other things to see and do besides just being at the water. That way if your youngster loses interest in fishing, they can move around a bit for variety. Even Fortuna Pond and Mittry Lake jetties give them room to let loose a little if they want. If they do fish with a rod and reel, be patient when it comes to untangling. And remind yourself, the finesse in casting and reeling in comes with time and experience.

Tip: Don’t throw a fit if they should spill the tackle box or lose their fishing pole or fish. Instead, offer suggestions on how results could be better next time. Take the time before they start fishing to tie a short rope or line to the tackle box and the fishing pole to their pants belt loops, life vest or wrist so the sinking equipment can be salvaged easily.

Praise works wonders: Any fish a child catches (no matter how small) is a trophy — so be ready with lots of praise for a job well done. Photos will also afford him/her something to brag about.

Remember to take along plenty of snacks and drinking water (don’t forget the wet washcloths or handy wipes for wormy hands) as well as sunscreen to keep the event a happy time they’ll remember with a smile.