Summer Cottage Fishing 101 – Basic Tips for Holiday Anglers
Once again, it’s time to think about new ways to catch fish from your summer cottage lake! We have put together a few tips for our Happy Angler fishing store customers to help you prepare for the summer cottage season effortlessly.
1. Make sure the fishing gear at your cottage is in good condition after the winter. Check the lines. Replace lines that have been in use for years with new ones: Even a good line will fray and deteriorate over the years.
2. Make sure that your fishing box has everything you need: leaders, snap swivels and other necessary fishing aids.
3. Make sure your most trusted lure is included in your box. Check that the hooks are in good condition. Replace old hooks with new ones if they are oxidized or dull. If your favourite lure got stuck in the lake bottom on your previous fishing trip, or was lost when the line snapped, it’s time to get a new one. If your new lure does not swim as it should, check the instructions for adjusting the swim and how you can possibly correct the situation.
4. Have you ever had a big fish escape? Every fisherman inevitably finds themselves struggling with a record fish that is wriggling and splashing water next to the boat. You should be prepared for these situations with a proper hand net!
5. Explore and get to know your fishing waters. See if you can find your own fishing spot or other possible fishing spots nearby on the kalasaalis.com online portal or the Fishbrain mobile application. Think carefully about what species of fish you want to catch and whether you have the tools to achieve your goal.
6. Can't find any fish? Have you considered purchasing a fish finder? A fish finder would make sure you are in the right fishing spots. After that, all you have to do is figure out a way to catch the fish you found. You may also want to watch this video showing how effective jigging is with an HDI fish finder.
7. Try something new! Have you ever tried baitcasting or float trolling? Or how about ice fishing on a calm lake? Are you familiar with spinnerbait or popper fishing? You can find more fishing tips here.
8. Read, ask, and learn. Online fishing communities, including Happy Angler's Facebook page, are full of fishing enthusiasts who can answer your questions.
9. Trolling with a few rods without side planer boards or other aids works best when the rod is held in a horizontal position instead of a vertical position. If the rod is in an upright position, the lure will swim in the surface instead of diving at the intended fishing depth. The most common trolling speed is about 3-4 km/h. It is a good idea to use the GPS function on your smartphone to measure speed.
10. Enjoy your fishing trips without feeling pressure to catch fish! You will catch more as you gain experience: Go fishing often and always try something new!
All-purpose lures for holiday anglers
Rapala Minnow Spoon
A weed lure you can cast even into the thickest bed of reeds or water lilies. Pike hiding in vegetation cannot resist this lure —it is an absolute must-have! This lure swims with intense strokes. It's a good idea to take breaks during reeling so that the lure floats calmly. An effective and fun way to fish is to throw a lure into a bed of water lilies and “bounce” it on top of the water lilies, stopping in between. Check out our Minnow Spoon range.
Abu Reflex
Powerful spinner with moves that do not go unnoticed by fish! The spinner's blade rotates easily and has a wonderful shimmer. The movement of the spinner attracts species from perch to trout and everything in between. You can have a look at the Reflex models here.
Helmi Räsänen by Kuusamon Uistin
The best of the best among spoon lures: Works not only for casting but also for trolling. A powerful lure with a floating motion even when fishing in rapids. Click here for the Helmi Räsänen spoon range.
Casting flies
Casting flies are lively in the water and prized fish cannot resist them. Allow the fly to swim according to your own preferences. The movement of the rod, combined with brakes during reeling, makes even the most elusive fish want to bite on a treat! You can see our range of lively flies here.
Spinnerbaits
You should always carry a few spinnerbaits with you. It often happens that nothing seems to work until you try a “hanger” and reel quickly. This is an overstimulation the pike will not be able to resist. We wish you unforgettable catches and tight lines with your spinnerbaits! Spinnerbaits and related products can be found here.
Lures for holiday trollers
Jesse 11 cm plug, special colours 2014
Jesse is Finland's best-selling zander plug. And it is no wonder, as it has been successfully used to catch several record zander. These juicy special colours can only be purchased at Happy Angler: They have been designed by our own trolling expert, and they are especially suitable for Finnish, slightly turbid zander waters. You can see all Jesse plug models here.
Nils Master Invincible 12 cm plug
Nils Master is the elite of pike plugs! A sure choice whenever you are fishing for pike. Great for trolling, but this lure can easily be used for cast fishing as well. Click here to see our Nils Master selection.
Rapala Shad Rap Deep Runner 7 cm plug
Shad Rap is one of Rapala's most legendary plug models—it is over 30 years old! This model has remained unchanged and its efficiency unbeatable. Works best for pike or perch fishing. Click here to learn more about this amazing deep-water plug.
Merimetso K90i 9 cm plug
Merimetso plugs from Pirkanmaa represent Finnish handwork at its best. The “marker” is one of the most well-known plugs for pike trolling. This plug is also used by numerous competitive trollers! You can find all Merimetso models in our selection.
Must-have accessories in your fishing box
A good pair of pliers
A good pair of pliers makes it much easier to remove hooks from fish. Needle-nose pliers protect your fingers from pike teeth. Our range of pliers also includes pliers suitable for threading lure loops as well as multifunction tools. Check out our range of pliers here.
Swivels and leaders
High-quality and durable swivels and leaders prevent the line from rotating, for example, when casting a spinner or spoon lure. A twisted line is more likely to entangle and make you lose lures. Leaders can be used to prevent your favourite lures from being devoured by pike. Don't let a short leader make your record pike snap your line—make sure you get leaders that are long enough! You can find our selection of swivels and leaders here.
Hook, line and sinker sets
Off-the-shelf sets of hook, line and sinker are a good and quick way, for example, of replacing a line that got stuck in a tree. We recommend you buy several sets with different sizes of floats and try them out so that you will find the products that best suit the baits you use. The most important tip for optimizing your angling: The less pull the fish feel when biting the bait, the more likely they are to get caught on the hook. Check out our range of hook, line and sinker sets here and get your own sets for your summer fishing trips.
The staff at Happy Angler online fishing store wish everyone tight fishing lines and a successful, sunny summer!
Text: Juha Salonen
