Knowledge Weighs Nothing

Animal Tracks Identification Sheets (Save & Print!)

These forest and streamside animal track identification sheets from Hiking Michigan (reproduced here with permission) are excellent!

If you are interested in animals or learning to track animals, I recommend saving these two sheets. You can print them out and add them to your field/hiking notebook etc so you can refer to them when out and about in the wild.
animaltracks

animaltracks1
 

The original sheets can be found here: Hiking Michigan

Filed Under: A.K.W.N, Hunting & Fishing, Wilderness Survival

5 Things Needed For Catching Big Salmon

How to catch big salmon

Salmon are one of the most famous sports fish that are widely distributed. The fish tastes outstanding, but their great fighting spirit might offer a robust challenge to you. There are many subspecies of salmon which would be a treat but catching king Salmon could make your day.

Hence, to help you in catching easily, we have brought up a list of five things needed for catching big Salmon.

Fishing Rod

Fishing rods

Selecting the ideal rod for salmon fishing would be advantageous. The perfect and the best salmon rod would lead you more towards success and fun in catching king salmon.

  • There are various kinds of salmon fishing rods such as spinning rods, baitcasting rods, trolling rods, and fly fishing rods.
  • Generally, for getting hold of a king size salmon, a fishing rod of about 8-10 foot range would be better.
  • Keeping this in mind, the salmon fly fishing rods could be the right choice for you as these rods would be about 9 to 10 foot in range.

Moreover, the butt portion would also be important to consider for these powerful fighters.

The tail section generally would range between 6 to 12 inches. Usually, the blanks of a salmon fishing rod are made up of graphite or fiberglass or a merger of both to provide flexibility and strength.

However, these rods are designed mainly with extreme strength along with the power and a tough hook to set right into the bony jaws to control these strong fighters for which they are popularly known.

Fishing Reel

Fishing reel

The reel would include the most vital equipment while targeting king salmon. Particularly, the drag system would have to operate correctly on the reel when the big fish is pulling firmly. The drag system would have to be durable so that it doesn’t freeze up for great pressure and smooth so that it offers equal pressure even if the king salmon is pulling hard.

  • However, there are two important types of reels; one is the spinning reels while the other is conventional or baitcasting reels.
  • Spinning reels could work perfectly for beginners as it can be used easily but might not prove the best for catching King Salmon.

This is because these reels are not as hefty or strong as the baitcasting reels and also the drag system could not be good.

However, you could get some good brands of spinning reels that might work great. The conventional reel comes with a reliable drag system and is easy to crack under pressure. This is the reason that these reels could perform better in catching the king salmon.

In addition to it, the level wind reels could be an excellent choice for big salmon, which comes with the line strength of about 12 pounds.

Fishing Lines

The fishing line that you will employ for catching big salmon would determine whether your day will be successful or frustrating.

Although the monofilament lines are as always the most common choice for maximum anglers as they are cheap, it might not result in something effective in catching big salmon.

Specialty lines and super lines are constructed with several elements and amalgamation of items than the standard lines that make them ideal for catching big fishes.

Super lines, constructed through thermal fusion or braiding the strands of elements and designed with strength make it the most efficient line to land king Salmon. These lines lack stretch and have excellent knot strength. The diameter is just a fraction of the monofilament lines, and it permits deep, fast descent while trolling.

However, super lines might not make a good leader material always as these are not constructed of any smooth or clear material.  Specialty lines are even often used salmon fly fishing from both in freshwater and saltwater situations. These lines would always be attached to a spool at the rod’s end and look nearly same in appearance and texture to super lines.

Monofilament Lines are also used in catching Speckled Trout, and if you are planning to catch speckled trout then monofilament line with fine diameter is pretty useful.

Fishing Lures

Fishing lures

Spoons, spinners, and plugs could be considered to be the most effectual lures for salmon, especially for King salmon. Spoon lures comprise of concave, elongated oval fastened to a hook. Usually, the oblong spoon is made of a painted metal and designed to make it look like a small fish mimicking the fluttering, random movements.

Spoons would be useful especially for downrigger and troll fishing. The other potential lure of salmon fishing is the spinner, which is also popularly known as spinnerbait. There are many distinctive designs in this category, but the standard feature in all is the reflective blades of metal. These blades spin freely around while it is reeled in and create potential vibration in water that attracts the salmons.

The wobbling variety of Plug would also work perfectly for catching big salmon.  These are hard, reliable lures that feature many hooks typically and are designed with reflective paint to look like a fish. There are two separated parts in wobbling plugs that are joined by a hinge, and it allows fluttering back and forwards while reeled in.

Such a movement, as usual, creates vibration and attracts the attention of the salmon. A cut-plug lure is another type of plug that is used for salmon fishing exclusively in Great Lakes as well as Pacific Coast waters. Moreover, the color would be the primary consideration for any lures.

Live Baits

Live bait

There is no doubt that artificial flies and lures would let you catch salmon in significant numbers. But, there are some live baits that could even provide you the extra edge. In the famous saltwater fishing technique, the lure is tipped, that is, adding extra pieces of herring or worm to the lure.

However, you would have to be cautious about this that tipping much larger amount could affect the lure action negatively. Anglers use fish eggs fastened to a float while drift fishing salmon in shallow freshwaters.

Conclusion

Well, we hope that our mentioned list of five things needed for catching big salmon would render you a good idea about the essential requirements. You could experience a great catch if you use the correct materials. However, if you have any suggestion regarding it, please let us know.

Biography

Hi there, I’m Ted Thomas from GrayWolfLife, an ardent adventure writer. I write for readers with a genuine interest in enjoying the great outdoors. By sharing my experiences camping, hunting and fishing, I hope to inspire others to fully explore the depths of their passion.

Filed Under: A.K.W.N, Hunting & Fishing, Self-Sufficiency

Ultimate Camping Tips & Hiking Tips, Tricks & Hacks (200+ Tips)

Ultimate list of camping tips

So here’s the thing. When I first started KWN many years back, I mainly searched online for interesting, useful and entertaining posts, tutorials and videos. When I found something worthwhile I would then write up a short post about it and include a link to the source, so folks could check it out. As a result, there is around 1000 of these shorter posts on the website. As part of some long overdue housekeeping, I am going through these old posts and bunching the together to make single/longer list style posts. This is the first such post. It contains all the shorter posts on KWN about camping and hiking tips and tricks.

101 Camping Tips: For Campers, Preppers, Hikers, etc, etc…

camping at night

Camping tips and advice is useful for more than just camping… For example, if you are a prepper, camping knowledge will be vital for your survival if the SHTF. To be honest, anyone such as hunters, hikers, fishermen, etc, who might end up spending a night or more under the stars, can pick up some useful tips and advice from the 101 camping tips post below.

Actually, make that 102 camping tips, I have one of my own tips, which is highlighted in the photo above – camping tip 102 – use a red filter on your flashlight (or the red light setting if it has one) at night to preserve your night vision. Normal light from flashlight and lamps etc, causes you to lose your night vision, which means it takes your eyes a good while to adapt to the dark afterwards. Red light enables you to see around camp etc, but it also preserves your night vision.

101 Camping Tips: For Campers, Preppers, Hikers, etc, etc…  (Unfortunately, this website has been offline recently)

(Photo from:  °Florian)

23 Essential Hiking Hacks, Tips, And Tricks

hiking hacks

We have featured quite a few posts about hacks for various subjects, but I keep getting messages asking about the use of the term ‘hack’ and what it means. Effectively it means tips and tricks and ways of doing things that you probably hadn’t consider previously. It can also mean using day-to-day items for uses other than that they were intended.

Anyway, this post  is about hiking hacks. We did camping hacks a while back, so I thought it was time to share some hiking tips and trick, as I know a lot of you will be outdoors hiking now the weather has warmed up. Check out the list of hiking hacks below, there’s some awesome information in there.

23 Essential Hiking Hacks, Tips, And Tricks

(Image from: Buzzfeed)

25 Tips & Tricks To Make Camping Easier & More Fun

25 camping tips

We have featured several camping tips, tricks and hacks posts previously on Knowledge Weighs Nothing. If there is one thing I have learnt, it that you guys are crazy for camping and camping tips and tricks so here’s some more for you.

I always think that camping is an awesome thing to do, as not only does it get the family out of the house and together in a natural environment, but camping also teaches many important skills which can stand you in good stead in disaster scenarios if the SHTF. There is nothing like knowing you can pack up the tent and take the family and survive outdoors if needed. Check out the 25 camping tips/trick below and have an awesome camping trip this summer!

25 Tips & Tricks To Make Camping Easier & More Fun

(Image from: One Good Thing By Jillee)

41 Clever Camping Hacks To Try This Year

41 camping hacks

I love camping, it is especially magical with young children, but camping seems to divide people, some love it, others hate it.  The thing is I think that most of the people who hate camping probably had a bad camping experience which likely stemmed from poor planning/preparation.

With the right gear, a bit of location research and some preparation, camping can be an amazing experience. For all the camping haters, I urge you to give camping another go this summer, especially if you have kids, as kids will remember camping trips forever. Anyway, for anyone planning on camping in the near-future, check out the link below for 41 camping hacks and tips to try.

41 Clever Camping Hacks To Try This Year

(Image from: Buzzfeed)

35+ Camping Tips, Tricks & Treats That Could Be Used In An Emergency Situation

35 camping tips and tricks

Camping is always a great way to practice survival skills while having fun all at the same time. Make camping easier by learning a few new skills that could also make life in an emergency situation more bearable.

Some of these new tips / tricks are really handy to know to either save you time or save you money, so it’s a win-win, all around. Check them out below, the website is a bit clunky but stick with it as these are some awesome tips…

35+ Camping Tips, Tricks & Treats That Could Be Used In An Emergency Situation

Picture Credit: tipnut.com

18 Tips For Foolproof Camping

18 camping tips

Sure, I know, I know, loads of you are seasoned, experienced campers and hikers. For many of you guys, most of these camping tips will be what you would consider common knowledge, but the thing is common knowledge isn’t always that common for the inexperienced…

If you are just getting into camping/hiking, check out the post below for 18 camping tips. Know before you go, for the best chance of a successful camping trip.

18 Tips For Foolproof Camping

(Photo from:  stevecadman)

Must Read Camping & Hiking Safety Advice To Help You Stay Safe

campsafety

I don’t know the figures but I am guessing 1000s of individuals and family get into trouble each summer when out hiking and camping. I don’t know why so many people head off into the wilderness unprepared. I guess for the inexperienced, the dangers are not so apparent…

Anyway, we have done loads of posts about camping/hiking, but not much about how to stay safe when you’re on your adventure. When I saw the awesome post by Doom And Bloom, I had to share it. The advice included in this extensive post is for newbies and experienced hikers/campers alike. Check it out below.

Must Read Camping & Hiking Safety Advice To Help You Stay Safe

(Image from: Wikipedia)

Filed Under: A.K.W.N, General Prepping, Hunting & Fishing, Wilderness Survival

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