water

The day seems perfect: light winds and clear, calm water. Just one problem: no fish. Sound familiar? Of course it does. Sometimes fishing is at its worst when the weather is at its best. The culprit? Perhaps you've hit the peak of a high-pressure system, or maybe the moon is in the wrong phase. Or could be it's just too calm. These tricks can help rough things up a bit and attract a fish or two.

1. On slick-calm days, trolling doesn't produce much boat motion, so your baits aren't particularly active. Jerk your lines by hand to produce an erratic motion.