Sometimes when I talk to people about buying on eBay, they tell me horror stories of people being ripped off. I think these stories are sometimes just urban legends, but other times these stories can be their own real life experiences. Now, I have had over 3500 transactions on eBay and shop on eBay with little to no fear of being ripped off. These are the techniques I use to shop on eBay safely.

1. Check the seller’s feedback. If you look next the seller’s user ID you will see a number and colored star in parenthesis. The number is their feedback number. Whenever a transaction is completed on eBay, both parties are allowed to leave comments for each other about the transaction. If you click on the feedback number of the seller, you can read all of these comments. When I am consider buying something, I look at how many transactions the seller has had and if they have any negative comments. If there are negative comments I read them carefully and asses if I want to deal with the seller. Sometimes it is obvious that the seller is not someone I want to deal with and sometimes it is obvious that that the negative comment is a fluke. Either way, by looking at the seller’s feedback, I can usually tell very quickly how safe I feel dealing with them.

2. See if the seller has an “about me” page. This isn’t nearly as important is checking the feedback, but it can give you some insight as to the person behind the auction. If you see a little icon next to the seller’s eBay username that says, “me”, then this seller has an “about me” page. Click on the “me” icon and you may be able to read a little bit about the seller.

3. Pay with Paypal. Paypal has a significant buyer protection policy that covers eBay auctions. If your item is purchased with paypal and you do not receive it or it is received, but was grossly misrepresented in the auction listing, you have 45 days to file a claim with Paypal.

4. Shop knowing that if a seller has too many complaints against him/her and eBay determines that the complaints are legitimate, the seller will be kicked off eBay. Just knowing this makes me feel better. A seller won’t be around for long if they are scamming buyers. They can always try to sign up as someone else with a different eBay ID, but if you pick a seller with a higher feedback number, you can feel pretty comfortable that the seller is not a scammer.

5. Read the entire listing carefully. I personally hate doing this, but if you don’t, you may miss something important about the transaction. For instance, some sellers don’t accept Paypal. I personally don’t want to buy from someone that doesn’t accept Paypal. Also, sometimes the tone of the auction will turn me against buying from a particular seller. Especially if they sound really bitter or mean when listing their terms. If something does go wrong with the transaction, I hope to deal with a reasonable person, not someone who is already defensive about selling on eBay.

6. Check for measurements on clothing items. Especially if you are purchasing used clothing. This insures that the item hasn’t been shrunk over time. If the seller doesn’t have the measurements listed, email them using the “ask the seller” link and ask them for the measurements that you are interested in. A good seller will answer your questions in a timely manner.

7. Buy brands that you are familiar with. Different brands of clothing are sized completely differently. A 2X in one brand might not even be close to a 2X in a different brand. Unless you are very comfortable with the measurements given in the auction, stick to brand names that you are familiar with and that you already know how they fit your body.

8. Limit the amount of your purchase. If for some reason you do end up getting scammed, you don’t want it to be for $3500. I have never had a problem and I feel perfectly comfortable spending a couple hundred dollars with a single seller in a single purchase, but I would be uncomfortable spending several thousand with any one seller in a single purchase, but that is just me.

I hope these tips help you feel comfortable buying plus size clothing on eBay. It’s a great place to shop and once you feel comfortable with the security of your purchases you can open yourself up to some great deals and finds.

Interested in finding other great online resources for shopping for plus size women’s clothing? Check out Anne’s website http://www.plussizebarginsonline.com.

The biggest excuse I hear when it comes to eating healthy, is it’s much easier to eat unhealthy. Well having a quick healthy meal is just as easy to come by then having a quick unhealthy meal. Lets take a look at some of the main reasons people have this negative thought engraved into their mind. At then end I will share a quick healthy recipe I have used for ages.

Fast food restaurants and advertising are the worst factors when trying to eat better, healthier meals. Turning on your television or computer to see advertisement after advertisement from the hundreds of eat quick and unhealthy franchises makes it hard to focus on choosing healthier foods. In order to kick the notion that eating healthy is hard, a number of factors can come into play. Everyone should realize it is just as easy to create a quick healthy meal.

Knowing what healthy food is, is usually up in the air. Getting a basic knowledge of what is and isn’t healthy can quickly change your eating patterns. A quick healthy meal is something that may take a bit to learn but when it is learnt, can make all the difference in the world. There are many different sources for finding out healthy alternatives, so take a look around and learn what is good for you to eat.

Being organized is another big thing for seeing success in eating better. You are probably thinking, how can being organized help me eat better? Well, it has been known for years that having foods planned in advance will help you stay on track and succeed. By this, I mean, wright out what you are going to have each day.Even do it for a week at a time. The only way to make this work though, is being organized, and have all the food available to you when it comes time to cook. It’s to easy to mess up and not have the right food at home, next thing you know, you will be sitting in the nearest fast food drive thru.

A trick I use to help make it even easier on myself not to fail at this, is do everything all at once. What that means is, usually I will choose a day where I have a bit of free time and do a big batch of something for the whole week. This makes it easier to whip up a quick heathy meal on the go. An example is, I will take out 10 chicken breasts, season and cut them, and then fry them up in a pan. After all the chicken is cooked, I throw it into a container and toss it in the fridge. Now, I have chicken to make a quick healthy meal all week. I usually will cook something that will work for many different meals. It is easy to use chicken in any type of meal.

Now for the free recipe. This to me is a simple quick healthy meal that anyone can create and enjoy. What I will do is just explain how I put it all together. I won’t say how much of the ingredients I use because it will be different for each individual that makes it. Make your portion as big or as little as you want. So, the meal is going to be a Chicken Caesar in a Pita. I take a chicken breast out of the freezer; put it into the microwave for a minute to let it thaw out. Cut it into little chunks of your desired size. I use some olive oil, granulated garlic powder, and some hot sauce to season the meat. Throw the meat into a medium heat frying pan. I stir the meat regularly, after about 5 or so minutes the chicken should be done. From there, I cut up some roman lettuce and grate some cheese. I will mix the chicken, cheese and lettuce in a bowl and add some caesar dressing on top. Put a lid on the bowl and shake it up until fully mixed. Once mixed, I fill up a pita with the contents of the bowl. And there you have it, one quick healthy meal. The total time for all this is about 10 - 15 minutes at the most.

Brett Nordin is the proud owner of the blog ‘Health and Fitness For Anyone’ and is dedicated to revealing his knowledge and information to you. To find out more please view his blog site http://healthfitnessforall.blogspot.com/

If you are a recreational pilot then you will need an aviation headset. However, you may be wondering what brand would be best for you as well the reason why you need one. Keep reading to find out more about aviation headsets for recreational pilots.

Two of the most popular aviation headsets are the Telex headset and the Peltor headset. Both of these brands provide recreational pilots with wonderful quality and functionality. One of the functions of these headsets is to protect your hearing so you will want to find out which brand will protect your hearing the best. The last thing you want to do is damage your hearing because you chose the wrong headset. Fortunately, both a Telex headset and a Peltor headset will offer you great protection. So, perhaps the better question to ask is which one is best. Both of these headsets have their benefits as well as their drawbacks so make sure you talk to other recreational pilots who use or have used each of these headsets. Ask them which they liked best and why. Also ask what features they didn’t like about the headsets. This information just might help you make the right decision for you. For example, you may really like a padded headset but don’t think about this option until you have already bought one and tried it on only to realize it hurts your head. So, make sure you read reviews and ask as many questions as possible before you purchase a headset to make sure you get just what you need.

Price is another factor when it comes to aviation headsets for recreational pilots. Because of this you will want to search the Internet for the best prices for both Peltor headsets and Telex headsets. You may find them much cheaper and still brand new on the Internet than you would in a store. Saving money is a good idea and you can do so by searching the web for the cheapest headsets out there.

Also, while you are shopping for headsets don’t forget to ask questions. Ask about the size, the fit, the noise reduction, as well as the overall rating of the particular headset. When you ask several users o these headsets it won’t take you long to determine the best one on the market and the right one for you.

Natalie Aranda writes about recreation. If you are a recreational pilot then you will need an aviation headset. However, you may be wondering what brand would be best for you as well the reason why you need one. Keep reading to find out more about aviation headsets for recreational pilots. Two of the most popular aviation headsets are the Telex headset and the Peltor headset. Both of these brands provide recreational pilots with wonderful quality and functionality.

Few people use this incredible service. By the way, SRDS stands for standard rates and data services. You want the direct marketing resource. They do have an online version, but I do not recommend it. I recommend going to the library, finding a library that has the SRDS, the physical direct marketing resource.

Picture the biggest book; you have ever seen them multiply that by three. These are huge items. If you are familiar with the Yellow Pages, the super oversized ones pitcher that multiply by two. There is a wealth of information in these books.

What these books consist of his is a list of lists. They represent every single direct marketing company in the world that’s doing any kind of business. On a single page, there are thousands of pages in the volumes, there is up to 50 companies that are selling different lists, products and services per page.

All businesses are putting their list in the book because they want to rent their list to get extra income. They can rent their list for a certain price per name for a one time use on average.

Instead of renting a list from them. You may be able to show them how they can make more of a profit by doing a joint venture with you. Now you had access to a stream of prospects and customers. This information can create huge profits for both you and a list seller. That’s the value of what’s in this data in an SRDS, about matching a buyer and a seller together.

Every quarter, they come out with the updated version of the RSDS. I do not like to use the online version because I cannot flip to through it page by page. You need to know what you’re searching for. You must use keywords in the online version. I feel it is better, where you can sit down and look through it. I challenge you to look through one of these books for several hours and see what you really come up with. You will find some really great ideas.

There is so much valuable data here. You can tell where people are buying, what they’re buying, and what they’re doing for business. You will know what every item sold for what each individual paid for each item. It is also a good idea to check the number of names on each individual list to see what the demand for that service or product is. Are you starting to see the value in these books?

This is just a sample of some of the strategies being used. We hope this information was useful to you, and of value. Please feel free to subscribe to our free newsletter.

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There are various ways to bring traffic to your site. One that is not promoted very often is driving traffic through the use of forums. The reason might be because it is quite a tedious method to work with and it doesn’t yield great results. However, there may be some out there who already use forums on a regular basis. so for that reason it is probably worth mentioning to others.

In order to pursue this marketing method go to the search engines and bring up forums preceded by the nature of your product. For example if you are involved in affiliate marketing you would enter that name plus forums. You will find slews of information on this subject.

Make a study of the various forums and select the ones that look most interesting. It will be necessary for you to join any you choose. You should familiarize yourself with several and answer any questions you are knowledgeable about. Try to become helpful and let others get to know you.

Don’t hit them over the head with your product at first, but do put a link to your website in order to let them know about you. If people begin to perceive you as being helpful they will be more inclined to buy your product or recommend it to others.

Try to create posts with useful information that others can use. Don’t use your posts as blatant advertising messages. This will get you in trouble and could lead to expulsion. Remember, paste a link to every post you create.

In order to generate traffic from forums, you’ll have to spend some part of everyday posting in ones you have joined. Like any other form of traffic generation, forums require your attention. If you’re going to do this, don’t do it on a haphazard basis.

To learn more about internet marketing and many other skills necessary for a profitable internet business, click here: http://www.theaffableaffiliate.com/ You’ll receive an ebook, “15 Steps to Internet Success,” and a series of lessons about topics much like this one. Trust me, you will learn a lot, no matter how long you have been marketing. Just do it!

Formerly employed with Arnold Palmer Enterprises as Advertising Manager and Copywriter (Putting Course and Driving Range Division)
http://www.theaffableaffiliate.com/

The vast popularity of the newly released book entitled “The Secret” has validated the enormous interest in concepts that will help individuals get what they want. Readers learn that the secret is the understanding of the force of The Law of Attraction.

The Law of Attraction is simple to learn and powerful to practice. It begins with the understanding (and acceptance) of the scientific principle that energy attracts like energy. Since our thoughts are energy, we actually attract what we think about, what we focus on. If we focus on positive things we get positive results. Negative thoughts lead to negative results. These results can be as simple as finding parking places or as complex as relationships. In every event, results begin with thoughts. Thoughts are the beginning of virtually every action and we can control these actions by these thoughts.

The Law of Attraction is not new. It has been discussed for years, sometimes under different names or descriptions, but the concept hasn’t changed for centuries. That said, the popularity of the new book and its contents overwhelming considering the number of sales of the book since its release.

Interestingly enough, The Law of Attraction plays an important role in business and customer service as well. When understood and applied organizations can completely redefine their cultures for the better.

The Law of Attraction in business works like this: when you peel back the layers of any business you get to the core. At the core are certain beliefs and certain values. This value system drives the decisions at the very highest level of the business. Beginning with the CEO, the values of that individual are made clear by that person’s actions; what they say, how they speak of their employees, customers, family, competition, beliefs, etc. As they grow and move up the ladder they become directly responsible for the recruitment of hi-level subordinates who will work closely with them. The Law of Attraction states that they will attract “like” people. Look around and you’ll see this validated every day. People with similar values and beliefs will become attracted to them. Similarly, those with conflicting values will not be comfortable in the environment and they will leave.

These values (the energy) expand as growth occurs. The executives attract managers with similar values and beliefs and the managers attract similar employees. The culture becomes defined even to the point of attracting similar customers! The company, in affect, can actually determine the type of customer they want to attract based upon the practice of The Law of Attraction.

Look around at the companies with whom you do business. Low energy organizations are likely to be led by lower-energy leaders, perhaps with value systems based upon their personal motives and desires. Their leadership values become clear and the people they recruit quickly recognize that their “leader” is out primarily for himself so they become ambivalent and de-energized. You can guess the type of people THEY attract.

Look then at business leaders who are energized and values-focused. They attract similar managers and employees who likewise attract in the same manner. As customers detect this energy they are drawn to it. This is The Law of Attraction.

Are you happy with the employees and customers that YOUR company attracts? It can change… but it must come from the top.

It’s the Law.

(c) 2007, Ed Horrell. Reprint permission granted so long as article and byline are reprinted intact and all links made live.

Ed Horrell is the best-selling author of “The Kindness Revolution” which shows companies and organizations the importance of values-driven customer service and leadership. Information on his keynotes, books, and seminars can be found on his website at http://www.edhorrell.com

GPS, or Global Positioning System, is a system that helps an individual determine where he is located as well as where other things are located. GPS has become incredibly popular over the years with even more mobile devices available. However, GPS in aviation has been around longer. As long ago as 1978 GPS was being experimented with and a satellite was sent into space to test the technology. That has been almost 30 years ago and today GPS is in many people’s cars! Nevertheless, aviation was one of the first industries to become involved with GPS because location and speed are very important in the field of aviation.

The United States Department of Defense handles GPS, but allows the public to use it for free. The GPS in an airplane basically has a map of the route from the original location to the destination. Information is programmed into the GPS and it helps for autopilot and things of that nature. It also tells the pilot where they are headed, how far away they are from the destination, as well as the height of the plane. GPS is invaluable to pilots and it is very helpful.

One popular option is the Garmin aviation GPS. This GPS system is designed specifically for the use in aircraft. Not all GPS systems will work in an aircraft like they would in a car, so buying a specialized aircraft GPS is important. An aviation headset is still important even with the use of the GPS because you will need to communicate with the tower not to mention you will need to protect your hearing.

Of course, GPS has been around since the ’70s, but it has not been fully operational in aircrafts that long. It was not until the mid 1990s that GPS became fully functional with 24 satellites and aviation accepted the new technology and put it to work. Since the mid 1990s the GPS system has become incredibly important for pilots and all airplanes are now outfitted with this device. It helps pilots stay on course and if something happens the system lets them know how to get back on the right path. GPS isn’t just important for pilots, but also for every day drivers. And, although GPS has been around for quite some time it is just gaining popularity and understanding with the general public.

Natalie Aranda is a feelance writer. One popular option is the Garmin aviation GPS. This GPS system is designed specifically for the use in aircraft. Not all GPS systems will work in an aircraft like they would in a car, so buying a specialized aircraft GPS is important. An aviation headset is still important even with the use of the GPS because you will need to communicate with the tower not to mention you will need to protect your hearing.

Even if you have bad credit, if you are smart enough to exchange an expensive source of financing like credit cards with a bad credit HELOC, you’ll be able to reduce your debt without hassles and paying less in terms of interests. If you are interested so far, you should read on and see how you can reduce your debt…

Usually during Christmas holidays people tend to accumulate debt due to the use of credit cards to purchase goods and services. This debt is repaid along the year with high costs in terms of financing. But if you take a bad credit HELOC and use the money to repay your credit card debt, you’ll get much better terms and more affordable payments with the same flexibility that credit cards provide.

What Kind Of Financial Product Is A HELOC?

It’s a line of credit that just like some secured loans is based on equity and can provide the cheapness of that loan type and at the same time the flexibility that unsecured lines of credit provide (credit cards). The interest rate charged on these lines of credit is significantly lower than the rate charged for financing your credit card balance and thus, by exchanging credit card debt with one of these lines of credit you’ll be saving a lot of money.

Since interest rates are on the rise, it is a very good idea to use these financial products. The savings are considerable and the flexibility is the same as with credit cards. You have a minimum payment usually composed only of interests and a small portion of the capital and other than that you can repay as much as you want, as many times as you want and if you have some need you can withdraw money again from your line of credit.

Suitable For Bad Credit Applicants

Some HELOCs are specially tailored for bad credit applicants and take advantage of the fact that the security guarantees repayment for the loan. This lets the lender provide higher amounts and advantageous terms even for people with a bad credit score or history. Moreover, this is especially beneficial because the credit cards that people with bad credit have usually feature even higher interest rates.

Since Bad Credit HELOCs have a variable but significantly lower interest rate, they’ll help you save a lot of money and turn those unaffordable minimum monthly payments into cheaper payments within your reach. The only requirements for approval that bad credit applicants will have to face are a suitable income to make at least the lowest monthly payments and enough home equity to secure the line of credit.

The Solution For Christmas Debt

These loan products can provide a definite solution to your Christmas debt and let you avoid debt from being accumulated and carried on from one period to the next one augmenting due to interests buildup. So, don’t think twice, if you have what it takes to qualify, go ahead and replace your expensive credit card debt with a Bad Credit HELOC and start saving.

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Sarah Dinkins is an Expert Loan Consultant at Badcreditfinancialexperts.com
If you need more useful articles find them here with more professional advice on the financial field.

Do you know your life’s purpose? Most people, at some point, wonder what theirs is. We search for meaning and hope that our lives carry special meaning. We sense, at a deep level, there is MORE to life. We can feel it.

Discovering your life’s purpose is more like putting together a big puzzle then it is finding a needle in a haystack. Like a puzzle, you need to fit the right pieces together and in time a picture starts to emerge. The picture that emerges will be made up of your special interests and talents and preferences. It will represent the whole of your life. Every piece is needed.

Unlike a puzzle you buy off a store shelf with all of the pieces already contained in the box, the pieces to your life purpose puzzle come to you one at a time, over a period of time. You will get each new piece when you are ready for it and not a day sooner. And unlike the puzzle you buy off the store shelf which supplies a picture of what the finished puzzle should look like, your life purpose puzzle has no such guide available. The picture that emerges will be one of a kind and each new piece will add depth and meaning to the whole.

The following experts have written about discovering your purpose in great detail. Below is a condensed version of their formulas and philosophies for discovering your life’s purpose.

Richard Bolles

Richard Bolles is most famous for his yearly job-hunting book, What Color is Your Parachute.

His formula for discovering your life’s “mission” is as follows:

1. To stand, hour by hour in the conscious presence of God, the One from whom your Mission is derived.

2. To do what you can, moment by moment, day by day, step by step, to make this world a better place, following the leading and guidance of God’s Spirit within you and around you.

3. a) to exercise that Talent which you particularly came to Earth to use - your greatest gift, which you most delight to use,

b) in the place(s) or setting(s) which God has caused to appeal to you the most,

c) and for those purposes which God most needs to have done in the world.

Whew! That’s a mouthful. Basically he is saying we all come here with a purpose to somehow SERVE our fellow man. We are given unique talents that, when leveraged, will be HOW we serve our fellow man. Our talents will provide the vehicle through which we express and share our gifts with others.

Special note: In What Color is Your Parachute the following quote can be found which offers a simple formula for discovering your purpose:

“The place God calls you to is the place where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.” Fred Buechner

Jack Canfield

Jack Canfield is America’s Success Coach and co-founder of Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Canfield sums up purpose this way:

“You were born with an inner guidance system that tells you when you are on or off purpose by the amount of joy you are experiencing. The things that bring you the greatest joy are in alignment with your purpose”

He states what you are here to do is what will give you the greatest amount of joy when you are doing it. In his book, The Success Principles, he offers the following Life Purpose Exercise:

1. List two of your unique personal qualities, such as enthusiasm and creativity.

2. List one or two ways you enjoy expressing those qualities when interacting with others, such as to support and to inspire.

3. Assume the world is perfect right now. What does this world look like? How is everyone interacting with everyone else? What does it feel like? Write your answer as a statement, in the present tense, describing the ultimate condition, the perfect world as you see it and feel it. Remember, a perfect world is a fun place to be.

Example: Everyone is freely expressing their own unique talents. Everyone is working in harmony. Everyone is expressing love.

4. Combine the three prior subdivisions of this paragraph into a single statement.

Example: My purpose is to use my creativity and enthusiasm to support and inspire others to freely express their talents in a harmonious and loving way.

Finally, he states that without a purpose in life, it’s easy to get sidetracked on your life’s journey. It’s easy to wander and drift, accomplishing little.

But with purpose, everything in life seems to fall into place. To be “on purpose” means you’re doing what you love to do, doing what you’re good at and accomplishing what’s important to you.

Richard Leider & David Shapiro

In their book, Repacking Your Bags: How to Live with a New Sense of Purpose they write:

“Purpose is your reason for being, your answer to the question, “Why do I get up in the morning?” It is the spiritual core that helps us find the aliveness in all our day-to-day experiences.”

They go on to say, “You use your purpose to set your course in life. It’s the qualities around which you center yourself. Without a clear sense of purpose, you are at the mercy of shifting terrain of the outside world. Having a purpose, though, enables you to refind your direction and then direct your way there.

They offer the following formula for discovering your purpose:

(Your Talents + Your Passions + Your Preferred Environment) x Your Ideal Vision of Life = Lifestyle Rich in Purpose

Discover your unique talents and passions. Understand which environments you like to work best and put these things together in a way that serves the vision you have for Life.

How to Discover Your Life’s Purpose

The first step in discovering your life’s purpose is to believe there is a purpose to your life. The second step is to keep asking what that purpose is.

Nothing is going to drop from the sky announcing a grand purpose for your life. That is something you get to decide. You’ll discover your purpose when you put the unique puzzle pieces of your life together in a way that makes sense to you.

Each of the experts above has their own formula for discovering your purpose but they all have these things in common:

1. When living on purpose you are living from your center, your spiritual core/you are somehow connected to God

2. Living on purpose requires you to discover what makes you unique; talents, passions and values

3. Living on purpose requires you to leverage what makes you unique for the sake of serving others / making the world a better place.

4. When you live on purpose, your life will be filled with meaning and joy.

Discovering your purpose is a worthwhile pursuit and once you discover it your life will feel very on track. You will still need to do the work to bring your purpose to life. But your actions will be filled with meaning. There will be a depth to your life.

As Joseph Campbell writes in The Power of Myth, “We are having experiences all the time which may on occasion render some sense of this, a little intuition of where your bliss is. Grab it. No one can tell you what it is going to be. You have to learn to recognize your own depth.”

Copyright (c) 2007 Cari Vollmer

Cari Vollmer, founder of LifeOnTrack.com and creator of InspireYourSuccess.com, simplifies personal growth by showing you step-by-step how to create and live a life that works well and feels great! To sign up for her FREE how to articles and no-charge 5-Day Feel Great Now E-Course visit http://www.LifeOnTrack.com .

“A trout is too valuable to be caught only once” Lee Wulff.

Def: Catch and release is a practice within recreational fishing intended as a technique of conservation. After capture, the fish are unhooked and returned to the water before they are totally exhausted or further injured. Using barbless hooks, it is often possible to release the fish without removing it from the water (a slack line is frequently sufficient).

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In the old days if you caught a fish it was yours God Dam It! Whether you ate fish or not that fish wasn’t going back into the water. You either chopped it up for chum, gave it to the cat or buried it in your garden. You caught it, you kept it.

But times have changed. People today have a greater respect for the natural world and the dwindling natural resources of water access and healthy fish stocks. Overfishing creates terrible fishing conditions for all fishermen. Its simple, if there are less fish in the water everyone is going to catch less. And isn’t the surprise of catching fish where the fun is in fishing?

Of course not everyone has been enlightened to the concept of catch and release. But its gaining converts. The first official use of catch and release in the U.S. occured in Michigan in the early 1950s as a way to reduce the cost of restocking hatchery-raised trout. Typically what happens in non-catch and released managed waters is the states take your fishing license fees and pay to restock fisheries with little fish. These fish are then typically wiped out in a single fishing season and then the state has to restock.

Fishermen accustom to fishing in catch and release waters are usually catching much older and larger fish. Which certainly increases the pleasure value.

Try catch and release and you will be rewarded in better fishing waters and you will be protecting fish populations for your grandkids.

Effective catch and release fishing techniques avoid excessive fish fighting and handling times, avoid damage to fish skin, scale and slime layers (that leave fish vulnerable to fungal skin infections) by nets, dry hands and dry surfaces, and avoid damage to throat ligaments and gills by poor handling techniques.

Some tips: Use barbless hooks to reduce injury and handling time. Using strong tackle, to minimise fighting times, use needle-nosed pliers to aid unhooking, leaving fish in the water during the unhooking and release process, to avoid any handling, use specially designed catch and release landing nets, avoid touching fish with dry hands and don’t have the fish out of water for more than 30 seconds.

The next best thing to practicing catch and release yourself is to promote catch and release to other fishermen. One way to do this is by wearing “Catch. Release. Repeat.” t-shirts and hats. Fishboy.com sells a nice selection of short and long sleeve “Catch. Release. Repeat” shirts as well as hats.

Rod Bender writes for Outdoor Gift Ideas at http://fishboy-gifts.blogspot.com/