Fishing for Profits

One of my passions is deep sea fishing. I have lived in Florida and the Caribbean and have gone out on fishing boats to pursue that sport. I also went deep sea fishing in Guaymas and Rocky Point, Mexico where some of the best deep sea fishing in the world takes place.

I well remember catching a four and a half foot hammerhead shark off the pier in Naples, FL. The shark went out to sea and I bought it for more than 45 minutes before landing the finned mammal. As I excitedly reeled the shark in, the pier master came up and smiled.

"Nice catch,'" he said. "Take a good look at your fish and then cut it loose. You can't bring it on the pier. Too dangerous."

Darn! I didn't even have a camera to take a picture of the shark. Reluctantly I obeyed the pier master and cut the hammerhead loose.

Deep sea fishing is different than fishing in lakes, rivers or streams. In a river or stream you can be pretty predictable as to the size and type of fish you will catch. Not so when you go deep sea fishing.

Over my years of experience going for the denizens of the deep, I have discovered a couple of secrets about deep sea fishing. For one thing,, if your fishing rod bends double, it's probably a smaller fish tearing the bait off the hook. A trigger fish, for example, which is excellent eating, fights the bait like a tiger even though the fish might only weigh a pound or two.

But when a big fish -- a grouper or red snapper or maybe a yellowtail strikes -- it will be much more subtle. Your line will barely move when a big fish strikes. Of course, if the big fish takes the bait and dives with it, everything changes -- fast. That is one of the things about deep sea fishing that exits anglers all over the world.

I sometimes apply the techniques I have learned with deep sea fishing to thoroughbred horse racing. It's fun to use this strategy when determining which horse to put your money on. Here are a couple of tips that could help you make a profit the next time you visit a race track or a pari-mutual off-track betting establishment.

Watch the odds on the horses. You will not be interested in the heavy favorites, the horses listed at 4/5 or 6/5 odds. Check the other horses that are listed at 4 or 5/1.

As the minutes tick down to post time, watch the fluctuation of those odds. Let's say a 5/1 horse dips to 7/2, It may last only a minute or two before going back to 5/1. But if that same horse then dips to 9/2, that means the big bettors are putting money on that horse. They know something the public does not know and that is why they are wagering.

While you will not always catch a winner, the chances are good that you will profit by betting on that horse. You can triple or quadruple your money by betting the horse across the board. I did this recently at Best Bet Casino in Jacksonville, FL. and left the casino with a profit.

It's difficult to win betting on a heavy favorite. The trick in thoroughbred horse racing as well as deep sea fishing is to land the big ones. And that means watching for the wiggle.

Before betting on the horses, watch the action of the odds. Pick out one track and stick with that track. I like Pimlico but there are other tracks that probably do equally well. Horse owners, trainers and their friends know things about recent workout that the public doesn't always see. That knowledge reflects itself in the odds. Good luck with your fishing.

Author: Geno Lawrenzi Jr.

(Geno Lawrenzi Jr. is an international journalist, magazine author and ghostwriter and poker player who lives in Phoenx, AZ. He has published 2,000 articles in 50 magazines and 125 newspapers. If you want to share a gambling story or book idea with him, send an email to glawrenzi@gmail.com ).