Hook, Line, and Sinker : The Complete...

Vic Dunaway's Complete Book of Baits...

General tips/techniques:

Counting Down:
Counting the depth of the water whil casting or jigging can greatly increase your success rate. To find out the relative depth of the water simple count how long it takes for your rig / lure to hit bottom starting from when it hits the surface.

If your lure takes 10 seconds to hit bottom, adjust your count to 5 seconds for mid depth before you start to retreive. Counting only gives you a relative depth but can be utilized easily to your fishing advantage.

Hook Maintenance:
Regularily check your hook for sharpness - a sharp, de-barbed hook makes for an easy and smooth hookset.

Line Maintenance:
Constantly check your line for abrahsions and weakness when fishing in cover or for line degrading fish (Mackeral). To check your line for abrahsions simply run your hand along the line - any abrahsions should be readily felt. A quick tug on your line with the hook in one hand and the other firmly grasping the line about a meter up will quickly show any line failure potentials. Typically for Mackeral fishing I check my line every 3-4 casts due to Mackerals sharp teeth and enthusiasim.

Pattern casting:
Pattern casting covers a wide are in a river or lake while the fisherman stays in one place.

River: Pattern fishing in a river or brook is the casting upstream parrallel to the bank. The next cast is cast slightly off the bank and further casts work their way out to perpendicular to the fishermen. The fishermen then typically moves upstream the distance he cast and repeats the procedure.

Lake: The same as with the riverhowever the fisherman can continue in a full arc as long as he/she has water to cast into.