C

cannonball a type of very heavy round weight used in deep-water fishing with downriggers

catch-and-release an ethical principle whereby an angler carefully releases a fish

caudal the tail area of a fish

cheater line a secondary short line attached to the main line for running a secondary lure

chugger a top-water plug that has a cup-shaped mouth

chum bait thrown in the water to attract fish; e.g., cornmeal, fish entrails

clarity the degree of visibility in a body of water as determined by water color and turbidity; i.e., stained, dirty, muddy

coaster a brook trout that spends part of its life at sea or in the Great Lakes

cold-water period the stable period of very late fall -winter - early spring

comfort zone a species' ideal water temperature, pH, O2, etc.

competitive species the relationship between two or more species in a body of water competing for the same food and/or spawning habitat

cone of vision the area above, below, in front of, and behind a fish, within which it can see

contour lines continuous lines on a map indicating depth used by anglers to identify structure

controlled drift a system of boat control in which a motor, oars, paddles, or a push pole are used in addition to wind and current drift

countdown method counting as a lure sinks to determine the desired depth of retrieve

cover any feature in a body of water which provides protection for individual or groups of fish; e.g., weeds, rocks, deep water

crank bait a sinking or diving plug, usually with a lip

ctenoid a type of fish scale that has rough patches

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