A Quick Guide to Fishing

A Quick Guide to Finding a Fishing Spot

Finding a few spots to fish is not hard. But may take you a little time. Local and state parks are great places to start. These places have easy access and other facilities available. Also, parks have healthy populations of panfish and other species you can catch.

Talk to other anglers or inquire at a bait and tackle shop. These people know where to catch fish. There is a good chance many of the people will give more tips. They may suggest what bait to use, a specific spot on the water, or examples of what has worked well for them.

Use Google maps to search close to home. Likely, a few good spots are not far away. Parks will have a website often giving information about fishing. On other waterways, check with the agency governing fishing in your region. The website will list many waterways in your area. Search for buying a license in your area. It will list the website for the agency.

Using one of the suggestions will get you started. As you have time search out more places to fish. In a short time, an angler will have plenty of places to fish.

This article is recommended for what to look for in the water.

When to Fish

The time of day is important for some fish. The early morning or evening a few hours before sundown are better for larger fish. Panfish will bite all day due to their aggressive nature. A catfish prefers late evening or nighttime. Also, spring and fall are better times of the year. Summer is good, but some fish dislike the heat and bright sun.

• Panfish, fish during the day
• Trout, fish in the morning or evening
• Bass, fish from sunrise to sunset near weeds or brush piles
• Walleye, during cooler weather in the evening or early morning
• Catfish, near sundown and into the night
• Carp, evenings tend to be best.

These are simple guidelines to get started. Gaining experience will help you determine the best times where you live.

What You Need to Fish

An average person only seeking some fun while fishing can keep it simple. A fishing rod, reel, and some terminal tackle is the gear you need. The terminal tackle is hooks, sinkers, and line. Add in some bait and you are ready.

Rods and Reels

The size of the rods depends on the fish you go after to catch. Rods have different powers. In other words, how hard it is to bend the rod. Small fish use lighter powers than big fish. The average person uses a medium or medium-light power rod for all-around fishing.

Choosing to only fish for a specific species choose the correct rod power and reel size. Otherwise, go with the medium-light or medium power for all-around fishing. Later on, you can add rods and reels if you choose to be a serious angler.

The reel needs to balance with the rod. Buying a combo makes this easy for beginners. Manufacturers market rod and reel combos for all levels of anglers. In general, most are below 80-100 dollars in cost. A few combos will be cheaper but lack durability and performance.

Terminal Tackle

The hooks, sinkers, and lines need to be the proper size. Use smaller hooks for smaller fish. Going after big fish you need bigger and stronger hooks.

The sinkers are for casting, plus keeping the bait in position. You can use a bobber and split shot to keep bait higher in the water. Fishing the bottom use a heavier sinker weighing 1/2 to 1 ounce, or more in some instances. Read this article for live bait rigs.

The fishing line comes in several types. These include monofilament, braid, ad fluorocarbon lines. Beginners will do fine with a good monofilament line. Avoid the cheaper lines. They have excessive memory that will cause loops in the line. Look at the moderately priced line. The braided line is good also but costs more.

Beginners should avoid fluorocarbon. It is hard to tie knots correctly with the line. As a result, the knots will fail. The line has memory issues also. It is a good leader material but not recommended as a mainline.

A Quick Guide to Choosing Fishing Bait

Keep bait choices simple and basic. Redworms and nightcrawlers work well with many fish for bait. You can dig up redworms or catch nightcrawlers at night. Use the redworms for small fish and nightcrawlers for the bigger fish. These are all-around baits for fishing.

There are other insects suitable for small fish. Maggots and mealworms work very well for panfish, trout, and carp. Minnows will be the better choice for bass or walleye. A catfish will eat anything when hungry. Catfish anglers also use corn, hotdogs, and chicken livers.

Conclusion

Fishing can be simple and fun. Take a basic approach to the sport. Find a few spots easy to access. Target the more popular fish in your area. Start with basic fishing gear and tackle. Use live bait the proper size, plus the type for the fish you want to catch. After gaining experience, you can try other types of fishing.

John McIntyre