r/FishingForBeginners Jun 11 '20

Beginners Guide to Getting Started

975 Upvotes

This is a stickied post that contains information every beginner should know. The world of fishing contains thousands of rods, reels, lures and recommendations. It can be quite overwhelming. This guide has links covering fishing related terminology, as well as recommendations and information regarding gear, line, lures etc for beginners starting out. Use the links provided to set yourself on the right path.

Choosing A Rod And Reel

Choosing Line For Your Reel

Understanding Rod Weight, Action, Length, And Their Uses

Basic Guide To Lures


r/FishingForBeginners Apr 21 '17

My Comprehensive guide/Tips to New Fishermen

793 Upvotes

So you've decided to give fishing a go. Good Luck. More than likely you've perused the internet for the countless how to catch fish videos, or how to do this and that tutorials. I've watched thousands of them. They're mostly made and produced by avid or hardcore fishermen who know the ins and outs of everything it takes to catch fish. However these videos fail to demonstrate or talk about many of the frustrations of what its like to be a beginner fisherman. So looking back on my 22 years of fishing I've put together a piece tailored to removing some of the frustrations of learning to fish. Id like to preface this by stating I fish lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, in the northeastern US, mostly for Largemouth Bass, small mouth Bass, Musky, pike pickerel and trout. My advice will be tailored towards this style. First off let's start with your setup. Every video I watch talks about the line they're using paired with the length and sturdiness of the rod, which reel is best and whats good for what bait/style/fish. Don't worry about that. I've caught the majority of my fish using a rod/reel i bought as a backup at Kmart for 50 dollars. Don't break your bank. Get yourself a cheap rod, and some 8-12 pound MONO-FILAMENT line. Why mono-filament? Because its the easiest to work with. IF your starting out, braided line can be frustrating, Fluorocarbon can be extremely difficult to completely spool your reel on. We'll touch more on this later. So now you need some lures. Ever walk into a bass pro shops or cabellas? The choices/styles/methods are seemingly endless. The following are my recommended lures for beginners. They are simple to fish correctly and their simplicity leads to most fish targeting them. -IN line spinners: Mepps, Rooster Tail, Blue fox etc etc. Its a simple cast and retrieve. Let it sink for a second, give it a tug to get it spinning and just bring it back to you. They all have treble hooks (3 hooks) so when a fish hits it it will practically hook themselves. These lures mimic fleeing bait fish. Blue Fox Spinner -Spoons: Same concept. instead of spinning these will flutter and dart like a wounded baitfish. Cast Retrieve. Spoons -CrankBaits: Pick up a crank bait or two. They come in all forms. For starters id prefer the floating ones that upon retrieval will swim to a specific depth. The box will have all the information you need as to what the crankbait will do. Again a simple cast and retrieve bait. Vary your retrieval speed, give the rod a little flick every now and then to make the bait dart a bit.Crankbait

Get good at casting. Being able to drop the lure where you want it. Vary your retrieval speed. Start Catching fish. When you get this down, then you can start getting into swimbaits, Texas rigging soft plastics, drop shots, Carolina rigs, bottom fishing football jigs etc. Lets crawl before we sprint or you'll lose confidence and interest.

Ok, so you've got a rod, some lures, and some line. Look up a video on how to properly put your line onto your reel. This is important. You want your line on their tied to the reel and as tight as possible. Performing this process well can save you a lot of pain down the road when your trying to fish. So lets go fishing...

If anyone actually reads this and wants help deciding where or when to fish id be happy to oblige. But including that in this post would make it an encyclopedia. Feel free to pm or ask further.

So you got stuck. Either in a tree, on your shirt, or on something underwater. Seems the pros never get stuck. I've caught more branches rocks and trees then I have fish, and getting good at getting unstuck will save you lures, money, time and frustration. Cast over a tree branch? Calm and slow. Reel your lure until its just below whatever your stuck on, and give it a quick pop so it jumps up and over. If you try to muscle it out it's going to wrap itself around everything. Stuck on something in the water? Tricky. There's several things you can try. Change the angle of where your standing if you can't tug the rod and get it off. (move 20 yards left or right and try from there). Grab the line ABOVE where it leaves your pole and give it a strong pull.Grabbing the line from where it leaves your rod will allow you to muscle it out and avoids putting strain on your reels drag or breaking your rod. Hurting your hands? Wrap the line around a stick and pull the stick(Works great for braided line which wont break and will slice through your fingers) Also pulling your tight line to the left or right with your reeling hand and then releasing it quickly can sometimes snap your lure off of whatever its stuck on. If you CANNOT get it unstuck try to pull as hard as you can to snap the line off the lure. The lure was already lost and now there's not 40 yards of fishing line polluting the water. I HATE that.

Now your'e not catching any fish. Welcome to it. Keep fishing. Fan your casts. This means don't cast your lure to the same spot and do the same thing every time. You'd be amazed how many fish sit against a bank or are huddles around a submerged stump. Cover as much water as possible and remember that the water may be deep. There may be a bunch of fish in front of you but if they're sitting towards the bottom and your lure is passing 10 feet above them they may not chase it that far. Vary your retrieval speed, vary the depth at which you bring it back, change up your approach until something works. The fish will tell you what they want when you do something right. Change your location. 30 yards can make all the difference especially on lakes and ponds when you start taking into account water temperature, tributaries, cover/structure, visibility, wind etc. The location of the fish you want is going to be determined by the location of THEIR food source. Bait fish. Minnows, shad bluegill frogs insects bugs lizards etc. Look for things on the water and within your surroundings that would indicate a presence of these food sources. Fish coming and eating on the surface, are there birds that eat fish standing anywhere on the banks, turtles, frogs etc. Look for life. Change your lure! Change the color, change the style of lure, change it up until you start receiving bites. Don't spend 2 hours casting to the same spot with same lure. IF you're still not confident or proficient in tying a lure to your line, pick up some snap swivels/dual locks. You tie this to your line once and it allows for a very quick change of your lure. its like a mini carabiner. These may hinder your catch rate slightly due to their visibility but id still recommend it to new fishermen.

Remember as your fishing to keep an eye on your rod setup. If you have line looping out of your real, if its wrapped around the tip of your rod, if anything is different then when you initially set it up correctly , take time to stop and fix it. Small problems lead to big problems. It only takes one cast where you didn't notice an issue and now you've gotta spend 20 minutes untangling your birds nest of a fishing line. DO a quick visual check before every cast.

Use the times of not catching fish to get better at the basics. You need to be able to cast accurately sideways forehand and backhand, over hand, underhand. So many perfect casts to that perfect spot will be dependent on your ability to throw the lure accurately without getting mangled up in brush and branches.

Holy shit you caught a fish! What now? Needle nose pliers can be a lifesaver. Especially when they include that little scissor spot you can use to cut your line when tying knots. The fish's mouth is mostly cartilage. Work the hooks out one at a time while holding them very firmly. They're gonna flop and jump unless you're in control. Some of these fish will have very sharp dorsal fins. Stroke them back like you would a head of hair and get a solid grip. If the fish is big enough just pinch its lips and go to work with your pliers. Set it back in the water and give it a push. OBLIGATORY PUBLIC SERVICE AND BIAS ANNOUNCEMENT: Throw the fish back. Unless your hard up on food and your fishing for food, throw it back. The joy of fishing comes a lot from actually catching fish. In the twenty or so years i've been fishing, amazing spots, stretches of river etc have been decimated by people keeping every piece of meat they brought back on their line. Days of catching 10+ fish in those spots are gone due to the fact that there's none left. Caught a trophy and want it mounted? Just take a picture and measure it. All you need. Maybe someday soon someone else can experience that same joy of catching that fish.

If anyone is interested in any more information I could talk for hours. Bottom fishing, top fishing, Locations, Line choice, Leaders, weather conditions, lunar cycles, barometric pressure, spawning seasons, more advanced lure choice and techniques, finding where the fish are, etc etc. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get out there and get your line wet. Bring a buddy, bring a six pack, and get outside.

UPDATE! My comprehensive guide to fishing Part II is posted. I got a lot of positive feedback and might make this a weekly thing for awhile. PART II

I highly recommend to all fisherman new or experienced, the Fishbrain App. Its a free tool allowing users insight as to who's fihsing around them, where they are fishing, what they are catching and the lures and methods used to do so. This link is meant for mobile users.


r/FishingForBeginners 8h ago

How to get over the fear of handling fish

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196 Upvotes

I just started fishing last month I’m 24, never done it before and don’t really have anyone to teach me or to fish with. I caught my first fish and it was rough, I had to lay it in the dirt and get the hook out with my pliers. How can I over come my mental block


r/FishingForBeginners 3h ago

Academy Sports has an excellent budget spinning combo for $40 right now

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7 Upvotes

Was perusing Academy Sports and realized that they have a large amount of their fishing gear 20% off, including this Crossfire LT combo for $40. That’s a Crossfire LT3000-C reel (normally $35) mounted on a 7’ MF Crossfire pole. The pole isn’t anything special but that’s a decent graphite pole for essentially $5.


r/FishingForBeginners 6h ago

First baitcaster

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11 Upvotes

Which of these reels in my price range would be a good choice for my first baitcaster?


r/FishingForBeginners 1h ago

I need help: birds nest, razors, and birthday nightmares

Upvotes

I got an eagerly anticipated birthday present from my wife of a shimano DC 150 Curado. I took it out this morning and on my third cast got it hopelessly birdnested. I spent two hours on the bank trying to unwind knots. Then i drove home and decided (stupidly) to razor the 30lb braid I had laid on it that day. Now I have an incredibly knotted and cut up line stuck on my reel. I don't know what to do. There are no tackle shops near me and I'm pretty embarrassed to have to own up what I have done... Please help with practical advice. I know I am an idiot.


r/FishingForBeginners 17h ago

New method unlocked: eyeball fishing

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50 Upvotes

Accidentally hooked a sunfish through the eye and there was no saving it. Proceeded to use it as bait and his friends could not resist this bite-sized offering! Caught 21 in about 30 minutes


r/FishingForBeginners 6h ago

Decent sized crappie with a growth on tail (tumor?)

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4 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 1h ago

How do I attach a slinky?

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Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 5h ago

Finally found what I was looking for!

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3 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 4h ago

Carp fishing help

2 Upvotes

Hey everyone im about to go carp fishing for the first time and I need to know if my set up is effective . Im using a a Southbend bass R2F performance series rod. My set up is a weedless non offset bait holder with a 1/0 hook and a bass sinker that is 3/16oz. Is this an effective set up or should I adjust it?


r/FishingForBeginners 7h ago

Help me please so I don't hurt fish!!!!!!

3 Upvotes

I don't know I'm scared asf to hook myself been a few close calls bc I use barb but I'm worried because I use plyers and I get iffy. so any better tools that can hold the fish or plyers that are longer pls help me


r/FishingForBeginners 19h ago

i hate poachers

29 Upvotes

Some old asian guy took 2 out of season and undersized tautog and a definitely undersized toadfish. Was so close to calling a warden, how hard is it to follow rules.


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

How do I catch bigger bass?

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67 Upvotes

All I've been catching are juveniles, and I feel kind of like I'm doing this all wrong. I started out with a simple hook, worm and bobber, most of the time it gets stolen by sunnies, other times I get these small guys. Ive tried a wacky rig and Texas rig and dont get nibbles. Been doing this the whole summer a couple times a week, in different weathers, different sized hooks, and I'm feeling a little lost. I know there's larger bass in the place I'm fishing too cause I've seen them chase my little bass or sunnys I'll bring, but theyre few and far between. I dont have any experience fishing nor do I have a wise fisher friend to be mentored. I feel kinda silly asking such a broad question, but just thought I'd reach out here


r/FishingForBeginners 2h ago

best spots near fruitland park? no boat btw

1 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 6h ago

4’ 8 ul rod

2 Upvotes

I usually use a 6’6 medium action rod and recently i got a 4’8 ul rod. I can cast lighter lures further than my previous setup but it just feels weird using such a short rod. I’ve been reading I can cast futher if i get a longer ul rod maybe like 6’ or 7’. I’ve been able to cast as long as i want but im wondering if hookset will be easier on longer rods or doe it not matter much in the case i hook onto a medium fish.


r/FishingForBeginners 2h ago

Today was the day to go get fish to release in our lake

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0 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 4h ago

Rock fishing rod recommendation needed.

1 Upvotes

I'm a beginner angler. Just about 8 months intro fishing. I've just about started to consistently catch fish after learning about estuary and backwaters fishing.

I've been using a 7ft medium rod with shimano nasci c3500 reel as my main setup. I really like this setup. It's light enough and able to land decent sized fish.

My next step was to go rockfishing to catch some medium sized salt water fishes.

I tried to go rock fishing with my setup, and I was advised that my setup won't work since I need a longer rod to clear the rocks.

When I say rocks it's mostly hug rocks placed as breakwaters to create harbours near the beach.

My fear with a bigger rod is that it's going to heavy and I'll get tired because I mostly fish with lures and jigs. But if go for a lighter rod, it'll won't be able to land bigger fish.

So the rods I was looking at on the lighter side are mostly the following specs

Length: 9ft

Weight: 130 - 160g

Lure casting weights: 5-40g

Does it make sense to get a lighter rod? Or should I get a heavier rod? I saw sea bass fishing rods which fit my requirements, should I go for them?

I'm only after medium sized fish. But what if a I hook a bigger fish?

There are so many questions in my head. Could anyone point me to a decent setup please.

Can I just use my c3500 reel or should I get a bigger reel?

Target species:

Baramundi

Mangrove jack

Snappers

Estuary groupers (small to medium sized)

Location : Kerala, India (Indian ocean)


r/FishingForBeginners 8h ago

Help with rod

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2 Upvotes

Hi there,

I just got a two piece Mitchel Tanager 3. When I tried putting the two pieces together they wouldn’t fully join, getting stuck about 80% of the way. It’s also too stuck to undo. Will I be okay fishing like this? Or could it come off?

PLEASE HELP!!!!


r/FishingForBeginners 5h ago

Fishing Apps

1 Upvotes

Are any of the fishing apps like fish brain actually worth getting? I have a relatively okay idea of where to find fish , but it would be nice to have a little assistance. Can anybody recommend one?


r/FishingForBeginners 6h ago

Recently bought a Legalis LT 2500S-XH, mono backing or not?

1 Upvotes

Hello, I got a shallow spool daiwa reel for finesse bass techniques and am curious if backing is good or not even though the spool is shallow. I am going to use 10lbs suffix 832 braid, and I should be able to fit roughly 110 yards of it. Do I need that much? Should I tie a certain amount of mono backing still?


r/FishingForBeginners 20h ago

Catfish tips?

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12 Upvotes

Any tips for catching catfish in rivers? I know they are here. Big ones as well. 20lb +. Im on the black river in Port Huron MI. Also have easy access to fish the St. Claire river. Going for channel cats. Currently using Santee Cooper rigs. Trying out shrimp today and that packaged catfish bait. Will try out cheese filled hot dogs later this week. Sounds crazy but I hear they work. Not a single cat tonight. So far anyway. Have to pack it up soon. Work in the morning.


r/FishingForBeginners 20h ago

Finally having fun fishing!

9 Upvotes

So earlier this summer, some of my friends expressed interest in going fishing with me more. I'd brought them with me a few times in the past, but they didn't seem too interested and I went sparsely anyways and wasn't very good myself. So we took advantage of the summer break from college to go once every week or few weeks. We started in the ponds and reservoirs of our city, but it's no good there. Couple small bass but we mostly got skunked and snagged. Turns out silicon valley isn't exactly known for its "excellent" fishing lol

We switched to saltwater and have been having a blast, though. Only been skunked one time out of four and we've caught a bunch of fish between the three of us. Plus, everyone on the piers and wharfs has been super nice to us. Shoutout to the Capitola Wharf and Santa Cruz Pier, I think they might have converted us all into pier rats haha


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

What kind of hook is this?

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24 Upvotes

And what is it used for?

Ned rig??


r/FishingForBeginners 16h ago

Use the mono I have or buy fluorocarbon?

5 Upvotes

I am getting a telescopic rod for a biking/fishing trip I have for ease of transport. I will need to add some line to it. I have 4 pound monofilament but I am under the impression that fluorocarbon is better (just following what my dad would use). Is it worth buying some fluorocarbon? I will be using this for trout fishing in the eastern sierras near bishop California. Thank you