Aug 2010
More beginner fishing tips needed.
More beginner fishing tips needed for my friend and I. We fish our local reservoir (catch/Release) for now, hoping to do some shore/beach fishing when it cools down a bit. Anyway, I’ve have a lightly equipped tackle box with a few lures, weights, bobbers, and a few other stuff or junk Wal-mart thinks you should buy. Now it’s time to string my reel and my rod is a Scout rod with a Shakespear Pro-Am 350 rotating handle? I am confused on what the gear ratio does? Mine is 3.2:1 and my friend has a 5.2:1.Any tips will be appreciated.
Alex in Tampa
First, I’d try using the lures you will always find the odd crappie or Florida bass for a quick meal/catch to get the blood pumping!
….anyway info you should know and understand.
States require a license for freshwater fishing. I wouldn’t fish without one. You can get one at Wal_mart or at your town hall. Outside of the US, I would check with the local town hall or what have you. They will have answers to your questions regarding the law.
Next, to begin, I would try a few different types of lures — floating, swimming, and sinking. This way you can cover all levels of the water wherever you decide to fish, and you don’t have to deal with stinky bait! Most fishy-shaped lures will say if they float or swim beneath the surface. For sinking tackle, grab some jig heads and some curly-tail grubs (the rubber kind) in white or bright yellow. Those are pretty fail-safe. Twitch them up from the bottom every few seconds while slowly reeling in. If you get snagged in the weeds, try getting some rubber worms and “weedless” hooks.
If you’re catching run-of-the-mill freshwater fish, I would go with 8 to 10 pound test line. Your setup sounds fine. Once you really get into fishing, you’ll know what kind of rod action you prefer for what types of fishing, and what features you look for in a spinning reel or baitcaster.
Ya know, I usually tell people when all else fails to “look it up online”. Fishing is one of those things that you want someone experienced to teach you in person. You may be able to find local fishing clubs if you check around. Make friends with an oldtimers. Also, check out the library. Fishing hasn’t evolved a ton in the past years, and I find that some books from the 50s, 60s, and 70s have really good instructions.
Good luck, and most importantly, have fun!