Whether you are a professional angler or an enthusiast, fishing is an excellent way to spend time in the outdoors. Nowadays, while you have many options when it comes to hobbies, fishing could still prove to be a satisfying pursuit. The sense of fulfillment, the sudden burst of joy and delight, the beauty of the surrounding nature ….you could experience everything on a fishing trip. Millions of people around the globe enjoy the activity and you have some free time on hand, you should consider taking up fishing as well.
That being said, it’s not uncommon for novice anglers to quickly become bored and dispirited after failing to reel in a couple of fishes. From time to time, people may quit fishing because they think that they could never match its needs and requirements. Fortunately, if you really don’t know much about fishing but want to get off to a good start, you come to the right place. Right down below, you would find some helpful tips and trips that could help you catch fish without much difficulty. Check them out and you shall have a great time with your rod and reel.
1/ Choose Your Fishing Gears Wisely
On your first visit to the sporting goods store, it’s natural to feel overwhelmed and intimidated by the number of products available for purchase. Nonetheless, as long as you know exactly what you are looking for, everything should turn out to be just fine. There is no need to go after the most expensive stuff on the shelves, especially if you are a beginner. To make the purchase of fishing equipment a bank-breaking investment is not a good idea in the usual case. Take your skill, style and the type of fish you want to catch into account to make a logical decision.
For most of the time, you should pay special attention to your fishing rod, it’s one of the most basic items of an angler. It’s highly likely that as a first-timer fisherman, your first targets would be light, small size fishes instead of heavy, big size ones. For panfish and so on, it would be wise to use an ultralight rod but feel free to switch to heavier designs later if needed. In term of bait, there are numerous choices from scented plastic lures to live insects. All you have to do here to select the one that suits your fishing demands.
2/ Get To Know The Spots
In this technological age, you should be able to acquire a lot of information regarding fishing spots on the Internet. You could also hang around supply stores and angling clubs in order to get some hints about ideal fishing locations. The more you know about fishing spots and their characteristics, the better your preparation becomes. In most of the case, ponds/levees that are located in densely populated areas often have an abundance of fish. At all time times, make sure that you are not fishing in private properties or places that simply forbid it.
Once you manage to pick a good spot, the next thing you have to consider is the time and place. For example, if freshwater fishes are what you after, the most effective fishing hours would be sunrise along with sunset. Prioritize places that appear to be popular feeding grounds for the fish like log-filled beds and bug-congregated inlets. Fish usually visit such places seeking foods and the presence of your bait shall be nothing out of the ordinary. Stay focus and with a bit of luck, you should reel in something before long.
3/ Stay Still And Be Quiet
Generally speaking, fish are startled by sudden movements and noises and that means you need to maintain a low profile. Keep the chatter to the bare minimum and turn down the volume of your radio. In the case you keep making a ruckus, there is a good chance that you would not catch anything besides the ire of other anglers. Allow at least 15 minutes interval before each line casting in order to maximize the efficiency. Keep an eye on the line, you definitely don’t want to hook a fish with slacks on the line.
When you caught a fish, the recommended approach is to maintain tension and keep the line as tight as possible. A loose fishing line provides your fish with a golden opportunity to throw the hook straight out of its mouth. With the exception of very small fish, you should refrain from using the reel to directly pull in the fish. Stay calm and preserve a constant line pressure until the fish become tired to let you steer it toward you. At that point, you should be able to get your fish out of the water using a net without issues.
4/ Process Your Catch With Care
Novice anglers tend to get careless when they have their fish within reach and things may get out of control. While processing your catch, you must remember that the spine of the fish and the hook could still cause injuries. As a result, whether you intend to keep the fish or just release it, stay focus and gently remove the hook out of its mouth. There are many tools you could use to do that but if you fishing budget is tight, a pair of needle pliers should be adequate. Use the pliers to crush the barb of the hook and slide hook back out.
5/ Check Out The Local Law
After you have achieved a firm grasp of the fundamentals, the last thing you must do is to take a look at the fish regulation. For most of the time, it’s important that you a fishing license to legally catch fish in particular areas. Visit the website Department of Natural Resources to obtain additional details and prepare your application. Usually, children under the age of 16 don’t have to carry a license but that varies from place to place. In any case, you should acquire all necessary documents before attempting to get some fish.
And that is virtually everything a beginner should know about fishing, quite straightforward, right? At first, you may feel fishing to be unpredictable, tedious and not worth your time. However, as long as you manage to stay calm and follow the tips above, fishing shall become enjoyable and entertaining.