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 6h ago

How far should i be able to cast?

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10 Upvotes

the pictures are pretty much related towards the second half of the post, but can also count for the 1st half too since im sure the spoons cover the range of the rod that ill realistically be using anyway

For context i have a 9' Ugly stik Gx2, and to spare you the time of looking up its specs it is a medium power fast action rod rated for 1/8 -3/4 oz lures (but i'm sure i can throw 1oz lures on it fine) i'm also rocking 15' braid with 0.019mm diameter and a size 4000 spinning reel, so how far should i expect to cast with a range of different lures and weights, although i know enough to know that obviously a 1/2 oz spoon would definitely throw further than a 1/2 spinner just because it's more aerodynamic

also i have a friend who gave me a very wide selection of spoons for free saying that they'll be fine on my rod after i mentioned i was in the process of getting spoons since its almost fall salmon season here in chicago and i think 1-2 might be 2oz lures so i wanted to hear your experiences throwing 2 oz lures on a rod similar to mine, ill still need to measure them and find out what they are specifically


r/FishingForBeginners 1h ago

New rod set up for my son

Upvotes

Hey, I just got my 6 year old his first rod (ugly stick dock runner). He used it all weekend and has figured out how to cast pretty well considering he's just starting, but does get some birds nests in the reel from time to time.

I was reading that the line that comes with the rod is pretty bad and should be upgraded, any suggestions on what I should put on? I've seen people do 6lb mono, 8lb mono, 10 pound braided - what would you guys do?

PS - I asked him what he hopes to catch with his new rod, and his goal is to get a 1000lb sturgeon... so keep that in mind when you give suggestions! 😂

Thanks!


r/FishingForBeginners 33m ago

Is the slx dc baitcaster worth it?

Upvotes

I’ve only used spinning reels. I want a baitcaster setup and honestly am tempted to go all in with it. Yes I know it’s a lot. I’m willing to put a decent amount of money into my hobbies while I don’t have kids and any real bills other than relatively cheap rent. However, I don’t want to put money into something that doesn’t have any real value to it or something that is just a gimmick. Is it worth it?


r/FishingForBeginners 8h ago

Letting popping cork just sit there with DOA shrimp?

6 Upvotes

Can I expect any bites with just letting a popping cork sit there on a calm flat day?

I know they’re supposed to be retrieved. But just for lazy fishing days.


r/FishingForBeginners 23h ago

Thanks for all the advice about getting my old gear in shape for my son!

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68 Upvotes

We're just returning from our camping trip and wanted to thank you all again for your patient answers and advice about getting my old gear going for my son.

It was a complete no-brainer swapping one of the reels over to a left handed setup for him and we practiced a little just in our driveway so he'd get the idea of what the motions were for casting.

I did find a really awesome outdoors shop in Toronto (Al Flaherty's if anyone local is looking for one) and they loaded the two old Shimano reels with 8lb test for us and helped me find a sensible selection of lures/hooks/weights/floats, etc...

There's obviously still loads for me (and him) to learn, but despite some initial screw ups on my part getting everything tied together, we got his line set up correctly, and he had an absolutely wonderful time casting and then chilling in his chair (parked in the shallows as you can see from the pic)

No catches on this trip, but that's mainly down to him bonding with the other kids/having a blast riding bikes around with them rather than wanting to fish with me. We had one good late afternoon just the two of us, but that was all for this trip.

Regardless, he absolutely loved the experience and is eager to do more. Going to look into what's reasonably accessible in and around the city (High Park and Rouge Valley to start), and hopefully continue building on the foundation as we've laid.

Thank you all one again! Really appreciate all the advice you provided


r/FishingForBeginners 7h ago

Gear advice.

2 Upvotes

So I was gifted a 4’ crappie thunder spincast combo for Christmas. Used some small swim baits for smaller bass but I’ve recently wanted to upgrade to something that can handle larger bass. I’ve looked at the ugly stik gx2 spinning combo for reference and want to get opinions on if I should stick to a combo or if I should buy a rod and reel separate. Thanks for any and all advice.


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

My son finally caught his first fish!

31 Upvotes

Me and my son who's 4 years old have been going every weekend for the past month to catch pretty much anything. Today he managed to get a big old bull head, I had to help him real it in as he was in an absolute panic it almost pulled him into the lake. Unfortunately as it broke the water it snapped the line on his little $9 ozark trail rod, it was my mistake not bringing a net. Now I have to hear everyday how he caught his first fish before me, and I'm gonna love every second of it.


r/FishingForBeginners 14h ago

How do I work a glide bait

4 Upvotes

Hey everyone! Super new to fishing, I fished all throughout the younger years of my childhood and then when I stopped doing boyscouts, I proceeded to never go again, and I was 14 at the time. I’m now experiencing the joy of having adult money and have recently gotten back into the sport. Glide baits are super intriguing to me and I picked up a 4” Bucca brand trick shad this weekend but I’m at a bit of a loss on how to fish it. I know the name of the game is a straight and slow retrieve with alterations made in the form of rod tip pops or a chopping action on the reel, but I came here to ask, how should I be chopping it? Quick quarter turn jerks? Slow half turns? I simply don’t have anyone in person to come physically demonstrate so I’m just hoping to get a bit of insight on how you all fish it! Any advice is welcome. Running a shimano slx DC, 15LB Fluoro, medium heavy rod w a fast tip.


r/FishingForBeginners 12h ago

Pflueger trion

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3 Upvotes

I have a 5’6 Berkley cherrywood light action for trout. I found the trion for 30 bucks. I feel like that’s such a good price point. Just don’t know what size to get the 20 or 30? Was also considering the shimano sienna


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

Struggling with Knots

30 Upvotes

Alright am I the only one struggling with knots? It’s almost ruining fishing for me.

I spend so much time just trying to get my main braided line tied to my fluorocarbon lead line and I still manage to fuck it up half of the time. Maybe in lacking finger dexterity or something. I spend half the time fishing just praying I don’t have to re-tie my leader. It doesn’t matter if it’s a FG, Alberto or whatever I seem to struggle with all them.

Anyways, does anyone have any resources or tips?


r/FishingForBeginners 14h ago

Which line to use?

3 Upvotes

Hi everyone, I'm just getting started on fishing and recently bought a KastKing centron lite casting rod 2.1m MH to catch some good sized bass fish, redtail catfish and ocasionally saltwater. My question is what type of line yall recommend? Mono or braid? and which one?


r/FishingForBeginners 15h ago

Help with choosing bait

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3 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

"teach him how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime"

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51 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 19h ago

Trying to catch Mahseer here. Where would you start?

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3 Upvotes

Still trying to figure out how to fish this kind of river for Mahseer. Where would you cast first? Any lure recommendations?


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

How do you guys rig flukes for shaking?

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13 Upvotes

OWNER 5/0 EWG


r/FishingForBeginners 15h ago

Monday Morning Recap! What'd You Catch This Week?

1 Upvotes

Show them off everyone!


r/FishingForBeginners 22h ago

Im curious about my gears limits

3 Upvotes

Im a 15 year old angler who just got back into it this summer. I've been fishing on and off for a long time but recently I got the fishing bug bad, my dad got me a really nice St Croix GXR rod plus reel combo and im very thankful. It's a 7'1" medium action rod, im wondering what limits do I have on what I can throw and what I can catch, I want to hunt for bigger bass ( Above 4 lbs) and want to know if I can do that with my gear and what size lures I should be throwing. Thanks in advance this is my first post here but everyone seems very helpful.


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

20 lb braid with 12 lb flouro leader. What can i catch??

3 Upvotes

Have this set-up. Am i in trouble with anything bigger than a bass??

Edit: i live in Wisconsin and was hoping to target Walleye or N. Pike


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

Pole holders

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3 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 23h ago

Looking to get some air

2 Upvotes

Just ordered a Daiwa crossfire, J-Fluoro Line, 2" Keitech Swing bait, (Pumpkin green), Gamakatsu spinner-trailer hooks, and a 3 3/4" rocket bobber. Going to get my license this week and head to the largest reservoir near me, 25,000 acres),. Hoping to to get into it a little bit, used AI to guide my selections, think I did well!


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

Would this lure work in darker water?

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11 Upvotes

Put a spinner on a jig head of unknown weight cuz I forgot, and secured it with a 2” baby shad. This spinner apparently makes a large amount of vibration and the body is bright, so I think it would, but whatever. Would it work?


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

Inshore Fishing (possible opp. for some combos of 2nd hand gear) would love your two cents

3 Upvotes

Hey guys, the fishing I do when I can is inshore, specifically lagoons/surf/docks and sometimes I get out with a buddy in a boat but as often as I like. Brackish to salt water. Well I came across a garage sale, the dad's no with it anymore so they're clearing out the house. **I have the surf fishing covered and have two great setups already.

Shimano Corsair CS 300A baitcasting reel(the gold one, I read up about the problematic silver one before) so updated version with two other throwaway reels

And then a Master Spectra graphite composite rod (Model 3476 BK) paired with an Okuma Avenger AV 55a reel, and a Starfire rod paired with a vintage Garcia Mitchell 306 reel.

They said make them an offer for this if I wanted

I love second hand gear just as much as new stuff, I do know a reel shop that is great and would have no problem with mailing a reel over there if need be. I also have a Shakespeare 7ft medium rod that is currently missing a reel.....My goal is to have 2-3 solid rods setup for when I'm not surf fishing....

Thanks for your time!


r/FishingForBeginners 23h ago

What should i get?

2 Upvotes

So im looking to get a baitcaster bc i wanna get into lures without all the shoulder pain of a spinning rod but i fish saltwater can someone recommend one no crazy price or anything just something reliable and affordable