Fishing: A Beginners Guide to getting Equipped

If you are a beginner, fishing can be very intimidating and you most likely have a good number of questions and nobody to point you in the right direction. This guide will help you in picking out the correct fishing rod and a few basic lures to get your tackle box started.

Fishing Rod

The first thing every fisherman needs is a good fishing rod. To find the rod that will best fit your needs, you first need to know what you intend to do with it. If you have an idea on what kind of fishing you want to do, go to a local fishing store and speak with an employee about your situation. Ask them what they would recommend for you and then decide on a rod from there. This rod is not going to be top of the line with all of the bells and whistles but it will do the trick for a beginner such as yourself.

Lures 

Now that you have your fishing rod, you need some basic fishing lures. Lures have many advantages over bait, the most obvious being that they are less messy and can be changed out quicker and easier. Other reasons for choosing lures over bait include less gut hooks (a gut hook is when a fish swallows the hook), you can cover more water, and it is easier to target the type of fish you want to catch. The seven main types of lures you will be working with as a beginning fisherman are spinner baits, crankbaits, soft plastic baits, spoons, flies, and jigs. Below is a short explanation of what each on does and how to use them:

Spinner Baits:



Spinner baits have one or more metal blades which serve to spin the bait when it is being reeled through the water. This creates noise, flash, and vibration that attracts the surrounding fish.
This type of lure is primarily used to catch predatory fish such as pike, perch, and bass. The most effective use of the spinner bait is called the "Chuck-N-Wind" and, as the name states, involves casting out the lure and reeling it back in at a medium speed.

Crankbaits:

 

Crankbaits are hard-bodied lures that imitate bait fish. They are known as many different names depending on your area. These names include wobbler, minnow, plug, shallow-diver, and deep-diver. There are a variety of shapes and sizes available and they all dive to different depths and glide through the water in different motions. Skilled fisherman know how to add in their own special motions by varying the speed of the retrieve or slightly twitching the rod in different directions. Crankbaits are especially useful when exploring popular fish hiding spots such as a fallen tree or a snag.

Soft Plastic Baits:

Soft plastic baits are more commonly known as just plastic baits and are any range of plastic-based fishing baits. They serve to imitate small fish or other natural food sources found in the water. Their realistic texture and versatility make them a very reliable lure if you know how to use them. Depending on the type and design of your plastic bait, you may want to cast it out and let it sink or just let it sit at the bottom .

Spoons:

A spoon lure is an oblong, concave lure, usually made of metal or a shell, shaped like the bowl of a spoon. This type of lure attracts fish by reflecting light and moving in random directions to imitate injured baitfish. As a beginner, you will most likely be using the cast and retrieve spoon lure and the technique is just as the name states. You simply cast the lure into the water and reel it in. You can adjust the speed of the retrieval to imitate an injured fish or reel it in smoothly.

Flies:

Flies are traditionally used with fly fishing equipment but if you have a clear bubble float, they will work with spinning gear as well. Flies are designed to imitate insects, baitfish, frogs, leeches or other small animals that attract fish. Dry flies are intended to be used on the surface of the water while wet flies are made to be fished below the surface.

Jigs:

Out of all of the lures, jigs are definitely the most versatile. They can catch just about any game fish there is and are inexpensive as well. They have a weighted head and come in all colors and sizes. They can be dressed in feathers, soft plastic, hair, or a bait of your choice. Unlike other lures, the motions that attract fish are not built in and you are responsible for making the movements. The classic way to fish a jig is to cast it out and let it sink to the bottom (you know its at the bottom when your line goes slack). From here you want to make the lure hop across the bottom by lifting the tip of your rod, lowering it, and then retrieving it a short way. Repeat this process until you either catch a fish or reel in your line all the way.