Advice for People Who Just Started Fishing

The idea that you can take a relaxing afternoon to throw out your line and catch some fish is deeply rooted in our culture, and for good reason. Even if you don’t go fishing very often, you still have the urge to get out on the water. But people don’t fish as much as they could because they don’t know how to do it well or haven’t done it enough.

We made this list to share the best advice from experts for people who are just starting to fish. This is the result of putting years of experience into a short list of tips that can teach you everything you need to know.

With this information, we hope you’ll be able to go fishing right away and be sure you’re doing everything right. You’ll be ready to go fishing in Alaska after some practice.

TIPS FOR FIRST-TIMERS

LEARN HOW TO CAST

Most of the time, you’ll need to put the bait within a few feet of the strike zone, and a bad cast means missed chances and lost lures.

Don’t jerk when using plastic baits like worms, Senkos, or crawfish. I see this all the time with new anglers, who can’t tell the difference between a bite and a snag. This moves the bait out of the strike zone.

The best way to tell if a fish is biting is to hold the rod still and put a little tension on it. If you feel a pulse, jerk. When using plastic bait, the bass usually holds on to it for a few seconds, which is enough time for them to figure out if it’s a fish or a snag.

USE CHEAP LURES TO BE BRAVE

If you want to catch more fish, don’t use lures or rigs that you don’t want to lose.You won’t put your fishing lures where the fish are or where they can aid you if you don’t want to lose them. If you fish in the right places with cheap lures, they work better than expensive lures that you fish within “safe zones.”

CONFIDENCE IS KEY

My best piece of advice for beginners is about having confidence. You should always be sure of what you’re throwing. Confidence is the key to helping someone fish a new bait successfully. Always think, “On my next cast, I’ll catch that 5-pound fish.”

LEARN YOUR LURES

When you use a new lure for the first time, it will take you some time to get used to it and gain confidence in it. Going fishing with only that lure is a good way to do this. So, you have to use that bait and figure out how to use it to catch fish.

USE A KAYAK

Try kayak fishing if you want to go fishing for the first time but don’t have a boat. Kayaks are cheap, easy to move, and don’t weigh much. They also let you get to places you can’t reach on foot or with a power boat, which are often where the biggest, least-fished fish are.

BE PREPARED

When you go fishing, be ready for anything. You can never tell what fish will do. You never know what lures they’ll bite on, and you never know how the weather will affect the fish. The more prepared you are, the more likely it is that you will catch fish.

SALTWATER VS FRESHWATER

So, the differences between fishing in a lake and fishing in the ocean are pretty clear to most people, but there are also some scientific points to think about in addition to the “lake vs. ocean” comparison.

When a fisherman casts his line into a body of water with a salinity of less than 0.05%, he is said to be fishing in freshwater. It is different from fishing in salt water because the fish are all different. With the exception of a few species, all fish must spend at least some time in salt water before returning to freshwater to reproduce. One such species is the salmon. One thing to remember is that lakes have creel limits, just like ponds, rivers, and other bodies of water. A creel limit is the number and/or size of fish you can take out of a lake each day.

If you’re like me and you live in the middle of nowhere, you probably don’t get to go saltwater fishing very often.

FRESHWATER FISHING TIPS

• A topographical chart of the lake or pond is a must if you plan on doing any serious fishing there. This shows lake or pond depths. It also shows submerged fish cribs.
• Bait Counts! Live bait works best. Worms, minnows, wax worms, and soft shells (crayfish) work well. Live bait is best for the fish you’re catching. Leeches, frogs, and any other live bait the fish will eat are also used. Spinners and crankbaits are popular artificial baits.
• Most freshwater fish have preferred water temperatures and conditions. More heat means deeper fishing. As the temperature rises, fish move to deeper, cooler water. Fish feed shallower at night and daybreak. Research the fish you wish to catch to determine the ideal times and water depths.
• Clean up! In low-salinity water, keep your hands clean. Any foreign scent on bait or lures can turn off fish.
• Other essentials are a tackle box, needle-nose pliers, a net, and an ice chest. A good pair of polarised sunglasses will reduce the sun’s UV rays and glare on the water and help you spot fish.

SAFETY INFORMATION 

• First, safety! Florida-born First tip: watch for alligators. Especially if utilizing a small boat or canoe in the south.
• If you fish without a license or stamps, you could get in trouble.
• Use a wader belt if you’re going to wade in a river, pond, or lake. Life jackets should be worn in boats. It’s helpful and often required by law. Don’t forget to hydrate and wear sunblock.

LAKE FISHING TIPS 

• Inlets, outlets, and hangouts Favor humans, fish like specific temperatures, and hang out in comfy parts of a lake. Entrances and exits of lakes are usually cooler and fish-friendly. Baitfish and huge fish that consume them frequent these locations.
• Discover Sunken Treasures – Fish-like protected buildings where they can ambush other fish. Sunken trees, branches, and manmade fish habitats are good fishing spots. They think it’s safe, like coral in saltwater.
• Strong winds force bait fish closer to shore, attracting huge fish to feed. Follow drift lines to bait fish, which will lead to big fish.
• Weed-scout Northern pike and largemouth bass like to hunt from weed beds. Find weed beds in the lake you’re fishing in and try baiting or luring a fish there. The best sites are weed beds leading to deeper water that provides a broken line.

KEEP IT CHEAP

Remember, fishing gear isn’t expensive. Fun, easy, and economical freshwater fishing is needed. 90% of fishing tackle is designed to attract fishermen, not fish.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

Keep your rig basic and size down tackle. A 5-acre pond is shark-proof.

PRACTICE YOUR CAST

Before fishing, beginners should practice casting. They’ll make better casts and catch better fish.

MATCH THE HATCH

This means that your bait should consist of, or at least be similar to (with artificial bait), the food that the fish are actively feeding on. Use baits and lures that look like and are the same size as local forage. Always use live bait.

CASTING!

I’ve been a 300-day-per-year fly fishing guide throughout the world and in the fly fishing industry with Sage, RIO, and Redington for the past decade. The most crucial lesson I can offer is to learn to cast well.

Great gear (rod and line) helps, but it’s no substitute for being a skilled caster. Double haul immediately while learning to cast… Without the double haul, one’s casting ability will always be limited, and in certain scenarios (permit, tarpon, and bonefish flats), dead in the water.

Of course, you can’t expect to be a competent caster without putting in some time at the range, and the best time to do so is before you get out fishing. Once someone is a good caster, the rest will follow.

USE THE RIGHT BAIT

Know what kind of bait attracts the fish you’re after. Catfish like raw chicken liver, while bream like bugs. The wrong bait could mean a long, fruitless day, not the way to start this magnificent venture.

BE AWARE OF THE LAW

Check your state’s fishing laws before going. Measure your prize catch with a Release Ruler. You can release a fish based on its length.

 CLEAN UP

Take gum wrappers, cigarette butts, bait containers, beer cans, drink bottles, and hook packaging. Respect fishing spots, other anglers, and landowners.

STUDY THE ENVIRONMENT

Many starting river fishers in Alaska and elsewhere focus on picking the right gear. Less attention is spent on river studies and target species’ habitats.

Knowing habitat increases catching. Adapt methods, gear, etc. to a river’s biology. This works for experienced river anglers.

Over time, you’ll learn to think like a fish, read water, and recognize fish holding locations. You’ll appreciate a river’s changing environment.

USE THE RIGHT KNOT FOR YOUR LINE

With a braided line, apply a Palomar knot. Palomar knots burn fluorocarbon as they tighten and break readily. Fluorocarbon improves clinch knots. Either knot works with monofilament.

LEARN THE TOP WATER BITE

Early morning bass fishing tips. It’s delicious. Hook with a Zara Spook or Pop R. Inexperienced fishermen misses much top water fish by pulling the bait straight up.

TRUST THE LOCALS

Ask locals what’s biting, what bait to use, and keep your lines taut.

 TAKE IT SLOW

Beginners on my boat often go too quickly. They make a wonderful cast but seem so eager to move to another area that they recover their bait too quickly. They can’t wait to move on to the next site instead of exploring it.

USE A MULTI-PURPOSE LURE

Depending on the setup and retrieve, no other soft plastic bait swims more erratically or naturally.

Cast out and hold the rod tip up for surface-breaking fish. This works for casting over weed lines, stumps, or tree tops. The StingRay Grub isn’t weedless, but it’s hard to snag.

STAY CALM AND KEEP YOUR TIP UP

I can think of a handful of advice from my experience with people that don’t fish often, get excited when they catch a fish, and screw up the process. When a very nice fish is lost, I twitch my face.

Several weeks ago, the weather made fishing slow, so we worked hard. At tide change high water slack, I trolled for king salmon across from Pelican and caught a 25-pounder. He was doing well for a time. When the salmon made “one more run,” I almost caught it.

The fisherman aimed the rod at the fish. When he did this, there was no “bend” to absorb the salmon’s energy. As the fish approached, the line became shorter and had less stretch than if it were longer, 100 yards vs. 10 yards. A 3% line stretch implies you can’t endure the impact of a 30 mph king salmon charge.

The line stretched swiftly and snapped like a gunshot at the reel. When the fisherman understood what he’d done, he looked sorrowful.

WEAR SUNGLASSES

Always use sunglasses, especially for young fishermen. Never trust a hook’s destination.

MYSTIC FLY ROD TIP

Choose your ideal fly rod. Do not buy a rod because a friend loves it, a single person rated it highly, or it was advertised on the back cover of your favorite fly fishing magazine.

Buy a rod for your cast. When you cast, buy. Shops let you test rods outside. Your purchase will improve your fishing long-term.

SET YOUR EXPECTATIONS

In the beginning, you must set realistic expectations and have patience. Enjoy nature! You’ll learn to choose the correct lures and bait as you acquire experience. Fish finders are helpful.

STAY WITHIN YOUR BUDGET

Choose high-quality gear. If you don’t have the most costly gear, don’t stress.

DON’T CRANK TO THE TIP

Rookie fishermen often crank captured fish to the rod tip. What’s wrong?

• Fish can’t escape. Rod tip and line strength. The rod’s operating angle is engaged by halting the reel with a line out. Fish fight flexing rod and wear outline.
• When the fish is on the rod, you must lower it to unhook it. That’s in the boat, sand, weeds, or water if you’re wading.
• To unhook a fish with a rod’s worth of line out, lift the rod like a crane’s boom, swing the fish into your other hand, and slide the rod under your arm.
• When unhooking a fish at the rod tip, you fight the rod’s flexing strength and the flopping fish. The line stops this.