Fishingnoob.com » Fishing Beginners Guide

How to Keep and Clean Your Fish

nick — Tue, 04 Dec 2007 08:18:14 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

You’re going to need a few things:

sharp knife (a fillet knife is best, but any thin sharp knife will do)
clean running water
plastic bags
cooler with crushed ice (best option, if possible)

*For the record, this is only one of your options after you catch a fish, your other option is to let it go.

Step 1: Kill It

Do the fish a favor and kill it quickly and humanely. Give it a good rap on the top of the head right behind the eyes with a stick or a commercially available “Priest” (a wooden or metal club used to dispatch fish).

Killing a fish quickly is not only kinder to the fish than letting it suffocate in the air or die on a stringer, but it also translates into better tasting fish. The sooner you clean the fish, the better.

Step 2: Clean It

Preparation

Rinse the fish with clean (not lake) water, to remove the protective slime.
Remove both pectoral fins.

Scale the Fish (optional)

Use a scaling tool, a spoon, or the blunt side of a knife.
Run your scaling tool down the length of the fish’s body at an angle, from tail to head.
You’re done scaling when the body is smooth.

Gut the Fish

Insert the tip your knife into the anal vent.
Carefully slit the belly open all the way up to the gills. Be careful not to cut the internal organs, you don’t want to taint the meat.
Insert the tip of your knife (sharp side facing jaw) into one side of the tab directly beneath the jaw and push it out the other side of the tab.
Cut the tab free.
Hold onto the jaw with one hand.
With your other hand’s thumb, push into the tab
Use both your thumb and index finger to reach into the body cavity and pull out (forcefully) the guts and gills.
Scrape out the blood line (dark red line clinging to spine inside the body cavity) with your thumb’s fingernail or a spoon and rinse out body cavity.

Prepare Fish for Table

Cut the head off, below the gills (optional).
Cut the tail off (optional).
If you want to remove the bones, cut along both sides of the dorsal fin and give it a good yank from the tail back to the head (optional).

Step 3: Keep It

Properly dispose of the guts. Don’t litter. A good way to deal with the guts is to double bag them and put them in the freezer until trash day.
In the field, pack the body cavity with ice and place in your cooler. Don’t let fish sit in the melt water.
At home, store cleaned fish in a covered container in the refrigerator (40° or lower). Fish will keep for two days.
To freeze, wrap the fish in plastic wrap as a vapor barrier (to prevent freezer burn) and follow that with a good-quality freezer wrap.

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How to Play and Land a Fish

nick — Sat, 01 Dec 2007 06:20:23 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

The first time I had a fish on my line, my heart was pounding so hard I could hear it in my ears. When its you and your fish, the important thing is to breath and keep your cool. Many things can go wrong at this point, but if you do everything right, you might just bring that fish to hand or net.

1. Set the Hook

As soon as you feel you have a fish on the line, reel in the slack and set the hook.

“Setting the Hook” means successfully hooking the fish in the mouth. You set the hook by quickly and firmly lifting the rod tip. The action is in your wrist and your elbow; don’t bring your rod arm over your head, just give it a quick snap.

Warnings

If you set the hook too soon: you will pull the lure or bait out of the fishes mouth.
If you set the hook too late: you will “gut hook” the fish, meaning the fish will swallow the hook. Generally this is bad, especially if you plan to release the fish.
If your hook set is too light: you won’t penetrate the fish’s mouth and you’ll lose the fish.
If your hook set is too hard: you will tear the hook right out of the fish’s mouth or tear the area around the hook and probably lose the fish.
If you use circle hooks, your hookset should be slow and deliberate or not at all.

2. Play the Fish

The actions and reactions you take to tire out a fish so that you can bring it in, are collectively called “playing” the fish.

As a beginner, you are going to be tempted to haul in the fish by cranking on your reel. But, that’s a good way to lose a fish fast.

The idea is let the fish tire itself out without snapping the line or tearing out the hook. This is what you can do to play your fish right:

Set your drag properly, before you have a fish on.
Keep your rod tip up. Your rod should be vertical or near vertical, but not over your head:
Do not allow slack in the line- keep the line tight.
Keep the fish away from anything that will tangle your line. You can steer the fish’s head by moving the rod (not turning the handle.)
If the fish runs towards you, reel in the slack:
If the fish swims away from you, DO NOT REEL IN; allow the drag to do its job:
As soon as the fish stops running, reel in the slack.
As long is the fish is not pulling line out, pump the fish in.

How to Pump the Fish

Lift the rod tip. This pulls the fish toward you.
Lower the rod tip. This creates slack in the line.
Quickly reel in. This takes in the slack, its important to do this fast.
Repeat. Pump the fish until it’s close enough to land.

3. Land the Fish

“Landing” a fish means getting it out of the water. Most fish should be landed with a net. There is a right way and a wrong way to net a fish.

How to Net a Fish

The fish should be “played” or tired. If it is still making runs, let it.
Bring the fish in close to your feet.
Put the net in the water carefully, away from the fish.
Pull the fish over the net, head first, by steering it with the rod:
Quickly lift the net up and out of the water, netting the fish.

*If you chase a fish around with the net, it will spook and probably make another run. The adrenaline rush will over-tire your fish and can really lower its chance of survival if you plan to release it.

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How to Find Fish

nick — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:39:00 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

Understanding what drives fish is the key to finding them in whatever body of water you may be fishing.

Fish have five basics needs. Locate places that meet these needs and you will soon be on to fish:

1. Sufficient Oxygen

Fish need oxygen just like you and me. If the water does not have sufficient oxygen, fish will not be able to live in it. Look for places that have features from the first list, and stay away from those on the second list.

Things that increase oxygen:

waterfalls
fountains
turbulence (riffles, etc.)
brightly colored vegetation

Things that reduces oxygen:

pollution
sewage
decaying vegetation

2. The Right Temperature

Fish rely on the environment to regulate their temperature. If it’s not right, they move deeper or shallower to get closer to their preferred temperature range.

Many fish can survive outside of their ideal temperature ranges, but they become “inactive.” That means that even if your presentation is perfect, they won’t bite. It pays to know the preferred temperature range of your target fish.

Preferred Ranges for Common Game Fish (approximations)
Fish	low	ideal	high
Bluegills/Sunfish	65	74	80
Largemouth Bass	65	73	75
Crappie	60	67	75
Yellow Perch	60	67	75
Northern Pike	60	65	75
Muskellunge	60	65	75
Pickerel	60	65	75
Shad	55	65	70
Striped Bass	56	64	73
Brown Trout	48	64	67
Walleye	55	60	70
Brook Trout	48	56	68
Chinook Salmon	50	54	63
Coho Salmon	45	54	60
Lake Trout	40	43	50

3. Protection From Predators

Fish have lots of predators: birds, raccoons, other fish, and you. They prefer to hang out in areas that give them some protection. Look for them in these areas:

Lakes & Ponds:

lily pads
weeds
submerged rocks, boulders, trees, roots and brush
deep water

Streams:

Under ledges
fallen trees
rocks in the current
deep pool
undercut banks

4. Comfortable Current

Fish, like people, like to be comfortable. Fighting strong currents wastes a lot of energy. Fish will spend most their time resting in moderate currents and in the edges that form between them and faster currents.

Current speed in a stream (cutaway view)

Current speed in a stream (top view)

5. Good Food

Fish have to eat. They go where the food goes. In lakes and ponds, look for the bait fish or other prey. If the bait fish are there, then game fish are not far behind.

In streams, the thing to look for is “feeding lanes,” narrow faster currents that carry insects and other food downstream.

Wherever these feeding lanes pass by undercut banks, rocks or protruding ledges, you will likely find fish.

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How to Cast Your Spinning Rod

nick — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 08:25:01 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

So, you bought your new spinning rod and reel. Now you need to know how to use it. Find a grassy place to practice (stay away from any surface that will tear up your line, like pavement or asphalt.)

STEP 1

First assemble your outfit. Tie on a practice plug (cheap insurance againstÂ hooking yourself or orthers while you learn) with an improved clinch knot Â and set the drag.

STEP 2

Hold the rod with your dominant hand. The reel should be below the rod. The reel foot usually goes between your middle finger and your ring finger, but if it feels better (more balanced) between other fingers, go with that.

STEP 3

Pull out or reel in line until you have about six inches of line hanging out of the tip top. Turn the handle slowly until the line roller is directly underneath your index finger.

STEP 4

Hold the line against the rod with the crook of your index finger.

STEP 5

Open the bail with your other hand.

STEP 6

Point the rod at your target.

STEP 7

In one smooth motion bring the rod up to vertical.

Allow it to flex (the tip bends back behind you, this is called “loading” the rod,) without pausing , start to push the rod forward. Note that the movement is happening in your elbow and wrist, not at the shoulder.

When the rod tip is halfway to your target, let go of the line with your index finger to send the lure flying (hopefully at your target.) This step is all about timing.

Problem:

The plug went straight up into the air.
Solution: You released the line too early. Wait a little longer to release the line.

Problem: The plug crashed at your feet.
Solution: You released the line too late. Release the line sooner.

STEP 8

Close the bail with your free hand.

*I recommend closing the bail by hand, because doing so eliminates loops in the line that are caused by turning the handle to engage the bail. These loops will turn into ugly tangles after repeated casting.

Congratulations! You now know how to cast a spinning rod.Â You will get more out of your practice timeÂ if you set upÂ a real target to aim for: use a paper plate on the ground, a hulla-hoop, ect. The more you practice now, the less time you’ll spend getting your lures out of trees later.

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How to Set the Drag on a Spinning Reel

nick — Thu, 22 Nov 2007 18:48:00 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

The drag mechanism on your reel is designed to allow you to set how much resistance a fish feels when it pulls on the line.

Drag is measured in pounds. The tighter you set the drag, the more resistance the fish feels.

You want to set the drag tight enough that it tires out the fish when you fight it, but not so tight that the line breaks under stress.

The most accurate procedure for setting the drag on your reel requires a scale.

You can use a spring scale:

or a digital scale:

What is the correct drag setting for my reel?

The drag should be set to 25% of the breaking strength of the line you are using. The breaking strength is the line’s pound test, which should be clearly labeled on the package and spool.

test strength ÷ 4 = correct drag setting

For example, if you are using 8lb test line, the correct drag setting should be 2lbs.

8 ÷ 4 = 2lb

How do I set the drag on my reel?

Assemble your rod and attach the reel. Thread the line through all the guides from the butt to the tip top.
Tie the line to the hook of the scale.
Hold the rod at a 45° angle.
Pull down on the scale. Take a reading on the scale the moment the drag begins to slip.

Adjust the drag mechanism until the drag slips at the correct setting for the line strength you are using.*On a spinning reel, the drag mechanism is usually on the top of the reel (front drag), though it can sometimes be found on the back end of the reel (rear drag). Click here to see a diagram of a spinning reel.

The scale method is the most accurate way to set your drag. You can try to set the drag by feel, many people do. But many of these anglers have their drag set too tight and too tight equals lost fish.

Hot Technique Alert: Have you ever heard of the fly and bubble technique? It’s an awesome and versatile fishing tactic that every spin fisherman should know… read about here.

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How to Assemble a Spinning Reel and Rod

nick — Wed, 21 Nov 2007 09:54:00 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

STEP 1: Assemble the rod sections

If your rod is a one piece, move on to step two. Putting the rod sections together properly, extends the life of your rod.

Inspect the both ferrules for dirt and debris that might scratch your rod blank and weaken it. Keep those ferrules clean. Use a cotton swab to clean out the female ferrule if you see dirt.
Bring the ferrules together at a 45Â° angle, push them together while twisting to align the guides. *Do not push or pull by the guides, you will weaken or break them.

STEP 2: Attach the reel

Place the foot of the reel in the reel seat.
Secure the reel seat hood over the foot, by screwing the hood up or down. *Do not over tighten, you could crack the reel seat.

STEP 3: Thread the line under the line roller and through ALL the guides.

One of the most common mistakes beginners make is forgetting a guide. Begin with the butt guide and end with the tip top. Double check you got every guide.

STEP 4: Tie on your hook, lure, or practice plug

If you don’t know what knot to use, let me introduce you to the improved clinch knot.

All done. The only thing to do now is set the drag properly and you are ready to cast.

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Hot Technique Alert: Have you ever heard of the fly and bubble technique? It’s an awesome and versatile fishing tactic that every spin fisherman should know… read about here.

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How to Load Line on a Spinning Reel

nick — Tue, 20 Nov 2007 21:14:00 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

Loading your line correctly is of supreme importance. Do this wrong and you’ll set yourself up for a line-twist nightmare later. The line twists into coils when it should hang limp, causing your line to tangle into an ugly nest when you cast.

The easiest way to load line onto your reel is to have someone else do it for you. If you can, just let the tackle shop take care of it when you buy your line. They have a nifty machine that will do it quickly and professionally.

If, for whatever reason, you need to do this yourself, this is how its done:

Open the bail. That’s the little wire arm on the reel that flips up and down. Up is open, down is closed. Click here to see a diagram of a spinning reel.
Tie the line on the arbor with an arbor knot. Click here to learn to tie an arbor knot. Close the bail.
Put the spool on the floor, label facing up. A spinning reel requires that the line be loaded onto the reel the same way it comes off the spool.
LIKE THIS:

NOT LIKE THIS:
With your free hand, use your thumb and index finger to apply light pressure to your line as you give the handle 15 to 20 turns. Always apply light pressure on the line while loading it, otherwise the line will go on loose and tangle later.
Stop. Check the line for line twist. Do this by letting the line go slack. If it starts twisting, flip the spool over (label down) and try again. Use the side that gives you less twist.
LINE TWIST LOOKS LIKE THIS:
Fill your spool until it is 1/8th inch from the rim. Overfilling or underfilling your spool will create problems when you cast.

Congratulations! You’re all done. You can use a rubber band to secure your line on the spool, or wrap it around the tab in your spool (if it comes with one).

Hot Technique Alert: Have you ever heard of the fly and bubble technique? It’s an awesome and versatile fishing tactic that every spin fisherman should know… read about here.

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Two Knots You Absolutely Need to Know

nick — Mon, 19 Nov 2007 06:03:18 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

In your fishing career, you will very likely learn many knots. But, you’ll be using these two knots from day one. They are indispensable. Let’s go over some knot tying terminology before we begin.

standing line: the part of the line that is not involved in making the knot; the part of the line that "stands still."

tag end: the very end of of the line; the part of the line that is being used to make the knot.

Arbor Knot

The arbor knot is the knot you use to tie line and backing onto your reel. It’s very simple. (Click on the photos to enlarge them.)

Step 1.

Pass the line around the arbor.

Step 2.

Tie an overhand knot in the standing line.

Step 3.

Tie another overhand knot in the tag end.

Step 4.

Moisten the knots (saliva will do- the lubrication keeps the line from weakening from the friction of tying.) Hold the tag end on either side of the knots and pull tight. Cut off any excess line above the knot in the tag end. Snug the knot down. All done.

Improved Clinch Knot

The improved clinch knot is the most popular knot for attaching hooks, swivels, snaps, lures, flies and sinkers on light line (20lb test or less, click on the photos to enlarge them.)

Step 1.

Pass the line through the eye of the hook and wrap the tag end around the standing line five times.

Step 2.

Bring the tag end back and pass it through the loop you created above the eye.

Step 3.

Now pass the tag end back through the big loop.

Step 4.

Moisten the knot area. Hold the tag end in one hand, the standing line in the other and and pull slowly at the same time. Slide the coils tight with your fingernail. Clip the tag end.

Hot Technique Alert: Have you ever heard of the fly and bubble technique? It’s an awesome and versatile fishing tactic that every spin fisherman should know… read about here.

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Which Rod and Reel Should I Buy? – Your First Fishing Rod & Reel

nick — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 03:25:40 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

The right equipment depends largely on what you intend to do with it. The right gear for catching small bluegill in a local pond won’t be right for fishing large sturgeon. If you know exactly the kind of fishing you want to do, then getting the right gear is a relatively simple matter:

Find a local tackle shop you like.
Go in and tell them what you want to fish and where.
Buy their recommendation.

As an alternative, you can ask your fishing buddies what they they recommend. Or if you will be traveling somewhere to fish, you can call up an outfitter/or tackle shop in that area and ask them what a good setup would be.

What if you don’t know exactly what kind fish you will go after?

What if all you know is that you want to start fishing, and you want some good gear that will handle almost any freshwater situation? What do get then?

What you need is a good all-around outfit to get you started. This outfit should be fun to catch small fish with, yet have enough backbone to reel in the bigger ones as well. It won’t be perfect, but it will be pretty close.

Your First Fishing Outfit

6-foot to 7-foot, medium to medium-light action, 2-piece graphite rod.
Medium to medium-light spinning reel filled with quality 8 pound test monofilament line (get a reel that comes with a spare spool).
Line in 4#, and 6# test (fill the spare spool with the 6# test).
Quality hooks in assorted sizes.
Assorted ball-bearing swivels & snaps.
Split Shot and a couple of egg sinkers.
Pencil floats in assorted sizes.
3 spinners.
Polarized sunglasses
A tackle box or fishing vest.

If you’ve never put line on a reel before, let the clerk at the tackle shop do it for you. Trust me, about the spare spool. Sometimes, you’ll want to change out your line while on the water, and that spare spool makes it easy. A two piece rod will be more convenient to handle and transport than a one piece.Â The polarized sunglasses help you see through the glare of the water to spot fish and alsoÂ protects your eyes from sharpÂ hooks.

The Importance of A Balanced Outfit

It is very important that your outfit be balanced (the rod and reel are “matched” to hold the same size line.) A balanced outfit will allow all the individual parts to work to the maximum of their effectiveness and efficiency.

How will you know if you are a buying a balanced outfit?

If you buy a “combo” (rod and reel sold together as a package deal) from a reputable online outfitter or from a local tackle shop, you can be reasonably assured that the outfit is balanced. Combos are a good way to get a better price, compared to purchasing the rod and reel individually. But, if you buy your rod and reel separately you will need to read the specifications yourself to ensure that they are matched well.

How to Read Your Rod & Reel Specs

If you look at the butt end of the rod, near the handle, you will see some specifications printed on the rod. These printed specifications usually tell you the length of the rod, the rod’s action, and the range of line and lure size they are designed to cast. For the 8lb outfit I am recommending you’ll want a rod that ranges from 4 to 10 pounds or 6 to 12 pounds.

It will look something like this:

As you can see, the rod above is 6 feet long, medium action, and rated for 6-12lb test. Some rods have more or less information. For instance the rod below also shows recommended lure weight size:

Look for the specifications on the reel, as well. They will be printed on the box and sometimes on the reel. The reel should handle 8lbs in its midrange. This reel for example, is ideal (click to enlarge):

As you can see, the line capacity is printed right on the reel. It says the reel can hold 200 yards of 6lb test, 140 yards of 8lb test, and 120 yards of 10lb test. This is a great match to the rods shown above.

With an outfit like this, you should be able to handle a wide range of freshwater fishing situations, and a wide variety of fish.

Congratulations on your new fishing outfit!

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Understanding Fish Senses

nick — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 10:30:43 +0000

Table of contents for Total Noob Beginners Fishing Guide

All fishes have senses. They, like you and me, can tell what’s happening around them through their sense of sight, hearing, smell, touch and taste, plus a few others senses we don’t have.

Sight

Fish have very good vision, but their eyes are different than ours. Their lenses are perfectly round, allowing them to see underwater. Freshwater fish have no eye-lids; to regulate the amount of light entering their eyes,Â they have to actually move to a different depth or area.

Many fish can see in color, which is why lures are manufactured in every color imaginable.

The placement of a fish’s eyes (one on each side of the head) allows fish to see on either side of the fish at same time. The location of the eyes creates a blind spot directly in front of the head, directly behind the fish and straight down.

Fish can see above the water through a circular “window” in the surface of the water because of the way that light rays bend when they enter the water. If you can see the fish, then most likely it can see you too. Keep a low profile as you near fish-holding water if you want to avoid spooking fish.

Lateral Line

The lateral line is a thin canal that runs along the side of a fish, horizontally, from head to tail on both sides of the fish’s body. The lateral line is crammed with sensory organs that allow the fish to sense temperature changes and “hear” vibrations in the water. Even in murky or dark water, fish can determine the location, speed and size of objects through their lateral line.

[photo by Tomas Hellberg]

Smell

Fish can smell through nostrils called “nares” located on the snout of the fish. Odors in the water help fish locate prey, predators, and even water from far away places (like the water they were born in even when they’re hundreds of miles away.) Though they have a great sense of smell, most fish do not rely on their sense of smell to feed because what a fish can smell at any particular time depends largely on the strength and direction of the current.

Taste

While fish can taste through taste buds in their mouth (and sometimes taste buds along the head and side of the body), the sense of taste doesn’t seem to be very important to most freshwater gamefish. Catfish are the big exception to this rule, as they find their food primarily through their acute sense of smell an taste. Catfish can taste through their skin and through their whiskers (called “barbels.”)

How Understanding Fish Senses Can Increase Your Fishing Success

The more you understand fish in general, and your target fish in the specific, the better your chances of catching fish will be. For instance, if you know that catfish find food through their sense of smell, then you’ll want to make sure you have some stinky bait. Here are some general tips relating to fish senses that should help to put more fish on your hook:

Make as little disturbance as possible when you approaching fishable water.
Don’t run, stomp, or bang your tackle box on the floor of the boat, or even the shore.
Keep you profile low to avoid being seen by fish in shallow water; you may want to kneel, or even crawl up to a shallow or small stream that’s holding fish.
Watch your shadow. If you can, keep your shadow off the water, it’s likely to spook fish.
Try to appeal to fish through more than one sense. Bass lures for instance often use color, sound and vibration to provoke strikes.

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