The Thrill of Fishing: Getting Started Guide

April 2020

How to get started

While there are some aspects of fishing that require expensive equipment to get in the game, many waters are easily accessible is not resource intensive.  Each spring many lakes are stocked with beautiful trout in March/April/May.  Stocked Trout are aggressive and easy to catch.  You can start with a light or medium action 6’ spinning rod and reel with 4, 6- or 8-pound test monofilament line.  Look for a setup that feels comfortable in your hand and has good balance.  For kids, I would recommend that we stay away from the “kiddie” equipment (Snoopy etc.)  as they are more  fishing toys than effective gear.  You can find smaller, lighter rods for kids that would be better suited for real fishing. It is easy to learn some simple knots.

I use the Palomar knot, as it is very strong and simple to tie.  You can look at the Stren web site for details – (The Palomar Knot).

Lures and bait

As far as bait, lures and tactics, well that is where the variety and fun begins.  The stocked trout are easy to catch.  They will strike most anything for a while until they become more accustomed to the lake environment and natural foods.  You can purchase a series of small (1/4 ounce or smaller) metallic spoons and spinners for lure fishing.  Worms, minnows and even canned corn are also known to work.  I caught a 2-pound trout last year that was completely full of yellow corn kernels.   Once the water warms up, the largemouth bass become active.  These are the predominant fish species in the lake as they can reproduce naturally and are very prolific.  You can often see schools of baby bass near the weed beds. While plastic worms and minnow-shaped plastics are my favorites for bass, they can be caught on most bait both artificial and natural. 

You can try wacky worms (The Wacky Worm) or the Ned rig (The Ned Rig) both are very effective methods to catch bass.

Safety and fish handling

There are certainly aspects of fishing and water awareness that should be explained especially to kids including use of life preservers, boat safety, handling of hooks/knifes, hook removal and also safe handling of the fish.  There are some fish in the lake that have formidable teeth including the chain pickerel, but most often harm from fish are due to the spines on their backs.  Some safe fish handling tips include:

1. If you can release a fish without touching it that is preferable
2. Wet your hand slightly before gripping the fish to protect their slime coat
3. Start at the head and slide your hand backwards to fold the dorsal spines
4. Do not squeeze any more tightly then is required to hold it
5. Remove hooks as quickly as possible with either needle nose pliers or a hemostat
   and be very careful with the areas around the gills.  Note: 
   if the hooks are very deep and cannot be removed easily then just
   cut the line and release the fish.
6. Gently return the fish to the water and hold it upright until it leaves your
   grasp

 As this is the first installment of this column, I am certainly looking for feedback, suggestions and most definitely fish stories.  You can contact me by email – [email protected]

Tight lines … Captain P.