No matter where or how you fish, all anglers need to be aware of some fundamental fishing advice for beginners. You may have just realised how much fun freshwater fishing can be, or perhaps some recent excitement with saltwater fishing has you hooked on the sport.
Are you prepared to experience successful trolling, catch more fish while casting, and have a ball while bottom fishing?
Fishing Lure Colors
Match the hue of your lure to that of the water. Although you should always experiment with different colours when you’re not reeling in fish, as a general rule of thumb, start out by picking lures that match the colour of the water. You never know for sure what colour lures the fish will favour on any particular day.
Fishing Lure Shapes & Sizes
To “match the hatch,” choose lure forms and sizes that allow this. A little, thin spoon the same size and shape as those baitfish will frequently be deadly when predators are feeding on a school of small, thin fish like anchovies, while a five-inch lure with a large body may well go unnoticed.
The Right Size Fishing Gear
Don’t try to get rods and reels that are one size fits all; rather, purchase fishing equipment that is sized suitably to the fish you are hunting. The four-pound-class lightweight that’s perfect for casting micro-jigs to those crappie can’t handle a huge largemouth bass, and the 12-pound-class casting reel you love using for bass is simply too hefty for tossing the small jigs and spinners that black crappie like to strike.
Trolling
If you try trolling (slowly motoring along while towing lures behind the boat), hold your lures next to the boat before deploying the lines and check to see that they are swimming realistically. Try accelerating a little bit if they appear lazy.
Fishing Line
Fishing line comes in a huge variety of types and brands, so make a good decision. Read Saltwater Fishing Lines and Freshwater Fishing Tackle to learn more about the various options available to you.
Best Time of the Day for Fishing
Catch fish both early and late. Fish of many different species tend to bite best in natural sunshine at dawn and sunset. Cloud cover during the midday can improve fishing, and in direct sunshine (especially during the sweltering summer months), look for spots with shade.
Tides & Currents
When choosing the best time to go fishing, remember to take the tides and currents into account if you’re fishing in saltwater. How, when, and where saltwater fish feed are greatly impacted by the flow of the tides.