Truth be told, there are really only three things (other than fish and water) absolutely needed to go fishing. First item needed is a rod (a complete set can be purchased for as little as $20). Second necessity is bait of some kind and third, a fishing license.
However, for those who want the most out of their initial fishing experience, there are other items that can help make that first time so much better. So, to help prepare, they are listed below.
Rod and Reel
As mentioned before, a basic rod and reel set can be purchased for less than $20. A starter combo includes the rod and reel pre-spooled with line. These are strong enough to catch catfish, striper, and other game fish.
Bait: Worms, Leeches and Others
While a Norman Rockwell picture of bait gathering would give warm fuzzies, in reality, trying to gather big enough worms for fishing is time consuming and not really worth it when worms can be picked up from a bait dealer for just a few dollars per dozen.
Crayfish, minnows and leeches are other common forms of bait for fresh water fishing. The biggest drawback from all four of these types of bait is that they are still alive when put on the hook and should be “hooked” in such a way as to keep them alive and struggling for as long as possible in order to attract fish.
If the novice fisher thinks that this might cause squeamishness, it’s a good time to consider using some kind of lure instead of fresh bait. Lures cost a bit more money initially, but can be used over and over.
Lures Instead of Bait
There are four main categories of lures for freshwater fishing: plugs, spinners and spoons, jigs and finally soft plastics. For the beginner fisherman, the soft plastics will do well. They are made to imitate fish and other aquatic types of bait. The lures are drawn through the water in an attempt to emulate the natural movement of the creature the soft plastic imitates, such as a prawn, baitfish or crawdad.
The Fishing License
Be sure to pick up a fishing license for the state in which you intend to fish. These can be obtained at most sporting goods stores, gun shops, department stores, discount stores, bait and tackle shops, grocery stores, and many other types of stores, as well as online. A license can cost around $30 per year and $10 for a single day. The small fee is much better than being fined $100 or so for fishing without a license.
Tackle Box
All it takes is dropping a weight, hook or bobber in the water once or twice to learn that some type of carrying case is a necessity. Since hooks can rust, keeping them dry is important, another reason for a tackle box of some kind. It’s also the best place to keep the fishing license since it’ll go where the fishing is happening if it’s kept in the box.
Different fish like different kinds of bait and purchasing worms gets expensive after a while, so it’s safe to assume that a few varieties of lures will be purchased pretty early on. Keeping them separated will make the fishing experienced much more pleasant.
Know a Few Knots
As with everything, there’s a right way to do knots and a wrong way. The wrong way could result in lost hooks, or even worse, fish. The clinch knot is the common fishing knot and the best way to tie swivels and hooks to line.
Protection From the Sun
Two factors make it doubly important to wear a hat, sunglasses and sunscreen while fishing. The first is the water, which reflects sunlight in all directions and can magnify the sun’s affects, and sunburn. The second is the amount of time that tends to slip away while sitting in a boat on a beautiful lake. It can be very easy to let hours go by, and even on cloudy days, harmful rays are getting through can causing sun damage and causing eye strain.
Bobbers
A bobber can mean the difference between spending the day in the boat and catching fish for the novice. Since it’s important to get the fish to “take the hook,” it’s essential to know when they’re nibbling. Having a bobber, and keeping an eye on it, is the best way to learn how to feel the nibble and when to give a small tug on the lin. The best place for the bobber is located around two feet from the hook.
Sinkers
When using worms or some other lightweight bait, added weight is needed on the line or it will just float on the top of the water. Sinkers come in a variety of weights and materials. A metal sinker is easiest to put on the line since all that’s needed is a gentle squeeze. Trial and error will help find what weights work best and how many are needed.
Christiane Potts
Is keeping a marine aquarium difficult?
I want to get a saltwater fish aquarium for my room. Is it difficult to take care of? And good/bad fish for beginners, essentials I would need to know?
If you’re not already a fish hobbiest (freshwater tank), then I don’t personally recommend a SW tank. IMO, a beginning hobbiest should not have a SW tank as their first fish experience. You can do a lot of reading to learn things, but some things will still go wrong your first time around. Sometimes, you just have to learn by mistakes…and you probably don’t want your learning tank to be a SW because it will become an awfully expensive lesson. SW fish are muuuuch more expensive than FW and are much more sensitive to water conditions. Most FW fish are now farm raised, whereas SW fish are mostly wild caught and therefore more susceptable to death if their conditions aren’t almost perfect. SW tanks cost much more to set up as well, so if you’re a learner, it may suit you better to start with a FW tank and graduate later down the road to a SW. I suggest a larger tank…at *least* 20 gal…because believe it or not: the BIGGER the tank, the EASIER it is to take care of. This is because there is a larger amount of water, so its perameters are more stable and aren’t affected as easily. With smaller amounts of water, like 10 gal, the temperature fluctuates very easily as well as perameters such as nitrate, pH, etc.
If you’ve already experienced FW tanks, then visit this GREAT website for all kinds of info on SW tanks, including detailed profiles of fish types and setup/care instructions.
http://www.fishlore.com
References :
Marine tanks are very expensive and hard to maintain. If you have the money and the time to devote to keeping one then go for it. For a first tank you wouldn’t want anything smaller than about a 29gallon, the smaller the tank the more difficult it is to keep stable. You’ll need a skimmer ($150+) make sure you’re getting a high quality skimmer, cheap ones, like SeaClones, won’t do the job and end up spewing out bubbles. LiveRock (about 2lbs per gallon at about $5-9 a pound) you’ll either need to get pre-cured live rock, or cure your own, don’t just toss it in your tank. Lighting ($100+) without good lighting your live rock won’t grow anything and it’ll be a mess, you also wouldn’t have the option of keeping any corals. You’ll also need the salt itself, which varies in price depending on how much you’re buying/where you’re buying it from.
Before adding any fish make sure you research them, don’t just go on what the pet store employees tell you, 90% of what someone from a petstore tells you is completely wrong, it’s best to just do your own research. (sad, but true)
References :
It’s hard for beginners just starting out with fish; I’d recommend a freshwater community tank if you’re just starting out.
For a marine tank, in smaller tanks, it’s harder to keep the water chemistry stable. Plus you have to constantly refill the water level when water evaporates. Visit these links on how to care for a saltwater aquarium:
http://www.ehow.com/how_5796_set-saltwater-aquarium.html
http://saltaquarium.about.com/od/startinganaquarium/ss/aqsetup.htm
http://www.fishlore.com/SaltwaterAquariumSetup.htm
http://www.petplace.com/fish/maintaining-your-saltwater-aquarium/page1.aspx
http://badmanstropicalfish.com/salt_water/introduction_to_saltwater.html
http://www.ehow.com/how_5797_maintain-saltwater-aquarium.html
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/62
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/64
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/69
http://www.ratemyfishtank.com/articles/67
http://www.fishforum.com/viewforum.php?f=11
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marine_aquarium
http://www.fishlesscycling.com/forum/
http://www.reefland.com/
http://www.reefbuilders.com/forums/
http://www.aquariacentral.com/
E-mail me for any questions!
References :
If you aren’t familiar with keeping fw fish, doing routine maintenance and such, then definitely don’t just jump into saltwater. Go get yourself a 10g tank as set it up freshwater. give yourself a year of taking care of it on a weekly basis, and if you still feel like you want salt, then dive in. During this trial year, do as much research about saltwater fishkeeping as possible. You can never learn too much ahead of time. with saltwater the smaller the tank, the faster it can crash. be prepared to spend a little time each day checking on everything, testing water, topping off the water, and weekly water changes. You have to be 100% dedicated to the hobby. Mistakes can be very costly. You can’t just say hey, I don’t feel like cleaning my tank this week. Maybe I will wait awhile longer……you have to be on top of it all the time. It is not hard, but if it is not something that you truly enjoy, you will find it to be a hassle. Start slow, don’t rush anything, make sure your tank cycles before you go throwing stuff in there. Add your live stock slowly. Avoid impulse buys. dont just go to the petstore and come home with a fish because it looked awesome. Remember the kind of fish, go home and look it up online, make sure you are able to provide the proper environment for it. It is not difficult. But it is time consuming. Especially if you have a reef tank. You will get what I call reefer’s daze……you will spend hours in front of the tank staring in amazement at the creatures inside lol
References :
I did freshwater for 4 years and swapped to saltwater. I have had excellent luck with no problems. They are easy to maintain, just remember to top off with freshwater everyday
References :
They are tedious……. expensive. Not hard, theres no rocket science involved. I went from never owning an aquarium to having a 58 gal and 55 gal. Now I own 3 marine tanks. They are lots of work so be very dedicated. It will be like having a baby. Good luck because it is so worth it!
References :
14 gal reef, 55 gal anemone tank, and a 58 gal aggr. tank.