Fishing is fun for everyone: it's easy to learn how

              U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

Fishing Is

Fun for Everyone

It’s Easy to Learn How

Fishing is fun—just ask any of the

50 million children and adults in

America who now enjoy the sport!

Better yet, try it yourself—you can

quickly learn to fish at any age.

Fishing is not just about fish—during

a fishing trip, families and friends

relax together as they enjoy being

outdoors and learning new skills.

Here’s what you’ll need to fish in

freshwater:

  An inexpensive fishing rod and reel

  4- to 8-pound-test monofilament

fishing line

  A package of fishing weights

  Fish hooks (Number 6–10 size)

  A plastic or wood bobber

  A selection of live bait or

fishing lures

  A casting plug

  A state fishing license (depending

on your age)

You’ll find everything you need at a

fishing tackle or sporting goods store.

Many discount or hardware stores

also sell fishing tackle. If you want to

fish in saltwater, ask for help in

selecting the right equipment.

While you’re in the store, ask about

a fishing license. Depending on your

age and your state, you may need

one to fish legally. Also pick up a

copy of your state’s fishing laws (or

regulations), which will tell you the

types of fish, the minimum size limit,

and the number of fish you can catch

in one day.

Then, choose a fishing rod that

you can hold comfortably in one

hand. There are many inexpensive

combination packages available that

include a rod, reel, and fishing line.

Tie a hook to the end of the line with

a fishing knot. Instructions for the

Palomar or the Improved Clinch knot

are on page 3 of this pamphlet.

Getting Started

With spincasting or spinning tackle,

you can put the bait or lure where

the fish are. You can cast greater

distances with more accuracy, work

lures effectively, fish in deeper water,

and handle larger fish more easily

with this tackle.

Spincasting outfits use a rod with

a pistol-like grip and a reel that’s

mounted on top of the rod’s handle.

Line is released using a push button

on the reel.

Spinning gear uses a rod with a

straight handle and a reel that’s

mounted under the handle. Line is

released using your index finger.

For most beginners, spincasting and

spinning are two fishing methods that

can be learned quickly. Both spincast

and spinning tackle are available in

packages that contain a rod matched

with a reel that is already spooled

with fishing line. Buy the best

equipment that you can afford—all

will work well, but look for better

quality pieces with more features.

What Tackle

Can I Use?

Spincasting

Outfit

Spinning

Gear

Double 4 inches of line and pass the

loop formed through the eye of the

fishing hook.

Let the hook hang loose. Tie an

overhand knot in doubled line. Don’t

twist or tighten line.

Pull the loop far enough to pass it

completely over the hook.

Wet the line. Hold the hook carefully,

and pull the loose end with the

standing line slowly to tighten the

knot. Clip the

loose end.

Pass line through the hook eye and,

with the tag end, make 5 turns around

the standing line. Insert the loose end

of the line between eye and first loop

formed. Bring the end through the

large second loop formed.

Wet the line and tighten the knot

slowly while holding the loose end of

the line end between thumb and index

finger so the knot is partly closed

before it’s secured against the eye.

Clip the loose end of the line.

The Palomar

Knot

The Improved

Clinch Knot

Practice. Once you’ve selected a

spincasting or spinning outfit, use

either the Palomar or Improved

Clinch Knot to tie on an inexpensive

rubber covered weight called a

casting plug. Ask your dealer to

suggest one, or buy one that fits the

size of your fishing rod.

Next, find an area away from other

people where you can practice casting

without breaking a window or hurting

someone. Make sure you set your

reel’s drag properly by checking the

instructions that came with the reel.

Now follow the steps for your type of

rod that are shown on the next two

pages.

Don’t be discouraged if your first

casts don’t go exactly where you

want them to. No matter what type

of fishing tackle you use, the timing

of your arm and hand movements

is critical for long, accurate casts.

You will improve with practice—

keep trying!

How Can I

Learn to Cast?

F. Eugene Hester

A spincasting reel has a button

that you push with your thumb to

release the line.

1. Grasp the rod’s pistol grip with

one hand. Push the reel’s thumb

button down and hold it in.

2. Face the target area with body

turned at a slight angle, about a

quarter turn. Aim the rod tip

toward the target, about level

with your eyes.

3. Swiftly and smoothly, bend your

arm at the elbow, raising your hand

with the rod until it almost reaches

eye level. When the rod is almost

straight up and down, it will be bent

back by the weight of the practice

plug. As the rod bends, move your

forearm forward with a slight wrist

movement.

4. When the rod reaches eye level,

release the thumb button.

How did you do?

If the plug landed close in front of

you, you released the thumb button

too late. If the plug went more or less

straight up, you released the thumb

button too soon.

Spincasting

1.

2.

3.

4.

© Dan Armitage

With a spinning reel, you use your

finger to release the line.

1. Grasp the rod’s handle, placing the

reel “stem” that attaches the reel to

the rod between your middle fingers.

Place your thumb on top of the handle

and extend your forefinger to touch

the spool cover. With the other hand,

rotate the reel spool until the line

roller is directly beneath your

extended index finger. Pick up line in

front of the roller with your index

finger and open the reel’s bail with

your other hand.

2. Face the target area with body

turned at a slight angle—about a

quarter turn. The arm holding the

rod handle should be closest to the

target. Aim the rod tip toward the

target at about eye level.

3. Swiftly and smoothly, using just one

motion, bend your casting arm at the

elbow and raise your forearm so that

your hand is almost at eye level.

4. When the rod is almost straight up

and down, it will be bent by the

weight of the practice plug. As the

rod bends, move your forearm

forward with a slight wrist

movement.

5. When the rod reaches eye level,

straighten your forefinger to release

the line.

How did you do?

If the plug landed close in front of

you, you straightened out your index

finger to release the line too late. If

the plug went more or less straight up

or behind you, you straightened your

index finger too soon.

Spinning

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Now that you’ve learned your knots

and how to cast, you are ready to set

up your rod with hook, line, and

sinker. Cut off the casting plug and tie

on a hook using either the Palomar or

Improved Clinch Knot. Attach 1 or 2

sinkers or fishing weights to the line,

6 to 12 inches above the hook. This

weight will keep your bait or lure

down in the water and will help swing

it away from shore.

For a beginner, live natural bait such

as worms, minnows, crickets, and

other insects is a good option. A few

shovels full of dirt in your backyard

will often provide enough worms. If

you can’t dig your own, you can find

them in a sporting goods or bait shop.

If you want to use minnows, catch

them in or near the waters you want

to fish. This prevents bringing new

diseases or fish species into a river,

lake, or stream. Return leftover bait

fish to where you caught them.

Fishing lures—crankbaits, spoons,

jigs, spinners, flies, and soft lures like

plastic worms—are excellent artificial

baits but may require special fishing

techniques. This is called “working”

the lure.

A bobber lets you know when fish are

biting, because it moves up and down

in the water as fish nibble at the bait.

You can make a bobber from a cork,

or buy an inexpensive plastic one. The

narrow cork and quill bobber made

from balsa wood or plastic is more

sensitive to fish movement.

Most bobbers attach to fishing line

with a spring clip and move up and

down the line easily, depending on

how deep you want to fish the bait.

Hook, Line, and

Sinker

Spinner Jig

Crankbait

Bobbers

Worm

Minnow

Crayfish

Spoon Spinnerbait

A tackle box will store the variety of

lures, hooks, snap swivels, weights,

tools like pliers and wire cutters, and

other gear. You might also need a live

bait container (such as a minnow

bucket or a worm box), a stringer or

an ice chest to keep your catch fresh,

a landing net, rod-and-reel cases and

a first-aid kit for minor emergencies.

Other handy items include a scaler,

hook disgorger, tape measure and

scale, and a filet knife.

  Fish with a companion who can

offer help in an emergency

  Be careful when handling sharp

hooks

  Don’t cast near other people, and

always look around before making

a cast.

  Wear a Coast Guard approved

personal flotation device or life vest

when wading or in a boat.

A good angler respects our natural

resources and wants to conserve

them for others to enjoy. Always

carry out what you brought in—

never leave behind plastic containers

or packaging. Fishing line is very

dangerous to birds and other wildlife,

tangling around legs or the mouth.

Bring old or tangled fishing line to a

fishing tackle store to recycle it.

Fish should never be wasted. If you

catch a fish that is under the legal or

minimum size or that you do not want

to keep, release it quickly. If possible,

keep the fish in the water and handle

it carefully, pushing the hook back

through the lip. If the fish has

swallowed the hook, do not tear the

hook out. Simply cut the line as close

to the mouth as possible. You can

revive a fish by gently moving it back

and forth in the water so that water

runs through its gills. When it begins

to struggle and can swim normally,

let it go.

What about

Accessories?

Safety First!

Practice

Conservation

Catch and

Release

Look for a weedy or rocky area where

the water is several feet deep. Avoid

shallow water that doesn’t offer fish a

hiding place. Look for areas where

the bottom changes in some way—

from sand to gravel or from sand to

mud. Stay quiet and avoid disturbing

the water or you may scare fish away.

Next, bait your hook or tie on a lure.

If you use a worm, thread the worm

from one end. Once stuck on, it will slide

around easily. If you find fish stealing

too much bait without getting caught,

try using a smaller worm or switch to

a smaller hook. If you use a minnow,

hook the bait through both lips.

Swing the bait or lure as far from

shore as you can and watch the

bobber. Small panfish will nibble at

the bait, causing a slight movement

and a small circle of ripples around

the bobber. When a fish has the bait, it

will probably try to swim away, pulling

the bobber under the water. When a

fish bites, raise the tip of the rod

quickly to set the hook and reel your

catch in. Steer the fish away from

thick weeds or submerged branches.

Panfish, such as bluegill or perch, bite

almost any time of day. If you have no

action after 10 or 15 minutes, move to

another likely spot and try again. For

other types of fish, such as trout or

bass, you may want to fish early in the

morning or in the late afternoon.

Go Fish!

American Sportfishing Association

Bluegill

Bass

Trout

There are many sources of

information on where and how to fish.

Fishing is regulated by each state

government, so try looking on state

Internet home pages or call 1-800-

ASK-FISH for fishing information

available by phone. Most states have

an aquatic resource education

program that teaches fishing skills

along with conservation education.

Here are some places to look:

  State Fish and Wildlife

Conservation Agencies

  State Departments of Natural

Resources

  Recreation and Tourism Agencies

  State Parks

  County and Local Government

Agencies

  Chambers of Commerce

  Fishing tackle and sporting

goods stores

  Fishing clubs

Here are a few Internet Websites

that may be of interest:

  www.gofishing.org

  www.fws.gov

  www.restorewildlife.org

  www.asafishing.org

  www.sso.org/iafwa/documents/

state_fish_and_wildlife_director.htm

Where Can You

Go to Fish?

American Sportfishing Association

Angler Dollars for

Conservation

Each time you pick up your fishing

rod, you are helping make fishing

better. Every purchase of fishing

tackle, from the smallest weight to

the biggest salt water rod, carries a

tax that goes from the U.S. Fish and

Wildlife Service to state fish and

wildlife agencies for fisheries

research, habitat improvement,

aquatic resource education programs,

and fishing and boating access. This

user-pay/user-benefit system has

been in place since 1950, and has

quietly cleaned up rivers and streams,

restored fish populations, and created

public access to waterways.

This beginners guide to fishing was made

possible by a partnership between the

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, the

American Sportfishing Association, and

National Fishing Week.

Original text by Bob Schmidt

1999 revision by the U.S. Fish &

Wildlife Service

Cover Photo: F. Eugene Hester

U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service

1 800/334 WILD

http://fishing.fws.gov

Anglers keeping

outdoor traditions

alive since 1950