South Carolina Department of Natural Resources · o Fly: primarily used for fly fishing; the reel...

South Carolina Department of Natural Resources

A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing

www.dnr.sc.govLife’s Better Outdoors

Table of ContentsAngler Ethics ...................................................... 1

Safety ............................................................... 1

Equipment Overview ........................................... 2

Knot Tying ......................................................... 5

Rigging ............................................................. 6

Casting ............................................................. 7

Baits & Artificial Lures .......................................... 9

Fish Anatomy .................................................... 11

Rules & Regulations ............................................ 12

Invasive Species ................................................. 13

Identifying Good Fishing Spots .............................. 14

Setting the Hook ................................................. 15

How to Handle Fish .............................................. 15

How to Clean Your Catch ...................................... 17

References .........................................................17

Angler EthicsWhat are ethics? • Rulesandvaluesthatchangeyourbehavior,causingyoutodotherightthing.

To determine if something is ethical, ask yourself three questions • Isitlegal? • Woulditstillbeokifeveryonewasdoingit? • Woulditmakeyouorpeoplewhoknowyouproud?

Ethical Anglers: • Areconsiderateofoneanother,respectingotheranglers’spaceandbeingquietso

astonotdisturbothers. • Alwaysleavetheirfishingareacleanerthanwhentheyarrivedsoastoprotectthe

resource. • Abidebyallrulesandregulations. • PracticeCatch&ReleaseFishing o Usebarblessorcirclehooksandneedlenosepliersorforcepstoreduceinjury

andhandlingtimeofthefish. o Landthefishasquicklyaspossibletominimizethefish’sfightingtime. o Usewethandswhenhandlingafishandminimizethetimeoutofwaterto20

to30seconds. o Whenreturningafishbacktothewater,pointthefishintothecurrentor

cradleitinyourhandslooselyunderthewateruntilthefishswimsawayonitsown.

o Ifafishislandedandthehookhasbeenswallowed,cutthelineasfardowninthefish’smouthaspossible.

• Releaseandhandlefishproperly o Sunfish&SmallCrappie:combdownthesharpdorsalfinasyouslideyour

handoverthebackofthefish. o Bass,LargeCrappie/Sunfish:grabbybottomlip,you’llfeelthesmall

sandpaper-liketeeth. o Catfish&Bullhead:beawareofthedorsal

andpectoralspineswhichcancauseapainfulwound.Slidehandsuptheventralorbottomsideofthefishunderthepectoralfinsorarmpit-likeareaofthefish.

Safety • Keepatleastonerod’slengthbetweenyouandthenextanglerbefore,duringand

afteryoucast. • Alwayslookbehindyouandtothesidebeforecastingtopreventhookingpower

lines,trees,oraperson. • Wearsunglasses,sunscreen,bugsprayandotherprotectionfromthenatural

elements. • Alwaysbeawareofyoursurroundingsandbeonthealertforantmoundsand

snakes.Avoidthickgrassyareaswhereyoucan’tseeyourfeet. • Beverycarefularoundwaterandmakesureyouhaveafishingbuddywithyou.If

fishingfromaboat,alwayswearalifejacketorPFD(personalfloatationdevice).

A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 1

Equipment OverviewBasic Fishing Tackle or Terminal Tackle • Hooks o Comeinavarietyofsizesandshapes.Size1/0isbigto12,whichisvery

small.Forhooksizes32to1,thelargerthenumberthesmallerthehook.Forhooksizesfrom1/0(calledoneaught)to19/0thelargerthenumberthelargerthehooksize.Popularhookstyles:treble,Kirby,octopus,widegap,O’Shaughness,baitholder,circleandweedless.

o Todeterminewhathooksizetouse,picturethespeciesyou’dliketocatchandlookatitsmouthandwhattheyliketoeat.

o Hookanatomy ◊ Point:thesharpendthatpuncturesthefish’smouth;

therearemanydifferentpointtypessuchasspear,holloworrolledin.

◊ Barb:extensionofthepointthatprojectsbackwardstokeepthefishfromunhooking.

◊ Eye:justlikeaneyeofaneedle,theeyeofthehookistheloopatthetopofthehookusedtoconnectthehooktotheline;therearemanytypesofeyesandtheycanbepositionedinmanywaysontheshank(up-turned,down-turned,straight,ringedorlopped).

◊ Bend&Shank:portionthatconnectspointtotheeye;thehookshankcanbestraightorhavecurves,kinks,bendsandoffsetswhichallowforeasiersettingofthehook,betterflyimitationorbaitholding.

• MonofilamentLine o Likethehooks,thelinecomesinavarietyofweightsfor

differentspecies. o Measuredin“poundtest”meaningtheamountofweight

requiredtobreaktheline.10poundtestlineisstrongerandthickerthan6poundtestline.

o Whenchoosingtherightpoundtest,itisalwaysbesttomatchthelinetothecapabilitiesorsizeofyourrodandreelandtotakeintoaccountthelures/baityou’reusingandthespeciesyouwanttocatch.

o Alwaysdiscardproperlyorrecycleyourmonofilamentlineasitcancauseharmtowildlife.

• Sinkers o Comeinavarietyofweights(measuredinounces)andshapes. o Allowyoutocastyourbaitandtakeitdowntothebottom. o Popularsinkertypes:bank,pyramid,splitshot,egg,belland

bullet. • Bobbers,Corks,orFloats o Keepyourbaitatthedepthwherethefishare. o Serveasastrikeindicator,lettingyouknowwhenyou’regettingabite

bybobbingdowninaquickjerkymotion. o Bobberscomeweighted/unweightedandinmanydifferentshapesand

sizes.

Rods & Reels • RodTypes o CanePole:apolewith

fishinglinetiedtoit;mainlyusedforshorelinefishing.

o Spincasting&Baitcasting:arodwithsmallguidesforlinetomovethroughontopsideoftherod;handlewithafingergrip;reelmountsonthetopside.

o Spinning:arodwithlargeguidesforlinetomovethroughthatdecreaseinsizeastheygetclosertotherodtip;nofingergriponthehandleandreelmountsonthebottom.

o Fly:arodthatisveryflexiblewithguidesandreelmountonthebottom.

• WhattoLookforinaRod o Typeofrodchosendependsonthefishyouplantocatchandthetypeofbait

orlureyou’llbeusing. o Length:alongerrodisbetterfordistancecastingandcontrollingthelure.

o Action:referstotheportionoftherodatwhichitbends;measuredasslow, medium,fast:

◊ FastAction:rodbendsmainlynearthetip;goodforsurfaceluresordetectingsubtlestrikeswhenjigging.

◊ MediumAction:rodbendsoverthefronthalfor¾thewayuptherod;goodforlivebaitfishing.

◊ SlowAction:rodbendsovertheentirelengthoratthehalfwaypoint;goodforabsorbingpressurewhenfightingabigfishsoasnottobreaktheline.

o Power:similartorodaction;referstotheamountofforcerequiredtobendarod;measuredaslight,medium,&heavyoronascaleof1to10where1isthelightest;lightrodseasilybendundertheweightofaluresoheavyrodsareneededforheavylures.

• ReelTypes o Spincast:alsoknownaspushbuttonorclosedface

reels;easiestreeltouseandgreatforbeginners. o Spinning:alsoknownasanopenfacereel;linespoolsoffquickly

castinglinefartherthanaspincastreel;suitableforlightluresforsaltwaterandfreshwater.o Baitcast:mostdifficultreeltomaster;linespoolsduringthecastwhich

iscontrolledbytheangler’sthumb(iftimingisn’tjustright,lineonthereelswillbacklashandtangle);designedtocastlargeluresorbaitlongdistances.

oFly:primarilyusedforflyfishing;thereelisonlyusedtoholdtheline;castingisdonebyprojectingthelineoutversuscastingwithotherreelswhichprojectorcastbasedontheweightofthelure.

A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 32 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing

Knot Tying • Oneofthemostimportantstepsinfishingistyingknots.Withoutastrongknotor

aproperlytiedknot,yourfishcouldgetaway. • KnotTips o Whencinchingortighteningdownyourknot,alwayswetyourlinebylicking

it.Thishelpsreducethefrictioninthelineandhelpspreventcreatingweakspots.

o Whenclippingthefreeendortagendofyourknot,leaveabouta¼inchoflinehanging.Someknotsunderpressurewillslipjustalittleandleavingtheextralinewillallowtheknottoslidebutnotcomeundone.

Hook to Line Knots o PalomarKnot

1. Double4inchesoflineandpasstheloopthroughtheeyeofthehook.Let thehookhangloose. 2. Tieanoverhandknotinthedoubledline(likethefirststepoftyingyour

shoes).Don’ttwistortightentheline. 3. Pulltheendoftheloopdownpassingitoverthehook. 4. Wettheline. 5. Holdthehookcarefullyandpulltheendsofthelinetocinchdownor

tightentheknot. 6. Trimtheexcesslineortagendtoleaveabout¼inchofline.

o ImprovedClinchKnot(alsocalledthefisherman’sknot)

1. Passthelinethroughtheeyeofthehookandtwisttomake5to6turns. 2. Takethelooseortagendofthelineandputitthroughtheloopthat

formedatthehookabovetheeye. 3. Bringthetagendthroughthesecondloopthatformedbycompleting

step2. 4. Wettheline. 5. Whileholdingthelineandtagendinseparatehands,tightentheknot

slowlysothatitmovessecurelyagainsttheeyeofthehook. 6. Trimtheexcesslineortagendtoleaveabout¼inchofline.

How to Pack your Tackle Box

PliersNailclippersHooks(varioussizes)

BobbersWeights(varioussizes&types)SnapswivelsArtificialLures

StringerforkeepingfishyouplantoeatMeasuringtapeRules&RegulationsFishIdentificationguide

BackupspoolsofmonofilamentlineFirstAidKit

BugSpray

SunscreenA Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 54 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing

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CastingSpin-casting Technique

1. Grasptherod’shandlewithonehandwithyourindexfingerabovethepointontherodhandle.Pushthereel’sbuttondownwithyourthumbandHOLDittokeeplinefromcomingoffthereel.Rememberaspin-castorclosedfacereelwillfaceupwardtowardyou.

2. Facetheareayoudesiretocastandaimtherodtiptowardthetargetareaaboutlevelwithyoureyes.

Line to Reel Knot oArborKnot 1.Loopthelinearoundthereelspool(alsocalledarbor). 2. Tieanoverhandknotaroundthemainorstandinglinetoformaloose

slipknot. 3.Tieasecondoverhandknotinthefreeendortagend. 4.Wettheline. 5.Cinchtheknotinthetagendtight. 6.Trimtheexcessline. 7.Cinchdownthefirstoverhandknotonthereel.

Rigging

Riggingreferstothewaythatyoutietogetheryourterminaltackle(hooks,swivels,•sinkers,bobbers,etc.)andbaitand/orlureswithyourline.Themostpopularandmostoftenusedrigofallisthebobberrig.Thisinvolves•placingabobberonyourline.Thedepthofthebobbercandifferdependingonwhereandwhatfishspeciesyouarefishingfor.Placingthebobbertwofeetfromtheendofyourlineisagoodplacetostartafteryourhookandsinkerorsplit-shothavebeenattached.Thekeytothebobberrigistomakesureafteryoucast,yourlineistightsothatfishbitingatyourbaitwillbenoticeable.Anothereasy-to-userigisabottomorstandardrig.Forthisrig,justtieonahook,•attachsomelivebaitandenoughsplitshottosinkittothebottom.Holdyourlinetightasyouwouldifyouwerefishingabobberrig,butbecarefulnottomoveit.Letthefishcometoyourbait.Ifyoudon’tgetabiteafter15minutes,thenreelinandcastagaininanewspot.

6 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 7

3. Bendyourarmattheelbow,raisingyourhandwiththeroduntilitreachesaboutthe10o’clockpositionoveryourshoulderoruntilyourhandholdingtherodisrighttothesideofyourface.

4. Bringtherodforwardwithasmoothmotionandreleasethebuttonwhentherodisata12o’clockposition.o Ifthelure/castingpluglandedcloseinfront

ofyou,youreleasedthethumbbuttontoolate.Ifthelurecastingplugwentmoreorlessstraightup,youreleasedthethumbbuttontooearly.Practice is the key to good casting!

Spinning Technique1. Grasptherod’shandlewithonehand.

Placetheconnectionorstemwherethereelattachestotherodbetweenyoursecondandthirdfingers.Putyourpointerfingerorfirstfingerovertheline.Thenopenthereel’sbail(littlebaroverthereel)withyourotherhand.Rememberaspinningoropenfacedreelwillfaceawayfromyouorbelowtherod.

2. Facetheareayoudesiretocastinandaimtherodtiptowardthetargetareaaboutlevelwithyoureyes.

3.Bendyourarmattheelbow,raisingyourhandwiththeroduntilitreachesthe10o’clockpositionoveryourshoulderoralmostateyelevel.

4.Whentherodreachesthealmoststraightupanddownor12o’clockposition,bringyourforearmforwardwithaslightwristmovement.

5.Straightenyourindexfingertoreleasethelinewhentherodreacheseyelevel.

o Ifthelure/castingpluglandedcloseinfrontofyou,youreleasedyourindexfingertoolate.Ifthelure/castingplugwentmoreorlessstraightup,youreleasedyourindexfingertooearly.Practice is the key to good casting!

Common Freshwater Live Bait • Wormscomeinavarietyofchoices—earthworms,redwormsandnightcrawlers.

Anglerscancreatetheirowncompostpileorwormbedtohousewormsforuse.Whenyoupurchasewormsfromthestore,leftoverwormsafteryourfishingtripcanbestoredintherefrigeratorforacoupleofdaysuntilthenextfishingouting.

Whenplacingawormonyourhook,makesuretoloopthewormthroughthehook2-4timesandtoleavesomeofthewormdanglingfromthebottomofthehook.Don’tleavemorethananinchofwormdanglingbelowthehookorelsefishwillnibbleawayatthewormwithoutbitingthehook.

• CricketsandGrasshoppersareexcellentbaitforsunfish,bassandcatfish.Theseinsectscanbepurchasedfrommostlocalbaitandtackleshopsandplacedintoaspeciallydesignedcricketcage.Toprolongthelifeofyourcrickets,placeamoistpapertowelintothecricketcage.Justbecarefulthatthepapertoweldoesn’taidyourcricketsinescaping.Toproperlybaityourhookwithacricket,thehookshouldbeinsertedbehindthecricket’sheadunderthecollar.

• Minnowsisalooselyusedtermbyanglerstomeanbaitfish.Minnowsaretechnicallymembersofaspecificfamily.Fishusedasbaittypicallyincludeshiners,chubsanddaceaswellasminnows.Minnowswilllivelongerinanaeratedminnowbucketwheretheminnowsaren’tcrowded.Baitingyourhook

withaminnowinvolveshookingthemthroughthelipsorundertheirdorsalfin.Avoidhookingthefishthroughthebackbonewhenhookingundertheirdorsalfintopreventkillingtheminnow.

• Tip:makesuretoalwayspresentthebaitonyourhookasnaturalaspossibleandhookyourbaitinwaytokeepitalivelonger.


Artificial Lures •Plugswereoriginallylurescarvedofwood,butnow

theyaremadeofvariousmaterialssuchasplasticandcork.Plugsarefurtherseparatedintodifferenttypessuchassurfaceandsubsurfaceplugs.Surfaceplugsincludestickbaits,propbaits,crawlersandchuggers.Subsurfaceplugsincludecrankbaits,minnowplugs,trollingplugsandjerkbaits.Plugshaveeithertwoorthreetreblehooksattachedtocoverthefish’sstrikingarea.Thefishtotargetwithplugsinclude

blackandwhitecrappieandwhite,spotted,smallmouth,striped,largemouthandhybridbass.

• Spinnerbaitshaveoneormorebladesthatspinorrotatearoundastraightwireorsafetypin-lookingshaft.Mostspinnerbaitshavetailsandbodiesmadeofrubber,animalhair,softplastic,feathersorothermaterials.Thefishtotargetwithspinnerbaitsincludeallbassspecies,troutandcrappie.

• SoftPlasticsareflexibleluresmadeintotheshapesofwhatfisheatsuchasworms,grubs,lizards,crayfishandminnows.Theyarefoundinavarietyofsizes,colorsandsomehaveafish-attractingscent.Thefishtotargetwiththesoftplasticsincludeallbassspecies.

• Jigsaremadeofaweightedmetalorleadheadwithabodyandtailmadeofrubber,feather,softplasticsoranimalhair.Theyarefoundinavarietyofsizes,colorsandpatterns.Thefishtotargetwiththeseluresincludeallbassspecies,sunfish(suchasredbreast,bluegill,redear,etc.),crappieandyellowperch.

• Spoonsaremetal,spoon-shapedluresmadetoresembleaswimmingorinjuredbaitfish.Theselurescanbeusedwithmanytechniquessuchasjigging,rollingorjustcastingthemoutandreelingthemin.Thefishtotargetwiththeseluresincludeallbassspecies.

• Tip:Alwayskeepinmindthefishyouaretargeting,whatiteats,howbigitsmouth

istoeatitspreyandwheretheyfeed(surface,middleorbottom)whenchoosingthetypeoflureandluresize.

Fish External Anatomy & Senses • Thelaterallineisaspecialsensoryorganthatfishhaveinadditiontotheusual

sensesofseeing,hearing,tastingandsmelling.Thelaterallineisacollectionofnerveendingsalongafish’ssidethatfeelsvibrationsinthewater.Ithelpsthefishdeterminethespeed,directionofmovementandeventhesizeofthepredatororpreythushelpingthemfindfoodandavoidbeingeaten.Thelaterallineisveryimportanttofishthatliveindeepwaterorinmurkywater.

• Fisheyesightissimilartoours.Theyseebrightnessandcolor;however,somespecieshavebettercolorvisionthanothers.Fishthatliveindeepwaterdon’tseethefullspectrumofcolorssincewaterfiltersoutcolor.Fishcanseeupto100feetinextremelyclearwaterandinmurkywaterabout10to20feetoutinfrontofthem.Afish’sfieldofvisionisalldirectionsexceptforstraightdownandstraightback.Fishcanalsoseeabove-waterobjectssoanglersshouldkeepalowprofilewhenapproachingfishingspots,especiallyinclearwaters.

• Fishhearwithaninnerearwithtinybonesthatpickupsound.Theylackexternalearslikewehave.

• Fishsenseofsmellishighlydeveloped.Theydetectodorsbyanasalsacintheirmouth.Watercomesinthroughthenareandispassedthroughthenasalsacandoutagain.Smellsallowfishtoreturntospawninggroundsandalertthemtothepresenceofpredatorsorprey.

• Tasteisauselesssenseinmostfish,exceptforcatfishandbullheadsthathaveskinandbarbelsorwhiskersthathavetaste-sensitivecells.Thesefishcanusetheirsenseoftastetohelptrackdownfoodsources.


Dorsal Fin

Caudal Fin

Anal Fin

Pectoral Fin

Pelvic Fin

Gills

Mouth

Nares

Eye

Lateral Line

Largemouth Bass

Why Do We Have Rules & Regulations? •People!Alongwithnaturalpressuressuchaspredatorsandcompetitionforfood

andspace,fishhavetoworryaboutpressuresweputonthem.Thosepressuresincludepollution,intheformsoflitterandrunoffwhichdamagewaterqualityandcauselossofadequatehabitat,andoverfishing.Overfishingistheunnecessaryharvestoftoomanyfishortheharvestingoffishthataretoosmallorhaven’thadtheopportunitytobreed.

• Managementtakesplaceintheformofthefollowing:

o dailybagorcreellimitsontheamountoffishananglercancatchandpossessinaday;

o slotorsizelimitsonfishtoallowfishtoreachsexualmaturityandreproduce;and o restrictionsonwhattypeofgearcanbeusedtoharvestorcatchcertainfish—

gameversusnon-game.

•FrequentlyAskedQuestionsaboutFishingRegulations

o WheredoIfindallfishandwildliferegulationsforthestateofSouthCarolina?◊ TheRulesandRegulationsareavailableateverylocationthatsellslicenses.Theyarealsofoundonthewebsiteatdnr.sc.gov/regulations.

o AtwhatagedoIneedtopurchaseafishinglicense?◊Whenyouturn16,youmusthaveafishinglicenseinordertofishlegallyinpublicwaters.

o HowoftendoIneedtorenewmyfishinglicense?◊ AfishinglicenseisgoodfromJuly1sttoJune30th.

o DoIneedafishinglicensetofishfrommyprivateproperty?◊ Yes,youwillneedalicensetofishinpublicwaters(suchaslakesorrivers)

evenifyou’reonprivateland.Youdon’tneedalicensetofishonprivatepropertyinaprivatepondunlessyouarefishinginacommercialpaypond.Youdon’tneedalicensetofishinacommercialpaypondwhenthepondispermittedbyDNR. o WheredoIgotobuyalicense? ◊Youcanvisitanyofthe700license

agentsthroughoutthestateatthenearestlocalbaitandtacklestore,orataDNRofficeinCharleston,Clemson,ColumbiaandFlorencebetween8:30am-5:00pmMondaythroughFriday,orcall1-866-714-36117daysaweek24hoursaday,oronthewebatwww.dnr.sc.gov/purchase.

What Are Invasive Or Nuisance Aquatic Species? • Thesearespeciesthatarenon-nativeandlacknaturalpredatorsanddiseases

tokeeptheirgrowthincheck.Somecommon,invasiveplantsinSouthCarolinaincludehydrilla,Didymoalgae,waterhyacinth,giantsalvinia,waterprimrose,phragmitesandalligatorweed.Theseplantscangrowverydense,coveringlargeareas,degradingwaterquality,displacingnativeplantspeciesandmaking

recreationandboatingimpossible.Animalscanalsobenuisancespecies.Speciesofconcernincludegreenmussels,zebramussels,mudsnails,flatheadcatfish,spottedbass,Asiancarpandlionfish.Thelarvae(immatureform)ofanimalscanbesotinytheyarenotvisibletothenakedeye.Theseanimallarvaecanliveinmud,dirt,sandandonplantfragments.Toavoidfurtherdamagefromexoticspecies,anglersshouldnevertakeresourcemanagementintotheirownhands.Unplannedstockingoffish,otheraquaticanimalsorplantsbyanglerscandisruptthenaturalbalanceinanaquaticecosystemcausingdamagetotheestablishedfishery,fishhabitatandpreybase.

How Can You Help? • Whenyouleaveabodyofwater:

o Removeanyvisiblemud,plants,fish,oranimalsbeforetransportingequipment.Preventingtheoccurrenceoftheseinvasivespeciescansavemillionsofpublicandprivatedollarsincontrolcosts.SouthCarolinalawalsoincludesfinesupto$500and/orimprisonmentforpersonsspreadingnuisanceaquaticweeds.

o Eliminatewaterfromequipmentbeforetransporting. o Anglersusingwadinggearshouldthoroughlycleanitafteruse.Theycanwait

forthegeartodry100%andallowittoremaindryfor5daysbeforeusingagainordipwadinggearina3%bleachsolution,rinsewell(aschlorinecanbeharmfultogear)anddrythoroughly.Toavoidchlorinedamage,anglerscandiptheirgearina100%vinegarsolutionfor20minutesorina1%saltsolutionfor20minutes.

o Washallpetsthatwentintothewaterwithwarmwater,toweldryandbrushwell.

o Cleananddryanythingthatcomesintocontactwithwater(boats,trailers,equipment,clothing,dogs,etc.).

o Neverreleaseplants,fish,oranimalsintoabodyofwaterunlesstheycameoutofthatbodyofwater.

o Disposeofbaitproperly,especiallylivebait,byplacingitinthetrashcanwithinasealedcontainerorsavinglivebaitinasealedcontainerforlateruse.


Evenifyouthinkyourlivebaitisnative,ithasthepotentialtohousenuisancespeciesanddiseasethatcanhavenegativeimpactsonaquaticecosystems.

o Disposeofshrimppartsandoystershellsproperly.Shrimpheadsandshellsneedtobedisposedofinthetrashandnotthrownintothewaterbecausenon-nativeshrimppartshavethepotentialtospreaddisease.Oystershellscanbetakentoanearbyoysterrecyclingfacility.

o ReportaquaticweedproblemsinpublicwaterstotheAquaticNuisanceProgram,SCDNR,bycalling(803) 755-2836.

o Visitwww.dnr.sc.gov/water/envaff/aquatic/index.htmlorwww.protectyourwaters.nettolearnmore.

Finding Good Fishing Spots • Thefirstthingyouneedtoknowaboutfindingagoodfishingspotisidentifying

allthethingsfishneedtolive.Theyneedfood,oxygen,water,shelterandspace.Foodwillvaryfromfishtofishsoknowtheparticularfoodsthefishyouaretargetinglikes.Thiswillalsohelpyoudeterminethetypeoflureorbaittouse.Fishfoodcanincludeplants,insects,smallerfish,crayfishandworms.Fishgettheirrequiredamountofoxygenbyusingtheirgills.Oxygeninthewaterchangeswithwatertemperature,movementandtheamountofalgaepresent.Oxygenlevelsdecreasewithwarmertemperatures,slowmovingwatersandlotsofalgae.Andasyouwouldguess,oxygenlevelsincreasewithcoldertemperatures,fastermovingwater,suchasnearrifflesorwaterfalls,andwithlessalgaepresent.Forshelter,fishneedstructuressuchasrocks,stumpsandaquaticplantsto providecovertohidefrompredatorsortohideandwaitforfoodtoswimby.Fishalsoneedspace.Toomanyfishusingthesameresourcesdoesn’tworkouttoowell.

• Goodfishingspotscanbefoundnearaquaticvegetation,brushpiles,sandbottoms,rockandgravelbottoms,fallentrees,boatdocksandstumps.

How To Tell A Fish Is Biting • Fishingwithabobberallowsanglerstoknowwhenafishbites.However,

sometimesthemovementinthebobbersisn’tsoobvious.Sometimesabitingfishwillcausethebobbertotwitchonlyabitorthebobberwillstarttomoveacrossthesurfaceofthewater.Ifyouarenotusingabobber,thebestwaytotellwhenafishisbitingisbywatchingyourlinebetweentherodtipandthewater.Ifyourlinemovesinatwitchingorjumpingmotion,youaregettingabite.Sometimesthebitewillbehardenoughthatyouwillfeelitspullontherodtip.Whenfishingwithoutabobber,youshouldsetthehookorpullontherodassoonasyoufeelthatyouaregettingabite.

How To Set The Hook • Whenyouseesignsofafishbiting,moveyourrodtipfrompointingtowardsthe

watertopointingstraightoutyourbellybuttonandwindupallslackline.Then,quicklypulltherodbacktosetthehook.Practicemakesperfectwhenitcomestolearningthetimingofsettingthehook.Thefeelofsettingthehookwillvarybasedonthefishspeciesyou’retargeting,thelureorbaityou’reusingandthesizeofyourrod,reelandline.

• Aftersettingthehook,keepabendinyourrodandwaitforthefishtomakeitsmove.Ifthefishispullingagainstthefishingreel,lethimsimplypull.DONOTwindinlineifthefishispullinglineoffyourreel.Afterthefishquitspulling,beginreelingin,keepingabendinyourrod.Takethisprocessslowly.

How To Handle Or Hold Fish • Handlingfishproperlyprotectsthefishandyou.Somefishhavesharpfinsorteeth

thatcancutyouwhennotheldcorrectly.Alwaysremembertowetyourhandsbeforetouchingafish.Wethandsarelesslikelytodamageafish’sprotectivecoatingofmucousorslimethatprotectsthemfromdisease.Also,don’tallowyourfishtofloparoundonthebank,dockorthefloorofaboat.Ifyouarekeepingfishtoeat,youshouldputtheminiceorinabucketofcoolwater.

• FishthatCANbeheldbythebottomlipincludecrappie,sunfish,bass,perch,catfishandbullhead.You’llfeelsmall,dullteethinsidethefish’smouthsomewhatlikesandpaper.Forlargerbass,catfishandbullhead,supportthebodyofthefishwithyourotherhandoncethehookisremovedfromthefish.

oCrappie oSunfish

oBass oPerch

oCatfish oBullhead


Blue CatfishDorsal Spine

Pectoral Spine

Catfish • Thecommonwaytoholdacatfishisfrombelowthecatfish’sbelly,grippingthe

catfishbelowbothpectoralfins.Beverycarefultoavoidthefish’sspinesthatarelocatedinthepectoralfinsandthedorsalfin.Holdthefishinglineinonehandtosteadythefishandslideyourhandsfromthebellyofthefishupwardunderthepectoralfins.

Sunfish • Therearetwowaystoholdasunfish.Oneisfrom

thefish’sbelly,looselygrippingthefishbetweenyourfourfingersandthumbacrossthefish’sside.Theotherisfromthetopofthefish’sbodyoveritsdorsalfin.Beverycarefulofthedorsalfin,ithasverysharpbonesthatcanhurtyou.

Perch • Perchshouldbeheldunderthebelly

underneaththepectoralfinslooselybetweenyourfourfingersandthumbacrossthefish’sside.Beverycarefulofthisfish’sgillcoversbecausetheyareverysharp.

How To Clean Your Catch • Thecommoncatchsuchassunfishandbassmustfirstbescaled.Toscaleafish,

holditbythetailandscrapefromtailtoheadwithafishscaler,butterknifeortablespoon.Cutdirectlybehindthegillcover.Removetheheadwiththeinnards.Then,slicealongeachsideofthedorsalfinandremove.Cutalongbothsidesoftheanalfinandremovebypullingittowardthetail.Cutthebellyfromtheareawheretheheadwasremovedtothetailandpulloutalltheremaininginnards.Ifdesired,cutoffthetail.Rinsefishquicklyandprepareforcooking.

• Catfishandbullheadsmustbeskinnedinsteadofscaled.Yourfirstcutwillstartbehindtheheadatthepectoralfinononesideupandovertotheotherside’spectoralfin.Then,slicedownthebackboneononesideofthedorsalfinandcreateanothersliceontheothersideofthedorsalfintoconnectthecutjustmade.Now,usepliersandpulltheskinbackfromthebodyofthefishwhileholdingtheheadwithonehand.Afterremovingtheskinfromthecatfish,cuttheheadcompletelyandremovetheinnards.Prepareforcooking.Whenfilletingacatfish,makesuretocutawayalldarkredmeatalongthelaterallineasthismeatoftenhasastrongflavor.

• Filleting

o ALWAYSCUTAWAYFROMYOURSELF! o Yourfirstcutwillbemadebehindthepectoralfinwiththeknifeangled

towardthetopofthehead,cuttingonlytothebackbone(notallthewaythroughthefish).

o Next,cutalongonesideofthebackbonewiththeknifescrapingrightabovetheribboneswithoutcuttingthemallthewaytothetail.Theknifeshouldcomeoutrightatthebaseofthetail.

o Liftthepieceofmeatfromthebones. o Turnthefishoverandrepeatontheotherside. o Ifdesired,theskincanberemovedfromthefishbyholdingthetailwithyour

fingertipsandcuttingbetweenthefleshandskinwithasawingmotion.Rinsethemeatquicklyincoldwaterandprepareforcooking.

References

Maas,Dave.Kids Gone Fishin.Minnesota:CreativePublishingInternationalInc.,2001.

Maas,Dave,etal.The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing.CreativePublishingInternationalInc.,2002.

TexasState.TexasParks&Wildlife.A Basic Guide for the Beginning Angler.2008.

AspecialthanksgoestotheTexasParksandWildlifeDepartmentfortheuseoftheirartwork.


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