Hunting and fishing have evolved a lot during the last few centuries. When we were first becoming civilized, they were two essential ways to gather food to keep on living. As time went by, they lost their battle to agriculture and selective breeding of livestock. Today, they’re mostly thought of as a sport.
For anyone trying to get into fishing, it might seem a bit too much. There’s a ton of guides of what to do, what not to do etc. However, the entire process is straightforward. You need to use a piece of wire hanging from a stick, put some food on it, put it in the water, and wait for a fish to bite. As soon as it bites, pull it up, and you have a successful fishing trip.
That’s making it easier than it is. However, for new anglers, this is what they should focus on. The simplest way is to start from the beginning and then progress your way up to more exotic types. Those include ice, fly, saltwater, and other types of fishing. All of those need specific gear, but for now, let’s focus on the minimal. Click here to read more.
What are the basics?
Before you go and do anything on your own, it’s essential to go and get a license. This should always be on your mind since the last thing you’d want is to get fined. Also, you can get a license in almost any fishing store, as well as online. They’re cheap, and the price for a one-day one is less than twenty bucks.
If you plan on this becoming your hobby, maybe investing in an annual one would be a better solution. Those can cost between 40 and 160 dollars, and if nothing goes wrong on your first trip, chances are you’re going to want to do it again. The next thing on your mind should be where to go. View this link for more info: fishingperfect.com
Since you’re a complete beginner, a great option is to call an experienced fisher and go together. They can walk you through more of the basics, and they’ll tell you about the area. Since they have many years of experience behind their back, you can benefit from all of that knowledge. Most of the time, a great choice would be a lake to start.
Also, since you’re starting, it would be great to know a few rules. Etiquette is quite important in sports, and catching up on it early will help you out in the long run. The first thing you need to know is to be respectful. That stands for both the other fisherman as well as all of the fish you’re going to catch.
The general rule is to allow at least a hundred feet of distance between you and the other person. If there’s no one around, you can extend that to a couple of yards, so you don’t crowd the place. And since you’ll be going out in nature, a general rule is to leave everything as you found it. You shouldn’t leave any traces behind.
And if you see any litter around, it wouldn’t hurt to pick it up and throw it at a suitable place. Taking care of the nature around you is a universal rule between hikers, hunters, and anglers. Surely, you couldn’t know all of this on your own, but you can skim through a local regulation book.
What about the gear?
As we mentioned before, you’re going to need a stick. Well, in fishing terms, that’s called a rod, and you have a wire on a spinning reel. Those two elements are a great combination and will be your best friends for months to come. You also need bait, and the best thing is to get live worms. Fish love them, and you’re going to learn to love them.
Apart from that, you could add a pair of boots, as well as a few bobbers, are going to help you out. The bobber’s purpose is to let you know if you have a fish on the hook. If it moves downward, that’s when you need to start reeling. Another addition in your gearbox should be a pair of pliers to remove the hook from the mouth.
Valuable resources
No one wants to be a beginner their whole life. So if you get interested after your first time and happen to catch a fish, then you’re going to get hooked to the sport itself. You might want to hire a guide once in a while that will show you around a new area. They’re going to let you in on the secrets of reading the lake water and the rivers.
They also know vast areas to fish, since they have comprehensive knowledge of the place itself. As well as guides, you might want to look into some fishing organizations near you. They host a ton of events, and sometimes you can fish for free without a license. If you go to their activities, you can meet up with more experienced anglers who can help you in your growth.
Finally, there’s the online school called YouTube. Here you can search for all kinds of videos related to the topic. You can learn everything from the basics to a mastery level. A great place to start would be knowing a few knots and then training them at home. There’s also a ton of videos on how to assemble a rod, cast, and what to do in the meantime.
Since everything is visual, you will know how to do it from the first time you try. It might seem like shooting for too much after your first time, but you’ll get better every time you go out. It’s like anything in life, sometimes you win, and sometimes you lose.
Finally, make sure you’re respectful toward the fish. If you’re having a good day, only fish as much as you and your family can eat. There’s no point in hoarding everything for yourself.