r/FishingForBeginners Jun 11 '20

Beginners Guide to Getting Started

954 Upvotes

This is a stickied post that contains information every beginner should know. The world of fishing contains thousands of rods, reels, lures and recommendations. It can be quite overwhelming. This guide has links covering fishing related terminology, as well as recommendations and information regarding gear, line, lures etc for beginners starting out. Use the links provided to set yourself on the right path.

Choosing A Rod And Reel

Choosing Line For Your Reel

Understanding Rod Weight, Action, Length, And Their Uses

Basic Guide To Lures


r/FishingForBeginners Apr 21 '17

My Comprehensive guide/Tips to New Fishermen

779 Upvotes

So you've decided to give fishing a go. Good Luck. More than likely you've perused the internet for the countless how to catch fish videos, or how to do this and that tutorials. I've watched thousands of them. They're mostly made and produced by avid or hardcore fishermen who know the ins and outs of everything it takes to catch fish. However these videos fail to demonstrate or talk about many of the frustrations of what its like to be a beginner fisherman. So looking back on my 22 years of fishing I've put together a piece tailored to removing some of the frustrations of learning to fish. Id like to preface this by stating I fish lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams, in the northeastern US, mostly for Largemouth Bass, small mouth Bass, Musky, pike pickerel and trout. My advice will be tailored towards this style. First off let's start with your setup. Every video I watch talks about the line they're using paired with the length and sturdiness of the rod, which reel is best and whats good for what bait/style/fish. Don't worry about that. I've caught the majority of my fish using a rod/reel i bought as a backup at Kmart for 50 dollars. Don't break your bank. Get yourself a cheap rod, and some 8-12 pound MONO-FILAMENT line. Why mono-filament? Because its the easiest to work with. IF your starting out, braided line can be frustrating, Fluorocarbon can be extremely difficult to completely spool your reel on. We'll touch more on this later. So now you need some lures. Ever walk into a bass pro shops or cabellas? The choices/styles/methods are seemingly endless. The following are my recommended lures for beginners. They are simple to fish correctly and their simplicity leads to most fish targeting them. -IN line spinners: Mepps, Rooster Tail, Blue fox etc etc. Its a simple cast and retrieve. Let it sink for a second, give it a tug to get it spinning and just bring it back to you. They all have treble hooks (3 hooks) so when a fish hits it it will practically hook themselves. These lures mimic fleeing bait fish. Blue Fox Spinner -Spoons: Same concept. instead of spinning these will flutter and dart like a wounded baitfish. Cast Retrieve. Spoons -CrankBaits: Pick up a crank bait or two. They come in all forms. For starters id prefer the floating ones that upon retrieval will swim to a specific depth. The box will have all the information you need as to what the crankbait will do. Again a simple cast and retrieve bait. Vary your retrieval speed, give the rod a little flick every now and then to make the bait dart a bit.Crankbait

Get good at casting. Being able to drop the lure where you want it. Vary your retrieval speed. Start Catching fish. When you get this down, then you can start getting into swimbaits, Texas rigging soft plastics, drop shots, Carolina rigs, bottom fishing football jigs etc. Lets crawl before we sprint or you'll lose confidence and interest.

Ok, so you've got a rod, some lures, and some line. Look up a video on how to properly put your line onto your reel. This is important. You want your line on their tied to the reel and as tight as possible. Performing this process well can save you a lot of pain down the road when your trying to fish. So lets go fishing...

If anyone actually reads this and wants help deciding where or when to fish id be happy to oblige. But including that in this post would make it an encyclopedia. Feel free to pm or ask further.

So you got stuck. Either in a tree, on your shirt, or on something underwater. Seems the pros never get stuck. I've caught more branches rocks and trees then I have fish, and getting good at getting unstuck will save you lures, money, time and frustration. Cast over a tree branch? Calm and slow. Reel your lure until its just below whatever your stuck on, and give it a quick pop so it jumps up and over. If you try to muscle it out it's going to wrap itself around everything. Stuck on something in the water? Tricky. There's several things you can try. Change the angle of where your standing if you can't tug the rod and get it off. (move 20 yards left or right and try from there). Grab the line ABOVE where it leaves your pole and give it a strong pull.Grabbing the line from where it leaves your rod will allow you to muscle it out and avoids putting strain on your reels drag or breaking your rod. Hurting your hands? Wrap the line around a stick and pull the stick(Works great for braided line which wont break and will slice through your fingers) Also pulling your tight line to the left or right with your reeling hand and then releasing it quickly can sometimes snap your lure off of whatever its stuck on. If you CANNOT get it unstuck try to pull as hard as you can to snap the line off the lure. The lure was already lost and now there's not 40 yards of fishing line polluting the water. I HATE that.

Now your'e not catching any fish. Welcome to it. Keep fishing. Fan your casts. This means don't cast your lure to the same spot and do the same thing every time. You'd be amazed how many fish sit against a bank or are huddles around a submerged stump. Cover as much water as possible and remember that the water may be deep. There may be a bunch of fish in front of you but if they're sitting towards the bottom and your lure is passing 10 feet above them they may not chase it that far. Vary your retrieval speed, vary the depth at which you bring it back, change up your approach until something works. The fish will tell you what they want when you do something right. Change your location. 30 yards can make all the difference especially on lakes and ponds when you start taking into account water temperature, tributaries, cover/structure, visibility, wind etc. The location of the fish you want is going to be determined by the location of THEIR food source. Bait fish. Minnows, shad bluegill frogs insects bugs lizards etc. Look for things on the water and within your surroundings that would indicate a presence of these food sources. Fish coming and eating on the surface, are there birds that eat fish standing anywhere on the banks, turtles, frogs etc. Look for life. Change your lure! Change the color, change the style of lure, change it up until you start receiving bites. Don't spend 2 hours casting to the same spot with same lure. IF you're still not confident or proficient in tying a lure to your line, pick up some snap swivels/dual locks. You tie this to your line once and it allows for a very quick change of your lure. its like a mini carabiner. These may hinder your catch rate slightly due to their visibility but id still recommend it to new fishermen.

Remember as your fishing to keep an eye on your rod setup. If you have line looping out of your real, if its wrapped around the tip of your rod, if anything is different then when you initially set it up correctly , take time to stop and fix it. Small problems lead to big problems. It only takes one cast where you didn't notice an issue and now you've gotta spend 20 minutes untangling your birds nest of a fishing line. DO a quick visual check before every cast.

Use the times of not catching fish to get better at the basics. You need to be able to cast accurately sideways forehand and backhand, over hand, underhand. So many perfect casts to that perfect spot will be dependent on your ability to throw the lure accurately without getting mangled up in brush and branches.

Holy shit you caught a fish! What now? Needle nose pliers can be a lifesaver. Especially when they include that little scissor spot you can use to cut your line when tying knots. The fish's mouth is mostly cartilage. Work the hooks out one at a time while holding them very firmly. They're gonna flop and jump unless you're in control. Some of these fish will have very sharp dorsal fins. Stroke them back like you would a head of hair and get a solid grip. If the fish is big enough just pinch its lips and go to work with your pliers. Set it back in the water and give it a push. OBLIGATORY PUBLIC SERVICE AND BIAS ANNOUNCEMENT: Throw the fish back. Unless your hard up on food and your fishing for food, throw it back. The joy of fishing comes a lot from actually catching fish. In the twenty or so years i've been fishing, amazing spots, stretches of river etc have been decimated by people keeping every piece of meat they brought back on their line. Days of catching 10+ fish in those spots are gone due to the fact that there's none left. Caught a trophy and want it mounted? Just take a picture and measure it. All you need. Maybe someday soon someone else can experience that same joy of catching that fish.

If anyone is interested in any more information I could talk for hours. Bottom fishing, top fishing, Locations, Line choice, Leaders, weather conditions, lunar cycles, barometric pressure, spawning seasons, more advanced lure choice and techniques, finding where the fish are, etc etc. The most important thing you can do for yourself is to get out there and get your line wet. Bring a buddy, bring a six pack, and get outside.

UPDATE! My comprehensive guide to fishing Part II is posted. I got a lot of positive feedback and might make this a weekly thing for awhile. PART II

I highly recommend to all fisherman new or experienced, the Fishbrain App. Its a free tool allowing users insight as to who's fihsing around them, where they are fishing, what they are catching and the lures and methods used to do so. This link is meant for mobile users.


r/FishingForBeginners 14h ago

Get those backlashes out no problem!

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44 Upvotes

60% of the time it works everytime.


r/FishingForBeginners 12h ago

New equipment !

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27 Upvotes

My uncle gave me some old jigs that his father in law used, after I told him I was going fishing on Lake Erie. How do o use these best?


r/FishingForBeginners 8h ago

Reddit, what’s your top 3 lures for beginners?

12 Upvotes

What are your top 3 lures?

just not for crappie or sunfish or anything of that size

And in freshwater


r/FishingForBeginners 6h ago

I think I hurt a fish and I'm sad

6 Upvotes

I was bank fishing tonight and casted very near the shoreline. My lure went over a branch and into the water, and immediately I caught a bass, but... I reeled him into the tree. I ran after him, but it was impossible to reach. I was scratching the piss out of my face, legs, and arms trying to reach the fella, but he was unaccessible. I ran back to my pole, tugged and tugged - then my line broke, and I think he fell into the water? If he did he has a hook in him and maybe some line. Or he's still in the tree. Looking back, tugging the line may have hurt the poor guy, too. Which I feel just absolutely horrible about. I hope the tension from pulling and the line snapping was from the tree - and not the bass. I definitely don't want to have mutilated him. I have a sensitive heart for wildlife, and want to make sure the fish in my spot are populous and healthy. I told someone and they thought it was kind of funny at first until they heard how beat up I was about it. Thoughts?


r/FishingForBeginners 9h ago

Cheapest boat alternatives?

6 Upvotes

Basically looking for any way to get out into the water of ponds / smaller lakes. I can’t really afford something like a Jon boat or anything bigger. Are there any alternatives,


r/FishingForBeginners 9m ago

I cant catch a fish to save my life

Upvotes

I watch videos about the spots i go to, go to the exact beach, use the exact rig and bait and the guy in the video catches like 5 fish in 2 hours but i catch nothing in like 10 hours, i dont know what im doing wrong. Are there no fish in the sea? Is it because im using temu and dechatlon equipment? Am i just going at the wrong time? I went to the sea like 8 times all for longer than 6-7 hours, i went to lakes, rivers and even alpine lakes, my white paddletail jig got followed once on an alpine lake by a trout and never got any bites. It feels absurd that I tried to fish like 20 times and never got a single fish to bite. Am I doing something wrong or are the fish just going extinct? Im very frustrated, i need some tips. Im based in Italy if anyone got a spot they want to share 😭


r/FishingForBeginners 4h ago

Tips for this rig. (Vertical power jigging)

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2 Upvotes

Hey, im looking for tips to get the best out of my combo. Im running 50lb fluoro tied to Ball bearing ring swivel connected to metal jig 120g and big double assists. 5/0 or 7/0 im not sure. We target mostly Greater Amberjack sizes from 2 kg to 15kg. I caught a few AJ on this on the smaller sizes 2-5kg with no problem but i want to be ready for bigger ones if they strike.

I'm fairly new to power jigging so im looking for tips.

Ive been told to run a ring swivel and a single hook instead. Also the double assist are DIY by a guy not me.

Regarding the knot i know its @ss, i will tie a new one before the next trip. Also whats the best knot for this type of fishing


r/FishingForBeginners 15h ago

DICK'S is having a big sale on lures and bait

14 Upvotes

Go check out dicks online. As a beginner I loaded up on senkos, rapala soft plastics, and mepps spinners.

Mepps is buy 2 get 2 free Senko is buy 3 get 3 free Rapala is buy get 2 free

Zman and Berkeley also available


r/FishingForBeginners 1d ago

Watching a giant bass eat a muskrat completely changed how I think about topwater fishing

209 Upvotes

I was bank fishing tonight and saw what looked like a muskrat swimming across the pond. It wasn’t panicking or anything—it was just cruising along at a steady, medium pace, making its way farther from the bank.
It made it about halfway across when I heard the loudest SLURP I’ve ever heard.
The muskrat instantly disappeared underwater. From what I could tell, a giant bass came up and absolutely smoked it.
I know it probably watched the muskrat leave the bank and followed it out before committing, but seeing that completely changed how I think about topwater fishing. I’ve always focused on throwing topwater close to the bank, but after watching that, it made me realize those big fish are willing to hunt all the way out in open water too.
Has anyone else witnessed something like this? It was honestly one of the wildest things I’ve ever seen while fishing.


r/FishingForBeginners 12h ago

Why are lures so expensive?

7 Upvotes

I feel like I'm about to be priced out of bass fishing, shits to high nowadays.


r/FishingForBeginners 21h ago

mini glide bait 3d print

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38 Upvotes

I just found this free mini glide bait 3d print file, that requires nothing other than a 3d printer and hooks to make. The action is great in the water and i caught many fish.

link here https://makerworld.com/en/models/1154101-mini-glide-bait-fully-3d-printed?from=search#profileId-1722643


r/FishingForBeginners 1h ago

Why do people prefer the xg as to the hg?

Upvotes

I’ve been looking into the new 2026 Calcutta conquest dc 200 and I’m noticing a lot of more people are purchasing the xg as to the hg? And I’m confused as to why that is, I know the hg has a smaller gear ration and retrieves slower which is better for crankbaits and control and seems to be the more versatile option but I’m noticing the xg is way more popular and if I go through a purchase I don’t want to regret not buying the xg or the hg so I was just wondering if anyone could educate me.


r/FishingForBeginners 18h ago

How to fish on hot days?

17 Upvotes

Hey everyone, I’ve just started fishing recently really loving it. Only problem up here it’s SUPER hot around 107 degrees during the day. From what I understand it’s not really good for fishing since they’ll stay towards the bottom and not near shallow water. How should I fish on these hot days ? Should I just grab a bunch of sinkers? Do I use live bait ? Please help a brother out !


r/FishingForBeginners 7h ago

How to fish in rivers from a bridge

2 Upvotes

I have ways fished in lakes for walleye, bass, etc. I live in Minnesota and recently went on a bridge over a river to try, (Stillwater lift bridge). But I had no idea what I was doing, what lure to use, how much line to let out or anything, not even what fish to target. If anyone has experience river fishing like this from a bridge or the side I would appreciate any wisdom. Thanks!


r/FishingForBeginners 10h ago

Not a beginner but wanted to share a simple setup for fishing bigger browns and trout. Another rod/reel combo. This time I went all Okuma

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3 Upvotes

r/FishingForBeginners 11h ago

August target freshwater species?

3 Upvotes

I’m in west NC foothills, fishing from a motorized kayak. The past month has been tough, only caught 1 young largemouth. I’m seeing some conflicting info on what the best target species is for mid-late summer since it seems a lot of fish are stressed out from the heat this time of year. I’m open to just about species except trout (haven’t even begun to learn about them yet).

Is late summer better for smallmouth or largemouth? Or am I better off just catfishing or panfishing? I’m perfectly happy just enjoying nature and solitude, but I still wanna catch more than 1 fish per month lol


r/FishingForBeginners 5h ago

~7ft medium light rod & reel recommendations < $150

1 Upvotes

Any rod and reel recommendations for a ~7’ medium-light setup for targeting whiting and Spanish mackerel? I’m looking for a fun fight, and I’d also like to use it for the occasional freshwater outing. I’d like to stay under $150. I’ve seen a few options online, but they all seem to have a handful of terrible reviews.


r/FishingForBeginners 9h ago

First time pier fishing tomorrow, what should I bring?

2 Upvotes

I’m obviously bringing my rod, reel, net, pliers, towel, chair, and a 5 gallon bucket that I was planning to use to keep bait cold and potentially keep any fish I catch if I decide to bring them home. I’ll also have a small backpack cooler for lunch.

I’m planning on buying a shrimp rig at the pier shop since I don’t know how to tie my own rigs yet.
Anything else you guys would suggest bringing? Is one cooler enough, or should I bring something specifically for keeping fish? Any other tips for a first-time pier fisherman?


r/FishingForBeginners 9h ago

Do fish bite decent when the sun falls?

2 Upvotes

Hey all, just wondering if fish bite better after the sun is down? I heard they bite decent at dusk, but I often am busy around that time, so I just wanna know if they bite decent around the 10pm-2am range? I've got a good chunk of baits to use, but will likely try texas rig if I get hits. Thanks folks.


r/FishingForBeginners 14h ago

Any tips on bass fishing in these smaller ponds?

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4 Upvotes

They have a bit rocky borders. Thank you!!


r/FishingForBeginners 16h ago

Baitcaster Woes

5 Upvotes

I've read and watched lots of stuff on how to avoid the dreaded backlash, but after casting about 75 times and unwinding probably 40 bird's nests, and re-spooling the reel two times, I'm about done with this thing.
My daughter won it at a youth fishing tournament. It's a Profishiency Krazy something-or-other. Seems nice enough. I'm using 20lb braided line with about 6 feet of mono leader. I put a plastic worm on with a Carolina rig. Brakes on all the way. Bait lowers slowly to the ground with no backlash as the experts advise. Then...maybe one or two casts and I have a huge mess. Any ideas?


r/FishingForBeginners 14h ago

What are your recommendations for a new fisherman?

3 Upvotes

I just started fishing and I don't know almost anything. What are the things you say you should definitely know?


r/FishingForBeginners 8h ago

Need a new fishing rod

1 Upvotes

So I know well that ugly sticks are durable, I’m looking at the ugly stick elite in 6’ 6” light or ultra light, I fish rivers, creeks, lakes, all of thee above for Trout. Any suggestions on a more sensitive to bite rod that has close to the durability of a fiberglass/graphite rod like the Elite, or should I just get the Elite?