FISHING FOR BEGINNERS
Posted on February 24, 2009
Hi everyone.
We have had a number of requests for some very basic fishing info as it would seem that there is a bit of a void of that sort of info on the net. If you have any info that you are looking for please dont hesitate to ask as there is usually more people out there that would like to know as well.
Here are a few terms that you beginners might not know. We will add to this list as we think of more terms or when anyone asks for something specific. As a result of some of the requests that we have had, we will also be doing some videos in the very near future. they will include knot tying, the proper use of a bait and spin casting reels for beginners and the use of some specific types of fishing gear like downriggers, dipsy divers, torpedo divers, wire line and lead core line. If there is anything else that you can think of that you would like us to cover in this series PLEASE LET US KNOW! It is our intention to give you whatever fishing info you need to help you have a better more succesful fishing day.
Regards from the crew at MFN
Terms
Trolling- when you drive your boat along a water way (usually at a very slow speed) while pulling your lures along behind the boat in order to catch fish. These lures either dive on their own in order to get down to the depth where the fish are or you can use a down rigger or other diving mechanism to get your lure to the desired depth
Casting – when you take your fishing rod and reel in your hand and you pitch your bait out into promising looking areas away from the boat using the fishing rod and reel. Then you use your fishing reel to bring your lure or bait back to the boat so that you can once again cast your bait out to try and catch fish.
Jigging – When you use a jig head type of lure on your fishing line. You cast it out, and let it sink to the bottom where it sits waiting for passing bottom feeding fish. Or you might cast it out into a patch of weeds or other underwater structure again letting it sit, the twitching it and slowly retrieving it back to your rod.
Drop Shotting – A small weight is attached to the very end of your fishing line. A small hook is then attached to the line somewhere above the end with the weight. You then cast out your line so that it is quite close to the side of the boat shoreline etc. As there is a weight at the very end it will settle to the bottom. This means that the hook with the bait on it will sit as far as you set it above the weight. You simply twitch your rod tip in order to give the bait some action. This is a very effective way to fish in areas where fish are heavily pressured.
REELS
Bait casting reel – a type of reel that uses a level wind type of retrieve. This type of reel is used to cast out heavier lures or when the fish you are catching are larger, stronger or are in an area with a lot of weeds, wood or other under water obsticles. They are a little harder to use than the spin casting type of reel but are easily mastered. Video instruction on how to use a bait caster for the first time will be on this site in the near future.
Level wind reel – A type of reel that uses a level wind retrieve for your fishing line. They are used almost exclusively for trolling and where line counters are required. Because of the way that the line is retrieved these types of reels are very powerful, having great torque to help you bring in those extra large fish
Line counter reel – A reel that has the ability to count how many feet of line you have out. This is particularly useful when you are trolling so that you can put your bait exactly where you want it. They are almost always on a bait casting or level wind reel.
Spinning reel – This type of reel is used to cast out lighter baits and lures as well as drop shotting, jigging etc. They are an open faced reel where the line is retrieved by the “bail” which circles the spool thus rewrapping the line onto the reel. They are easier to use than the bait casting style of reel and can cast a lighter bait farther, but generally dont have the pulling power that a bait caster will.
Spincasting reel – A reel that is similar to the spinning reel in that the line is returned to the spool by being wound around the spool. Unlike most other reels, this reel has a closed face. This is the reel most commonly used by children and adults who have not fished previously because it is easy to use and does not tend to have line tangle issues as often as other types of reels may have in the hands of a beginner.
LINES
Wire line – A type of fishing line that is made by taking many strands of wire and wrapping them tightly together so that they make one stronger wire. Used almost exclusively when trolling as it helps your lures go deeper in the water. It is available in assorted weight strengths but is most often used in about 30 lb test.
Monofilament line – This is the line that most peole associate with fishing. It is made from one strand of nylon or similar material. It comes in many different pounds test which simply means the breaking weight of that particular line. The lighter the “test” the smaller the diameter of the line. Mono is usually clear and is fairly invisible in the water. Mono line does have an inherent amount of stretch to it
Florocarbon line – Floro Carbon is a clear line that is virtually invisible under water. It is very hard and as such is very abrasion resistant and makes fantastic leaders for all fish especially the toothy ones. We recommend using it as a leader on virtually all of your reels.
Braided line – A line that is made from taking many fibers and wrapping them into one tightly wound line. This results in a very small diameter line that is much stronger than any mono line of the same diameter. It has no stretch and is generally much more abrasion resistant than standard line
Leader – The line that goes between your main line and your lure or bait. Leaders can be made from any kind of line but florocarbon line is the leader material of choice as it is invisible in the water and extremely abrasion resistant. Leaders can be tapered so that the end closer to the lure is as small as possible. Leaders can also be made out of steel or titanium when being used for large toothy preditors who may bite through regular line.
Lead Core Line – A type of fishing line that has lead inside the multi coloured sheath. Lead core lines come in an assorted number of colors. When you let out your line you count how many colors you let out. Each color makes your line and the lure that you have attached go down a certain number of feet. Usually 3 to 5 feet per color but the real depth is based on your boat speed. So for example if you were to have a 12 color lead core line and you let out 10 colors at 2.0 mph you should have your lure down approx. 40 feet or 4 feet per color times the ten colors is 40 feet. You will need to consult proper charts to know just how deep your lure is running at specific speeds with a certain number of colors out.
If you want to know how to tie many of the fishing knots that we use every day then just click here and you will be taken to an associated site that will show you how to tie many of them.
LURES
Lure – something that is not live or real that you put on the end of your line to attract and catch the fish. Typically they resemble fish, crayfish, worms, leeches or other things that fish would feed on. They include crank baits, jerk baits, spinner baits, in line spinners along withmany other styles.
Bait – Something that is real or live that you put on your line in order to catch fish. These would include minnows, worms, leeches, frogs, crayfish etc
Buzz bait - Similar to a spinnerbait, this type of bait has a piece of bent wire that has a blade at one end, and a weighted hook at the other end. Your line is attached in the bend that is in between the blade and the hook ends. In essence this is a surface lure (a lure which is retrieved at the surface). You cast it out and then you start your retrieve at a speed that allows the blades of the lure to run just at the waters surface. This helps the lure make a great deal of noise as the blades turn collide and gurgle as they are pulled through the water. A great lure for big bass, pike, muskie etc when they are feeding at of near the surface. Works well in areas that have a lot of submerged weeds, trees, stumps etc.
Crank baits – A crank bait is a bait that resembles what the fish are feeding on which will dive down into the water as you crank it back to you. They are designed to attract fish by their wobble and flash as they move through the water. They almost always have a plastic lip on the front of the bait. The size and shape of the lip determines how deep the bait will run and will also often assist in keeping the bait from getting fouled up on underwater debris. They can be retrieved at differnt speeds but are generally cast out and retrieved at a fairly constant speed. Try twitching your rod a bit once in a while as you retrieve your lure as it will give the lure a bit of a different action.
Chatter baits – A newer style of bait that can be used like a jig or a swimming bait. There is a small blade in the front of the lure that makes the bait shutter and chatter as it is retrieved through the water. It will usually have a plastic trailer attached to the back end to give it more size and movement.
Flippin Jig – A type of jig that has a bush guard built in as well as some sort of permanent skirt to attract fish. It is often heavier than most regular jig heads and is used almost exclusively to fish heavy weeds and submerged brush for bass and similar species.
Grub twister tail – Grubs are a type of plastic lure that is most often attached to a jig head or drop shot hook. They have a twisted tail that moves about in the water causing fish to want to bite or eat it. Probably one of the most common walleye baits ever used.
In line spinners – In line spinners have a small piece of wire running through a spinner that will turn as the lure is pulled through the water. The wire ends at a hook (usually a treble hook) which is attached to the end of it. The front end of the wire attaches to your fishing line. They may or may not have a trailer of nylon skirt, feathers or plastics.
Jerk baits – A jerk bait is a bait that you would cast out and bring back with a quick jerk motion followed by a stalling or letting the lure sit phase. Jerk baits are usually a hard bait but there are very effective soft jerk baits out there as well. Jerk baits are usually fish shapped and have some flash to them. They are cast away from the boat towards a prospective fish holding area. Once the lure hits the water just let it sit for a few seconds. Then you draw the rod tip down towards the water quickly. This quick jerk on the rod causes the bait to move and twitch very quickly through the water usually causing it to move in such a way that it attracts feeding fish. Note – Often in order to catch fish, you must let the lure sit for at least a few seconds before you jerk it again as fish ften hit the lure on the stall phase. You should have a bait casting reel and a stiffer (medium to med/heavy)rod in order to use jerk baits effectively.
Jigs- A small weighted head with a hook attached. Almost always tipped with something like live bait, plastics, feathers etc. Jige are used to get your bait to the bottom so that feeding fish can find and eat them
Senko – a type of plastic worm that has a natural sink or fall rate in the water and are made of soft malible plastic. Probably the most commonly used bass catching plastic lure out there.
Spinner baits- A spinner bait uses a bent piece of wire to act as an attachment point for your line. It can have any number of different assortments of blades on one end and it will have a weighted piece and single hook at the other end. There is usually some sort of covering between the weight and the hook. It can be made from nylon skirts, feathers or plastics of assorted shapes but the nylon skirt is by far the most common. It is usually a fairly good lure for use in loose weeds, and it is a very good way of quickly searching for active fish. It imitates a school of baitfish and can be used for a huge variety of fish species.
Spoons – A piece of metal is shaped in a specific way so that it will move through the water in a way that lures fish to bite it. They come in a huge variety of sizes, colors and uses. You attach your fishing line to the front or slimmer end of the spoon, and the hooks are attached to the fatter end of the spoon. These are particularly effective when fishing for salmon trout and other cold water fish species, but there are spoons for virtually every application and every fish. The movement of the spoon is affected by the speed of your boat or retrieve so watch how it moves at different speeds and look for that perfect speed that gives you the best lure movement.
Trolling Flies - A fly has a piece of line that runs through a small head. There are nylon or foil skirts attached to the head. These skirts pulsate as the fly is pulled through the water. The front end of your fly line is attached to a piece of equipment like a spin doctor that will give it some movement. The other end of the line is attached to your hooks. The fly has no inherent movement of its own so it must be attached to a flasher or similar piece of gear. These are very good for catching Salmon, Trout and other cold water species.
Walleye Rig – Although this type of rig can be used to catch any number of species of fish, it is used far more often to catch walleye than any other fish. It consists of a piece of line going through a spinning blade a few beads and ends up with either one hook or several hooks. These types of rigs are always tipped with bait or plastics and are then dragged slowly through the water. They can be used in concert with different types of weights to make them go deeper and are often used by walleye fishermen who either slow troll or back troll in order to get the presentation that they want.
OTHER GEAR
Bow mount electric – A small electric motor that is mounted on a long shaft that can be lowered into the water from the front of your boat. You can control speed direction and drift with a hand foot or remote control depending on the model.
Bottom bouncer weights - A system that gets your rig or lures near to the bottom. It is made from a bent piece of wire that has a weight as part of the bottom. You attach your fishing line to the bend in the middle of the bottom bouncer and your lure or rig is attached to the non weighted end of the wire. Because of the way that you set this up, the weighted end is dragged along the bottom and as a result your lure runs along just a few inches above the bottom.
Divers and Weights – There are many different styles of weighted divers, but all have the same purpose that being to take your lure to a specific depth in the water column. Examples of this would be a dipsy or deep diver, a torpedo weight and snap on weights.
Dipsy and Deep Divers – They are attached to your fishing line and a second line is then attached from the back of the diver to your lure. On the bottom of the diver there is a weight. This weight can be slid from one side to the other. If the weight is in the centre then the diver will run straight back from the stern or rear of the boat. If the weight is put on a setting to the right or left then the diver will run down and to the right or left of the boat depending on which side you set it to. The further the weight is turned to the one side, the further the diver will go to that side of the boat. That means that you will have to let out more line to get your lure to the desired depth. These types of divers come with depth charts so you know how much line to let out to get to the desired depth. There is a mechanism that disengages the diver when a fish strikes your lure, that way you are fighting the fish and not the weighted diver.
Down rigger – A piece of equipment that allows you to troll with your lure at what ever depth you wish. It uses a stainless steel cable to lower a large weight over the side or back of the boat to the depth of your choice. You then use clips to attach the line from your rod and reel to the down rigger weight or line prior to its being lowered. Thus your lure is taken down to the designated depth. A very effective way to troll for most cold water species like salmon and tout.
Drift Sock- A large nylon bag that is cone shaped. It is attached to your boat by ropes and it sits in the water. As it is dragged through the water it causes drag on the boat which slows the boat down. This is particularly helpful when drift fishing and you need to keep your boat at a slow pace like when fishing for Smallmouth Bass on Lake Erie.
Flasher or dodger – A flasher or dodger is made from a piece of plastic. They look like a rectangle with rounded edges and come in many many colors. The front end is slightly narrower than the back. You attach your fishing line to the front end and your lure is attached to the back. You run a line that is 18 inches to 3 feet from the flasher to your lure. When pulled through the water, a flasher moves in large circles within the water column. This movement is meant to attract fish. When dragged behind the flasher, a lure will also be moved in the same large circles. If the lure has an action of its own like a spoon, then it will move in its own action as well as moving in the large circles thus giving them even more motion to attract fish.
Jet diver – a small hollow plastic piece that resembles a small plane. It is attached to your line and then another line goes from the rear of the jet diver to your lure. Once attached to your line the jet diver is lowered into the water and as a result of its shape, it dives down into the water taking your lure with it. Because these items are hollow, they float. That means that if a fish strikes then the diver is taken out of the fight allowing you to simply fight your fish. It also means that you can use this system to get your lure down onto snag infested areas because if it gets hung up it will float to the surface taking your lure with it.
Kicker motor – The small motor that is attached to the back of the boat so that you can troll at slower speeds and use less gas than you would by using your bigger main motor.
Power pole – A hydraulic pole that is attached to the rear of your boat. When you are in shallow water and you wish to stop your boat from drifting you simply deploy your power pole which goes into the bottom and stabilises your boat stopping it from moving without spooking the fish in the area as an anchor may do.. It is very quick and easy to use and is very effective in shallow water.
Side Planner or planner boards – A rectangular piece of plastic that is weighted on the bottom so that it sits upright in the water and is pointed to one side so that it will always run to one side of the other of your boat. A side planner board is used when trolling and is attached to your fishing line after you have let you lure out to the desired distance. You then let out more line so that the planner board takes your lure further to the side of your boat. The more line you let our after attaching the planner board the further off to the side of the boat it takes your lure. There are other planner boards that are attached directly to a mast in the boat by a separate line. You then let your lure out the desired distance from the boat then you attach your fishing line to the line which goes to the board by a clip and you let out line until your fishing line is taken to the desired distance from the side of the boat. Very effective way to get lures out and away from your boat.
Spin Doctor - The spin dr is made from plastic and is shaped like a fish or torpedo with a rounded front end and a rear that looks like a tail. Your line is attached to the front end and your lure is attached to the rear via a line that should be between 18 inches and 3 feet long. The spin dr is not a lure. It is an attractor and it gives motion to your lure. Certain lures like trolling flies mave no natural motion of their own and cannot be used without some sort of attractor like a spin dr. Other lures like spoons have a motion of their own but when used with a spin dr flasher or dodger they have more or different movement which can get fish to bite when they otherwise would not.
Snap swivel – something that you tie to the end of your line that allows you to switch your lures quickly and easily. As it also has a swivel built in it will allow the lure to move freely without twisting the line.
Swivel – something that you put between lines or lines and bait that allows the lure or bait to move freely without twisting the line.
Sonar – Most people refer to this piece of equipment as their fish finder. In fact it would be better to think of it as a piece of equipment that can show you the water column under your boat and more importantly the bottom structure. Fish generally relate to structure (weeds, rocks, submerged trees etc) or to bait fish. So by using sonar you can see the bottom structure as well as any schools of bait in the water. This will help you find the fish.
GPS – Global Positioning Sattelites. There are approx. 20 satelites circling the globe that are available for use by non military or non government agencies. If you have a GPS system in your boat then the system triangulates your position to determine exactly where you are. It can also tell you your speed to within 1 tenth of 1 mile per hour and is generally very accurate. These systems are considered much more accurate than a typical boat speedometer. If you do not know how fast you are going then you probably dont know how deep your lures are when you are trolling. And you may not be getting the action that you want out of your lure as that is often speed dependant as well.
Terminal gear – the small usually metal pieces that join the fishing line with the lures
Torpedo weights and snap on weights – They are attached to your fishing line at predetermined points so that your line and lure are taken to the desired depth. They are attached by clips that are very easy to use. You would simply let out a certain amount of line, attach the weights to your line and then you would let out the remainder of the required line. If you catch a fish then you just reel it in as you would any other fish. Once the weight is close to the tip of your rod then you unattach the weight and continue reeling in the fish. These types of weight systems also come with very accurate charts showing just how many feet of line you require to reach your desired depth.
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