Greg Schwipps - Fishing For Dummies

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Nearly fifty million Americans fish, and they can’t all be nuts. Okay, maybe they can be. They’re crazy-passionate about fishing and all that the hobby brings with it. They love the scenery, the camaraderie, the silence, the fight of the fish, the photographs of smiling people holding fish. They love to eat fish, or they love to fight the fish only to release it to fight again another day. They love to fish with their kids, grandparents, spouses, and friends. They love to be outdoors, near water. Don’t you need a hobby to feel this passionate about?

Practically anyone can fish. Young people can fish with adult supervision, and they learn great lessons about nature and the environment, among other things, while doing it. Seniors can fish, and many retire every year with plans to do just that. With the help of handicap-accessible ramps and piers, and even motorized reels, those with physical disabilities can fish. Fish pay no attention to race, sexual orientation, or religion. Thanks to millions of acres of public waterways, fishing can be enjoyed by the wealthy and not so rich alike. Fishing is one of the most welcoming outdoor activities around.

Fishing isn’t predictable, though (which, for some, is another reason to love it). Fishing takes you outdoors, and not just to the well-manicured and maintained golf courses and ski slopes. Although you can fish in brightly lit and public places, you don’t have to, and some fishing finds you in some pretty wild places, indeed. You’re always fishing near water, of course, some of it deep and fast-flowing, and there are plenty of sharp hooks around. For that reason, it’s not a hobby to be taken lightly. You need to know what you’re doing, and this book helps you get there.

You’re holding the 3rd Edition of Fishing For Dummies. It builds on the successes of the 2nd Edition and features much new and updated material that I (Greg) added to the original, which was written by Peter Kaminsky. For example, I added much of the material about boating, using circle hooks, and the pursuit of such fun quarry as catfish. In this 3rd Edition, I've included more information about the latest technology that helps anglers catch fish, more on how to rig for specific species of fish, and more information in general. And Peter also chimes in from time to time with tips, advice, and anecdotes, especially involving fly fishing and saltwater fishing.

For much more information on the joys of fly fishing, you need to check out the latest edition of Peter's book, Fly Fishing For Dummies.

Just as your fishing gear and skills will evolve as you gain experience, the information in this book moves logically from more basic to advanced topics. You don’t have to start here and keep reading in order to make sense of anything you find. This isn’t a textbook — if a particular topic on the table of contents piques your interest, turn right to it; within every chapter we define terms and point you in the direction of any additional information that might help you located in another chapter.

Like all For Dummies books, this one aims to give you the information you need — say, to choose workable fishing gear, hook and land a fish, and know what to do with it once you land it — without burying you in obtuse language and terminology. You find here instead a casual and fun introduction to multispecies angling that we hope answers all your questions and encourages you to spend more time fishing.

We use the following conventions throughout the text to make things consistent and easy to understand:

New terms appear in italic and are closely followed by an easy-to-understand definition.

Bold highlights the action parts of numbered steps and key words in bullet lists.

We intend for this book to be a pleasant and practical read so that you can quickly find and absorb the fishing material you seek. However, we sometimes can’t help going a little bit deeper or relaying information that expands on the basics. You might find this information interesting, but you don’t need it to understand what you came to that section to find.

When you see a Technical Stuff icon or a sidebar (a gray-shaded box of text), know that the information next to the icon or in the box is optional. You can lead a full and happy fishing life without giving it a glance. (But here’s a chance to make your fishing life even fuller and happier!)

Before we could write this book, we had to make some assumptions about who you, the reader, might be. We assume that you

Have either fished before or want to start

Want to have fun while fishing

Are curious to know more about fish

Desire to develop skills to fish in a variety of places

Would like to know how to catch more than one kind of fish

Seek to better understand the gear available

Crave new information about fishing but don’t have endless time to devote to the hobby

One of the great things about a For Dummies book is the interactive icons used to highlight or illustrate a point. Here are the icons we’ve used throughout this book to draw your attention:

Some points are worth hammering home. When we reference a concept that we’ve discussed elsewhere or that is particularly important to your fishing experience, we use this icon.

We try to keep the information in this book light, but when we can’t resist delving deeply into a technique or piece of equipment, we use this icon to let you know that the information is skippable.

This icon sits next to any information that saves you time, money, or frustration in your quest for better fishing.

Some actions can hurt the fish, your equipment, or you. We mark those with this dangerous-looking icon.

This book comes with a free online Cheat Sheet that includes helpful reference material that you can peruse from your computer or mobile device.

To get this Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and type “Fishing For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box.

We’ve organized this book so that you can either read it start to finish or dip into it here and there to find whatever specific information meets your needs. If you think you’re ready to pick out a new rod and reel, turn to Chapter 7for advice on how to choose a good one. If you’d rather get tips on how to evaluate a lake you’ve never fished before, check out Chapter 3. If you’re pretty sure your first fish will deserve a spot on the wall, check out what we say about fiberglass replicas in Chapter 19. If you prefer traditional angling and traditional reading, turn the page and read this sucker straight through.