Greg Schwipps - Fishing For Dummies

Fishing For Dummies®, 3rd Edition

Published by: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.,111 River Street, Hoboken, NJ 07030-5774, www.wiley.com

Copyright © 2020 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey

Published simultaneously in Canada

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Library of Congress Control Number: 2020942584

ISBN 978-1-119-68589-0 (pbk); ISBN 978-1-119-68588-3 (ebk); ISBN 978-1-119-68591-3 (ebk)

1 Cover

2 Introduction Introduction 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. About This Book Foolish Assumptions Icons Used in This Book Beyond the Book Where to Go from Here

3 Part 1: Before the Bite Chapter 1: Getting Hooked on Fishing Why Fish? Where Should You Fish? What Are You Fishing For? What Do You Need to Fish? How Do You Fish? Fish On! Now What? Chapter 2: Gathering What You Need to Fish Dressing for Fishing Success Carrying Just What You Need to Fish Tucking Your Fishing License in a Safe Spot Chapter 3: Finding Good Fishing Water Knowing Where to Go Getting the Scoop Evaluating Freshwater Sites Evaluating Saltwater Sites Finding the Right Time to Fish Watching the Weather Chapter 4: Putting a Face on the Fins: Common Freshwater Fish Sunfish Catfish Perch Pike Temperate Bass Carp Trout Chapter 5: Familiarizing Yourself with Common Saltwater Fish Bluefish Flatfish Drum Temperate Bass: Stripers Cod Grouper Snapper Bonefish Snook Tarpon Sharks Tuna Billfish Family Chapter 6: Staying Safe on or near the Water Planning Ahead for Your Trip Water, Water Everywhere: Bringing Food and Drink Serious Safety: First Aid Kits and Sun Protection Safe Wading Danger Amplified: Boating Safety

4 Part 2: Gearing Up Without Going Overboard Chapter 7: Matching the Rod and Reel Getting a Handle on Fishing Rod Basics Catching Up with Reels Classic Beginnings: Spincast Gear So Smooth: Spinning Gear Baitcasting Gear: Complicated, but Worth It Fly-Fishing Gear: Artful and Effective Chapter 8: The Bottom Line on Line Getting to Know the Three Kinds of Line Buying Line 101 Spooling Up: Attaching Line to a Reel Caring for Your New Line and Knowing When to Let It Go Fly Lines Chapter 9: It’s Terminal (Tackle): Hooks, Sinkers, Snaps, Swivels, and Floats Hooks: What They Do and Why They Matter Sinkers: When You Need a Little More Weight Adding On Swivels and Snaps Floats and Bobbers: When You Need to Lighten Up Chapter 10: Going Ahab: Fishing from Boats Taking Advantage of Boat Fishing Choosing a Boat That’s Right for the Way You Fish Considering the Costs of Watercraft Chapter 11: 21st Century Tech: What’s New and What’s Necessary Fish Finders: Can They Really Find Fish? GPS Units: Finding Yourself Trolling Motors: Quiet Power for Boats Underwater Cameras: Seeing Is Believing Anchormates, Lightning Detectors, and What’s Coming Next

5 Part 3: The End of Your Line: Enticing Fish with Bait, Lures, and Flies Chapter 12: Real Food for Real Fish: Using Bait Assessing Your Bait Options Gathering and Keeping Bait Common Natural Freshwater Baits Common Natural Saltwater Baits Why You Can’t Take It with You: Disposing of Leftover Bait Chapter 13: It Only Looks Alive: Tricking Fish with Lures Picking Perfect Plugs Spoons: Heavy Metal Time Spinners: Easy to Fish, Hard to Miss Spinnerbaits: The Masters of Bass Jigs: More Than a Weighted Hook Soft Baits: Plastic Worms and Beyond Narrowing Your Lure Options by Asking Some Key Questions Chapter 14: Fish Don’t Fly, But Flies Catch Fish Taking a Look at Where the Fly in Fly Fishing Came From Figuring Out Which Fly to Use A Rundown of Flies That Work Everywhere