When it comes to fishing (and any other activity for that matter), there’s no shame in admitting that you don’t know everything. Even the most successful and experienced fishermen come across fishing tips and tricks they haven’t mastered yet. Wise fishers know that constantly gathering useful pieces of information about their favorite pastime is one of the easiest and smartest way to improve their fishing skills and thus increase their catch rate.
We’ve talked to a couple of longtime fishers and asked them to share with our readers some helpful fishing tips and tricks for beginners. Here’s what they had to say:
- Learn the basics of fishing. The first thing a fishing enthusiast needs to do before they go on their very first fishing trip is learn how to cast with spinning or baitcaster reels (spinning reels are suitable for fishing with small lures, whereas baitcaster ones are ideal for fishing with heavier lures), set the drag on your fishing reel, set the hook, as well as learn the differences between natural and artificial bait and choose the right one for you. Knowing how to tie knots correctly is also very important because your line will connect you to the fish you want to catch.
- Go fishing with an experienced angler. If a friend of yours has been outsmarting fish for a long period of time, you should definitely join them on their next fishing adventure. This is how you’ll be able to see how and where they cast, how they retrieve, and which type of fishing bait they use – live or artificial. You’ll be surprised by the amount of knowledge you could gain from merely observing other fishermen who know exactly what they’re doing.
- Swim your artificial lure properly. If you decide to fish with artificial bait, you should imitate the movement of natural bait with the help of your rod tip and reel speed. That’s how you’ll attract and catch fish more quickly.
- Change locations as often as possible. When fishing in a river, stream, lake or the ocean, make sure to cover a large area of the water in order to increase your chances of catching more fish. Don’t forget to make several casts in the area to your left, to your right, and some out in front of you. If this doesn’t help you fill your bag, you shouldn’t hesitate to move down to a new fishing spot.
- And last but not least – be patient and enjoy every minute of your trip.