Guide To Fishing!

I have been fishing for Seven year now. Every summer, I fly down to Texas to visit my mom. My step dad and I go fishing every day of the week for 3-6 hours, mainly catching drum fish. He has been fishing for 36 years, and is a professional commercial fisherman. This is my knowledge, things that I have learned from him, and this guide is 100% written by me.

There are many tricks to fishing. Fishing is backbreaking work, but in time is extremely fun, and very profitable.

There are several different types of Rods/Reels

A reel is the mechanical device mounted to the handle end of the fishing rod onto which the line is wound.

They come in different sizes and shapes. Fishing wouldn't be very exciting if there weren't a wide variety of reels to fish with. You wouldn't want to reel in a Croaker with a 9/0 Penn big game reel, or try to catch a big "Smoker" Kingfish with a Zebco spin cast reel.

There are three main types of reels

Spin Cast Reel



The best reel to use if your a beginner. Spincast reels have a pushbutton line release for casting and an enclosed "nosecone" where the line comes out of the reel. Spincasting reels are mounted on top of the rod and are used primarily by casual anglers, usually fishing for small to medium sized fish. It is very inexpensive and easy to use!

Spinning Reel



It is a little more difficult to use than the Spin Cast, but it comes in a wider variety of sizes. Spinning rods are usually more limber than baitcasting tackle. This limberness is one of the things that makes spinning excellent for casting light lures or bait, much more so than either spincasting or baitcasting. The other thing that allows spinning equipment to cast light lures far is the design of the reel. The line is allowed to peel off the spool on a cast, unimpeded by either the nosecone of spincast reel or the friction of a turning baitcast reel's spool.

Baitcasting Reel



This reel is very difficult to use if you are not proficient with the other two reels. Baitcasting is used anytime heavy cover is going to be targeted. It's ability to handle heavy line, lures and fish is unmatched as is its strength to weight ratio. Baitcast equipment is NOT meant to be used with light lures; anything under ¼ oz. would be better fished with spinning tackle. Baitcasting tackle is the goto tackle when ******** and big lures meet thick, nasty cover. Also, because you control the cast with your thumb, pinpoint accuracy is possible. Once you become proficient with a baitcast reel, it's possible to drop a lure in a 6-inch circle at 50 feet, with hardly a ripple on the water. That kind of accuracy and "touch" is rarely possible with spincasting or spinning tackle.

Rods can be very expensive and come in several different lengths and strength's. There are a wide variety of rods out there to choose from and there are quite a few manufacturers making them also. They also come in different sizes and shapes. Fishing wouldn't be very exciting if there wasn't a wide variety of rods to fish with, just like reels. They both get paired together to provide a variety of options for fishing for a variety of fish.

Short, stout rods are used mostly for trolling for big game fish. Longer rods are designed for longer casting situations such as surf fishing. You don't need to go to the sporting goods store and buy the longest rod you can find. You need to be capable of handling your rod without tiring. I've caught plenty of fish within 10 feet of the shore.

I recommend a light action rod about 4 to 5 foot long for a beginning fisherman's first rod. It is ideal for smaller fish, it's lightweight, and can handle smaller terminal tackle very well. Plus it's not too terribly expensive if it's lost.



There are several types of fish you can catch. The big game fish usually trail in salt water, such as Drum fish, red fish, trout etc...

Drum Fish



Drum fish are usually caught using a trot line. A trot line is compiled by a monofilament line. This line is braided with 100+ fishing hooks. Drum fish thrive for cut crabs, which are very difficult to cut. These 100 hooks after baited with crab, are attached to two buoy's or fishing markers. The fishing marker or Buoy is attached to an anchor and the trot lines are left to sit overnight. Drum fish only feed at night, and are rarely seen in the day. Drum fish sweep the ocean floor scooping up clams. You can indicate a good fishing spot by looking at the floor for what fisherman call "Drum Holes."

Red Fish



Red fish are extremely fast and usually caught via rod and reel. Red fish are usually caught with croaker. You can easily catch croaker with a net, dragging it across the ocean floor by boat for about 10 minutes. When reeling in a Red fish, you must pull back on the reel when the red fish isn't tugging, and gently lowering the rod while reeling, this keeps you with full energy, but wears out the fish.

Trout



There are several reasons why brown trout are so difficult to find and catch, and they have to do with their feeding habits. Browns feed at night, and are hidden away during the day in secluded areas. When they do eat, they do not go out into open areas like other fish do. Plus, they stay in one particular spot to eat instead of swimming around chasing a meal. When you decide to try to land one of these elusive fish, your choice of trout lures is important. Small browns go mainly for aquatic insects, so make sure the flies you are using mimic mayflies or caddis. Larger brown trout are slightly more versatile in their eating habits and will eat crayfish, as well as other fish. They may also have cannibalistic tendencies.

If you need any more information about fishing, let me know on this post!