Fishing 101

So, you have decided that you want to learn how to fish. There are several ways of learning, the hardest being trial and error. The best way is to find an instructor for one-on-one lessons.

1. Buy seasickness medication: If you're going to fish on the water, nothing is worse than having your fishing ruined by seasickness. Most seasickness medication e.g. Bonine is appropriate. Even expert fishermen are known to take some on rough days. Take one before you go to sleep, another when you wake up and a third one before you go on board.

2. Get a decent reference book: There are a lot of very good books available at your local bookstores and online. The book should give you instructions as well as the terms and definitions. There are some things you may not immediately understand but that you should know anyway. One good thing is to learn how to tie different kinds of knots. This useful knowledge will also be invaluable for other reasons throughout your whole life.

3. Go on a party boat: There are party boats that carry from five to as many as sixty fishermen. The boat will usually provide you with everything you need like bait, lures, rod, reel, weights and hooks. They will assist you fish and even take the fish off the hook for you too. You will make plenty of new fishing mates and they will help and advise you. Party boats will generally cost between $25 - $70 a day per person and the fish you catch are yours to eat. A party boat is a boon for beginners.

4. Pick your pier: Assuming you have already acquired the skills to use a rod and reel, you need to look for a fishing pier. The majority of seaside cities have a public pier or pay-to-fish pier. You can rent tackle and buy bait on these piers. If you do have trouble, there are many pier anglers willing to help and give you tips.

5. Party or pier?: You may want to try either step three or four times or both at the same time at this point. The best thing to do is to practise both ways several times to really learn them.

6. The reel deal: The conventional reel is probably what you've been using up to this point. The conventional reel is designed to take a lot of wear and tear. However, maybe you now ought to consider other types or / and makes of reels. Ideally you have already met other fishermen and perhaps made a friend or two who can assist you in choosing a reel. You could even ask a tackle store owner for advice.

Firstly, you ought to learn the mechanism of the reel and the other equipment. Learning to cast, tie knots and bait is not really all that difficult. Secondly, you must learn where to fish. Successful fishermen know where the fish are swimming. Fish move from place to place and clever fishermen understand these patterns and are able to anticipate where the fish are likely to be located.