The complete idiot's guide to fishing basics
Book - 2000
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- Part 1. Before You Get Your Feet Wet
- 1. So, You Want to Fish?
- Welcome to the Party
- Fishing U.S.A.: Who We Are
- Basic Equipment, Basic Costs
- Why Only 10 Percent of Fishermen Catch 90 Percent of the Fish
- 2. First Step: Finding a Place to Fish
- So Much Water, So Few Fish
- Public Waters
- Stocked Waters
- If It's Convenient and Accessible, It's (Probably) Not That Good
- Knocking on Doors
- Those Pay-to-Fish Places
- 3. How Fish Work
- Hal's Story: A Day in the Life of a Fish
- Hal's Evening
- Just Another Survivor
- Fish Physiology 101
- What Fish See and Don't See
- Where Fish Live
- How Big Fish Make Little Fish
- Do Fish Feel Pain?
- Pollution and How Fish Deal with It
- 4. Emergency Fishing Guide
- Shore Fishing
- Fishing from a Boat
- Fishing Moving Water
- Part 2. Tackle and How to Use It
- 5. Don't Spare the Rod
- What Rods Are Made Of
- Rod Actions: The Wiggle Factor
- Rod Weights: From Ultralight to Heavy
- From Butt to Tip and in Between
- Long Rods Versus Short Rods
- 6. The Reel Thing
- Reels and How They Function
- Baitcasting
- Spinning
- Spincasting
- That Clicking Sound
- It's a Drag, and You Need It
- The Ratio You Need to Know
- 7. How to Cast with the Perfect Pair
- Spincasting: The Easiest of Them All
- The Basics of Spinning
- Conventional Wisdom: Baitcasting
- 8. It's All on the Line
- Diameter and Pound Test
- Monofilament: One with Nylon
- Dacron: The Old Braid
- Multifilaments: The Super Lines
- Knots for the Fumble-Fingered
- The Slip Knot
- The Improved Clinch Knot
- The Surgeon's Knot
- The Loop Knot
- 9. Hooks: The Point of It All
- How Hooks Hook Fish
- Hook Types and What They're For
- How to Pick the Right Hook
- 10. Bait: Getting Your Bona Fides in Order
- The Not-So-Lowly Worm
- Worm Rigging and Fishing
- Make a Splash with Minnows
- Minnow Rigging and Fishing
- The Little Lobsters
- Crayfish Rigging and Fishing
- Grasshoppers and Crickets
- Grasshopper and Cricket Rigging and Fishing
- Frogs and Salamanders
- Frog and Salamander Rigging and Fishing
- Uncommon Baits
- Baits in a Bottle
- 11. Lures: Virtual Reality to Fish
- Spoons
- Spinners
- Plugs
- Spinnerbaits and Buzzbaits
- Jigs
- Plastic Lures
- 12. Yes, You Should Sweat the Small Stuff
- Weights
- Snaps, Swivels, and Snap-Swivels
- Bobbers
- Leaders
- Clippers, Pliers, and Other Important Tools
- Landing Nets
- Part 3. To Catch a Fish
- 13. On the Water
- Finding Fish in Lakes and Ponds
- Finding Fish in Rivers and Streams
- Rod Motion and Attitude
- Bait Control
- Lure Control
- Using Lures with Built-In Action
- Using Lures Without Built-In Action
- The Trolling Technique
- 14. Fish On! How to Keep It That Way
- Detecting a Fish
- Lures: Strike Quickly and Firmly
- Bait: The Waiting Game
- Playing Your Fish
- Landing Options
- 15. Keeping and Releasing Fish
- How to Hold Your Fish
- Out, Out Darn Hook
- What to Do When the Fish Has Swallowed the Hook
- Fishing Without Keeping
- Fish for the Freezer
- Part 4. Flyfishing
- 16. Assembling a Flyfishing Outfit
- Fly-Line Weights, Tapers, and Sink Rates
- Picking a Fly Rod
- Reels: Single Action, Multiplier, or Automatic?
- The Logic of Leaders
- 17. No-Fear Fly Casting
- Shake Hands with Your Fly Rod
- False Casting
- Hitting Your Target
- Casting Ills Cured
- Alternative Casts
- 18. Be a Lord of the Flies
- Dry Flies: The Ones to Watch
- Wet Flies
- Nymphs
- Streamers and Bucktails
- Terrestrials
- Bass Bugs
- 19. Real-Life Flyfishing
- Where to Cast
- Stillwater Fly Casting
- Casting in a Current
- How to Avoid Drag
- Setting the Hook
- How to Play Your Fly-Caught Fish
- Part 5. Saltwater Fishing
- 20. Finding Saltwater Fish
- Why Saltwater Fish Are Different
- The Tidal Influence
- Surf and Jetty Fishing
- Tidal Rivers and Bays
- Ocean Fishing
- 21. Tackle for the Brine
- Needs for the Surf
- Light Saltwater Rods and Reels
- Ocean Outfits
- Trolling Tackle
- 22. Au Naturel or Artificial?
- Sandworms and Bloodworms and Pincers, Oh My
- Squid Marks
- A Cut Above: Cut Bait
- A Live One
- Crabs and Shrimp: Fish Like Them, Too
- Baits on the Half Shell
- Basic Bait Rigs and Components
- Lures for the Salt
- Metals of Honor
- Heads of Lead
- Pop, Pop, Fish, Fish
- The Old Softies
- 23. Paying for It
- Party Boats
- Charter Boats
- The Mate
- Seasickness
- 24. The Big-Game Fishing Trip
- Planning the Trip
- The Species
- Atlantic Sailfish
- Pacific Sailfish
- Blue Marlin
- White Marlin
- Black Marlin
- Striped Marlin
- Swordfish
- Bluefin Tuna
- Sharks
- Other Species
- Fighting a Big Fish
- 25. Ultimate Sport: Flyfishing the Salt
- The Species
- Rods, Reels, and Line
- Flies and Other Tackle
- Part 6. The Complete Angler
- 26. Fishing Boat Basics
- Getting the Hull Story
- Boat Materials
- Fishing Boat Types
- Row, Row, Row Your Boat
- Running an Outboard
- 27. A Place for Everything
- Tackle Boxes
- Fishing Vests
- Creels, Tackle Belts, and Buckets
- Fly Boxes
- 28. Sense and Safety on the Water
- Shoes and Boots
- Hip Boots and Chest Waders
- The Perfect Fishing Hat
- Garments Throughout the Seasons
- Rain Gear
- Keeping Bugs at Bay
- Sun Protection
- Removing a Hook
- 29. In the Pan or On the Wall?
- Gutting Fish
- Filleting Fish
- Cooking Your Fish
- Fried Fish Fillets
- Batter-Dipped Fillets
- Grilled Fillets
- Foiled Fish Fillets
- Whole Fried Fish
- Campfire Trout
- Getting Your Fish Mounted
- The Replica Alternative
- Large Fish Mounts
- Fish Pictures
- 30. Hello, Warden
- Fishing Licenses
- Sizes, Limits, and Seasons
- Weighing and Measuring Fish
- The Undersized-Fish Dilemma
- Appendixes
- A. State Fish and Game Departments
- B. Freshwater and Saltwater Record Fish
- C. Terms and Definitions
- D. Species and Resource Guide
- Index