south carolina department of natural resourcesdnr.sc.gov/fish/pdf/fishingguide1.pdfequipment...
TRANSCRIPT
South Carolina Department of Natural Resources
A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing
www.dnr.sc.govLife’s Better Outdoors
Table of ContentsAngler Ethics ...................................................... 1
Safety ............................................................... 1
Equipment Overview ........................................... 2
Knot Tying ......................................................... 5
Rigging ............................................................. 6
Casting ............................................................. 7
Baits & Artificial Lures .......................................... 9
Fish Anatomy .................................................... 11
Rules & Regulations ............................................ 12
Invasive Species ................................................. 13
Identifying Good Fishing Spots .............................. 14
Setting the Hook ................................................. 15
How to Handle Fish .............................................. 15
How to Clean Your Catch ...................................... 17
References .........................................................17
Angler EthicsWhat are ethics? • Rulesandvaluesthatchangeyourbehavior,causingyoutodotherightthing.
To determine if something is ethical, ask yourself three questions • Isitlegal? • Woulditstillbeokifeveryonewasdoingit? • Woulditmakeyouorpeoplewhoknowyouproud?
Ethical Anglers: • Areconsiderateofoneanother,respectingotheranglers’spaceandbeingquietso
astonotdisturbothers. • Alwaysleavetheirfishingareacleanerthanwhentheyarrivedsoastoprotectthe
resource. • Abidebyallrulesandregulations. • PracticeCatch&ReleaseFishing o Usebarblessorcirclehooksandneedlenosepliersorforcepstoreduceinjury
andhandlingtimeofthefish. o Landthefishasquicklyaspossibletominimizethefish’sfightingtime. o Usewethandswhenhandlingafishandminimizethetimeoutofwaterto20
to30seconds. o Whenreturningafishbacktothewater,pointthefishintothecurrentor
cradleitinyourhandslooselyunderthewateruntilthefishswimsawayonitsown.
o Ifafishislandedandthehookhasbeenswallowed,cutthelineasfardowninthefish’smouthaspossible.
• Releaseandhandlefishproperly o Sunfish&SmallCrappie:combdownthesharpdorsalfinasyouslideyour
handoverthebackofthefish. o Bass,LargeCrappie/Sunfish:grabbybottomlip,you’llfeelthesmall
sandpaper-liketeeth. o Catfish&Bullhead:beawareofthedorsal
andpectoralspineswhichcancauseapainfulwound.Slidehandsuptheventralorbottomsideofthefishunderthepectoralfinsorarmpit-likeareaofthefish.
Safety • Keepatleastonerod’slengthbetweenyouandthenextanglerbefore,duringand
afteryoucast. • Alwayslookbehindyouandtothesidebeforecastingtopreventhookingpower
lines,trees,oraperson. • Wearsunglasses,sunscreen,bugsprayandotherprotectionfromthenatural
elements. • Alwaysbeawareofyoursurroundingsandbeonthealertforantmoundsand
snakes.Avoidthickgrassyareaswhereyoucan’tseeyourfeet. • Beverycarefularoundwaterandmakesureyouhaveafishingbuddywithyou.If
fishingfromaboat,alwayswearalifejacketorPFD(personalfloatationdevice).
A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 1
Equipment OverviewBasic Fishing Tackle or Terminal Tackle • Hooks o Comeinavarietyofsizesandshapes.Size1/0isbigto12,whichisvery
small.Forhooksizes32to1,thelargerthenumberthesmallerthehook.Forhooksizesfrom1/0(calledoneaught)to19/0thelargerthenumberthelargerthehooksize.Popularhookstyles:treble,Kirby,octopus,widegap,O’Shaughness,baitholder,circleandweedless.
o Todeterminewhathooksizetouse,picturethespeciesyou’dliketocatchandlookatitsmouthandwhattheyliketoeat.
o Hookanatomy ◊ Point:thesharpendthatpuncturesthefish’smouth;
therearemanydifferentpointtypessuchasspear,holloworrolledin.
◊ Barb:extensionofthepointthatprojectsbackwardstokeepthefishfromunhooking.
◊ Eye:justlikeaneyeofaneedle,theeyeofthehookistheloopatthetopofthehookusedtoconnectthehooktotheline;therearemanytypesofeyesandtheycanbepositionedinmanywaysontheshank(up-turned,down-turned,straight,ringedorlopped).
◊ Bend&Shank:portionthatconnectspointtotheeye;thehookshankcanbestraightorhavecurves,kinks,bendsandoffsetswhichallowforeasiersettingofthehook,betterflyimitationorbaitholding.
• MonofilamentLine o Likethehooks,thelinecomesinavarietyofweightsfor
differentspecies. o Measuredin“poundtest”meaningtheamountofweight
requiredtobreaktheline.10poundtestlineisstrongerandthickerthan6poundtestline.
o Whenchoosingtherightpoundtest,itisalwaysbesttomatchthelinetothecapabilitiesorsizeofyourrodandreelandtotakeintoaccountthelures/baityou’reusingandthespeciesyouwanttocatch.
o Alwaysdiscardproperlyorrecycleyourmonofilamentlineasitcancauseharmtowildlife.
• Sinkers o Comeinavarietyofweights(measuredinounces)andshapes. o Allowyoutocastyourbaitandtakeitdowntothebottom. o Popularsinkertypes:bank,pyramid,splitshot,egg,belland
bullet. • Bobbers,Corks,orFloats o Keepyourbaitatthedepthwherethefishare. o Serveasastrikeindicator,lettingyouknowwhenyou’regettingabite
bybobbingdowninaquickjerkymotion. o Bobberscomeweighted/unweightedandinmanydifferentshapesand
sizes.
Rods & Reels • RodTypes o CanePole:apolewith
fishinglinetiedtoit;mainlyusedforshorelinefishing.
o Spincasting&Baitcasting:arodwithsmallguidesforlinetomovethroughontopsideoftherod;handlewithafingergrip;reelmountsonthetopside.
o Spinning:arodwithlargeguidesforlinetomovethroughthatdecreaseinsizeastheygetclosertotherodtip;nofingergriponthehandleandreelmountsonthebottom.
o Fly:arodthatisveryflexiblewithguidesandreelmountonthebottom.
• WhattoLookforinaRod o Typeofrodchosendependsonthefishyouplantocatchandthetypeofbait
orlureyou’llbeusing. o Length:alongerrodisbetterfordistancecastingandcontrollingthelure.
o Action:referstotheportionoftherodatwhichitbends;measuredasslow, medium,fast:
◊ FastAction:rodbendsmainlynearthetip;goodforsurfaceluresordetectingsubtlestrikeswhenjigging.
◊ MediumAction:rodbendsoverthefronthalfor¾thewayuptherod;goodforlivebaitfishing.
◊ SlowAction:rodbendsovertheentirelengthoratthehalfwaypoint;goodforabsorbingpressurewhenfightingabigfishsoasnottobreaktheline.
o Power:similartorodaction;referstotheamountofforcerequiredtobendarod;measuredaslight,medium,&heavyoronascaleof1to10where1isthelightest;lightrodseasilybendundertheweightofaluresoheavyrodsareneededforheavylures.
• ReelTypes o Spincast:alsoknownaspushbuttonorclosedface
reels;easiestreeltouseandgreatforbeginners. o Spinning:alsoknownasanopenfacereel;linespoolsoffquickly
castinglinefartherthanaspincastreel;suitableforlightluresforsaltwaterandfreshwater.o Baitcast:mostdifficultreeltomaster;linespoolsduringthecastwhich
iscontrolledbytheangler’sthumb(iftimingisn’tjustright,lineonthereelswillbacklashandtangle);designedtocastlargeluresorbaitlongdistances.
oFly:primarilyusedforflyfishing;thereelisonlyusedtoholdtheline;castingisdonebyprojectingthelineoutversuscastingwithotherreelswhichprojectorcastbasedontheweightofthelure.
A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 32 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing
Knot Tying • Oneofthemostimportantstepsinfishingistyingknots.Withoutastrongknotor
aproperlytiedknot,yourfishcouldgetaway. • KnotTips o Whencinchingortighteningdownyourknot,alwayswetyourlinebylicking
it.Thishelpsreducethefrictioninthelineandhelpspreventcreatingweakspots.
o Whenclippingthefreeendortagendofyourknot,leaveabouta¼inchoflinehanging.Someknotsunderpressurewillslipjustalittleandleavingtheextralinewillallowtheknottoslidebutnotcomeundone.
Hook to Line Knots o PalomarKnot
1. Double4inchesoflineandpasstheloopthroughtheeyeofthehook.Let thehookhangloose. 2. Tieanoverhandknotinthedoubledline(likethefirststepoftyingyour
shoes).Don’ttwistortightentheline. 3. Pulltheendoftheloopdownpassingitoverthehook. 4. Wettheline. 5. Holdthehookcarefullyandpulltheendsofthelinetocinchdownor
tightentheknot. 6. Trimtheexcesslineortagendtoleaveabout¼inchofline.
o ImprovedClinchKnot(alsocalledthefisherman’sknot)
1. Passthelinethroughtheeyeofthehookandtwisttomake5to6turns. 2. Takethelooseortagendofthelineandputitthroughtheloopthat
formedatthehookabovetheeye. 3. Bringthetagendthroughthesecondloopthatformedbycompleting
step2. 4. Wettheline. 5. Whileholdingthelineandtagendinseparatehands,tightentheknot
slowlysothatitmovessecurelyagainsttheeyeofthehook. 6. Trimtheexcesslineortagendtoleaveabout¼inchofline.
How to Pack your Tackle Box
PliersNailclippersHooks(varioussizes)
BobbersWeights(varioussizes&types)SnapswivelsArtificialLures
StringerforkeepingfishyouplantoeatMeasuringtapeRules&RegulationsFishIdentificationguide
BackupspoolsofmonofilamentlineFirstAidKit
BugSpray
SunscreenA Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 54 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing
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CastingSpin-casting Technique
1. Grasptherod’shandlewithonehandwithyourindexfingerabovethepointontherodhandle.Pushthereel’sbuttondownwithyourthumbandHOLDittokeeplinefromcomingoffthereel.Rememberaspin-castorclosedfacereelwillfaceupwardtowardyou.
2. Facetheareayoudesiretocastandaimtherodtiptowardthetargetareaaboutlevelwithyoureyes.
Line to Reel Knot oArborKnot 1.Loopthelinearoundthereelspool(alsocalledarbor). 2. Tieanoverhandknotaroundthemainorstandinglinetoformaloose
slipknot. 3.Tieasecondoverhandknotinthefreeendortagend. 4.Wettheline. 5.Cinchtheknotinthetagendtight. 6.Trimtheexcessline. 7.Cinchdownthefirstoverhandknotonthereel.
Rigging
Riggingreferstothewaythatyoutietogetheryourterminaltackle(hooks,swivels,•sinkers,bobbers,etc.)andbaitand/orlureswithyourline.Themostpopularandmostoftenusedrigofallisthebobberrig.Thisinvolves•placingabobberonyourline.Thedepthofthebobbercandifferdependingonwhereandwhatfishspeciesyouarefishingfor.Placingthebobbertwofeetfromtheendofyourlineisagoodplacetostartafteryourhookandsinkerorsplit-shothavebeenattached.Thekeytothebobberrigistomakesureafteryoucast,yourlineistightsothatfishbitingatyourbaitwillbenoticeable.Anothereasy-to-userigisabottomorstandardrig.Forthisrig,justtieonahook,•attachsomelivebaitandenoughsplitshottosinkittothebottom.Holdyourlinetightasyouwouldifyouwerefishingabobberrig,butbecarefulnottomoveit.Letthefishcometoyourbait.Ifyoudon’tgetabiteafter15minutes,thenreelinandcastagaininanewspot.
6 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 7
3. Bendyourarmattheelbow,raisingyourhandwiththeroduntilitreachesaboutthe10o’clockpositionoveryourshoulderoruntilyourhandholdingtherodisrighttothesideofyourface.
4. Bringtherodforwardwithasmoothmotionandreleasethebuttonwhentherodisata12o’clockposition.o Ifthelure/castingpluglandedcloseinfront
ofyou,youreleasedthethumbbuttontoolate.Ifthelurecastingplugwentmoreorlessstraightup,youreleasedthethumbbuttontooearly.Practice is the key to good casting!
Spinning Technique1. Grasptherod’shandlewithonehand.
Placetheconnectionorstemwherethereelattachestotherodbetweenyoursecondandthirdfingers.Putyourpointerfingerorfirstfingerovertheline.Thenopenthereel’sbail(littlebaroverthereel)withyourotherhand.Rememberaspinningoropenfacedreelwillfaceawayfromyouorbelowtherod.
2. Facetheareayoudesiretocastinandaimtherodtiptowardthetargetareaaboutlevelwithyoureyes.
3.Bendyourarmattheelbow,raisingyourhandwiththeroduntilitreachesthe10o’clockpositionoveryourshoulderoralmostateyelevel.
4.Whentherodreachesthealmoststraightupanddownor12o’clockposition,bringyourforearmforwardwithaslightwristmovement.
5.Straightenyourindexfingertoreleasethelinewhentherodreacheseyelevel.
o Ifthelure/castingpluglandedcloseinfrontofyou,youreleasedyourindexfingertoolate.Ifthelure/castingplugwentmoreorlessstraightup,youreleasedyourindexfingertooearly.Practice is the key to good casting!
Common Freshwater Live Bait • Wormscomeinavarietyofchoices—earthworms,redwormsandnightcrawlers.
Anglerscancreatetheirowncompostpileorwormbedtohousewormsforuse.Whenyoupurchasewormsfromthestore,leftoverwormsafteryourfishingtripcanbestoredintherefrigeratorforacoupleofdaysuntilthenextfishingouting.
Whenplacingawormonyourhook,makesuretoloopthewormthroughthehook2-4timesandtoleavesomeofthewormdanglingfromthebottomofthehook.Don’tleavemorethananinchofwormdanglingbelowthehookorelsefishwillnibbleawayatthewormwithoutbitingthehook.
• CricketsandGrasshoppersareexcellentbaitforsunfish,bassandcatfish.Theseinsectscanbepurchasedfrommostlocalbaitandtackleshopsandplacedintoaspeciallydesignedcricketcage.Toprolongthelifeofyourcrickets,placeamoistpapertowelintothecricketcage.Justbecarefulthatthepapertoweldoesn’taidyourcricketsinescaping.Toproperlybaityourhookwithacricket,thehookshouldbeinsertedbehindthecricket’sheadunderthecollar.
• Minnowsisalooselyusedtermbyanglerstomeanbaitfish.Minnowsaretechnicallymembersofaspecificfamily.Fishusedasbaittypicallyincludeshiners,chubsanddaceaswellasminnows.Minnowswilllivelongerinanaeratedminnowbucketwheretheminnowsaren’tcrowded.Baitingyourhook
withaminnowinvolveshookingthemthroughthelipsorundertheirdorsalfin.Avoidhookingthefishthroughthebackbonewhenhookingundertheirdorsalfintopreventkillingtheminnow.
• Tip:makesuretoalwayspresentthebaitonyourhookasnaturalaspossibleandhookyourbaitinwaytokeepitalivelonger.
8 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 9
Artificial Lures •Plugswereoriginallylurescarvedofwood,butnow
theyaremadeofvariousmaterialssuchasplasticandcork.Plugsarefurtherseparatedintodifferenttypessuchassurfaceandsubsurfaceplugs.Surfaceplugsincludestickbaits,propbaits,crawlersandchuggers.Subsurfaceplugsincludecrankbaits,minnowplugs,trollingplugsandjerkbaits.Plugshaveeithertwoorthreetreblehooksattachedtocoverthefish’sstrikingarea.Thefishtotargetwithplugsinclude
blackandwhitecrappieandwhite,spotted,smallmouth,striped,largemouthandhybridbass.
• Spinnerbaitshaveoneormorebladesthatspinorrotatearoundastraightwireorsafetypin-lookingshaft.Mostspinnerbaitshavetailsandbodiesmadeofrubber,animalhair,softplastic,feathersorothermaterials.Thefishtotargetwithspinnerbaitsincludeallbassspecies,troutandcrappie.
• SoftPlasticsareflexibleluresmadeintotheshapesofwhatfisheatsuchasworms,grubs,lizards,crayfishandminnows.Theyarefoundinavarietyofsizes,colorsandsomehaveafish-attractingscent.Thefishtotargetwiththesoftplasticsincludeallbassspecies.
• Jigsaremadeofaweightedmetalorleadheadwithabodyandtailmadeofrubber,feather,softplasticsoranimalhair.Theyarefoundinavarietyofsizes,colorsandpatterns.Thefishtotargetwiththeseluresincludeallbassspecies,sunfish(suchasredbreast,bluegill,redear,etc.),crappieandyellowperch.
• Spoonsaremetal,spoon-shapedluresmadetoresembleaswimmingorinjuredbaitfish.Theselurescanbeusedwithmanytechniquessuchasjigging,rollingorjustcastingthemoutandreelingthemin.Thefishtotargetwiththeseluresincludeallbassspecies.
• Tip:Alwayskeepinmindthefishyouaretargeting,whatiteats,howbigitsmouth
istoeatitspreyandwheretheyfeed(surface,middleorbottom)whenchoosingthetypeoflureandluresize.
Fish External Anatomy & Senses • Thelaterallineisaspecialsensoryorganthatfishhaveinadditiontotheusual
sensesofseeing,hearing,tastingandsmelling.Thelaterallineisacollectionofnerveendingsalongafish’ssidethatfeelsvibrationsinthewater.Ithelpsthefishdeterminethespeed,directionofmovementandeventhesizeofthepredatororpreythushelpingthemfindfoodandavoidbeingeaten.Thelaterallineisveryimportanttofishthatliveindeepwaterorinmurkywater.
• Fisheyesightissimilartoours.Theyseebrightnessandcolor;however,somespecieshavebettercolorvisionthanothers.Fishthatliveindeepwaterdon’tseethefullspectrumofcolorssincewaterfiltersoutcolor.Fishcanseeupto100feetinextremelyclearwaterandinmurkywaterabout10to20feetoutinfrontofthem.Afish’sfieldofvisionisalldirectionsexceptforstraightdownandstraightback.Fishcanalsoseeabove-waterobjectssoanglersshouldkeepalowprofilewhenapproachingfishingspots,especiallyinclearwaters.
• Fishhearwithaninnerearwithtinybonesthatpickupsound.Theylackexternalearslikewehave.
• Fishsenseofsmellishighlydeveloped.Theydetectodorsbyanasalsacintheirmouth.Watercomesinthroughthenareandispassedthroughthenasalsacandoutagain.Smellsallowfishtoreturntospawninggroundsandalertthemtothepresenceofpredatorsorprey.
• Tasteisauselesssenseinmostfish,exceptforcatfishandbullheadsthathaveskinandbarbelsorwhiskersthathavetaste-sensitivecells.Thesefishcanusetheirsenseoftastetohelptrackdownfoodsources.
10 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 11
Dorsal Fin
Caudal Fin
Anal Fin
Pectoral Fin
Pelvic Fin
Gills
Mouth
Nares
Eye
Lateral Line
Largemouth Bass
Why Do We Have Rules & Regulations? •People!Alongwithnaturalpressuressuchaspredatorsandcompetitionforfood
andspace,fishhavetoworryaboutpressuresweputonthem.Thosepressuresincludepollution,intheformsoflitterandrunoffwhichdamagewaterqualityandcauselossofadequatehabitat,andoverfishing.Overfishingistheunnecessaryharvestoftoomanyfishortheharvestingoffishthataretoosmallorhaven’thadtheopportunitytobreed.
• Managementtakesplaceintheformofthefollowing:
o dailybagorcreellimitsontheamountoffishananglercancatchandpossessinaday;
o slotorsizelimitsonfishtoallowfishtoreachsexualmaturityandreproduce;and o restrictionsonwhattypeofgearcanbeusedtoharvestorcatchcertainfish—
gameversusnon-game.
•FrequentlyAskedQuestionsaboutFishingRegulations
o WheredoIfindallfishandwildliferegulationsforthestateofSouthCarolina?◊ TheRulesandRegulationsareavailableateverylocationthatsellslicenses.Theyarealsofoundonthewebsiteatdnr.sc.gov/regulations.
o AtwhatagedoIneedtopurchaseafishinglicense?◊Whenyouturn16,youmusthaveafishinglicenseinordertofishlegallyinpublicwaters.
o HowoftendoIneedtorenewmyfishinglicense?◊ AfishinglicenseisgoodfromJuly1sttoJune30th.
o DoIneedafishinglicensetofishfrommyprivateproperty?◊ Yes,youwillneedalicensetofishinpublicwaters(suchaslakesorrivers)
evenifyou’reonprivateland.Youdon’tneedalicensetofishonprivatepropertyinaprivatepondunlessyouarefishinginacommercialpaypond.Youdon’tneedalicensetofishinacommercialpaypondwhenthepondispermittedbyDNR. o WheredoIgotobuyalicense? ◊Youcanvisitanyofthe700license
agentsthroughoutthestateatthenearestlocalbaitandtacklestore,orataDNRofficeinCharleston,Clemson,ColumbiaandFlorencebetween8:30am-5:00pmMondaythroughFriday,orcall1-866-714-36117daysaweek24hoursaday,oronthewebatwww.dnr.sc.gov/purchase.
What Are Invasive Or Nuisance Aquatic Species? • Thesearespeciesthatarenon-nativeandlacknaturalpredatorsanddiseases
tokeeptheirgrowthincheck.Somecommon,invasiveplantsinSouthCarolinaincludehydrilla,Didymoalgae,waterhyacinth,giantsalvinia,waterprimrose,phragmitesandalligatorweed.Theseplantscangrowverydense,coveringlargeareas,degradingwaterquality,displacingnativeplantspeciesandmaking
recreationandboatingimpossible.Animalscanalsobenuisancespecies.Speciesofconcernincludegreenmussels,zebramussels,mudsnails,flatheadcatfish,spottedbass,Asiancarpandlionfish.Thelarvae(immatureform)ofanimalscanbesotinytheyarenotvisibletothenakedeye.Theseanimallarvaecanliveinmud,dirt,sandandonplantfragments.Toavoidfurtherdamagefromexoticspecies,anglersshouldnevertakeresourcemanagementintotheirownhands.Unplannedstockingoffish,otheraquaticanimalsorplantsbyanglerscandisruptthenaturalbalanceinanaquaticecosystemcausingdamagetotheestablishedfishery,fishhabitatandpreybase.
How Can You Help? • Whenyouleaveabodyofwater:
o Removeanyvisiblemud,plants,fish,oranimalsbeforetransportingequipment.Preventingtheoccurrenceoftheseinvasivespeciescansavemillionsofpublicandprivatedollarsincontrolcosts.SouthCarolinalawalsoincludesfinesupto$500and/orimprisonmentforpersonsspreadingnuisanceaquaticweeds.
o Eliminatewaterfromequipmentbeforetransporting. o Anglersusingwadinggearshouldthoroughlycleanitafteruse.Theycanwait
forthegeartodry100%andallowittoremaindryfor5daysbeforeusingagainordipwadinggearina3%bleachsolution,rinsewell(aschlorinecanbeharmfultogear)anddrythoroughly.Toavoidchlorinedamage,anglerscandiptheirgearina100%vinegarsolutionfor20minutesorina1%saltsolutionfor20minutes.
o Washallpetsthatwentintothewaterwithwarmwater,toweldryandbrushwell.
o Cleananddryanythingthatcomesintocontactwithwater(boats,trailers,equipment,clothing,dogs,etc.).
o Neverreleaseplants,fish,oranimalsintoabodyofwaterunlesstheycameoutofthatbodyofwater.
o Disposeofbaitproperly,especiallylivebait,byplacingitinthetrashcanwithinasealedcontainerorsavinglivebaitinasealedcontainerforlateruse.
12 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 13
Evenifyouthinkyourlivebaitisnative,ithasthepotentialtohousenuisancespeciesanddiseasethatcanhavenegativeimpactsonaquaticecosystems.
o Disposeofshrimppartsandoystershellsproperly.Shrimpheadsandshellsneedtobedisposedofinthetrashandnotthrownintothewaterbecausenon-nativeshrimppartshavethepotentialtospreaddisease.Oystershellscanbetakentoanearbyoysterrecyclingfacility.
o ReportaquaticweedproblemsinpublicwaterstotheAquaticNuisanceProgram,SCDNR,bycalling(803) 755-2836.
o Visitwww.dnr.sc.gov/water/envaff/aquatic/index.htmlorwww.protectyourwaters.nettolearnmore.
Finding Good Fishing Spots • Thefirstthingyouneedtoknowaboutfindingagoodfishingspotisidentifying
allthethingsfishneedtolive.Theyneedfood,oxygen,water,shelterandspace.Foodwillvaryfromfishtofishsoknowtheparticularfoodsthefishyouaretargetinglikes.Thiswillalsohelpyoudeterminethetypeoflureorbaittouse.Fishfoodcanincludeplants,insects,smallerfish,crayfishandworms.Fishgettheirrequiredamountofoxygenbyusingtheirgills.Oxygeninthewaterchangeswithwatertemperature,movementandtheamountofalgaepresent.Oxygenlevelsdecreasewithwarmertemperatures,slowmovingwatersandlotsofalgae.Andasyouwouldguess,oxygenlevelsincreasewithcoldertemperatures,fastermovingwater,suchasnearrifflesorwaterfalls,andwithlessalgaepresent.Forshelter,fishneedstructuressuchasrocks,stumpsandaquaticplantsto providecovertohidefrompredatorsortohideandwaitforfoodtoswimby.Fishalsoneedspace.Toomanyfishusingthesameresourcesdoesn’tworkouttoowell.
• Goodfishingspotscanbefoundnearaquaticvegetation,brushpiles,sandbottoms,rockandgravelbottoms,fallentrees,boatdocksandstumps.
How To Tell A Fish Is Biting • Fishingwithabobberallowsanglerstoknowwhenafishbites.However,
sometimesthemovementinthebobbersisn’tsoobvious.Sometimesabitingfishwillcausethebobbertotwitchonlyabitorthebobberwillstarttomoveacrossthesurfaceofthewater.Ifyouarenotusingabobber,thebestwaytotellwhenafishisbitingisbywatchingyourlinebetweentherodtipandthewater.Ifyourlinemovesinatwitchingorjumpingmotion,youaregettingabite.Sometimesthebitewillbehardenoughthatyouwillfeelitspullontherodtip.Whenfishingwithoutabobber,youshouldsetthehookorpullontherodassoonasyoufeelthatyouaregettingabite.
How To Set The Hook • Whenyouseesignsofafishbiting,moveyourrodtipfrompointingtowardsthe
watertopointingstraightoutyourbellybuttonandwindupallslackline.Then,quicklypulltherodbacktosetthehook.Practicemakesperfectwhenitcomestolearningthetimingofsettingthehook.Thefeelofsettingthehookwillvarybasedonthefishspeciesyou’retargeting,thelureorbaityou’reusingandthesizeofyourrod,reelandline.
• Aftersettingthehook,keepabendinyourrodandwaitforthefishtomakeitsmove.Ifthefishispullingagainstthefishingreel,lethimsimplypull.DONOTwindinlineifthefishispullinglineoffyourreel.Afterthefishquitspulling,beginreelingin,keepingabendinyourrod.Takethisprocessslowly.
How To Handle Or Hold Fish • Handlingfishproperlyprotectsthefishandyou.Somefishhavesharpfinsorteeth
thatcancutyouwhennotheldcorrectly.Alwaysremembertowetyourhandsbeforetouchingafish.Wethandsarelesslikelytodamageafish’sprotectivecoatingofmucousorslimethatprotectsthemfromdisease.Also,don’tallowyourfishtofloparoundonthebank,dockorthefloorofaboat.Ifyouarekeepingfishtoeat,youshouldputtheminiceorinabucketofcoolwater.
• FishthatCANbeheldbythebottomlipincludecrappie,sunfish,bass,perch,catfishandbullhead.You’llfeelsmall,dullteethinsidethefish’smouthsomewhatlikesandpaper.Forlargerbass,catfishandbullhead,supportthebodyofthefishwithyourotherhandoncethehookisremovedfromthefish.
oCrappie oSunfish
oBass oPerch
oCatfish oBullhead
14 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 15
Blue CatfishDorsal Spine
Pectoral Spine
Catfish • Thecommonwaytoholdacatfishisfrombelowthecatfish’sbelly,grippingthe
catfishbelowbothpectoralfins.Beverycarefultoavoidthefish’sspinesthatarelocatedinthepectoralfinsandthedorsalfin.Holdthefishinglineinonehandtosteadythefishandslideyourhandsfromthebellyofthefishupwardunderthepectoralfins.
Sunfish • Therearetwowaystoholdasunfish.Oneisfrom
thefish’sbelly,looselygrippingthefishbetweenyourfourfingersandthumbacrossthefish’sside.Theotherisfromthetopofthefish’sbodyoveritsdorsalfin.Beverycarefulofthedorsalfin,ithasverysharpbonesthatcanhurtyou.
Perch • Perchshouldbeheldunderthebelly
underneaththepectoralfinslooselybetweenyourfourfingersandthumbacrossthefish’sside.Beverycarefulofthisfish’sgillcoversbecausetheyareverysharp.
How To Clean Your Catch • Thecommoncatchsuchassunfishandbassmustfirstbescaled.Toscaleafish,
holditbythetailandscrapefromtailtoheadwithafishscaler,butterknifeortablespoon.Cutdirectlybehindthegillcover.Removetheheadwiththeinnards.Then,slicealongeachsideofthedorsalfinandremove.Cutalongbothsidesoftheanalfinandremovebypullingittowardthetail.Cutthebellyfromtheareawheretheheadwasremovedtothetailandpulloutalltheremaininginnards.Ifdesired,cutoffthetail.Rinsefishquicklyandprepareforcooking.
• Catfishandbullheadsmustbeskinnedinsteadofscaled.Yourfirstcutwillstartbehindtheheadatthepectoralfinononesideupandovertotheotherside’spectoralfin.Then,slicedownthebackboneononesideofthedorsalfinandcreateanothersliceontheothersideofthedorsalfintoconnectthecutjustmade.Now,usepliersandpulltheskinbackfromthebodyofthefishwhileholdingtheheadwithonehand.Afterremovingtheskinfromthecatfish,cuttheheadcompletelyandremovetheinnards.Prepareforcooking.Whenfilletingacatfish,makesuretocutawayalldarkredmeatalongthelaterallineasthismeatoftenhasastrongflavor.
• Filleting
o ALWAYSCUTAWAYFROMYOURSELF! o Yourfirstcutwillbemadebehindthepectoralfinwiththeknifeangled
towardthetopofthehead,cuttingonlytothebackbone(notallthewaythroughthefish).
o Next,cutalongonesideofthebackbonewiththeknifescrapingrightabovetheribboneswithoutcuttingthemallthewaytothetail.Theknifeshouldcomeoutrightatthebaseofthetail.
o Liftthepieceofmeatfromthebones. o Turnthefishoverandrepeatontheotherside. o Ifdesired,theskincanberemovedfromthefishbyholdingthetailwithyour
fingertipsandcuttingbetweenthefleshandskinwithasawingmotion.Rinsethemeatquicklyincoldwaterandprepareforcooking.
References
Maas,Dave.Kids Gone Fishin.Minnesota:CreativePublishingInternationalInc.,2001.
Maas,Dave,etal.The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing.CreativePublishingInternationalInc.,2002.
TexasState.TexasParks&Wildlife.A Basic Guide for the Beginning Angler.2008.
AspecialthanksgoestotheTexasParksandWildlifeDepartmentfortheuseoftheirartwork.
16 A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing 17
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