If you have been wanting to try your luck fishing for the first time, but was unsure as to what tackle to buy, where to go or where to get your fishing license then please continue reading as this article should help point you in the right direction. Many novice anglers feel a little overwhelmed their first time walking down the bait and tackle isle of your local market. Their is generally much to choose from and it is hard to determine what it is that you actually need for your first trip to the pond or lake. The numerous catchy promises that the product descriptions offer can make it even more confusing and if you are on a tight budget it makes the decision that much harder. First you should set a
Sunfish
realistic expectation of what you will most likely catch on your first venture. Think small, I know you probably want to catch a 100 lb bass on your first attempt, but lets be serious, IT AIN’T GONNA HAPPEN. This being said if you are freshwater fishing I would recommend Bluegill fishing or Crappie Fishing. You may get lucky and land a smallmouth bass, but probably unlikely on your first attempt. So in the next paragraph I will talk about the tackle you will need to catch your first panfish.
The bare essentials you will need to catch a sunfish or crappie would be a fishing rod and reel with 10lb test line. You can get a fairly cheap fishing rod/reel at Walmart or other large volume superstore. A Shakespeare fishing rod will run you about $25 dollars for a basic rod. This will probably be the largest investment of this little fishing trip. Some reels already come with the line pres pooled which may save you a little extra cash. The next tiny little expense would be the hooks. I recommend either some small eagle claw hooks, or you can buy a spindle with a variety of sizes in it. Dobbers, which look like a red and white ball with a little neck on it would be your only other requirement. The total expense should only set you back about $30 and the good news is that you can just start adding tackle to your fishing arsenal as you gain more experience.
You could potentially buy some bait from a local bait store, but if you want to keep this first trip really cheap you can simply dig up some worms in your backyard or find some small bugs while you are at the lake. It is all part of the fun especially if you are a kid. Smooshed up bread or marshmallows also is cheap and highly effective.
If you do not have your fishing license yet then I would recommend reading this article: Where do I get my Fishing License. This little article will have all the information you should need to obtain one.
If you don’t have a specific location in mind then talk to a local at a bait shop, but sunfish or crappie are an extremely abundant fish so you can find them is just about any freshwater body of water.
Once you are at the lake or pond the rig is very simple. Attach the hook with a clinch knot as described on the Basic Fishing Knots page. There you can watch a video of how to perform a clinch knot. Their is also a video of how to attach a dobber as well. I generally place a dobber just a few feet from the top as sunfish and crappie will generally be in the center of the water column. Take your first cast and wait for the dobber to be tugged around.
Some additional considerations for tackle for a first timer would be as follows
- Simple Teardrop Weights
- Spoons
- Rooster-tail
- Dry Flies
All are fairly cheap and can be an effective lure for a first time fisherman.
Best of luck to you on your first fishing adventure. Please feel free to leave a comment below if you have any additional questions and I will respond quickly.