So for his fourth birthday he (and I, apparently) got absolutely decked out… I don’t fish but looks like I’ll be learning. Thinking I need to get some scissors, pliers, and learn how to string a rod. How do I know which hook to use?
Posted by IWantAKitty
13 Comments
I would get a small spinning rod and reel for future use if he’s into it. Those kids one you got is not going to last and shitty imo.
That’s some good gear! She’s awesome.
Have fun untangling lines for most of the fishing trip
Damn mom is cooking, that’s an amazing starter set.
Youtube is your friend to learn. Coming up on bluegill season for me. Ask a local bait shop for advice. Tell them you have a 4 year old.
Tie a small stick to the rods and practice casting in the yard. If they are like my kids, you will spend more time untangling line than getting yours wet.
I don’t have a relationship with my pops so this post absolutely warms my heart. I am thrilled for you both on your journey.
Understanding hooks is my first recommendation for research as it is the business end of the setup.
Those gamakatsu octopus hooks are perfect for fishing live or cut baits. Those you’ll need to set the hook with – but I’d recommend octopus circle hooks for the future, which you do not have to set, but just keep the pressure by holding the rod tip up and reeling in.
Tight lines 🤙🏽
Get a pair of locking forceps and a small scissors, I love the Fiskars brand kid scissors. They cut well and are not pointy/sharp
99% of the time Im using a size 8 hook for freshwater panfish & trout. Aberdeen hooks are easier to remove from fish mouths because of their long shank.
A great book is Kids Gone Fishing. Its geared towards kids, but has alot of great visual pictures and will serve adults as well. Used on ebay they run under $10.
Learn how to tie a Uni Knot. Its a great all purpose knot that has alot of uses. BUT!! If all you can tie is an overhand knot, do alot of em and it’ll work too. Always give your knotted hook/lure a tug to test for strength. If it slips after the knot settles, tie it again
Those setups will work just fine, the line usually kinda sucks and I swap it out, but its not a necassity.
Also…grab a long handled butterfly net from the dollar store. Great fun catching minnows, crayfish, frogs and whatnot. Minnow trap as well is alot fun. You can buy or make one.
Give Grandma an extra hug from all of us. She’s a keeper
Could you tell your mom I want to go fishing?
Well now he’s set
Show me you live in a first world country without telling me
Where are you located? That can help give better info on what you can target and what you can use.
Your mom got a good variety of stuff – you’ll have the basics for a handful of different species.
There’s lots of info online about what hooks to use. Generally you’ll have the best luck if you are targeting something specific (stocked trout are super common to start with where I’m at) and just search something like “stocked trout fishing setup”.
You’ll want to pick up a pair of fishing pliers plus a pair of nail clippers, scissors, or line cutters.
For knots – look up and practice the clinch knot and the uni knot. Use whichever one you like better, they’re both good.
Casting practice will help as you mentioned in a comment. You can get a bank sinker or casting sinker which will have an easy eyelet to tie your line to. Start with like 1/4 or 3/8oz unless you have a lot of space.
If you’re in Oregon, dm me and I’m happy to help with some local pointers.
A lot of the lures you have there have hooks on them already so no need to worry about the hooks on those. I do see a on the bottom you have a package of octopus hooks and above it are some snelled hooks. Both of those are good for nightcrawlers with a bobber a foot or two above them.
You also have some very highly regarded and beginner friendly lures in there, if you look all the way to the right you’ll see Panther Martin and Mepps spinners. When you guys get started in the spring I would recommend starting with those. Fisherman use them to catch a wide variety of freshwater fish in both still and moving water (lakes, streams, ponds, rivers). You just cast them out and play around with how fast or slow you reel them back in.
With such a wide variety of lures, do some research on the body of water you plan to fish. Your state dcnr will have information regarding the species of fish that can be found in most of the bodies of water you’ll be fishing in. Within your research, figure out which fish in that body of water are the smallest, and pick a lure that looks similar to that fish. This will give you the best chance of a predatory game fish thinking your lure is food and worth trying to eat.
Some things about using any of the lures you have: when you are fishing, you need to present an easy meal for the fish. If its too difficult for the fish to eat it, they likely will ignore it. A wounded fish is a very easy meal for a larger fish, so when you cast out a lure, take some time to figure out how to make the lure act like a wounded fish. You definitely dont want to make it behave like an Olympic swimmer.
Lastly, the most important part of catching a fish is finding a fish. If you cast in the same spot all day and there isn’t a fish there, you wont catch a fish. The more time you spend on the water the better you’ll get at finding the fish. The best way to find them as a beginner is to ask local fisherman at the bodies of water you fish where they are and how the fish are behaving. Most fisherman would be more than happy to help, especially since you have a little one with you.