Fishing thread: Wrestling the fish onto shore to save my dickspoon

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > Fishing thread: Wrestling the fish onto shore to save my dickspoon

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Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Welcome to the first fishing thread to hopefully unite the ask/tell fishing thread goons and the take a hike fishing thread goons. Here we talk about fishing in all its varied forms, post pictures of fish we caught, share stories of how we caught a fish that was totally huge but we didn't have a camera on us and show off the dumb dick shaped lures we bought on aliexpress!

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FAQ

I want to start fishing, is it hard?
Fishing is one of those things where you can learn the basics in a few weeks and then spend the rest of your life mastering it. Its a wide ranging sport with tons of variety and lots of little niches that you may come to enjoy!

Is it expensive?
You can start fishing very cheaply by buying a cheap rod and reel combo available at just about any store that sells outdoors equipment, some line (if the combo comes with line, rip it off and replace it with new line) and a few very basic lures. With some luck at a garage sale, flea market or thrift store you can get started even cheaper! From there you can stay super cheap or go off into the wide world of $400 swimbaits. There are options at just about any price point you can imagine and you can catch fish at all of them! Even the goons in this thread run the gamut from garage sale finds to fancy uptown fly fishing rigs with a price tag that even makes my eyes water. Don't worry, nobody is going to look down on you for not having the latest and greatest!

Where should I fish?
Pretty much anywhere you have more than 6" of water and food for them, you'll find fish. Part of the fun is exploring and finding new places, but never be afraid to ask in this thread for recommendations. We have goons from all over and from every kind of background who will be more than happy to talk your ear off about all the places you should be looking for fish.

Whats the best lure/rod/reel/line?
The one that works for your budget, skill level, conditions and local fish. Quite frankly that's the best answer we can give without knowing the conditions where you live and its still quite likely that there is no real "best" option.

Will you make fun of me for making a dumb mistake?
Probably, and then we'll start sharing stories about all the times we made the exact same mistake and trying to one up each other on how dumb we all are. Just about any mistake you can make has been made so unless you somehow manage to start WW3 by fishing, you're fine.
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Lets talk kinds of reels and uses!

This is a spincaster, your most basic kind of reel and is the simplest to use. Literally push a button and cast. Generally seen as a reel for children by the more elitist fishermen you'll run into, but there are plenty of adults that still use them and value them for their simplicity and durability. The can have issues with line management that make them frustrating to use on occasion but still a perfectly good option for a beginning angler. You can run into a quality ceiling pretty quick with new spincasters because of the perception

This is your basic spinning reel. Most of the time this is what people upgrade to from a basic spincaster or start at this point. There are tons of anglers who never stop using a spinning reel because they see no reason to jump into baitcasters. Even the most elitist anglers will have at least one spinning setup. They are still very simple to use but do take slightly more effort to master than a spincaster. You can spend basically any amount you want to a spinning reel and get into some very high dollar finesse reels if that turns out to be your jam. Expect to wind up with this as the recommended starting point from most of the anglers in this thread. These reels do come in different sizes and if you're looking for a basic setup to fish for 1-5lb fish, a 20/2000 or 30/3000 size reel will work best. Use the one that fits your hand best because that is more important than just about anything else.

And here we have masochism and frustration personified. This is an open faced baitcaster in the two most common styles, low profile and round. They tend to be more expensive than the equivalent spinning reel, take a good bit of patience to learn and I don't think even professional anglers could be called an absolute master of this reel. There is a mix of controls on the reel, some automatic and some done with the thumb that all have to come together to make a cast. Messing this up will result in a pile of knotted line around the spool called a birdsnest or backlash. If you see an angler yanking line out of one of these reels while looking annoyed, they just backlashed. Pity them. Now, with that said, why would you ever one to use one of these things? Because you can get a much heavier duty reel in a lighter and smaller package than the equivalent spinning reel and the control you can exert over your cast is second to none. Its also supposed to cast farther than a spinning reel, but results vary by angler. I've been fishing for around 25 years, 10 with baitcasters and I can maybe get 5-10ft more on a long cast. Once you get the hang of it, you can minimize backlashes and its a very satisfying experience but it takes practice to get there.
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Now lets talk about rods. :gay:

Rods are broken down into two main categories, spinning rods and casting rods. Spinning rods can be identified by the large 1st guide (a guide is the hole the line goes through). A casting rod will have a much smaller 1st guide and almost all casting rods have a trigger on the opposite side of the reel seat from your reel.Spincasters and baitcasters go on casting rods, spinning reels go on spinning rods. Simple, right?

Now we get into the more complex stuff: rod action and power.

Lets start with power first.

You generally run from ultralight all the way up to heavy power rods, with them getting thicker at each step. The thicker the rod, the stiffer it is and this generally means you can throw hardier and heavier tackle. This part is simple, but once you throw in rod action, it gets more complicated, so lets talk about rod action.

As you can see, rod action determines how far down the reel you go before it starts to flex. This is a super important thing because that amount of flex determines how you fight a fish and how easy it is to throw a lure. The more flex you have, the easier it is to cast a lighter lure but the less control you have of a fish during a fight. And of course the inverse of this is true. An extra fast rod will give you tons of control during a fight, but will make casting lighter lures more difficult. Now throw in rod power and you can get some interesting effects. A medium heavy slow action may throw a certain lure easier than a medium fast action rod, but the trade off in fish fighting ability is not worth it. This gets complicated really quick when you start trying to specialize, but a good rule of thumb for most fish over 1lb and under 5lbs is that a medium fast action rod for a spinning setup is a good all rounder.
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Common freshwater fish species

Shamelessly lifted from the old OP

quote:

If you write up your favorite species, I�ll add it to this part.

Sunfish
The first fish most anglers catch is this ubiquitous fish. These guys are almost everywhere and bite almost anything. Farm ponds and public lakes are loaded with these guys across the US. A good species to target if you�re just starting out. Look for shallow water with some sort of structure and access to food. Weeds, fallen timber, or places where runoff enters the lake are good places to start.

Catfish
Channel cats live in pretty much every river in the country, and most lakes. They�re aggressive predators and will eat just about anything. Worms and chicken livers are the best baits for these guys. Blue catfish are almost as common and will hit mostly the same baits. Look for moving water that provides access to food near structure such as brush piles, deep holes, or undercut river banks. The outside parts of bends in the river usually have the right combination of current, deep water, and structure. Bait a hook with a nightcrawler and weight it down with a 1-oz weight and throw the rig immediately upstream from such a bend. The best time of day is at dusk and early evening.
Flathead catfish run much bigger but require more advanced tactics.

Largemouth Bass
The most sought after gamefish in North America. This guy is a voracious eater and will aggressively defend his territory. A common tactic is to throw something loud and flashy and trigger a reflex bite rather than a feeding response. Tactics for largemouth are hotly debated and change throughout the year. Since largemouth bass can be territorial and hold on specific structure, they�re a tough species to target from shore, unless you find a good farm pond. Your best bet is from a boat or kayak where you can cover a significant amount of water.

Trout
There are 3 major species of trout in North America, Brown, Brook, and Rainbow. They largely overlap, depending on stocking and conditions. There�s most likely a good trout stream closer to you than you think. Trout like fast-moving cold water. Every trout on the planet will eat an earthworm, no exceptions. You can also use small spinners or flyfishing techniques. Trout can be very selective and require constant adaptation of your technique to consistently catch them. A friend of mine constantly advocates that �Trout don�t live in ugly places.� They�re a joy to catch and even more fun to hike around after.

If someone wants to do a basic primer on common saltwater fish types, I'll include it too.
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Fly Fishing

Shamelessly lifted from the old thread's OP

quote:

A quick word on fly fishing, my favorite type of fishing. Fly fishing uses a heavy floating line to deliver a tiny lure shaped like a little fly to fool trout or other species into biting. I fly fish because it makes me feel more connected to the stream I�m fishing. It a lot easier than it looks. If you want to learn, either ask a friend who fly fishes to show you the basics, or attend a free workshop at your local Bass Pro Shops or other fishing store. It�s easy to learn, but very difficult to teach yourself. If you have any questions, ask away!

BeastOfExmoor posted:
It's pretty difficult to cover a topic as diverse as fishing that varies so much from region to region, so it might be worth adding some regional/species links for sites or forums that people visit and have found helpful.

Here are a few I like:
Washington Lakes - A site specializing in fishing in Washington State. You can look at reports from lakes, rivers or saltwater areas that you fish to get an idea of what others are catching. The forums are actually surprisingly good and have a much lower percentage of idiots than most fishing forums I've been on.
IFish - Decent forum for the Pacific Northwest. Most users seem to be out of Oregon, but the info often works for Washington as well. Much higher percentage of idiots wanting to fight with each other about how declining Salmon/Steelhead numbers are all someone else's fault, but if you get into the subforums for Trout, Kokanee, and Bass there's a ton of good info.
Crappie.com - Great website for Crappie and Panfish fisherman. Easily the best species specific website I've seen.

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Previous fishing threads:
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3757986
https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3480910
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Now lets talk about fish!

Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 20:53 on Jul 18, 2020

# ¿ Jul 18, 2020 09:19

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 01:26

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

DeesGrandpa posted:

Caught some fishies. Got a shitton in a short time south of leadville, some pictured

This lure had em going nuts

Quoting this last post from the previous take a hike thread to say that those are some handsome fish and I do love me a jerkbait. I've got a couple in my box that I really need to be throwing.

# ¿ Jul 18, 2020 09:25

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Blue crabs is also good eats, just you know, avoid eating the body on female blue crabs so you don't die.

# ¿ Jul 21, 2020 03:55

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

I found out about bananas through following some flw angler's youtube channels. They all agreed it was a dumb superstition, but were too scared to go against it.

# ¿ Jul 23, 2020 22:29

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Can anyone recommended a good digital scale that would be easy to carry in the top pocket of a backpack? Durability, accuracy and minimal battery drain while off are the 3 biggest things I care about. A clip instead of a hook is a would be nice.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2020 04:20

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Lol, those reviews do not inspire confidence. "Works good, would buy, 1 star!"

I'm not opposed to spending money to get something that lasts for a while and has consistent results. Experience in the automotive field has taught me that $10 ebay specials ain't it and it would take a strong recommendation from someone that has owned one for a while to make me change that perception.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2020 06:34

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Supposedly pre hurricane is good fishin. I mean you have that incoming rain and low pressure drop that makes fish go batshit feeding.

Edit: This may be the most florida thing I've ever written.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2020 22:45

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

At least for bass if I recall correctly. Usually a high pressure system will shut fishing down for a while and the pressure drop you get before a storm will help to trigger their feeding instincts.

# ¿ Jul 31, 2020 23:41

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

I basically haven't been out this summer since I'm trying to conserve cash and I just flat out don't want to deal with the heat. I've either gotta be up at like 6am or take half a dozen water bottles with me because I will 100% sweat it all out in 4 hours out there.

And of course the whole summer rain every day thing making it so the water is cloudy as heck.

# ¿ Aug 1, 2020 00:53

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

In honor of this modern day Socrates that apok discovered on fishbrain, I give you your new thread title.

# ¿ Aug 2, 2020 15:26

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

I mean yes, in reality you don't want to injure a fish but its also a joke?

# ¿ Aug 2, 2020 17:03

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Harry Potter on Ice posted:

Sorry boss, the joke sucks

I do suck at jokes so this tracks. I'll take suggestions on a new title tho!

# ¿ Aug 2, 2020 20:41

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

That smallmouth is gorgeous. The colors on it are just amazing. :swoon:

# ¿ Aug 3, 2020 20:51

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

prom candy posted:

It was boiling hot for the past month but it finally cooled off just yesterday. Very happy to have cooler temps, especially at night.

The fish have just been lookin so good this trip! Here's another one from the other day:

Anyone have any suggestions for how I can lose fewer ned rigs? This lake is absolutely littered with lay downs and I'm going through 2-3 of them a day. One thought I had was Texas rigging the TRD and using a nail weight but I don't know if that'll work as well. Does anyone make offset hook jig heads? Ned rig has been outstanding for me up here but man it's getting expensive.

Hella jelly of those beautiful bronze fish. Maybe one day I'll get to go after some chunky smallmouth. :swoon:

Maybe try these for weedless ned heads? https://www.tacklewarehouse.com/Owner_Block_Head_Offset_Jighead_4pk/descpage-BLO.html
There's a few other offset ned rig heads out there, but they use a much bigger hook or don't have that proper flat head shape to let the baits stand up.

# ¿ Aug 3, 2020 23:09

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Mzuri posted:

Duck season is fast approaching, so I've been out in my layout boat to scout locations and train my rowing technique. It would be almost criminal to not bring along a rod and some beers and see what's biting.

Nothing, as it turns out, but I was fishing veeeery casually. Doesn't matter much, though - had a couple of wonderful evenings on the bay

I can 100% get behind that level of lazy fishing. :eyepop:

# ¿ Aug 5, 2020 21:53

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

They will also adapt over time to their conditions, so it may also be something in the pond triggering it.

# ¿ Aug 8, 2020 21:08

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Looks perfect to me. :toot:

# ¿ Aug 10, 2020 13:13

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

How are you casting with it? A 10ft rod and a big reel is alotta weight to be slinging around with any regularity and can wear you out pretty quick.

# ¿ Aug 11, 2020 05:13

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

rndmnmbr posted:

You have never properly lure fished until you hook a brand new $20 lure on a snag and lose it on the first cast.

(Join in my pain.)

Try setting it to the side while rerigging rods and then accidentally throwing it away while cleaning. Poor whopper plopper, I had thrown you maybe a dozen times. :saddowns:

# ¿ Aug 12, 2020 00:11

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

drat son, at least nsfw that poo poo.

# ¿ Aug 12, 2020 06:31

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

About 3/4 of the tackle in my boxes came from dicks and tackle warehouse. About the only things that came from somewhere else is most of my 6th sense stuff which came direct from them. Rods are almost all from TW, reels came from a everywhere but TW.

My local tackle places actually have great prices, but to get one with a good bass selection means a 45+ minute drive to get off the coast or dealing with the limited selection at the shop down the road.

# ¿ Aug 14, 2020 10:12

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

rap music posted:

Will I get banned for directly linking to amazon? Let's find out!

Why would anyone do that? :confused:

# ¿ Aug 18, 2020 20:49

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Dik Hz posted:

Hidden referral links for personal profit.

I don't care if a goon makes a buck recommending a product to another goon. Just don't be scummy with it or get mad if they don't use your referral link or whatever? I dunno. Just don't be an rear end in a top hat and we'll all get along.

Now if you could link me to a weather control device on amazon that'd be lovely. I hate fishing when its hot and humid af outside like this and if its not that its thunderstorms. :argh:

# ¿ Aug 19, 2020 00:31

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

LeeMajors posted:

I live in the southeast and I haven't really done any freshwater fishing in like 20 or more years and none at all really since the kiddo came long 4 years ago. My adult life has been saltwater and brack bottom fishing and surf casting and I've got a couple Penn Sargus 4000s and need some recommendations for a lighter action rod (maybe even a reel if the 4000 is too big and it might be) and maybe some starting tackle to target some of the bass in my local freshwater ponds.

Any particularly good SA approved online resources floating around for technique, lure selection, etc? I did a good bit of bass fishing with my dad as a kiddo but thats been a long time and poo poo has really changed.

Tactical bassin is a good source for techniques and stuff to use to target bass at different times of the year, just ignore most of their recommendations of specific brands and units. They tend to the pricier end on alot of their stuff. A better idea of where in the southeast could help since it varies depending on if you're in like the carolinas vs florida.

Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 02:27 on Aug 20, 2020

# ¿ Aug 20, 2020 02:24

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

LeeMajors posted:

Thanks! South Carolina.

Brian latimer also has a bunch of bank fishing videos with him and his son on his youtube channel. He is also in south carolina iirc, but you'll find videos with him all over since he's a pro angler and tours a bunch. He's also refreshingly goofy and owns it which is nice.

For summer time, I'd really stick with the basics like a texas rig with a worm or brush hawg/creature bait, a stick bait (senko, dinger/etc), and possibly a top water bait like a frog.

The saltwater gear will probably be a bit heavy. A mh rod with a 3000 size reel or a medium rod with a 2000/2500 size reel will work much better for throwing freshwater baits. Someone else can comment on light stuff like neds and similar.

# ¿ Aug 21, 2020 02:22

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

While I don't think there are a ton of kayakers in here, the kayak thread has some hobie owners in it.

https://forums.somethingawful.com/showthread.php?threadid=3933069&pagenumber=5&perpage=40

Worth asking there too.

# ¿ Aug 28, 2020 08:02

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

prom candy posted:

How are you gonna fish from a car though

Have you not heard of the wonderful Lada with the ice fishing package that lets you fish through the passenger floorboard?

# ¿ Aug 30, 2020 20:12

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

MacPac posted:

TGO crossover event

Strapped my rod to my trusty gravelbike and did a chill 1 hour ride to catch up with my mom so we could go fishing

I got two fair sized mackrell and a small coalfish?? over three hours of fishing. My mom only snagged the bottom. It was a good day

Sup longdrinks, those are some nice fish you caught.

# ¿ Sep 1, 2020 07:15

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Hey, if it works for you and you can use it better, ain't no shame in it. :toot:

# ¿ Sep 11, 2020 11:05

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

A new 404 sells for $12.99, so you wouldn't be out much either way. Though you can get really weird with it if you want. https://www.zebco.com/bullet-zb3-10-bx3 :getin:

# ¿ Sep 11, 2020 12:09

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Gooch181 posted:

The abu Garcia black max combo is held in pretty high esteem for the price.

This. The black max is still my budget beater/learner setup recommendation. Next step up I would actually say the lews mach combo is a decent choice.

# ¿ Sep 15, 2020 06:22

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

You can put any baitcasting reel on any baitcasting rod. I've got abu, daiwa and lews reels on a different brand's rods because I really do love options that company has and the general feel of their rods.

# ¿ Sep 16, 2020 05:12

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

The revo x is also in that $100 range and I have beat the absolute piss out of my abu reels with no breakage. Just know an abu 30 is closet to other brands 2500 than their 3000.

Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 00:42 on Sep 19, 2020

# ¿ Sep 19, 2020 00:39

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

I've had fishbrain pro for a couple years. Being able to see actual catch locations is amazing for scouting out new fishing spots. It requires a basic knowledge of what your targeted fish species is doing given the season/weather/etc to combine with it, but it is a powerful tool. Just get it when it goes on a deep discount. I nab a year sub around tax return time.

# ¿ Oct 13, 2020 06:18

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

I prefer to go with more conventional knowledge on the habits of the fish I'm targeting. Bass being active at sunup and sun down, knowing when they may be sunning themselves in colder weather, chilling deeper in hot weather, etc.

And it always says my best bite time is like 2am which doesn't work for my fishing spots. :v:

# ¿ Oct 16, 2020 11:45

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

DFW fishin buddies! Sadly I haven't fished any ponds in DFW, but I have fished lake arlington, joe pool, fork, tawakoni and then a handful more lakes out in east texas. I kinda miss 'em. :shobon:

# ¿ Nov 8, 2020 01:46

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Its been a while since I've been back, last trip was 5+ years ago and was caddo, monticello and bob sandlin for 2 weeks. Caddo is gorgeous launching from the state park and heading up the river towards government ditch.

# ¿ Nov 8, 2020 05:06

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Ghostnuke posted:

Anyone have any tips for keeping your line guides from icing over when the water is cold?

Don't go fishing in the frozen shithole of hoth. :v:

# ¿ Nov 18, 2020 02:40

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

You might try pushing a little farther back into pockets with a square bill crankbait. My dad and uncle are on lake fork right now and thats basically the only thing they are having luck with.

Elmnt80 fucked around with this message at 10:23 on Nov 20, 2020

# ¿ Nov 20, 2020 06:57

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# ¿ May 21, 2024 01:26

Elmnt80: Dec 30, 2012

Sickening posted:

I was going to effort post in my reply but I figured it would hurt more than it would help. A drag on a reel is one of the things that doesn't really change much in functional quality the more expensive you go. Thinking about it that much is a waste of time.

Yes and no. For basic chunkin and winding, yeah, it doesn't matter, set it to your line and go nuts. Once you do some fun finesse/lightweight stuff, drag becomes super important and there is 100% a trend towards smoother/less surging as you go up in price point, but even then it's not super complicated. The only other time you really care about drag is if you're chasing big catfish, stripers or playing in the super thick grass mats in florida or similar.

# ¿ Nov 23, 2020 23:48

The Something Awful Forums > Discussion > The Great Outdoors > Fishing thread: Wrestling the fish onto shore to save my dickspoon

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