Оглавление
Greg Schwipps. Fishing For Dummies
Fishing For Dummies® To view this book's Cheat Sheet, simply go to www.dummies.com and search for “Fishing For Dummies Cheat Sheet” in the Search box. Table of Contents
List of Tables
List of Illustrations
Guide
Pages
Introduction
About This Book
Foolish Assumptions
Icons Used in This Book
Beyond the Book
Where to Go from Here
Before the Bite
Getting Hooked on Fishing
Why Fish?
For the outdoors
For the enjoyment
For the table
Where Should You Fish?
Fishing freshwater
Fishing saltwater
What Are You Fishing For?
Common freshwater catches
Common saltwater catches
What Do You Need to Fish?
Picking up fishing essentials
Adding to your angling arsenal
How Do You Fish?
Casting around: Basic and fly
Finding freshwater fish
FINDING A FISHING MENTOR
Basic techniques for saltwater fishing
Fish On! Now What?
It’s not hunting: You can release fish
But fish taste great, and you can keep a few, too
Gathering What You Need to Fish
Dressing for Fishing Success
Wear layers and always be happy
Pack your foul-weather bag
Pick a good hat
Pull on waders to wander into the fish’s world
DUCT TAPE, THE WADER WONDER
Vests: Great for wading
Carrying Just What You Need to Fish
Start with your rod and reel
Pick a tackle carrier and load up
Don’t forget food and drink for yourself
Tucking Your Fishing License in a Safe Spot
When you need a license
Where to buy fishing licenses
Finding Good Fishing Water
Knowing Where to Go
Fish the one you’re with: Finding fishing water close to home
INVESTIGATING FISHING WATERS ON GOOGLE EARTH
Finding fish when you’re on the road
Getting the Scoop
From bait shops
From online forums
From guides
From YouTube celebrities
When no one knows: Walk the bank
Evaluating Freshwater Sites
Ponds
Who’s home?
How to fish the water
Streams and rivers (big and small)
Who’s home?
How to fish the water
Lakes and reservoirs
Who’s home?
UNDEREXPLORED HOTSPOTS
How to fish the water
Where NOT to fish
Evaluating Saltwater Sites
Tidal inlets, marshes, streams, and bays
Who’s home?
How to fish the water
Surf fishing
Who’s home?
How to fish the water
Fishing piers
Who’s home?
How to fish it
Finding the Right Time to Fish
Watching the Weather
Planning a trip around the weather
Reacting to changing weather while fishing
Putting a Face on the Fins: Common Freshwater Fish
Sunfish
Bluegills: America’s spunky little sweetheart
Crappies: A little bigger, and a bit sportier
Largemouth bass: The most important gamefish in America
Smallmouth: The gamest fish
A TRUE FISH TALE
HOW TO PICK UP A BASS
Catfish
Blue catfish: King of the big water
Flathead catfish: Denizens of the deep lair
Channel catfish: Prince of the pond
Bullhead catfish: Tough as they come
Perch
Walleye: Popular like a largemouth, toothy like a pike
Yellow perch: Food for everyone
Pike
Northern pike: Water wolf
Chain pickerel: Pike junior
Temperate Bass
Striped bass: Strong enough for saltwater, happy in freshwater
White bass: Little fighters
Wipers: A bit of both
Carp
Trout
Rainbow trout: High jumpers
WHO WAS IZAAK WALTON ANYWAY?
Brown trout: The champ of the stream
Brook trout: Sentimental favorites
STEELHEAD: A SALTY RAINBOW
The cutthroat: Yellowstone beauty
Lake trout: Big macks
Pacific salmon: Not just in the Pacific anymore
Atlantic salmon: The leaper
Familiarizing Yourself with Common Saltwater Fish
Bluefish
Flatfish
Winter flounder: Another snowbird
Fluke: Mr. Dependable
Halibut: Like catching a doormat that fights back
Drum
Spotted seatrout (a.k.a. specks)
Weakfish: Not a weakling
Red drum: For cooks and anglers alike
PUFFING FOR REDS
Temperate Bass: Stripers
Cod
Grouper
Snapper
Bonefish
Snook
Tarpon
Sharks
Tuna
Billfish Family
Staying Safe on or near the Water
Planning Ahead for Your Trip
Water, Water Everywhere: Bringing Food and Drink
Dehydration hurts
Alcohol kills
Don’t forget the bait for yourself
Serious Safety: First Aid Kits and Sun Protection
Making your own kit
WHY POLARIZED SUNGLASSES MAKE A DIFFERENCE
The sun is a fair-weather friend (sort of)
Safe Wading
Why you need a staff
Handling the occasional mishap
Danger Amplified: Boating Safety
It starts with life jackets
Your call, Captain
Gearing Up Without Going Overboard
Matching the Rod and Reel
Getting a Handle on Fishing Rod Basics
The writing on the rod
How slow can you go?
Catching Up with Reels
It’s a drag, but it works
The writing on the reel
Classic Beginnings: Spincast Gear
Advantages and disadvantages of spincast gear
Considering a rod and reel combo, or striking out on your own
If you’re limited to just one
So Smooth: Spinning Gear
Advantages and disadvantages of spinning gear
SURFCASTING WITH A SPINNING ROD
Spinning rods: What makes them different
If you’re limited to just one
BREAKING DOWN ANY ROD
Baitcasting Gear: Complicated, but Worth It
Advantages and disadvantages of baitcasting gear
Baitcasting rods: Time to specialize
If you’re limited to just one
Fly-Fishing Gear: Artful and Effective
Fly rods: Choosing the right one
Small streams, small rods
Fast rods for most trout
Slowing down for bass and saltwater
The Bottom Line on Line
Getting to Know the Three Kinds of Line
Monofilament: Best for beginners
Braid: For those who don’t like to stretch
Fluorocarbon: For serious anglers
Buying Line 101
Information to get before you leave home
Factors to consider when you’re at the shop
Test
Thickness
Flexibility
Stretch
Visibility
WORKING OUT THE KINKS
Spooling Up: Attaching Line to a Reel
Caring for Your New Line and Knowing When to Let It Go
Protecting your line from wear and tear
Saying goodbye to old line
Fly Lines
Is weight good or bad?
Does color count?
Taper tips
Sink or swim
Threading your fly line
Looking at leaders
Matching your leader to your fly
Deciding what tippet to tie
It’s Terminal (Tackle): Hooks, Sinkers, Snaps, Swivels, and Floats
Hooks: What They Do and Why They Matter
Keeping a range of hooks
Making a point
J hooks: Some things never change
Setting the hook with J hooks
Keeping J hooks organized
Circle hooks: From saltwater to freshwater
Setting the hook with circle hooks
Using rod holders for circle hooks
Dehooking yourself
Sinkers: When You Need a Little More Weight
Selecting the right range of sinkers
Storing your sinkers
Adding On Swivels and Snaps
Floats and Bobbers: When You Need to Lighten Up
Going Ahab: Fishing from Boats
Taking Advantage of Boat Fishing
More casting angles
Fishing places shore-bound anglers can’t reach
Finding bluer water: Humps, points, and channels
Choosing a Boat That’s Right for the Way You Fish
Great non-motorized boats for fishing
Rowboats
Canoes
Float tubes and kick boats
Kayaks
Ideal motorized boats for fishing
Jonboats
Bass boats
Pontoons
Deep-Vs
Bay boats
Center consoles
Considering the Costs of Watercraft
Licensing, plating, and fees
Upkeep, storage, and maintenance
Trailering
21st Century Tech: What’s New and What’s Necessary
Fish Finders: Can They Really Find Fish?
How fish finders work
Do you really need a fish finder?
Where to find fish finders
GPS Units: Finding Yourself
Waypoint fever
Updating your maps
Trolling Motors: Quiet Power for Boats
Pairing the trolling motor to your fish finder
Mounting a trolling motor
Underwater Cameras: Seeing Is Believing
What you can learn by viewing
What cameras can’t do for you
Anchormates, Lightning Detectors, and What’s Coming Next
GADGETS, NOT GIMMICKS: TRINKETS TO AVOID
The End of Your Line: Enticing Fish with Bait, Lures, and Flies
Real Food for Real Fish: Using Bait
Assessing Your Bait Options
Gathering and Keeping Bait
Support your local bait shop
Forget your checkbook: Gathering free bait
Grocery store baits
Storing and transporting bait
Common Natural Freshwater Baits
Nightcrawlers: Great bait by the dozen
Get him! Grabbing nightcrawlers
Hooking a nightcrawler
Minnows and other baitfish: Little fish catch big fish
Where to get minnows
RATTLIN’ WORMS, CAJUN-STYLE
Hooking a small baitfish
Grasshoppers and crickets: Hopping good bait
Leeches suck, but fish like them
Salmon eggs
Common Natural Saltwater Baits
Clams and mussels on the half-shell
Marine worms: Salty nightcrawlers
Bunker: Bait school
Squid: Easy and effective
Shrimp and crabs: Fish like them, too
Mullet: More than a hairstyle
Ballyhoo: Funny but effective
Eels: The ultimate slime
Why You Can’t Take It with You: Disposing of Leftover Bait
It Only Looks Alive: Tricking Fish with Lures
Picking Perfect Plugs
Popping and chugging plugs: Designed for surface explosions
Wobblers and propbaits: A steady retrieve should do it
Stickbaits: For fetching a fish
Floating/diving plugs: Classics that work, even for beginners
IF PETER HAD ONLY ONE LURE
Deep divers: Good for hitting the bottom
Spoons: Heavy Metal Time
THE CHAMP CAME FROM DETROIT
Spinners: Easy to Fish, Hard to Miss
Spinnerbaits: The Masters of Bass
Jigs: More Than a Weighted Hook
Soft Baits: Plastic Worms and Beyond
Narrowing Your Lure Options by Asking Some Key Questions
How deep does the lure run?
Where’s the action?
How fast is the lure designed to move through the water?
How big should the lure be?
Does the lure raise a ruckus?
Does a lure’s color count?
Does this lure match my gear?
Do taste and smell matter?
Fish Don’t Fly, But Flies Catch Fish
Taking a Look at Where the Fly in Fly Fishing Came From
Immature little buggers: The nymph phase
Time to shed some skin: The emerger phase
All grown up: The dun phase
Ready to mate: The spinner phase
Figuring Out Which Fly to Use
Opting for the dry fly
Discovering when you may want a wet fly
Going the nymph route
Picking the meatier streamer fly
Choosing the caddisfly
LOOK AT THE WATER
Getting bigger with stoneflies
USUALLY JUST A BASS THING: POPPING BUGS
Extra: Terrestrials
A Rundown of Flies That Work Everywhere
The Ausable Wulff
Clouser Minnow
The Compara-dun
Dave’s Hopper
Elk Hair Caddis
Gold Ribbed Hare’s Ear
Griffith’s Gnat
The Muddler Minnow
The Variant
The Wooly Bugger
Now You’re Fishing
Tying Popular Fishing Knots and Rigs
The Knots You Need
The Arbor knot: Getting the line tied to the reel
The Trilene knot: Connecting your line to hook (and about anything else)
The Palomar knot: An easy classic
The Blood knot: For joining two lines of similar size
WILL SNAPS SAVE YOU FROM KNOT-TYING?
The Albright: Joining a thicker line to a thinner line
Snelling: How to Attach a Hook to Your Line
Using the Right Rig to Present Your Offering
Rigging most soft plastic baits: Texas versus Carolina style
Rigging jigs
Livebait Rigs: For Presenting Bait in Any Situation
Fixed-float rigs: Classic bobber presentations
Slip-floating away: How to fish a float at any depth
Bottom rigs: Waiting out a bite
River rig: For anything current
Drift fishing with bottom rigs
Choreographing Your Cast
Casting Spincast Gear: Great for Beginners
Push-button reels: Casting made easy
Mastering the basics of the overhead cast
Casting Spinning Gear: A Little More Difficult, a Lot Smoother
Preparing to cast
A nice, smooth delivery: Perfecting the overhead spinning cast
Trick shots: The sidearm spinning cast
Mastering (Sort of) Baitcasting Techniques
Setting the reel (and using your thumb) to cast better
Casting overhead with a baitcaster
Flycasting: The Beauty of Presenting Flies
Striving for the oneness of rod and line
The forward (and sometimes sidearm) cast
Figuring out what you did wrong
THE STRIPPING BASKET
Caster of Disaster: How to Handle Snags and Snarls
Exploring Different Fishing Techniques
Stillfishing (After All These Years)
Bottom rigs: Waiting out the fish
Floating away
Casting About for Fish
Covering water and taking fish
Matching your retrieve to the conditions
Fishing Calm (Nonflowing) Water
Working the banks: A deliberate approach
Fan casting: Covering the bases
The exception to the rule: Fishing windy days
Fishing Flowing Water
Casting upriver, retrieving downriver
Floats: Meals delivered to a fish’s door
River rigs: This is where they shine
Other Fishing Techniques
Jigging
Night fishing
Drifting and trolling
Making the Most of the Latest Technology
Finding places to fish
Using tech on the water
Matching Terminal Tackle, Lure, and Techniques to the Fish You're After
Popular freshwater fish
Popular saltwater fish
The Fun Part: How to Hook, Fight, Land, and Release a Fish
Finally! How to Handle a Fish Strike
Starting out in the right (positive) frame of mind
Setting the hook with J hooks
Setting the hook with circle hooks
Fighting a Fish the Right Way
Savoring the most enjoyable part of fishing
Letting the rod, reel, and line help you
Pulling up and then reeling down
Getting the fish pointed up
Using current if it’s there
Reacting when the fish jumps
Handling a snagged fish
Knowing how long to play a fish
Landing, Netting, and Gaffing Fish
The right way to use a landing net
What about a gaff?
When It’s Time to Say Goodbye: Releasing Fish
Taking quick action after landing a fish
Reviving an exhausted fish
After the Catch
Photographing and Preserving Fish for Posterity
CPR: It’s about Preservation, Not Resuscitation
Hurry Up and Take Your Time: Photographing Fish
Digital cameras: Perfect fishing partners
Tricks for capturing the best fish photo
Light it up
Working with live subjects … or not
Look out behind you! The background matters
Hold ’em high: Posing fish for photographs
Lights, camera, action! No, really, provide action!
Taking measurements for bragging rights
Come On, Everyone’s Doing It: Making a Fish Video
YouTube, here you come
Things to consider before becoming a videographer
You Want This Fish Forever: One for the Wall
Caution: Taxidermist at work
Know the laws: Keeping fish
Hey, look what followed me home: Taking fish on the road
Fiberglass replicas: A win-win alternative
Cleaning Fish for the Table
Taking Quick Action to Preserve Taste and Texture
Being a good executioner
Storing and transporting so your fish stay fresh
Cleaning: A Good Meal Starts with the First Cut
Scaling
Gutting
SKINNING CATFISH
Filleting
Cutting steaks
Freezing to Avoid an Oily, Fishy Taste
Biting Back: Cooking and Eating Fish
Is It Done Yet?
How long do I cook my fish?
Marinate with caution
Fearless Frying
Poaching Allowed
Firing Up the Grill
More Favorite Fish Recipes
The Part of Tens
Ten Fishing Lessons You Don’t Have to Learn the Hard Way
Avoid Making Bad Vibes
Know Gimmick Lures When You See Them
Cast No Shadow
Choose Clothing That Blends In
Reuse Home Items
Pick a Bait Cooler
Seek Out Advice
Keep a Fishing Journal
Be Open to Multispecies Angling
Take Someone Along for the Trip
Ten Fun Ways to Get Kids Fishing
Plan (and Pack) for Success, not Failure
Tap into Bluegill Mania
Make Bait Fun
Get Gear That Works
Burn Up a Spinner
Canoe or Kayak into the Local Wilderness
Chum Up Carp
Try Fish Camping
Crank Up Tourney Time
Go Night Fishing
Index. A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
Y
Z
About the Authors
Dedication
Author's Acknowledgments
WILEY END USER LICENSE AGREEMENT
