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What Equipment Do I Need to Go Fishing?

Fishing is a great way to spend a day. Fishing gets you involved with nature. There's neat stuff to pick at and play with along the bank and in the water. Lots of people want to fish but don't know how. One of the joys of fishing is that it can be fun and productive at any skill level. You can complicate the sport with jargon and sophisticated equipment - and you may as you keep fishing - but the whole sport can be pared down to some basic equipment and techniques.

Rod & Reel

A fishing rod and reel is a purchase that will serve you over and over again. You can outfit yourself for fishing for anywhere from $10 to $50, depending on the quality of the equipment you choose.

We're going to be spin fishing, as opposed to flyfishing or baitcasting. In spin fishing, the reel lays line around a fixed spool, the way you might wind thread on a spool. The spool end points toward the guides on the rod, and line falls off it in loops when you cast.

Spin fishing reels are of two types (don't get scared; this is easy): closed face and open face. The closed face reel has a cap with a hole in it over the top of the spool. On the open face reel, you can see the entire spool and the line wound on it.

Closed face reels have either a push button or a lever that, when depressed, allows line to fall off the spool. Open face reels have a semicircular metal device known as a bail, which guides line onto the spool when closed and allows line to be released when open.

You'll want a good all-round rod-and-reel combination to start with - something that will let you catch fish of all sizes. Look for or, better, ask the clerk for a medium-light rod from 5 1/2 to 6 1/2 feet long and a matching reel that will handle lines from 4-pound test to 12-pound test. (The "pound test" tells you how strong the line is.) Medium-light tackle is sufficient for fishing ponds and small lakes and rivers, even trout parks.

Line

Start with 8-pound test monofilament line. People sometimes use lighter line to cast farther or to get more bites from skittish fish or heavier lines to pull out of snags, but 8-pound test line is a good compromise for most fish. Choose clear, light blue or green line for your starting outfit.

Check your reel or the instructions that came with it to determine how much 8-pound-test line it will hold. Usually a 100-yard spool is large enough to fill a medium-light reel. Follow the instructions that come with your reel and line before filling. The reel is full when the wrapped line is about 1/16 of an inch from the outside edge of the spool. Don't allow knots in your line, except at the end. Knots both weaken line and make it difficult to cast.

Fishing Gear

Sporting goods departments and bait shops often stock mind-boggling inventories of equipment and accessories. They offer artificial baits in every color and size. Plus you'll encounter a whirlwind of bugs, bobbers, sinkers, hooks and swivels. Don't be misled or cowed; you don't need a garageful of equipment to go fishing. In fact, the following basic items will equip you nicely for your first outings.

Shopping List:

Other useful items:

Catch and Release

Fish should never be wasted. If you catch a fish that is under the legal or minimum size that you do not want to keep, release it quickly. If possible, keep the fish in the water and handle it carefully, pushing the hook back through the lip. If the fish has swallowed the hook, do not tear the hook out. Simply cut the line as close to the mouth as possible. You can revive a fish by gently moving it back and forth in the water so that water runs through its gills. When it begins to struggle and can swim normally, let it go.

Good luck and good fishing!

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