The Beginner Fisherman/woman

August is National Fishing Month. Every year 55 million people take part in this activity, making it an 11 billion dollar industry. 57,180 businesses rely on fishing to earn a living to support their families. There are many reasons people enjoy fishing, from spending quality time with the kids to catching a delicious dinner for the evening. It’s an activity that is enjoyed by many as young as six-years-old. Here are some tips to help you get ready for your first fishing trip.

What Fish Are You Catching?

The type of fish you are planning on catching decides many factors for what you pack, including the type of equipment you’ll be using. They designed rods and lures with a certain type of fish in mind, and even the bait you bring needs to be based on this decision. For a beginner, the best, and most commonly, sought-after fish would be bass. This is because the fish is so widely available, and it’s the easiest to catch. To pull them in, you’ll need a spinning rod and reel set with 8-pound fishing line. You’ll need a special type of lure that resembles a small fish or minnow called crankbait. Big, wiggly worms are a delicious treat to bass, so grab a couple of containers or bring a small towel to dig up your own.

Get Your License

In all fifty states, it is a legal requirement, depending on your age, to get a fishing license before your trip. The fees for this type of license vary depending on the state you live in and can be purchased at the same store where you purchase the equipment at. As of 2021, there are 29 million licensed fishers in the US. The reason behind this process is to help with environmental conservation by protecting aquatic habitats and enhancing water quality. They restrict how much of a certain type of fish you can catch to prevent overfishing or killing off a species that the ecosystem depends on to thrive. Some species need protection more than others and have a small window (called season) on when you can catch them. So, when getting your license, bring this up to the worker processing the paperwork to make sure you can legally catch that fish.

Packing Your Tackle Box

You are going to need a lot of little things for your fishing trip. The next step would be to put together a tackle box to carry all your tools in. This is another reason you need to know what fish to catch because you don’t want to bring the wrong supplies. There are some basic core items you need to bring that is required, no matter what fish you are going for. Such supplies include:

• Extra fishing line
• Hooks
• Bobbers
• Sinkers
• Pocket knife (for when you get a snag)
• Fishing, or Needle-Nose, Pliers (to remove hooks from your fish)
• Fish Stinger (to hang fish from it when you forget an extra cooler)

Dress For The Weather

Fishing is an all-day, sunrise to sunset, event. More than likely, you’ll be out in the middle of nowhere, sometimes in a body of water, so returning home would be very unlikely. Before you head out, make sure you have supplies on hand to face a variety of conditions. If the forecasts call for sunny skies, pack a wide brim hat, sunglasses, and sunscreen with an SPF 30. For a rainy forecast, make sure you bring a poncho. If muggy out, expect mosquitoes and ticks to attack, and bring a good quality bug repellant to keep them from eating you alive. If ice fishing expects negative temperatures, so bundle up with jackets, gloves, wool socks, and a lot of hand/feet warmers.

The Positive Impact on Your Health

Going fishing does more for your overall health than you may realize. Getting to the best spots requires a bit of a hike, which provides you with good cardiovascular health. Breathing in the fresh air can help improve lung functions, and lowers your risk of pulmonary diseases like asthma. To cast a rod requires good core strength, and doing so on a boat requires excellent balance skills. The sun is a significant source of Vitamin D and serotonin for the body. High serotonin levels can lower the risk of depression and other mental health illnesses. As I mentioned earlier, fishing is an all-day activity, so it takes great patience to sit around and wait for a bite.