It is always important to have all your equipment ready before you go freshwater fishing. The factors that will affect your preparedness include your target fish as well as the tactics you will use in catching them.
This article is going to teach you the most basic set up that you may undertake; and that is of the fishing rod. It may seem a little bit too simple but if you mess up in setting the fishing rod, then you may have the hardest time catching your target fish. The set up we will give you has proven to be very effective over the years for catching fish.
Fishing off the bottom
As the name suggests, this cheap fishing rod is designed such that you can easily fish off the bottom of the water body. There always comes a time when the fish prefer staying closer to the bottom than to the top. The periods when the fish stay closer to the bottom include: when the air or water is cooler than normal, during daylight, winter (season) and so on.
Cast and retrieving fishing set up
This set up is mostly used if your target fish reside from the upper to the middle sections of the water. You will constantly cast and retrieve your lure, which would probably be plastic or metallic.
The swivel
It connects the main line to the leader line and removes any twists on the line. It helps prevent the floater from sliding to the bait. You can also use it to determine the depth of your set up.
Neutral Buoyant Float
This float gives you the option of adding water into the float so as to alter the depth according to your preference. You get to decide how deep you want your bait to sit.
Blade/spoon
This bait will be a decoy for a bait fish.
Suspended float fishing set up
In this set up, you can set your bait at a depth depending on the distance between the float and the hook. You can therefore aim for the fish located closer to the top and mid sections of the lake.
Bobber
The bobbers ensure that the bait is suspended closer to the surface or mid section of the lake. You can also use them to know when the fish has taken a bite of the bait, since it will make sudden movements.
Hook
The hook you use should always conform to the local legislation. You should also use the hooks which always result in the death of the fish which you may have accidentally caught or do not desire.
Split shots
These are small weights located on the fishing line. They are circular in shape and have small gaps that can open up the weights. You can also use these gaps to close the weight onto the line.
The lure
The bait can be worms, shrimp and artificial items and so on. The experts recommend that you use live, moving bait in freshwater fishing. This is because moving baits tend to attract moving targets as well. Note that there are regulations that govern the use of live baits, so ensure that you comply with them.
In conclusion
Now that you have learnt how to set up a fishing rod, you can go ahead and enjoy your fishing adventure. Keep in mind that not all days will be successes and you may end up going home empty handed. It is also important that you respect and comply with all the local fishing regulations, even if you disagree with some of them.