TABLE OF CONTENTS

PART ONE: Freshwater Fishing

1 First Casts

Arousing the Senses

Viewing Wildlife

Watching the Weather, Too

Feeling the Emotion

People of All Levels Can Participate

Why People Fish

Benefits of Fishing

Plain Old Fun

Lifetime Activity

Solitude and Camaraderie

2 Acquiring Know-How

Easy Ways to Learn

Learn by Doing

Learning from the Experts

Experts Surround Us

Formal Learning

Newspapers and Magazines

Books and Brochures

Television and CDs

3 Getting Started

Important Choices

How Will I Access the Water?

Where Will I Fish?

What Species Will I Pursue?

What Technique Will I Use?

Bodies of Water

Natural Lakes

Streams and Rivers

Pay-to-Fish Places

Accessing Fishing Waters

Shore Fishing

Small Watercrafts of All Types

Motorized Boats

4 Gearing Up

Two Standard Fishing Rods

Spinning Rods

Bait-Casting Rods

Purchasing Rods

Spinning Reels

Bait-Casting Reels

Spin-Casting Reels

Purchasing a Reel

Putting Line on Reels

Characteristics of Fishing Lines

Types of Line

Terminal Tackle

Snaps, Swivels, and Leaders

Common Fishing Accessories

5 Handling the Rod and Reel

Setting the drag

Drag Location

Casting Basics

Overhand Cast

Cross-Body Cast

Underhand Cast

Accuracy and Distance

Casting Practice

6 Fish Senses and Natural Baits

Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Feel

Terrestrial Baits

Preserved Baits

7 Artificial Lures

Shopping Tips for Artificial Lures

The Ten Variables in Artificial Lures

Depth, Action, and Speed

Size, Vibration, and Color

Sound, Texture, Scent, and Shape

Types of Artificial Lures

Surface Plugs

Soft Plastics

Worms, Grubs, Minnows, and Tubes

Jigging Spoons and Blade Baits

8 Basic Angling Techniques

Keys to Bobber Fishing

Advantages of Bobber Fishing

Types of Bobbers

Bobber Fishing Techniques

Bottom Fishing Techniques

Casting Live Bait

Free Drifting

Controlled Drifting

Benefits of Trolling

Trolling Variables

Planer Boards and Diving Planers

9 Finding the Fish

A Fish’s Basic Needs

Fish Need Cover

Preferred Water Temperatures

Seasonal Influences on Fish Location

Edges and Structure

Charts and Electronic Aids

Temperature Gauges and Underwater Cameras

10 Best Fishing Times

Daily Influences on Fish Activity

Dawn and Dusk

Early Morning and Early Evening

Seasonal Influences on Fish Activity

How Weather Impacts Fishing

Clouds and Stable Weather

11 Hooking to Unhooking

Detecting Bites

Sighting Bites

Feeling Bites

Setting the Hook

Hook-setting Variables

Poor Hook-Sets

Hook-Setting Styles

Playing the Fish

Feeling the Fish

Getting Control

Landing the Fish

Cradles, Lip Grips, and Gaffs

Removing Treble Hooks

Reviving and Releasing

12 Fish for the Dinner Table and the Den

Selecting Fish to Keep

Selective Taking

Keeping the Catch Fresh

Cleaning the Catch

Scaling and Gutting

Making Chowder

Fish for the Den

Catch-Photograph-Release

Mounting Fish

13 Rules, Ethics, Safety, and Health

Regulations Protect Fish

Special Regulations

Ethics and Etiquette

Motion Sickness

PART TWO: Fly-Fishing and Ice Fishing

14 Fly-Fishing

Anyone Can Fly-Fish

Fly-Fishing Rods

Fly-Fishing Reels

Other Reel Features

Floating or Sinking

Length and Color

Leaders and Tippets

Knotless or Knotted Leaders

Leader and Tippet Length

15 Fish-Catching Flies

Attractor and Imitator Flies

Surface and Subsurface Flies

Streamers and Bucktails

Bass Bugs and Terrestrials

16 Fly Casting

Learning Sources

The Overhead Cast

Step One: The Starting Position

Step Two: The Back Cast

Step Three: The Pause

Step Four: The Forward Cast

Step Five: The Presentation

Casting Errors and Their Likely Causes

Five More Casts

Retrieving Line

Reading the Water

Primer for Reading Water

Reading Trout Streams

Fly-Fishing Accessories

17 Ice Fishing

Attraction of Ice Fishing

Safety on the Ice

Ice Conditions

Safety Accessories

Comfort on the Ice

Ice Fishing Gear

Gear Options Vary

Jigging Rods and Tip-Ups

Ice Fishing Lines

Ice Fishing Lures

Miscellaneous Gear

Fishing Strategies

Unfamiliar Waters

Seasonal Adjustments

Using Tip-Ups and Jigging Poles

Setting Tip-Ups

Jigging Presentations

Common Ice Fishing Species

Northern Pike

Black Crappies

PART THREE: Most Common Freshwater Species

18 The Sunfish Family

The True Sunfish

Redear Sunfish

Locating Sunfish

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Strategies

Black Crappie

White Crappies

Locating Crappies

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Techniques

Largemouth Bass

Locating Largemouth Bass

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Techniques

Smallmouth Bass

Locating Smallmouth Bass

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass

19 The Catfish Family

Black Bullheads

Brown Bullheads

Yellow Bullhead

Channel Catfish

Flathead Catfish

White Catfish

20 The Perch Family

Daily and Seasonal Habits

Fishing Techniques and Best Fishing Times

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Techniques

21 The Pike Family

Seasonal Patterns

Fishing for Northern Pike

Best Fishing Times

Fishing Strategies

Fishing for Pickerel

Redfin Pickerel

22 The Trout Family

Rainbow Trout

Cutthroat Trout

Atlantic Salmon

Landlocked Salmon

Chinook Salmon

Sockeye Salmon

Lake Whitefish

Mountain Whitefish

American Grayling

23 The Temperate Bass, Herring, Minnow, and Sturgeon Families

Temperate Bass Family

American Shad

Fishing for American and Hickory Shad

Sturgeon Family

Lake Sturgeon

Atlantic Sturgeon

White Sturgeon

Shovelnose Sturgeon

Afterword: Final Cast

Bibliography