The Smart Guide to Freshwater Fishing by Seymour, Mike -- Read -- Imperial Library of Trantor

Index

Cover Title Page Copyright Table of Contents Introduction Part One: Freshwater Fishing

1 First Casts

Time in Nature

Arousing the Senses Viewing Wildlife Watching the Weather, Too Feeling the Emotion

People of All Levels Can Participate

Open to All Skill Levels Why People Fish

Benefits of Fishing

Plain Old Fun Lifetime Activity Exercise Solitude and Camaraderie

2 Acquiring Know-How

Easy Ways to Learn

Observing Conversing Learn by Doing

Learning from the Experts

Experts Surround Us Formal Learning Guides Newspapers and Magazines Books and Brochures Television and CDs Internet

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 Ponds Reservoirs Pits Streams and Rivers

Pay-to-Fish Places Accessing Fishing Waters

Shore Fishing Wading Small Watercrafts of All Types Motorized Boats

4 Gearing Up

Two Standard Fishing Rods

Spinning Rods Bait-Casting Rods

All About Rods

Rod Length Rod Action Rod Weight Purchasing Rods Rod Labels

Fishing Reels

Spinning Reels Bait-Casting Reels Spin-Casting Reels Purchasing a Reel Putting Line on Reels

Fishing Lines

Characteristics of Fishing Lines Types of Line

Terminal Tackle

Hooks Weights Floats Snaps, Swivels, and Leaders

Common Fishing Accessories

5 Handling the Rod and Reel

Setting the drag

Drag Location Drag Tension

Casting

Casting Basics Overhand Cast Sidearm Cast Cross-Body Cast Underhand Cast Accuracy and Distance Casting Practice

6 Fish Senses and Natural Baits

Fish Senses

Vision Lateral Line Hearing, Smell, Taste, and Feel

Natural Baits

Worms Baitfish Crayfish Terrestrial Baits Amphibians Leeches Grubs Salmon Eggs 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

Spinners Plugs Surface Plugs Diving Plugs Soft Plastics Worms, Grubs, Minnows, and Tubes Jigs Jigging Spoons and Blade Baits Spoons

8 Basic Angling Techniques

Bobber Fishing

Keys to Bobber Fishing Advantages of Bobber Fishing Types of Bobbers Bobber Fishing Techniques

Bottom Fishing

Bottom Fishing Techniques

Casting

The Retrieve Casting Jigs Casting Live Bait

Drifting

Free Drifting Controlled Drifting

Trolling

Benefits of Trolling Trolling Variables Flatlining Downriggers Planer Boards and Diving Planers

9 Finding the Fish

A Fish’s Basic Needs

Food Factor Fish Need Cover Preferred Water Temperatures Spawning

Seasonal Influences on Fish Location

Spring Summer Fall Winter

Edges and Structure

Edges Structure

Charts and Electronic Aids

Charts Sonar GPS Temperature Gauges and Underwater Cameras

10 Best Fishing Times

Daily Influences on Fish Activity

Dawn and Dusk Early Morning and Early Evening Midday Night

Seasonal Influences on Fish Activity

Spring Summer Fall Winter

How Weather Impacts Fishing

Wind Rain Storms Clouds and Stable Weather Sun and Moon

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 Losing Fish

Landing the Fish

Rod Landing Hand Landing Net Landing Cradles, Lip Grips, and Gaffs

Unhooking Fish

Removing Treble Hooks

Releasing Fish

Time Matters 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 Filleting Steaking

Freezing Fish Cooking Fish

Frying Baking Broiling Grilling Making Chowder Poaching Smoking

Fish for the Den

Catch-Photograph-Release Mounting Fish

13 Rules, Ethics, Safety, and Health

Regulations Protect Fish

Season Daily Limits Size Limits Special Regulations

Licenses Boating Rules Ethics and Etiquette Safety Health

Cuts Dehydration Frostbite Hypothermia Insect Bites Lightning Motion Sickness Poison Ivy Sunburn

Part Two: Fly-Fishing and Ice Fishing

14 Fly-Fishing

The Allure Anyone Can Fly-Fish Fly-Fishing Rods

Rod Weights Rod Lengths Rod Action

Fly-Fishing Reels

Reel Actions Drag Systems Other Reel Features

Fly Lines

Line Weight Line Shape Floating or Sinking Length and Color Line Care

Leaders and Tippets

Knotless or Knotted Leaders Tippets Leader and Tippet Length

15 Fish-Catching Flies

Flies

Attractor and Imitator Flies Surface and Subsurface Flies Dry Flies Wet Flies Nymphs Streamers and Bucktails Bass Bugs and Terrestrials Fly Sizes Fly Tying

16 Fly Casting

Fly Casting

Learning Sources Practicing

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

False Casting Casting Errors and Their Likely Causes Roll Cast Five More Casts Mending Line 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 Making Holes Jigging Rods and Tip-Ups Ice Fishing Lines Ice Fishing Lures Sleds Shelters Electronics Miscellaneous Gear

Fishing Strategies

Unfamiliar Waters Fish Needs On the Move Seasonal Adjustments

Using Tip-Ups and Jigging Poles

Setting Tip-Ups Jigging Presentations

Common Ice Fishing Species

Lake Trout Stream Trout Northern Pike Walleyes Yellow Perch Black Crappies Bluegills

Part Three: Most Common Freshwater Species

18 The Sunfish Family

The True Sunfish

Bluegills Pumpkinseeds Redear Sunfish Locating Sunfish Best Fishing Times Fishing Strategies

Crappies

Black Crappie White Crappies Locating Crappies Best Fishing Times Fishing Techniques

Black Bass

Largemouth Bass Locating Largemouth Bass Best Fishing Times Fishing Techniques Smallmouth Bass Locating Smallmouth Bass Best Fishing Times Fishing Techniques for Smallmouth Bass Spotted Bass

19 The Catfish Family

Bullheads

Black Bullheads Brown Bullheads Yellow Bullhead

Catfish

Channel Catfish Flathead Catfish White Catfish Blue Catfish

20 The Perch Family

Yellow Perch

Daily and Seasonal Habits Fishing Techniques and Best Fishing Times

Walleyes

Best Fishing Times Fishing Techniques

Saugers

21 The Pike Family

Northern Pike

Seasonal Patterns Fishing for Northern Pike

Muskellunge

Best Fishing Times Fishing Strategies

Chain Pickerel

Fishing for Pickerel

Redfin Pickerel

22 The Trout Family

Trout

Brown Trout Rainbow Trout Steelhead Cutthroat Trout Golden Trout Atlantic Salmon Landlocked Salmon

Char

Brook Trout Lake Trout Arctic Char Dolly Varden Bull Trout

Pacific Salmon

Chinook Salmon Coho Salmon Sockeye Salmon Pink Salmon Chum Salmon

Whitefish

Lake Whitefish Mountain Whitefish

Grayling

American Grayling

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

Temperate Bass Family

Striped Bass White Bass Yellow Bass White Perch

Herring Family

American Shad Hickory Shad Fishing for American and Hickory Shad

Minnow Family

Common Carp

Sturgeon Family

Lake Sturgeon Atlantic Sturgeon White Sturgeon Shovelnose Sturgeon

Afterword: Final Cast Bibliography Back Cover

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