fishing is joyouslysimple
and fascinatingly complex. If hooking a panfish on a worm under a bobber doesn’t make you smile, you should go see a doctor. You can also spend your whole life trying to master surf casting for striped bass, and no matter how proficient you become, there will always be more for you learn. The key to becoming a truly great angler is to recognize that the two ends of the spectrum are not mutually exclusive. If you pursue both with the same zeal, the sport of fishing can make it easy for you to avoid boredom throughout your whole life. That’s the goal of this book. The tactics, tips, tackle, and technique give you the tools. It’s up to you
to go out on the water and find your fun. Go for it.
TOOLS
it’s happened a thousand times.
A non-angler walks into my garage, looks around, and says: “Do you really need that many rods to catch fish?” I always answer that question with another question: “Do you play 18 holes of golf with nothing but a putter?” There is no one rod, reel, bait, or lure that will get the job done in every situation. This chapter gives you a solid foundation in which tackle, baits, lures, and flies are necessary for a wide variety of fishing situations. It also helps you better understand how these elements function for angling success, so you know what you need—and why—when you walk into the tackle shop. You’ll also get tips on maintenance because keeping tackle well-tuned
is as important as changing the oil in your car.
1
W
hether you target bass or walleyes, trout or stripers, salt- or freshwater fish,
USE THE ALL-TIME
15 GREATEST LURES
these lures work. Some your granddad fished. Others have earned a reputation for productivity in more recent decades. In any case, these catch fish, time aer time.
KEY
BASS
TROUT
WALLEYE
PANFISH
PIKE/
MUSKIE
SALMON/ STEELHEAD
SALTWATER
MANN’S 1-MINUS This crankbait easily skims the top of barely submerged weedbeds. That’s
oen where the bass live.
REBEL POP-R There are lots of poppers on the market, but this one casts farther than most and
spits water like no other.
CORDELL RED FIN The 7-inch, 1-ounce (18 cm, 28 g)Smoky Joe–color Red Fin is a striper killer in both fresh
and saltwater.
CURLYTAIL GRUB Combined with a plain or painted roundhead jig, these are arguably the most versatile
fishing lures of all time.
RAPALA ORIGINAL FLOATER
Loved by trout, bass, walleyes, and pike alike. Size F11 is great for all species, and black over
silver is a top color.
PANTHER MARTIN A staple from Montana to Maine, these spinners are perfect for picking trout from the pockets of steeply tumbling
mountain creeks.
KASTMASTER Great for its lively, tight wobble on a fairly fast retrieve and a broad shape that resembles a
small freshwater shad.
DARDEVLE SPINNIE Probably the world’s most recognized fishing lure, this spoon is as effective now as it
was a century ago.
JITTERBUG Cast this frog-paern hardbait across a summer cove, then watch it get crushed as it glub-glubs
slowly back.
ROOSTER TAIL For large brown and rainbow trout in bigger rivers and lakes,
this is the hot-ticket lure.
YAMAMOTO SENKO
The fluering action of this so-plastic lure as it falls is amazingly effective for large- and
smallmouth bass.
GIBBS PENCIL POPPER
Cast with heavy surf gear, then reel s-l-o-w-l-y while using your right hand to
whip the rod tip.
PHOEBE One of the all- time great trout spoons. The 1⁄8-ounce (3.5 g) gold version is deadly on small
streams.
SNAG-PROOF FROG
You can throw one of these so-plastic frogs just about anywhere; it won’t get stuck in thick
pads and cover.
MEPPS AGLIA Use a size 0, 1⁄12-ounce (2 g) version with a silver blade to turn big trout in
small and large streams.
2
T
hese crankbaits, so plastics, and jigs—plus some in categories all their own—are
MEET 15
NEW CLASSICS
the hoest baits on bass impoundments, walleye
