r/FishingForBeginners

So I want to admit something kind of dumb.

When I got into fishing about a month ago I did the thing where I convinced myself I could buy my way to being good. Watched a bunch of videos, everybody had nice rods and boxes full of lures, and I figured that was the barrier. So I dropped more than I want to say on a combo way fancier than any beginner needs, and loaded a tackle box with lures that looked incredible in the package. The crazy paint jobs, a couple of those multi-jointed swimbait things, some hard baits that were like $8 each.

You can probably guess where this is going. I caught nothing for two weeks. Not a bump.

What actually turned it around was borderline embarrassing. I gave up on the expensive stuff out of frustration, tied on a plain hook with a split shot and a worm, and caught a little sunfish in about ten minutes. Then another. And it slowly clicked that the gear was never the problem, it was me. I didn't know how to work any of those fancy lures and I didn't know where the fish were, so all that expensive stuff was just expensive stuff moving through empty water.

Honestly I think a cheap setup in a decent spot beats a nice setup in a dead spot. The rod doesn't find the fish for you, that part's on you, and I was bad at it. A lot of that pricey stuff also has a whole technique behind it that I just didn't have yet. I was basically chucking a $15 lure like it was a worm.

I'm not saying buy junk. The one place cheap actually bit me was line. The bargain mono I started on was all coiled up with memory and cost me a couple fish. But the rod and reel, the cheap combo was totally fine, casts fine, holds a fish fine, and when I inevitably hung it in a tree and broke off I wasn't sick about losing an $8 lure. The stuff that actually started getting me bites didn't cost anything, it was mostly just being in a halfway decent spot and going more often.

Anyway, I know I'm not special here. So what was your version of this? What's the thing you bought early, all excited, that's just sitting in your tackle box now doing absolutely nothing? Kind of want to hear I'm not the only one who fell for it.

So I just bought a fishing license for North Carolina. I have only fished a handful of times with other people who knew what they were doing (I’m mostly clueless). So what fishing gear do I actually need to get started? I’m not looking for a ton of fancy stuff but just good equipment to get out there with. I also don’t know what I want to fish specifically, I don’t really care but I’ll be fishing in nearby river and lakes mostly. Any advice helps!

I’ve got three kids. 7 year old and twin 4 year olds. We took them fishing last weekend and everyone caught a bluegill, except me. I was constantly tying on new hooks and bobbers, hooking on worms, untangling line, unhooking fish, etc.

I’m happy to do all that until my kids can learn to do it themselves, but that also means I won’t be fishing for a few years!

How can I streamline the fishing process with three kids? I need to practice knot tying. Maybe I should make some pre-rigged leaders? I’m going to try taking the reels off their poles and giving each one 3-4 feet of line with a hook.

I know the obvious difference is braid is well... braided, thinner and stronger, but is there any downsides?

I was thinking of swapping over to braid but id like to know if there's any reason to keep using mono

Me and my brother are going fresh water fishing and we are very new, the main question is should I stick one of them fake worm things on the end of a spoon lure,

Thanks

So I've gotten into freshwater fishing lately and loving it! First catch was a massive softshell turtle.

I'm mainly fishing with a sliding bobber (those neon balsawood stick guys) splitshot and Aberdeen hook mainly for panfish. I recently got polarized glasses to cut the glare, but was wondering if there's any tips for the nearly blind anglers out here.

What is the best way to store your plastic baits?

https://preview.redd.it/dqqjl8fn8lbh1.png?width=331&format=png&auto=webp&s=05f34ce62c6fc086e767324224fc590d551345a1

Hello all,

I have recently begun fishing like a week or so ago and i have been going to an angling lake local to me,

I have caught a few carp (Mirror carp and common carp) , but every time i pick the fish up for a photo it freaks out and jumps out my hands back into the lake, is there a correct way to handle fish to prevent this from happening, I tend to hold them with both hands on the bottom of the fish one near the tail and one near the head (if that makes sense)?

I'm just worried in case they flip out and miss the water and hurt themselves,

Any help would be appreciated

Im going to galveston today and i dont have time to buy pyramid sinkers for the beach fishing i have a 7' medium power shakespear tiger and some other lighter rods

since i cant use pyramid sinkers i need alternatives for weights maybe nuts or washers from home depot or something similar any ideas?

Just trying to figure out how some of y’all find places to fish at? I use my state’s conservation website for conservation department managed parks but in speaking with people in the area those parks are barely stocked and have very few fish to catch and are typically overfished. I’ve been skunked out every time I go out.

Just wanting to see if there’s a way to find better fishing spots or if there’s some trick I’m not privy to?