How to catch fish

Typically, Catching fish is easy once you learn where fish are located

Fishing is fun if you catch fish.  If you don't, you won't like it.  There is nothing mystical about catching fish.  Basically, you have to put your hook with the right bait where fish that are willing to take it hang out.  First time fishers can catch as many or more fish as the veteran.  That's because everyone has an equal chance of catching a fish...that's typically called luck.

Most people tell you that you have to be patient to catch fish.  Forget it!  A successful fisherman is pretty active and has to control their impatience.  That means knowing the habits and locations where you find fish.

Locating fish is the key.  The most important requirement for catching fish is knowing where they hang out.  That requires that you either are able to see them or get someone to tell you where the fish are in the body of water that you plan to fish.  Talk to fishermen, read fishing reports, go to a tackle shop or consult with a guide.  After a while with time spent researching, try to locate them yourself. With time you will develop a knack for identifying locations on your own. 

Know the fish you seek.  Always stack the odds in your favor by knowing the species of fish you plan to catch.  That way you can determine the bait and method to use.  Given the right conditions, the location of fish species can be predicted. They are there because they have to meet certain requirements to survive.  Their habitat has to have an abundant amount of suitable food, shelter, oxygen, and water.  If not, they go looking for it, so don't look in the wrong place.

Although water is a requirement for fish to live, other factors determine where game fish lurk.  For example, in October and November when cold fronts make there way to the coastal waters of the Laguna Madre, flounder tend to come off the flats and move out into deeper channels. Typically, we would find these flatfish scattered in shallow sandy areas.   But, it gets too cold for them in the skinnier water.  During these times, they congregate in large numbers along the deeper cuts and channels near the flats.  At other time of the year, you would catch them only occasionally in deeper water.

Redfish and seatrout have to meet their living requirements too and fishermen can predict where they are likely to be.  Like the flounder, they have to maintain their body temperature.  Redfish are found in shallower water than seatrout.  However,during cold mornings,redfish spend there time in deeper water or dark sandy bottom that maintains heat.  If the day warms up, they move back to the shallower water to feed.  The shallow water also tends to warm up faster than deeper water.

Aside from temperature, the availability of food determines where fish will be found.  A quick look at a body of water may indicate the location of predatory fish.  If you see bait mingling or birds feeding in a concentrated area, you can be pretty certain that larger fish are also taking advantage of a meal.  Seatrout and redfish during the summer months find plenty of food on the drop offs along the Intercoastal Waterway.  You'll find dozens of boats anchored along the edge and fishermen throwing lures and bait early in the morning or late in the evening.

A more complicated factor is shelter.  In freshwater predatory fish sometimes will use lily pads, branches, and tree stumps as ambush sites.  Both bait and small predatory fish use shelter to conceal themselves from larger predators.  Knowing this, fishermen look for places that provide structures that hold fish and adjust their tackle when the need arises.  Saltwater fish also are attracted by cover.  Sheepshead and snook are often found near pilings and docks.

Good year-round fishing locations are Adolph Thomae, Jr. County Park, Isla Blanca Park, Port of Brownsville boat ramp, and many public and private peers on South Padre Island and Port Isabel.  Check with guides and fisherman for other promising areas that hold fish.

The purpose of this section is to learn to catch fish using traditional methods and gear.  Technicality and using different methods come later. 

Fishing Tackle

Knowing what tackle you need is part of what makes any angler successful.  The basic set up for fishing includes a pole, reel, line, hook, and a few other essentials.  Most of us can catch fish with this simple set up.  With all of the choices, its sometimes difficult to decide what outfit to buy.  The usual tendency is to buy the biggest outfit you can afford.  This is not the best choice.

ROD AND REEL

There are many different types of rod/reel combinations, lines, and accessories.  Recently, John Merwin reviewed the little Barbie outfits in the May 2005 issue of Field and Stream.  He and his friends confirmed that you can catch fish with even the most basic outfit.

First let's face it, any sport can be expensive, but you don't have to start out that way.  There are advantages to inexpensive fishing outfits.  First, if you don't like the sport, you can pass on the equipment to someone else and not feel the need to ask for anything in return.  Or, you can store it and let it take up space.  You know that you won't feel bad because you didn't spend a considerable amount of your paycheck.

Let's say that you have 20-40 bucks to spend.  Most discount stores have what you need.  I started out with a fiberglass rod and my mother's bait-casting reel.  In those days, fishing was a family event.  Everyone packed up in to the truck and road down farm roads to get to Port Isabel or Boca Chica beach.  My first fish on that rod and reel outfit was a flounder.  That fish hooked me on fishing for life.  I was always longing to use this outfit because I couldn't use it unless my mother was around.  My father and uncle were out catching tarpon on huge spinning outfits and I knew one day I would have a big rig like them.

Every youngster wants a rod and reel of their own.  When I could afford it, I bought a Zebco 202 spin cast outfit.  They still make these outfits today.  A 202 reel is just over $7 and an outfit is under $20.  The chart below gives you an idea of other reels from Zebco that also work.  There are even saltwater versions that inhibit the corrosive action of marine environments, but you pay more.  As long as you wash them thoroughly they work fine.

TABLE OF ZEBCO SPECIFICATIONS

I have an income now so today spending $100-200+ for a reel isn't out of the question and a fast action graphite rod adds up another $100-500+.  As life has taken me through the angling stages, I have collected quite a number of rods and reels.  Let nature take its course.  It really doesn't matter how much a rod and reel costs to catch fish.

This much I know...a child with inexpensive gear can out-fish me on most weekends.  For that matter, although most won't admit it, most of the time, expensive gear gets out-fished along many docks, piers, and jetties.  The real difference is going to be the durability of the equipment and ability to fight those relatively out of class fish.  The drag system on inexpensive gear is not smooth and the possibility of an unwanted tangle will break the line and lose the fish.  However, as long as the fish is reasonably sized this doesn't really matter.  Remember that even inexpensive gear will last  a long time with reasonable care.

LINE

One way to compensate for the lack of quality gear is to have quality line and terminal tackle.  Replace the cheap line that comes in most reels with good quality line.  A good quality line doesn't have a whole lot of line memory.  If you take out about 6 feet of line you will often see the line spiral into tight circlesbefore the line is stretched.  Berkley and Stren make good quality lines.  Replace the line every year even if you don't go fishing often.  If you do go out often, consider replacing it with greater frequency.  Follow the manufacturer's suggested line capacity and weight for the reel.  See the chart above for line capacity recommendations for Zebco reels.  If its a different type, then read the accompanying manual.  Bay fish like seatrout, croaker, flounder, and other small bay fish the line capacity on a 202 is more than adequate.  Larger bay fish like redfish, black drum, or sheepshead may require a heftier rod and reel outfit.

Remember that although the weight of the line might give the false impression that it will hold a fish of equal weight consider the physics.  Most experience anglers set their drag way below the breaking strength of the line.  You will learn from experience what that weight may be for certain fish.  For example, ladyfish (skipjack) and crevalle jacks, are notoriously deceiving.  The ladyfish (sometimes "no lady") is often called a ten-pounder even though most don't go over a pound.  I have suffered pulled muscles, broken lines, and lost gear when they have decided to become overzealous, underwater torpedoes.

HOOKS

Choosing the right hook in the right size depends on the fish.  This topic could take up all of the space available on the Internet to discuss.  Everyone has their own opinion, but those that catch fish should be the ones to whom we should listen.  Let's not be mislead, at one time or another just about any hook can catch fish; however, some hooks are specialized for certain types of fishing. 

The best recommendation is to use the smallest possible hook for the species of fish.  Hook sizes are measured from smallest to largest with specific numbers (32,22,20,18,16, 14, 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1, 1/0, 2/0, 3/0, and so on).  For example, if you use live shrimp while fishing for trout a Size 8-10 treble hook will be light enough for a shrimp to move around and attract a hungry trout.

For kids, I recommend freshwater hooks, even if they are to be used in saltwater.  These hooks rust so, replace a new hook on the line every time you take a youngster fishing.

KNOTS

The pole, reel, line, and hook must all be connected together with knots.  Knowing what knot to use to connect these different parts is important.  The arbor knot is used to connect the fishing line to the reel arbor.  Knots that connect swivels and hooks like the improved clinch knot and palomar knots are also a must.  Loop knots allow the angler to make loop to loop connections or to connect sections to snap swivels. 

Special knots are used in fly fishing and these may include the nail knot or perfection loop.  A good knot book is indispensible for the beginning angler.  A good PDF document can be downloaded at the Texas Parks and Wildlife Angler Education website (click here).

ARTIFICIAL AND NATURAL BAITS

Most of us started fishing using natural bait, dead or live.  Regardless, unless you are fishing for scavenger fish, fresh live or dead bait will get you the most strikes and eventually the most fish. 

Well, you could like many, use a cast net or a seine to catch bait.  It makes sense that if you can't catch bait, don't fish there, there probably aren't any predators present.  Why would any self-respecting fish be in a place where there isn't anything to eat?  Do you think that they came to see if people would feed them something?  Study the water.  If you don't see bait fish present, then move on to a place that seems to hold bait and possibly game fish. 

One of the favorite fish to catch along the gulf coast is seatrout or weakfish.  Seatrout will rarely take dead bait, there are exceptions.  A pint of shrimp costs about $10.  A few trips and that's more than your outfit.  For your own piece of mind, don't try to justify the trip based on the cost of a pound of fish.  It won't work.  I prefer to think about it as the cost of entertainment or recreation.  It's cheaper than going to the movies or a concert and a whole lot healthier. So we have justified the cost of buying fresh bait.  Oh! Don't forget that you need to keep that shrimp alive so invest in a good aerator and bucket.

WHEN TO FISH

A good rule is to fish during tide movements.  Fish will tend to hold where bait congregate to take advantage of living or dead bait moving toward them.  Seasonal changes like cold fronts, storms, and other weather events may cause fish to become active.  Redfish and flounder will migrate through passes under these conditions.  Both of these fish search near the bottom for food.  Seatrout can be caught near mid-depth and on the surface.  Regardless, the wise fisher places the bait where the fish are more likely to be found.  Knowledge of predatory fish habits is a plus.

PRESENTATION

Well, let's look at a critical part of one of the sentences above..."place the hook with the right bait"

How do you get a fish to take your hook with the bait?  The answer is simple...make it look like its worth eating.

Several barriers stand in the way of enjoying fish.  Let's talk about each.

THE WIND

Most of us dread the wind.  No!  Let me change that...ALL of us dread the wind.  No matter what the method of fishing we employ, wind tends to cause havoc by tangling lines, making footing on a casting platform or boat unsteady, mudding up the water, and blowing hats and any light items we carry into the water.  Think of the wind as our friend.  On some days, the wind actually allows you to approach some usually wary and easily-spooked fish.  You can also cast your lure a long way when you let the wind carry your lure or bait.