Fishing Starter Tips

The world of fishing is a unique one, to say the least. Off-shore, inland, on the ice, on the bank of a river... Whatever style you choose, however far you travel, you will undoubtedly settle on one undeniable truth: The species you seek out and the methods you use to do so are only limited by your own time, resources, and imagination.

At first glance, if you are a vacationer, fishing in a new area can seem overwhelming at best. To be successful, you have to find a place to go, concentrate on a species to go after, learn what you can about a lake, river, etc., in a very short period of time, and use your skills and abilities to capitalize on the limited time frame you have.

If you are moving to a new area on a permanent basis, you are still subject to most of these same challenges. Granted, time is on your side, but you are faced with the additional task of acclimating yourself to a new environment on a permanent basis. Learning the passing trends in the passing months is crucial (i.e., you may learn to find structure that holds walleyes in June, but can you locate these same fish in January?). Continual education will become the key to your success.

The following tips are not separated into categories for just vacationers or just new residents, but all tips appeal to both. Regardless of who you are, these tips will give you a head start in becoming successful in a new land.

QUESTIONS, ANYONE?

• Talk to bait shop workers, outfitters, resort owners, and guides to familiarize yourself with where to go, what to use, and when to fish for any given species.
• Talk to other fisherman. Granted, "loose lips sink ships," but you may be surprised at what information you can gather from the casual fisherman who isn't so secretive about what they have been doing to increase their success.

SEEK AND DESTROY

• Surf the web, read some articles, eavesdrop at the local diner... Whatever information you can gather before you go is likely to increase your chance for success.
• Be tenacious. You cannot know something until you learn it, so learn it by any reasonable means necessary.
• Hire a guide--it's not an ego thing. Your $200-$500 dollar investment will be invaluable to you if you can learn something new about an area unknown to you.

KNOW YOUR ENEMY

• Start by figuring out what you want, and eliminate unnecessary options... If you want to fish muskies on Cass Lake, for example, don't hire a walleye guide who fishes Lake Bemidji. Want Kitchi Lake bluegills? Don't ask the locals what the 'gills on Big Lake have been biting on. Use common sense... All lakes have their own personalities, and so do their residents.
• Location, location, location. You cannot catch what is not there. Yes, you caught crappies in three feet of water in early May, but in mid-July, they are not going to be there. Learn about fish migration patterns by talking to the locals and reading articles about their movements. Each lake differs, but fish move for the same reason across the map.
• Think like a fish. Fish depend on food, oxygen, and shelter. Find the bait fish, find the predators. Learn about the thermocline, find the right depth. Follow the outward growth of weeds in the summer, find where fish are situating themselves. It may sound complicated, but it is not. It's as basic as our own need for food, air, and shelter.

DON'T LOSE HEART

You could read tips until you are blue in the face, but they cannot make you a better fisherman unless you apply what you learn. Remember the three "p's" of success: Practice, Participate, Persist. Hit the water and hit it hard. Start with methods you are familiar with, then experiment with methods you've heard about. Most importantly, don't take "no" for an answer. Other people are catching fish, and you can, too. Just save a few for the rest of us.