Is it hard and costly to buy the gear and to learn how to fish?

[ChrissyRyan]

Is it hard and costly to buy the gear and to learn how to fish?

One sees a TV show where a kid uses a sturdy stick, twine, a hook, and worms or bread dough as bait and catches at a pond or river a hanging string full of fish to eat for the family dinner.

It cannot be that simple, can it?


For a novice fisherwoman for freshwater non-rapids fishing, what would you recommend to start off with, and what would each item cost.  Can you also just dig in your wet yard and find the worms needed? 

Say you at fishing from the bank of a pond (or from a bridge above) or a slow moving river.  No tall boots to wade and no boat used. 

Remember, this is for a starter set of whatever is needed.  Not what fancy / expensive gear someone who knows what she is doing would use after years of fishing!

[Rochelle]

Simple cheap rod and reel can work fine.  The pricier you go, the better it works, more bearings mean smoother retrieval.  I prefer open face reels.

You can use soft plastic tube lures which are quite cheap.  Worms can be bought at stores or can be used from your own yard.  Dawn dish soap is a commonly recommended option for bringing worms to the surface.  Mix about 1/4 cup of Dawn dish soap with a 5-gallon bucket of water.  Pour the soapy solution over moist, fertile soil—ideally after watering the area to ensure the ground is damp. The soap disrupts the worms' ability to breathe through their skin, causing them to surface quickly, often within minutes. This method is effective for collecting worms as live bait for fishing.  Rinse the worms and use them for fishing.

The soap is not environmentally damaging as it just washes away.

A lot of what you do depends on the type of fish you are going for.  Different methods and times for what you want.  Can be easy if someone shows you first time around, or if you are at a new location.  Location can sometimes be the biggest factor.  I used to use one lake for new people because of how overpopulated the fish were so they could get a feel for fishing.

[ChrissyRyan]

Thanks Rochelle.  I would type more but I have a meeting to get to soon, so I will just type this:

If you have any costs for a basic set of fishing gear, pass that on.  If not I think someone  will in time.  Maybe I will look online for "starting or beginner's fishing sets" or something like that.


Chrissy

[Rochelle]

Be careful with some of the beginners sets, they are randomly filled with things you would never need and pretty cheaply made.  Also some states have a ban on lead use for fishing, mine does for freash water fishing.  A lot of those kits include lead which precludes you using them.

[Stottie Girl]

I've only gone sea fishing and mostly in a boat. From a boat I've actually caught quite a lot with a simple handline which is ridiculously cheap. You can spend a fortune on rods and reels if you want to but I wouldn't bother with the expensive gear until you know you like it.

It never really grabbed me, too cold, too wet, too stinky and I didn't like killing the bait never mind the fish! Fly sport fishing where you let the fish go could appeal but not sure I have the patience to stand in a river for hours on end but I can see some would find it relaxing. My friend's partner works for Hardy Fishing (part of Pure Fishing Group) and they sell world class fly fishing gear. He supplied me with a nice boat rod on the cheap but I haven't been out much. Think this is a hobby that has passed me by.

[Maid Marion]

Low frequency vibrations are proven to drive worms out of the ground.


Using earthworms is an easy and effective way to catch fish.  Perhaps too easy for those who are looking for a sporting challenge.