First-time Fishing!

Ianator

About a month or two ago Carson City was blessed with a new Urban Fishing Pond stocked with Rainbow Trout. I stopped by there two weeks ago to meet some of the anglers there, and even saw a few fish get caught.

As you may have guessed, I am now itching to reel in some trout myself. After looking around a bit on the Department of Wildlife's site, asking around a bit the morning before yesterday, and a few observations in Wally Mart's fishing aisle, I came home today with the following:

*Shakespeare-brand Excursion graphite fishing rod ($15)
*Shakespeare-brand Excursion machined-Aluminum reel ($20)
*SpiderWire mono fishing line, 110 yards of 10-pound ($3)
*Berkley PowerBait original-scent Trout Nibbles, 1.1oz of Fl.Orange (~$3.50)
*Water Gremlin Removeable Split Shot, 124pcs variety ($3.50)
*Eagle Claw Salmon Egg hooks, 10-ct ($1.75)
*Flambeau Zerust-protected Tacklebox, 18 compartments, about 12"x6" ($2.50)

I'm probably going to pick up a One-Day Pass for tomorrow and/or the day after and get some time in before Winter sets in. Anything I should know about fishing in general? Any more lures/jigs/tackle/whatever I should probably have on-hand? Anything I shouldn't do?

RUNN1NGMAN

10 lb test seems like overkill for trout.

Nappuccino

is 10lb test more expensive than other lesser kinds of tests?

What is the advantage/disadvantage of that kinda test?

I ask because A) I don't know and for a first time fisher, i think i'd be good to know the "why's" of things too

Ianator

Is it? (I was looking at the braided, actually...) The NDOT site said that line was one of the things not to skimp on when it comes to strength. Guess I won't have anything to worry about on that front!

EDIT: All the spools for that brand's 110-yd line were the same price - $3.16.

BoomShake

Higher test usually means thicker line. Thicker line means it's easier for the fish to spot. Generally, you want to have just line rated just above whatever you're going to be catching, giving you the thinnest possible line up to the task.

Ianator

That makes sense. I was looking at the biiig spools of line. They were all the same price, but the lower-test lines were shorter and did seem a good bit thicker (the 25-lb line was kinda funny to look at, actually). Also, this is "fluorescent clear/blue".

RUNN1NGMAN

Also, if the test is too high it kind of takes the fun out of fishing. Any joker can spool some heavy line and then just crank fish in by brute force.

Ianator

So, what's the best test for Rainbow Trout then? 4 lb? 6? 8?

Nylonathetep

Do you need a license to fish in Nevada?

RUNN1NGMAN

I'd guess 4 or 6. But if it's a man-made pond, maybe they're stocking it with giant mutant fish.

Ianator

You do, if it's not a Free Fishing Day. A year-long non-sport Fishing License is $29, plus another $10 for a Trout Stamp. You can also get a one-day pass for $9 and add more consecutive days for $3 each.

BoomShake

State record in Nevada is 16 lbs - 4 oz for rainbow trout. I'd say 10lb test is probably fine, especially if the lake was recently stocked. You could likely get away with less. Best idea is to head down there on a weekend and ask the guys who look like they fish it a lot what size catches they're bringing in.

You'll need both a fishing license AND a trout stamp. Nevada Fishing Seasons & Regulations (page 6-7 in the "book", page 9/52 in the navigation)

Edit: beaten to the license

Ianator

See? I've been doing some research!

Demerdar

Ianator wrote: »

About a month or two ago Carson City was blessed with a new Urban Fishing Pond stocked with Rainbow Trout. I stopped by there two weeks ago to meet some of the anglers there, and even saw a few fish get caught.

As you may have guessed, I am now itching to reel in some trout myself. After looking around a bit on the Department of Wildlife's site, asking around a bit the morning before yesterday, and a few observations in Wally Mart's fishing aisle, I came home today with the following:

*Shakespeare-brand Excursion graphite fishing rod ($15)
*Shakespeare-brand Excursion machined-Aluminum reel ($20)
*SpiderWire mono fishing line, 110 yards of 10-pound ($3)
*Berkley PowerBait original-scent Trout Nibbles, 1.1oz of Fl.Orange (~$3.50)
*Water Gremlin Removeable Split Shot, 124pcs variety ($3.50)
*Eagle Claw Salmon Egg hooks, 10-ct ($1.75)
*Flambeau Zerust-protected Tacklebox, 18 compartments, about 12"x6" ($2.50)

I'm probably going to pick up a One-Day Pass for tomorrow and/or the day after and get some time in before Winter sets in. Anything I should know about fishing in general? Any more lures/jigs/tackle/whatever I should probably have on-hand? Anything I shouldn't do?

Dude.

Once you get some experience (or know some other fisherman) go out onto Lake Tahoe. Oh, how can you be fishing in a reservoir when you live right next to one of the most beautiful lakes in the country?

Also, keep in mind that you'll need to learn how to properly tie a lure. Did you buy hooks? Or weights? Also, I've had lots of luck catching rainbow (in a river, at least) by using nightcrawlers. YMMV though, as fish will bite on certain baits during certain seasons/times of day. Always bring plenty of different bait options just in case one of them isn't working.

edit: okay I see you bought hooks and weights.

Depending on what you are catching, you will want a different sized hook for the task. For rainbows, you want to go for something a bit on the smaller side. Ask somebody what that size is.

Also, when baiting a worm, you'll want to pretty much run the hook through it's entire body (ass to head, so to speak) so you can conceal the hook, plus you'll almost never have a fish nibble your bait off before you can hook him.

Ianator

Hooks: I got a little bag of 10 Salmon Egg hooks, a bit over half an inch from the eye to the bend. I'll be Catch-and-Releasing until I'm ready to make some fish broth.

Actually, looking at the back of this bag, there's a diagram that includes a "barrel swivel w/ safety snap". What's this for?

Tahoe: I will, come next year. Want my thirty-nine bucks to last as long as it can!

nakirush

See if you can't get your hands on some wax worms. I used them all the time as a kid and they worked 10 times better than your regular worms or lures. Granted, I was fishing for bass and blue gill, so the rainbow trouts may not go for them...

StrifeRaZoR

This thread disappoints me. I was expecting a redneck conversation about everything that anyone has ever done while fishing. But, I digress. I've never actually HAD a fishing license, nor have I fished in sanctioned events, or caught and released anything I've ever caught. I HAVE been fishing with my father (Born and raised in South Carolina) and have battered, fried, and grilled every single thing I've caught with an open-faced reel from the ages of 9 to 20.

I feel alienated by this thread. But I will say this: Getting a high test pound line and going fishing will ruin the fun. There's three joys of fishing.

1. Fighting the good fight and bringing in that fish that you've earned.

2. Cooking anything that you catch for a delicious backyard grill-out.

3. Getting to know your friends while sitting in a boat (or on a bank) and talking about the good life.

Anything else...I have no idea.

Ianator

nakirush wrote: »

See if you can't get your hands on some wax worms. I used them all the time as a kid and they worked 10 times better than your regular worms or lures. Granted, I was fishing for bass and blue gill, so the rainbow trouts may not go for them...

I'll give it a try sometime. I heard some good things about salmon eggs and PowerBait as well (hence my choice of hooks and bait).

EDIT @StrifeRaZoR: I intend to do all three of those things eventually. Mom says trout's a pretty good grillin' fish, and though I'm not a fan of fish fillet proper I did like it when I had a fish-based Japanese noodle soup (or something like that) a few years back.

EDIT EDIT: Bedtiiime. Making up a list of what else I'll need tomorrow. A net will probably be a must, and I might go for some lighter line (6-lb, probably) and an alternate bait or two.

The Cat

StrifeRaZoR wrote: »

This thread disappoints me. I was expecting a redneck conversation about everything that anyone has ever done while fishing. But, I digress. I've never actually HAD a fishing license, nor have I fished in sanctioned events, or caught and released anything I've ever caught. I HAVE been fishing with my father (Born and raised in South Carolina) and have battered, fried, and grilled every single thing I've caught with an open-faced reel from the ages of 9 to 20.

I feel alienated by this thread. But I will say this: Getting a high test pound line and going fishing will ruin the fun. There's three joys of fishing.

1. Fighting the good fight and bringing in that fish that you've earned.

2. Cooking anything that you catch for a delicious backyard grill-out.

3. Getting to know your friends while sitting in a boat (or on a bank) and talking about the good life.

Anything else...I have no idea.

Yeah, I've got to say that the idea of an urban fishing area makes me wtf, but then again it takes the pressure off the local wildlife. I live in a reasonable-sized city on a large bay, and the recreational fishing catch here is so massive that there's a good chance of the bay being picked clean unless we rein people in a bit. People can love the outdoors too much.

Anyway, OP: don't stress about the equipment, people have been catching fish with sticks and twine and sometimes just the stick for thousands of years. It doesn't need to be a high tech pursuit, capitalism just makes it look that way. so long as your gear isn't made of crappy metal, you should be fine.

I'm reliably informed that hot chips are good bait. And if you don't catch anything you've still got chips to eat :P

BoomShake

Ianator wrote: »

Actually, looking at the back of this bag, there's a diagram that includes a "barrel swivel w/ safety snap". What's this for?!

Fishing Swivel. Basically, there's two kinds: swivel and swivel + snap. The swivel portion allows the line to… swivel, meaning you don't twist the line if you're trying to get it untangled or if a fish is doing some particularly crazy maneuvering. The main portion of line is tied to one end and another length of line is tied to the other, usually with an anchor bend knot. The snap is a convenience, allowing you to more quickly swap out lures and whatnot without having to untie/cut the old one off and tie the new one on. The problem is, the extra hunk of metal can be a distraction or deterrent to the fish.

Some drawbacks to even the simple swivel include the possibility of the hooks or lure getting tangled in the swivel in any number of ways as well as the introduction of a weakpoint into the line, potentially screwing you on the Big Catch™. Furthermore, since you can't reel in the swivel past the tip of the rod, depending on the additional length after the swivel, it can make casting awkward in certain situations.

Back when I was a fished a lot, especially before I was good at a quick anchor bend, I used a snap swivel. Instead of affixing the hook or lure directly to the snap, I tied a rather long (~2') length of monofilament to the hook or lure, made a loop at the free end. The loop and snap made easy switching while the extra line kept the swivel out of the way.

Spudge

I've done more than my fair share of trout fishing and have never needed anything more than 6 lb test. I've caught 10-12 lb trout on it without issues as well. I've had great success catching trout with spinners and Rapala minnow plugs.

Also you're gonna need to learn how to tie a line. You'll use this tie a lot

Fats

Spudge wrote: »

I've done more than my fair share of trout fishing and have never needed anything more than 6 lb test. I've caught 10-12 lb trout on it without issues as well. I've had great success catching trout with spinners and Rapala minnow plugs.

Indeed, unless they're stocking the lake with dumber-than-usual trout, anything over 6 lb will probably be more of a detriment. I've had good luck with 4 lb for brown and rainbow, though where I fish they don't get too enormous.

Ianator

Good morning! Thought I saw a thunderhead through my window, turns out the sky just hadn't lit up yet.

I'll be picking up some 6-lb line but I'll keep the 10-lb around just in case (the NDOW How To Fish guide says a Surgeon's Knot can be used to tie some heavier line to the main in lieu of the aforementioned swivel). I'll also need to practice the Arbor Knot so I can get the line on the spool in the first place.

Only thing missing is breakfast.

Spudge

No need for breakfast son

Brew up some strong coffee, pack up some sammich fixins and go hit that lake

Ianator

where doin this man

where makin dis happen

Demerdar

Don't forget your needle-nosed pliers.

Seriously, the number one tool for fishing.

Nappuccino

We're you going?

And good luck (don't forget to have fun!)

Preacher

Yeah I like lower test line for what you are fishing because it puts more fight into it, plus I swear with still fishing you get more a feel from the bites? That could just be perception though. You could always go oldschool for bait and get some worms, then you get the joy of hooking live bait with cold hands, like a god damned man!

Haven't fished in years, favorite though was fishing in pot holes outside of moses lake for bass, you'd cast near the beaver dens and just reel them in, great fighters. Only real issue is needing a gun for the cats (not house cats, cougars and not the old ladies who like young men). Great fishing.

Ianator

Well. That was an experience.

Stopped by Wal*Mart and got a net, some 6-lb line, a pair of longnose pliers and my 1-Day Pass. Arrived at the pond and brought my stuff to the center pier. Tried to attach my line to the reel only to discover I did not know how to Arbor Knot. Got some help from someone. The Clinch Knot was a good bit easier for me. Tried to cast a couple times before I was told that - surprise! - my reel and rod didn't match (spin reel on a casting rod). Also, I was holding it upside-down. Actually got a couple bites, but nothing got reeled back in. I moved to the wading area and got used to casting, but by-and-large nothing came of it.

One of the nice things about this pond is that it's literally across the street from the Costco where I work. Went in, grazed the samples, bought some Thin Granola Squares and a slice of pizza, and headed back.

Got back on the pier (which was a bit busier now), set up on the railing and just let the line sink down. It looked like my line was about to cross someone else's, so I grabbed the line and pulled it towards my rod and omigods did it just pull back?

Why yes, it certainly did.

Pulled the sucker up and got a good look at him before releasing - I won't be bringing dinner home until I know how to make it. About an hour later, trying the same thing got my line tangled around my reel. Cut the offending string off and packed it up.

So. I'll probably want to get another thing of bait, and look at spinning rods. All in all though, today was productive. Fish caught: not zero!

Demerdar

Ianator wrote: »

Well. That was an experience.

Stopped by Wal*Mart and got a net, some 6-lb line, a pair of longnose pliers and my 1-Day Pass. Arrived at the pond and brought my stuff to the center pier. Tried to attach my line to the reel only to discover I did not know how to Arbor Knot. Got some help from someone. The Clinch Knot was a good bit easier for me. Tried to cast a couple times before I was told that - surprise! - my reel and rod didn't match (spin reel on a casting rod). Also, I was holding it upside-down. Actually got a couple bites, but nothing got reeled back in. I moved to the wading area and got used to casting, but by-and-large nothing came of it.

One of the nice things about this pond is that it's literally across the street from the Costco where I work. Went in, grazed the samples, bought some Thin Granola Squares and a slice of pizza, and headed back.

Got back on the pier (which was a bit busier now), set up on the railing and just let the line sink down. It looked like my line was about to cross someone else's, so I grabbed the line and pulled it towards my rod and omigods did it just pull back?

Why yes, it certainly did.

Pulled the sucker up and got a good look at him before releasing - I won't be bringing dinner home until I know how to make it. About an hour later, trying the same thing got my line tangled around my reel. Cut the offending string off and packed it up.

So. I'll probably want to get another thing of bait, and look at spinning rods. All in all though, today was productive. Fish caught: not zero!

Dropping the line off the pier (especially if there are boats around), you probably caught a carp. They are bottom feeders and are generally larger than a trout. Don't eat them, they are a nasty fish. If you caught a rainbow though, congrats! They must have it super stocked to catch a fish without even knowing it.

Ianator

Demerdar wrote: »

Dropping the line off the pier (especially if there are boats around), you probably caught a carp. They are bottom feeders and are generally larger than a trout. Don't eat them, they are a nasty fish. If you caught a rainbow though, congrats! They must have it super stocked to catch a fish without even knowing it.

Nope, this is a (kinda small) stocked pond. Stocking info can be found here - CTRL-F for "Fuji Park" and you'll find it was filled with about 1000 Rainbow Trout on September 10th and another 500-ish per week for three weeks after.

Spudge

And welcome to the greatest way to waste time/get away/relax. Glad you had some fun and caught something!

Check out Shimano's spinning rods. They're good starters and should hold you until you're seasoned. Not too expensive either

Noquar

Good morning! While the location under my avatar says RI, I just left Alaska after 27 years. I also skipped most of the previous posts.

10lb test is just fine. The reason it is fine is because you are using spider-wire which tends to be thinner. Monofilament lines have gotten thinner over the years. At that lb-test range you aren't going to need to worry about thickness spooking the fish. That kind of thinking will come later when you progress to much more advanced fishing.

If you are going to focus on that pond, grab a light to ultra-light fishing setup. I haven't looked up the specifics of your rod and reel, but you aren't going to need anything heavier. One thing to remember here is if you aren't going to keep the fish, get the fish in as fast as reasonable. While it is nice to fight fish, there is no reason to needlessly stress and harm it if your intent isn't to kill it. Yes, I know these fish are stocked, but it may survive for a while and provide for someone else.

For lures/bait/tackle - grab some snap swivels. Also get some tiny spoons such as daredevils, maybe some mepps, small vibrax, rooster tails. Grab some small egg hooks - I always used ones by eagle claw that came with a monofilament loop already tied on. All of the prior can be directly attached to your snap swivel for ease of use. For bait, just about anything will work. Mealworms, maggots, nightcrawlers, bits of sliced american cheese, corn, salmon eggs. You name it. Unless these fish are really spooked, they are going to devour what you present them. Your final piece should be a bobber. There are tons of bobbers out there, some are foam with toothpicks - really strike indicators for fly fishing - clear bobbers, red and white bobbers. Pick whatever suits you. And as one poster mentioned, don't forget your needlenose pliers!

Urban fisheries can be a blast. In Anchorage there are several streams, and lots of lakes stocked with fish. Everything from Chinook Salmon on down. The convenience is unmatched. I just saw you already went fishing, so, looks like you had fun! If you have any questions feel free to throw me a PM. And just wait until you get a taste of flyfishing!

As for cooking the trout - here was my favorite recipe. Mix up some flour, salt, and pepper. Cut the head off of the fish, but leave the fins on. Heat up some oil in a skillet. Dredge the trout in the flour mixture, and toss in the skillet. Once the skin and fins are nice and crispy, throw some butter on it and go nuts! I personally eat the skin, and I love the fins when they are hot and crispy. Watch for bones!