Learn to fish Archives | Chicago Fishing School

August 31, 2023

How to Catch Fish

How to catch fish… you may have questions.

One of the best ways to learn how to catch a fish is by hiring a fishing guide. Catching a fish can be a fun and rewarding activity! You can also learn a lot on our YouTube Fishing Channel Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to catch a fish:

Choose the right fishing spot: Look for a location with good fishing potential, such as rivers, lakes, or ponds. Research the area to see what types of fish are commonly found there.
Get the right fishing equipment: You’ll need a fishing rod, fishing line, hooks, sinkers, and bait. Make sure to choose the appropriate size and strength of the fishing gear based on the type of fish you want to catch.
Learn different fishing techniques: There are various fishing techniques depending on the type of fish and fishing spot. Some common techniques include pole fishing, spin casting, bait casting, trolling, and fly fishing. Research and practice the technique that suits your fishing situation.
Bait your hook: Attach the bait to your hook. Different fish are attracted to different types of bait, so research the preferences of the fish you’re targeting. Common baits include worms, minnows, or artificial lures. Live bait catches the most fish.
Cast your line: Stand at the water’s edge or in a boat and cast your line out into the water. Practice your casting technique to get the distance and accuracy you desire.
Be patient and observant: Fishing requires patience and paying attention to your surroundings. Observation is key in how to catch fish. Watch for signs of fish, such as ripples in the water, birds diving, or fish jumping. Stay quiet and still to avoid scaring away the fish.
Set the hook: When you feel a tug or see your fishing line move, it’s time to set the hook. Quickly jerk your rod upward to embed the hook into the fish’s mouth. Hook set timing is a key in how to catch fish.
Play the fish: Once the fish is hooked, play the fish with the rod -start reeling it in. Keep a steady tension on the line and use the rod to guide the fish towards you. The rod is the best tool in playing the fish. Be careful not to reel too fast or give the fish too much slack. Keeping tension using the rod (not the reel so much) is important in your how to catch fish mission.
Land the fish: Once the fish is close to shore or the boat, carefully lift it out of the water using a net or your hands if it’s safe to do so. Be mindful of any sharp fins or teeth the fish may have.
Release or prepare the fish: If you’re fishing for fun or conservation purposes, gently remove the hook and release the fish back into the water. If you’re fishing for food, prepare the fish for cooking and enjoy a tasty meal!

Remember, the more you practice, the better you’ll become at catching fish. A fishing guide like Johnny will help you have a lot more success with fish. Enjoy the process, stay safe, and have a wonderful time fishing!

March 9, 2023March 9, 2023

How To Fish

How to Fish – New Fishermen Looking to Learn Fishing, will find more questions than answers. In our feature on learning fishing, we will share some links and give you a starting point. If you are new to fishing, you should avoid common pitfalls and get expert help.

Learn How to Fish - save money and do not buy tons of unneeded tackle. — Live Bait helps those new to fishing to get more action and learn way more about catching fish.

Don’t Buy Lots of Gear
Don’t wait to fish only in exotic remote locations (fish close to home)
Ask local professional guide
Hire a professional to show you how to fish
Don’t depend on store employees
Over-buying tackle will be a waste of money
Fish local ponds and target those fish
Practice your skills on local ponds
Don’t follow tv fishing – it is a huge mistake

Common Fishing Mistakes

We find that most of our fishing students have made the above mistakes when learning to fish. Buying a lot of gear is a big pitfall. Start simple and learn the basics. Try to get gear that will help you to catch fish as close to home as possible. It is a bad thing to go buy the most expensive rods and reels and to pile up tackle. Instead, simple fishing setups that you can quickly take to local ponds will teach you much more. Start slow! Inexpensive setups might even include a pole with no reel so that you can learn baiting hooks and handling fish. Once you get comfortable. We partner with LiveBaitFishingTackle.com and they offer a great setup for new fishermen and kids that is under $30. You can outfit a couple family members and learn together with this pole fishing setup.

Use Live Bait Before Trying Lures

Lures are more difficult to catch your fish. Fishing local ponds is harder than fishing a resort location or the television locations such as resorts. Fish are smaller and harder to find and often times the predator species are over-fished and much smaller than on tv. This leaves you with an assortment of fish that doesn’t respond to lures. For the new fisher, it is much easier to catch fish using live food. Live bait sold at the local bait and tackle store is your best bet for more fishing action and learning. Lures are expensive and often don’t appeal to local fish. This is reality. We suggest you learn your fishing skills on multi-species rather than trying to target one fish. All new fishermen want action. Live bait will get you 60% more action than lures constituently even at the crumby muddy pond at the end of the street. There is action waiting there for you to practice and learn your skills! More practice will mean more fish caught as you learn to cast, hook and handle fish.

Patronize Small Bait & Tackle Stores

A big box store offers you little. They are confusing, filled with equipment that will not help you and the sales associates have less experience than most small store owners. Call the store nearest you and ask when someone would be on hand to help you with a basic fishing setup to fish local ponds. The live bait at stores is of much higher quality than big box stores and gas stations (in most cases). Having quality live bait will get you more fish on the end of your line. Big box stores do not turn over their bait which often dies or is in poor shape. A small bait & tackle store will rotate and check their live bait. It sells faster and is more fresh. Other places have bait that is a month or several months old. The fish react to old bait – they won’t touch it.

Fish Local Ponds

Learning fishing skills is important to getting better results and more action. Local ponds will offer you a place to practice. Trying to improve your skills is easier if you have more reps, more chances and more casts. While the mud hole down the street might not look like an exotic Canadian water, it offers you your best chance to be a better fisherman. Angling is the art of trying to get fish on the line. Don’t make the mistake many make in the hobby. To become an angler, your practice is the key. Take the time to practice your knots at home and getting tackle (all the gear, line, hooks and setups) ready to fish. Learn a few key knots and how to tie lines. Prepare them at home and get better at this. Get to your local pond or stream and work at practicing. You will get better and this improvement in skills will help you every time you fish. Simply put, fewer mistakes will mean many more fish. A mistake takes your line out of action. Get to your local pond, and make use.

Hire the Local Guide

Check with your local fishing guide. Many guides will be glad to show you what gear they are using and give you specifics. What you might need to fish starting out, may not need to be guide-quality gear. The guide will give you the basics and can provide a list of specific line weights and bait setups that will work better for your local pond. Ask ahead of time when booking your guided fishing trip about expectations. That guide should be very helpful in getting you a minimal amount of gear and starting you with fishing equipment that really works. Just buying tackle will never help you. Expert help will prevent you from wasting money and save you hundreds of dollars.

Join a Local Fishing Club & Learn How to Fish

In your area there are several local fishing clubs. Tell them you are new and see if they help new anglers to get started in fishing. Some clubs might be more competitive and into travel or tournaments. Find out first and then if they tell you they can be helpful, try a meeting out. Have the club point you to one person or a local fishing guide to help you. This will jump start your fishing hobby and be the best way to learn how to fish. Multi-species fishing clubs are the best choice for new anglers like RiversideFishingClub in the Chicago Area.

How to Fish – Great Links:

Hire a Professional Guide

Learn how to fish online

US Fish & Wildlife How to Fish Guide

December 20, 2020December 20, 2020

Split Shot Tips -Help With Split Shot

Split Shot Tips - Super Doux Split Shot Assortments

Split shot tips to help you fish better. This article and an instruction sheet for a split shot tool could help you with your split shot game. Whether you fly fish or float fish, split shot can help you with your rigs. So, if you want a tip or two – try these two fishing tip sheets out. As a fishing guide using split shot in competitions and setting up rigs for clients, I have learned a lot.

Split Shot Tips Article

Split Shot Tool Instructions

Our best split shot – always purchase pure, quality lead split shot. Non-lead shot is horrible to your mono line. It does not stay in place. The often-used tin weights used in “safe” or “environmental” split shots, damages the line. It is also hard as a rock and horrible to try and get on the line.

Don’t Buy Non-Toxic Split Shot!

These brands may also make the “non-toxic” brand or “environmentally safe” options – beware. They do not work well. And, they should be avoided. Use only the lead – pure products. Stay away from the No Lead Split shots! Did we mention it costs almost twice as much as good split shot?

Pure Lead Split Shot

Pure lead split shot is the only way to fish. Pure lead shot comes in these brands.

Anchor Brand Split Shot
Super Doux Split Shot

Split Shot Tips – Small Floats

These come in selection assortments as well as single-size split shot pots. Note that some of the split shot selections are very small. Anglers will do best with sizes .3 gr – BB split shot (.4 gr) for balancing their float rigs. These two sizes work for smaller floats.

Split Shot for Bigger Float Rigs

AAA Split shot is also a good size to have for medium and large floats. AAA size is .8 gr and for long-casting bigger floats. For nymphing and wet fly fishing, you may want the sizes that are smaller such as .10 gr and even smaller to make fine adjustments.

Good Split Shot Selections