Why is fishing so retardedly difficult to get into? I walk into Bass Pro and there's eight aisles of different fishing rods, four aisles of different kinds of bait all different colors of the rainbow, 10,000 different sizes and varieties of fucking hooks, you need this, you need that, don't forget this. Fuck me man, I just want to throw a string into the water and catch fish, is that too much to goddamn ask!?

Every hobby is like this in Capitalism.
You can even spend thousands on gear for *walking*.

literally just buy a 30 dollar ugly stik and a bag of shrimp and you are all set

Maybe amongst all that variety, there's some starter kits that have everything you need

>>2822295
spbp /thread

Don't go to Bass Pro Shop for a beginner setup. Go to Walmart.

>>2822291 (OP)
I work at an independent sporting goods store in the fishing department. It is rather important to get the right gear. A catfish rod is inappropriate for bluegill, and a bluegill rod is inappropriate for catfish. This is a simple fact. It has nothing to do with capitalism, greed, etc. etc. Your first choice rod depends on what kind of fishing you would be inclined to do and how much you want to spend. Look into the different types of fishing, because there are some significant differences, and decide which one you like best. Again, there is no such thing as an all around rod. An ultra-light cannot sling muskie lures or 3 oz sinkers, and a beefstick of a baitcaster can't toss 1/32 oz jigs.

>>2822293
>like this in Capitalism
and there are so many Communist country with thriving outdoor scenes, surely your commissar will just be okay with you leaving the work camp to go fishing...

>>2822324
>An ultra-light cannot sling muskie lures or 3 oz sinkers, and a beefstick of a baitcaster can't toss 1/32 oz jigs

This is what I'm talking about. What kind of gibberish is this? Shit like this is so intimidating for a novice

>>2822291 (OP)
>wrap some fishing line around a bottle
>tie on hook
>dig up some worms
>throw hook into water
wow, so difficult
5 year olds in bangladesh can figure this out, why cant you?

>>2822326
If you don't want to learn, then you don't have to. Buy a rod that calls you spiritually, if you like. You might also consider buying some stuff to go with it, like hooks. You could even just not buy the stuff and walk out of the store with it.
As for me, if you're not willing to put in even the slightest bit of effort to understand, I feel no compulsion to help you further. You seem like one of those people who just complains about everything.

Not trying to high jack the thread but I have a couple lakes around me that have bass, bluegill, perch and pickerel. Would a zebco 33 be fine along with some hooks, sinkers, bobbers and real worms?

>>2822380
That's all you need homie. Zebco is a great rod for casual fishing

>>2822344
You're right. Thanks for the pep talk anon. 'Preciate you

>>2822382
Thanks Anon

>>2822324
Is this some amerishit take? In Yurope I'd say:

Beginner? Get a spinning reel, not a baitcaster. Daiwa or Shimano mogs all other reels. Spending 50 EUR on a low end Shimano will get you a better reel than some off-brand chinkshit in a starter kit.

Get a rod without a trigger grip - trigger grips go with baitcasters, not spinning reels. Look at the rod to see the lure weights. Now here's your decision point:

Will you fish in the sea or in lakes/rivers?
If only lakes, you can go for "lighter" equipment: 5-20 g lures and a rod rated similarly, reels whose numbers start with 2 ("Daiwa Fagmaster 2000", "Shimano Cockfisher 200", etc).

If you will fish from shore in the sea, step up to 15-40 gram lures + rods, and reels whose numbers start with 3-4. You can also use this in lakes but you'll have a hard time casting really light baits for smaller fish like small perch.

Lures, bitches.
Lakes and light gear? Get a pair of spinners, a pair of small spoons, and an assorted box of grub jigs + heads. Colors - get 1 metallic like silver for bright days, copper for dusk, and a neon/garish color for murky water.

Lakes and heavier gear? Still get spoons and spinners, but heavier. If you can afford a minnow, get a rapala or something. I'll freely admit that minnows is a fucking jungle, back in my day we had a rapala and we liked it. These are mostly for pike or other large predators.

Sea? Spoons, casting jigs, and more spoons. Heavy stockier spoons for deep water, casting jigs for deep and shallow alike, slim spoons for surface fishing for pelagics. Copper, holographic silver/blue/green, and a garish color is fine.

Line? I don't know, I take a braided line and go as thin as I dare, like breaking strength 10 kg in the sea.

t. a fucking casual who catches a fish every now and then on his low-end shimano gear with a bunch of cheap casting jigs.

>>2822291 (OP)
Fishing is not hard.
Americans like to complicate thing, they like to have some lure specific rods.
You can do all kind of fishing with only 3 rods.
-Ultralight rod: for small lures and small fish. Reel size: 1000
-Medium light or Medium rod: For 90% of your fishing. Reel size: 2000.
-Surfcasting rod: For fishing in the beach. Reel size: 4000

The line size and lure weight will be engraved in the rod.
The longer the rod, the easier is to cast long distances.
Short rods: Rivers
Long rods: Lakes and baches
Choose somenthing in between if you plan fish rivers and lakes.
For surf fishing, longer rods are heavier, if you want to fish the Beach with bait, then choose a longer rod, if you want to fish with lures, then choose a shorter rod (still longer than fresh water rods)

>>2822295
its as shrimple as that.

depends how retarded you want to get with it. some fish you can catch with a piece of bread, some string, and little hook. or just by throwing a net. hell, some people grab fish with their bare hands.

>>2822325
"You like to eat shit? No? Then you must love drinking puke!"

I wasn't talking about Communism. Communism sucks almost as badly.

>>2822424
>$30 ugly stick
>learn to tie knots
>practicing tying up a simple slip bobber rig
>buy bait and some lures
literally set for life until your lines snaps

>>2822462
Ugly stiks are $60 now. There are better rods for less these days.

>>2822463
such as?

>>2822467
he's trolling because he likes sucking cock

>>2822295
Save money and buy a lady uglyslick. Better windings and more sensitivity. Had one til it got stolen. Good rod. Would recommend a pfleuger or daiwa reel in the mid tier as well.

>>2822291 (OP)
>be at the ace hardware in a northern wisconsin town where we used to spend summer breaks in
>1/4th an aisle is dedicated to fishing. Like they have like 5 rods to choose from, a handful of tackle options, some other miscellaneous stuff
Bass Pro/Cabellas/Scheels type places are mainly there as consumerist meccas, if you want to avoid feeling overwhelmed just go to a place that provides the bare minimum and go from there

>>2822467
Daiwa Airdx, Shimano Sensilite, and Berkley Lightning rod

>>2822291 (OP)
I just bought a kit from Daggerfish and it covered most I needed.

>>2822291 (OP)
Try walking into a library and checking out some books on fishing.

>>2822291 (OP)
Just watch some beginner YouTube videos. Get a light rod reel combo for smaller fish, and a 2nd medium heavy for bigger bass and catfish. Either way. $50 at Walmart is all you need to get started.

>you need that, don't forget this.
No, you don't.

>>2822295
This is the right answer. Just like pretty much every hobby you can waste as much money as you want to.

>>2822291 (OP)
I actually bought my first fishing rod today, I just went to a sports store and bought a starter kit with some lures, I wrote "fishing beginner guide" on youtube and watched a couple videos and tomorrow morning I'm gonna go and try it out, I'll see how it goes.

This arrived to my house today. Gonna buy a cheap float and some hooks from decathlon this afternoon after work. I also have a piece of bread that got hard so I'm gonna get it wet and mush it into a paste and put it on the hooks as bait.
Probably won't catch shit because I only remember going fishing once or twice with my grandpa when I was a kid but it didn't require much more and I do remember catching some stuff with that combo.
I don't know what confuses you so much.

>>2822729
please dont tell me you got a pre set up rod?

>>2822744
yes I did

>>2822745
ok, those usually arent that good but as long as you're willing to set it up yourself in the future that's fine. The more stuff you can do yourself the cheaper this hobby is gonna be.
knowing how yo tie knots is a huge money saver for anything outdoors related. I cannot stress that enough

>>2822746
because then you just buy like $40-$60 worth of line/string and do it for free instead of paying some dude a retarded amount of money to do it for you and you get it whenever you get it
it's like people that pay for string jobs at guitar center
if they just knew the timber hitch they wouldnt have to pay $150 for some guy who has shitty tattoos to do it in a week

>>2822748
I'm too cheap to pay someone to do that kind of stuff so, I just bought a 30eur set for now because I know nothing about fishing, when something will break I'll learn I guess.

Just buy a kit with weight, hook, float, line. For bait you use worms if dirt or clams/wiggly bug if sand. Just dig around in moist parts, works to find bait in sand and soil. Bait on hook, use weight to spin the hook and weight like bolas, throw in water. Pull back when you feel something get hooked. Easy cheap fishing, lightweight, no permit needed even in somewhat public place.

>>2822767
yeah that's how you do it

>>2822770
How do you properly put a worm on a hook? Every time I do it the fuckers just rip it off

Boys I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but what rig should I be using for walleye. I made it my mission to try and catch one this summer, I only ever catch panfish and my biggest was like a 13" crappie from a dropshot in weeds while on a canoe (I mostly fish from the shore)

>>2822291 (OP)
>>2822295
true & real. ugly stik GX2, some mono line. get a hook and some shrimp or worms. if you want to use artificial bait then literally just grab whatever ones look cool.
If you wanted to get deeper into it then lookup what kind of bait the fish near you like and get that kind. it's not hard. you can fish with a stick, a line and a hook man

>>2822794
not him but just put the worm on the hook as often as you can, never had issues like this

>>2823365
never cover the hook point unless you want to gut hook fish

>>2823370
this wasn't the point of the picture, i just wanted to show him that he shouldn't hook the worm on just 1 point (which he most likely does)

Going sea bass fishing along the coast tomorrow (uk) and shitting it that I'm going to catch one of these fuckers. What should I realistically do in this situation? Scream cry and call the coast guard??

>>2823408
eat what you catch

>>2822291 (OP)
its retardedly easy to fish dude, fuckin terminal tackle, HOOK, BOBBER, WORM!!!!! (or a splitshot or slip sinker if you're fishing on the bottom)

>>2822291 (OP)
Don't overcomplicate it. What size fish are you catching? Bass, sunfish, catfish, bluegill? Bigger the typical fish, bigger the hook. How deep do you want to fish? The deeper, the heavier the weight. Do you want to fish fast or slow? If fast forget hooks and weights and get baits that you can just reel in steadily (like crank baits, spinner baits, buzz baits). The type of line is trickier, but for a beginner just get cheap mono. The bigger the fish, the heavier the line required. Big fish? Big rod. Get a spinning reel as a beginner so you can learn to cast.
But to answer your first question fishing is difficult to get into because humans have done it to survive forever. We've eaten all kinds of fish, each preferring specific baits, fished in different ways. The sport aspect of that really expands the options to a level beyond practicality because it is profitable. It's as easy as buying the cheapest rod, line and bait and tying it on. Much like driving a 400 dollar shit box, spending more money often makes the journey more comfortable and quicker

>>2822291 (OP)
Fishing can be a very consoomer heavy hobby because of all the different species of fish and ways to fish. But at the end of the day, all you need to get started is a cheap $50 rod, some hooks, and some bait. Master that, and you'll easily figure things out from there.

>>2822326
Small, thin rods go with light lures. Long, thick rods go with heavy lures. Its that simple.

>>2822325
haha to be fair tho the Russians do get out, big time cross country skiiers for example

>>2822291 (OP)
Not sure if Americans use these, but just buy a handline reel in a few different line weights. All you need is hooks and sinkers, I've caught plenty of fish on them they're as simple as you can get.

>>2822291 (OP)
If you fish salmon in a big river, you need a nice freshwater rod with lots of "whip" to it if you don't want to suffer
If you're throwing a hook into the sea from shore you just need a decently sturdy stick that isn't 100% chinesium
If you just want to fuck around in whatever lake, get a telescope rod and some dogshit lures
If you want to fish properly, you need a boat and a wheel with a crank or a harp etc etc
There you go, it really isn't that hard, it's just gearfaggotry.
Fish are stupid, and they will bite on your 50$ setup just as well as the elitists 1000$ setup.
Or they won't bite at all, even if you spent 10000$ on gear, because fuck you, they didn't feel like it today.
Very ESL I know, I just can't be assed to spellcheck or find the correct terms when I'm currently edging a sunstroke

i thought dads are supposed to teach their sons how to fish and camp and all that stuff
ive noticed this ever growing trend on the internet that young people these days mostly look for youtube on how to do basically anything

>>2824544
for the last 20 years parenting has been simply sitting a kid in front of a screen and leaving them alone. Parents are too lazy or selfish to bother giving their kids these experiences and so when they grow up they have no idea how to do simple things and have to figure it out for themselves, which can be an overwhelming task when there are thousands of grifters in every corner trying to convince you that you need to buy this thing or that thing. Honest information gets buried under sales pitches.

>>2822291 (OP)
Just buy a cheapo ugly stik or similar and catch some bluegill. Wa la, you're now a fisher guy.

>>2824544
>>2824553
My dad is not big into fishing and the outdoors but did do some fishing and hunting with me as a kid. My uncles are quite into the outdoors, however. I got back into fishing a couple years ago, and if I was to learn through my uncle's instead of being self-taught, I would be so far behind.

>>2824544
yeah this running thing that boomers are good at everything is just that, a meme.
Boomers are like every other generation. Some of them know what they're doing. Some dont. But everyone either thinks they know everything or thinks they're massive assholes. This is all because they've been memed to high hell. im in the polar opposite situation as >>2824567 my dad knows a ton about outdoors and pros have even run to him for advice and help. Meanwhile my uncle doesnt know shit and it very reliant on throwing money at learning.
>ROD BROKE?!?!?
>BUY A NEW ONE!
>REEL BROKE
>BUY A NEW ONE
mind you my uncle is from the same generation as my dad.
My dad can build all these things and fix all these things. My uncle hires contractors

>>2822291 (OP)
I don't know what are you talking about i was catching fish in my local river with just basic fishing rod for kids and piece of dough from bread i put on a hook.

It's only hard if you keep watching mentals on youtube that are trying to sell you stupid shit instead of telling you actually buying something that you like and go fishing.

How do you safely grab a pike around the gill plate, I thought it was sharp? Do you keep space between your palm and the edge of the area you are grabbing? I've seen videos but never tried myself

>>2824556
basically this. i started 2 weeks ago and i've been catching panfish and cichlids with my ugly stik every time i go out

>>2824573
Yep, it's really that simple. The bar for catching fish is about as low as it gets in terms of skill. Hell you can go even lower if you swap your rod for a minnow trap. Minnows still count as fish and you're still catching them, so you're fishing. It's only when you decide to catch specific fish of specific sizes that things start to get complicated.

The best fishermen around are filipinos using gear from the local asian grocery. You need to ask yourself why you are trying to fish. Do you just want a zen hobby that gives you free food, or do you want an excuse to play with trucks, trailers and fancy bass boats, to hang out with buddies.
Like any hobby worth doing, you can spend a fortune doing it with all the best toys or do it nearly for free. Just depends on what kind of person you are. Best bet is to research your local area and but a cheap setup and go from there.

>>2824677
>zen hobby
Fuck, I'm tangled again! Let me spend half an hour fixing it.
Fuck, tangle. Gotta fix it. Give me ten more minutes.
Man, fish just aren't biting today, huh?
FUCK, it got my worm!!
Ah fuck me! More moss.
FUCK! LINE SNAPPED! FUCKING FISHING

>finally catch one after five hours of swearing
>can't eat it because the lake is polluted

>>2824683
lol well there is a certain zen in making sense of a little piece of chaos you created

>>2824683
more like
>cant eat it because it's legally a bycatch

>>2823408
Rays are like dragging a log back to shore. They become a kite that you have to pull through the water. Heavy line and a heavy rod help. If you're asking what do you do when you get it back to shore, flip it on it's back and step on the tail to retrieve your hook and then kick it back into the water. Gently, like a soccer ball not punting an American football. This is, of course, assuming you're wearing shoes.

>>2822295
As a kid I started with a simple telescopic rod with a fixed line and a bag of stale bread, worked like a charm.

>>2822295
If you don't catch any fish you can eat the shrimp

>>2822389
terrible advice. i have a Daiwa Fagmaster 2000 and half the time when I cast it, the line snarls into a series of loops and goes around my dick and jerks me off. absolutely garbage reel, not for beginners

>>2822942
I had a whole response written out but I’m phone posting and it went away.
If “rig” means rod and reel: 6-7’ medium light or medium is ideal, but it doesn’t really matter. If “rig” means tackle then the tried and true jig and bait/plastic is my favorite. Cast 30-50 ft out, let it hit bottom, twitch/bounce it off the bottom as you slowly retrieve. Works best from boat, canoe, kayak or pier. Can be used effectively from shore especially around sundown when they feed in the shallows.

>>2822460
>Capitalism is totally eating shit anon!
>no I don't actually understand economics but that sounds neat to say in Starbucks

>>2822291 (OP)
never ask advice from someone trying to sell you shit. im oldfag so i had no internet and had to gather my info from magazines, its was still kinda commercialised but they gave honest ish rewiews of stuff and lots of general tips. i still use that rod i bought based these mags 25 years ago. but its really not that hard, go to a gas station, buy the starter pack they have, upgrade as needed. usually gas stations sell telescopic rods and they can be really good, i have only had good experiences with them. reels are questionable but replace it when it fail.

I am an incel loser who barely goes outside except for the core basics (food). I enjoy playing fishing minigames. Is real life fishing as good as the minigames, especially when I get to enjoy looking at the water and just the sudden randomness of trying to reel it in?

>>2825585
Real fishing is waaaay better than videogame fishing.

Rods have different ratings based on the size of the line meant to be used and the action of the rod (where it bends, how stiff it is). A light rod might snap trying fling a heavy lure and a heavy rod wouldn't be able to load up enough power (like how a bow loads up energy to fire an arrow) to fling a light lure far. rod length for distance.
there's a million hooks for different size fish you might be targeting and the bait you intend to use.
different color lures and shapes are more attractive to certain fish.
Of course all this taken into account by fishing autists. The average fishing experience is a general purpose rod setup and whatever bait you jam on your hook.

>>2825585
>im an incel loser who barely goes outside
yeah you sound like you'd fit in well here

>>2822295
no you have to buy a pistol and silencer to take care of game warden types too

How come if I go fish on a dock in the ocean I catch like 20 fish every time but if I fish in freshwater I only catch like 1 if I am lucky? Do I just suck at using lures or are there just way less freshwater fish

>>2822291 (OP)
It's genuinely designed that way to discourage people from one of the oldest sports in the world.

I was absolutely love fishing. But I don't even bother taking my poles out of Texas. I live in Texas and know the fishing laws by the literally 15ish page book. As much as I would love to catch a trout in Colorado or New Mexico or Utah or Wyoming, it's just not worth it to me to pay their out of state licence and especially learn all their local laws. If I was a much richer man I would pay for a guide.

>>2829169
From my understanding freshwater fish are more picky, while the ocean ones are opportunists.

>>2829169
if you can see the fish the fish can see you.
Most freshwater is clear as fuck and fish very much have the ability to look up.
Most freshwater fishing is off a bank, rock and even a kayak.
Salt water is similar but the water is murky. The fish cant see you.
I remember i went fishing with my dad and he saw three big reds near the boat. He cast near them and they swam away. The water was pretty clear that day too.

If you can see the fish, the fish can see you.

>>2829171
fresh water trout natural occurs in the rio grande now.
They kept restocking it with rainbow until the rainbow just eventually started breeding enough to where they didnt need to restock.
There's also some rainbow in the rio frio.

>>2822291 (OP)
>anon has fishing lvl 1
Buy level 1 equipment: Barbie fishing rod and bits of bread and baloney. Fish in the level 1 fishing area (freshwater lake) where bluegill swim.

>>2822291 (OP)
Fishing is actually retardly easy to get into. Buy a cheap spinner rod or push button rod, buy some jigs with artificial worms and some crank lures, some hooks of various sizes, weights of various sizes, bobbers, and bait. Do a little research on spots and regulations and have a license. That's it, you're set for about 80% of all freshwater fishing in north America.

And contrary to popular belief, you can easily catch trout in small mountain streams and rivers on a normal spinner rod with light tackle, you don't *need* a fly rod. I've caught trout in the same habitat with both types of rods.

Pic related for fellow AZ anons.

>>2822324
Bullshit. I fished for years for both kind using the same rod and reel.

>>2829959
yeah that nigga is retarded. catfish and bluegill are probably the no 1 and 2 species caught by children on spider man and barbie rods