# First time freshwater fishing



## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

This Saturday I'm going freshwater fishing for the first time. I'm going to my friends canal that connects to Blackwater Bay/River. I want to know what size hook i should use and what i should set my tension to on a 10lb. test line.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

so... what are you fishing for?


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## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

My friend says the can usually has crappie, blue gill, striped bass, and occasionally catfish.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

For crappie, bluegill, and all other bream I generally fish with a small cork 2 BB sized split shots and a size 8 gold hook. It may look small, but you will catch a lot more fish. Personally I use a cane pole or bream buster to bream fish, but I have used rod and reel with 10 lb or less line and caught plenty of them. For catfish it really depends on the size of the fish you are targeting and the type of bait. Most people that use chicken liver as bait use a treble hook, but I feel like I catch more fish using a J-hook. I generally use 2/0 - 4/0 hook which seems to work well for most baits whether they are live, dead or just cut bait. If you use too small of a hook the catfish will get off, but too big of one will keep a lot of cats away. You really need to experiment with a few different sizes and see what you are the most comfortable with. As for striped bass I can offer no advice as I have never caught or targeted them. Well hope I can help some. Good luck! :thumbsup:


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## SLICK75 (Sep 4, 2010)

With 10lb line, you can probably max your drag out. Generally set your drag for 3/4 of your line strength. But I doubt youll see much out there that will pull hard enough to break 10 lb line unless it gets wrapped up on something.


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## REDFISH KING (May 9, 2009)

_Good luck, post some pics when you catch some ...._


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## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

just got my freshwater license and I'm gonna go pick up my freshwater gear tomorrow


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

good luck bud :thumbsup:


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## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

Lol ok I've got everything I need for casting out with live bait, but when i was putting some new line on my pole (just realized my line was frayed) I remembered that I have no freshwater lures. Does anyone have any recommendations? Plus I'm in a Canal so I know I can't us anything too big.


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## SLICK75 (Sep 4, 2010)

Zoom redbug, watermelon seed, or junebug finesse worms with a 1/0 hook and 1/8 oz bullet weight. 7" Berkley Powerbait black w/ chartreuse tail rigged with a 1/0 hook and either 1/8 - 1/4 oz bullet weight.
Black and yellow or chartreuse Snagless Sally spinner bait with a twin-tail trailer worm. Theres also several good crankbaits out there but thats not my cup of tea, I hate treble hooks.


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## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

I have my tackle box ready. My poles are set. I have my coffee can full of night crawlers. Now... I wait.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

Good luck :-D


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## Geoffrey (Aug 7, 2010)

Well not a very good time. My brother showed up 2 hours late then it took him another hour to get ready which dropped my time to an hour and a half. So then while we're there we see plenty of small fish which means there must be big fish nearby, but nor even a nibble the whole time. So i think it may have had something to do with the bait worms i was using but i know the bigger fish were out there because I could hear and see the water splashing when we left. Had to go though because the horse flies were suddenly all over us. So I attribute my main problems to not being very experienced and my brother.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

That stinks. Bad timing I guess. Damn biting flies...


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## SLICK75 (Sep 4, 2010)

Dont let it spoil you. Theres always good days and bad days. Next time you go youre liable to load the truck with fish. If I gave up after my bad days I wouldve sold every rod I own. As it is, I just have to go fish them out of a pond occasionally.


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## -WiRtH- (Feb 24, 2009)

I totally agree. Theres good days in fishing and theres bad days in fishing. I've had myself quite a bit of bad days. At least you didn't end up in the emergency room. My bad days of fishing end that way periodically...


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