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I've only been fishing for a little over a month. My young kids wanted to so finally bought some rods, hit the internet to learn, and we're obsessed. OK, rather I'm obsessed lol, but my kids love it nearly as much. It's great to spend time with them and a blast when they catch one. So what I've learned in this short time...

Step one is to get a license for where you fish! Buy online and you can fish your whole state. Next equipment.

Most of the cheap rods I bought for the kids broke already :(. So I've resorted to buying gear that I'd personally find useful and will hold up. I replaced one with an ugly stick dock runner. Only $15, dinky but it's super strong so my 5 year old won't break it. I use it for bluegill (small fish) but it also held up great when I unwittingly hooked a decent bass! It's a spinning reel which is more prone to tangles. Unfortunately I also spend a lot of time untangling my 5 year old's reel. Alternatively you can get the dock demon spincast which is less prone to tangles.

I'm mentioning these rods because I'm kinda guessing your daughter is young if you want her to fish too but it's still appropriate for an adult to use. Full size ugly stick combos (rod & reel) are around $50 if you're will to spend that much for something super durable. Otherwise you can spend $25 for any combo at a sporting goods store and be able to catch fish no prob. Most popular is medium-fast action 6ft-7ft probably.

Easiest way to start catching fish is exactly what' you'd think, hook and a worm. I'm a fan of jig heads so you don't have to deal with a weight (weight is attached to hook). The improved clinch knot is seems to be the most popular way to tie the hook (but there are other knots). Grab some night crawlers - gas stations, convenient stores, grocery stores will have them by you (I'm in Chicago area so assuming it's the same). Just look for a live bait sign. Cut a small piece of the worm (maybe in half or quarters), stick it on the hook, give it a few wraps then hook it again, cast it (or just drop it from where you're standing), wait for that bobber to move, lift up to set the hook and reel it in. Take care unhooking it and go for that next one! It should be easy to find bluegill in shallow areas or right off of docks next to pillings (he uses slim jims in that video). You don't have to get up at the butt crack of dawn either for these small fish and can basically go whenever. They'll magically steal bait of the hook but be persistent and you'll hook one. Oh you might want to bring small scissors and needle nose pliers as well. Not necessary but sure makes things easier when you have to retie a hook or unhook a fish.

This is how we got into fishing because it's just a thrill to catch a fish no matter how small. If you enjoy it you'll probably want to catch bigger or different fish. Each fish has different behaviors so generally you'd target one species, learn what it eats and lives, then fish for it. Largemouth bass is the most popular but of course there's tons of fish out there all with different challenges.

As for places obviously you have Lake Michigan. I've personally never fished it and to be clear my suggestion comes from small lake or pond experience so might be more applicable there. They are everywhere around here though! I literally load up google maps, look for bodies of water, and bam, never realized there are dozens of places to fish within 10min or less. I'm sure it's the same for you.

Youtubers I've been enjoying so far Catfish and Carp, Hey Skipper, KickinTheirBassTV, Flukemaster, TacticalBassin, & just today discovered 1Rod1Reelfishing (probably one of the biggest ?).

Good luck. Even if it doesn't turn into a new hobby, you can spend $30 and have the thrill of catching a fish. Totally worth it.

I've done some trout fishing but am certainly not a trout expert and don't know anything about PA fishing (I've only trout fished in WI/IA or the rockies). My first step would be to find a good local fishing store (always the #1 fishing resource) and ask what's working or google fishing reports for where you'll be (either like DNR reports or online forums).

On my spinning reel I usually use a 4 lb fluorocarbon leader that's 2-4 feet long, and am either using powerbait trout bait (either yellow/tan or orange) on a small hook or using little spinners (like mepps or panther martin, with black and gold or silver/white patterns being my staples).

I suck at flyfishing but sometimes flies are hard to beat. There are a couple ways to use flies without a full flyfishing setup:

• On a spinning reel, by tying a fly onto a long fluorocarbon or tippet leader. You'll need a clear casting bobber to add weight/help cast.
  
• Using a tenkara rod (you can sometimes find good deals on tenkara kits for less than $100) or a rod like this - tenkara rod are pretty much just long flyfishing poles with no reel (and thus a limited cast distance), but are much less expensive and more easy to use.
  
  Waders are personal preference - you can also usually fish from the bank, or depending on water temp just stand in the water with swim trunks and keens. And you can keep fish on a stringer, in a creel bag, or even just toss it on the bank if you're going to clean it soon.

Can you describe the dam and where you will be fishing more? First off id like to start with there are almost no cardinal rules. There are preferred methods, but nothing in fishing is black and white or 100%. Fishing that spot below the dam should be treated like fishing any other type of water in my opinion. Do you know what kind of fish might inhabit these waters? Without a picture, and just guessing there's going to be 3 "parts" of the water in front of you. There will be the turbulent part, probably the deepest where the water is crashing into the spillway. Then there will be a deep section after this that's kind of like a pool, and after that the water probably shallows out and turns into a river or stream. Its always advisable to fish with the current. This simulates bait fish being washed through or swimming downstream which is what most ambush predators will be waiting on. Its the most natural presentation. However you can absolutely fish against the current and catch fish. There's pros and cons to both. Fishing with the stream, like i said appears the most natural, however there's a higher chance of getting stuck because the water will be pushing your bait into and under debris and rocks. it will also be more difficult with lures and spinners to achieve the correct action because you'll have to reel pretty quickly to overcome the current. Opposite, if your going against the current you can almost let your lure or spinner sit in the current suspended without reeling because the moving water will be doing most of the work for you. Id focus on that 2nd part of the water id described. The part after the turbulent water, the pool area. That's where most things will be sitting in wait for bait fish. Fish up, fish down, fish across it. Honestly, and i might be a little biased because its not my preferred method, but a jigging here may not be your best bet. If it were me, id be throwing Spinners, spoons, A Crank Bait or Jerk bait in there. I think the water situation here works against a jig. a Paddle Tail Swim Bait with a little weight might do awesome here. Id be simulating bait fish while trying to reduce my chances of getting hung up. All this being said though is based on me picturing your situation as being somewhat similar to this

Nothing much to add, but if you're using that kind of tackle box, open it, get the thing you want out of it, then CLOSE THAT BOX. Do NOT leave it open!

While open, if you bump it in the slightest, it will tip over and dump all your stuff everywhere.

At the very least, don't store sinkers/weights on the top shelf.


I hate those tiered shelf boxes. I live on the coast and the thrift stores are full of them.


I like a canvas type bag with separate Plano boxes like this.

Oh, and a nice long hemostat is extra handy for deep hook removals and other stuff, like squeezing split weights onto your line.

If you're in an area that cares about the legal size o'fish, you'll need a tape measure.

Also, a couple of washcloths/rags, to clean your hands or help hold spiny nasty fish. Usually the thing I most regret forgetting to bring is a rag.

And if the fish finally start biting at sunset, you will soon want a small flashlight.

It's unlikely you'll need to bring your extra reel, unless you have a good reason like switching to a different line strength.

I see you have a fillet knife, but a crappy SHARP folding knife that you don't really care if you lose is handy for bait/line cutting etc.

A tube of super glue is great for ensuring your braided line knots won't become undone. Just a dot on the knot. I sometimes think braid is made of teflon or something, the way the knots just slip open if I don't put a dot of superglue on the knot.

I would avoid the multi tool idea as your main tool. When you really need it you will be too busy to open all the bits. Separate crappy tools are way better. A LONG needle nose plier or hemostat, sharp crappy knife, decent flashlight, kitchen chicken-cutting scissors, stuff like that.

I've fished for decades, but I still find those "top 10 Fishing Knot How-To" cards helpful, when I have to re-rig my rigs that have been lost snagged in the rocks.

Hey Josh, I'd guess you're in the UK.

While you can get pretty much any fish with some line and a hook, there are different practices and equipment according to where you are.

The kit you linked is for carp. It's a fascinating practice, but for me is somewhat passive: you lay your rig and wait for a bite, you don't do much because carp is easily spooked.

You can start with a VERY basic kit and have lots of fun in lakes and rivers. I'd buy a 6' to 7' telescopic rod with a 2000-3000 series reel, some 6 lb to 10 lb line and an assortment of hooks, weights and lures. This shouldn't cost more than GBP 50.

Take a look at this video for reference: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MXuEMPMMvpI. Here are a couple other channels from the UK you can get tons of info from. And the odd one with great info but I find Graeme difficult to tolerate.

Here is just an example of a "good enough" kit that only needs more variety in lures/bobbers/etc for $10. You can get lower prices too. But by all means support your local fishing shop, they know their stuff and many act as clubs organizing expeditions if you'd like to find like-minded people.

The strange thing is I have a popper that weighs just barely noticeable than the one in the jig pictures above. It casts great! I can cast out like 50ft. Haven't had much luck with that one just yet. I end up going places boats cant; weeds and low water depth.)

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Anyways, I just bought a few things:

I got some braided line (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B07B4549TS) for the baitcaster. Sorry for the colors, but I'm an IT guy, so RBG colors when available. :D But I'm going to do a 20 lbs. monofilament leader that I have on hand. Hopefully that will help with smoother casts. I am still working on my casting technique. My eyes have been opened in that regard and I'm going to practice skipping, overhead, etc, more this weekend.

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Picked up this spinner (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00F0KMLI4) Mostly, tbh, it matches my baitcaster :D. I'm going to put 20 lbs monofilament on this. Again, I have some on hand.

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Not relevant, but I also grabbed this fish finder (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00MARDOCW) If I cant manage with this setup, than I'll admit I'm doing something wrong :P But the idea is I can throw out the transducer/bobber with the rod not currently being used.

My dad uses speed clips. He takes a while to tie a knot so these help him get onto the water faster. There are a couple of different types of speed clips, but these are the ones he likes the best. Smaller is better

You've got too much hardware on there. You want to tie your line directly to the hook. You're using a swimbait there, and the only really effective way to fish a swimbait in grass and remain mostly weedless is with a weighted swimbait hook... like these...

https://www.amazon.com/Berkley-Fusion19-Weight-Swimbait-Hooks/dp/B012MCUI1Y/ref=sr_1_7?keywords=weighted+swimbait+hooks&qid=1566933103&s=gateway&sr=8-7

You screw the wire into the front of the head, then rig the hook like you have it in the picture. The weight on the hook helps the baits swim upright. The weighted swimbait hook is really versatile, allowing you to fish it slowly to keep it near the bottom or even jig it up and down. I've even put it on a Zoom Ultravibe Speed Craw and reeled it fast across the top of the water like a buzzbait.

I would also recommend using a jig head built for swimbaits, like these...

https://www.amazon.com/Reaction-Tackle-Swimbait-Swing-Heads/dp/B07L2G6SKF/ref=sxin_1_ac_d_rm?ac_md=4-4-YmFzcyBqaWcgaGVhZHM%3D-ac_d_rm&keywords=jig%2Bheads&pd_rd_i=B01MYGZR0P&pd_rd_r=2653de38-18e0-40df-a3b5-c3e6b3fc4335&pd_rd_w=gCoOq&pd_rd_wg=ElmVW&pf_rd_p=404c4843-2c96-4d0d-a5fe-2b0598693e61&pf_rd_r=6HEAEV4H8WXM3QB165KP&qid=1566933271&s=gateway&th=1

These are pretty weedless, too, but over time, the push of grass against the nose of the bait will pull the bait down the hook shank. Not a deal-breaker, just something to be aware of. You can use standard jig-heads, but as the hook is exposed at the top of the bait, you won't be even close to weedless.