8 Tips for Success on Your First Freshwater Fishing Trip

Fishing is quite a complicated sport to learn as there are a lot of moving gear parts to manage. Rigging your gear, casting the rod and hopefully, hooking and landing a fish are all things that will most likely feel a little foreign when you’re first starting out.

The key to having a successful first fishing trip is having fun and enjoying your time on the water. By following our simple tips below, you can mitigate things like tangles which can get frustrating, catch a fish in no time, have a great time, and want to do it all again the next day. 

1. Make Sure Your Fishing Gear Is Ready For Action 

Having been a fishing guide for most of my life, I can tell you that most of the disasters that happen on the water come from poor preparation. 

Make sure that you take the time before your trip to ensure all the line is on the reel correctly so that it doesn’t tangle, learn a few knots to tie on your lure or hook with like the improved clinch knot, and practise setting up your rod, reel, and lure before you get to the water. 

This may all sound simple, but if all your fishing gear works on the water, you’ll have eliminated moments which might lead to losing a fish or spending time on the bank unravelling tangles of line. 

2. Pack The Right Things For Your Trip

Fish can be fussy creatures, and the bait or lure you first start using on the water might not appeal to them, so you’ll need some variety. The tools to help you change lures can even help you land a fish. Plus, you’re probably going to be outside all day long, so packing for the weather conditions is a must if you’re going to be safe and warm out on the river or lake. 

The first thing you’ll need is a backpack for fishing gear. Make sure it’s water-resistant or waterproof. Be sure to put in some extra baits, lures, or hooks. You’ll also need some spare leader line, nippers to cut the line with, a hat, sun cream, a waterproof jacket, and any extra layers you might need, depending on the weather. 

3. Pick An Easy Fishing Spot 

I mentioned earlier that the key to success on your first fishing trip is to have fun. There’s no better way to do that than catching a fish. When choosing where to fish for your first time, pick a relatively easy spot with a lot of fish in it to improve your chances of success. 

There’s a term in fishing: The tug is the drug – meaning it’s that feeling of being connected to a fish pulling line off your rod that makes fishing so addictive. There’s nothing quite like it. If you can experience this on day 1, then you’ll be back on the water no time. 

4. Buy A Fishing License 

There are very few places in the world where you can fish without a license, and the penalties are expensive. Make sure to buy a license before you go fishing, and follow the rules that come with it. Some waters might have a catch limit, advise the use of specific angling techniques only, or be catch and release only. 

The money from your license fees goes towards protecting and conserving the area you’re fishing in, so you’re doing a great thing by buying one. 

5. Go With A Fishing Guide 

I would highly recommend booking a fishing guide for your first freshwater fishing trip. Guides spend all their time on the water and will know it like the back of their hand. This not only drastically increases your chances of catching a fish, but you’ll also learn a lot too. 

Having a guide on hand gives you access to everything you need to know about fishing in a given area. They will take you through how to cast, correct your casting throughout the day, teach you knots, make sure you’re fishing with the right bait or lure, and they’re great company too. 

6. Polarized Sunglasses Are A Must 

Wearing sunglasses is a must simply from a safety point of view. When you’re casting a lure with 1 or 6 hooks attached to it, especially as a beginner, you’re never too sure where it’s going to go. Wearing sunglasses protects your eyes from any mishaps. 

Because you’re wearing sunglasses, make sure they’re polarized. Polarized sunglasses cut the glare of the water’s surface, allowing you to see through it. This means you can see exactly what is going on and will be able to spot fish swimming freely if the water is clear, see fish coming to eat your bait, and manage them better when hooked up. 

7. Let Fish Run 

Something I often see as a fishing guide with people who are new to fishing is that a lot lose fish because they don’t let them run. When you hook a fish you have to let it swim away when it wants to, or 99% of the time, it will break your line. 

Now, this goes against every bone in your body as the natural reaction is to get the fish to hand as soon as possible. But, to land a fish you have to let it swim away while keeping tension on the line, this tires the fish out; you can then wind it in without breaking the line.

8. Best Practices 

Most fishermen are conservationists as much as they are anglers, and they have probably seen the areas they fish in decline over their lifetime. 

I would highly recommend catch and release fishing to preserve the fish stocks. If you want a fish for dinner, just pick one or two and not everything you catch. 

If you’re catch and release fishing, how you handle and photograph your fish has a huge impact on their survival rate. Fish are tired after fighting, and by following best practices, you’ll increase their chance of survival largely.