New to freshwater fishing

[Gorgoth]

Well a bit background on my fishing. I have been fishing in the ocean since I was a child. We fish with wire all done by hand. It was how my family has always done it. Now Im trying to get into freshwater fishing. I picked up a basic pole at the nearest sports store and Im not sure what to look for in the lake,river, stream. Always what do freshwater fish like as far as bait?
I don't want to eat. I just want to take weight and a photo. All for sport. Please let me know I would love to get into this sport more. Also more from the banks then in a boat. But all info would be great.

Thanks!
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[davetclown]

from shore or off a dock, you are looking at primarily, Bass, catfish, gills, pike and trout if you hit the streams.

pick up your self a couple mephs spinners or rooster tails of different sizes, soft plastic worms or curly tails and a jitter bug or two, watermellon and black will sufice for start ups.

go with about a six pound test if you like to play them, or go with an 8 if you want to horse them in.

target just off the weed beds or fallen trees or near parked boats along shore. Bass like to hang out around the prop side, usualy there are small holes from where the guys rev up the motor to keep the props from beating the ground during heavy wind storms.

dont forget to take digital camera, we love to see what you catch, we dont need to know your secreat hole locations.

[Barnacles]

Davetclown nailed the basics. The only thing I want to add is if the locations you are fishing allow live bait, pick up a box of nightcrawlers. Generally, almost every game fish in the freshwater U.S. will eat a worm. It's THE most universal bait I can think of and should help you get a better idea of what might be lurking in the water your fishing.
happy fishing
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[TyeDyeTwins]

I am from Utah so maybe this will help maybe it won't...Where are you fishing at (state) if I may ask?

If you are in a lake fishing for trout I would say start at the inlets and outlets.

The way to nail big fish is by catching a minnow at the body of water and sinking it to the bottom. You can catch the minnow by setting a minnow trap filled with crackers. Check and see if you can use them alive, in Utah you cannot.

In utah a popular spinner that I and many others swear by is the Blue Fox brand spinner in Gold, usually in size #2. Another great one for warm water species in Utah is the Roostertail in Gold blade, green body, and yellow tail.

It always helps to add a nightcrawler to the spinner too. The best bait for the most variety of fish is nightcrawlers. Corn is great for trout but in Utah it is illegal so I have not tried it but it was very popular back in the good old days.

For trout you should also try powerbait (I like rainbow) and a worm/marshmallow combination.

When ice fishing season hits give a waxworm on a jig a try and sometimes a mealworm on a jig works well too. This works well on trouts, yellow perch, bluegill, black crappie and kokenee salmon in Utah.

For fly fishing it helps to turn over a rock and see what is there and tie a fly on the spot that mimics it. Follow the hatches. You can sometimes ask you local fly shops about what is hatching.

Remember you can always rent books from the library that have tons of tons of info.
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