Fishing
Everything we know about catching fish, organized the way you actually need it on the bank: what it is, what to tie, what to throw, and when.
Fishing rewards observation more than equipment.
The angler who notices the wind pushing bait into a corner, the temperature break at the creek mouth, or the mayfly hatch starting at dusk will out-fish someone with twice the tackle every single time. These guides teach that habit of noticing — then give you the specific knots, lures, and techniques to act on it.
The fishing library
Identify what you caught, tie a connection that holds, and pick the lure the conditions are asking for.
Start hereIdentify the fish in your hand — body shape, fin placement, mouth position, and markings for 30+ North American gamefish.
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The twelve knots that cover every line-to-hook, line-to-leader, and loop connection you will ever need, with step-by-step tying sequences.
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Crankbaits, spinners, jigs, soft plastics, topwater, and flies — matched to water temperature, clarity, depth, and season.
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Pick your region, fresh or salt, clarity, temperature and depth — get the species you can target and the exact lures to throw, with the reasoning.
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Reading water, timing the bite, presentation fixes, backcountry fishing, and the habits that separate a full stringer from a blank day.
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Six fundamentals that decide whether you catch fish — the rig you carry, the water you read, the lure you tie on, and the season you are fishing into.
A 6'6" to 7' medium-power spinning rod with a 2500-size reel covers trout, bass, walleye, panfish, and light inshore fishing. Spool 10 lb braid for sensitivity and casting distance, then add a fluorocarbon leader for abrasion resistance and low visibility. Baitcasting gear earns its place later, when you are throwing heavier lures with accuracy.
Fish hold where current, structure, and food intersect: seams behind boulders, drop-offs at creek mouths, weed edges, laydowns, and wind-blown banks that stack plankton and baitfish. Spend the first five minutes at any new spot watching the surface and the shoreline instead of casting blind.
Cold or clear water asks for smaller, natural, slower presentations — jigs, finesse plastics, and suspending jerkbaits. Warm or stained water rewards bigger profiles with vibration and flash: spinnerbaits, crankbaits, and topwater at dawn and dusk. Depth first, speed second, profile third.
Learn four and you are covered for life: the Palomar for terminal connections, the improved clinch for mono and fluorocarbon, the double uni or FG for braid-to-leader, and the loop knot for jerkbaits and streamers that need free movement. Wet every knot before you cinch it, and re-tie after each fish.
Spring pushes fish shallow to spawn in warming coves. Summer splits them between low-light shallow feeding and deep, oxygenated structure at midday. Fall triggers heavy feeding as bait schools migrate. Winter concentrates fish in deep, stable water where slow vertical presentations win.
Every US state and Canadian province requires a license above a set age, and slot limits, seasons, and gear rules vary by water body. If you are releasing fish, keep them wet, support the body horizontally, pinch barbs, and skip the long photo session in warm water when survival rates drop.
Field gallery
Tap any frame for the full photograph — species markings, lure profiles, and the water types they belong to.
On the water
Settle these in order and most days sort themselves out.
Depth
Where in the water column are the fish holding? Everything else follows from this. Surface, mid-column, or bottom decides your entire lure category.
Speed
Cold water means slow; warm water lets you cover ground. When in doubt, slow down — far more fish are lost to a bait moving too fast than too slow.
Profile
Match the size and silhouette of the dominant forage. In stained water, go bigger and louder; in gin-clear water, go smaller and more natural.
Connection
The strongest rod in the world is irrelevant if your knot slips. See the fishing knots guide.
If you are fishing away from home, run the water through the AI Trip Planner — it pulls the destination, weather window, and a packing list, and you can save the whole thing to My Basecamp. Pair it with the meal planner if you intend to cook your catch in camp.
Questions
Top 10 lists
Ranked picks with real product photos, specs, and editor notes — the buying side of everything covered in these guides.
Bass, walleye, trout, and panfish rods ranked on feel.
See the ranking →Jig, crank, and heavy-cover rods by blank and taper.
See the ranking →Drag smoothness, line management, and long-haul gears.
See the ranking →Brake systems, backlash control, and drag under load.
See the ranking →Also on The Wild10
Same field-tested approach, applied to game species, rifles, shotguns, and bows — from scouting through meat care.
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