Today I decided to visit the neighborhood pond for about an hour before picking up my son from school. I was hoping for a relaxing time while practicing a few skills.

As I parked next to the pond, I realized I had left my tackle box at home. I thought, "No problem, I'll just use what's already tied to my two rods." After a few casts, my new spinnerbait flew off into the water. Turns out my knot wasn't strong enough. I thought, "No big deal, I'll just use the Texas-rigged tube on the other rod." A few casts later, I realized my line was badly tangled, with several coils stuck under the spool. Since I didn't have my tools, I couldn't cut my braided main line, so I decided to take the spool off and remove the pieces of line stuck under it. While I was working on this, I dropped a metal disc and a tiny plastic washer into the water.

So much for a relaxing hour: I left to pick up my son with no fish, one less spinnerbait, and a reel missing two parts!

First year of fishing in the books. (I’ll probably squeeze a few more in)

Lots of info on here that helped me.

Mostly pond fishing Chicago suburbs. Sometimes other places.

Shoutout everyone.

I started fishing this year, mostly while hiking long trails. Weight is a priority and hair jigs give you some of the bulk of other lures without almost any weight at all. They're also a fair bit more durable so I need to bring less. This little guy is supposed to look at least a bit like a bluntnose minnow, with a stripe of red added for blood effect. Weedless was a priority for me, plan to drop shot or use a bullet weight.

For those who regularly fish from the bank, what's one mistake you see beginners make all the time?

Is it choosing the wrong spot, ignoring wind direction, using the wrong bait, or something else?

I'm interested in learning what actually makes the biggest difference when fishing from shore.

Would love to hear your experiences.

I used to think I just suck at fishing or just can't feel bites but on my last fishing trip, my uncle lent me his rod and I immediately began feeling bites and catching way more fish. For context, this day and in this spot fish were biting like crazy and my uncle and I were both using crankbaits but I didn't catch a single one till I swapped to his pole. I'm now certain I was getting bites but not setting the hook since I couldn't feel the bite. Now I'm left wondering why my pole isn't letting me feel bites.

My main combo is a 7' Abu Garcia Veritas with a Shakespeare Agility reel with 8lb fluorocarbon line. I usually throw crankbaits and chatterbaits with it.

Is it my rod being too stiff or somethint? Is it something with my line? Is it my reel sucking? I'm really confused and I'm going on a fishing trip tomorrow and really don't want to get skunked. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. I have other poles, reels, and am willing to go pick something up if all my other stuff sucks. I just really don't know what I'm doing wrong.

Hello everyone! I just recently started fishing this past weekend after having been wanting to for like 15 years (21) I’ve been fishing like 5 times and I’ve yet to catch anything :( any tips or setups I should try? I’ve attached my tackle box and I have a shimano symetre with a 20lb green braid

Hi FishingForBeginners folks!

I was given this lure and I have no idea what it is/does. My best guess is that it's a lipless crank bait? It's pretty thin though.

Would love to know what it is and suggestions on using it!

*SOLVED - Thank you for everyone who helped me with this question!

Currently fishing with this spincast reel. It seems to be working well for me catching bass and bluegill, and an occasional catfish. I don’t have a boat, so I am only fishing from the bank on mostly ponds, with some lakes and rivers.

I fished as a kid with my dad. I’m now in my 40’s and getting back into it. Having some fun with it, and using it to blow off a little steam, if not in a productive way, at least in a non-destructive way.

I will admit that I am intimidated by spinning reels and terrified of baitcasters and the dreaded birdsnest. Am I missing out? Is a spincaster an acceptable way for an adult to fish, or do I need to upgrade? There are always a few other people fishing where I go, and I only see children with my reel.

Went out today after longnose gar and bowfin, and had great success. However, one of the bowfin I caught took a circle hook through the eye and I never want this to happen again.

Tackle: 40 pound braid, 20 pound leader, 2/0 circle hook tied with a "standard" knot (cannot remember the name, but a basic beginner knot), not a snell knot. Was using cut bait under a float. Hook was nicked through the meat with the barb and gap exposed.

I know circle hooks are meant to to be reeled down on, and not set, so thats what I did. Could it have been unfortunate timing on the set, or am I doing something wrong?

Fish swam off, and I am taking solace in the fact that he was caught and released unlike most other dipshits in my area who toss them on the bank.

TLDR: circle hooks through the eye, reeled down to set, what did I do wrong?

How does this look? PowerBait Ripple Shad on a jighead. Never tried using jighead swimbaits before. Hoping to go for some mackerel and even schoolie stripers maybe, and anything else. might even try in fresh water if that would work too?

Whats the best budget low pro baitcaster in your opinion and why

I got two zebco 202 combos in simi valley ca. Whose ready to fish and needs gear. Please only comment if its your first set up or yours is currently not working. Kids or adult it dont matter I know times are rough. I got both rigged and ready to cast. We can meet at rancho duck park or the simi hills golf course. Pick up also available.

Just want to vent. One thing that's fun about fishing is you can always find new and exciting ways to eat shit. I was casting a new Deadly Dick spoon into the lake. I had been casting for about 10 minutes when a seadoo came blasting from the other side of the bay and ran over my line. In about five seconds my line was all the way down to the backing where it broke off at the double uni knot.

What really bothers me is leaving about 100 meters of braid in the water.

Thanks for letting me share.

So I got into fishing about almost 2 months ago and ive been gathering knowledge from fishermen at piers, bridges, everywhere you can fish from by foot (dont have a boat) and I hear often how people want to catch these 3 fish (Red Fish, Snook, Tarpon) they always show up to the convo or people usually say things like "i got a red" or "got a snook" its never i got a flounder or a Mangrove Snapper, this made me very interested in catching one, so i started looking into it, watching YouTube videos, reading things here on this page, asking other fishermen etc, i became obsessed with these specific 3 fish (my first night fishing i hooked the king himself and lost him as he jumped out the water) so last night finally, with a 7 inch white shrimp and bbk 4/0 hook i got the snook... im not religious or a believer for that matter but somehow when I felt the bite and I saw my rod bend and my reel scream and I told my fishing buddy with all the confidence in the world, "Grab the net, thats a snook" i pulled him out of the pylons at the pier, it was a great fight but the moment it went to the pylons I figured I was gonna lose but I was determined to keep trying so I closed my drag completely and boy can they pull, pulled it out, dragged it to the drop net, measured it, removed hooked, kissed it, bonk it, bleed it, fillet it, marinate it, pan fry it and ate it and it was delicious, what i felt there when I finally got it, I haven't felt that excitement and adrenaline in who knows how long, fishing is great.

So, my in-law's propterty backs up to a river and I occassionally try to fish from it. I told my wife my concern was that I would catch a pike and not know how to safely release it. Anyway, I was outback this weekend tossing around a rooster tail and landed a pike. I had pliars but I could not get to the lure. They were just a touch too short. Ultimately, I cut what I could and let it go with the lure still in its jaw.

Both my wife and FIL were shocked at my story, and even more so at my photo. So my question is, if I'm fishing in water where toothy fish might reside, what should I have with me for both my and the fish's safety?

So I’ve been fishing for bout 7 months, started out fishing stocked trout on things like trout magnet and tube jigs. After, I started fishing this local lake that’s very pressured. I caught 2lb bass off trout magnet and after that never got a bite on my jig again. I switched to a night crawler on a Texas rig and started smacking these bass left and right which is awesome But it almost feels cheating. Any advice?

UNCONDITIONED WATER GOT ADDED TO FISH TANK AND NEED TO ADD CONDITIONER. CANT CHANGE WATER IM ONLY KID AND MY PARENTS DONT ALLOW AND Aren't LISTENING. WILL ADDING CONDITIONER BASED ON CORRECT DOSAGE TO TANK WHILE FISH ARE IN IT KILL MY FISH? PLEASE ANSWER FAST.