How To: Fish

This is a step by step tutorial on How To Fish!
Covering evertthing from hooking your worm to getting the hook out of the fish.


By Malarie Miller and Haley Spieth

Stick the barbed end of the hook into the end of the worm so that it passes all the way through. Pick a spot about half a centimeter from one end of the worm. Too close to the worm's head, and he might be able to wiggle away from the hook. Take care not to hook your hand as the hook passes through the worm's body - don't press directly down onto the hook's point through the worm, as thing could cause an injury.

Push the worm to the top of the hook. Slide the worm up the hook in the same way you would slide a bracelet up your arm. Position the speared worm so that it's just below the hook's knot. To further secure the worm, some fishermen tie the short end of the speared worm to the fishing line with a simple knot called a half hitch . To perform a half hitch knot, loop the fishing line around your worm, passing the line through the loop. Tighten to secure the worm to the line.

Face the target area with body turned at a slight angle, about a quarter turn. Aim the rod tip toward the target, about level with your eyes.

Press and hold down the reel's release button.

Swiftly and smoothly, bend your arm at the elbow, raising your hand with the rod until it almost reaches eye level. When the rod is almost straight up and down, it will be bent back by the weight of the practice plug. As the rod bends, move your forearm forward with a slight wrist movement.

Next, gently sweep the rod forward, causing the rod to bend with the motion.

As the rod moves in front of you, reaching eye level, about the 10 o'clock position, release your thumb from the button.

 

The whole point of fishing is to go out and catch a fish, but how do you know when you've caught one?

The bobber will naturally sit and move with the current of the wate;  however when it dips down into the water, you potentially have a bite. Normally, fish will bite at the worm a few times before eating it. Once the fish has been "hooked" the bobber will sink into the water and start moving around underneath the surface.

Once you've hooked a fish, take the handle of the fishing pole and wind it backwards until your fish and bobber have come out of the water. Continue to reel in until your bobber has reached the end of your fishing pole.

Grab your fish in one hand, and the end of the hook with the other and simply pull the hook out.

However, if your fish has swallowed the hook, you have three options.
1. Grab the line and rip the hook up and out of the fish.
2. Cut the fishing line and remove the hook when preparing the fish.
3. If you are throwing back the fish or keeping it for a purpose other than eating, you may be able to cut away a small piece of flesh and remove the hook.
     If not,sadly there is probably nothing to do about it and you must let it go like that.