🎣 Stuff Every Angler Should Know: Training Guide

Why licenses matter

A fishing license is not just a ticket. The money you pay goes to your state wildlife agency. The agency uses it to manage fish populations, protect habitat, and teach people to fish.

The federal Sport Fish Restoration program also helps. Taxes on fishing tackle and motorboat fuel pay for it. The money goes to state fish and wildlife agencies for fishery projects, boating access, and aquatic education.

When you need a license

Some states offer free fishing days when no license is needed. Those days only waive the license. Size limits, season dates, and gear rules still apply.

Most of the time you do not need a state license to fish a private pond. The landowner sets the rules, so ask first.

In Florida, young people under 16 do not need a recreational saltwater or freshwater fishing license. Many other states have different age cutoffs.

In Florida, you need a license just to try to catch fish, even if you plan to release every fish. Casting a line or baiting a hook counts, unless you are exempt.

Size and bag limits

Florida measures some fish by fork length, from the jaw to the fork of the tail. Cobia, amberjack, and king mackerel use fork length. Red drum and snook use total length with the tail pinched.

Texas has a statewide minimum length of 14 inches for largemouth bass. Young bass need time to grow. Check the lake you fish because special rules can differ.

In Texas, the possession limit is generally twice the daily bag limit. Daily bag is what you may keep in one day. Possession is what you may have in total at any time.

Knots for different jobs

The Palomar knot starts with about 6 inches of line folded over. You pass the doubled line through the hook eye. This doubled line makes the knot strong.

The clinch knot uses five or six wraps of the tag end around the standing line. Leave at least 6 inches of tag end so you have room to work. Moistening the knot helps it seat when you pull it tight.

The double uni knot joins two lines together. For braided line, use eight wraps per side because braid is slick. For monofilament, fewer wraps are enough.

A Rapala knot makes a non-slip loop at the lure. The small loop lets the lure move more naturally instead of cinching tight to the eye.

The arbor knot anchors line to the reel spool when you spool a new reel. Avoid it for braid unless your spool is non-slip.

A bobber stopper knot sits on the main line. It stops the bobber from sliding up past the depth you want.

Hook parts and sizes

A hook has several parts. The barb is the backward point that keeps a fish from slipping off. The eye is the small loop where you tie your line. Other parts include the point, bend, shank and gap.

Hook sizes count down from 32 to 1, then switch to aught sizes like 1/0. In the aught sizes, a 2/0 is bigger than a 1/0. Size 32 is the smallest hook.

Big fish need big hooks. A 9/0 hook is a large aught size suited to deep-sea fish like yellowfin tuna.

Take Me Fishing calls the J-shaped bait hook the most popular hook for beginners. It works well with live bait.

Fishing line basics

Monofilament line stretches, which helps absorb shocks from a fish's sudden runs. It can also develop memory and keep the curve of the spool.

Braided line has almost no stretch, so you feel every nudge. It is strong for its diameter but not see-through, so anglers often add a clear leader.

Fluorocarbon is hard for fish to see underwater and resists scrapes from rocks and teeth. It is a common leader material and sometimes a main line.

Bobbers, sinkers and bait

A bobber floats and keeps your baited hook at the depth you choose. When it dips or moves, a fish may be biting.

A sinker adds weight so your bait drops to where fish are feeding. A single split shot may be enough to reach the bottom.

Natural bait is real food such as worms, leeches, minnows, crayfish, and crickets. Lures are man-made imitations.

Bass identification

A largemouth bass has a very big mouth. Its upper jaw extends past the eye, and it usually has a dark band of blotches from eye to tail.

A smallmouth bass has a jaw that reaches only about the middle of the eye. It has bronze streaks on the cheek and is more often found in rocky habitat and rivers.

Sunfish and catfish

A bluegill has a dark blue flap on the rear edge of the gill cover. This ear flap is a quick clue.

A pumpkinseed sunfish looks like a bluegill but has a bright orange spot at the tip of the ear flap. That orange spot helps tell them apart.

Channel catfish mostly feed at night. They use taste and smell to find food after dark, so night fishing often works well.

A catfish's whiskers, called barbels, are covered with taste sensors. They help the fish find food in muddy water.

Pike, walleye and behavior

A northern pike has light spots on a dark body. A muskie has the reverse: dark spots or bars on a light background.

Walleye eyes gather light well, so they hunt best in low light. Dawn and dusk are good times to try.

In the daytime, largemouth bass hide under lily pads or in shade. They ambush prey from cover and seldom go deeper than 20 feet.

Wisconsin notes that largemouth bass fishing is best when water is between 55 and 75 degrees F.

Hooks that help release

A circle hook has a point that curves inward. It usually catches fish in the lip or corner of the mouth instead of deep inside.

Barbless hooks have no backward barb, so they slide out quickly. That means less injury and less time out of water for a released fish.

Handling fish safely

Before touching a fish you plan to release, wet your hands. Dry hands can remove the fish's protective slime. Handle the fish as little as possible and avoid its eyes and gills.

Keep the fish out of water for no longer than you can hold your breath. Aim for under a minute. Fish cannot breathe air.

When you lift a heavy fish for a photo, support its weight along the body. Do not hang it from the jaw, which can injure organs.

To revive a tired fish, face it into the current. Moving water pushes oxygen across its gills and helps it recover before swimming off.

Warm water and deep water

A fish pulled up fast from deep water can get barotrauma, a gas buildup that keeps it from swimming down. A descender device sends the fish back to depth quickly.

Released trout die much more often when water is above 70 degrees F. Warm water holds less oxygen. Some wildlife managers note 68 degrees as a stress point.

Stop invasive species

In Minnesota, unwanted bait must go in the trash, not in the water. Releasing bait animals or plants into Minnesota waters is illegal.

In Minnesota, it is illegal to transport caught fish in water. Water can carry tiny invasive animals and plants, so drain containers before leaving.

Michigan says to dry boats and gear for five days before launching in another water body. Hitchhiking plants, mussels, and eggs can survive on damp gear.

If you catch a known invasive fish, never put it back in the water. Releasing it can let it keep breeding and harming native species. Check your state's rules for how to report or dispose of it.

Identify crabs and know which to keep

In Puget Sound, only male Dungeness crab may be kept. If you catch a female, release her immediately so she can help the population.

A crab with a soft, flexible shell has recently molted. Puget Sound rules require you to release soft-shelled crabs so they can harden and grow.

The minimum size for male Dungeness crab in Puget Sound is 6 1/4 inches. Measure across the shell inside the outer points, not to the tips. A crab caliper gives the most accurate reading.

Flip a crab over to check its abdominal flap. Females have a wider flap than males. In Puget Sound, only males may be kept.

A red rock crab has a reddish body and black tips on its claws. In Puget Sound Marine Area 10, you may keep six red rock crab of either sex at 5 inches or larger.

Puget Sound limits and catch record cards

In Puget Sound Marine Area 10, the daily Dungeness limit is five males at least 6.25 inches. Limits can differ by marine area, so check the area you fish.

Washington crabbers hold a crab catch record card. You must report the card after the season, even if you caught no crab. Missing the report adds a $10 penalty to next year's license.

In Puget Sound, crabbers of any age need a Dungeness crab endorsement and catch record card. A regular fishing license is required at age 16 and older.

Washington's coastal crab area does not require a crab catch record card. The coastal area covers marine areas 1 to 3 and part of Marine Area 4.

Washington crab gear rules

Every Washington crab pot must have a biodegradable rot cord. A rot cord breaks down over time, so a lost pot stops catching crabs. As an option, an escape panel sewn shut with rot cord is also legal.

Washington crab buoys must be half red and half white. Each buoy must show the owner's first and last name and permanent address.

In Puget Sound, each person may fish two units of crab gear. One pot, ring net, or star trap counts as one unit. Each unattended unit needs its own buoy line and buoy.

Washington crab pots need two escape rings in the upper half. They let undersize crabs leave. Most areas require rings at least 4 1/4 inches inside diameter.

In Washington marine areas 1 to 13, you may not set or pull crab pots from a boat from one hour after sunset to one hour before sunrise. All gear must be removed on closed days.

Bait, legal tools, and other state crabbing rules

WDFW lists fish carcasses, clams, and squid as best crab baits in Puget Sound. Place bait so the crab must enter the trap. You may not use any hand tool that pierces the shell.

A recreational crab pot used in Washington must not exceed 13 cubic feet in size. Since some pots sold in the state may not meet this rule, measure yours before you use it.

In Florida, each person may take 10 gallons of whole blue crab per day. You may not harvest egg-bearing blue crabs. Recreational traps must be pulled manually and only during daylight, with a limit of five traps per person.

Texas has no daily bag limit for recreational blue crab. You may not possess egg-bearing sponge crabs. The minimum length is 5 inches from spine tip to spine tip.

Water and weather safety

Ocean tides are very long waves caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and sun. High tides usually come about 12 hours and 25 minutes apart.

Spring tides, with the highest highs and lowest lows, happen at new moon and full moon. The sun and moon line up and their pulls add together.

If a rip current catches you, do not fight it. Swim parallel to the shore, then angle back to land. Rip currents are narrow but can move faster than an Olympic swimmer.

Cold shock can be just as severe in 50 to 60 degree water as in 35 degree water. Sudden immersion can trigger gasping and rapid breathing.

Nearly 85 percent of boating drowning victims were not wearing a life jacket. Boaters must carry a Coast Guard approved life jacket for every person on board.

Sun and hook safety

CDC recommends a broad-spectrum sunscreen with SPF 15 or higher. UV rays can reach you on cloudy and cool days, especially near water.

A fishhook stuck in the eye is a medical emergency. Have the person lie down and keep the eye still. Cover the eye with a cup that does not touch the hook, and go to the emergency room right away. Keep electrician's pliers with a wire-cutting blade in your tackle box in case you need to cut a hook.

After removing a shallow fishhook, wash the wound and cover it loosely with a sterile dressing. Watch for signs of infection. Closing it with tape can raise infection risk.

Shellfish biotoxins and closures

Before a Washington razor clam beach opens, the state health department requires two toxin test samples seven to ten days apart with domoic acid below the guideline level. Digs can be postponed if toxin levels rise.

Washington has a recorded biotoxin hotline at 1-800-562-5632. Check it and the Shellfish Safety Map on the day you harvest. Cooking does not destroy marine biotoxins, and freezing does not help.

Touching a shellfish to your tongue is not a reliable toxin test and is very risky. Shellfish are not automatically safe in months with the letter R. Toxins can occur in any month.

Clear water does not mean shellfish are safe. Toxins can occur in crystal clear water. In crab, toxins tend to build up in the gut and yellow-white fat, so clean crab well and skip those parts.

Butter clams can hold biotoxins for months or years after a toxic algae bloom. Washington says recreational scallop harvesting is never safe from biotoxins, even when other shellfish are open.

An early sign of paralytic shellfish poisoning is tingling of the lips and tongue. Symptoms can begin within minutes or take one to two hours. Severe cases can cause breathing trouble, so call 911.

Safe handling and eating seafood

To keep a crab catch fresh, WDFW advises using towels soaked in seawater with ice on top. Do not submerge crabs in unaerated water, because they can use up the oxygen and die.

Most vibriosis cases come from eating raw or undercooked fish or shellfish. Some Vibrio can also infect wounds through seawater. People with liver disease, diabetes, or weak immune systems are at higher risk.

Cook shellfish to an internal temperature of at least 145 degrees F for 15 seconds to destroy Vibrio. Shells opening does not mean they are done; they need to cook longer.

Fresh shellfish in the shell should be stored in an open container in the fridge with a damp towel on top. Never store shellfish in water. If a raw clam stays open when tapped, throw it away.

Most seafood should be cooked to an internal temperature of 145 degrees F. On a day above 90 degrees F, do not leave cooked seafood out for more than one hour. Otherwise, limit to two hours.

Swordfish is on the FDA's highest mercury list and should be avoided. Children should eat two servings a week from the FDA's Best Choices list, using palm-sized portions.