Fishing

Fish

Every fish, crab and other catch, the water it lives in and how big it grows. Typical is the weight most catches come in near; the record is the heaviest the species can reach. Put your bait or lure inside the depth range, at the level the fish feeds.

Species	Water	Depth from	Depth to	Feeds at	Typical	Record	Best water temp	Value
Black Crappie	Fresh	3 ft	26 ft	Mid-water	882 lb	4,409 lb	68 °F	8
Blue Catfish	Fresh, Brackish	10 ft	131 ft	Bottom	11,023 lb	99,208 lb	75 °F	80
Blue Crab	Brackish, Salt	0 ft	49 ft	Bottom	551 lb	1,102 lb	68 °F	10
Blue Marlin	Salt	98 ft	820 ft	Mid-water	330,693 lb	1,322,774 lb	77 °F	320
Bluegill	Fresh, Brackish	1 ft	16 ft	Mid-water	331 lb	3,307 lb	77 °F	5
Bream	Fresh	7 ft	39 ft	Bottom	3,307 lb	13,228 lb	70 °F	10
Brown Trout	Fresh	2 ft	59 ft	Any depth	2,646 lb	26,455 lb	54 °F	26
Cod	Salt	98 ft	656 ft	Bottom	13,228 lb	88,185 lb	46 °F	70
Common Carp	Fresh, Brackish	3 ft	39 ft	Bottom	11,023 lb	66,139 lb	73 °F	30
Common Roach	Fresh	2 ft	20 ft	Mid-water	661 lb	3,307 lb	64 °F	4
Common Rudd	Fresh	0 ft	10 ft	Surface	661 lb	3,307 lb	68 °F	5
Dungeness Crab	Salt	16 ft	197 ft	Bottom	2,205 lb	3,968 lb	52 °F	40
Eel	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	3 ft	66 ft	Bottom	2,205 lb	11,023 lb	68 °F	35
Flounder	Brackish, Salt	3 ft	131 ft	Bottom	2,646 lb	17,637 lb	59 °F	24
Freshwater Shrimp	Fresh, Brackish	0 ft	16 ft	Bottom	110 lb	265 lb	72 °F	5
Giant Bluefin	Salt	131 ft	1,312 ft	Mid-water	440,925 lb	1,499,143 lb	61 °F	420
Haddock	Salt	82 ft	492 ft	Bottom	4,409 lb	22,046 lb	48 °F	34
Herring	Brackish, Salt	0 ft	66 ft	Mid-water	441 lb	1,323 lb	55 °F	4
King Crab	Salt	197 ft	984 ft	Bottom	8,818 lb	24,251 lb	41 °F	150
Largemouth Bass	Fresh, Brackish	2 ft	33 ft	Any depth	2,646 lb	22,046 lb	77 °F	28
Lobster	Salt	16 ft	197 ft	Bottom	2,646 lb	19,842 lb	61 °F	70
Longnose Gar	Fresh, Brackish	0 ft	20 ft	Surface	8,818 lb	39,683 lb	79 °F	30
Mackerel	Salt	0 ft	98 ft	Mid-water	1,543 lb	4,409 lb	59 °F	9
Mako Shark	Salt	66 ft	984 ft	Mid-water	220,462 lb	1,102,311 lb	66 °F	260
Minnow	Fresh, Brackish	0 ft	13 ft	Mid-water	17.6 lb	44.1 lb	64 °F	2
Muskellunge	Fresh	7 ft	52 ft	Mid-water	17,637 lb	66,139 lb	68 °F	120
Pollock	Salt	33 ft	394 ft	Mid-water	6,614 lb	33,069 lb	52 °F	30
Rainbow Trout	Fresh	0 ft	39 ft	Any depth	2,205 lb	17,637 lb	55 °F	22
Salmon	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	3 ft	66 ft	Mid-water	11,023 lb	55,116 lb	54 °F	70
Sea Turtle	Salt	16 ft	328 ft	Mid-water	242,508 lb	396,832 lb	72 °F	180
Smallmouth Bass	Fresh	3 ft	39 ft	Mid-water	1,543 lb	9,921 lb	70 °F	22
Snapping Turtle	Fresh, Brackish	2 ft	20 ft	Bottom	15,432 lb	44,092 lb	75 °F	90
Squid	Salt	16 ft	984 ft	Mid-water	1,764 lb	26,455 lb	55 °F	40
Stone Crab	Salt	7 ft	98 ft	Bottom	882 lb	1,543 lb	61 °F	22
Striped Bass	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	3 ft	66 ft	Mid-water	8,818 lb	55,116 lb	66 °F	45
Tench	Fresh	5 ft	26 ft	Bottom	3,968 lb	15,432 lb	72 °F	16
White Crappie	Fresh	3 ft	20 ft	Mid-water	772 lb	3,968 lb	68 °F	6
Yellow Perch	Fresh	3 ft	33 ft	Mid-water	551 lb	3,307 lb	70 °F	7
Yellowfin Tuna	Salt	66 ft	820 ft	Mid-water	66,139 lb	396,832 lb	70 °F	220

A fish is most active near its best water temperature and bites less the further the water is from it. Deep water is colder than the surface.

Baits, lures and the fight

What each species takes best and how it behaves on the line. The strike window is how long you have to set the hook after the take. Pull is the hardest the fish can pull, as a multiple of its own weight.

Species	Best bait	Best lure	Retrieve	Most active	Hook size	Strike window	Pull	Fight	Needs wire leader	Line-shy
Black Crappie	Live bait, Maggots	Soft plastic, Jig	Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.8 s	x0.5	Long runs	No	No
Blue Catfish	Cut bait, Live bait	Jig	Jigging	Night	Large	1.5 s	x0.8	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Blue Crab	Shellfish, Cut bait			Night	Small	2 s	x0.3	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Blue Marlin	Live bait	Trolling Lure	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Big game	1.8 s	x1.4	Jumps	No	No
Bluegill	Worms, Insects, Maggots	Dry fly, Nymph	Drifting	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Small	0.6 s	x0.6	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Bream	Worms, Dough, Maggots			Dawn, Dusk	Small	1.4 s	x0.45	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Brown Trout	Worms, Live bait, Insects	Streamer, Spinner, Nymph	Drifting, Stop and go	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.6 s	x1	Dogged, stays deep	No	Yes
Cod	Cut bait, Squid, Shellfish	Jig	Jigging	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Large	1 s	x0.6	Dives for the bottom	No	No
Common Carp	Corn, Dough			Dawn, Dusk	Small	1.8 s	x0.9	Long runs	No	Yes
Common Roach	Maggots, Dough	Nymph	Drifting	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.7 s	x0.55	Long runs	No	No
Common Rudd	Maggots, Dough, Insects	Dry fly	Drifting	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Small	0.65 s	x0.55	Long runs	No	No
Dungeness Crab	Cut bait, Shellfish, Squid			Night	Small	2 s	x0.4	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Eel	Worms, Cut bait			Night	Medium	1.2 s	x0.8	Rolls and twists	No	No
Flounder	Worms, Shellfish, Cut bait	Soft plastic	Jigging, Stop and go	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Medium	1.3 s	x0.6	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Freshwater Shrimp	Dough, Shellfish			Night	Small	1.8 s	x0.2	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Giant Bluefin	Live bait, Squid	Trolling Lure	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Big game	0.9 s	x1.5	Long runs	No	Yes
Haddock	Shellfish, Squid, Worms	Jig	Jigging	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Small	0.9 s	x0.6	Dives for the bottom	No	No
Herring	Maggots, Shellfish	Jig	Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.6 s	x0.6	Long runs	No	No
King Crab	Cut bait, Squid, Shellfish			Night	Small	2 s	x0.45	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Largemouth Bass	Live bait	Soft plastic, Crankbait, Jig	Twitching, Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Large	0.8 s	x0.9	Jumps	No	No
Lobster	Cut bait, Shellfish, Squid			Night	Small	2 s	x0.4	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Longnose Gar	Live bait, Cut bait	Soft plastic, Streamer, Spoon	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Day, Dusk	Large	1.5 s	x0.8	Rolls and twists	Yes	No
Mackerel	Cut bait, Squid, Live bait	Jig, Spoon, Spinner	Steady retrieve, Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.5 s	x1.2	Long runs	No	No
Mako Shark	Cut bait, Live bait	Trolling Lure	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Big game	1 s	x1.3	Jumps	Yes	No
Minnow	Maggots, Dough, Worms			Dawn, Day, Dusk	Small	0.5 s	x0.3	Long runs	No	No
Muskellunge	Live bait	Crankbait, Spoon	Stop and go, Twitching	Dawn, Dusk	Large	0.9 s	x1	Rolls and twists	Yes	No
Pollock	Cut bait, Squid, Live bait	Jig, Soft plastic	Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.8 s	x0.7	Dives for the bottom	No	No
Rainbow Trout	Roe, Insects, Worms	Dry fly, Nymph, Spinner	Drifting, Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.55 s	x1	Jumps	No	Yes
Salmon	Roe, Live bait, Worms	Spoon, Spinner, Streamer	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.7 s	x1.2	Long runs	No	No
Sea Turtle	Shellfish, Squid			Dawn, Day, Dusk	Large	1.5 s	x0.4	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Smallmouth Bass	Live bait, Leeches, Worms	Jig, Soft plastic, Crankbait	Jigging, Twitching	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.7 s	x1.1	Jumps	No	No
Snapping Turtle	Cut Bait			Dusk, Night	Large	1.5 s	x0.5	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Squid	Live bait, Cut bait	Jig	Jigging	Night	Small	1.2 s	x0.5	Dives for the bottom	No	No
Stone Crab	Shellfish, Cut bait, Squid			Night	Small	2 s	x0.35	Slow, heavy pull	No	No
Striped Bass	Live bait, Cut bait, Squid	Crankbait, Popper, Soft plastic	Steady retrieve, Twitching	Dawn, Dusk	Medium	0.8 s	x1	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Tench	Worms, Corn, Dough			Dawn, Dusk	Small	1.6 s	x0.8	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
White Crappie	Live bait, Maggots	Soft plastic, Jig	Jigging	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.8 s	x0.5	Long runs	No	No
Yellow Perch	Worms, Live bait, Maggots	Spinner, Soft plastic	Steady retrieve, Twitching	Dawn, Dusk	Small	0.8 s	x0.6	Dogged, stays deep	No	No
Yellowfin Tuna	Live bait, Squid, Cut bait	Trolling lure, Jig	Steady retrieve	Dawn, Dusk	Big game	0.7 s	x1.5	Long runs	No	Yes

A species with no lure listed is caught on bait only.

Fish with teeth bite through ordinary line, so use a wire leader. Line-shy fish bite less when they can see the line, so use thin line or a fluorocarbon leader.

Rods

Each rod's length, the line it is built for, the lure weights it casts well and the farthest it can cast. Heavier line can go on a rod, but then the rod is the weak point and snaps at its breaking load.

Rod	Length	Line rating	Breaks at	Lure from	Lure to	Action	Longest cast	Rigs	Takes a reel
Cane Pole	11.8 ft	6 lb	9.6 lb	0.04 oz	0.35 oz	Slow	23 ft	Float	No
Fly Rod	8.9 ft	6 lb	9.6 lb	0 oz	0.14 oz	Moderate	85 ft	Fly	Yes
Match Rod	12.8 ft	6 lb	9.6 lb	0.07 oz	0.53 oz	Fast	138 ft	Float, Bottom	Yes
Telescopic Rod	6.9 ft	8 lb	12.8 lb	0.18 oz	0.71 oz	Moderate	105 ft	Float, Bottom, Lure	Yes
Spinning Rod	7.9 ft	12 lb	19.2 lb	0.25 oz	0.99 oz	Fast	164 ft	Float, Bottom, Lure	Yes
Surf Caster	12.8 ft	25 lb	40 lb	2.1 oz	5.3 oz	Moderate	295 ft	Bottom, Lure	Yes
Deep-Sea Rod	5.9 ft	80 lb	128 lb	3.5 oz	17.6 oz	Slow	98 ft	Bottom, Lure	Yes

A fast action shows bites clearly; a slow action bends deeper and soaks up a fish's lunges.

Reels

Drag is the most braking force a reel can put on a running fish. Capacity is measured with the line strength shown: thinner line fits more, and braid fits about twice as much.

Reel	Max drag	Gear ratio	Line per turn	Capacity	Of line	Drag smoothness
Fly Reel	4.4 lb	1	0.9 ft	361 ft	20 lb	70%
Stock Spinning Reel	6.6 lb	5	2 ft	394 ft	8 lb	55%
Ultralight Reel	6.6 lb	5.2	2.2 ft	492 ft	6 lb	80%
Bottle Handline	8.8 lb	1	0.8 ft	197 ft	10 lb	35%
Spinning Reel	13.2 lb	5.2	2.6 ft	656 ft	10 lb	80%
Baitcasting Reel	15.4 lb	7.1	2.6 ft	492 ft	15 lb	85%
Surf Reel	26.5 lb	4.9	3.2 ft	984 ft	20 lb	75%
Lever-Drag Reel	52.9 lb	4.2	3.4 ft	1,969 ft	80 lb	95%

A rough drag jerks when it starts to slip, which can snap light line.

Lines and leaders

Line strength as rated, and what it really holds once it is knotted. Stretch cushions a lunging fish but hides light bites. Visibility is how easily wary fish see the line. Abrasion resistance is how well it survives rock and pilings.

Line	Use	Material	Strength	Holds	Length	Stretch	Visibility	Abrasion resistance
4 lb Mono	Main line	Monofilament	4 lb	3.7 lb	492 ft	25%	50%	50%
Twisted Twine	Main line	Twine	5 lb	3.6 lb	98 ft	15%	85%	35%
Sinew Line	Main line	Sinew	7 lb	5.3 lb	66 ft	30%	70%	30%
Line Spool	Main line	Monofilament	8 lb	7.4 lb	492 ft	25%	50%	50%
12 lb Mono	Main line	Monofilament	12 lb	11 lb	656 ft	25%	50%	50%
20 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	20 lb	16.4 lb	492 ft	4%	90%	30%
Fly Line	Main line	Fly Line	20 lb	18 lb	98 ft	10%	60%	40%
25 lb Mono	Main line	Monofilament	25 lb	23 lb	820 ft	25%	50%	50%
50 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	50 lb	41 lb	984 ft	4%	90%	30%
80 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	80 lb	65.6 lb	1,640 ft	4%	90%	30%
Fluoro Leader	Leader	Fluorocarbon	15 lb	12.9 lb		18%	15%	80%
Wire Leader	Leader	Wire	40 lb	36 lb		2%	100%	100%

Hooks

A hook must match the size of the fish's mouth. Hold is how well the hook stays in during the fight; the strike window multiplier makes the time you have to set the hook longer or shorter.

Hook	Size	Hold	Strike window	Sets itself
Size 12 Hooks	Small	65%	x1	No
Fish Hooks	Medium	80%	x1	No
Bone Hooks	Medium	55%	x0.8	No
Bent-Nail Hooks	Medium	45%	x0.75	No
Circle Hooks	Large	100%	x1.25	Yes
Game Hooks	Big game	100%	x1	No

A hook falls out after 2.8 seconds of slack line, so keep the line tight.

You can lift a fish of up to 4.9 lb by hand and slide one of up to 20 lb onto a beach. A landing net holds up to 49 lb; anything heavier needs a gaff.

Floats and sinkers

A float holds the bait at a set depth and shows the bite; a sinker takes the bait down and holds it on the bottom. Bottom hold matters in current and surf.

Item	Type	Deepest setting	Bite clarity	Weight	Sink rate	Bottom hold
Cork & Quill Float	Float	8.2 ft	80%
Clip-on Bobber	Float	9.8 ft	60%
Waggler	Float	13.1 ft	100%
Sliding Float	Float	39.4 ft	85%
Split Shot	Sinker			0.07 oz	0.8 ft/s	10%
Egg Sinker	Sinker			0.53 oz	2.6 ft/s	50%
Scrap Lead Weight	Sinker			0.88 oz	3 ft/s	60%
Pyramid Sinker	Sinker			3.5 oz	4.6 ft/s	100%

Natural baits

Bait is used up when a fish takes it and washes off the hook after a number of casts. The last column lists the species that like each kind of bait best.

Bait	Counts as	Smallest hook	Lasts	Scent trail	Best for
Canned Corn	Corn	Small	5 casts	No	Common CarpTench
Corn Cob	Corn	Small	5 casts	No	Common CarpTench
Cut Bait	Cut Bait	Large	3 casts	Yes	Blue CatfishCodDungeness CrabKing CrabLobsterMackerel
Dough Bait	Dough	Small	2 casts	No	Common CarpFreshwater ShrimpBreamCommon RoachCommon RuddMinnow
Beetle Grubs	Insects	Small	3 casts	No	BluegillRainbow Trout
Crickets	Insects	Small	2 casts	No	BluegillRainbow Trout
Leeches	Leeches	Medium	5 casts	No	Smallmouth Bass
Herring	Live bait	Large	6 casts	No	Black CrappieBlue MarlinGiant BluefinLargemouth BassLongnose GarMako Shark
Minnow	Live bait	Medium	6 casts	No	Black CrappieBlue MarlinGiant BluefinLargemouth BassLongnose GarMako Shark
Maggots	Maggots	Small	3 casts	No	Common RoachCommon RuddMinnowBream
Fish Roe	Roe	Small	2 casts	No	Rainbow TroutSalmon
Shellfish Bait	Shellfish	Medium	3 casts	Yes	Blue CrabDungeness CrabHaddockLobsterSea TurtleStone Crab
Squid Strip	Squid	Large	6 casts	Yes	CodKing CrabPollockDungeness CrabHaddockMackerel
Earthworms	Worms	Small	4 casts	No	BluegillBreamBrown TroutEelFlounderTench
Nightcrawlers	Worms	Medium	4 casts	No	BluegillBreamBrown TroutEelFlounderTench

A bare hook still gets 18% of the bites that a baited one does.

Lures and flies

Lures are reusable until a snapped line or a snag takes them. Running depth is how deep the lure swims on a steady retrieve; a lure with a sink rate can be counted down to the depth you want. Flies need a fly rod.

Lure	Type	Weight	Running depth	Sink rate	Built for	Fly	Best for
Inline Spinner	Spinner	0.25 oz	3.9 ft	1.6 ft/s	Steady retrieve	No	Rainbow TroutBrown TroutSalmon
Soft Plastic Grub	Soft plastic	0.35 oz		1.3 ft/s	Twitching	No	Largemouth BassSmallmouth BassBlack CrappiePollockStriped BassWhite Crappie
Crankbait	Crankbait	0.42 oz	8.2 ft		Steady retrieve	No	MuskellungeLargemouth BassSmallmouth BassStriped Bass
Feather Jig	Jig	0.42 oz		2 ft/s	Jigging	No	CodMackerelPollockSmallmouth BassSquidLargemouth Bass
Popper Lure	Popper	0.49 oz			Twitching	No	Largemouth BassStriped Bass
Spoon Lure	Spoon	0.53 oz	6.6 ft	2.3 ft/s	Stop and go	No	MackerelSalmon
Metal Jig	Jig	1.4 oz		4.9 ft/s	Jigging	No	CodMackerelPollockSmallmouth BassSquidLargemouth Bass
Trolling Lure	Trolling Lure	4.2 oz	9.8 ft		Steady retrieve	No	Blue MarlinYellowfin Tuna
Dry Flies	Dry fly	0.01 oz			Drifting	Yes	Rainbow Trout
Nymphs	Nymph	0.02 oz		0.7 ft/s	Drifting	Yes	Rainbow Trout
Streamers	Streamer	0.05 oz		1 ft/s	Stop and go	Yes	Brown TroutSalmon

A lure worked through the water finds hunting fish x1.6 as fast as a still bait.

Traps and set lines

Gear you set, leave and come back to. Soak time is how long it takes to fill; after that, part of the catch escapes every extra hour. Baits are listed best first.

Gear	Most set at once	Soak time	Holds	Water	Depth from	Depth to	Bait	Night catch	Lost per extra hour
Funnel Trap	3	2 h	5	Fresh, Brackish	1 ft	13 ft	Dough, Corn, Worms, Cut bait		20%
Crab Trap	3	3 h	6	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	3 ft	197 ft	Shellfish, Squid, Cut bait, Fish guts		12%
Bank Line	4	4 h	1	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	2 ft	39 ft	Live bait, Cut bait, Worms, Dough	x1.5	15%
Trotline	2	6 h	6	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	3 ft	82 ft	Live bait, Cut bait, Leeches, Worms	x1.6	8%
Weir Stakes	1	8 h	10	Fresh	1 ft	5 ft	None needed		5%

Set gear left unchecked for 36 hours goes stale.

Kinds of water

The kinds of water you can fish, how deep and how warm they run and how many species live in each. Surface temperature is the usual range before weather and time of day; the deep temperature is what you find far below.

Water	Salinity	Deepest	Surface from	Surface to	Deep water	Strongest current	Species
Ponds and small water	Fresh	13 ft	68 °F	68 °F	63 °F		13
Creeks	Fresh	11 ft	52 °F	52 °F	50 °F	70%	5
Rivers	Fresh	13 ft	61 °F	68 °F	57 °F	50%	17
Lakes	Fresh, Brackish	148 ft	66 °F	75 °F	55 °F		21
Reservoirs	Fresh	62 ft	64 °F	64 °F	50 °F		17
Estuaries	Brackish	10 ft	66 °F	66 °F	64 °F	30%	8
Harbors	Salt	92 ft	64 °F	64 °F	55 °F		7
Piers and docks	Brackish, Salt	98 ft	57 °F	75 °F	52 °F		22
Bays	Salt	184 ft	57 °F	64 °F	52 °F		11
Open coast and ocean	Salt	2,625 ft	57 °F	63 °F	46 °F		19

Fish stocks are real: a water that is fished hard gives fewer and smaller fish until it recovers. A released fish survives 90% of the time.

Stocks regrow fastest in the spawning season: x1.5 in spring, x1.1 in summer, x0.9 in autumn, x0.5 in winter.

Current pushes light rigs downstream, so use a sinker with good bottom hold in rivers and surf.

Weather and the bite

How the weather changes how often fish bite. A value above 1 means more bites than on a neutral day.

Fish also feed harder at dawn and dusk, around a steady or slowly falling barometer, and at night under a full moon.

A catch is graded by its weight against the species' range: Average from the top 75%, Good from the top 50%, Trophy from the top 28%, Record from the top 10%.

A caught fish spoils on a timer. A cooler makes it last x1.4 as long and a cooler with ice x3 as long; one ice pack chills 6 fish.