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	1 m	8 m	Mid-water	0.4 kg	2 kg	20 °C	8
Blue Catfish	Fresh, Brackish	3 m	40 m	Bottom	5 kg	45 kg	24 °C	80
Blue Crab	Brackish, Salt	0 m	15 m	Bottom	0.25 kg	0.5 kg	20 °C	10
Blue Marlin	Salt	30 m	250 m	Mid-water	150 kg	600 kg	25 °C	320
Bream	Fresh	2 m	12 m	Bottom	1.5 kg	6 kg	21 °C	10
Brown Trout	Fresh	0.5 m	18 m	Any depth	1.2 kg	12 kg	12 °C	26
Cod	Salt	30 m	200 m	Bottom	6 kg	40 kg	8 °C	70
Common Carp	Fresh, Brackish	1 m	12 m	Bottom	5 kg	30 kg	23 °C	30
Common Roach	Fresh	0.5 m	6 m	Mid-water	0.3 kg	1.5 kg	18 °C	4
Common Rudd	Fresh	0 m	3 m	Surface	0.3 kg	1.5 kg	20 °C	5
Dungeness Crab	Salt	5 m	60 m	Bottom	1 kg	1.8 kg	11 °C	40
Eel	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	1 m	20 m	Bottom	1 kg	5 kg	20 °C	35
Flounder	Brackish, Salt	1 m	40 m	Bottom	1.2 kg	8 kg	15 °C	24
Freshwater Shrimp	Fresh, Brackish	0 m	5 m	Bottom	0.05 kg	0.12 kg	22 °C	5
Giant Bluefin	Salt	40 m	400 m	Mid-water	200 kg	680 kg	16 °C	420
Haddock	Salt	25 m	150 m	Bottom	2 kg	10 kg	9 °C	34
Herring	Brackish, Salt	0 m	20 m	Mid-water	0.2 kg	0.6 kg	13 °C	4
King Crab	Salt	60 m	300 m	Bottom	4 kg	11 kg	5 °C	150
Lobster	Salt	5 m	60 m	Bottom	1.2 kg	9 kg	16 °C	70
Longnose Gar	Fresh, Brackish	0 m	6 m	Surface	4 kg	18 kg	26 °C	30
Mackerel	Salt	0 m	30 m	Mid-water	0.7 kg	2 kg	15 °C	9
Mako Shark	Salt	20 m	300 m	Mid-water	100 kg	500 kg	19 °C	260
Minnow	Fresh, Brackish	0 m	4 m	Mid-water	0.01 kg	0.02 kg	18 °C	2
Muskellunge	Fresh	2 m	16 m	Mid-water	8 kg	30 kg	20 °C	120
Pollock	Salt	10 m	120 m	Mid-water	3 kg	15 kg	11 °C	30
Rainbow Trout	Fresh	0 m	12 m	Any depth	1 kg	8 kg	13 °C	22
Salmon	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	1 m	20 m	Mid-water	5 kg	25 kg	12 °C	70
Sea Turtle	Salt	5 m	100 m	Mid-water	110 kg	180 kg	22 °C	180
Snapping Turtle	Fresh, Brackish	0.5 m	6 m	Bottom	7 kg	20 kg	24 °C	90
Squid	Salt	5 m	300 m	Mid-water	0.8 kg	12 kg	13 °C	40
Stone Crab	Salt	2 m	30 m	Bottom	0.4 kg	0.7 kg	16 °C	22
Striped Bass	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	1 m	20 m	Mid-water	4 kg	25 kg	19 °C	45
Tench	Fresh	1.5 m	8 m	Bottom	1.8 kg	7 kg	22 °C	16
White Crappie	Fresh	1 m	6 m	Mid-water	0.35 kg	1.8 kg	20 °C	6
Yellow Perch	Fresh	1 m	10 m	Mid-water	0.25 kg	1.5 kg	21 °C	7
Yellowfin Tuna	Salt	20 m	250 m	Mid-water	30 kg	180 kg	21 °C	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
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
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
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	3.6 m	6 lb	4.4 kg	1 g	10 g	Slow	7 m	Float	No
Fly Rod	2.7 m	6 lb	4.4 kg	0 g	4 g	Moderate	26 m	Fly	Yes
Match Rod	3.9 m	6 lb	4.4 kg	2 g	15 g	Fast	42 m	Float, Bottom	Yes
Telescopic Rod	2.1 m	8 lb	5.8 kg	5 g	20 g	Moderate	32 m	Float, Bottom, Lure	Yes
Spinning Rod	2.4 m	12 lb	8.7 kg	7 g	28 g	Fast	50 m	Float, Bottom, Lure	Yes
Surf Caster	3.9 m	25 lb	18.1 kg	60 g	150 g	Moderate	90 m	Bottom, Lure	Yes
Deep-Sea Rod	1.8 m	80 lb	58.1 kg	100 g	500 g	Slow	30 m	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	2 kg	1	0.28 m	110 m	20 lb	70%
Stock Spinning Reel	3 kg	5	0.62 m	120 m	8 lb	55%
Ultralight Reel	3 kg	5.2	0.66 m	150 m	6 lb	80%
Bottle Handline	4 kg	1	0.25 m	60 m	10 lb	35%
Spinning Reel	6 kg	5.2	0.78 m	200 m	10 lb	80%
Baitcasting Reel	7 kg	7.1	0.8 m	150 m	15 lb	85%
Surf Reel	12 kg	4.9	0.98 m	300 m	20 lb	75%
Lever-Drag Reel	24 kg	4.2	1.05 m	600 m	80 lb	95%

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

Lines and leaders

Line strength in pounds, and what it really holds in kilograms 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	1.7 kg	150 m	25%	50%	50%
Twisted Twine	Main line	Twine	5 lb	1.6 kg	30 m	15%	85%	35%
Sinew Line	Main line	Sinew	7 lb	2.4 kg	20 m	30%	70%	30%
Line Spool	Main line	Monofilament	8 lb	3.3 kg	150 m	25%	50%	50%
12 lb Mono	Main line	Monofilament	12 lb	5 kg	200 m	25%	50%	50%
20 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	20 lb	7.4 kg	150 m	4%	90%	30%
Fly Line	Main line	Fly line	20 lb	8.2 kg	30 m	10%	60%	40%
25 lb Mono	Main line	Monofilament	25 lb	10.4 kg	250 m	25%	50%	50%
50 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	50 lb	18.6 kg	300 m	4%	90%	30%
80 lb Braid	Main line	Braid	80 lb	29.8 kg	500 m	4%	90%	30%
Fluoro Leader	Leader	Fluorocarbon	15 lb	5.9 kg		18%	15%	80%
Wire Leader	Leader	Wire	40 lb	16.3 kg		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 2.2 kg by hand and slide one of up to 9 kg onto a beach. A landing net holds up to 22 kg; 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	2.5 m	80%
Clip-on Bobber	Float	3 m	60%
Waggler	Float	4 m	100%
Sliding Float	Float	12 m	85%
Split Shot	Sinker			2 g	0.25 m/s	10%
Egg Sinker	Sinker			15 g	0.8 m/s	50%
Scrap Lead Weight	Sinker			25 g	0.9 m/s	60%
Pyramid Sinker	Sinker			100 g	1.4 m/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 Carp, Tench
Corn Cob	Corn	Small	5 casts	No	Common Carp, Tench
Cut Bait	Cut bait	Large	3 casts	Yes	Blue Catfish, Cod, Dungeness Crab, King Crab, Lobster, Mackerel
Dough Bait	Dough	Small	2 casts	No	Common Carp, Freshwater Shrimp, Bream, Common Roach, Common Rudd, Minnow
Beetle Grubs	Insects	Small	3 casts	No	Rainbow Trout
Crickets	Insects	Small	2 casts	No	Rainbow Trout
Leeches	Leeches	Medium	5 casts	No
Herring	Live bait	Large	6 casts	No	Black Crappie, Blue Marlin, Giant Bluefin, Longnose Gar, Mako Shark, Muskellunge
Minnow	Live bait	Medium	6 casts	No	Black Crappie, Blue Marlin, Giant Bluefin, Longnose Gar, Mako Shark, Muskellunge
Maggots	Maggots	Small	3 casts	No	Common Roach, Common Rudd, Minnow, Bream
Fish Roe	Roe	Small	2 casts	No	Rainbow Trout, Salmon
Shellfish Bait	Shellfish	Medium	3 casts	Yes	Blue Crab, Dungeness Crab, Haddock, Lobster, Sea Turtle, Stone Crab
Squid Strip	Squid	Large	6 casts	Yes	Cod, King Crab, Pollock, Dungeness Crab, Haddock, Mackerel
Earthworms	Worms	Small	4 casts	No	Bream, Brown Trout, Eel, Flounder, Tench, Yellow Perch
Nightcrawlers	Worms	Medium	4 casts	No	Bream, Brown Trout, Eel, Flounder, Tench, Yellow Perch

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	7 g	1.2 m	0.5 m/s	Steady retrieve	No	Rainbow Trout, Brown Trout, Salmon
Soft Plastic Grub	Soft plastic	10 g		0.4 m/s	Twitching	No	Black Crappie, Pollock, Striped Bass, White Crappie
Crankbait	Crankbait	12 g	2.5 m		Steady retrieve	No	Muskellunge, Striped Bass
Feather Jig	Jig	12 g		0.6 m/s	Jigging	No	Cod, Mackerel, Pollock, Squid
Popper Lure	Popper	14 g			Twitching	No	Striped Bass
Spoon Lure	Spoon	15 g	2 m	0.7 m/s	Stop and go	No	Mackerel, Salmon
Metal Jig	Jig	40 g		1.5 m/s	Jigging	No	Cod, Mackerel, Pollock, Squid
Trolling Lure	Trolling lure	120 g	3 m		Steady retrieve	No	Blue Marlin, Yellowfin Tuna
Dry Flies	Dry fly	0.2 g			Drifting	Yes	Rainbow Trout
Nymphs	Nymph	0.5 g		0.2 m/s	Drifting	Yes	Rainbow Trout
Streamers	Streamer	1.5 g		0.3 m/s	Stop and go	Yes	Brown Trout, Salmon

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	0.3 m	4 m	Dough, Corn, Worms, Cut bait		20%
Crab Trap	3	3 h	6	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	1 m	60 m	Shellfish, Squid, Cut bait, Fish guts		12%
Bank Line	4	4 h	1	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	0.5 m	12 m	Live bait, Cut bait, Worms, Dough	x1.5	15%
Trotline	2	6 h	6	Fresh, Brackish, Salt	1 m	25 m	Live bait, Cut bait, Leeches, Worms	x1.6	8%
Weir Stakes	1	8 h	10	Fresh	0.2 m	1.6 m	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.

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.