Beginner: Help Please ?

[Danyolb]

Hello There Guys.
Absolute beginner here and know nothing

I'm from cumbria and live close to Cockermouth.
I have just purchased a Abu Garcia Devil Spinning Rod 7 Ft & Okuma Reel with Line - Carbon composite rod.

1)I was wondering what type of fish should I target first being a beginner? 2)What are my options with the rod I have? lake, river?
3)What locations are best for beginners close to my home?


Very much appreciated.
Thank you - Daniel.

[MRG2000]

Welcome to the forum Daniel ,not my area but im sure someone local will be along with some advice soon.......

[LittleFish]

Daniel why did you buy a rod and reel before deciding what kind of fishing you want to get involved in?

Like MRG2000 I know little about the sport on offer in your area,but I hope you will not spend any more money untill you do decide what you are going to be doing,as there are various species of fish in the world and just as many ways of catching them.
I would suggest you visit local tackle shops and have a chat with the owners,if they are any good they will be able to tell you what the options are.
http://www.yell.com/maps/MapAction.d...&marker=&ssm=1

Oh and if you are freshwater fishing (river or lake) the first thing you will need is a rod licence from the E. A. http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk...ing/31497.aspx

[the pyromaniac]

You have a good setup for all-around freshwater fishing, and should be able to effectively pursue chubs, perch, orfe, ruffe, goldfish, crucian carp, gudgeon, minnow, dace, bream, and smaller pike, tench, eels, trout, and zander.

[northern eye]

Well you've bought a spinning rod so why not try your hand at a bit of spinning. To be honest, you cant comfortably use them little rods for much else other than lure fishing. First get your EA Rod license or you will find yourself with a nasty fine. Then go to the tackle shop and buy a selection of different lures, spinners, spoons etc. The tackle shop should help you out here. Load up the reel with a nice strong line, no less than 8lb for freshwater lure fishing but 10lb would be a good line strength I reckon. Buy a few wire traces (in case a pike gets hold of your lure, they will bite it clean off the line without a wire trace) and a selection of swivels and snap links. Then get yourself a decent landing net and handle and also safe unhooking tools such as fawceps of varying sizes and something to put it all in, either a fishing wastecoat or tackle box. With this kit, you can travel light along the many rivers and lake banks in your area, casting out and retrieving as you go. Check with the tackle shop or even tourist information about where you can fish, some places will charge you a daily permit fee other places are free (with an EA license) and some are private waters. Theres plenty of Trout in the rivers and lakes up there and also perch will gladly take a lure. On the lakes - pike will have a go too if your lucky but a big one would destroy that little rod of yours. Give it a go, if you don't like it, decide what form of fishing you want to do and get the correct gear for the job. Buying the weekly fishing magazines and looking online will help you alot with tackle, equipment and methods. Of course theres nothing stopping you buying a few floats, splitshot and hooks and having a go with the float and worms if the lures are not producing the goods. Again, look online for float rig ideas and also the correct knots to tie on your hooks or lures. Hope this helps, just give things a go and find the methods and tackle that suit you best, and more importantly, the ones that catch you fish - you wont be breaking any records just yet but a wild river trout or chubby lake perch will be a great start. Go to this link www.lakedistrictfishing.net/ to see where you can fish in Cumbria. Good Luck!!

[Danyolb]

Originally Posted by northern eye

Well you've bought a spinning rod so why not try your hand at a bit of spinning. To be honest, you cant comfortably use them little rods for much else other than lure fishing. First get your EA Rod license or you will find yourself with a nasty fine. Then go to the tackle shop and buy a selection of different lures, spinners, spoons etc. The tackle shop should help you out here. Load up the reel with a nice strong line, no less than 8lb for freshwater lure fishing but 10lb would be a good line strength I reckon. Buy a few wire traces (in case a pike gets hold of your lure, they will bite it clean off the line without a wire trace) and a selection of swivels and snap links. Then get yourself a decent landing net and handle and also safe unhooking tools such as fawceps of varying sizes and something to put it all in, either a fishing wastecoat or tackle box. With this kit, you can travel light along the many rivers and lake banks in your area, casting out and retrieving as you go. Check with the tackle shop or even tourist information about where you can fish, some places will charge you a daily permit fee other places are free (with an EA license) and some are private waters. Theres plenty of Trout in the rivers and lakes up there and also perch will gladly take a lure. On the lakes - pike will have a go too if your lucky but a big one would destroy that little rod of yours. Give it a go, if you don't like it, decide what form of fishing you want to do and get the correct gear for the job. Buying the weekly fishing magazines and looking online will help you alot with tackle, equipment and methods. Of course theres nothing stopping you buying a few floats, splitshot and hooks and having a go with the float and worms if the lures are not producing the goods. Again, look online for float rig ideas and also the correct knots to tie on your hooks or lures. Hope this helps, just give things a go and find the methods and tackle that suit you best, and more importantly, the ones that catch you fish - you wont be breaking any records just yet but a wild river trout or chubby lake perch will be a great start. Go to this link www.lakedistrictfishing.net/ to see where you can fish in Cumbria. Good Luck!!

Thanks for all of the very kind and warm welcoming replies.
Right so spinning it is, this time of year I believe according to that website that bassenthwaite lake near Keswick should do this trick once I purchase an EA license and club day pass. Info on the lake and catches:
http://www.lakedistrictfishing.net/c...id=79&Itemid=8

Okay so there seems to be plenty of fish! my worry is if a pike gets the line... I'm scared I won't even know it's a pike and it will snap the rod in half. I have a photograph of the reel if this will help with an indication of how much weight it may handle?

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9362/photo6qd.jpg

Thanks Guys

[LittleFish]

I think it might be an idea to resize your photo - it's a bit big.

[Danyolb]

Thanks for all of the very kind and warm welcoming replies.
Right so spinning it is, this time of year I believe according to that website that bassenthwaite lake near Keswick should do this trick once I purchase an EA license and club day pass. Info on the lake and catches:
http://www.lakedistrictfishing.net/c...id=79&Itemid=8

Okay so there seems to be plenty of fish! my worry is if a pike gets the line... I'm scared I won't even know it's a pike and it will snap the rod in half. I have a photograph of the reel if this will help with an indication of how much weight it may handle?

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/9362/photo6qd.jpg

Thanks Guys

[BoldBear]

If you are worried about how to handle and unhook a Pike if you should hook one accidentally then have a look at these links:
< PAC GB Pike info sheets >
< handling and unhooking a Pike >
the above links will give you all the info you need.

If you do catch a Pike then you don't need to panic, just remember to take an unhooking mat with you, a pair of strong forcepts (and/or long nosed pliers), and a thick Gardening glove to protect your hand from their razor sharp teeth. plus use lures with barbless hooks (or with pinched down barbs).
Then follow the instructions on the above link which tell you how to unhook a Pike safely without damaging yourself or the Pike.

Most (if not all) of the Pike that you will probably catch will usually be small ones anyway; however if a big one does take a liking to your lure the line should break before your rod if you are using the correct line strengths for the rod so don't panic; plus using lures with hooks that have had their barbs pinched down or barbless hooks will mean that the Pike has more chance of ejecting the lure and not having their throats sewn closed, if your line should break.

[LittleFish]

Don't worry Danny,when a Pike takes your lure you will know what it is - you'll think you've hooked a submarine

You shouldn't worry about the rod snapping - it won't!

If you adjust the drag on your reel properly you won't break anything.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L7QaN...yer_detailpage