Angling

Angling is a fun way people catch fish using special tools like hooks and lines. It comes from an old word meaning "hook." Fishermen, called anglers, use a fishing rod or even just their hands to throw a line with a hook into the water. They wait patiently for fish to come and take the bait on the hook.

When a fish takes the bait, it gets hooked inside its mouth or gills. The angler feels this and pulls the rod to set the hook tightly. Then they slowly pull the fish closer, sometimes using a net to help catch it. Angling is a popular hobby all around the world, and many people enjoy it for fun and to help keep fish populations healthy.

Different kinds of fish are caught depending on where you are. In salty water, people might try to catch swordfish or tuna, while in fresh water, bass or trout are common targets. Some anglers practice catch and release, letting fish go after catching them, to help keep fish numbers balanced.

Tackles

Rod

Main article: Fishing rod

A fishing rod is a long, thin stick that helps a person fish. It makes it easier to pull in fish and can throw the fishing line far away. Older rods were made from wood like ash or bamboo. Today, rods are often made from strong materials like fiberglass or carbon fiber. Some rods come in pieces that fit together, making them easy to carry.

Types of Rods

Fishing rods come in different types for different ways of fishing. These include spinning rods, casting rods, fly rods, cane pole rods, ice fishing rods, and auto-setting rods.

Reel

Main article: Fishing reel

A fishing reel is a small machine that attaches to a rod. It helps to pull in the fishing line, especially when a fish is on the other end. Older reels were simple, but newer ones have parts that make winding the line faster and easier. They also help to control the line better when casting and catching fish.

Hook

Main article: Fish hook

A fish hook is a tool used in fishing that looks like a small loop with a sharp point. Long ago, people used something called a "gorge," which was a thin piece of bone or stone that would stick in a fish's throat. Today, hooks are made to hold the fish better, and some rules say they must not have barbs to make it easier to let fish go.

Line

Main article: Fishing line

Fishing line is a very thin, flexible cord used to connect the hook to the rod. Older lines were made from silk, but now they are usually made from strong synthetic materials. The type of line matters for different kinds of fishing.

Bite indicator

Main articles: Bite indicator, Fishing float, and Quiver tip

A bite indicator helps a person know when a fish has taken the hook. One common type is a fishing float, which bobs on the water. When a fish bites, the float moves down and dances in the water. Other indicators include small bells that ring when a fish pulls on the line, a flexible tip on the rod that shakes, or electronic alarms that beep when there is movement on the line.

Baits

Main article: Fishing bait

In angling, there are two main types of baits: groundbait and hookbait. Groundbait is thrown into the water to attract fish closer to where you are fishing. Hookbait is attached to the fish hook to encourage the fish to take the hook along with the bait.

Bait can be natural, artificial, or lures. Natural baits are foods that fish eat in nature, like worms, insects, or small fish. Artificial baits are made from other food materials, such as bread or special pellets. Lures are not real food; they look like food to trick fish into biting. They can be made from wood, metal, or plastic and come in many shapes and sizes.

The common earthworm is a popular live bait for freshwater fishing. Other natural baits include leeches, minnows, and crayfish. However, moving crayfish to new areas can cause problems for local wildlife.

Artificial baits

Artificial baits are made from things like bread, dough, or special pellets. In warm places, even household items like wheat bread can work as bait for some fish.

Lures

Main articles: Fishing lure, Soft plastic bait, and Artificial fly

Lures are fake foods made from materials like wood, metal, or plastic. They mimic the look and movement of real prey to attract fish. Some lures make noise or vibrate in the water. Anglers enjoy using lures because they can be more exciting and interactive. Lures can be simple or very complex, and some even light up or move like small robots.

Techniques

See also: Fishing techniques § Angling

Bait fishing

All ways of catching fish with a hook use some kind of bait, but "bait fishing" means using real food like worms, insects, crustaceans, or small bait fish to attract fish.

Lure fishing

Lure fishing uses fake bait called a lure. Lures are made from things like wood, metal, or plastic and don't smell like real food. Instead, they look and move like prey to catch the attention of hungry fish. Some lures have extra hooks to help catch fish, while others let fish get close before being caught in different ways. Lure fishing is popular for fun, and anglers throw the lure far and pull it back through the water, copying the movement of small fish or insects. Skilled anglers can find hiding spots for fish under logs or on shallow areas. They watch for splashes or feel vibrations to know when a fish is interested.

Lure fishing can be done in two main ways: power fishing, where the lure is pulled quickly to catch fish, and finesse fishing, where the lure is moved slowly and carefully to be more tempting.

Spin fishing

Main article: Spin fishing

Fly fishing

Main article: Fly fishing

Jigging

Main article: Jigging

Slabbing

Slabbing is a type of jigging where anglers lift and drop a flat, lead lure that looks like a baitfish through a group of feeding fish. This method is often used for catching bass and striped bass in southern US reservoirs.

Rod fishing

Most people who enjoy fishing use fishing rods to control the fishing line and throw baits or lures farther away.

Line fishing

All fishing with a hook uses line, but "line fishing" means doing it without a rod. This is also called rodless fishing.

Handlining

Main article: Handline fishing

Handlining is one of the oldest ways to fish and can be done from boats or the shore. It uses a hand-held line with lures or bait fish and is good for catching fish near the bottom or squid, as well as some smaller fish far from shore.

Longlining

Main article: Longline fishing

Longlining is a way used by professional fishers. It uses a long line with many baited hooks hanging from it. These lines are pulled by special boats and can reach deep waters to catch fish like swordfish, tuna, halibut, and sablefish.

Droplining

Main article: Dropline

Droplining uses a longline set straight down into the water with several baited hooks. It has a weight at the bottom and a float at the top. Droplines are shorter than longlines and have fewer hooks, staying in one place.

Trotlining

Main article: Trotline

Trotlining uses a longline fixed at both ends with hooks hanging down from it. It is used to catch crabs or fish like catfish in rivers. The line can be set between two fixed points, stretching across the water.

Deadlining

Deadlining leaves a baited line in the water, tied to the shore, and checks for fish later, often the next day. It works like a trap used by hunters.

Float fishing

See also: Fishing float

Float fishing is the most common way to fish. It uses a small floating piece, called a float or "bobber", attached to the fishing line. The float stays on the water's surface and holds the hook at a certain depth. When a fish bites, the float moves, showing the angler that a fish is on.

Bottom fishing

Main article: Bottom fishing

Bottom fishing, also called legering, uses a heavy weight called a sinker to keep the hook near the bottom of the water. This targets fish that live near the bottom, like sucker, bream, catfish, and crappie. The weight can also help throw the line farther. This method can be done with or without a rod, from boats or land. Some special rods called "donkas" are used for this, and a quiver tip or jingle bell shows when a fish is biting.

Some weights are replaced by feeders, which release extra bait to attract fish to the hook.

Trolling

Main article: Trolling (fishing)

Trolling is a way to fish by moving one or more lines through the water at a steady speed. The lines can have lures or bait fish on them. It can be done with rods or without rods.

Rod trolling uses rods to pull baits or lures through the water, often from a moving boat. It can also be done slowly from a still spot like a jetty or bridge.

Rodless trolling is used by professional fishers and moves baited lines behind a slow-moving fishing boat. These boats have special tools to keep the lines in place and are used to catch valuable fish like mackerel and kingfish.

Pahlia

Pahlia is a traditional way of fishing from the shore in the Philippines. It uses baited hooks tied to a flat float shaped like a small boat or fish. The float is pulled along the beach by someone running, moving out into deeper water and then back to shore to check for fish. It is also called subid-subid, sibid-sibid, paguyod, pahinas, hilada, or saliwsiw in other Philippine languages.

Drift fishing

Drift fishing lets the line and bait move freely with the current without reeling, like a kite in the wind. It is often done from a boat that is not powered, in faster waters.

Laws and regulations

Main articles: Fisheries law and Fishing license

Rules about angling change a lot depending on where you are. These rules might include needing a permit, having times of year when you can't catch certain fish, limits on what kind of fishing tools you can use, and how many fish you can catch.

Laws usually say you can't catch fish except by hooking them in the mouth. Some fish, like bait fish, can sometimes be caught with nets for food. Fishing seasons are set to protect fish when they are having babies, so they don't get caught too easily then. There are also rules about the size of fish you can keep, to make sure young fish can grow up and keep the population healthy.

Catch and release

Main article: Catch and release

Many people who enjoy fishing practice something called "catch and release." This means they catch a fish but then let it go back into the water so it can live. This helps make sure there are plenty of fish for everyone to enjoy in the future. Some places even have rules that say certain fish must be let go if they are too small.

Some people think it isn’t fair to catch a fish just for fun without eating it, but others believe it’s important to keep fish populations healthy. Using special hooks that don’t hurt the fish too much can help make sure they survive after being caught. This way, everyone can keep enjoying fishing for many years to come.

Tournaments and derbies

Main article: Fishing tournament

Angling is also used in fishing tournaments where people compete for prizes. They catch fish of certain types and the winner is decided by the total length or weight of the fish caught in a set time. These contests started small but have grown into big events with professional anglers who can earn money from sponsors. These professionals can also win cash prizes in tournaments. There are also smaller competitions called derbies where people fish for fun. In derbies, the fish usually need to be kept, while in tournaments, fish are often released back into the water after weighing them.

Motivation

A ten-year survey of fishing club members in the United States, finished in 1997, showed that reasons for fishing for fun changed. Before, people fished for leisure, exercise, enjoying nature, and the excitement of catching fish. Now, it is more about spending time with family and building social bonds through fishing. Fishers with higher family incomes fished more often and worried less about catching fish to eat.

A study in Germany found that happiness from fishing did not depend on actually catching fish, but on what the fisher expected from the experience.

A 2006 study in Louisiana looked at why people fish on the Red River. The most common reasons were the fun of catching fish, the experience itself, trying to catch many fish or a very big fish, the challenge, and the adventure. Whether they used the fish for food was not studied.