01-12-2011, 03:49 PM
Don't think too much into it man. If you're just looking for a hobbie to past time, don't think you've got to invest a bunch of time and money to make it happen. A little basic knowledge, and you can catch anything in fresh water, to include bass, bream, and catfish. My personal favorite fish to target in freshwater is catfish. They are good to eat, relatively easy to find from bank or boat, and provide a strong fight depending on which species of catfish you target.
In SC, we usually target Flatheads and Blue catfish. We catch them often over 20 pounds. They grow in excess of 100 pounds. Channel cats are also common, and grow to over 40 pounds.
It's real simple though, all fish, for the most part, like structure. No secret there....... Your tackle simply needs to match the target species. So in other words, you don't want to use 10 pound tackle to target large flathead cats, and vise versa.
So, here's the easy way to look at it:
[ul][li]Fish structure..... Both the up stream and down stream side can produce fish[/li][li]Use tackle sized according to your target species. [/li][li]If you're not well versed or experianced with artificial lures/ baits, just use fresh/live bait. Let the bait do the work for you. [/li][li]If you've got something specific in mind, just say so. We'll tell you what to do. [/li][/ul]In regards to tackle, if you're going to target smaller freshwater species, don't get caught up in the hype about name brand and all that bull sheet. Let's be serious here, if the fish you're targeting doesn't get any bigger than a few pounds, seriously???? You don't need a 300 dollar rod and reel to get the job done. The quality of line and terminal tackle is really what is important. Now, I fish mostly saltwater and also for big catfish, so when you start talking larger target species, that's when quality comes into play. I can't take a 50 dollar outfit out in the ocean and expect it to perform, or last for that matter. Spending over 200 bucks on a saltwater combo is common. Outfits over 1000 dollars frequent big game saltwater anglers.
So, go to walmart, pick up a cheap spinning rod and reel combo. Head to your local tackle shot and let them fix you up with the appropriate live bait and terminal tackle. Go to your state natural resources website to information on where to fish, and you're good to go. As you find the need to refine your skills, keep us updated. We've got your back.
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In SC, we usually target Flatheads and Blue catfish. We catch them often over 20 pounds. They grow in excess of 100 pounds. Channel cats are also common, and grow to over 40 pounds.
It's real simple though, all fish, for the most part, like structure. No secret there....... Your tackle simply needs to match the target species. So in other words, you don't want to use 10 pound tackle to target large flathead cats, and vise versa.
So, here's the easy way to look at it:
[ul][li]Fish structure..... Both the up stream and down stream side can produce fish[/li][li]Use tackle sized according to your target species. [/li][li]If you're not well versed or experianced with artificial lures/ baits, just use fresh/live bait. Let the bait do the work for you. [/li][li]If you've got something specific in mind, just say so. We'll tell you what to do. [/li][/ul]In regards to tackle, if you're going to target smaller freshwater species, don't get caught up in the hype about name brand and all that bull sheet. Let's be serious here, if the fish you're targeting doesn't get any bigger than a few pounds, seriously???? You don't need a 300 dollar rod and reel to get the job done. The quality of line and terminal tackle is really what is important. Now, I fish mostly saltwater and also for big catfish, so when you start talking larger target species, that's when quality comes into play. I can't take a 50 dollar outfit out in the ocean and expect it to perform, or last for that matter. Spending over 200 bucks on a saltwater combo is common. Outfits over 1000 dollars frequent big game saltwater anglers.
So, go to walmart, pick up a cheap spinning rod and reel combo. Head to your local tackle shot and let them fix you up with the appropriate live bait and terminal tackle. Go to your state natural resources website to information on where to fish, and you're good to go. As you find the need to refine your skills, keep us updated. We've got your back.
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