New to fishing? Start here
Fishing for Beginners: Your First Day, From License to First Fish
Fishing for beginners, step by step: the $65–80 starter kit, who needs a license, where to go, the bobber rig, the cast, the bite and the rules.
fishing.info
Fishing, explained properly.
Find the fish, choose what to throw and know your gear. Every page is researched from the sources and written for the angler who has to use it on the water.
Free PDF · Water temperature chart Which fish are biting at today's water temperature?
One reading, and the 16-page chart shows which of 26 fish are spawning, feeding hard or slowing down; for bass, crappie, bluegill and walleye, where they sit and what to throw. Every number sourced.
No card, nothing to buy, and the PDF is yours to keep. Confirm with one click and it's on its way. Then a few short emails and one a week on what's biting. Unsubscribe anytime. Privacy.
Species
Which fish do you want to catch?
Every fish worth chasing: how to identify it, where it lives, when it bites.
Techniques
How do you fish for it?
Rigs, knots, casting, and the disciplines from fly to ice to surf.
Lures
What do you throw?
Crankbaits to soft plastics: how each one works and when to throw it.
Bait
What bait do you use?
Live, cut and prepared bait, how to rig it and how to keep it.
Gear
What gear do you need?
Rods, reels, line, hooks and electronics, compared on the numbers.
States
What are the rules where you fish?
Licenses, seasons and the best water, state by state.
Four guides that answer the big questions
Where the bass are, what the water temperature says, which lures to buy first, and what the words mean.
species
How to Fish for Bass: A Beginner's Season-by-Season Guide
How to fish for bass from the first cast: one rod and reel, five lures, where bass are at each water temperature, and a step-by-step plan for day one.
techniques
Ideal Water Temperature for Fish: The Chart for 26 Freshwater Species
The best water temperature for fishing is 65–75 °F for most freshwater fish; trout want 50–65 °F, catfish 75–85 °F. One chart for 26 species.
lures
Best Fishing Lures: The Ten to Buy First, by What Each One Does
The best fishing lures for a first box: ten that cover every season and depth, what the pros threw in 2025, a season table, a species table and colors.
techniques
Fishing Terms: 690+ Words, Slang and Acronyms Anglers Use
Fishing terms and slang, A to Z: 690+ words in plain English, from bail and drag to hawg, dink and honey hole, plus 32 acronyms anglers use.
Latest
bait
Live Bait: Which One to Use, How to Hook It and Keep It Alive
Live bait made simple: which bait for which fish, how to hook it so it stays alive, the rigs, how to keep it alive, and the rules on moving it.
bait
Minnows: What They Are, Which to Buy and What Size to Use
Minnows are small fish of the minnow family, and the top live bait. Which minnows bait shops sell, what size for each fish, and when they work.
gear
Shimano SLX Reels: SLX A, XT A, 70 and DC Compared
Shimano SLX casting reels side by side: the SLX A, XT A, 70 A and DC on price, brake, weight and line per turn, and which one to buy for bass.
species
Bighead Carp: How to Identify One and What to Do With It
Bighead carp: eyes set below the mouth, dark blotches, no barbels. How to ID one, what to do if you catch it, records to 125 lb, and eating it.
species
Scariest Fish: Which Ones Really Hurt People, and Which Only Look It
The scariest fish in the world, sorted by what each can really do to you: sharks that bite, the most venomous fish, fish that poison and harmless monsters.
species
Smallest Fish in the World: Three Fish Under a Third of an Inch
The smallest fish in the world is a swamp fish grown at 7.9 mm, shorter than a #8 hook. Its two rivals, how each was measured, and tiny fish in US water.
species
Fathead Minnows: ID, Bait, Pond Stocking and Rosy Reds
Fathead minnows are tough 2 to 3 in baitfish. How to identify them, keep them alive in a bucket, stock a pond by the pound, and spot a rosy red.
species
Golden Shiner: How to ID, Catch and Fish This Trophy Bait
Golden shiners are deep-bodied minnows and Florida's top live bait for big bass. How to tell one from a rudd, catch your own, and hook it right.
How fishing.info works
- One answer per question. Every page is written to be the best answer to the question in its title: where the fish are, what to throw, which rod, what the rules say.
- Researched, then written for you. Every article starts with the people who know: state fish and wildlife agencies, record keepers, the makers' own numbers and the anglers who fish for a living. The sources sit at the bottom of every page; the explanation of what it means for you is ours.
- Honest about how it is made. Research-driven, drafted with AI assistance, reviewed before it goes live, and edited by an angler who has fished since he was a boy. We never claim tests we have not done. About this site and its author.