gear
Circle Hooks: How They Work, How to Fish Them, and Where They Are Law
Circle hooks turn the point back toward the shank and set themselves in the corner of the mouth when you reel, not strike. How to fish them, and the rules.
fishing.info
Fishing, explained properly.
Species, techniques, lures, bait, gear and the rules in every state. Written from the sources, compared on the numbers, and kept up to date.
Species
Every fish worth chasing: how to identify it, where it lives, when it bites.
Techniques
Rigs, knots, casting, and the disciplines from fly to ice to surf.
Lures
Crankbaits to soft plastics: how each one works and when to throw it.
Bait
Live, cut and prepared bait, how to rig it and how to keep it.
Coming soon
Gear
Rods, reels, line, hooks and electronics, compared on the numbers.
States
Licenses, seasons and the best water, state by state.
Coming soon
How fishing.info works
- One answer per question. Every page is built to be the best answer to the question in its title: what the fish is, what to throw, which rod, what the rules say.
- Sources, not opinions. Articles are written from state agencies, records bodies, manufacturers' specifications and the anglers who fish for a living, with the sources listed at the bottom of every page.
- Honest about how it is made. Research-driven, drafted with AI assistance, reviewed before it goes live. We never claim tests we have not done. About this site and its author.
Latest
lures
Wacky Rig: How to Rig It, and When It Beats a Texas Rig
The wacky rig hooks a stick bait through its middle so both ends quiver on the fall. The O-ring method, hook and line, weightless or weighted, when to use it.
gear
Spincast Reel: How It Works, Who It Is For, and Why Pros Skip It
A spincast reel hides a fixed spool under a nose cone and casts with a thumb button: no backlash, short casts, a weak drag. Who it suits, and the Zebco story.
gear
Spinning Fishing Rod: How It Differs From a Casting Rod, Which to Buy
A spinning fishing rod hangs the reel below the blank and casts light lures on light line. How it differs from a casting rod, and which length and power to buy.
gear
How to Read a Fish Finder: Arches, Bottom, Bait and Imaging
How to read a fish finder: why fish show as arches on 2D sonar and dots on down imaging, what hard and soft bottom look like, bait, the thermocline, settings.
species
How to Hold a Catfish Without Getting Stung, Small to Big
How to hold a catfish safely: where the three spines are, the grip behind the pectoral fins for small fish, the lip grip for big ones, and first aid for stings.
techniques
Fishing Terms: 265 Words, Slang and Acronyms Anglers Use
A glossary of fishing terms: tackle, lures and rigs, techniques, fly fishing, fish anatomy, water, rules and records, plus angler slang and acronyms.
techniques
Fishing Knots: Which Knot for Which Line and Job
The fishing knots that matter, sorted by job and line: hook knots, braid-to-leader knots, line-to-line joins, loops and the spool, with strength-test numbers.