Editor’s Note: This is part of an ongoing series that features things to do in Upstate New York while we still experience the Covid-19 pandemic. Before venturing out, please take proper precautions and check for any changed business hours, park hours or availability. Safe travels!
Upstate New York is a great place to fish, with a host of big and small lakes, rivers. streams and ponds containing a wide variety of fish.
Interested in trying out angling for the first time? There are numerous guides and fishing charter services across the state that one can use — many providing all the equipment and know-how you’ll need. Most guides have websites or Facebook pages with contact information.
For those who want to go at it alone, the following are 10 essential things that will help you catch your first fish.
If you’re 16 years or older you’ll need a fishing license and to have it on your person while fishing.
Failure to have a license can result in a ticket from a state Department of Environmental Conservation officer. Exceptions include if one is fishing on a licensed fishing preserve, during one of the DEC’s Free Fishing weekend or days or at a DEC-sponsored free fishing clinic.
Licenses can be obtained for just a day, a week or for the whole season. New York residents pay $5 for a day license, $12 for a week license or $25 for a year license. Resident anglers ages 70 and above pay $5 for a year license. Non-residents pay $10 for a day license, $28 for a week license and $50 for a year license.
Licenses can be purchased at a number of retail outlets (sporting good stores, Bass Pro Shops, Gander Outdoors, Walmart, etc.), certain municipal offices or online. A license can also be obtained online, using one’s computer or smart phone. See the DEC website for more.
Holly Martin, of Mt, Vernon, N.Y. holds up a nice smallmouth she caught last summer in Hartwick, N.Y. in Otsego County in a small pond. She said she caught this fish using a Storm Chug Bug. She wrote: “I have become an avid fisherwoman in the last 3 years. I have come along way! I have now taught my son and my new boyfriend how to fish as well. There is nothing like being outdoors, in the beauty of nature, and being able to bring fresh fish home for dinner.”
Decide where you’re going to fish and do a little homework on the waterway.
It never hurts to find someone who has fished the waterway where you would like to fish. Talk to them about what kind of fish can be caught, where and when to fish – and what to use to catch them. Visiting the local bait shop and asking the same questions is another good idea.
Finally, the DEC has done profiles on most waterways in the state and posted useful information online about them. For example, when it comes to lakes, DEC lists their size and depth, access points for boats, fish species and a little bit about fishing there. When it comes to streams, DEC offers maps of public fishing rights stretches, fish species (including those stocked) and other helpful information.
Decide what kind of fish you’d like to target and know the law for that fish species.
In some cases, it may be a range of fish (such as in a lake or sizeable river) or it may simply be a trout (in a stream). Deciding what you’ll be fishing for dictates what kind of tackle (rod and reel) you’ll use, the type of fishing line – and the bait, lures or artificial flies you’ll cast.
The state Department of Environmental Conservation puts out a New York State Freshwater Fishing Guide each year with all the rules and regulations for all the state’s waterways. Things covered include what the fishing season is for each fish species, along with the minimum length to keep one and daily catch limit. It’s very important that you know these regulations. Ignorance of the law is no excuse. Breaking these regulations can result, if caught, in a ticket from a state conservation officer.
The 2021 New York Freshwater Fishing Regulation guide. Printed and online versions are available.
Where and how will you be fishing? From a boat, canoe, kayak – or from shore? On posted or private property?
Fishing from any kind of watercraft increases the areas one can fish and the angling techniques used. But there are things you need to know. If you have a boat or a kayak, where can you put in? If you’re fishing from shore, is there a good place to fish? Is there open shoreline that will give you room to cast? A pier or dock you can fish off from?
And if it’s fishing on a stream for trout, is there public access to the stretch of stream you want to fish? Is it open for public fishing or posted? (Posted means there are no “No Trespassing signs” and that fishing there could result in a ticket for trespassing). A good way to check out public fishing rights on a stream is to google DEC and the stream name. The DEC has maps on its website showing which stretches on streams and rivers that are open to public fishing.
Demond Malik Gary, of Weedsport, holds up a nice largemouth bass he caught last summer on the Seneca River in Montezuma using a Double Down Plopper topwater lure.
The proper rod and reel
Once you decide what you’ll be fishing for and where, the next step is getting the right rod and reel. There are several types. The easiest to use is a spin casting rig, with either a push-button or open-faced reel. For young children and adult novices, nothing beats a push button reel. You push the button on the back of the reel and release it when you cast. Easy peasy.
With an open-face reel, you open the bale (the metal bar across the front of the reel), hold the loose line near the reel tight against the pole with the finger on the hand that’s holding the pole – and release the line when casting. You then put the bale back in place and reel. Some bales go back automatically once you start to reel.
With both types of reels, it helps to practice a little beforehand to get the hang of it. Tie something with a little weight on it at the end of your line and practice casting on the grass or in the water.
For the more advanced angler, there are fly rods, and bait casting rods and reels. Both are for the more advanced anglers and for specific types of fishing. If you’re determined to learn how to use either one, get together with an experienced angler and get a lesson on the different types of casts and fishing techniques you’ll need to master.
You can choose from four main types of
fishing rods and reels. L-R: spin-casting,
spinning, fly rods and bait-casting. Spincasting is generally considered the easiest to use while bait-casting
and fly rods are considered the hardest to use. Spinning is considered
the most versatile since it can cast light and moderately heavy lures/
baits. For beginning anglers, a spin-casting rod and reel is recommended.
Fishing line, swivels, hooks, sinkers
Once you have the appropriate rod and reel, the next step is getting the proper fishing line.. Once again, it all depends. There are several different types of regular fishing lines (monofilament, fluorcarbon and braid) for spincast fishing. For the beginner, 6- -8-pound test monofilament line is a good place to start. The smaller the fish, the lighter the line. The bigger the fish, the heavier the line. As one gets more skilled, use of fluorocarbon and braid line come into play. For fly anglers, there are sinking and floating lines and various types of leaders.
Depending on the type of fishing one is doing, other accessories include swivels (you tie one on your line first and this makes changing hooks or lures easier), sinkers (they help your baited hook easier to cast and sink toward the bottom) – and finally, hooks. Hooks vary in size. The lower the number the bigger the hook. A good size to start at for most fish is size 4 to 6.
And how does one tie a swivel or hook on to a line? There are a whole number of fishing knots one can and should master. For the beginner, start off with either the cinch or improved cinch. See an Orvis video on know to tie them.
Bait and lures
The most reliable, proven live bait for most fish is a worm on a hook. Worms can catch panfish, trout, bass, walleye – you name it. Worms can be cast out and with the help of a split-shot sink to add weight. The worm will then sink to the bottom. One can also attach a bobber to the line to keep the worm off the bottom and to serve as an indicator when one has a bite.
Apart from worms, there are a wide variety of live baits for the beginning angler to use, including different sized minnows and crabs. Other fish, such as catfish and bullheads, also savor cut bait (cut up pieces of fish).
A good set up for the beginning angler — a worm on a hook and swivel, a sinker and a floating bobber. The bobber holds the worm off the bottom and goes underwater when a fish is biting. In the above photo, a plastic worm is substituted for a live worm.
Lures
Lures imitate live bait. Using a lure or plastic bait entails casting it out and reeling it in either slowly or rapidly, depending on what the lure is supposed to imitate. The range of lures is huge, as are the types of retrievals that work best. Some lures float on the water’s surface, others sink. Once again, talk to someone who knows the waterway and get some recommendations about what to use. It helps to practice casting your lure or bait beforehand (preferably in the water) to get the hang of it.
Upstate New York anglers can use a wide variety of lures, depending on the fish they’re targeting.
Other equipment
It always helps to bring a net. Otherwise, you risk losing the fish as you bring it into your boat, or up on shore. Fish often get unhooked if one simply yanks out of the water into a boat. Another good thing to have is a pair of needle nose pliers to help you get the hook out of the fish’s mouth or throat. And finally, if you intend on keeping what you catch, bring a bucket or a metal stringer.
A net, a stringer and a pair of needle nose pliers.
Patience
Fishing is all about patience. Not everyone catches the fish of a lifetime their first time out – or even a fish for that matter. That’s why they call if fishing, not catching. Hang in there and keep casting. You can’t catch a fish unless you wet your line. (HInt: Early morning or late afternoon tend to be the best times to fish. Midday is generally less productive.)
For more tips for beginners, see the DEC’s 88-age, I FISH NY Beginners’ Guide on the DEC website
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