About Catching-Fish.com
Welcome to Catching-Fish.com, your stop for useful information about catching fish. Some how-to, some interesting products, techniques, trends, and more, regardless of your skill level.
Welcome to Catching-Fish.com
In case you haven’t figured it out, this website, Catching-Fish.com, is dedicated to catching fish. I am a lifelong fishing enthusiast, having instructed hundreds and hundreds of people from ages 2 to 90 on catching fish. We’ll get to more of that later, but I want to say how nice it feels to finally get the online location, specifically on catching fish. It’s been in the plans for many years, but life’s obligations and fishing always seemed to take priority.
Perfect time to get started?
Starting a book or website about catching fish has something in common with many of life’s big decisions: you keep asking yourself if you’re ready. I have found that no matter how great you are at any of the many facets of this most excellent of life’s pursuits, there’s always room to learn something new. There’s always another way. Well, I decided it’s’ time to “cut and run” or “pinch it off,” so to speak, and start sharing what I have so far. Who knows? Perhaps I can talk a few of my fishing buddies to chime in or take the reins now and then to share a different perspective.
Local ponds and park lakes are a terrific way to escape for a little while and enjoy catching fish. You don’t need much to be successful, either. Use a smaller hook and lighter line, and go for the little ones…big ones will join in the fun, too, occasionally. Here the author takes a moment between catches of Bream and Largemouth Bass to appreciate the peaceful surroundings just before sunset.
A fishing resource for everybody
I’ve never really met a fisherman that I didn’t like. A fisherman comes in all shapes, ages, sizes, ethnicities, religious beliefs, nationalities, sexual orientations, educations, professions, and dispositions. Whether you have yet to know the excitement of catching fish or an old salt, you are all my friends. We are kindred spirits, and we rise to help each other. I’ve seen it all my life.
Why does catching-fish.com exist?
This site exists for several reasons. First, I (We) have figured some stuff out over a lifetime of fishing and feel that it’s time to share some of that with more than just my local neighbors, friends, and fishing buddies. I’ve been collecting information and taking notes for many years in order to improve my own productivity over time and to have a record of what happened. That record is helpful to help me remember what worked and what didn’t in the various places I like catching fish.
It’s time to share with a broader audience
Over time, that record became more than just a bunch of stats and details. Over time I began to record more vividly what I experienced on the lakes, rivers, streams, bays, bayous, and oceans I fished. Some of those journals had some stuff I began sharing with a small following who seemed to enjoy reading them. So, another reason this site exists is to share those journals with a broader audience at the prodding of many friends.
Content direction
This site is mostly going to be about fishing that I know about, at least at first. I know about coastal fishing in the salt water. And I know quite a bit about catching fish in freshwater. Both of these are big topic areas, but I feel the best way to help the most people sooner is to focus on the beginner side of catching fish in either salt or freshwater.
Help parents help their kids learn how to catch fish
I want to help parents introduce their kids to fishing the right way. I’ve seen too many terrible scenes where a parent yells at their crying child, and I hate that so much. It’s primarily out of ignorance and frustration. Helping parents with younger children love their time fishing is a massive priority for me. Probably the highest priority of all. I’ve helped countless people one-on-one or in small groups at local ponds or lakes, piers, or the surf, but the opportunity to share the most important things with a much wider internet audience thrills me to no end!
Share and discuss all things saltwater fishing
Catching fish in salt water has so many facets. Coastal onshore, nearshore, offshore. Jetties, piers, kayaks, power boats, live bait, dead bait, artificial bait, daytime, nighttime, season, weather, and so on. It’s a vast area.
Share and talk about all things freshwater fishing
Catching freshwater fish has few facets and shares many with saltwater fishing. Add to the list lakes, creeks, streams, rivers, warm and cold water, and all the different species of fish to catch, and it can be another huge area to learn.
Equipment and techniques for catching fish
Regardless of whether catching fish in salt water or fresh water or both interests you, the whole area of equipment, tackle, rigging, and techniques is essential to success. That doesn’t mean you must run out and spend lots of money to succeed at catching fish, either. At its simplest, fishing can be accomplished with some line, a hook, and some form of enticement that causes the fish to strike the hook. It’s that simple. I call these things the primary tools for catching fish. Adding other stuff, like a fishing rod or pole, a bobber or float, a swivel, and a fishing reel, adds to the utility of line, hook, and enticement. These things are the secondary tools for catching fish. Variations on these things enable you to be more flexible and productive in exchange for more cost and complexity.
Impart and convey: feel, awareness, and experience
I routinely find myself catching fish, more than my fair share on any given day, using very inexpensive tools. If the conditions permit, this is usually a fly rod. Usually, I’ll be catching fish on a bug imitation that I tied myself. I guarantee that the cost of the rod, reel, and line I was using had zero to do with my success catching fish on any given day. Zilch. It’s always about location, timing, technique, presentation, movement, hook size and enticement shape, type, and color. The older and larger the fish, the more important these things become.
Yes, luck is a factor. I’m convinced that I’ve caught some really nice fish because I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, but most successful fishermen don’t dwell on stuff like luck. Am I luckier than anyone else? Well, I consider myself lucky for many reasons, but catching fish is more about confidence. I’ve heard it said that only a small percentage of fishermen catch most of the fish while the rest feed them. I’ve witnessed some strange things while fishing with others over the years. The difference between catching and not catching fish between two people in the same spot has nothing to do with luck or the rod and reel they use. It’s always about location, timing, technique, presentation, movement, hook size and enticement shape, type, and color. These are the things that make you a great fisherman great at catching fish!
Improve your luck by improving your fishing skills and knowledge
Yes, luck is a factor. I’m convinced that I’ve caught some really nice fish because I just happened to be at the right place at the right time, but most successful fishermen don’t dwell on stuff like luck. Am I luckier than anyone else?
Well, I consider myself lucky for many reasons, but catching fish is more about confidence and technique. I’ve heard it said that only a small percentage of fishermen catch most of the fish while the rest feed them. I’ve witnessed some strange things while fishing with others over the years. The difference between catching and not catching fish between two people in the same spot has nothing to do with luck or the rod and reel they use. It’s always about location, timing, technique, presentation, movement, hook size and enticement shape, type, and color. These are the things that make you a great fisherman great at catching fish!
Become one of the few that catch the most fish
I’ve heard it said that only a small percentage of fishermen catch most of the fish while the rest feed them. I’ve witnessed some strange things while fishing with others over the years. Two people fishing the same hole out of the same boat using identical equipment and bait, yet one is out catching the other dramatically. The difference between catching and not catching fish between two people in the same spot has nothing to do with luck or the rod and reel they use. It’s always about location, timing, technique, presentation, movement, hook size and enticement shape, type, and color. These are the things that make you a great fisherman great at catching fish!
Hope you’ll stay and help!
So, that’s it. That’s pretty much the story behind why this site is here. It’s got a long way to go, but it’ll be fun. I sincerely hope you enjoy it and get something useful out of it. By all means, drop me a line and let me know what’s on your mind. That’s what fishing buddies do! And don’t worry if we disagree on some stuff. That’s part of learning new stuff and getting better.
Thanks for stopping by!
Kenny ( and Kelly )