[Editor’s Note: The following is Harper Redmond’s fishing write up for a school assignment. Harper has been fishing with his grandparents since he was four years old, and has been reading Ontario Out of Doors since receiving a subscription as a gift].
Do you want to go fishing, but just don't know how to work the rod? Well today, I will be showing you how to cast a fishing rod. You should have a spot chosen already. Bass usually like to hang in shallow water, so find a spot that is shallow (five- to 10-feet deep).
The materials you will be needing are a fishing rod with line, a fishing net and tackle box with fishing lures. You will also need a pair of fishing pliers to unhook the fish, and swivels (a piece of metal that lets you change lures without snapping your line).
The first step to casting a fishing rod is to tie the swivel on. One of the popular ways to tie it on is by using a twister knot. You put the line through the eyelet of the swivel, then cross the line just like tying your show. After that, twist it about six to eight times. Now there should be a hole made of line at the top. You are going to poke the line through the hole made of line, then pull tightly until it closes.
Now, unhook the swivel and put your lure on. Your lure must be a shallow lure so you don't get it caught on a rock. The way you can check if it is a lure meant for shallow water is to look at the nose of the lure or the box of the lure. Before you put it in the water, make sure you close swivel so the lure doesn't fall off.
Secondly, pick up the rod and make sure the bail is facing downwards. Next, whatever hand you throw a ball with, you are going to place it on the rod as the holding hand and the other hand on the reel. Slowly reel your line up so there is only two to four inches of line from the tip of the road to the swivel.
After all these steps are complete, you are now ready to cast the fishing rod. Pinch the line coming out of the bail with your index finder that is holding the rod. Now you can open the bail with your other hand on the reel by pulling the curved metal bar on the reel upwards.
Next, while pinching the line with the bail open, raise your arm up so the tip of the rod is pointing straight up into the sky. Then, quickly move your arm and flick the wrist while releasing the line at the same time.
Once the lure hits the water, you want to instantly snap back the bail by reeling the lure in. When you are reeling in shallow water, you might want to reel slower. I would reel at about one revolution per second so you don't get caught on a rock, weeds, or old pieces of wood. If you wan to try to get the fish's attention, you could do a slow jerking motion with the lure so it creates ripples on top and under the water. Keep reeling until the lure gets back to you so you cover the whole area of the water. Reel in the lure until it comes out of the water. Make sure the swivel is two to four inches from the tip of the rod.
Congratulations! You have just completed your first cast with a fishing rod. Each time you cast, you should cast to a different spot to cover more area to increase your chances of catching a fish. When you are finished fishing for the day, you can unhook your lure by opening the swivel and pulling it off. Then, put the lure away in your tackle box. You can keep the swivel on, but you just have to hook it through one of the eyelets on the rod so it stays in place.
It can be difficult to catch fish, but if you follow these steps, you can be successful. All it takes is a good fishing spot, the right equipment, and some technique. Casting can be tricky to get the hang of, but with a lot of practice, you can become really good at fishing.
For more on fishing, click here
