Simple 7: Steps To Catch A Fish With James Hall

I see him wiggling.

I believe.

That’s a catfish.

That’s a catfish.

Hey guys this is James Hall for Bassmaster’s Go Out{side} and today we’re going to talk about 7 very simple steps to catch your first fish. It is not as intimidating as you might think and the first is quite simple. I borrowed money from my buddy Gavin here and we went out and bought us a combo from the local Walmart.. You can buy them at Academy. You can buy them just about anywhere.. and this is a simple spincast reel an it comes with everything.

You need to catch a fish. You have your reel, it already has line on it an it has a two piece rod that you just slide together. Here at the ferrule.

And it even comes with a bobber.

Some sinkers and some hooks.. so really everything you need to catch your first fish can come in these combo packages for like 20 – 30 dollars and that’s what we did. We just ran out and grabbed an easy combo with all of his lawnmowing money and and we purchased everything we need to get started.

Alright, so Step 2 is simply finding a place to fish. Gavin, we’re not going to catch anything if there’s no place to fish. Good news is — it’s quite easy to do that. Every pond, Lake, Stream River has fish in it. Gavin and I went on the go outside Web page and there’s a great map on there — shows a lot of local places to fish and and we and wound up here at a small pond in our area.

So step three in our process is picking the right bait. Gavin, what do you like to eat? Hot dogs. You do you grill them?

You like to fry em’.

Eat em’ raw..

alright, well, the good news is with our bait today– is going to be one of your favorites. It’s the hot dog. So what we’re going to do– Because everything eats a hotdog evidently is we just picked up.

A bag of beef Franks. Package of Beef Franks and we know that catfish eat those and that’s what we’re going to try to catch today. Because it’s a great first fish. Great way to kind of get into fishing because they readily bite.

So we’re picking a hotdog, Gavin. All we gotta do is — we just cut a little chunk of this baby off and we’re just going to slide that hook in through there and it will hang on tight. Hopefully until a catfish eats it.

Gavin, here’s here’s here’s one of the most important things, and that is step four of our process, and that is casting our line out to where the fish live, ’cause they’re not going to be up here with the squirrels and the deer. So with this particular bait or bait reel, all we have to do is push this giant button on the back. And what that does is it releases a line as soon as you take your thumb off of it, and then– so it’s holding is holding tight and we’re going to swing this rod back and then as soon as we get to where we are.

pointing at the location where we think the fish are, we’re going to let go of that big black button, so we’re going to swing back and we’re going to let go and then hopefully it will go out there in the direction of the fishes. Alright, so now Gavin I’m going to let you give this a go and there’s no right or wrong way to do it.

You’re not going to get a bite fishing… say here kitty kitty kitty

Press big black button.

Swing like.

That was perfect.

That was better than my cast actually. I think you’re a natural there buddy.

Alright, now to engage the reel you just turn this one time.

And we are fishing.

Yes.

You’re the master.

Let it sink to the bottom.

And say.. here kitty kitty kitty

Come on Fishy.

“Here fishy, fishy.”

Alright, I’ll take it, that’s a win.

OK, so we are to step five of the simple steps of how to catch the first fish and it may be the most challenging for some people, especially folks like me who are not very patient — we’re fishing for catfish. So the goal here is not for us to run after the fish, but to bring the fish to us. So we have to be patient, but as far as the waiting game is concerned, again anything that you put on your line that is that is not an artificial lure like a spinnerbait or worm or a crankbait.

Hot dogs, worms, minnows, all that you’re gonna throw out there and you’re gonna let that bait call the fish in. However, if you’re fishing a worm or crankbait or spinnerbait, you have to impart the action on that. So that’s when you can be a little impatient and more active. So again, anything man made worm spinnerbait, crankbait, top water bait. You do the movement, you bring the fish to you, anything that is stale old, stinky, smelly or alive.

That’s calling the fish to them and you just wait it out. Right now we waiting aren’t we Gavin. We waiting patiently.

Good.

So we’re on Step 6 and that is hopefully waiting for the bite– and which I feel like — all right. So if you feel the way you feel the movement from the catfish, it’ll feel like weight and as soon as you feel that weight Gavin, you can start reeling it in so kind of lift up and see not wait, wait lift up again. Yeah alright start reeling and see if that’s a fish or if that’s if you’re hung.

Reel here.

Either you really got some Moss on there or you gotta fish— not. That’s a fish yes, alright so you gotta keep that line real tight buddy. ’cause if you let any any any slack in it they can make — get rid of that hook super fast.

Yeah, I see him wiggling.

I believe.

That’s a catfish.

That’s a catfish… catfish.

Bring it in.

Sir.

Hi.

Yeah, *sing songy* in luck.. alright?

And then that’s what that patience pays off man, you want touch you and kiss it.

No, I don’t blame you they’re ugly, but that is it. That is a patience pays off as soon as you feel that weight, you start reeling it in. Make sure that hook gets set pretty good– what you did a good job there and then we.

Have our catfish.

So Gavin just reeled in this this beautiful channel cat. And now the way that you hold these things is kind of particular. So if you can get your palm of your hand on this white underbelly, split these fins with your fingers and get your thumb on this side, then you’re safe.

From all these little stabby’s alright. And then once you do that, you simply grab the shank of the hook.

And you wiggle that baby out. Sometimes it can require pliers.

Good.

Sometimes it requires muscle, which I evidently don’t have it, and then it– went. Now we have a we have a fish. Now we can do one of two things. If you like to eat catfish well, then we’ll throw him in the ice chest, take him home, flame up, and have a delicious dinner. But we didn’t come prepared for that. Unless you want to, you want to clean it now. Alright, so I don’t need — so we’re gonna let this guy go — so we’re going to catch and release throw him back in the water so he can be caught again another day you’re ready to say bye to Henry.

Bye.

He’s free…..