Ken Schultz's Essentials of Fishing: The Only Guide You Need to Catch Freshwater and Saltwater Fish

483 Pages·2009·66.74 MB·English

by  Ken Schultz

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KEN SCHULTZ’S
ESSENTIALS OF
FISHING
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Also by Ken Schultz
Bass Madness: Big Money, Big Mouths, and Big
Dreams at the Bassmaster Classic
Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Freshwater Fish
Ken Schultz’s Field Guide to Saltwater Fish
Spectacular Fishing
Ken Schultz’s North American Fishing
Ken Schultz’s Fishing Encyclopedia: Worldwide
Angling Guide
Successful Bass Fishing
The Ultimate Book of Freshwater Fishing
Greatest Fishing Locales of North America: The
World Atlas of Saltwater Fishing
The Complete Book of Sportfi shing
The Complete Book of Freshwater Fishing
The Art of Trolling
Bass Fishing Fundamentals
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KEN SCHULTZ’S
ESSENTIALS OF
FISHING
The Only Guide You Need to Catch
Freshwater and Saltwater Fish
KEN SCHULTZ
Fish illustrations by David Kiphuth
Essentials is a condensation of Ken Schultz’s Fishing Encyclopedia:
Worldwide Angling Guide with new material added.
John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
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This book is printed on acid-free paper.
Copyright © 2010 by Ken Schultz. All rights reserved
Fish illustrations © 1999 by David Kiphuth
Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc., Hoboken, New Jersey
Published simultaneously in Canada
All photos copyright © 2010 by Ken Schultz, all rights reserved, except on pages 139,
152, 172: Daiwa; pages 153, 168: Zebco; pages 158, 163: Penn Fishing Tackle; pages 162,
173: Fin-Noir; page 170: Shakespeare.
Design by Forty-fi ve Degree Design, LLC
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Limit of Liability/Disclaimer of Warranty: While the publisher and the author have used
their best efforts in preparing this book, they make no representations or warranties with
respect to the accuracy or completeness of the contents of this book and specifi cally disclaim
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may be created or extended by sales representatives or written sales materials. The advice
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data:
Schultz, Ken.
Ken Schultz’s essentials of fi shing / Ken Schultz.
p. cm.
Includes index.
ISBN 978-0-470-44431-3 (cloth)
1. Fishing—Encyclopedias. I. Title.
SH411.S34 2009
799.103—dc22
2009006820
Printed in the United States of America
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
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Contents
Introduction 1
PART ONE
Fish
1. Anatomy and Physiology 5
2. Freshwater Fish 12
3. Saltwater Fish 61
PART TWO
Tools
4. Fishing Rods 127
5. Fishing Reels 141
6. Line 175
7. Lures and Flies 182
8. Natural Bait, Hooks, and Terminal Tackle 196
9. Accessories 204
PART THREE
Basic Skills
10. Knot Tying 225
11. Hook Sharpening 237
12. Putting Line on a Reel 239
13. Casting 242
14. Setting Drag Tension 259
15. Finding Fish 261
v
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vi C O N T E N T S
16. Retrieving 274
17. Hooksetting 285
18. Playing and Landing Fish 287
19. Measuring and Weighing Fish 297
20. Caring for and Storing the Catch 300
21. Cleaning and Dressing Fish 308
PART FOUR
Techniques
22. Light-Tackle Fishing 323
23. Fly Fishing 326
24. Float Fishing 332
25. Chumming 336
26. Drift Fishing 344
27. Trolling 349
28. Downrigger Fishing 358
29. Inshore Fishing from Boats 364
30. Coastal Pier, Bridge, and Dock Fishing 373
31. Jetty Fishing 381
32. Surf Fishing 388
33. Offshore Fishing 398
34. Other Situations 408
PART FIVE
Practical Matters
35. Angling Etiquette 425
36. Ethical Fishing 428
37. Catch-and-Release 431
38. Safety 445
Glosary 451
Index 459
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Introduction
once worked for an editor at Field & Stream who eschewed articles
about the basic elements of fi shing because, in his eyes, it was stuff
everyone knew. I disagreed, and always felt that not only were we
Iwriting to a constant infl ux of new anglers who did not know many
basic things, or who were misinformed, but that we were writing to
many people with years of experience who had never received good
tutelage in the fundamental skills and techniques that make for more
productive and more enjoyable angling.
Knot tying, line care, fi sh preparation, and species behavior are
topics that immediately come to mind as being prone to widespread
lack of understanding. And there are many more. Often, when speaking
with anglers, I’ve discovered that they lack a fundamental knowledge
about some key aspect of fi shing, which may have hindered their
efforts or detracted from maximum success or angling enjoyment. “I
never knew that” has been a common response to my explanation or
demonstration.
As a writer, I’ve often been disappointed to learn that something
I’ve written extensively about, such as the difference between test
and class lines and the vagaries of line strength and labeling, still
has not been absorbed by a majority of anglers. Obviously that’s too
much to expect and not everyone is so deeply engaged in all aspects
of sportfi shing.
1
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2 K E N S C H U L T Z ’ S E S S E N T I A L S O F F I S H I N G
But even the most avid anglers can get a lot learning about all of its features. I do like gear that
twisted around. Just the other day I had a con- is intuitive and doesn’t require a PhD to use, and
versation with a longtime angler about saltwater fi shing tackle looks a lot simpler than many things
sportfi sh that were good to eat. “I don’t like blue- do. Still, you really should take time to learn how
fi sh, though,” the fellow offered. “They don’t to properly use the equipment, which is why the
taste good.” information in Part Two is so in-depth. By using
Bluefi sh are one of my favorite sportfi sh to and/or properly adjusting some of the features on
catch and to eat, but since they are delicate and a reel, for example, you’ll be able to cast farther,
spoil quickly, they require particular care. I told control strong fi sh better, and be more profi cient
him this, and he was surprised to learn that when overall. It’s best to start out this way.
I have offered smoked bluefi sh to guests, it gets Part Three, Basic Skills, and Part Four, Tech-
gobbled up in a hurry as if they were starving. And niques, are where the rubber meets the road. Mas-
the kicker is that many of them, like this fellow, tery of the foundation-building details discussed
profess to dislike bluefi sh, but in reality they are in Part Three and the more advanced knowledge
just not knowledgeable about the proper care, found in Part Four, is what fundamentally makes
handling, and cooking of bluefi sh. anglers more adept at the catching part of the
Now, you don’t need to know how an internal fi shing game. When you apply these skills and
combustion engine works to drive a car. I don’t, techniques to various situations, you become
and I don’t care to know. Similarly, I don’t need multidimensional and your efforts are more
to know how a fi shing rod is manufactured to directed and less haphazard. That’s when good
know what a good rod is or how to fi ght and land luck becomes less of an explanation and bad luck
a strong fi sh with it. becomes less of an excuse.
Essentials of Fishing does not get down to The fi nal part, Practical Matters, deals in-depth
the level of how fi shing gear is made. Rather, it with topics that most books, magazines, and Web
focuses on the key elements of all aspects of the sites don’t get into in a substantive way, perhaps
art of angling that are important to making you because, like my old editor, they think everyone
a more knowledgeable, more well-rounded, and knows it (safety), or perhaps because they are
more successful angler. uncomfortable talking about it (ethics and eti-
To do this, the book is segmented into fi ve fun- quette). While most people know something about
damental topics, beginning with Part One, Fish, a practical matter like catch and release, nowhere
which provides succinct, pertinent details about else will you fi nd such a detailed review of the
all of the major North American sportfi sh pursued pros and cons and do’s and don’ts, which I feel
by anglers in freshwater and saltwater. This is an are essential knowledge in present-day angling.
impressive and diverse array of creatures. When Because Essentials of Fishing is a distillation
you read about each of them, you’ll realize how and enhancement of my Fishing Encyclopedia,
unique their habits and habitats are and begin to which has been widely praised and which is used
understand why fi shing for one is not like fi shing all over the world, it contains the most important
for the other. You’ll also appreciate the angler’s and practical knowledge that I can offer on the
broad and varied “playing fi eld.” full gamut of sportfi shing activities, in a straight-
Species information was placed fi rst because forward manner and presentation.
I believe that you need a basic understanding of The illustrations and photos have been selected
your quarries before you pick up your tools. The not only because they are appropriate comple-
species profi les are followed by Part Two, Tools, ments to the text, but also because they visu-
because the angler’s equipment is also varied and, ally refl ect the diversity that exists in the people,
logically, you have to know what tools you need places, gear, and circumstances of the sportfi shing
and how to use them properly. world. I sincerely hope that this entire package
I’m sure that you probably got a new cell phone becomes your go-to source for credible and indis-
and started using it without reading the manual and pensable angling information.
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