1,2,3 Fishing Basics
If you’re new to the sport of fishing, Rheos Pro Staffer Corey Smith has some tips for you. And don’t worry… it’s as easy as 1, 2, 3. Keep it simple, focus on casting and use fishing sunglasses. Follow these words of advice and you’ll be the envy of everyone else on the water.
Photo by @forrest_powpow
- Keep it simple. Find a few baits and really learn them and why they work. You should also learn the best gear to use with it. I recommend baits such as a Senko style bait, a smaller style crankbait like a KVD 1.5 in sexy shad color, and lastly a top water popper like a Rebel Pop-R in a chrome and black color. Learn these inside and out before adding more baits into your arsenal. Be open minded to learning new techniques in fishing; however, don’t get caught up in every new bait at once. Take the time to really learn a bait before adding more.
- Focus on strengthening casting skills. Being able to make an accurate and soft-landing cast to a target like a laydown tree, dock, or other cover is one of the most important skills in fishing. Making cast that enter the water with little to no splash is very important so the fish aren’t spooked. Great casting only comes with practice on the water. To sum it all up, focus on making accurate cast that enter the water softly.
- Use fishing sunglasses. A good pair of Rheos floating sunglasses is a must in any type of fishing – most importantly for safety reasons. A sunny day on the water can really take a toll on your eyes. Plus, if a fish throws the hook or if your lure snaps free of a snag, sunglasses can prevent serious injury. Polarized sunglasses can help you find more underwater targets in shallow water. This is very important because other anglers typically miss these targets. For example, when you come into a pocket all the visible lay downs have likely been fished a lot. While fishing these visible targets, scan the water with your Rheos sunglasses on. Thanks to polarization, a piece of underwater brush appears and you can make a soft accurate cast to it. Your bait is now on a target that has been fished much less, and these targets often hold the biggest fish. This will result in many more and bigger fish in the course of the day.
-- Corey Smith
Corey Smith is a recent graduate of Virginia Tech, where he fished on the VT Bass fishing team. He has gained a lot of tournament experience such has VT club tournament, FLW college events, BASS college events, and the Boat U.S National Championship. He truly loves the sport of fishing because, in his words, he “gets to enjoy the beautiful lakes and rivers God has blessed us with.” Follow Corey on Instagram @coreys3.
