Simple fishing

As I was about to cast toward shore, a slight movement caught my eye.

Five painted turtles sunning on a log had turned their heads to stare at me. Was I a threat?

With fishing momentarily forgotten, I rowed toward the reptiles as stealthy as possible. Before I could snap a photo, they plopped into the water, leaving me with a memory of time on the water.

Nature writer Henry David Thoreau called such times outdoors “stolen moments.”

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I caught several bass that day, but mostly I sought a respite from the cares and duties of everyday life. Bills, politics, and achy knees were forgotten as I soaked up sunshine, watched swallows skim the water’s surface, and listened to toads trilling.

I’d enjoyed a few delightful hours stolen from routine life. I also caught fish.

Leafing through a fishing magazine that evening I scanned ads, articles and photos of people who’d caught giant fish and touting the benefits of modern boats, motors, rods and reels and electronics to help ensure fishing success. Anyone considering taking up fishing could be scared away by the complexity and cost of the equipment.

In contrast, I fish from a tiny, old aluminum row boat purchased for $75 at a garage sale. It fits in my small pickup and is muscle powered.

I wear everyday clothes, use modestly priced rods and reels, and shun electronics. Yet, I still catch fish. Sometimes even big bass are fooled by lures I’ve been using for 60 years.

Those stolen fishing hours yield a respite from a busy life and tasty fillets. They cost next to nothing.

Fishing has evolved into two different sports.

One appeals to people intent on catching the biggest fish as quickly as possible using modern and expensive gear. Time spent on a lake often means roaring across the water in a powerful boat and then peering at a sonar screen seeking hidden fish. It’s intense and competitive. Some love this type of fishing while others are professionals who enter contests attempting to catch big fish to win hefty cash prizes.

It’s not for me.

With a college degree in fisheries and having fished for nearly 70 years, I prefer simple inexpensive fishing and encourage anyone contemplating the sport to not be discouraged by cost. It’s easy to start modestly and launch a lifetime passion that may lead to either a competitive sport or relaxing days on the water.

What’s Needed

License: All states require adults to purchase a fishing license. They are sold online and in stores that sell gear. Fishing laws vary from state to state, but can be accessed online from any state’s department of natural resources. For Iowa, check iowadnr.gov to buy a license and gain an enormous amount of helpful information.

Gear: Fishing gear has many price points and can be bought in stores or online. Often quality used equipment can be bought at discount on Facebook Marketplace, Craig’s List and in consignment stores and garage sales.

My expert fishing resource, Noel Vick, advises newcomers to avoid inexpensive comic book-themed rods and reels marketed for kids.

“Push button spin cast reels are easy to use and are fine for beginners, but for adults I suggest spinning gear,” he said. “It takes some practice learning but is versatile.”

A small, inexpensive tackle box will hold basic lures and hooks. For kids and beginners, Vick recommends using a bobber to suspend live bait beneath it. Jigs with soft plastic tails are inexpensive and work well on many fish species. So do soft plastic worms fished on a hook.

I usually use live bait, but bring jigs, spinners, soft plastic worms and a few crankbaits and poppers in my tackle box.

Boats are optional. Great fishing can be enjoyed from the bank of lakes and streams. Iowa trout fishing, for example, is almost always done from the bank. However, a boat makes it easy to access a lake’s remote areas.

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A high-end bass fishing boat, motor and trailer can cost tens of thousands of dollars. Yet, basic kayaks are outstanding fishing vessels. Entry level models cost under $300. I’ve never used a motorboat for fishing and enjoy the quietness of paddles and oars. Mostly I fish from an old 41-pound aluminum pram.

Electronic fish finding devices have revolutionized angling. They help locate concentrations of fish and structure beneath the water. Some new forward facing sonar units can pinpoint individual big fish.

Electronics are fine for people who love technology, but I spend too much office time looking at screens and shun them when fishing.

Clothes already in the closet work fine for beginning anglers. Dress for the weather and bring along sunscreen and insect repellent.

Learning to Fish

Tagging along with a seasoned agreeable angler is the best way to learn casting techniques and fish location, but anyone with a computer has a mentor at hand.

Dozens of YouTube videos teach casting techniques, knot tying and even how to clean and cook fish. YouTube is a novice anglers’ friend and even experienced anglers use it to learn advanced techniques.

Iowa lacks abundant big lakes, but has plenty of places to fish. A resource for finding a fishing spot is on the Iowa DNR website. Click on Community Fishing to locate a list of often smaller ponds inside or near major cities. These urban and suburban ponds usually teem with bluegills and bass, are easy to fish without a boat and are close to home.

The DNR website lists larger lakes, often located in state parks. Examples near Cedar Rapids are Pleasant Creek and Lake Macbride. Fishing in bigger lakes is possible from the bank, but a boat increases access. Big federal reservoirs are open to fishing and include Coralville and several others. They are usually tough to fish from shore.

The Cedar, Iowa and Iowa’s other large rivers also offer good fishing.

Iowa has hundreds of miles of trout streams. Many are regularly stocked during warm months. They are listed on the DNR website.

Outstanding fishing can be found in tiny pockets of water, sometimes in the midst of housing developments. Many are on private property where permission is needed, but some are hidden in plain sight.

In early May I hiked to two ponds on the east side of Wanatee Park and landed a nice largemouth bass. I spotted the ponds on Google Earth.

Fish often concentrate in good habitats. These are usually a small percent of the total lake size.

Sunfish, bass, trout and crappies are homebodies that live near sunken logs, stumps, rocks, clumps of aquatic plants or even old Christmas trees deliberately sunk to attract fish. Figure out where the structure is and it’s likely you’ve found fish.

As cold-blooded animals, fish regulate their body temperature by being in places comfortable to them. In early spring, shallow water warms the fastest. Fish will be there.

In summer’s dog days, they’ll be in the coolest water they can find and often lounge in the shade beneath docks and logs.

Fishing Tips

In his seven decades of fishing and watching anglers, Rich offers these tips to increase the odds of catching fish:

If, after a while, nothing is biting it just might be one of those days when fish are comatose. The day is not wasted. Enjoy sitting in the sun, gazing at the water, watching birds and just being away from the pressures of everyday life.

Stolen moments are the beauty of angling. Big fish and fillets bonuses.

Rich and Marion Patterson have backgrounds in environmental science and forestry. They co-own Winding Pathways, a consulting business that encourages people to “Create Wondrous Yards.”