up to 8 feet long and 800 pounds. They live in shallow, inshore waters of depths less than 150 feet and prefer areas of rock, coral, and mud bottoms underwater weeds and vegetation, such as green plants growing in the water a short plastic worm with a curled tail used with a weighted jig hook. a powerful, fast, warm current in the North Atlantic Ocean. Its path goes from the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, along the eastern coast of the United States, up to the northeast Atlantic Ocean, to the British Isles, and then to the Norway coasts. The Gulf Stream is the most-studied ocean current in the world. the natural environment where people, animals, and plants live a super fishing spot that has a ton of big fish; also any place with a large amount of keeper fish. When you find a honey hole, you might want to keep the location a secret or else somebody might catch all of your fish! an area on the bottom of a body of water that is higher than the areas around it. This might be an underwater dam or island. the science or study of fish a type of spinner lure in which the blade, body, and hook are all in a straight line an object in a body of water that does not have other structures in the immediate area. You might find fish in these spots. Examples of isolated structures include a bush, a midlake hump, or a large tree that has fallen into the water. a type of lure that gets its name because they are fished by twitching or jerking the lure forward. There are two types: soft and hard. Soft jerkbaits and rigged with a large worm hook. Hard jerkbaits look more like minnow baitfish. a type of lure that has a weighted lead head poured around the top of a hook. It can be rigged with a soft plastic body or skirt, as well as other fish attractants like spinner blades, and trailers of plastic, pork rind, or hair. working a jig by popping the rod tip up and cranking in some line with the reel. This makes the jig dart through the water, and it’s good for attracting fish. a combination of a leadhead jig and a pork rind trailer. This can be a great bait for attracting trophy-size bass. wooden-body topwater lure that has a large metal lip. It makes a gurgling sound when retrieved. a fish that meets a specific minimum length limit (these are established by tournament organizations, state fisheries departments, and/or private lake rules). Any fish that you catch that does not meet the minimum length limit may not be kept, and it must be released back into the water immediately. a member of the black bass family that has a green body with a long dark stripe along each side. Its belly is white to yellowish, and its dorsal fin is almost completely separated between the spiny and soft portion. Its lower jaw extends past its gold-colored eye. They are also called bucket mouth or bigmouth bass. a jig that has lead molded to the hook shaft the maximum number fish that you are allowed to keep, according to the state law or tournament rules rings mounted to a fishing rod for the fishing line to pass through. The guides get smaller as you move up the rod from the reel to the tip. The guides are also sometimes called "eyes." a type of crank bait that is made without a lip. The line attaches to the top of the lure. These artificial baits are meant to look like swimming baitfish. The plugs vibrate and wobble during retrieve, and some have built-in rattles. They are also called swimming baits. a tank on a fishing boat that is used to keep bait and caught fish alive. They work by pumping fresh water into the tank, which adds oxygen to the water soft plastic lures that look like salamanders. They are used for Carolina Rigs, and for fishing in shallow water in the spring. a lure that makes wide and slow movements from side to side a big or large size bass, usually weighing 4 pounds or more. Also known as a "hawg." tropical plants that can survive in wet soil, salt water, & being submerged by tides; large roots hold the trees above the ground or water; leaves are light green, small, and round small beetle larvae that are used for catching crappies or sunfish a type of fishing line made from a single strand of nylon a technique similar to a Carolina Rig except that it is rigged on a spinning rod. It is a finesse-type method. The sinkers are shaped like cylinders or pencils so that they can go through rocks without snagging. part of the Pike family. They have long, wide snouts and sharp, pointy teeth for grasping and holding their prey. Their eyes sit high and back on their heads, and their body color is light with dark markings. They will eat fish (mostly suckers & sunfish), amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals. Also called musky or muskie. a common type of worm used in fishing an angler who fishes at night a tube-shaped fish with hard muscles, a long body, a flat snout. They have sharp, pointly, deadly teeth. Also known as: Northern, Great Lakes Northern Pike, Pickerel, Jackfish, Snake Pickerel. They have very small brains1/1305 of their body weight! a standard spinning reel in which the line comes off the spool in loops and there is no nose cone clear plastic tackle boxes that can be taken out or added to a boat, larger tackle box, or tackle bag minnows, insects, worms, fish eggs, cut bait, cheese, etc. to cast a lure, fly, or bait beyond the target you’re aiming for any species of fish that looks like the shape of a frying pan, which is how it gets the name. This includes sunfish, crappie, perch, and other similar small fish. putting a toothpick into a slip sinker to keep it from sliding up the line a safety device, like a life jacket, that will keep someone floating if they fall overboard worms or jigs are dropped into cover at close range with an underhand cast, using a 6-1/2 to 7-1/2 foot baitcasting rod a small indentation in the shoreline a finger of land that juts out into the water. These are good spots for fishing. a type of sunglasses that eliminates the glare reflected from the water and allows a fisherman to see into the water a topwater lure that makes a popping or spitting commotion when retrieved a styrofoam cork that gurgles when yanked. The noise sounds like fish feeding on top, so it attracts the attention of gamefish. a nickname for the propeller of a trolling or outboard motor a topwater lure with a metal propeller on one or both ends a fishing tournament (or a series of tournaments) that must be fished in order to make it to a fish-off glass or metal noisemakers that are added to lures to attract bass to replace the old line on a reel with new line a rock, sandbar, or other feature lying beneath the surface of the water another name for a baitcasting reel. The spool turns during casting. a plastic worm that has a long ribbon on the end that ripples when the worm is retrieved a type of fishing in which the angler is only attempting to catch aggressive fish that will quickly strike the lures. The angler "runs" or motors to the next spot and quickly fishes it, and then repeats the process again and again. liquid attractant added to a lure to draw the fish to it a solid barricade built parallel to the shore at the water’s edge to protect the shore and to prevent inland flooding; can be made of wood, stone, concrete, earth, or a combination of materials natural baitfish that are eaten by bass when a fish hits at a lure but misses it when fishermen can actually see the fish they are attempting to catch. This requires clear water. silicone, rubber, or plastic material that is molded around a spinnerbait to create the body to catch zero fish or keepers. If you’ve been skunked, it was a bad day on the water! limp line from the tip of the rod to the lure. This can be a slight bow in the line or an excess of line lying on the water. the period between incoming and outgoing tides when there is no tidal movement. This is not a good time to fish. a lead weight with a hole through the center. When it is threaded on a line, a slip sinker slides up and down. a topwater plug with a flat or pointed head a nickname for smallmouth bass a black bass whose jaw does not extend beyond the eye. It is bronzy-green on top and lighter on bottom, and it is found in clear rivers and lakes. It has a shorter upper jaw than the largemouth bass. They are also called bronzebacks, brown bass, river bass, or smallies. a family of spiny-finned fish found mostly in tropical coastal waters. There are 250 species of snapper, including red snapper, mangrove and dog snappers, muttonfish, yellowtail, and Atlantic grey. They are carnivorous, active, and greedy, with large mouths and sharp teeth. the period when fish are reproducing a push-button, closed-face spinning reel that is mounted on the topside of a baitcasting rod. This type of reel is very easy to cast with and has a very small chance of backlash, which makes it a great choice for new anglers and kids. a leadhead lure, usually skirted, that has one or more spinning blades that are offset from the lure. The blades spin as the lure is retrieved. an open-faced reel that is mounted on the underside of spinning rod. The reel has a non-revolving spool that is mounted parallel to the rod. A wire bail revolves around the spool during retrieve and winds the line onto the spool. a metal lure that looks like a kitchen spoon and is used for catching fish out of deep water a hard-plastic lure that imitates an injured minnow. These lures may float or suspend. a way to keep fish alive after they have been caught. A string or small nylon rope is threaded through the mouth and gills of a fish and is then tied off to the boat or dock. This lets the fish stay in the water but keeps it from swimming away. The term "stringer" is also used by anglers to describe the size of their catch for the day; for example, 10-pound stringer = 10 pounds of fish. the physical features and shape of the bottom of a body of water, which can influence fish behavior. Some examples of structure are humps, depressions, sandbars, ledges, and drop-offs. Some examples that are not structure: a stump, a tree, or a brush pile (these are cover). a family of freshwater fish with 80 species. They feed on the bottom of lakes and rivers, and they suck up algae and other organic materials. Suckers are known for their mouths, which are located on the underside of their heads. They having thick, fleshy lips that give them their namethey use the lips to suck & attach to rocks in fast moving waters. any of the members of the sunfish family, including largemouth bass, bluegill, redear and crappie a soft plastic lure that looks like a baitfish. They are usually made to look like a bluegill, shad, or trout. sinking-type artificial baits made to look like a swimming baitfish. These plugs vibrate and wobble during retrieve and some have built-in rattles. See also “lipless crankbaits.” lead-bodied lures with one or two spinner blades attached to the tail, and a treble hook on the underside of the body when a fish eats a bait or lure an area in a body of water that slopes and gets deeper tropical, marine game fish from the family Elopidae; nickname: silver king (because of their heavy silvery scales); blue and bright silver, with a long forked tail angling equipment (except for artificial baits) that are attached to the end of a fishing line. Examples are hooks, snaps, swivels, snap-swivels, sinkers, floats, and plastic beads. method of angling that involves securing a hook to a soft-plastic bait, such as a worm, lizard, or crawfish, so that the hook is weedless. A bullet-shaped slip sinker is threaded onto the line and then a hook is tied to the end of the line. Then, the hook is inserted into the head of a worm for about 1/4 inch and brought through until only the eye is still stuck in the worm. The hook is rotated and the point is put slightly into the worm without coming out the opposite side. lure that makes short, quick, side-to-side movements line guide at the top of a fishing rod floating lures that disturb the surface disturbance during retrieve. Examples are buzzbaits and topwater plugs. soft plastic objects that are added to a lure to improve its appearance an extra hook, sometimes called a "cheater hook," which is added to a single-hook lure, like a spinnerbait or weedless spoon a hook with a single or bundled shaft and three points a small electric fishing motor, usually mounted on the bow of a boat, which is used in addition to the boat’s regular motor. It allows an angler to move about without starting the outboard motor, so the boat can maneuver quietly in fishing areas. soft plastic lures with hollow bodies. The end of the lure resembles a soft skirt with tentacles. They are used on light lead head jigs and with a slip sinker. clear plastic tackle boxes used to hold an angler’s gear underwater plants the up and down movement of a fish, or the movement of a lure (called vertical jigging) one of the most popular game-fish in the U.S. They have big marble-like eyes which reflect light; this lets them see well in dim light, so they do most of their feeding at night. stiff plastic or metal wire that protects jigs and lures from getting snagged a hook with a large opening between the shank and the point a fly that is fished underwater a blade design used on spinnerbaits that looks like a half moon a popular type of wet fly often used by fly anglers a style of plastic worm with a flat body and ridges that look like the zippers on clothing