The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
September 2, 2010 by GetFishing
Filed under Fresh Water Fishing
The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing offers the nearly 40 million freshwater anglers in the U.S. with a comprehensive fishing resource. From the highly respected The Freshwater Angler series, this title covers all the major freshwater species in North America. It includes tips and techniques for catching gamefish throughout the country under every conceivable on-the-water situation. In developing this book, the writers, editors and researchers traveled from Alaska to Mexico to fish with
Rating: 
(out of 10 reviews)
List Price: $ 30.00
Price: $ 18.48
Shakespeare Two-Piece Medium Action Spectrum Spincast Combo (5-Feet 6-Inch, Colors May Vary)
- Spincast Combo
- 5’6″ two-piece M action rod
- E-Z Cast 8 reel
- Tubular glass rod with comfortable EVA handle
Spectrum 5’6″ two-piece M action rod
Rating: 
(out of 1 reviews)
List Price: $ 18.88
Price: $ 10.33
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Review by Wayne A. Smith for The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
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The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing fits my bill very nicely. The book is divided into neat chapters on gear, rigging, and the common types of freshwater fish found in North American lakes and streams.
Each of the “fish chapters” (trout, bass, pike, etc.) has an impressive discourse on the fish itself, its habits, habitation, and how and where to best catch them.
The gear and tackle chapters teach all one needs to know about the different types of bait, lures, flies, knot-tying and other mechanics of the sport which are necessary if one is going to do more than catch sunnies with bread-balls.
Well written in short, clear prose, the book is fabulously illustrated with color pictures, charts, graphs, maps and other visuals which really explain both fish and fishing.
This is an excellent guide for both new and experienced fresh water fishers.
Review by L. Acheson for The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
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Although it says it’s a Complete Guide, I didn’t find it so. There is a level of assumed knowledge. So if you’re a beginner, like me, skip this book and find something more basic.
Specifically, it doesn’t show how to thread a rod/reel; it doesn’t show how to connect up sinkers, spinners, hooks, etc in the combinations you need for each type of fishing; and it doesn’t describe how to do certain types of fishing — it just names them and moves on.
It’s also not specific enough for the region you live in. It’s a wide overview of the types of Freshwater fish found in the US, but it doesn’t break it down by region. Try to find a local guidebook for the types of fish in your specific area instead.
Review by J. Wallbank for The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
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I was looking for a book that covered all freshwater fish species. I am mostly a bass & panfish fisherman, but I do get occasional opportunities to angle for something else. I wanted a book that would allow me to read a chapter on a specific type of fish and know some good lure types and tactics to try if such an opportunity arose. Overall, this book does a good job at meeting those requirements. On a few of the species the lure information seemed a little sparse and some of the information on tactics was information that was already talked about earlier in the same chapter. Some of the tactics also specified the use of a boat/fish finder, which may not work the best if you are fishing from shore or a canoe/kayak. The book covers most freshwater gamefish species found in the US(bass, walleye, trout, etc), but I would also have liked to have seen a chapter on non-gamefish (carp, gar, etc). Overall a recommended book.
Review by G for The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
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This book is a good, solid reference for most things to do with fishing. Experienced anglers won’t benefit as much from this book since it seems targeted more for beginners and folks with modest levels of fishing experience. That’s not to say there won’t still be some beneficial tips or knowledge for experienced people, however. They will just receive less benefit from this book.
Overall, it covers the major areas of fishing – gear, techniques, boat control, structure, seasonal movements, etc. It illustrates a few useful knots to cover the most common situations, but is a little weak in that area. It contains lots of clear photos and is a great book to get one started on the fine sport of fishing. The text is simply written and clearly explains the basic concepts.
Review by Keri A. White for The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)
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After searching the net and bookstores for months, I came across this book. It is THE best book on fishing you will find period. The pictures are amazing, but the information it provides is by far the best part. It tells you HOW to fish for every kind of freshwater fish there is. Trust me, you will love it.
Review by Andrew J. Riemer for Shakespeare Two-Piece Medium Action Spectrum Spincast Combo (5-Feet 6-Inch, Colors May Vary)
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Before I begin to gush about how much I love these Shakespeare combos, let me present a bit of personal history. I was first taken on a fishing trip when I was only three months old. I didn’t fish that year, of course, but it was the first of many annual trips to the lakes near Sioux Narrows, Ontario. My dad had five sons, and started us each on a Zebco 202 combo. It was considered the default starter combo of the day.
Why am I mentioning that here, in a review for a Shakespeare combo? Well, because my dad spent more time trying to keep those Zebco reels in working order than I can remember. Time and time again he was dealing with tangled line on the spool, problems with the drag, or gears that would just fail. Casting distances weren’t great, and the frequent tangles in the spool added to that problem. You’re probably thinking, “anyone fishing with young kids will have those problems–it’s not the gear, it’s the kid who was mucked it up.” Well, I thought that too, until I purchased our first Shakespeare combos.
Why did I opt for the Shakespeare? Well, I remember all those troubles my dad had, and I must admit that the Shakespeare combo was about a third cheaper than the Zebco combos I saw at that time. So, I thought we would give them a try. I purchased one each for my eldest son and daughter. I already had some rigs, so I stuck with those and shared one with my wife. I expected to spend much of the day dealing with the issues I experienced as a child. To my delight, I didn’t have to deal with a single tangle or hardware issue. All I had to do was to keep baiting hooks and unhooking fish. That was enough to keep me from getting my line wet most of the day, but I was happy to have that problem.
Let me fast forward to today. I’m writing this about an hour before my family and I head out for a long weekend of hiking and fishing. We have ten kids now, nine of whom are old enough to fish. I have Shakespeare combos for each of them. As I put fresh line on a few of the rigs this evening, I realized I still have those two rigs I purchased more than 13 years ago, and they are still in great mechanical shape. In fact, the only problems we’ve ever had with our combos started only after my boys were old enough to bike off and fish on their own after school, and those were all related to learning how to bike while holding a fishing pole (if my #3 son snaps off the tip of one more rod!…).
I kid you not–these are simply the best starter combos for anyone who wants to fish, and they are at a great price, to boot! I’ve been extremely impressed with the quality, durability, and the fact that the reels haven’t caused me any trouble over the years. I couldn’t ask for a nicer starter combo, and I strongly recommend giving one a try.