Newbie Fishing Questions?

[cbzdel]

I used to go fishing alot as a kid when I was in boy scouts but stopped as I got older, now 20+ years later I have a kid of my own asking to go fishing.  I went out and got all of the gear for us to have a go a trout fishing at a local stocked lake.   But there a couple things I am still a bit lost on.

From what I read rule book or at least how I understood it, it says barbed hooks are ok for freshwater.  However I have talked with several people and they are telling my they are illegal and to pinch them down. Others are telling me they are legal but something that you shouldn't use for the sake of the fish.  What is the a general consensus on this? Are the legal? Are they frowned upon?

My second question is best thing to go after catching a keeper.  Back when I was in scouts, it was caught, gutted and then cooked on the spot there was never lets catch a handful of them over the course of a few hours.  Whats the best thing or most common thing to do when spending a couple hours catching fishing? Do you throw it on a stringer and if so is the fish dead or alive? Or do I gut it right away and throw it in a cooler of ice?

Just looking to clarify thous couple things so I am not getting a looks from the expects wondering what the heck I am teaching my kid haha!

Any other pointers or tips on common mistakes would be appreciated!

[WSU]

If fishing where barbs are legal, which varies by location (check the regs), fish barbs if you are going to keep what you catch.  If planning to release, lots of folks, including me, don't use barbs because it is easier on the fish when you release them.  It sounds like you are keeping them, so use barbs if legal.

For trout, just get them cold.  If you are only going for a few hours, throw them in a cooler with ice.  Clean them when you are done.  As long as they stay cold, you'll be fine.  Good job taking the kiddo fishing!

[chiwawadan]

WSU got it. There's a list of lakes in the regs - check your lake. If it specifically says barbless hooks you need to use those. Otherwise, barbs are fine.

I've had no trouble keeping fish in a cold lake on a stringer, or even in a bag for brief periods of time, but your mileage my vary. On ice is certainly best.

[Stein]

For bait, I would highly suggest you get a worm threader and use that to thread an entire nightcrawler onto a hook.  The body of the worm will be up over the hook onto the line and maybe an inch of the worm will extend beyond the hook.  Hard to explain in writing, I'm sure there are youtubes.  It's absolutely lethal, by far the most consistent producer anywhere I have fished.  Put that under a bobber or drift it if on a river and you will outfish at least 90% of the people out there.

I also have great luck with Kastmaster spoons, especially the gold one in 1/4 or 3/8 oz, good for the impatient people who can't watch a bobber.

If you are keeping the fish, I bonk them, and then get them into some icewater.  I take a small cooler (lunch sized), with ice and then add some water to it at the lake when I catch my first fish.  Plenty of guys thrown them on a stringer and float them in the water, but it's getting pretty warm now so the quality of the fish goes down quickly once they die.  I've never kept them alive on a stringer, that's my personal preference not to do.

[Skillet]

Agree with the "get it on ice" guys, and I'd add that bleeding the fish will improve the appearance and taste, as well as the fresh meat's lifespan.  After guts, blood is the first thing to spoil in a fish.

Good fishing 

[gaddy]

I like the worm threader Stein mentioned. When the water temp goes up I take a hypodermic needle and fill the tail end with air and fish them on the bottom. The air floats the worm and the tail end kind of wag's around. Good luck !

[wadu1]

As stated before take a small cooler, with ice, if they bleed replace the water ASAP. Stringers are fine if the water is very cold. I've had mink and bass take fish from stringers. For you kids take them to a lake with a lot of action, they will get addicted fast. I'll PM you with my favorite lakes. 

[nwwanderer]

Great fun to cook them very fresh and watch them curl, best eating too

[simondude]

If the lake says its selective gear only then its barbless.

[longtrails]

Two good YouTube channels to watch for our area is Addicted fishing and Northwest fishing secrets. If your fishing on a dock  bonk on top of the head betwen the eyes and the gills, then cut the gills to bleed them out and set the stringer as low as you can to keep the fish cool. If you are fishing landlocked get a cooler clean them between fish bites and throw in the cooler. If you can't do that just throw the stringer as far or into a deep hole in the lake /river to keep them cool. Tip, when weather is cool fish are high and closer to the shore. When weather heats up they go out and low into deeper waters. Adjust your fishing to the weather.  Circle hooks are great for catch and release if that tis what you are going to do. Have fun and just enjoy yourself.