The Ideal Freshwater Beginner Kit?

[Germanjohn]

Thank you so much guys. Very helpful. Copied and pasted this thread into a word doc so I don't lose it for the time being

[jimcnj]

Don't buy a lot of crank baits if you are shoreline fishing unless you want to feed the trees and snags. Go on Youtube and learn how to Texas rig Senkos.
As soon as I did that I was catching bass in park mud puddles and lakes with consistency. A decent rod with a Pflueger President or equivalent and 4 lb test is a good start. Have fun!

[ScowardNJ]

Get yourself a 5' Ugly Stick and beat the shit out of it until you learn what suits your needs and style....Isn't that how we all started??????

[stevejordan]

Originally Posted by ScowardNJ

Get yourself a 5' Ugly Stick and beat the shit out of it until you learn what suits your needs and style....Isn't that how we all started??????

agree x1000

[jimcnj]

Originally Posted by ScowardNJ

Get yourself a 5' Ugly Stick and beat the shit out of it until you learn what suits your needs and style....Isn't that how we all started??????

This.

[yumasdad]

I started out fishing with a bucket in the local streams than progressed to robbing my brothers pole when I was about 6 years old...I caught a hell of a lot more fish with it in 1 summer than he ever caught on it.

[jimmythegreek]

totally agree, get a 5 foot or so ugly stick in UL or L and spend like 50 bucks or so on a decent shimano or similar reel. throw on 4-6lb test and u are ready to go, just need some worms or powerbait and small hooks and splitshots. as said you could grab a few spinners and a yozuri pins minnow or rapala floater/countdown and u are set for like a 100 bucks and the reel can be transferred over down the road to a better rod once u get a feel for what u like

[briansnat]

I'm going to have to disagree on the Ugly Stik. Why start with POS rod when you can get a halfway decent one for a few buck more? Maybe if he was 12 years old and didn't know how to take care of a rod I'd say go with the Ugly Stick.

At one time I had all Ugly Sticks other than my UL. Then my wife got me a nice rod as a gift. Within a year I had replaced all 6 Ugly Sticks once I discovered I had been fishing with something just a few steps above a cane pole all those years.

[Wilson]

One thing you will want to buy is some small (size 10 or 12) Spro barrel swivels. The cheaper ones don't work well
Even fishing worms or power bait and without a doubt spinners your line will get twisted. Twisted line a spinning reel = a long pain in the ass day.
Tying on swivels is a pain as well but it's worth it to avoid line twist.

You said you fish the brine a bunch so you probably already know this, but twisted 4 lb. test on a windy day with 1/8 oz. spinners is a nightmare!

This is especially true when your line is f'ed up and Andy S is bailing the fish on his #@$^%&* jigs

[surfrod]

About the easiest style of fishing for trout, is an ultralight with small jigs like trout magnets.

I started out fishing worms in slow small streams and they were great to get a feel, on a bigger river though, better worm fishermen are more like expert nymph fly fishermen, the way they can cast a worm upstream and work it through pockets and around rocks. Not the easiest technique to start out with.

Obviously on still or slower waters, worms attract trout and a lot of other fish and are relatively easy to work with.

Bob Soldwedel used to swear by his silver #2 Mepps for any trout in NJ, anywhere, any time, and I can't say that's a bad choice to start out with as well!