Customer Reviews

The Complete Guide to Freshwater Fishing (The Freshwater Angler)

5 star:		(10)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

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.

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.

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.

Though I knew quite a bit of the information in this book before purchasing I was astounded by the way it grabbed my interest. Sure, there is a lot of information that an experienced fisherman would not need but the ease of reading and all the great diagrams make this a book I will continue referencing for a long time.

This book gives an excellent guide in words and pictures to the different fish, techniques and equipment in the USA. I would fully recommend this book for new and experienced anglers. In addition I would read this book before buying new equipment.

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.

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.

This is a good read for someone who had been out of fishing for a while

This is the perfect book for beginners. If you car just now getting into fishing, this is a great first book, no matter what type of fish you going for. It talks about different type of fishing and goes into details on how to catch them, and also some good boating/tackle info.

I would say for beginners, like me, this should be the first book you buy.

This book is great and everything I need to know, and then some,regarding freshwater fishing.