Q&A: How get I get started fishing in Boston?

Question by jenny s: How get I get started fishing in Boston?

Hi yall. I've never really gone fishing before, only with my grandfather when I was young. And then this weird place in Japan where they basically threw hundreds of fish into small ponds and you paid them to fish. It was very relaxing, although hardly counts as fishing. Now I just want to get the same experience again. Can anyone help me get started? Freshwater/Saltwater.. I don't care, I just want to catch a few fish and relax near the water. Also can I rent equipment and all that and how much does that cost? Thanks!




Best answer:

Answer by abdulnonoodle
Go to Walmart, K-Mart, or some other discount store and buy a cheap rod and reel set for about . I recommend a spinning (open face) reel because they cast a lot better than the close faced kind. My personal favorite brand of inexpensive reel is Shimano. Also get some size 6 hooks, a few small bobbers, and a couple artificial lures. I like Blue Fox spinners best, and use size 2 gold color ones for most of the places I fish for trout. If you want to catch a lot of small fish for fun, get some of the small rubber lures that look like insects and float on the water. Twitch them to make them look like a bug that accidentally got stuck in the water and a fish will hit it, sometimes a bigger fish than you expect.
I live in the mountains of Virginia, and have never been to Boston, but according to the city of Boston's website, Jamaica Pond is a good place to fish and is open to the public. It is supposed to have bluegills, bass, and even trout and salmon up to 30 inches long. The website says the water is 65 feet deep, so be careful. If you want to catch some big fish, find a place where the water gets deep close to the shore and cast your size 2 Blue Fox as far out as you can. The first few casts in deep water start retrieving it as soon as it hits the water in case a hungry big fish is close to the surface. Then after a few casts like that, start letting it sink a couple seconds before retrieving it, and gradually let it go deeper before retrieving. Try to count the seconds as it sinks, and if it hits the bottom don't let it sink quite that far next time because it might get stuck on something on the bottom. Lost of times the biggest fish will be near the bottom, so the trick is getting your lure to them without snagging it. If you use bait like worms or minnows, let them slowly sink on their own and don't worry so much about snags. If you are trying for the small fish for fun, put a bobber about 2 feet from the hook and use worms or even a piece of bread you mash on the hook.
Ponds are the best place to learn to cast because you don't have to worry about currents. When you get some practice in the still water, go to local rivers. You might be surprized what you get. I love to eat trout, and since trout usually live in clean water they are almost always safe to eat. A few good meals and your fishing will pay for itself and your diet will be healthier too. I have about 50 trout in my freezer now.
Remember to get a Massachussets fishing license. Here in Virginia you can get the license online and from most stores that sell fishing equipment.
And I almost forgot to wish you luck. We all need it...!

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