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It's the kind of day I just want to go fishing with my friends.

The weather's great and I want a simple day out on the dock.

I'm here to talk to Toby, my local bait shop expert.

Once I get all my gear together.

I'll be ready to head into the outdoors.

(music) “Grab your gear and” “Lets explore.” “As we discover” “The wild outdoors.” “Science.

Discovery.” “Is what we do.” “You can make our Earth.” “A bright and better planet.” “By joining us.” “In this wide open space.” “Into the Outdoors.” So me and my friends are going fishing, and I don't know what type of pole we can use.

OK. And you're going to be fishing for what?

We're going to be fishing for some pan fish, like blue gill, perch, Crappies.

Okay, so I mean, there's a bunch of options you can do.

You could do like just a regular spinning rod.

Simple but effective.

If you're not that experienced at it, you know, then I'd probably recommend something more like a spin cast.

You know?

So you just push the button?

Yup push the button, release the button when you throw it.

Or you can go with the trusty cane polls.

I've never heard of a cane pole before.

What's that?

So cane pole, what you're doing is you're tying the line to the end of it.

If you're going to be fishing structure, you know, piers stuff like that.

Yeah.

Then a cane pole definitely helps because you can get better reach with it.

Then also drop it directly where you want it instead of trying to cast it like you would with a normal style rod and reel.

And then you got your traditional cane pole, you know, just basically a long piece of bamboo.

Yeah.

So before you even know if you're really into fishing, that's a great way to do it.

This is the best way to discover if you're going to be into it.

I mean, this seems like a great way to get into fishing.

I think I'm going to try it out.

I'm ready with my cane poles and new angling knowledge.

I said goodbye to Toby and met up with some fishing friends at this nearby pond.

All right, Ashton, you seem to have some fishing experience.

Who taught you?

My grandpa used to take me to the lake.

All right.

Lucy, where'd you learn to fish?

My dad.

All right.

So you should be pretty good here.

Antonio?

Me and my dad learned together.

He didn't fish much growing up in Mexico, so we learned to fish around the area.

I learned from my dad and my grandpa.

I used to come here all the time and catch a ton of bluegill and back here again.

It's pretty cool.

So the cane pole is one of the most simple rods out there.

There's no reel and it's just four simple parts.

We have the pole, we have six pound mono, a little bobber and a small hook.

And finally, to make them bite, we'll need to beat that hook with bait.

Make sure you have a bobber and a hook that are appropriate size for the fish you're catching.

The reason we're using a little bopper and a little hook is because we're catching little fish.

And this barber is going to be super sensitive and pick up any bites, and this little hook is going to be able to fit in their mouths, and it's going to be perfect for catching all sorts of little blue gill.

What do you guys think we're going to be using for bait today?

Worms!

We have two different types of worms we're going to be using today.

And one of them is these red worms right here.

So these are just regular worms They just find, right?

Yeah.

These are like the typical worms.

Lucy, yours is jumping out of your hand.

Now we have the baby night crawlers.

These are a little bit bigger.

And they're pretty cold, too, so.

What do you guys think?

These are cold.

They are cold.

Yeah.

We also have crickets that we're going to be using.

Yeah, see those?

Look at those.

We have live leeches that we're going to be using, too.

And don't forget those minnows.

Because fish are predators, minnows also make great bait for catching many species, including perch, rock bass, crappie, and even maybe a pike or a bass.

Using a small hook, hook them through the lips or just under the dorsal fin.

We got a dock that's going to provide shade.

I can already see some rocks on the bottom.

And there's a lot of vegetation here that the fish can be hiding in.

Look right over here.

There's a bit of weeds on top.

So those are going to get some shade.

Oh, you see that?

Always let an adult know when you're going to be fishing, and it's always a good idea to have an adult nearby when you're by water.

When fishing from open docks or peers anglers should always wear their life jackets.

In this case, our group is fishing from a pier with safety rails, so lifejackets aren't necessarily required, but they're always still a good idea.

Let's start fishing, but I need a hook.

All right.

Well, let me get you one right from this tackle box here.

This is size a hook.

Do you know how to tie this on?

I usually do regular double knot.

All right.

Well, here let me show you a better not.

This is going to be stronger.

So this is called the clinch knot.

So you're going to stick it right through that hole, then wrap it around the main line five or six times just to make it have a lot of friction, so it won't slide out.

What if I only do it four times or three times?

I mean, you do it enough times so that the fish doesn't fall off.

But if you do that many times, then you should be expecting to lose some fish.

Once you wrap it around seven or eight times, stick it through that original hole, the bottom hole here.

And wet the line.

Pull it tight and finally trim off that excess tag end of the line near the hook.

Now, this is a red worm.

The way I like to hook this is you hook it basically through the middle of the worm here, and then you do that with the way end of the other side of the worm.

So middle, front and back.

All right.

So when they bite it, it's going to grab the whole hook and not just grab an end and pull the worm off Alright.

Mm-Hmm.

You're set to go.

Let's go over how to bate a red worm again in case any of you missed my very cool demo.

first, take the red worm and hook it right through the middle.

Repeat this process with the back end of the worm and the front end the worm.

Hooking the worm to the front, middle and back end.

It will be less likely to fall off and more likely to get you a fish on the hook.

All right, Ashton, you're all good.

What you're running here is a weightless worm.

No split shot or weight about two feet away from the bobber.

So just come right over here.

Do you see where this big pile of sticks is in the water?

Just kind of toss it over there.

(Music) Oh, you got it.

You got one.

Nice one Ashton.

So what kind of fish is this?

This is a little bluegill.

Go ahead and just pick it up.

So you got to be careful because on top here you see there's some spines and then also bottom near the dorsal fin here.

So grab them right on the belly.

Do you see where it's orange there?

Yup.

Are you thinking about going on a fishing trip like my friends and me?

Well, then you have to learn what kinds of tools you need to bring in your tackle box.

Let's see what I brought to help everyone become successful anglers.

All right, everyone, we have a very simple tackle box today.

The first thing we have, we have size six, ten and eight hooks.

We have short shank, which are these little ones and the straight part of the hook shanks.

And then we have long shanks of those sizes, too.

And you can see how that straight part is a lot longer, right?

The shank on a hook is the straight portion of metal before it starts to curve.

Like I said, hooks come with either short or long.

Short shank hooks are good when using smaller bait like red worms crickets or leeches.

Long shank hooks are good when you're using larger bait like night crawlers and minnows.

These are the four parts of the hook.

Right on top we have the point.

We have the barb all pinched down here.

That's normally used to catch and cook, but right now we're not looking for dinner, so we pinched it down so we can get a safer release.

Then we have the shank, which is the straight part here.

And then right on top where you tie it to the line.

That's the eye of the hook.

To learn more about what types and sizes of hooks to use with different baits for catching different fish species.

Visit your local bait shop or talk with an expert like I did.

Local bait shops are also great places to learn about the fish in your area and where the fisher biting.

And parents, to learn more about fishing, see all the kid friendly how to videos on takemefishing.org.

Now let's see what else is in that tackle box.

We have a few bobbers.

Bobbers are attached onto your fishing line.

The reason for a barber is to suspend your bait at the depth where the fish are at.

And so you can easily see when they're biting your bait.

If you see your bobber moving in the water, it's a signal that a fish might be starting to nibble on your bait.

If your bobber goes completely under the water, tug on the line because a fish might be on the hook.

You'll also see that there's a pair of fingernail clippers in here.

You might be thinking, Whoa, we're just going to cut our fingernails, it's always good to have those.

But no, these are for cutting our line.

Nail clippers are much safer to use than a knife or other sharp objects, and still allows you to cleanly cut the line.

And then we also have the last thing.

These are weights.

We have some big weights.

And then we also have some smaller weights.

And why is it important to have different types of weights?

Because sometimes you want the bait to sink quickly to the bottom.

That's exactly right.

Fish aren't always on the surface, so sometimes you need to use larger or smaller weights to get your bait where it needs to be.

Heavier weights will also put the bobber about halfway down.

So you can easily see when the fish bites the bait.

The blue gill is a species of freshwater fish, sometimes referred to as a sunfish.

It is native to North America and usually lives in rivers, lakes and ponds.

While their color can vary from population to population.

They typically have a very distinctive coloring with deep blue and purple on the face.

Dark olive colored bands down the side and the fiery orange yellow belly.

You can see the fish in this clear water right?

When they eat it, give it a yank.

(Music) Come on, something bite, something bite.

(Music) These fish are really biting the worms.

Fishy fish in the lake, come and bite my little bait.

(Music) I caught a fish, and this one's pretty small.

At the same time, we both caught these tiny little blue gills.

Well mine is really tiny.

Hey, guys, I'm going to show you how to unhook a fish, how to hold a fish and how to put a fish back in the water.

First how you unhook a fish is just kind of lean it towards... And if that doesn't really work, take the end of it, push it out, push it and it's out.

Lucy took that hook out like a pro.

Well, let's take a closer look at how to properly remove it from bluegill in case Lucy was too fast for you to keep up with.

After catching a bluegill, grab the hook, turn it down and push the pointy end of the hook away from the fish's mouth, then pull it out when it's free.

This is how you hold a Blue Gill.

You don't want it pointy scales and fill up like that.

You don't.

You don't want them to poke you, so you have to hold it down.

That's exactly right, Lucy.

You want to make sure you gently grasp it on the top and bottom, making sure you do a petting motion from its mouth downward in order to avoid grabbing it sharp spines.

I'm going to show you how to put that back in the water.

You'll find these like small slots and then you'll see a little bit and release them.

And back in the water safely.

When you release a fish, gently set them back in the water.

Never throw a fish back or toss them through the air into the water.

This could harm the fish.

Besides releasing fish responsibly, you need to be a responsible angler about rules and regulations, so please check with your local fish agency about fishing seasons for different species, size, and catch limits, and how to get a fishing license.

Those fishing license fees help pay for fishing conservation programs to help all anglers and our aquatic resources.

This can be done online at the DNR's website or your local bait shop.

All right, Ashton, do you want to go try some other spot.

There's a bunch of bluegill here, but I think we go catch some other fish.

Let's go.

Sure.

Changing places, baits and methods can often help you catch more different or bigger fish.

All right, Ashton.

So do you know why we chose the spot?

No.

All right.

Well, you can see there's a log in the water and that's going to give shade and structure for the fish to hide in.

There's a lot of weeds, and that's good cover as well.

All right.

So we're going to be using crickets.

What do you think those are going to catch?

Maybe a bass.

Using crickets as bait, you can get all kinds of fish species.

Some of the most common ones that will happily bite on a cricket are trout, crappie, yellow perch, and certain kinds of catfish.

Using crickets during the summer months will almost ensure you'll catch a fish, as crickets are a natural food source for many fish during these warmer months.

Ashton, have you ever fished with crickets?

Do you know how to hook them?

No.

You see these legs right here?

You just got to hook it right behind those legs a little bit up because there's a soft spot there.

All right.

Let's take a closer look at how to properly hook a cricket as bait.

one of the best places to hook a cricket is behind the crickets head on top of its back, take a hook and pull it through the cricket.

This is the hard part.

If it ends up too deep, you'll kill the cricket.

But if it's too shallow, it will fall right off.

If you want to hook the cricket like me, you can insert the hook on the opposite side of its back, where the soft part is in between his legs.

So I have my cricket, so I'm just going to try to throw it far out.

Just walk down the shoreline and keep throwing it out there.

Oh, there's one.

(Music) I got this blue gill on a cricket.

Hey Ben, we're out of crickets.

Really?

Yeah.

Wanna try Leaches and a bottom rig?

Yeah.

All right.

Maybe that'll get us a bass.

Let's go meet the other guys.

Hope these bottom rigs work.

Yeah, hopefully I'll catch some bass.

Hey guys.

We're going to try some bottom rig leaches to see if we can get some bass.

I had a leach on me one time.

I was just up north a week ago.

It was stuck right on my ankle.

I ripped it off.

I was kind of freaked out.

But then I was like, You know what?

This would be good bait and caught a bass on it.

So let's use the leeches we have today and get some more bass on them.

I can't wait to use the leeches for bait.

There's a bunch of big fish around here, so hopefully we can catch one with them.

Leaches are natural to all bodies of water, including creeks, rivers and lakes.

They can be left in a container of water for a long time without food.

All leeches have sucking discs at both ends.

The mouth is located in the smaller disk at the head end, and the larger disk on the tail is only used for clinging to objects.

Fish eat many types of leeches, but only the ribbon leech is widely used as bait.

OK. All right, so do you see this thing that looks like a suction cup here?

Yeah.

That's their head.

You're going to stick it right through their head just like that.

All right.

And then once you get that leach hooked up like that, you're going to grab a big split shot and a small split shot and then put them on.

There's an open part of it, and you need to squish it down because this is a soft metal.

You squish it down with the pliers so that it's closed.

And then the lines trapped in there.

So you guys ready to get rigged up?

Yeah.

All right.

Is that weird?

It feels like a worm.

While the rest of the gang hooks the leeches on to their hooks, let's take another look at the steps you should take to properly bait your own leech.

Grab a leech around its body and insert your hook tip into the head area.

You'll know which side is the head because it will have a smaller mouth disk compared to the tail, which is a larger disc.

If you plan on casting your leech, you might want to enter your hole through another area of the leeches body, so it's bunched up around your hook.

This way, the leach won't fall off when you go to cast.

(Music) Blue gill, they're kind of like plates and like if you throw a frisbee, you can't throw it sideways.

It's like, that's how these guys fight.

They go sideways against you and they they use the shape of their body against you and they're fighting.

So it makes them feel like they're a lot bigger than they are.

(Music) Boy, for the bobbers to start coming down to indicate that one of the fish is pulling it away.

I got a fish.

There's just so many fish biting here.

It's constant action.

Like there's no moment here, you're not going to get hooked up.

But this is a blue gill and in the little spot right here, I'm going to release it very safely.

So clearly they've caught fish on every life except minnows.

Let's say you ran out of live or didn't have any to begin with.

What's an angler to do?

How inventive could you be by using fun baits?

Let's see what our crew comes up with.

So we've tried worms, right?

This looks familiar.

What about marshmallows?

Yeah.

And gummy worms.

Let's go.

Let's see how these work.

I'm going to try a marshmallow.

All right.

I'll try marshmallow, too.

So I'm going to use the Marshmallow, because everyone is actually using the gummy worms and I'm going to try something new, like the marshmellow.

I'm trying to fish with a gummy worm.

I'm going to hook it just right through the top here so that most of the marshmallow is off the hook.

But when the fish really goes after it, they're going to get the hook.

I feel like this is going to float.

It's like a little cloud on the water.

So let's see just how well these interesting baits all work out.

Well, marshmallows may not be as effective of bait compared to options like corn, live bait and bread.

You can catch fish with marshmallows, and there are many anglers who attest to this.

Now, as far as gummy worms go, well, we'll just have to check in with the gang and see how it turns out.

(Music) Oh, it's right, you're right, you have you have, like I say, the fish right there.

The gummy worms aren't catching any fish, so gummy worms are definitely better for people and not for fish.

We have bread.

We have hot dogs in my pocket and we're going to try those out.

See if we can get some on those.

I like to catch carp with bread.

Just take a little piece of bread just like this much.

Cover the whole point and barb of your hook.

And they bite right there and just get hooked.

Perfect little blue gill setup.

(Music) One's biting it.

Oh, I got one on the bread.

That's our first different bait fish.

There we are, little bluegill.

It's a pretty dark colored one.

Let's get him a nice release and maybe try bit a hot dog.

OK. Let me try some piece of hot dogs.

And there's another fish, it's nibbling, they're both nibbling and...

I almost caught it.

It looks like the fish are definitely interested, but they haven't gotten to the hook yet, so I recommend a smaller piece of a smaller piece.

Yup, yup.

There we go.

Abother Fish, for me, second special bait, we've tried out.

I had a school of blue gill on me.

This was one of them.

And you can see he's fat.

He's been eating all of our baits.

You don't just need traditional baits to catch fish like worms or crickets, you can use all sorts of food.

Well, if you're ever on a picnic, you bring your fishing rods, but you forgot your bait.

Always just grab a hot dog or a bun or just any type of food.

Try it out.

That's what we've been trying out today, and it's worked out pretty well for us.

What have you guys learned today and like, what's been your favorite part?

My favorite part of today was probably being outside and spending some time with you guys.

What about you, Ashton?

I think just looking out there and seeing fish.

Nature.

Lucy?

I liked when we fed the fish some gummy worms.

My favorite part of today has probably been just seeing how many fish are out here, just right next to shore.

And I've learned that you don't need anything fancy to catch fish.

Using these cane poles has been a super fun experience.

And it made me picture fishing differently.

They're really simple.

It's just the cane, the hook, the line and the bait.

Well, maybe next time we could try a spin casting rod, but I'm gonna eat all the rest of the gummy worms.

And that's how we caught dozens of fish that day using cane pools, bobbers, different baits, and friends.

What better way to try fishing for the first time or maybe take a first timer with you to share in the simple, fun and success of fishing with cane poles?

See you next time on into the outdoors.

(music) “Grab your gear and” “Lets explore.” “As we discover” “The wild outdoors.” “Science.

Discovery.” “Is what we do.” “You can make our Earth.” “A bright and better planet.” “By joining us.” “In this wide open space.” “Into the Outdoors.” The following organizations have provided funding for this into the outdoors television series.