Creek fishing doesn’t mean you have to become a pro at handling a fly rod. You don’t even have to own a fly rod to creek fish. Creek fishing can be some of the most enjoyable, inexpensive, and simple fishing that you ever do.
Depending on what area of the country you live, the fish you might catch in a creek can range from rainbow trout and salmon to bass and bream, or sun perch. Although many experienced trout and salmon fishermen typically use fly rods, you can experience just as much enjoyment using a simple rod and reel outfit.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money on a rod and reel to enjoy creek fishing. A cheap rod and an inexpensive reel will work nicely. If you don’t invest in a lot of money for a rod and reel, you can easily replace it if you need to.
You will need to buy a variety of roostertail baits. Roostertails come in so many colors. Be sure you have a selection of light and dark colors. You also need to be sure your roostertails have both silver spinners and gold spinners. On some days silver will work better, and on other days you will see more success with gold. You can wear a hat that you can stick your baits into, or you can carry a very small pocket-sized tackle box. Another great bait holder is the small cylinder that 35mm film comes in. Be sure and take your baits out of their container after you have finished fishing. Lay them flat so they will dry and the hooks won’t rust.
You probably want to stick to either 1/8 or 1/16 bait. You don’t want you bait to be too large because the goal in creek fishing is to keep filling your basket. If your bait is too large, small bream may not be able to take the bait into their mouths.
You might wonder why you should be concerned with catching smaller fish. Even small bream make great fillets, and they are also some of the best tasting fish you will ever try. Another surprising point concerning bream is that they can really fight your hook. Many times, you might think you have a much larger fish on your hook and are very surprised when you pull up your line to find a small, wiggling bream on the end of it.
Bass usually put up a good fight, also. It is very important to try and keep your bass in the water until you can get it out and take hold of it. Bass are notorious for trying to spit the hook out, and they will try to jump out of the water to do this. Point your rod tip down towards the water and keep your line tight as you reel the bass in towards you. If you are close to the bank, try to swing your line towards the bank, so that if the bass were to come off the hook, you can still catch it.
If you don’t want to keep the fish or aren’t interested in cleaning smaller bream, carefully remove the hook and place the fish back in the water. If the fish has swallowed the hook and you have injured the fish trying to remove the hook, go ahead and keep it because it will probably die, anyway.
The only other equipment you need in order to creek fish is a fishing basket with a rope attached and some type of needle-nosed pliers to retrieve hooks from stubborn fish. Small surgical scissors are great, too. Make sure your fishing basket is made of wire, has a wire top, and you have enough rope to wrap around your waist. As you wade, your basket will float along behind you. If you encounter branches and rocks in your path, be sure and lift your basket out of the way. After you have placed any fish in your basket, be sure and keep the basket submerged even if you are fishing from the bank.
If the weather and the water are very cold, you will want to wear waders so that you can get into the creek. If the weather is warm, you can wear water shoes or an old pair of tennis shoes. Although you might be able to do some fishing from the bank, there will be many places that you can only access by wading. It is also important that you can see the bottom and know how deep the water is. You don’t want to step into a hole and sink deeper when you are weighed down by a fishing basket and waders.
Wade the center of the creek and cast your line towards the bank. As you become better at casting, try to throw under overhanging branches, roots, and rocks. Don’t worry if the water seems too shallow. You might be surprised at the places fish can hide. If they don’t seem to be biting after you have waded for a little while, change baits. Fish are extremely fickle at times, and what might work one day, may not catch one fish on the next day. Walk slowly and steadily, casting to the sides and ahead as you wade. Try not to make a lot of splashing motions so you won’t scare the fish.
Creek fishing is a wonderful way to spend an afternoon either alone or with a friend or family member. It is an easy and inexpensive hobby that doesn’t require a lot of equipment. Don’t forget to fry the fish you catch into tasty fillets.
