Glossary of Common Fishing Terms
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- Algae:
- Simple plants, most of which live underwater.
- Anadromous:
- Fish that spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater.
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- Backlash:
- A line tangle caused by overrunning of the reel spool.
- Bail:
- A line pickup device on a spinning reel.
- Bait-Casting:
- Casting of lures or plugs that imitate bait fish.
- Bait-Fishing:
- Fishing with natural baits such as shrimp, worms, minnows, etc..
- Bait fish:
- Any type of small fish used for bait.
- Balanced Tackle:
- Tackle selected so that the rod, reel, and line are correctly balanced for efficient fishing.
- Blue Water:
- Term applied to far offshore waters because of the deep blue color.
- Bobber:
- A floating device attached to the line to keep a baited hook suspended off of the bottom.
- Bottom Feeder:
- Term applied to fish that feed off of the bottom.
- Brackish Water:
- Freshwater mixed with saltwater. Where rivers and streams flow into saltwater.
- Butt:
- The lower section of a fishing rod, also called the handle.
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- Casting Rod:
- Rods specially designed to be used with a casting reel.
- Chumming:
- The act of attracting fish by dumping over ground up fish or marine matter and blood to set up a chum line. Fish will generally follow the chum line to its source.
- Creel:
- A basket or bag used to hold caught fish.
- Crustaceans:
- Animals with hard exoskeletons (Crayfish, etc..).
- Current:
- Movement of water usually caused by tide or wind.
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- Dorsal Fin:
- The top and usually largest fin on the back of fish.
- Drag:
- The amount of tension under which line goes off the reel.
- Drift:
- Allowing the boat to be carried freely by the wind and/or current.
- Drop Off:
- Quick plunge of the shoreline when the water goes from shallow to quite deep.
- Dry Fly:
- Artificial lure designed to imitate a floating insect.
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- Eagle Claw:
- Hook in which the point curves back toward the shank. Trade name for the hook type developed by Wright and McGill.
- Eddy:
- An area where a small whirlpool occurs on the down current side of bridge, pilings, rocks, etc..
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- Fathom:
- A measure of depth equal to six feet.
- Feather Jig:
- Saltwater lure made of a metal head with a body of feathers.
- Fillet:
- Bone-free piece of fish.
- Flies:
- Small lures used to represent insects and bugs.
- Float:
- See Bobber.
- Float Fishing:
- Drifting a Lure or Bait down stream under a bobber.
- Fly Line:
- Line designed for fly-fishing. Line is weighted and tapered.
- Forage Species:
- Small fish upon which other larger fish feed.
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- Gaff:
- Large, strong hook attached to a handle for the purpose of landing fish.
- Gamefish:
- Fish species that are considered great fighters.
- Gills:
- A series of membranes that enable fish to absorb oxygen from the water.
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- Horse:
- Term applied to pulling in a fish by shear force.
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- Inlet:
- Place where small body of water meets a large body of water.
- I.G.F.A.:
- International Game Fishing Association.
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- Landing Net:
- A net designed for landing a fish.
- Leader:
- Strand of gut, nylon, or wire between the line and the hook or lure.
- Levelwind Reel:
- Reel with a device that spools in line evenly.
- Live Well:
- Container in which live bait or fish are kept alive.
- Lunker:
- A big fish.
- Lure:
- An artificial bait used to attract fish.
- Lure Action:
- The movement of the lure through the water (so that it appears to be lifelike).
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- Minnow:
- General term applied to small bait fish.
- Monofilament:
- A single strand of line.
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- Plugs:
- Wooden or plastic artificial lures.
- Predacious:
- The killing of other animals for food.
- Pumping:
- Raising of rod tip, quickly lowering it to reel up line slack, and then repeating the procedure again and again.
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- Reel Drag:
- Reel mechanism that can be set to a desired pressure to create spool tension on a fighting fish.
- Run:
- Period when fish is stripping line off of the reel.
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- Schools:
- Large number of fish, usually of the same species, congregated in a small area.
- Serrated:
- Saw-toothed.
- Shinners:
- Minnows; term often applied to all small shiny bait fish.
- Shoals:
- Shallow water areas.
- Silt:
- Fine sediments carried and deposited by water.
- Sinker:
- Weight used to carry fishing bait to the bottom.
- Spawn:
- Eggs of fish and other marine animals.
- Spinner:
- An artificial lure, a flashing blade that revolves when retrieved through the water.
- Split Ring:
- A metal ring for connecting lures to leaders.
- Spoon:
- An artificial lure made of metal and resembling a spoon.
- Star Drag:
- Star-shaped wheel on reel to adjust drag pressure.
- Still Fishing:
- Fishing without moving (includes bottom fishing).
- Stink bait:
- Specially prepared bait for fish that feed by scent (catfish).
- Strike:
- Describes the fish grabbing the bait.
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- Tagging:
- The use of tags to mark fish for research and studies.
- Teaser:
- Any large lure without hooks. Purpose is to attract attention of fish. Used exclusively in big game fishing.
- Thermocline:
- Lake and ocean stratum in which temperatures are static.
- Tide:
- Rise and fall of water due to lunar influence.
- Trolling:
- Act of pulling a bait or lure through the water behind a moving boat.
- Trotline:
- A line with many hooks that stretches across a body of water such as a stream or along a shoreline between stakes.
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- Wake:
- Water disturbances created as a boat moves ahead in the water.
- Wash:
- Water disturbances created by a passing boat.
- Wet Fly:
- Artificial lure for fly-fishing that resembles a drowned insect or the larva of an aquatic insect.
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