Getting Started

Getting Started with Freshwater Fishing

New to fishing in Massachusetts? This covers the basics to get you on the water.

Step 1: Get Licensed & Know the Regulations

If you're over 15 years old, you need a valid fishing license to fish in Massachusetts. Licenses are purchased online through MassFishHunt. See our Licenses & Regulations page for a breakdown of what license you need.

Massachusetts Division of Fisheries & Wildlife (MassWildlife) publishes annual fishing regulations. Skim over them before your first trip. We have a summary of the more important regulations on our site. A few key things to check if you're harvesting fish are open seasons, size limits, bag limits. Regulations are available at mass.gov/masswildlife.

Step 2: Basic Gear for Freshwater Fishing

You don't need expensive equipment to get started. Here's what a beginner kit looks like for the freshwater fishing you'll find around here.

Rod & reel: A medium-light spinning combo, 6–7 ft, is the most versatile choice for panfish and bass. Look for a pre-spooled combo in the $30–$60 range from brands like Ugly Stik, Shakespeare, or Zebco. The Daiwa Crossfire LT is a great starter combo for around $60.

Line: 6–10 lb monofilament covers most situations. Mono is easy to tie knots with, and inexpensive to replace. Spool with 6 lb for panfish and trout; go 8–10 lb if you expect bass or pickerel. You don't need line if your spinning combo came pre-spooled, however new line will be an upgrade over whatever comes pre-spooled.

Terminal tackle: A hook and a bobber is all you need for your first trips panfishing. Over time, you'll accumulate a small tackle box stocked with size 6–10 hooks, split-shot sinkers, slip bobbers, and a few snap swivels.

Lures: A handful of inline spinners (Mepps, Rooster Tail), soft plastic worms, and small crankbaits covers bass, pickerel, and trout. Stick to natural colors (silver, gold, olive, white) until you figure out what's working for you.

Live bait: Night crawlers work in every local spot in our area. You can pick them up at Halifax Bait and Tackle, Lindys, or even the 106 Minimart by Nick and Angelo's.

Step 3: Setting Up Your Gear

Mass.gov Gear Setup Overview

Mass.gov has a great gear setup overview. This covers stringing a pole, tying line to the reel with an arbor knot, tying clinch knots, and palomar knots. Head here to see the basics of stringing your rod.

Mass.gov also has a useful hour and 30 min fishing tutorial video that can be overwhelming, but is a huge information dump on fishing equipment, picking a fishing location, how to target different fish species, picking bait, fishing techniques, regulations, and more. I'd recommend using the YouTube chapters feature to skip around to topics that interest you.

Tying Your Hook: The Palomar Knot

The Palomar knot is the best knot for beginners — it's simple to tie, works on mono and braided line. Use it to attach a hook or lure to your line.

1. Double about 6 inches of line and pass the loop through the hook eye.
2. Tie a loose overhand knot with the doubled line, leaving the hook hanging below.
3. Pass the loop over the hook completely.
4. Pull both the tag end and the standing line to tighten. Trim the tag end close.

Rigging a Basic Bobber Setup

A bobber rig is the most beginner-friendly setup and is effective for panfish. Here's how to put one together:

1. Clip a bobber onto your line about 2 feet above the hook.
2. Tie a size 6 or 8 hook to the end of the line using a Palomar knot.
3. Thread a night crawler onto the hook, leaving a little tail wiggling free.
4. Cast out near structure and wait for the bobber to go under.

Rigging a Lure

For lures (spinners, crankbaits, soft plastics), skip the bobber and sinker — the lure provides its own action and weight.

1. Tie a small snap swivel to the end of your line using a Palomar knot. A snap swivel lets you swap lures quickly and prevents line twist.
2. Clip your lure to the snap swivel.
3. Cast out, let the lure sink a second or two, then retrieve slowly and steadily. Vary your retrieve speed until you find what works.

Step 4: Catch & Release Best Practices

If you're releasing a fish, you should wet your hands before handling it, minimize time out of the water, and avoid squeezing the body. Remove the hook gently by backing it out the way it went in, and push against the barb so you don't tear the lip. Lower the fish back into the water gently. If you're successful, the released fish will swim away and be available to catch again.

Handling the fish

Getting Kids Started for Under $25

If you're trying to find out whether your kid actually likes fishing before you spend real money on gear, this is how we did it. We set up two nieces for under $25 each, with gear from the Halifax Walmart, and a pack of worms from Lindy's.

We went with the Zebco Slingshot Push Button combo. I'd skip the branded combos with the Barbie or Spiderman graphics on them. Those rods spend more money on licensing fees than they do on hardware.

For just getting a kid out on the water to see if they take to it, the Zebco Slingshot push button combo is hard to beat at $12.99. My brother fished one for years before he accidentally cast the upper section into a lake. If you have room in the car, a little super glue on the upper half is good insurance. If not, just make sure it's seated firmly before each trip.

Halifax Walmart Shopping List

For each additional child, get another Slingshot and their own pack of hooks and bobbers. One swivel per kid is enough, with maybe one spare in case they need to cut their line. They come in packs of 8, so one package is more than enough to share.

A single 30 pack of worms should be enough for two kids, unless you plan on an extended session, or you anticipate that your child will be losing a lot of worms.

From home, bring needle nose pliers for hooks. If your pliers don't have a cutting surface, toss in a pair of scissors or nail clippers for trimming line. You should also bring sunglasses, bug spray, and sunscreen, depending on the weather.