How to Fish

This is an instructional reference for how to go fishing using traditional fishing equipment.

The equipment needed to begin fishing are easily obtainable if one has a small amount of money. The tools needed are a fishing rod (of course). A make-shift fishing rod can be made out of a strong stick and some string by tying the string to the end and putting a hook of some sort at the end, although this will not work nearly as well as a real fishing pole and would probably break. Another important part is the bait, which can either be live, such as a minnow or worm, or artificial, such as a lure. A net is also advised, and one should also have a cooler or something else to store the fish in. If one should be staying for a long time, a chair is advised. If one looks to fish in the middle of a lake as opposed to the edges, they should have a boat of some sorts.
There are many other things that one may use, but these are the basics.

There are many things that go into selecting a lake, such as the weather, the size of the lake, what fish you're looking to catch, and how far away it is. The first thing that should be done is to check with the DNR of your state to see the stats, rules, and regulations of the lake you're looking to fish at. As a matter of fact, most of all the information you'll need on a lake is in there.
Of course, if one is living off of the wilderness and stuff, selecting a lake isn't entirely required because you're going to have to just deal with the lakes in your area.

Now that you're at your lake, you'll need to find out what part of the lake you're going to be fishing at and casting your rod. If you want smaller fish or don't care about what fish you get, you could fish at the edges. If one desires to catch a considerably large fish, one should fish more in the middle of the lake. Then, you simply wait.
And wait.
And wait.
It's best to bring something else to do in the meantime, like a book to read.

HOLY FLIPPINGBURGER, YOU CAUGHT ONE.
So, now that you've hooked a fish, you need to bring it in. Most fishing poles have a reel to do this with. Simply pull the fish in using the reel and wish for the best of luck!
If one is fishing with the earlier mentioned stick with a line attached, they should simply pull the line back in using the method they choose for this, most likely pulling on it. Be wary of cutting your fingers on the line.

You should probably have a cooler on your boat to store the fish. If one is not sure if they should keep or release the fish, they should most likely consult a DNR handbook or their website. It will have information on which fish you can keep and which ones to release, including size restrictions, bag limits, and other things. If one chooses to release it, try as hard as possible to not harm it too much so that it wont die right when you put it back in the water. If you choose to keep it, consult other instructional things on how to taxidermize or prepare it.

Fishing is an extremely important and amazing sport that one should hold close to their heart. Unless, of course, they hate fishing, in that case, leave it to someone else to keep it close to their heart.
Fishing can be hours of fun and memories, especially if you're good at it, and if you're not good, don't worry; you'll pick it up eventually.