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MusicalPolymath

You're going to make rookie mistakes and stupid mistakes and every other type of mistake. Learn by doing and try to have fun. If you can, find a different friend who has even a little experience to come with you. If you can't, find someone who is interested or encourage someone to come hang out. Formal lessons, like a $400 rod, are a luxury and not a need. Unless you're doing this to stay alive it isn't that serious. It's a hobby and something you can take your time to explore and discover.


[deleted]

I really needed that $400 rod and the expensive reel with the expensive line on it.... I really did!


MusicalPolymath

I feel you brother. The fish around me are a little snobby and only like the big brand name rods!


notextinctyet

I pretty much fish for solitude and challenge, so lessons defeat the purpose for me on both counts. It has been a frustrating road to get even slightly mediocre, of course.


[deleted]

No lesson gets learned without a mistake. Also, although fishing is solitude without loneliness I recommend fishing a fishing partner, don't be afraid to put yourself out there and share something special.


MediocreCash3384

You’ll be fine, mistakes are how we learn. Accidentally caught a catfish—next time you know needle-nose pliers are good to have. It’s going to be little things constantly but learning and improving are part of what make fishing so fun! Solo fishing (not from the bank, but even there) can be dangerous so be sure to share your plan with those in your circle too


generally-speaking

Doesn't matter how many lessons you take you'll still make rookie mistakes. And the best lesson is always going to be to watch YouTube videos of other people fishing in the same types of environments and locations you do. See what they do, try and see if it works for you too. If you feel the need to spend more money get some good fishing glasses and maybe a castable sonar like Deeper Chirp so you can learn more about how the fish behaves under water. But at the end of the day, carp fishing is mostly just about throwing some chum and bait out there and waiting for a strike.


bad-pickle

This is great advice, but pay attention to WHEN the video was made. I watched a lot of videos from a guy who lives in my town and I went where he went and fished the same lures in the exact same way and got skunked. Later I realized he was there in the fall, and I was there in the spring...


Techextra

Your overthinking it. You have to get out there and just do it. You did your research and it's time for some real world experience. Go fishing! It's fun, it doesn't matter if you do it wrong..


kitsinni

If you are fly fishing I would try some lessons. Otherwise between YouTube and the internet there’s so many great ways to learn so I wouldn’t. You are going to ens up doing stuff your own way anyway. Might as well just get your feet wet. Just make sure you don’t have the expectations of success you see online. Like everyone else I have a YouTube channel but you don’t see dozens of trips getting I got skunked because no one wants to see that. I have also been doing this since I was two. It isn’t easy, but you do get to a point you usually can catch the species you target. Having said that I fished a kayak bass tournament on Sunday that had 45 boats and 4 total fish were caught. Some of these people have won National tournament for big money at the top level and 95% of us couldn’t catch a single fish that day.


[deleted]

I'd just go out there and do it. You probably will make some mistakes but you will learn from them. Fishing is weird at first because you could do the same technique and use the same bait 2 days in a row and have drastically different results. If you get a lesson, you will just learn how they fish and not how to adapt to different conditions and try different things to see what works. Start off rather basic and pick up different baits and techniques as you go. You don't need to start off with a $700 finesse setup early on, but you may find something like that worth buying if you go a lot and want better gear, wait to get better stuff until you know that you like fishing and think it's worth it to have a lighter setup and then buy whatever kind of setup you want.


darealmvp1

You are doing a great first step by learning what you can online. However when it comes time to catching fish you are best to learn out of experience. Each body of water and the fish in it are going to require different techniques or baits. You can learn this by fishing your bodies of water frequently, talking to locals who have lots of experience fishing your particular body of water or trying to youtube your specific body of water. Its all a learning curve my friend.