Kathy Sparrow, MA
Fishing Instructor
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Co-authored Articles (29)
How to
Tie Two Fishing Lines Together
Whether you want to tie a leader to a main line or tie together two lines of different diameters, there are many types of strong knots to choose from. For example, the surgeon’s knot is one of the strongest and best fo...
How to
Tie a Braid to a Mono
When you want to tie braided fishing line to monofilament line, such as when you are connecting a mono leader to a braided main line, the best knot to use is a double uni knot. This knot is simple, fast to tie, and very ...
How to Put a Weight on a Fishing Line
Want to catch more fish swimming below the surface? Adding weights or sinkers to your rig can help your bait sink to deeper water where fish are more likely to strike. Even though there are a few different kinds of weigh...
How to Put a Bobber on a Fishing Line
If you’re out fishing and want to know when a fish bites, a bobber will let you know as soon as one strikes. Attaching a bobber to your fishing line is a skill any angler should know, and it’s really easy to do even ...
How to
Rig a Fishing Line
The key to hooking a prize catch is to start with a solid line that provides the right balance between visibility, weight, and control. There are many different ways to rig a fishing line, depending on the equipment you�...
How to
Make a Handmade Fishing Net
Mass-produced fishing nets can be expensive to replace and a pain to store or travel with. Fortunately net-making is a well-honed craft that gets easier with practice. All you’ll need is some space, some string and few...
How to
Make Wooden Fishing Lures
Although most plugs and crankbaits today are made of hard plastic, the first ones were made out of wood. Some manufacturers still make wooden fishing lures. Instead of buying expensive lures, you can save money by carvin...
How to
Bait and Use a Minnow Trap
Trap fishing is a simple way to catch minnows to use as live bait for larger fish. Minnows live near the shore around rocks, tree roots, and other hiding surfaces. They are easily drawn out with inexpensive baits, includ...
How to
Make a Minnow Trap
Minnows make for excellent bait for fishing. Instead of buying them, you can catch your own minnows by making a trap out of common household items. The trap only takes a few minutes to put together and is completely reus...
How to
Tie a Tippet to a Leader
Knowing how to properly tie together different lines is one of the most important parts of fly fishing. When it comes to tying together the tippet and leader lines, which are two lines of a similar diameter, there are tw...
How to
Tie a Fly Line to a Leader
Whether you’re a novice fly fisherman or an experienced angler, you’ll need to connect your fly line to a leader to go fishing. A fly line is the fishing line you use to fish, while the leader is a transparent connec...
How to
Make a Crawfish Trap
You need to catch a crawfish, and you don't want to do it by hand. There are many ways to make a crawfish trap, but this article describes a simple, effective design. To start, you'll need to find two plastic 2-liter bot...
How to
Fish With Lures
Artificial bait or fishing lures have been used to catch fish since 2,000 B.C. Made from a wide variety of materials, colors, sizes, and styles, lures are used to attract fish and convince them to bite into the attached ...
How to
Texas Rig a Plastic Worm
A plastic worm is a staple in any bass fisherman's arsenal. It can be used for both salt water and fresh water.The Texas Rig is one of the most popular ways to fish a plastic worm because of its effectiveness. You can fi...
How to
Fish a Jerkbait
A beginner's guide to catching fish with a jerkbait The jerkbait is a small, hard bait used to fish for bass. The bait has been designed to move like a struggling minnow, which will make the predatory bass react and s...
How to
Tie Backing to a Fly Line
The fly line is an important component of a fly fishing rod. It must be attached properly to the backing on your rod to make catching and reeling in fish easier. Tying backing to the fly line can be done easily by using ...
How to Find, Catch & Release Sand Crabs
A quick guide to digging up and releasing sand crabs Sand crabs aren't the same as "Mr. Krabs" in Spongebob or the huge reddish orange ones that you would find in a seafood restaurant. The ones you are trying to catch ar...
A Beginner’s Guide to Fishing in a River
An expert-approved list of tips to fish at any riverFishing in a river can be hard since a river usually has a fast current, and they are different from fishing in calm quiet creeks, lakes, and oceans. It takes specific ...
How to
Catch Mullet
Mullet can be a fun fish to go after, and there a number of different ways to approach it. There are a large number of mullet species, which can be found throughout the world in warm coastal waters, and sometimes freshwa...
How to
Fish for Bass
Whether you’re a competitive sports fisher or just want to spend a fun afternoon with your family on the lake, bass fishing is a difficult pastime if you aren’t properly equipped. Nature is unpredictable but if you u...
