Fishing while RVing USA

Hello All,
Ok, here's the question, I want to learn how to fish fresh water species with open-faced spining tackle, without buying a ton of gear. All I've fished for is sal****er fish. What type of license do I need and what gear should I buy for overall usage?

Thank in Advance
Norm

Every state will require its own fishing license. There's no one "universal US Fishing License" available.

But...you MIGHT be able to buy a 1-3-7 day non-resident license, (each state is different in what they offer) not a full-season license. (and there MIGHT be "free fishing days" where no license is required.

As for tackle...IMO, that really depends on the species of fish you're trying to catch...and what method you prefer.

Just like sal****er fishing...different species, different methods, different hardware.

You might want to start here, before you start spending money.

You can get a decent rod with an open-face reel combo for pretty cheap.  How cheap is up to you, but you can find combos starting at less than $20.  Check at a Walmart Super Center.  For about $10 you can get a soft bait (grubs, etc.) kit.  For $1-$2 you can get jigs (doll-fly, Marabou jigs, etc.)  and a bit more for spinner baits like Abu or Panther-Martin.  Then there's bass plugs and "weedless" lures like Brush-Hogs generally for black bass.  If you are lucky, you'll be near a Cabela's or Bass-Pro Shop where you can learn local fishing needs and spend all your hard-earned money (warning: leave gas money at your camp.  It can be worse than a casino).

Molaker said:

You might want to start here, before you start spending money.

You can get a decent rod with an open-face reel combo for pretty cheap.  How cheap is up to you, but you can find combos starting at less than $20.  Check at a Walmart Super Center.  For about $10 you can get a soft bait (grubs, etc.) kit.  For $1-$2 you can get jigs (doll-fly, Marabou jigs, etc.)  and a bit more for spinner baits like Abu or Panther-Martin.  Then there's bass plugs and "weedless" lures like Brush-Hogs generally for black bass.  If you are lucky, you'll be near a Cabela's or Bass-Pro Shop where you can learn local fishing needs and spend all your hard-earned money (warning: leave gas money at your camp.  It can be worse than a casino).

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;D  Cabela's and Bass Pro stores all are equipped with "cash magnets" to siphon out every dime from your pockets...

BTW, about the only thing I ever fish for nowadays is trout, generally from a stream or lake bank, so nothing special is needed. A few lures of different kinds, (beware, MOST are designed to catch your money...instead of fish) hooks, line, and I carry a 5 pc. Ultra-light rod with a couple of open-faced spinning reels. It's highly unlikely I'm gonna hook into a 500 lb. sturgeon, or a 50 lb. lake trout...so I'm pretty well equipped for most of my fishing needs.

Boomer/Molaker, thanks for the info I'll take it with me to Walmart.

I've tried fishing in the Colorado and the Mississippi rivers, I now consider it a waste of time, the current is too high to do any good. I fished in Arizona and in California, $20.00 a day in Az. or $55.00 a year for non residents no senior discount. Caught nothing and had one bite, Ca. is $22.00 for 2 days. Cape Girardeau has the Trail of tears park, we stayed there right by the Mississippi river, it has a large current, I was trying to catfish there and all I ever did was lose tackle to snags and caught nothing. Stick to lakes and be prepared to pay too much to maybe catch a fish.

jyro said:

I've tried fishing in the Colorado and the Mississippi rivers, I now consider it a waste of time, the current is too high to do any good. I fished in Arizona and in California, $20.00 a day in Az. or $55.00 a year for non residents no senior discount. Caught nothing and had one bite, Ca. is $22.00 for 2 days. Cape Girardeau has the Trail of tears park, we stayed there right by the Mississippi river, it has a large current, I was trying to catfish there and all I ever did was lose tackle to snags and caught nothing. Stick to lakes and be prepared to pay too much to maybe catch a fish.

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Bigger is not necessarily better.  Try some of the smaller Corp of Engineer lakes.  In Missouri, try Tablerock, Bull Shoals, Wapapello or any number of lakes.  I think you will find you have much better luck.

Molaker said:

....  Check at a Walmart Super Center.  For about $10 you can get a soft bait (grubs, etc.) kit.  For $1-$2 you can get jigs (doll-fly, Marabou jigs, etc.)  and a bit more for spinner baits like Abu or Panther-Martin.  Then there's bass plugs and "weedless" lures like Brush-Hogs generally for black bass. ...  It can be worse than a casino).

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DW buys every new lure gizmo she sees.  And like the dutiful husband I haul all her stuff from the truck to the water edge (one of these days I'll get smart and use a wheelbarrow).  Meanwhile, I just use worms or powerbait on a hook and reel in far more than she does. 

MoLaker is right on track with suggestion to fish lakes or even ponds.  Personally I have a lot of experience at the Lake of the Ozarks.  I would recommend fishing for crappie because a, they are good to eat and b, you can get by without a lot of expensive equipment.  I have caught 100s, if not 1000s, of crappie using a $25 ultralight combo from BP.  I've spent a lot more on gear but a $25 - $50  5 foot to 6 foot light or ultra light can work just fine.  Add to this some line,  jig heads and some plastic jig bodies (with or without a bobber) and you can catch fish under many conditions.  And, you always have the option of using minnows if plastic is not working for you. 

Mike