Plein Air Québec- Pêcheur Québec -
Fishing in your classroom

Four ways to fish, and why they differ

Casting moves the lure to provoke the fish. Still fishing does the exact opposite. Trolling walks the lure across the lake. And the bottom bouncer makes noise on purpose.

The four techniques

  • 01

    Casting

    Cast a lure and reel it back, again and again. It is the MOVEMENT of the lure that provokes the fish.

    From shore, a dock or a boat. Better with a single hook: with three, the line tangles.

  • 02

    Still fishing

    The opposite of casting: you present a baited hook in one FIXED spot, and wait for a fish to bite.

    In any season, but well suited to hot spells.

  • 03

    Trolling

    You leave the line in the water BEHIND the boat while moving across the lake.

    With several people: each uses a different lure at a different depth. When one gets a bite, you know what to keep — and you can stop and switch to casting.

  • 04

    Bottom bouncer

    A metal rod bent at 90 degrees, weighted, that SCRAPES the lake bottom and makes noise to attract fish.

    When neither casting nor still fishing works. The weight is heavier or lighter depending on the depth to reach.

Definitions from The ABC of walleye fishing — Sépaq

The gear, question by question

  • What line goes on the reel?

  • Why a piece of metal at the end of the line?

  • What is a barb?

  • When do you pull on the rod?

  • How many rods and hooks can I use?

  • What colour of lure?

  • Can I use any gear I like?

A word about the hook

A hook is a metal point built not to come back out. It goes into a finger as readily as into a fish’s lip, and the barb holds it there. You handle it by the eye, never by the point; you keep pliers in the box; and you look behind you before casting. These are not an anxious adult’s precautions: it is simply how the thing is used.

What goes in the bag

  • Clothing

    • Warm clothes
    • Rain gear
    • Footwear for the weather
    • Sunglasses
    • Insect repellent
    • Sunscreen

  • Gear

    • Rod
    • Reel
    • Tackle box
    • Bait
    • Landing net
    • Cooler
    • Plastic bags

  • Safety

    • Lifejacket
    • First-aid kit
    • Whistle
    • Floating line

  • Other

    • Fishing licence
    • Access permit
    • Map of the territory
    • Depth chart
    • Food
    • Drinks

List from The ABC of walleye fishing — Sépaq

For the teacher

  • Casting and still fishing are exact opposites: one moves the lure to provoke, the other holds still and waits. Pupils grasp the whole subject from that single contrast.
  • The steel leader card is the most concrete lesson in the module: a pike’s teeth cut 20-pound line as fast as 6-pound line. Strength is not the answer — the right material is.
  • The lure-colour card says choose by the water, not by taste. Bright in murky water, natural in clear. It is a small lesson in reading conditions instead of preferences.
  • The lifejacket sits in the safety column of the official list, beside the first-aid kit and the whistle — not in the “gear” column. That placement is worth pointing out.
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