Home Page

Fishing
Fishing Tips
Bass Fishing
Panfish Fishing
Ice Fishing
Walleye Fishing

Hunting
Hunting Tips
Deer Hunting
Duck Hunting
Pheasunt Hunting
Turkey Hunting

Fishing Gear Guide
Hunting Gear Guide

Fishing Links
Fishing Magazines And Books

Glossary Of Fishing Terms And Slang

Related Links: Bass Fishing Terms Walleye Fishing Terms

Air Bladder – A gas-filled sac in the upper part of the body cavity of many bony fishes. It is located just beneath the vertebral column; its principal function is to offset the weight of the heavier tissue such as bone.
Algae – Simple plant organism (typically a single cell) commonly found in water.
Angleworm – Any live earthworm placed on a fishing hook.
Anti-reverse – System that prevents reels (typically bait casters) from spinning in reverse and causing tangles.
Attractant – Liquid, solid or power form of scent applied to fishing lures for increased productivity.

Backing – Any type of line used to partially fill a reel before the main fishing line is added; commonly used in fly-fishing or by bass anglers who use many of the newer thread-like or polymer lines.
Backlash – An overrun of a revolving-spool reel, such as a bait-cast reel, which in turn causes the line to billow off the reel and tangle.
Back-Trolling – A method of boat control utilizing a motor to make a series of maneuvers in the presentation of a lure or bait. The most common back-troll method is using a front-mounted trolling motor to make the boat go backwards, while dragging or trolling the lure in front of the boat. Many back-troll methods, such as fishing for suspended crappies in winter or summer, involve a slow stop-and-go technique.
Backwater – Shallow area of a river that is sometimes isolated, often being located behind a sand bar or other obstruction in the river. Large backwaters tat are isolated may be referred to as oxbows.
Bail – Metal, semi-circular arm of an open-face spinning reel that engages the line after a cast.
Baitcaster – Fishing with a revolving-spool reel and baitcasting rod, with the reel mounted on the topside of the rod.
Baitfish – Small fish, such as threadfin shad, that are often eaten by predatory fish, such as largemouth bass. This can refer to the fish that predators feed upon, or the kids of fish we place on a hook to catch a sport-fish. The use of bait fish is often regulated, so be sure to check the latest fishing regulations.
Baitwell – A special well or livewell in a boat to hold bait.
Barb – A sharp projection on a fishing hook that holds a hooked fish.
Barbless – A hook manufactured without a barb, or one made barbless by cutting it off, filing it off or flattening the barb (typically with pliers). Great choice for catch and release fishing.
Bedding – In fishing, this term refers to bedding fish during the spawning period.
Bell Sinker – A bell-shaped fishing weight typically molded from lead.
Bite Indicator – A device which activates or signals when a fish is on the line. It can be as simple as a bell placed on the line between two fishing pole guides that rings when a fish either nibbles or takes the bait. There are commercially made bite indicators as well. Bite indicators are often used by those bottom-fishing for catfish and carp.
Bucketmouth – A slang term for largemouth bass, aka bigmouth bass.
Bullet sinker – A cone-shaped piece of lead, zinc or steel of varying weights that slides up and down the line.
Buzzbait – Top-water bait with large, propeller-type blades that churn the water during a retrieve. Usually comprised of a leadhead, a rigid hook and a wire that supports one of more blades. Typically has a plastic skirt like a spinnerbait.
Buzzing – Retrieving a spinnerbait or buzzbait along the water’s surface to create a splash effect to resemble a wounded baitfish.

Carolina Rig – A special rig in which an exposed or hidden hook is used with a soft plastic lure placed 2 to 3 feet behind an egg or barrel sinker and swivel. Used primarily for deep fishing with heavier weights than a Texas rig. This rig is most commonly used with a plastic worm or lizard, but can be used with floating crankbaits and other lures. A variation on this theme is using a lighter, spinning outfit with a split shot placed on the line 12 to 30 inches above the hook, with a small worm or lizard (4 to 6 inches) rigged Texas style. This style can be used in shallow or deep water, and is especially good for use in the clear, Western reservoirs, or when it is appropriate to down-size, such as in winter.
Chugger – Topwater plug with a dished-out, concave or cupped head designed to make a splash when pulled sharply. The act of systematically working the lure across the surface is called “chugging.”
Chum – To throw chum (typically cut up pieces of bait fish or other bait) overboard to attract fish. A chum line is the trail of bait or scent in the water that attracts game fish.
Clarity – Refers to the depth you are able to see an object, such as your lure, under the water.
Cover – Natural or manmade objects on the bottom of lakes, rivers, or impoundments, especially those that influence fish behavior. Examples include stick-ups, tree lines, stumps, rocks, logs, pilings, docks, and weed patches.
Crankbait – Any of a wide number of hard plastic or wooden lures that dive when retrieved (cranked with a reel) through the water. Crank or cranks are slang terms for these baits.
Crayfish, crawfish, or crawdads – A small crustacean found in freshwater.
Culling – A method of removing and releasing lighter-weight fish from a livewell so the heaviest or tournament limit is retained.

Dip Bait – A smelly paste-type bait primarily used for catfish.
Dip Net – A net with a handle used to capture baitfish.
Doughball – A ball of bait made from bread or specially prepared dough used for bait-fishing. Commonly used for carp.
Drag – Device on fishing reels that allows line to pay out under pressure, even though the reel is engaged; set correctly, it ensures against line breakage.
Drop-off – A sudden increase in depth, often created by washes, small creek channels, canyons, pinnacles, and other submerged topographic features.
Drop shot – A tackle rigging technique employing a hook tied to the line from four-inches to four-feet above the sinker. The hook is attached using a Palomar knot and the weight is attached to the tag line from the knot. The hook is set at a 90-degree angle to the line, typically with the hook point pointing upward toward the pole. Typical drop shot baits are small, usually 4-inches or less.

Earthworm – A common term for any of the many different fishing worms, including night crawlers (two words), garden worms, leaf worms, dillys, and red wigglers.
Egg sinker – An egg-shaped fishing weight with a hole through the center for the line to pass through.

Fan Cast – Making a series of casts only a few degrees apart to cover a half circle (more or less). Often used to locate actively feeding fish.
Fillet – A method of using a sharp knife to separate the meaty portion of the fish from the bones and skeleton and/or skin for human consumption.
Finesse Fishing – An angling technique characterized by the use of light tackle – line, rods, reels and artificial baits. It is often productive in clear, fairly uncluttered water, like many of our western impoundments.
Fingerling – A young fish about a finger long, usually 2 inches or so in length.
Flipping – A method of fishing by which the lure is swung, not cast, to the target or structure, often with as little disturbance of the water as possible. This technique is often used for placing baits strategically in thick cover, such as bushes, trees and stick-ups.
Flipping Stick – Heavy action fishing rod (usually a baitcasting rod and reel), 7 to 8 feet long, designed for bass fishing using the flipping and or pitching techniques.
Float Tube – A special fishing tube in which an inner tube is covered by a casing fitted with a seat to allow an angler to float free.
Foul-Hooked – To hook a fish other than in the mouth where it should take a bait or lure.
Forage – Small baitfish, crayfish and other creatures that bass or other predator fish eat. Term may also be used in the sense of bass actively looking for food (foraging).
Fry – Immature fish from the time they hatch to the time they become fingerlings.

Gill – Respiratory organ of many aquatic animals, such as fish.
Gill net – A commercial (not sport-fishing) net used to harvest fish. So named because of the mesh sizes designed to catch the intended species by the gill. Commonly used by biologists when conducting fish surveys.
Grub – A short, plastic type of worm, usually rigged with a weighed jig hook.

Hawg – A slang term describing a large lunker-size or heavyweight bass weighing 4 pounds or more.
Holding Area – Structure that habitually attracts and holds bass.
Honey Hole – A slang term describing a specific hole, spot, or area containing big fish or lots of catchable fish.
Hump – An underwater island that generally rises gradually. Humps can often hold fish.

IGFA – The International Game Fish Association.
inactive fish – Fish that are not in a feeding mood, sometimes referred to as having “lockjaw.” Examples of inactive times can be following a cold front, during a major weather change that causes a sudden rise or fall in the barometer.
in-line spinner – A spinner where the hook is on the same shaft, or line, as the spinner, such as a Mepps, Rooster Tail, Panther Martin or Vibrex spinner.

jerkbait – A type of soft-plastic or hard-plastic bait resembling a bait fish that is typically fished in a series of quick jerks or is “ripped” to resemble a darting baitfish.
Jig – A hook with a leadhead that is usually dressed with hair, silicone, plastic or bait.
Jigging Spoon – Refers to a spoon that is typically “jigged” or bounced off the bottom with a slight up-and-down motion of the rod or rod tip so the spoon resembles a dying shad or other baitfish.
Jig-And-Pig – Combination of a leadhead jig fitted with a pork trailer. Popular for flippin’ and pitchin’ fish-holding structure, such as submerged bushes and trees.

Larva – Refers to the subsurface stage of development of an aquatic insect.
Ledge – A severe drop-off referring to the bottom of a lake or river.
Leadhead Jig – A term for a jig where lead is molder to the hook shaft.
Livewell – Compartment in a boat designed to hold water and keep fish alive. Typically have some device for re-circulating water.
Long-lining – Another term for trolling a bait or lure a long distance behind a boat.
Lunker – A slang term for a very large fish: can also be called a hawg.

Marabou Jig – A weighted jig with light, fluffy feathers attached to the body.
Mayfly – A small aquatic fly that is an important food for trout, which means it is also important for fly-anglers.
Mealworms – Small beetle larvae often used for catching crappies or sunfish.
Milfoil – Surface-growing aquatic plants.
Mini-Jig – A small leadhead jig, usually 1/16- or 1/32-ounce, often used for catching crappie or sunfish.
Mono – Short for monofilament fishing line.

Nest – The spot in where are fish, such as a largemouth bass or bluegill, deposits its eggs. Some nests, such as those for largemouth bass, can be well defined. For largemouth bass, the female lays the eggs and the male guards the eggs.
Off-Color – Refers to the color and or clarity of the water. The normal off-color conditions include brown or mud-stained such as from runoff, green from algae or algae blooms and brown from tannic acid.
Open-Faced Reel – A typical or standard spinning reel in which the line comes off the fixed spool in loops and there is no nose cone.
Oxbow – A U-shaped bend in a river or stream. If isolated, they can be referred to as an oxbow lake.

Pan Fish – Any of a variety of species of fish that resemble the shape of a frying pan, thus the name. Often applies to sunfish, crappie, perch, other small fish or small sizes of other species.
Pattern – Can describe where active fish are holding, or what techniques are working to catch fish, especially larger fish. For instance, pattern fishing could involve using shallow-running crankbaits on all the major points of a lake or Carolina-rigged worms on all main lake humps.
Pegging – Putting a toothpick in the hole of a bullet or egg sinker to prevent the sinker from sliding along the line. Typically done with a Texas-rigged bait. Other items such as rubber bands slipped through the sinker have also become popular.
Pencil Poppers – A brand name topwater lure that is long and thin. Often used for catching striped bass.
pH – A measurement for liquids to determine acidity or alkalinity. On a scale of one to 14, seven is considered neutral. Below sever is acidic and above seven is alkaline. This is a factor in the health or activity levels of fish.
Pitching – Fishing technique in which worms or jigs are dropped into cover at close range with an underhand pendulum motion using a long bait-casting rod, and differs from flipping in that with pitching, line is allowed to come out of the reel during the cast.
Point – A finger of land jutting into the water, which if pronounced, can form a peninsula. Some points are submerged and not visible at the surface but can often be detected in depth finders. Points often hold fish; they can become good ambush spots for predatory fish.
Popper – Top-water plug with a dished-out head designed to make a splash when pulled sharply to imitate a wounded baitfish struggling on the surface.
Post Front – The period following a cold front; atmosphere clears and becomes bright. Usually characterized by strong winds and a significant drop in temperature. Fishing can often be slow during such conditions, especially for bass.
Post-Spawn – The period immediately following a spawn. Post-spawn fish recovering from the spawn can often be lethargic. Post-spawn fish that have recovered from the spawn are typically hungry and aggressive.
Presentation – A collective term referring to a combination of choices a fisherman makes, such as the choice of lure, color, and size, the type of pole and/or tackle used, the structure targeted, the casting technique, the retrieval technique (slow, medium, fast, stop-and-go) and even where the bait is worked in the water column (deep, shallow, top-water).
Prespawn – The period of time immediately before the spawn when fish are often feeding more aggressively.
Put-and-Take – Refers to a fishery where catchable-sized fish are stocked (typically trout but not exclusively) and caught by anglers in a relatively short period of time. For instance, the state’s urban program lakes are prime examples of popular put-and-take fisheries.

Reservoir – Artificially created lake where water is collected and stored; also called an impoundment.
Riprap – A man-made stretch of rocks or material of a hard composition that usually extends above and below the shoreline, often found near dams of big impoundments.
Riverbed – There area or channel between the banks through which a river flows. In Arizona, there are also dry river beds.
Rod Action – Measure of rod performance ranging from slow to fast and describes the elapse time from when the rod is flexed to when it returns to its straight configuration. Also refers to the strength of the rod, light, medium and heavy, with light being a limber rod and heavy a stout rod.
Rollcast – A type of fly-casting technique in which the line is not cast above the water, but instead rolled over with the line lying on the water.

Saddle – A thin piece of land that extends out (sometimes an extended point) from the shoreline and connects to an island (sometimes underwater), reef or a hump. Submerged saddles can hold lots of fish.
Seine Net – A rectangular fishing net designed to hang vertically in the water, the ends being drawn together to encircle fish.
Selective Harvest – Deciding to release or keep fish based on species, size, relative abundance, or culinary plans. Shad – Any of several species of forage fish that have a rather deep body. In Arizona, the most common is the threadfin shad.
Shiner – A member of the shiner family often used for bait. The most common in Arizona is the gold shiner.
Short Strike – When a fish hits at a lure and misses it.
Skipping – A method of suing small lures and casting them hard and at a low angle to the water to make them skip, like a flat stone.
Slip-Float – A float rigged with a tin stop or bead on the line to make it stop at a pre-determined depth.
Slip-Sinker – A lead, zinc or steel weight with a hole through the center that allows it to slide freely up and down the fishing line. A slip sinker provides the weight for casting, yet allows the bait to move freely.
Snagging – A method of catching fish by jerking an unbaited hook through the water. In Arizona, snagging is not legal except for carp.
Spider jig – A type of leadhead jig with a skirt, much like the one on a spinnerbait.
Spider Trolling – Trolling with several rods at once.
Spincaster – A manner of fishing employing a push-button, closed-faced spinning reel or baitcasting rod; the reel is mounted topside on the rod.
Spin-cast – Sometimes called American spinning, or closed face spinning. Uses a fixes spool enclosed in a nose cone so the line leaving the reel’s nose cone comes out straight.
Spinnerbait – An artificial bait consisting of a leadhead and one or two rotating blades and either a straight or a safety-pin style shaft dressed with material (often called a skirt).
Spinning Reel – A fixed spool reel, generally referring to open-faces spinning.
Split Shot – A style of finesse fishing employing a split shot weight up the line typically 6 to 18 inches above a small artificial worm, lizard, crawfish or grub, usually rigged Texas-style (hook concealed in the bait). Starboard – the right side of a boat or ship.
Stick Bait – A slender plug or topwater lure that is given action by the angler manipulating the rod and reel, sometimes making the bait go back-and-forth to resemble a wounded shad, which is called “walking the dog.”
Stickups – Tips of trees and brush that “stick up” from the water and provide structure, primarily for bass fishing.
Stink Bait – Bait, such as chicken liver, that puts odor into the water, typically for catfishing.
Stinger-hook – An additional hook placed on a lure, spinnerbait or bait rig; also called a trailer hook.
Structure – Changes in the shape of the bottom of lakes, rivers, or impoundments, especially those that influence fish behavior. Examples include flooded roadbeds, washes, arroyos, humps, ledges and drop-offs.
Suspended fish – Fish at mid-level depths, neither on the surface nor on the bottom.
Swimming lures – Sinking-type artificial baits designed to resemble a swimming baitfish. Such plus vibrate or wobble during retrieve and some have built-in rattles. Also called lipless crankbaits.

Terminal tackle – Angling equipment, excluding artificial baits, attached to the end of a fishing line; examples include hooks, snaps, swivels, snap-swivels, sinkers, floats, and plastic beads.
Texas Rigged – The method of securing a hook to a soft-plastic bait, such as a worm, lizard or crawfish, so that the hook is weedless (doesn’t protrude). Typically, a slip sinker (often a bullet sinker) is threaded onto the line and then a hook is tied to the end of the fish line. The hook (often an offset hook) is inserted into the head of the soft-plastic bait for about one-quarter of an inch and brought through until only the eye is still embedded in the soft-plastic bait. The hook is then rotated and the point is embedded slightly into the body of the soft-plastic worm without coming out the opposite side. Many anglers try to ensure the bait stays straight once it is Texas-rigged.
Thermocline – A distinct layer of water where rising warm and sinking cold water meet but do not mix. It is a layer of water where the temperature changes at least one-half a degree per foot of depth. In many of our desert bass lakes, a thermocline often develops during the spring and breaks down in the fall. The colder layer of water is often lacking in oxygen, forcing most baitfish and sport-fish to the upper layer of water. Thermoclines can be so dense that they actually show up on sonar (fish finders and depth finders) as a thick, impenetrable line.
Trailer Hook – The extra hook or cheater hook added to a single-hook lure, such as a spinnerbait or weedless spoon. Also called a stinger hook.
Transducer -- A device that converts electrical energy to sound energy, or the reverse. Typically associated with depth finders or fish finders.
Tributary – A creek, stream, or river that feeds a larger stream or river, or lake.
Trolling – Towing a lure or several lures behind a boat. When a fish is caught on the trolled lure, the boat is typically stopped and the fish is reeled in.
Turnover – In Arizona’s warmwater lakes, a turnover is typically experienced in the fall and is a phenomenon associated with thermoclines. In this case, the warmer layer of water at the surface cools down, and becomes colder than or as cold as the distinct layer of coldwater below. The result is that the two layers of water mix, eliminating the thermocline and creating a fairly uniform water temperature and perhaps introducing oxygen to the lower levels of the lake. This fall turnover action can result in bottom sediments nutrients being stirred up by the water movement, sometimes stimulating algal growth. The fall turnover typically signals the transition to winter fishing conditions.

Ultralight – Lighter than standard fishing rod and/or tackle.

Water Dog – Any of several large salamanders (the larval or aquatic stage). They are popular as live bait.
Weedguard – A protective device on fishing hooks to prevent picking up weeds.
Weedless – A description of a lure designed to be fished in heavy cover with a minimum amount of snagging. Various strategies are often employed to make a lure weedless.
Weed Line – Abrupt edge of an aquatic weed-bed caused by a change in depth, bottom type, or other factor.
Worm-fishing – The act of using worms, either natural or man-made, to catch fish, although the term worming typically refers to the act of using artificial worms to catch fish.

Year class – Fish of a given species that were all spawned in the same year or at the same time.