GAT offers personal customer service, employs knowledgeable sales staff, and performs professional line-winding and special orders all at no extra charge.

Use a Palomar knot or a Trilene knot, for joining a lure or hook to your line. [For additional knots and how to tie them, stop by GAT and pick up “How-to Knot Tying Guides”].
Every fisherman should take the time to learn how to tie the various knots. Tying a good knot is one of the most important things required for a successful days fishing.
USEFUL TIPS:
1. Use plenty of working line.
2. Tighten the knot with a steady, even motion.
3. Pull the knot tight.
4. Don’t trim the tag end too close.

10 ways to take a kid fishing
1. Shoreline---public park or waterway, beach, or boat access
2. Off the Dock---yours, a resort’s, or a public fishing platform
3. Camping---campgrounds often adjoin lakes and streams
4. Canoeing---a float trip organized by a canoe outfitter or your own canoe
5. Boating---rentals, resort boats, or personal craft
6. Bicycling---short ride down to the local public pond or waterway
7. Pay pond---usually full of easily catchable panfish, bullheads, or catfish
8. Local fishing club or fishing guide---experts supply tackle and guidance
9. Scout troop or similar group---kids of similar ages and interests
10. Ice Fishing---everyone walks out and fishes together, with room to run and play

Spinning reels are most efficient when using light weight lures. Select a small diameter reel for 2 or 4 lb line, and larger reels for heavier lines and lures.
Spinning reels are easier to cast over the level wind reels.
For beginners or novice, select a spinning reel, over a level wind reel.
Spinning reels are the choice of light line fisherman.

These reels offer the least problems for the youngster and the beginner. You just push the button, make your cast, release the button, turn the crank, and your ready to reel in the fish. The line in contained behind the spool cover, and does not jump out, like on many spinning reels.

Baitcasting reels are more suitable when using heavier weight lures, ex ¼ oz and heavier. More reels today are being made with features to make it easier for the novice to cast---like the models with adjustable brakes. For a beginner, it is easier to cast using a braided line vs some monofilament.
NOTE: There are several larger size spinning reels suitable for using larger lures and fishing for big fish. These reels are the choice of fishermen who are not comfortable with a baitcasting reel.

Purchasing ---First of all regardless of which type of reel (casting, spincast, spinning or fly) you plan to purchase, put the reel on a rod and handle it, it should be comfortable.
Casting reels: Good feel when palming, no thumb cramping on spool bar, easy to reach controls (anti-reverse, drag) easy line threading. Spincast Reels: Good feel and easy palming, easy to reach push button and controls, comfortable handles. Spinning Reels: Good feel, balance and weight, comfortable handles and stem length, easy line pick up with index finger. Fly Reels: Lightness in weight, spool capacity, interchangeable spools, smooth drag and durability. REEL MAINTENANCE
After each fishing trip or after the season is over, it’s a good practice to disassemble, clean, oil, and inspect your reels for wear. Inspect the bail arm, roller guides, nose cone eyelets, and all the points where the line makes contact with the reel surface.

Crawlers for bass, walleye and catfish; earthworms for panfish and catfish; waxworms for panfish; leeches for bass, walleye, catfish, panfish; small minnows for crappie, med and large minnows for bass, catfish and walleye, med and larger golden shiners for bass, catfish, walleye and pike; suckers for bass, catfish, walleye and pike; large suckers for catfish, pike and musky.

LIVE BAIT
The following are a few tips to remember when purchasing and using live bait.
• Always use fresh, spunky offerings when live bait fishing.
• If using leeches, change them frequently
• When buying live bait, make certain it looks lively. Nightcrawlers and leeches should be firm; minnows and chubs should be swimming at the bottom of the tank rather than the top.
• Cool your bait bucket before you fill it.
• Don’t over crowd you bait bucket.
• Don’t put your bait in chlorinated water; use lake or well water.
• When fishing, keep you bait cool and out of the sun.

Select a premium grade monofilament line. Use light line on small diameter spools. A heavy line on small diameter spools will not work efficiently, and will result in foul-ups.

The general practice is to install fresh line on your reel when the line starts to become tightly coiled, tangled, and is difficult to cast your lures.

There are numerous reasons---It may have been on your reel a long time, (this occurs on pre-spooled reels). The line may be old. The line may be too heavy for the size reel you’re using. It may have been installed incorrectly, just to name a few. Lures that rotate in the water, while being retrieved, will spin. The spinning lure will cause line twist; therefore, you need to use a swivel ahead of the lure to reduce line twist.

The line should come off the filler spool the same direction that it goes onto the reel spool. Ex: It your reel turns counter-clockwise, then the line needs to come off the filler spool counter-clockwise. If your spooling a level wind reel, the line goes onto your reel spool on the top; therefore, the line must come off the filler spool from the top.

There are various fly lines for various types of fishing and species, from panfish to musky and other large fish. The most popular line type is the WF (weight forward). WF and other styles and various sizes are available at GAT.

Premium grade wire fish hooks have an extremely sharp point. Some hooks are featured with cutting edges, to provide deep penetration or positive hook-ups. Stop by GAT, and view the huge selection of hooks, from panfish thru musky.

Premium grade wire fish hooks have an extremely sharp point. Some hooks are featured with cutting edges, to provide deep penetration or positive hook-ups. Stop by GAT, and view the huge selection of hooks, from panfish thru musky.

Circle hooks are primarily for use with live bait, and intended for releasing your catch. The hook catches into the jaw of the fish, where it is easier to get out, and not in the gullet or stomach, where injury will occur.

Bobbers are those all familiar round “red & white” objects with a push button on the top and wire clip on the bottom that you can clip onto your line. A “FLOAT” is available in a variety of forms---cigar shape, elongated shape, pencil shape, pear shape, or the like, that contains a spring wire on the bottom end, and in a “slip” style. These styles are available in sizes for micro-light tackle to large baits for big fish.

With a slip style float, you can fish at depths of as little as 1ft, or 20 ft or more. Place a “stop-knot” on your line, and set the knot to the desired depth you want to fish. The float slides up to the stop knot, that has been fitted on your line. This is a very effective way to fish deep water and using a short pole. You couldn’t fish deep water with a short pole, and have your bait near the bottom, using a clip-on float. The slip float is the ideal tool. Clip-on style floats are only suitable when fishing shallow water and using long poles. Such as when using a long cane pole and have a bobber set a short distance from the bait.

There are various “How-To” instructions available. Stop by GAT, and pick up a copy. It is important to have a good quality fillet knife, and a sturdy surface, such as a fillet board or a suitable cutting board. GAT stocks a huge selection of fillet knives and sharpening tools, to obtain the proper cutting edge.

You probably will catch more fish if you avoid the following mistakes.
1. USING OLD LINE. Replace or change your line frequently.
2. USING DIRTY OR FAULTY REELS. Keep your equipment clean and in good working order.
3. IMPROPERLY SETTING YOUR DRAG. Adjust and set your drag before you start fishing.
4. USING DULL HOOKS. Make sure your hooks are sharp.
5. USING ONLY YOUR FAVORITE LURE. Try different lures, colors, sizes, shapes, “EXPERIMENT”.
6. FISHING ONLY ONE LOCATION. Try new areas.
7. FISHING FOR ONLY ONE SPECIES. BE versatile.
8. BEING OBSERVANT. Observe conditions, weather, temperature, and so forth.
9. LACKING CONCENTRATION. Concentrate on catching one fish at a time.
10. LACKING CONFIDENCE. Have a positive mental attitude.

Stop by GAT and get your copy of “Freshwater Fishing Tips & Techniques”. This book covers general fishing tips, bait, rigging, presentation, fly fishing, fly tying, ice fishing, tackle, cleaning tips and cooking methods, fishing tips and fish facts. It contains everything you ever wanted to know and more.