At first look, the large, beautifully illustrated The Complete Guide to North America Fishing appears to be another coffee table book on our favorite pastime. But open the heavy, hard-cover tome and find chapters covering fish, tools, skills and places for North America’s most popular saltwater and freshwater fish.
Author Ken Schultz spent 30 years as fishing editor for Field and Stream magazine. He has also served as fishing editor for ESPN.com and is now resident fishing expert at About.com. His extensive experience in all aspects of North American fishing is evident on every page of this updated version of a classic book.
The Complete Guide to North America Fishing is illustrated with photos from Schultz’s extensive archive of fishing photos from leaping tarpon to step-by-step illustrations of tackle and techniques. The vibrant photos support clear and complete how-to instruction on 39 species of North America’s most popular gamefish. The first chapters cover fish alphabetically from albacore to yellow perch. Schultz describes the appearance and life cycle of each fish, and then he provides best time and place to catch the species with tips on tactics and tackle.
The next chapter covers tools including reels and rods, tackle and accessories. Readers will find tips on choosing the right tackle to target everything from big game to panfish. Sections include spinning tackle and fly gear, natural bait and lures. Schultz explains the difference between braided line, monofilament and fluorocarbon. He even covers tackle storage and tools including waders, gaffs and electronics.
Fish species and tools come together in the chapter covering fishing skills and techniques. Schultz gives a primer on casting, trolling and drifting. He offers tips on locating, hooking, playing, landing and releasing fish. My favorite section provided step-by-step instructions on the most popular knots, sharpening a hook and setting the reel drag.
Schultz wraps up the book by highlighting some of the most productive fishing locations in Canada, United States and Mexico. I found sections on my homewaters and my dream waters.
The updated The Complete Guide to North American Fishing packs a ton of information and instruction into 250 large, glossy pages. Author Ken Schultz’s extensive knowledge spans the history of the sport to modern tactics and equipment. And fantastic photo with detailed illustrations make this a coffee-table book you’ll want to take on the water.
Learn more about The Complete Guide to North American Fishing and author Ken Schults at kenschultz.com.
The Complete Guide to North American Fishing, Ken Schultz, Carlton Books Limited, London, 256 pages, $39.95
