Basic Spincasting Module

action: the flexibility of a rod

adipose fin: "fat" fin found behind the dorsal fin on trout and catfish

anal fin: single fin along the midline of the belly of a fish 

anti-reverse lever: on some reels, when turned on, prevents the crank handle from turning backwards

bait: something fish will eat used to attract them to a hook; may be living or dead animals, parts of animals, or prepared materials

barb: sharp projection on a fish hook that points backward so the hook isn't easily extracted

barbel: fleshy "whisker" found on catfish and carp

benthic zone: area of a body of water below the open water zone; usually has very little oxygen

blood knot: knot used to attach a leader or to tie two pieces of line together

bobber: float made of plastic, cork or other light material that holds the bait at a certain depth and helps the angler detect bites

carnivore: animal that eats other animals

casting: procedure used to throw bait out using a rod and reel

catch and release: type of fishing where the angler releases fish back to the water alive immediately after catching

catfish: group of fish which have no scales, eight fleshy barbels around the mouth, and an adipose fin; includes bullheads, channel catfish, and flathead catfish

caudal fin: "tail" fin of a fish

channelized: describes a stream or river that has been straightened

cleaning: any of several methods used to remove internal organs, scales, skin, etc. so fish can be prepared for cooking

cold blooded: animal whose body temperature changes with the temperature of its surroundings

commercial fishing: fishing for food to sell to others

consumer: organism that eats other organisms; cannot make its own food

crank handle: on a reel, it is turned to retrieve line that has been cast off the reel

daily catch limit: the number of fish you can catch each day

dorsal fin: fin found on the midline of the back of a fish

drag: on a reel, the "brake" on the line which can be increased to slow the outgoing line when a fish tries to swim away

ecosystem: all the living and nonliving components in an area and the relationships between them (example: a lake and its watershed)

endangered: a species in danger of becoming extinct 

ethic: code of conduct

field dress: removing internal organs and gills of a fish to keep the flesh fresh when the fish won't be cleaned right away

filleting: method of cleaning where the flesh is removed from the bone, leaving boneless fillets

fishing license: a document which allows you to fish in Iowa waters; fees are used for fisheries management

fly: lure made of a variety of materials tied around a hook to resemble an insect or small fish

food chain: sequence of feeding relationships (example: algae - zooplankton - water flea - bluegill - largemouth bass)

food web: group of food chains which describes all the feeding relationships in an ecosystem

front cover: on a reel, covers the spool 

habitat enhancement: management strategies used to improve habitat; examples - brush piles, stake beds, tire reefs

habitat protection: management strategies that prevent the loss of habitat; examples - conservation farming, keeping vegetation along streams and shorelines

hatchery: facility where fish are produced for stocking

heat exhaustion: usually occurs on hot, humid days when an individual is sweating a lot

heat stroke: usually occurs on hot, humid days when an individual cannot sweat enough to cool his/her body; it is life threatening

herbivore: animal that eats plants or algae

hook: piece of tackle made of curved metal with a sharp end, used to snag a fish's jaw so it can be reeled in

hypothermia: when the body chills past the point where it can warm itself; the first symptom is shivering; if not treated, can be life threatening

improved clinch knot: knot used to attach terminal tackle to the line

invertebrate: animal without a backbone

jig: lure made of a weighted head molded over a hook; often dressed with live bait, feather, furs, etc.

lateral line: a sensory structure along the sides of a fish that detects vibrations in the water

leader: piece of heavier line or wire tied to the end of monofilament line

length limit: requires that a fish be a certain length before it can be kept

line guide: on a reel, hole in the front cover that the line passes through

littoral zone: area of a standing body of water which has rooted plants; where sunlight reaches the bottom of the body of water

lure: artificial bait designed to mimic the characteristics of natural food items of a fish

maximum length limit: requires that fish over a certain length be released

memory: tendency of fishing line to "kink" after being stored on a reel

minimum length limit: requires a fish to be at least a certain length to be kept

minnow: group of fish with no scales on their heads, no adipose fin and a single soft dorsal fin; native species never grow larger than 12 inches and have fewer than ten rays in the dorsal fin; introduced species include common carp and white amur

monofilament: type of fishing line made of a single strand of nylon

open water zone: area of a standing body of water where rooted plants don't grow

organism: any living thing

oxbow: a lake formed when a river channel changes course, blocking of part of the old channel

palomar knot: knot used to attach terminal tackle to the line

pan dressing: method of cleaning where the internal organs, head, and scales are removed from a fish

pectoral fins: pair of fins on the sides of the body located near the head

pelvic fins: pair of fins on the sides of a fish located below the pectoral fins, usually farther back on the body

perch: group of fish with slender, elongate bodies, a large bone on the gill cover that ends in a flat spine, and completely separated spiny and soft portions of the dorsal fin; includes walleye, sauger, yellow perch, and darters

photosynthesis: process used to make food using carbon dioxide and sunlight

pike: group of fish with long, cylindrical bodies, a short dorsal fin far back on the body, a flattened head, and duckbill shaped jaws with sharp teeth; includes northern pike and muskellunge

plug: lure made of wood, plastic or other material which imitates the appearance or action of food items

point: sharp end of the hook

polymer: type of fishing line made of two or more strands of nylon

pool: area of a stream or river which is deeper than adjacent areas; water flow may be slowed; the bottom usually is made of very small particles

possession limit: total number of fish you can have; usually twice the daily catch limit

predator: animal that kills and eats other animals

prey: animal eaten by another animal

producer: organism that can make its own food (plants, algae)

recreational fishing: fishing for fun

reel: holds fishing line on a rod; used to retrieve line after it is cast

riffle: area of a stream or river with faster current; usually more shallow than a run or pool; the water surface is broken up due to flowing over rocks

rod: pole with a line and reel attached for fishing

run: area of a stream or river with moderate current and fairly uniform water flow

season: the time of year you can fish for certain species

silt: fine particles of soil

sinker: piece of metal attached to the line to provide weight for casting and/or to help the bait sink in the water

skinning: method of cleaning where the internal organs, head, skin, and possibly fins are removed from a fish

slot limit: requires that fish between two designated lengths be released

slough: a wetland area along a river

snap swivel: type of swivel with a snap closure on one end

soft plastic: lure made of soft molded plastic that resembles a variety of baits

spinner: lure made with flat metal blades that rotate around a stationary shaft

split shot: small metal ball with a slit where the line is placed; the slit is clamped shut to hold it in place

spool: part of the reel that holds the line

spoon: lure made of a flattened metal blade that wobbles back and forth when retrieved to mimic a small fish

subsistence fishing: fishing for food for yourself

swivel: piece of tackle used to attach a leader, a lure, or a hook to the fishing line

terminal tackle: items placed on the end of the fishing line

test: breaking strength of fishing line

thumb stop: on a reel, the button that you press and release to let line off the spool

trout: group of fish with tiny scales, a hooked lower jay, and an adipose fin; live in cool spring-fed streams in northeast Iowa; include brook, brown and rainbow

vertebrate: animal with a backbone

watershed: the area of land that drains to a body of water

zooplankton: microscopic organisms that can't produce their own food