Fishing Quiz for Beginners

You say you picked up angling a few years ago and you’re not sure if you’re still considered a fishing beginner, or if you’ve made it to the intermediate phase? Part of knowing what you’re talking about is linguistics, and fishing lingo is a language all its own. Take our quiz and put your knowledge to the test — by the time you reach question 10 you’ll know whether or not it’s time for a promotion.

1. Bailing – When used with reference to mahi-mahi, the term “bailing” means:
   1. Gaffing fish one after the next as multiple anglers reel them up to the boat.
   2. Tossing bait and baited hooks into the water next to flotsam or floating objects to (hopefully) trigger a feeding frenzy.
   3. Stacking huge numbers of fish, one atop the next, in the fishbox.
   4. Trolling in circles in the same general area over and over, until deep fish come up to the surface and strike your lures.
2. Chatterbait – People cast chatterbaits for everything from largemouth bass to striped bass. These lures have:
   1. A metal blade attached to the front of a jig or jighead, which swings back and forth as it moves through the water.
   2. A metal blade attached to the back of a jig or jighead, which swings back and forth as it moves through the water.
   3. A metal blade attached to the jighead with a small swivel, which spins as it moves though the water.
   4. Metal balls inside a lure’s plastic body, which rattle around and create a “chatter” as the lure swims.
3. Flipping – Flipping is a form of…
   1. Celebrating, after you catch a fish. It’s best done on land and not in a boat.
   2. Jigging, where you pop the rod tip quickly enough to flip a jig or spoon under the water.
   3. Casting, where you pull off some line then pendulum the lure and flip the rod tip to propel it.
   4. Reeling, where you turn a spinning rod reel side up.
4. Jerkbait – A jerkbait is…
   1. What you call your cousin every time she brings a new boyfriend out on the boat and he sinks a hook into a seat cushion or T-top.
   2. A plug similar to a crankbait which has a neutral buoyancy and is designed to be retrieved with a stop-and-go cadence punctuated by occasional jerks of the rod tip.
   3. Any jig retrieved with a jerking action.
   4. Plastic worms hooked “wacky” style.
5. Lead-Head – A lead-head is…
   1. What you call your cousin every time she brings a new boyfriend out on the boat and he sinks a hook into a seat cushion or T-top.
   2. A piece of lead molded to a hook, which is then dressed with soft plastics, a skirt, teaser, bait, or combination of the above.
   3. A lipped plug with a lead head and a hard plastic body.
   4. A spoon with a lead keel.
6. Ferrule – This term is used to describe:
   1. The part of a spinning reel that you flip over before casting.
   2. The eye on a lure you tie off to.
   3. The reinforced joint where a two-piece rod fits together.
   4. What happens to a cat if you leave it outside too much.
7. Stinger – A stinger is…
   1. Why you hate bees.
   2. A fish that strikes at an unexpected moment, with gusto.
   3. A type of small, slender spoon, often cast or trolled for toothy fish like blues or mackerel.
   4. A second hook added to the first one which (hopefully) decreases the number of missed strikes.
8. Tenkara – In the world of fly fishing, Tenkara means:
   1. Rolling the rod tip to form a loop that travels down the line and casts the fly (also called a “roll cast”).
   2. Tying two flies or streamers on the same line.
   3. It’s a trick question — Tenkara isn’t related to fly fishing.
   4. A form of fly fishing with the line attached to the end of a long rod and no reel.
9. Tippet – Tippet is just another word for:
   1. Leader.
   2. The tip of a fishing rod.
   3. A hook point.
   4. The end of your mainline (where you attach the leader).
10. Walking the Dog – Walking the dog is a technique used for:
    1. Topwater fishing, where you cause the lure to dart right and left by constantly working your rod.
    2. Topwater fishing, where you cause the lure to dart right and left by speeding it up and slowing it down as you direct the rod tip.
    3. Jigging, where you bounce your jig along the bottom in a steady cadence.
    4. Jigging, where you reel quickly enough to prevent the jig from ever hitting bottom.

BONUS QUESTION: Which of these escape artists are NOT an invasive species in the Mid-Atlantic region?

Answers:

1. B

2. A

3. C

4. B

5. B

6. C

7. D

8. D

9. A

10. A

BONUS: B (a speckled trout), E (a rockfish). A, C, and D are snakeheads, the king of all escape artists.

Beginner Fishing Quiz Scoring:

0 – 5 correct: We’re guessing you picked up this magazine in a restaurant or liquor store and haven’t tried angling before. Welcome to the wonderful world of fishing, rank beginner!

5 – 8 correct: Nice try, but we’re afraid you haven’t earned this merit badge just yet.

8+ correct: You’ve just been promoted!

Editor’s note: If you want to brush up on your terminology, check out Fishing Terms: A Glossary of Fishing Lingo. If you enjoyed this quiz try our Chesapeake Bay Fishing Quiz