Look pretty darn good . . .

That's a nice fish. Congrats ! ! !

Walmart sells what I call "donuts", they are hand reels that are good for backpacking. All you need is one or two of'em and a small tackle box and you're ready to roll. They also come in two sizes if I'm not wrong.

Definitely a Snakehead my friend...

Smack it real hard when it starts making noise then go shshshshs . . . Just adding some humor Bud.

I've always known it to be a Toadfish . . . (slimy lil' bastards...LOL)

Try Florida and see. Polk county has good bass fishing spots throughout the Chain of Lakes area and there's plenty of good salt water fishing spots too. (Plus it doesn't get cold)

Definitely the type of hook remover that usually come with fishing rod combo kits.

I have caught numerous Bluegill with canned corn too. It really does work . . . =)

I prefer using live bait whenever possible. People will always complain and criticize; if a fart don't smell right they complain, as well as at the smell of a rose . . . Fish you're butt off whichever way you prefer, my friend and enjoy yourself.
That's what fishing is all about, having a good time. Not worrying about what some other guy has to say.

I would say you're best bet is to not wade fish at all. From a boat you will be okay,but avoid having stringers of fish in the water. They will usually take to the water if you approach their whereabouts,but if don't get going you should get outta there asap.
Good luck out there and happy fishing.

You should consider one of those telescopic style rods. They are pretty compact and some are pretty resistant.
I always kept one in my car and would try casting most ponds I came across . . .

Head down to some pier.Here in Tampa I took my little nephew to Ballast Point with a small rod and a Sabiki Rig and boy did he have a blast catching some Greenbacks left and right.
Another good choice would be going to any pond with some worms (or just tiny bread balls) for bait, a bobber over a small(I mean "small") hooks.Once he gets a couple of Bluegills he will be hooked for life too.
Have fun and Happy Fishin' . . .

Welcome to the club. What and where do you fish? Also, what fishing stories can you share with us here?
I myself, am what I consider a professional frustrated angler... LOL.
I've had my share of small fry catch-n-release, but only a few big'uns. But the fun is all in the fight once they once they bite...
Happy fishin'.

My first fish was when I was about 12 or 13,fishing off a river bank in Puerto Rico. I just used worms that were fresh dug-up in a cow pasture. The fish was a good sized tilapia(no idea how much it weighed).My friend was a good ways further down from me laughing because he had caught 3 already and I had none.But no soon as I told him that it was okay because when I do catch one it'll be the biggest one of the day . . . and BAM! there it was, the biggest catch of the day. I am now 63 and to this day everytime we meet up he brings up that story . . . =)
The key to fishing is purely persistence. Not everyday is productive,that's why they call it "fishing" not "catching"...