Fishing — page 5 of 5

Fishing terms

401. Terrestrial Things of the land.
402. Test Line strength as stated on the label.
403. Texas rig (Texas-rigged) The method of securing a hook to a soft-plastic bait, such as a worm, lizard or crawfish, so that the hook is weedless (doesn't protrude).
404. Thermocline A distinct layer of water where rising warm and sinking cold water meet but do not mix.
405. threadfin shad The most common baitfish in Arizona's warmwater lakes.
406. tight-action plug A lure with short, rapid side-to-side movement. Typically used when fish are more active in spring, summer and fall.
407. tiptop Line guide at the tip end of a fishing rod.
408. Topminnow See mosquitofish.
409. topwater The technique of using topwater lures for catching fish, especially bass at the water's surface.
410. trailer hook The extra hook or cheater hook added to a single-hook lure, such as a spinnerbait or weedless spoon. Also called a stinger hook.
411. transducer A device that converts electrical energy to sound energy, or the reverse. Typically associated with depth finders or fish finders.
412. transition These are where one type of bottom material or structure changes to another, for instance, a rock pile to solid rock, or sand to gravel.
413. Treble A hook with three points used on many lures.
414. treble hook A hook with a single or bundled shaft and three points.
415. Tributary A creek, stream, or river that feeds a larger stream or river, or lake.
416. triggering Using a lure-retrieval technique that causes a sport-fish to react and strike. For instance, quickly speeding up a retrieve and then stopping.
417. trolling Towing a lure or several lures behind a boat. When a fish is caught on the trolled lure, the boat is typically stopped and the fish is reeled in.
418. trolling motor A small electric fishing motor, typically mounted on the bow, which is used as secondary means of propulsion for positioning or maneuvering a boat quietly…
419. tubing A float fishing term that means to float down a river, stream or using a float tube in a lake while fishing.
420. turnover In Arizona's warmwater lakes, a turnover is typically experienced in the fall and is a phenomenon associated with thermoclines.
421. ultralight Lighter than standard fishing rod and/or tackle.
422. ventral fin The paired fin located on the front of a fish's abdomen.
423. warmwater Refers to fish habitat or fish that are warmwater species, such as largemouth bass, sunfish, and catfish, as opposed to coldwater species such as trout…
424. water column Vertical section of the lake.
425. water dog Any of several large salamanders (the larval or aquatic stage). They are popular as live bait.
426. Watershed All land area from which run-off water may enter a pond or lake.
427. weed line Abrupt edge of an aquatic weed-bed caused by a change in depth, bottom type, or other factor.
428. weedguard A protective device on fishing hooks to prevent picking up weeds.
429. weedless A description of a lure designed to be fished in heavy cover with a minimum amount of snagging.
430. weigh-in Term typically applied to the weighing in of fish at a tournament.
431. Westy Worm A brand name of plastic worm with a leadhead that has two exposed hooks already rigged.
432. wet fly A fly fished underwater.
433. Wetland Area covered all or part of the year by water. Can be identified by typical plants and soil types.
434. White amur Common name for Ctenopharyngodon idella, also called "grass carp." White amur are often stocked in ponds for weed control.
435. white bass A type of true bass that is only found at Lake Pleasant in Arizona. White bass are related to striped bass and yellow bass.
436. Wild fish Any fish not supplied by a fish hatchery .
437. Winter-kill Fish kill in shallow ponds or reservoirs due to oxygen depletion.
438. wooly worm, or wooly bugger A popular type of wet fly often used by fly anglers fishing lakes.
439. worm-fishing (worm-fisherman) The act of using worms, either natural or man-made, to catch fish, although the term worming typically refers to the act of using artificial worms to…
440. year class Fish of a given species that were all spawned in the same year or at the same time.
441. yellow bass A specific species in the true bass family. In Arizona, yellow bass are found in Apache, Canyon and Saguaro lakes along the Salt River.
442. yellow cat a flathead catfish.
443. Yield limit The maximum pounds of harvestable-sized fish a pond will yield from year to year without detrimental effects to the balance of the fish population when…
444. young-of-the-year refers to fish in their first year of life, often referring to immature fish.
445. Z-ray A brand name of heavy spoon typically used in trout fishing.
446. Zara Puppy, Zara Spook, Zara Pooch Brand names of topwater lures.
447. Zooplankton Animals (mostly microscopic) that drift freely in the water column.
448. zug bug A type of wet fly or fly pattern commonly used by fly fishers in lakes.