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If you want to improve your fishing skills, there is no better way than sitting down for a few hours with an interesting and informative fishing book.
But, there are hundreds to choose from and to get the most out of a book, it needs to be well-written and filled with good information and match your fishing experience.
In this article, we will focus on those relating to coarse fishing. I will cover a range of different options, from great books for beginners to ones more suited to pros, so that you can choose the right read that will take you to the next level.
If you are looking for other categories of fishing books, check out the links below for the type of fishing that interests you.
Our selection of Carp Fishing Books
Our selection of Saltwater Fishing Books
Our selection of Fly Fishing Books
Our selection of Bass Fishing Books
Our Best Books on Coarse Fishing
- Fishing Rigs: Diagrams and descriptions of dozens of fishing rigs used to catch coarse fish
- The Ultimate Fishing Log Book: The Essential Accessory For The Tackle Box
- Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
- Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide
- Tom Pickering ‘Born to Win’ Autobiography
Fishing Rigs: Diagrams and descriptions of dozens of fishing rigs used to catch coarse fish
If you are an angler who is no longer a beginner and want to take your coarse fishing to the next level, then this might be the book you have been looking for.
Fishing Rigs: Diagrams and descriptions of dozens of fishing rigs used to catch coarse fish is a great fishing book describing all the different rigs for float fishing, ledger fishing and carp fishing. Covering all the types, one might want to use while coarse fishing.
It is comprehensive and includes different rigs across float fishing, ledgering, and carp fishing rigs. Each rig has easy-to-follow diagrams and pictures that make putting them together quickly and correctly for anyone.
Not only does the book teach how to make the rigs, but it also goes into the details about when it is best to use the rigs and why discussing different weather conditions and water conditions. You can always choose the right rig for every occasion and increase your catch rate.
This book doesn’t suit all anglers, though; if you are already a pro, chances are you will know more rigs than featured in the book, especially around the carp rigs.
It is an excellent fishing book for intermediate anglers who are ready to learn more about coarse fishing set-ups, along with when and why to use them.
Pros
- Teaches you about all types of coarse rigs
- Easy-to-follow diagrams
- Covers everything from floats to ledgers and carp rig
- Discussed when, where, and why to use each rig
- Great for anglers with prior knowledge to hone skills with
- It will help you catch more coarse fish
- Simple and easy to follow
Cons
- It doesn’t have all the rigs you might want to learn
Specs
Author: Richard Blackburn
Pages: 164
Type: Paperback
Kindle Availability: Yes
The Ultimate Fishing Log Book: The Essential Accessory For The Tackle Box
The Ultimate Fishing Log Book: this is an essential accessory for the tackle box; and is a book that is designed for you to record your catches along with all the relevant information for future reference.
Now, all of us anglers have thought about recording our catches, and the lazier ones, like me, have probably resisted doing so and thought, ‘I’ll remember it”. Once I started recording my catches, I had a wealth of data I would not have remembered, and I caught more fish because of it.
This book makes recording all your catches very easy as it lays it out for you. It has a field for species, the number of fish, weight, bait used, time of year, and rigs, and there is even space for diagrams and notes.
You can use the ultimate fishing log book for recording data from any fishing, coarse, saltwater, fly, carp, bass, ice, etc. This means you can review the data about all your past catches and see what worked, when, and why, so you can employ the same or better catches in the future.
It is an excellent book for beginners and young anglers to learn the patterns of their catches and become better anglers because of it. It is also useful for experienced anglers to log their catches, but they might find it a little basic for their more complex approaches.
Pros
- A great place to record your catches
- Allows you to look at past catch data
- It helps you to think about tactics
- Well laid out and easy to use
- Great for beginners wanting to learn
Cons
- Not comprehensive enough for pros
Specs
Author: M Prefontaine and Adam Kim
Pages: 103
Type: Paperback, Hardcover
Kindle Availability: No
Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing
While the book Mortimer & Whitehouse: Gone Fishing is a great nonfiction book about coarse fishing, it is not designed to teach per se. This book was written off the back of the hit TV show Gone Fishing, which featured Mortimer & Whitehouse.
It is a beautifully written book showcasing the friendship and joy of sharing fishing with a buddy, all with the hilarious fishing stories and additions that Bob Mortimer and Whitehouse bring.
This book has great fishing stories that describe two lifelong friends going fishing all around the beautiful UK countryside. They fish for numerous species using different tactics and discuss everything from how to fish, the equipment they use, what makes fishing fun, and how sharing it is best.
This book is a wonderful read that will help you learn about fishing and remind you of the joy it brings to people’s lives and how to have fun doing it along the way.
Pros
- Very well written
- Full of funny stories
- Showcases the fun of fishing with friends
- It teaches you about different species and tactics
- Great info on UK fishing
- A lot of fun to read
- Super affordable
Cons
- Not specifically about fishing tactics
Specs
Author: Bob Mortimer & Whitehouse
Pages: 352
Type: Paperback, Hardcover
Kindle Availability: Yes
Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide
If you are new to coarse fishing and want to learn all the basics every angler needs to know about general fishing of all types, then Basic Fishing: A Beginner’s Guide is a great book to own.
This book really does cover everything one needs to know about fishing. It will take you through understanding how to catch fish, all the equipment you need, how and when to use it, and what your different lure and bait options are to boot.
Some excellent pictures and diagrams make the information easy to absorb, understand, and use while fishing.
It doesn’t stop there, though and also goes into detail about fishing from the shore, fishing from a boat, boat motors, and even boat accessories. It really does cover a lot of all the basics an angler needs to know to start fishing successfully and safely.
Once you have learned the basics, there are more in-depth chapters on different techniques, and it even discusses how to clean fish and cook different fish species.
However, this book may only suit true beginners as the fishing knowledge discussed is all about the basics. More proficient anglers will likely know what the book covers and should search for something more technical to improve their knowledge and skills.
Pros
- Excellent for beginners
- All round angling book
- It covers everything from gear to how to fish and safety
- Simple and easy to follow
- Very good diagrams and pictures
- It will have you fishing confidently and catching fish quickly
- Includes info on the cleaning and cooking of fish
- It covers both shore and boat fishing
Cons
- A little basic for experienced anglers
Specs
Author: Wade Bourne
Pages: 224
Type: Paperback, Hardcover, Spiral bound
Kindle Availability: Yes
Tom Pickering ‘Born to Win’ Autobiography
This is one of the best angling books I have read over the past 3 years is Tom Pickering’s – Born To Win. You can get engrossed with the first few chapters very quickly and relate to how the match fishing scene has evolved over the past few decades.
Born in Yorkshire, Tommy, a former world angling individual champion in 1989, is a seasoned match angler. With tales full of good humour and humility, this book includes his fishing career and other fishing-related issues in his life. He writes about and gives credit to those who helped support his angling career through the years.
Born to win is an in-depth review of this angling legend through his successes fishing for the England national team and the general match scene. If you follow coarse fishing in the UK and particularly match fishing, this is a great read!
Tom is now the frontman for sponsoring Fjuka baits and is still very active in fishing and social media.
Pros
- Down-to-earth autobiography
- Covers 60 years of the UK fishing scene
- Great match fishing insights
- It goes through the personal details of the England fishing team
- Difficult to put down
Cons
- Based on match coarse fishing only
- Lack of photographs
Specs
Author: Tom Pickering, Alan Barnes
Pages: 149
Type: Paperback, Hardback
Kindle Availability: No
Closing The Book
Thank you very much for reading my article. I hope you enjoyed it and have found one of some excellent options for coarse fishing for your specific needs.
The key to finding the right book is choosing one that takes your knowledge to the next level and features topics you are unaware of but will benefit from using on the water.
You can read more on different types of fishing books. Check out the below links for the other categories for more must-read options.
Our selection of Carp Fishing Books
Our selection of Saltwater Fishing Books
Our selection of Fly Fishing Books
Our selection of Bass Fishing Books
Steve holds a special place in his heart for the mighty Carp and the elusive Tench
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