Angling for Beginners: Best Equipment & Starter Sets

Everything at a glance

• At the beginning, the selection of fishing gear can quickly become overwhelming

• A simple, well-thought-out basic setup is usually sufficient

• Spinning rod with a length of 2 to 2.50 m, suitable stationary reel, braided line, landing net, and bait are the most important components

• Perch, trout, or pike are particularly suitable for beginners

• Natural bait or simple artificial lures offer a good introduction

When you start fishing as a beginner, the choice of equipment can quickly feel overwhelming. Countless rods, reels, baits, and accessories. Even professionals often find it hard to keep track. Many beginners then make the mistake of either buying too cheap complete sets or assembling individual parts without a plan. Frustration at the water, wrong purchases, and often even giving up the new hobby prematurely are the end result.

Starting with the right equipment is surprisingly simple. Those who consider certain tips have more fun and faster success experiences. With this article, we want to take this hurdle off your shoulders so you can fully focus on fishing instead of getting annoyed by poor material or constantly having to make adjustments.

Fishing gear: perfect basic equipment (compactly explained)

To start fishing successfully as a beginner, you do not need an overloaded setup – contrary to many opinions on the internet. A well-thought-out basic setup is completely sufficient.

The first and most important step in choosing your fishing equipment is selecting the target fish. The bigger the target fish, the more robust the rod and reel need to be – but more on that later.

For beginners, we clearly recommend perch. It is widespread in almost all European waters and can be outsmarted with some skill. Large specimens can be challenging, but that is exactly what makes this predator particularly appealing for both beginners and professionals. Here are the most important components you really need as a beginner to fish.

Rod + Reel

The fishing rod is your most important tool. For beginners, we recommend a spinning rod – it is versatile and ideal for active fishing with artificial lures. Depending on the target fish, the casting weight varies because the lures differ in size and weight. The rod length should also be chosen accordingly: between 2.00 m and 2.50 m is a good guideline. Larger target fish usually require longer and stronger rods to achieve the necessary casting distance and stability.

Of course, the rod also needs the matching reel. Stationary reels are ideal for beginners – they are easy to use, reliable, and suitable for most fishing methods. It is important that rod and reel are matched. Only then will casting and reeling in the line be effortless.

At JAEGER, we want to make fishing as easy as possible. That’s why we developed our Ready to Go target fish combos – like the Perch Go Kit 2 for perch. Inside, you’ll find perfectly matched components: rod, reel, and the right accessories for your target fish. No complicated selection, no risk. Just unpack and start with a knot.

Line

The line is your direct connection to the fish – and therefore a crucial factor. In our JAEGER kits, we use high-quality 8-strand braided line from the start. Why? Because it is especially strong, sensitive, and durable. You feel every twitch, get better feedback from the lure, and have the necessary control during the fight.

Compared to stretchable monofilament line, thebraided line offers more precision and strength – ideal if you want to start right away with well-matched, professional material. And that’s exactly what our kits are made for.

Landing Net

A landing net is an absolute basic piece of equipment for fishing. It helps you lift the fish safely and gently out of the water – without risk of injury to you, the fish, or your gear. For beginners, we recommend a medium-sized, foldable landing net. It is easy to transport, quickly ready to use, and offers enough space for common target fish like perch, trout, or pike.

Bait & Ready to Go Rigs / Hooks

You have two basic options for bait:

• Natural bait like worms or maggots – effective, easily available, and simple to handle.

• Artificial lures like soft plastics, spinners, or wobblers – perfect for active predator fishing on species like perch or pike.

To help beginners not lose track or spend unnecessary money on the wrong baits, we at JAEGER developed a simple system: Our Ready to Go Rigs are perfectly matched to the included soft plastics. That means: You don’t have to combine or experiment – you get directly working techniques that have proven themselves in practice.

Pre-assembled. Target fish optimized. Ready to use immediately. This makes fishing easy – that’s our claim.

Smart solution for beginners with JAEGER starter sets

Many beginners face the same challenge. Which rod fits the reel? Which line is the right one? And which baits really work? Those who try to assemble all parts individually often invest a lot of time, money, and nerves and still quickly fall into the trap of wrong purchases.

Not because other sets are bad. Rather because beginners simply lack the necessary experience. This is exactly where our JAEGER Go Kits come in, specially developed for beginners to make the start as easy as possible.

Why beginner sets are better than buying individually

If you choose everything yourself, you often lack the necessary expertise at the beginning. Rod and reel might not match, the line is too weak, or the baits are unsuitable for your waters. Such wrong decisions can be expensive and often lead to the fun of fishing fading quickly.

"Beginner sets solve this problem and address exactly this"

✔ All components are matched.
✔ No unnecessary or superfluous parts.
✔ You save time and can start immediately.

Perch Go Kit 2 (Perch)
Ideal for beginners who want to fish for perch. Contains a finely tuned spinning rod, a reliable stationary reel, suitable line, pre-made rigs, and a selection of exclusive perch baits.

Pike Go Kit 2 (Pike)
Perfect pike rod for beginners who want to try bigger predators. Equipped with a strong rod, robust reel, strong line, pre-made rigs, and proven pike baits.

Trout Go Kit 2 (Trout)
Perfect for starting trout fishing. Contains a flexible rod, a smooth-running reel, pre-made rigs, and selected trout baits tested in typical waters.

Secure the 2025 fishing advent calendar – with exclusive perch baits! 🎣

The JAEGER Advent Calendar 2025 – the highlight for all anglers!
This year we packed it full with our latest lure developments for perch, pike, trout, and zander – and you get the exclusive chance to test them before anyone else.

Pre-order now and secure 10% off with the code "EARLY10"!

You can expect:

• Limited edition lures
• Exclusive designs
• Secret prototypes only available in this calendar

Perfect for everyone who always wants to be one step ahead – with artificial lures the fish definitely don’t know yet.

5 mistakes beginners should avoid when choosing equipment

Especially when starting fishing, wrong decisions about equipment can quickly spoil the fun. To prevent this, you should avoid these five typical beginner mistakes so that fishing as a beginner is as easy as possible for you.

✔ Buying cheap → frustration
Cheap complete sets from discount stores seem tempting. But often they don’t last long or are poorly matched. The result: worse casting distances, more line problems, and less fishing success.

✔ Starting too complex
Many beginners make the mistake of buying too much specialized gear. This causes unnecessary confusion at the water. Better: start with a simple, solid basic setup.

✔ Poor bait choice
Too many beginners buy baits that don’t fit the target fish or the water. This often ends in hours of waiting without a bite. Our starter sets and the advent calendar offer a sensible selection designed for real catch chances.

✔ Lack of adaptation to water/target
Not every technique or bait works everywhere. Your equipment should always be matched to the fish and the water. Ignoring this makes it unnecessarily difficult.

FAQ

What are good beginner fishing rods?

Light to medium spinning rods with 2 m–2.50 m length and an easy-to-use stationary reel.

Which fish are suitable for beginners?

Perch, trout, and also pike.

How does a beginner catch a fish?

For every target fish, there are proven techniques and classic baits that have proven themselves many times in practice.

How much should a good fishing rod cost?

Depending on quality and area of use, you should expect about 90 to 170 euros for rod and reel together – depending on whether line, bait, and rigs are already available.

How much does a fishing advent calendar cost?

Depending on the content, between 79 and 189 euros.

How much money should one spend on an advent calendar?

Between 100 and 150 euros – ideal if high-quality and especially new baits and accessories are included.