Another thing you'll want to tinker with is getting to know the drag on your reel, and how it should be loosened or tightened, depending on what lures your fishing and what species your targeting.
It's important because if the drag is set too tight, you might set the hook too hard and pull the lure right through the fishes mouth, or a bigger fish will just break your line.
Too loose on the drag and it's tough to get a good hookset, and even if you get the hook in there, it will take much longer to land the fish. For certain species, this can be a death sentence.
Play around with the drag at home, get comfortable adjusting it.
Also, look for some more info on your rods strength, and the rod action. This will help when you test your drag, so you can see your rod bend where and how much it's supposed to bend.
Once you know your rod, hold the rod with one hand, and the line with your other, about a foot from the rod tip. Gently pull the line and watch your rod bend. When it bends where it's supposed to, the drag should kick in and you begin pulling the line. If it doesn't, the drag is too tight. If it pulls before the rod flexes the way it's built too, it's too loose.
When your fishing, always check your drag before fishing. Check again when you change lures. Check again after you catch a fish.
After you have a little experience, you can also adjust your drag on the fly while fighting a fish. Sometimes you'll have it set perfect, but that bass just bit in really heavy cover, you can quickly tighten the drag just a little bit, to get the fish outta the over before it runs and wraps you around a bunch of timber.
Or sometimes you may be catching small walleye, so you might have your drag looser, then you get that monster bite from a huge walleye or a big pike, then you'll want to tighten your drag on the fly accordingly.
So, get to know your rod, your line, and you reel/drag
I just fear my dog wouldn't last that long in a car (or me for that matter!)
