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Ok we have a rod and reel, it's pretty old and there is fishing line on it.
How do I change the line? Do I need to? What hooks do I need? Basically I know nothing lol or should we jut be getting a whole new set up?
We wont be getting serious about it but the kids want to have a go when we go camping, it's on a lake and there is flat head apparently.
Help please lol this outdoor stuff really isn't mine or DH's 'thing'
For flathead you will need either a metal thingy that your hook clips onto on the end of your line or a kind of special tubing that goes over the line before you tie it to your hook because they kind of grind through fishing line and you can lose your fish winding it in.
For bait and advice the best bet is the weird guys at the local tackle shop. They can show you the knots that you need to do to tie your hook on. Even if you have tackle attached you need spares because you will have to cut the line at some stage when you get snagged.
For flathead you also need some fish pliers to hold them because they have nasty barbs and you can't hold them bare handed without injury.
You need a filleting knife for guttting and filleting when you catch a fish.
You need a ruler so that you can measure to make sure they are large enough and a book/card with the size and bag limits on them. You can buy rulers that have all that information at bait and tackle shops. It's important that you follow these guidelines so that there are some fish left in the sea for our grandchildren. It does my head in when I see people keeping undersized fish.
I do exactly the same kind of non-serious fishing on holidays.
You may as well use what you already have, it's it's still in working order. Before you go, I would unwind a good length of the line and give it a good tug to see if there's enough for as far as you think you might be able to cast, and to check if it's reasonably strong still, and wind it in to make sure the reel is still winding smoothly, and oil it if it isn't. Then try a couple of casts, just in the park or back yard, to make sure the reel plays out smoothly too. If that's all ok, you could take it along, and wherever you buy the bait locally, ask them what kind of rig is best for the fish you're after, and buy the hooks/sinkers there. Also, I always have a bucket (to put our catch in), knife (to cut bait and line, and scale and gut the catch) and an old teatowel (which helps to get a grip on a slippery, wriggly fish when you're trying to get the hook out of it's mouth.)
If there's a few of you going, (you, DH and 2 kids) it'll quickly get boring for those not holding the rod, so you might think of getting a couple of hand lines as well (if there's a jetty) or another rod or two (if it'll be from the shore of the lake.)