Lactic Acid

acid produced in muscle tissue after strenuous exercise. This occurs in fish when being landed by anglers.

Lacustrine

living or growing in lakes, as various organisms.

Landlocked

a term for anadromous fish that have adapted to a completely freshwater existence, spending the greater portion of their life in a lake and returning to natal rivers to spawn. Any fish (usually salmon or striped bass) without access to saltwater is landlocked.

Larvae

Lateral Line

a series of sensory pores opening to the exterior along the side of fish.

Leader

a length of nylon monofilament or wire at the end of a fishing line, connected to a lure, hook, or fly. Also known as a trace, a leader is intended to have low-visibility (important for trout and salmon in streams) or to protect the fishing line from cutting or breaking, especially from sharp-toothed species, such as pike and muskellunge.

Lean

to bring as much pressure as the tackle and drag setting can withstand in order to land the fish.

Leeches

small aquatic blood-sucking worms used as bait.

Legering

European term for bottom fishing with bait rigs without floats.

Levelwind

a mechanism on some conventional reels and most Bait casting reels that automatically disperses line evenly across the spool when line is retrieved.

Limbline

a line anchored at one point, often to the limb or trunk of a dead or over hanging tree.

Littoral

living in or related to earshore waters: the intertidal zone of the marine environment that is exposed to low tide and covered at high tide.

Live Bait

whole live fish or other live organisms used to catch predatory fish.

Live Well or Live Box

a container filled with water and often equipped with accessories such as aeration equipment that is used to hold and transport live fish. Live wells are generally a built-in component of fishing boats, whereas live boxes are generally portable.

Loop Knots

a type of terminal connection in which the line is attached to the hook or lure with a free-swinging loop rather than a snug attachment.

LORAN

Long Range Navigation is a land based electronic navigation system, which has been replaced by GPS.

Lunker

a big fish of any of the larger species.

Lure

any non-natural object with a hook that is used to catch fish; often made from wood, metal, lead, hard and soft plastic, feathers, fur, yarn, and combinations of materials.

Lure Retriever

a device used to free a lure snagged in deep water.

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