The above picture really doesn't do any favours for FS2.
Although I've not 'fished' it religiously over the last year, I too have Fish Sim 2. FishSim 2 has essentially been designed and created by one guy. Whilst it may not look very impressive, there are many things that have been put into FS2 that make it stand out from other sims.
On some of the beginning locations (the River Lot) it's fairly easy to catch fish. But to catch fish of a certain size, you need to be around at the right time of day or night, with the right levels of light, water temperature, oxygen level, pH level and of course the right depth and bait! So whilst you could very well catch the occasional specimen by just randomly plonking your bait out, it pays off to locate the right areas on the venue you select (although the fish do move around throughout the day!).
For starters, I would recommend you turn the water effect off as it is actually quite off-putting. There are some venues that do look awful (picture-wise), but there are many more that 'bring back memories' and look very 'picturesque'. Try Hampshire Avon Lower Ibsley for a more realistic challenge. The venue was created by Jester using my pictures
The most frequented forum is LB's:
http://s11.invisionfree.com/LBs_Forum/index.php?act=idx
You should be able to pick up tips and recommendations for new baits or venues and all the required updates to get you off to a good start. Look out for these two on the forum: OldGit and Fatgit. They'll point you in the right direction as long as you're prepared to try things and get stuck first
http://www.fishsim.net/index1.htm
