Joshua,
I've been on a work assignment in Korea for the last 2.5 years. Started bass fishing this Spring.
Pros:
*no fishing license required
*bass in nearly all bodies of freshwater
*eagerly take lures (for me, flukes & senkos are all I need. . .most of the folks like to use spinnerbaits and chatterbaits)
*all tackle can be negotiated for price or "service" (additional gratuitous gift if you purchase a lot or high ticket). you can also find some outrageously high end Japanese rods and reels here (at outrageous prices)
Cons:
*gear is expensive. but, you can find deals. there's one shop in north seoul called Shimtong Nakshi and they have one-piece Dobyn's Champion Extremes at KR150,000 which is about $128
*there's all kind of trash in the water/shore you'll need to navigate
*folks will kill bass (see them dried up on shore or hanging from bush branches) cause they believe they eat up all their favored crucian carps
Most of the bass fishing is in the southern part of the country. Andong Lake is the premier lake with lots of tournaments and heavier fishing pressure as the guys who fish there know what they're doing. Most other waterways, you'll be surprised at the action you'll find. Most bass don't top out over 3-4lb but again, they eagerly hit lures if you know what you're doing.
There's an annual spring fishing show (you said summer, but if you come earlier) around early March at the KINTEX convention center and there you can find additional deals you'll need to haggle. I've bass fish all over Northern and Southern Cal.. .you're not going to catch a lot of monster fish, but the action's great! Good luck!
wl
