j19

There is a lot of information out there and it is easy to get lost. What I find is that many videos focus on a specific lure/presentation but don't spend as much time on application. To anyone I would recommend that you don't just aimlessly watch/read random videos. Go into it with a specific question you want answered (e.g. how to fish weed edges) and stay focused on that question. With regards to setup, you can catch fish on any setup. As a beginner, I wouldn't pay much attention to the different rod/reel combinations that are discussed in the videos, in fact, I usually skip over these parts myself. Keep in mind that one of the main reasons for the different setups is to improve hook-up ratio (which is very important for the pros), but as a beginner even if you lose a fish, you gain valuable knowledge by just knowing that what you are doing is at least getting the fish to bite.

I think the best approach for a beginner is to start with a simple technique and lure. Something that can produce in many situations. If they focus on one technique/lure, they won't be overwhelmed by all the different choices and it will allow them to more quickly gain confidence/experience by constantly fishing the same thing. Where you go from here is up to the fisherman. If they are really into it, they will most likely start asking questions, maybe about different lures or why they are catching fish in one scenario but not another, etc. That pretty much describes my experience. For years the only thing I would fish was a Texas rigged worm and I had a lot of success with this one setup.

This. If something falls in front of them or sits on the bottom it doesn't require much energy for the bass. If forage is plentiful, there isn't much need for a bass to chase, they can just wait for an easier opportunity.

I went out for an hour tonight and after spending the first half hour screwing around in the shallows with a buzzbait (caught one small one) I decided to get more serious. I went to the thickest pondweed I knew of in about 8ft of water and spent the rest of my time picking it apart. I lost one and caught 3, the first 2 were smaller but the last one was a 4lber. I made a couple minor adjustments based on all the comments. First, I went with a bigger trailer than I normally do on my jig (caught one and missed one on this setup). Secondly, I spent more time picking this area apart than I typically would have and caught the 4lber. I circled the spot twice hitting it from all angles and at the end of the second time around is when I landed the big one on my go-to Texas Rig setup with a creature bait.

My go to during the summer months is to find thick cover (preferably with deep water near by) and pitch a texas rigged worm or creature bait in there. Don't just pitch it at the edges, find pockets and go in after them. If the water is stained, I prefer black/blue or june bug but if the water is clear go more natural with pumpkin seed or watermelon.

I pretty much always start with a run and gun style to try and get an idea of their mood/location quickly. I then slow down and pick things apart.

These are both good statements. At some point I plan to start entering local tournaments, I can fill my limit pretty quickly but struggle to increase the weight. Here's a question, let's say you are targeting shallow docks but catching small bass. Do you stick with the pattern and keep looking for 'better' docks or would you stay in the same area and target deeper structure nearby?

Thanks everyone for the feedback. I generally try to keep multiple sized baits tied on my rods, I will try to utilize the larger baits a little more. The lake I live on is pretty much shaped like a frying pan and averages 6-8 feet deep with the deepest spot at 13. I do have a tendency to move deeper when I look for the bigger fish but I have rarely caught anything deeper than 8 feet in my lake. The lake itself is fairly weedy throughout and my go-to strategy is to find the thickest weeds I can and pitch into them. The fish I catch aren't terribly small (1-2 lbs.) but I would like to start landing the 3+ lbs. more consistently.

Lately I have been catching a lot of fish but for the most part they have been relatively small. When you find a pattern that is producing lots of small ones, what adjustments do you make (if any) to try and find the bigger Bass?