NickMWC

^^^ This is great advice and something I still need to do!

Disclaimer: long rant... As someone who did a bit of fishing as a kid but never really “learned”, especially about bass fishing, as others have said, nothing replaces time on the water. That said, ive learned a ton (Dont judge) from youtube. Nicktheinformativefisherman, bassresource and some old KVD videos are a good/free start. Ive learned not to take anything as gospel of course, but just absorb everything. When you start, anticipate it will be tough. You will fish a spot for 30-60 minutes without a bite, then someone will pop by and pick up 2 bass. DO NOT GET DISCOURAGED. more importantly, see what they were doing differently and note that. Maybe luck, maybe subtle differences. If participating in dock talk tell folks you are new to bass fishing right away and humble yourself and ask questions. You will learn who is a true fisherman and who is full of it right away. After that starting with a spinning rod/reel setup, then slowly learning On a baitcaster can help. That is more of a general overview i guess. Otherwise, as other have mentioend learn how to texas rig and wacky rig a senko or other platic bait and then learn the fish. What i mean is go hunting. At first dont worry about catching fish (easy to say right!) focus more on where the fish are in your area, in what time of year and in what weather. Dont overthink it but just be aware every time you get a bite, what bait, what color, what time of day, what weather conditions etc. were. Think structure to start with, that will usually produce the easiest bites to get you excited to keep going. The real deal is once you get that first 3-5 pounder you will be hooked. Showing my stripes here but the buzz i got from my first 3 pounder lasted hours and i was sold. As i said, humble yourself. ? Tips from an amateur, so take it for what it is. One thing i have come to love about the fishing community is that the real anglers are a very open, educational bunch, as displayed in this forum. At this point all i can share is what got me going and has fueld my now addiction...I remember how overwhelming it was ar first too.

I have both a Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100 Sit night top and an Old Town Trip 10(I think it’s called) sit in. You can tell which one I use more... Benefits to both, sit in you can probably use is tougher climates and use a skirt...might detract from fishing movement/organization though. Sit on top you have access to everything gear wise with more access to storage. Both of those yaks have served me well for different reasons. Big thing mentioned your budget so I got the Old Town for $400 used with paddle, 3 spinning rods and a bunch of lures. Tarpon 100 I bought new about $700, plus use a Bending ranches Angler classic paddle(highly recommend) but not cheap. I love my Tarpon because I’ve been able to attach a fish finder, rod holders etc to he built in rail system. Old town also has two rod holders built in. Like I said I use the Tarpon more and prefer it, but budget wise the Old Town is tough to beat. Gives you some room for a quality paddle, PFD or more rods,reels, lures. ?

Thank you both for the feedback! I wasn’t aware of that meetup so will definitely have to check that out. I’ve become a student of the game here over the past year, some may say obsessed but either way excited to connect with some folks more experienced than myself to take my knowledge to the next level.

Thanks guys! Quick newbie question- looking for advice from local guys on lake orange here in Virginia. Where would be the most appropriate place to post questions about this in the forum?

Thank you all for the warm welcome!

Hey everyone - new guy to the forum and fairly new to bass fishing. Live here in Spotsylvania Va and have been bank/kayak fishing Hunting Run, Lake Anna and Ni River for about a year now. One bite and it was all over for me, have fished generally all growing up but 100% bass obsessed these days..Have been reading the info here for a while now and due to the invaluable insights I've seen decided to join. Thank you all for the education! Any recommendations for threads/topics or general advice is appreciated! Working with: - Wilderness Systems Tarpon 100 - St Croix & G. Loomis casting rods - Lews & Shimano baitcasting reels - A gaggle of spinning gear - Gratitude for working a job with a somewhat flexible schedule to allow for the obsession to continue...