Where To Start?

[ShawnMull103]

Last year is when I got into fishing. It's fantastic and I've had a lot of fun so far and would like to start pulling in more fish.

Last year I learned to cast a bait caster and enjoy a nice giant birds nest when you screw it up haha. With that I pretty much threw a Wacky rig and a Texas rig (both with soft bait Stik-O-Worms) and caught some nice large mouth in the pond near my house.

So I guess my question is: Where is a good place to go from here?

Should I look into live bait (night crawlers/ maggots/ minnows) or should I look into more top water baits?

Since there is a TON of opinions and more than a billion internet articles on the subjects I could sure use a little help being pointed in the right direction haha.

Thanks for any help!

[outdoorsman110]

Last year is when I got into fishing. It's fantastic and I've had a lot of fun so far and would like to start pulling in more fish.

Last year I learned to cast a bait caster and enjoy a nice giant birds nest when you screw it up haha. With that I pretty much threw a Wacky rig and a Texas rig (both with soft bait Stik-O-Worms) and caught some nice large mouth in the pond near my house.

So I guess my question is: Where is a good place to go from here?

Should I look into live bait (night crawlers/ maggots/ minnows) or should I look into more top water baits?

Since there is a TON of opinions and more than a billion internet articles on the subjects I could sure use a little help being pointed in the right direction haha.

Thanks for any help!

I'd go for topwater, it's a great experience for a beginner. Yes live bait catches monster bass, especially minnows. But usually it's the hungry sunfish that get to it first and they'll ya cursing at your bait.

[ace9213]

I am new too and wouldn't mind a little info.

To clear things up a bit, do you still plan to fish on the pond? Or do you plan to go out on a bigger lake or something?

[ShawnMull103]

I plan on still hitting the ponds. I fish from the shore mainly and rarely have a chance to head out further than that. Even when we get in a boat it's usually something small with a trolling motor. So yea this question is all about shore fishing in ponds.

Other than that I'll try and get out to the ocean a few times a year which is always a great time.

[Catt]

#1: understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and then fish it effectively.

#2: understand what predominate prey species is in your lake and how that species relates to structure morning, noon, and night… with each passing season.

#3: understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

#4: understand that to consistently catch bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive.

[tugsandpulls]

x2 catt good post

[Nodda4me]

Try top water, in my opinion it's the most exciting. Once you cast it and let it sit for a few seconds, BAM, a big splash with a fish on the bait.

I rarely ever cast from land, usually on a boat, but the last time I was out (last year) they hit it pretty good.

My #1 go-to top water is a Rapala Shallow Shad Rap in Shad color. I have about 9 in my tacklebox. I use either the 2.75 or 3.5 inch.. whatever the biggest size Walmart and Gander has.

When I fish top water, I cast it and let it sit for at least 3 seconds, up to 10 seconds depending how the fish are. After that, I twitch it once and wait a few more seconds, do that for about 3 twitches or so. If there's a fish, it will almost always hit the bait during the drop of the lure or right after the twitch.

Sometimes when they aren't hitting top water, I will cast and let it sit for a few seconds then reel it in about mid speed, I sometimes find that they'd rather chase it than to hit top water, but mostly it's top water.

There are probably better top water baits out there but this is my best lure in the tacklebox for where I fish for the past 3 years.

This lure for me where I fish produces small and large mouth bass from 7 inches to 24 inches (my PB), and I've had quite a few big sunfish on it and one angry turtle. I think my dad caught a pike on it before, it was probably around 8in, little baby pike.

All in all, it'll be good experience to try if you want quantity over weight.

[tnbassfisher]

#1: understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and then fish it effectively.

#2: understand what predominate prey species is in your lake and how that species relates to structure morning, noon, and night… with each passing season.

#3: understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

#4: understand that to consistently catch bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive.

This all stuff that I have been trying to get even the basic concept of over the past few years. Still can't do it.

[ShawnMull103]

Hey guys,

So here are some things I'm okay with and my current "uses."

I'm pretty good with the general areas I'm at with knowing where fish are and what is there. There are Large/Small mouths, Panfish and Pickerel and some smaller minnows etc.

Things they are eating ranges pretty greatly from night crawlers, grubs, maggots, minnows, leeches etc. (I believe night crawlers and leeches are the big ones).

I'm very aware of the structures in the area and also know where a bunch of bass beds are.

So as for the area I'm pretty confident, which could be a problem don't get me wrong I'm not trying to sound cocky here.

The main rigs that have worked for me are the only two I've used with my bait caster set up. I've been using a standard wacky rig and also a texas style rig (glass beads only with low visibility) and feeding is great in the early morning and around 5 to 7pm.

I guess my main thing is what else should I play with in the area? I've also used a float with small chunks of night crawlers which pulled up many of the panfish. I just bought a couple nice top waters (recommended by a friend in the area).

Sorry if this is jumbled I'm just confused by all the info out there on the net and reading I've done.

[james 14]

To second what Catt said my advice would not be to try a certain technique or lure but to focus on different patterns. You can throw a certain lure until you're blue in the face and not learn a darn thing except for lack of confidence in that lure if it doesn't match the pattern at the time. I would study patterns and try and figure out what the bass should be doing at this point in time. There are MANY things to consider so don't get discouraged if it doesn't work at first.

There are enough TV shows and youtube videos out there to show you when and where a certain lure or technique should work. Yes they require practice so your goal should be to practice those where they fit with what the pattern should be...or what you THINK it should be.

I just started throwing crankbaits seriously for the first time last year. In FL they're not something that's always been used very much due to the amount of grass. I had a tourney in the Fall where the pattern seemed like shallow cranks along a wind swept bank would be the ticket. I caught my first fish on a shallow crank that day and many more. We won by 12lbs.

Lures are tools which have a time and place where they're most effective. Learn the times and places first and pick a tool to get the job done.

[AndyPlaysDrums]

be versitle, learn EVERYTHING! it will make you a much better fisherman.

Agreed. There's no negative to trying whatever you think might work.

I agree with all the topwater suggestions, too.

My addition to something to add to your arsenal would be lipless cranks like Rat-L-Traps, Strike King Red Eye Shads, etc. A 1/2 oz. is great, especially if you're fishing from the shore.

[Nitrofreak]

Hey guys,

So here are some things I'm okay with and my current "uses."

I'm pretty good with the general areas I'm at with knowing where fish are and what is there. There are Large/Small mouths, Panfish and Pickerel and some smaller minnows etc.

Things they are eating ranges pretty greatly from night crawlers, grubs, maggots, minnows, leeches etc. (I believe night crawlers and leeches are the big ones).

I'm very aware of the structures in the area and also know where a bunch of bass beds are.

So as for the area I'm pretty confident, which could be a problem don't get me wrong I'm not trying to sound cocky here.

The main rigs that have worked for me are the only two I've used with my bait caster set up. I've been using a standard wacky rig and also a texas style rig (glass beads only with low visibility) and feeding is great in the early morning and around 5 to 7pm.

I guess my main thing is what else should I play with in the area? I've also used a float with small chunks of night crawlers which pulled up many of the panfish. I just bought a couple nice top waters (recommended by a friend in the area).

Sorry if this is jumbled I'm just confused by all the info out there on the net and reading I've done.

#1: understand what structure is, how to truly identify it, interpret it, and then fish it effectively.

#2: understand what predominate prey species is in your lake and how that species relates to structure morning, noon, and night… with each passing season.

#3: understand that next after location is timing; just because you don't get bite does not mean the bass aren't there or you tied on the wrong lure.

#4: understand that to consistently catch bass is a process of elimination and duplication. Eliminate patterns and waters that are non-productive and duplicate patterns and waters that are productive.

As catt quoted, get very familure with structure, #4 is the key here, you already know how good the bite is early and late, that means you can anticipate and duplicate a consistant bite,and where they are going to be, now it is up to you as to where they go after the bite has stopped, you need to figure out what structure they will be holding too and at what depth they will travel.

The early and late evening bite is not hard to figure out, they are shallow most of the time during these times, it's where they go and what they do after that, that requires you to be intimate with all of the structure your body of water has to offer.

I enjoy a C-rigged, 6" lizard when looking for/at deeper structure and bass locations, I also do what catt does, once I catch one or more, I will troll over to the area and look at it with my sonar to see what kind of structure they or it was relating too.