New Fisherman

[Luke Ramey]

Hey guys im just now getting into bass fishing and was wondering if you could tell me some key points on figuring out how to catch some fish throughout the seasons.

[LgMouthGambler]

Read all the different articles they have on the site.

[bassh8er]

Start with a few lures that are sure to work in most conditions.

Worms and spinnerbaits are a great place to start and can work on a multi-purpose combo. A medium heavy spinning or baitcasting outfit will work fine.

As you get more confidence and interest, you can start expanding your lure collection and get better at new techniques.

Seniors, Trick Worms, Zoom Finesse worms, and a variety of spinnerbaits will be a good start.

[mc6524]

Certainly reading and doing your homework is key, but you might do some research and see if ther is a local bass club in your area. Most bass clubs welcome new fishermen and yo can learn a lot.

[Teal]

Read all the different articles they have on the site.

X2

Definitely do your home work. Make sure to read the seasonal atricles. Turn on Flukermasters youtube channel and watch.

[BasskingKeith]

Read all the different articles they have on the site.

 

 

X2

Definitely do your home work. Make sure to read the seasonal atricles. Turn on Flukermasters youtube channel and watch.

Take all the info that your brain can handle. Read a LOT and then apply it to your lakes/ponds/etc. That's what I do.

[joetomlee]

This is a tough time of year to start getting into it. I don't fish at all throughout the winter. I think you should take this time to research a bit about fishing before you go and put any substantial money into it. I don't know about the others, but I can't go into BPS or some sports store without grabbing at least a couple lures. It's almost become an addiction as I feel like a small boy collecting pokemon cards or something. Just suggesting that you don't go out and get addicted to the "stuff" before finding out how much (if at all) you even like to fish for bass. The articles on this website are actually really good!! Take some time and get into those first, this sport takes a lot of know-how, so you're in the right place!

[WRB]

Take your time, if you cram too much too soon you will get overloaded with information that may not apply to where you fish and how you want to fish.

I didn't see where you are located, if you fish out of a boat or what type of tackle you currently own if any.

Be more than happy to get you started after you narrow down the scope of teaching you the basics about seasonal periods.

Tom

[Jay Ell Gee]

Start with a few lures that are sure to work in most conditions.

Worms and spinnerbaits are a great place to start and can work on a multi-purpose combo. A medium heavy spinning or baitcasting outfit will work fine.

As you get more confidence and interest, you can start expanding your lure collection and get better at new techniques.

Seniors, Trick Worms, Zoom Finesse worms, and a variety of spinnerbaits will be a good start.

 

Great advice. I think he meant Senkos, and that is another excellent suggestion.

 

One thing about watching fishing videos and shows... you will be buying every lure you see. If you are bank bound and start reading about winter lures, jigging spoons won't do you any good. Pick a few key lures and start there. Buying a ton will do nothing but overwhelm you when it comes time to choosing what to tie on.

 

Senkos, Trick Worms, Finesse Worms, and Spinnerbaits are great suggestions. I may toss in a suggestion for a popper or two, and possibly some flukes. Nothing will get you addicted to bass fishing like topwater and jerkbait hits. Then again, spinnerbait hits aren't gentle, either.

[roadwarrior]

Start here:  http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_articles.html

[Sam]

Certainly reading and doing your homework is key, but you might do some research and see if ther is a local bass club in your area. Most bass clubs welcome new fishermen and yo can learn a lot.

 

This is one of the best ways to learn how to bass fish.

 

Not only will you learn the waters, where to launch, how to fish but you will meet the local bass fishing guys and make life long friends.

 

If you add your geographical location to your avatar we can give you more precise assistance if we know where you are.

 

And as also posted above, watch TV shows, purchase books and DVDs and read, read and read.

 

And when you read, forget the rod's, reel's and bait's names as the pros will hawk their products. Read on this Forum what the guys say about different tackle and baits and follow their advice and guidance.

 

Welcome to the Forum.

[Fishing Rhino]

If you have a friend who fishes go with them.  Talk with other fishermen in your area.  Many will be helpful and tell you what is working for them, and while they may not point out their favorite honey holes, they might be willing to give you a general idea of where to find them, deep, shallow, weed beds, rocky bottom, etc.

 

When you fish by yourself be sure to try all types of bottom.  Sometimes the fish will be in water that is barely deep enough to cover their back.  Try the transitions.  It may be a change in depth, or where a sandy bottom changes to mud or gravel/rocky, along the edges of the weed lines.

 

Whatever you do, keep it simple and have fun. 

 

When you're on the water, observe where others are fishing.  Most waters have "hot spots".  If you never see a boat fishing an area, it's quite likely that it is rarely productive.

 

Learn by reading, learn by doing, learn by observing.

[Texfisherman]

I can throw a few things out to get you started. These are only my opinions and opinions can vary greatly on here

 

Rods and Reels: Most go with spinning reels or bait casters. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

For a rod, maybe find a 7'-0" medium-heavy rod. This information can be found written on the rod itself. Longer rods provide farther casting distances and thicker rods provide better backbone for fighting big fish.

 

Line: Mono or flourocarbon most of the time. If you are fishing thick vegetation you might try braided line. I usually use 10-pound test.

Smaller-pound test will probably get you more bites, but more lost fish. Larger-pound test will probably get less bites, but less likely to lose the fish. Learning your drag can help in this situation, though. Which brings me to.....

 

Drag: Learn how to properly set your drag on your fishing reel. This is important from day-one!!! Again, tons of articles on here on how to do that.

 

Knot: learn how to properly tie a knot that is relative to the line you choose to go with. I use mono, so I learned how to tie the Trilene Knot. Knots are incredibly important to learn properly. There are a lot of slideshows out there that teach you step-by-step knot tieing.

 

Lures: As mentioned above, plastic worms and spinnerbaits are a fantastic way to get started. Jigs, too. Work them slowly this time of year if the water in your area is cold.

 

Weather: There is so much to learn about bass eating habits in different kinds of weather. I like to think that right before a cold front is a great time to fish as the bass sense the barometric pressure change. A general rule I learned here is that 3 days of the same weather is good for the bass. So, if a weather event takes place and the next 3 days most aspects of the weather stays the same, by that third day, the feeding should be picking back up.

 

A good rule to get you started is hook sets are free. If you think you may have a fish on your line, set the hook! Eventually you will learn to feel the difference of a fish bite vs. snags or your lure running through grass, etc.

 

Finding Bass: The wind is your friend and your enemy. It's a love/hate relationship. Here's how I think of this:

 

--The wind is pushing the micro-food to shore (so if the wind is blowing southwards, they'd be washing up on the south bank.)

--The bait fish are following the micro-food

--The bass are following the bait fish

--The fisherman are following the bass... See where I'm going with this?

But again, this is only something I've recently began working with. I'm not sure how much "water this holds."

 

Patience: Oh, this is so important! You will always be learning new techniques and new lures. Be patient and stick with it and your odds will always be improving!

 

Bass Resource: This website is fantastic!! The people are what makes this site so special! They are nothing short of passionate in helping you become a better fisherman! We are a community and we share our stories and pictures and learning experiences with each other. This site should always be a part of your arsenal!!!

 

Again, I'm no pro-angler, but learn a bit from everybody to help you become a well-rounded fisherman.

[aharris]

These guys make some awesome points. Go get you a subscription of BASS or FLW magazine and study it. If you're like me, you'll get great satisfaction out of figuring out those little green bass by yourself. Yeah, you'll need a little help getting started, but it was better for me to kind of trial and error everything. I probably wasted alot of time, but it was worth it. If you like fishing with a jig, fish it. Get your confidence up with it...catch some fish on it. Once you've figured out how to work it and you've caught fish on it, move to another bait.

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard, Luke!

[roadwarrior]

I can throw a few things out to get you started. These are only my opinions and opinions can vary greatly on here

 

Rods and Reels: Most go with spinning reels or bait casters. There are advantages and disadvantages to each.

For a rod, maybe find a 7'-0" medium-heavy rod. This information can be found written on the rod itself. Longer rods provide farther casting distances and thicker rods provide better backbone for fighting big fish.

 

Line: Mono or flourocarbon most of the time. If you are fishing thick vegetation you might try braided line. I usually use 10-pound test.

Smaller-pound test will probably get you more bites, but more lost fish. Larger-pound test will probably get less bites, but less likely to lose the fish. Learning your drag can help in this situation, though. Which brings me to.....

 

Drag: Learn how to properly set your drag on your fishing reel. This is important from day-one!!! Again, tons of articles on here on how to do that.

 

Knot: learn how to properly tie a knot that is relative to the line you choose to go with. I use mono, so I learned how to tie the Trilene Knot. Knots are incredibly important to learn properly. There are a lot of slideshows out there that teach you step-by-step knot tieing.

 

Lures: As mentioned above, plastic worms and spinnerbaits are a fantastic way to get started. Jigs, too. Work them slowly this time of year if the water in your area is cold.

 

Weather: There is so much to learn about bass eating habits in different kinds of weather. I like to think that right before a cold front is a great time to fish as the bass sense the barometric pressure change. A general rule I learned here is that 3 days of the same weather is good for the bass. So, if a weather event takes place and the next 3 days most aspects of the weather stays the same, by that third day, the feeding should be picking back up.

 

A good rule to get you started is hook sets are free. If you think you may have a fish on your line, set the hook! Eventually you will learn to feel the difference of a fish bite vs. snags or your lure running through grass, etc.

 

Finding Bass: The wind is your friend and your enemy. It's a love/hate relationship. Here's how I think of this:

 

--The wind is pushing the micro-food to shore (so if the wind is blowing southwards, they'd be washing up on the south bank.)

--The bait fish are following the micro-food

--The bass are following the bait fish

--The fisherman are following the bass... See where I'm going with this?

But again, this is only something I've recently began working with. I'm not sure how much "water this holds."

 

Patience: Oh, this is so important! You will always be learning new techniques and new lures. Be patient and stick with it and your odds will always be improving!

 

Bass Resource: This website is fantastic!! The people are what makes this site so special! They are nothing short of passionate in helping you become a better fisherman! We are a community and we share our stories and pictures and learning experiences with each other. This site should always be a part of your arsenal!!!

 

Again, I'm no pro-angler, but learn a bit from everybody to help you become a well-rounded fisherman.

 

WOW!

 

 

[LgMouthGambler]

I forgot to add, buy Shimano reels.

[Sam]

Luke, may I also add the following to help get you started?

 

Senkos - Purchase # 297 Senkos in the five-inch style and cast it on 10 pound flourocarbon on a spinning rig. Watch your line for when it moves you set the hook and if you feel a "tap tap" you set the hook. Use a 1/0 or 2/0 hook. Watch Senko videos on YouTube for more information.

 

Shaky Head - Purchase #006-025 Zoom Trick Worms green pumpkin and rig it onto a 1/8 ounce jig head on 8 pound floruocarbon line on a spinning rig.  Cast it out and keeping a finger on the line as it leaves your reel you will feel the hits.

 

Shad Raps - On your spinning rig use some #5 silver with black back Shad Raps on 8 pound test line. Cast out and reel in.

 

Spinning Rig - Please consider starting with a spinning rig. Always move the spinning reel's bail with your hand and not by turning the reel's handle. A size 2500 spinning reel is a good start on a 6'6" or 6'8" medium heavy fast action tip spinning rod. Always read the rod's specifications so you can keep the line test and bait size within the paramaters for the best performance.

 

Line - Start with flourocarbon. You can change to mono after you have more information on the different lines available.

 

Needle Nose Pliers - A must! Always have needle nose pliers to remove the hooks.

 

Scent - No plastic gets thrown unless it has its own impregnated scent or an added scent. You can smear MegaStrike on your crankbaits.

 

Baitcaster - get proficient with a spinning rig first and then graduate to a baitcaster. Learn how to "balance" your baitcaster so you minimize backlashes.

 

Your spinning rig can give you hours and hours of fun fishing as you read and watch and ask questions to improve your skills.

 

Good luck.

[Sam]

And Luke, contact Bass Pro Shops and Cabela's for their free catalogs and go through each page.

 

X2 what Texfisherman said, too.