Just A Quick Newbie Observation

[mtaag3]

Overwhelmed.

 

I just joined yesterday and have already spend a few hours reading and searching. I remember bass fishing being complex with lure types, water types, weather, etc. etc. but what I've read so far almost has me a little discouraged. Spinning rigs were rare when I fished (30 years ago) and now they seem to be another useful tool in the arsenal. Braided line? 100 lb test? Bluefin tuna anyone??

 

I realize there is no such thing as a "do everything" rig but specific rods for crankbaits and spinning baits? Jigs, Plastics, I'm still not 100% what finesse baits are too. 

 

I was hoping to find a set up I can ease my way back into getting started but with so many specific applications I almost feel like I wont be successful without having a half dozen rods and tons of tackle. 

 

I'm going to start with a baitcaster in a 6'6" to 7' M range some spinning baits and shallow cranks. I don't think I can handle soft baits yet as I know that's an acquired skill set. 

 

I can see I'm going to spend way too much money

 

Any patient Alabama fishermen willing to help a newb?

 

So far I really like the forum and look forward to reading a lot more. 

[jhoffman]

Rome wasnt built in a day. Find one thing you are intersted in, start with it. Move on after you feel comfortable.

 

In my mind you have it backwards though. Finesse and plastics will put you on the fish much faster than your current choices. Spinnerbaits have a time and place, shallow cranks... well, let me know how that works for you mid day in July.

 

Dont let it overwhelm you, learn the soft stuff first. Its cheaper and more productive. You dont need all the baits we have. We didnt run out and drop $20,000 on baits and rods. We built it up over YEARS, DECADES of fishing.

[HeavyDluxe]

As a fellow n00b just heading into my second summer of more serious bass fishing, I want to say two things:

 

1) Welcome to the forums... you will love it here.

 

2) I can assure you that you can catch bass with one rod/reel setup... and a simple one at that.  

 

Fishing is what you make of it.  If you want to branch out and explore all the varied ways you can eek out an extra fish, or if you like to geek out about learning new techniques while maximizing your equipment, you can do that.  But, you can also have one rod (as I did last year - 6'6 M spinning, 6lb mono) and one tactic (dead-sticking weightless or texas-rigged soft plastics in my case) and find yourself having a ton of fun and catching fish.

 

It's your hobby and pastime.  Make of it what you will!

[Ratherbfishing]

Do not be discouraged.  You can make fishing as simple or as complicated as you want it to be.  They say that there is a very fine line between a hobby and insanity and fishing is no different in this respect.  I think you may find that as you "progress" in the sport, you will find limitations in any particular method of fishing and you may choose to diversify.  Or you may just get curious and want to try different things.   But apart from such things as holding a spinning rod/reel upside down, don't let anyone tell you that you are doing it wrong (the fish may tell you that).

 

It is probably worth saying that with fishing gear, like everything else, you get what you pay for.  So don't go too cheap.  But there is a law of dimishing returns, too, and you don't have to sink a whole ton of money into gear to be adequately equipped. 

[roadwarrior]

Well, here is something to start with:

 

For enthusiasts, technique specific gear is fun
to collect. However, three rigs cover all the
basics:

#1 6 1/2' or 7' MH baitcaster for jigs, some
soft plastics and spinnerbaits

#2 6 1/2' or 7' MM baitcaster for treble hook
lures

#3 7' MF spinning rod for lighter lures and a
variety of techniques

[zip pow]

One rod setup would be 7' mh 15 lb line your choice and two packs of senkos and one pack of hooks and you'll catch fish anywhere

[Deleted account]

Read all the books and articles you can find written by fish, ignore all the rest, and don't shy away from plastics, get yourself a pack of trick worms and power worms and some small worm weights, and just soak them. These things catch fish. Unless you are tournament fishing, you could do everything with 2 or 3 setups just fine. Finesse is LMB guy speak for crappie and trout  lures. Keep in mind that all the stuff you read (I'm assuming you will ignore my advise) is based on generalities. Only way you can  discover how it applies to the places you fish is by going fishing, so...

[run23]

i started with one 6'6 M baitcaster with 10lb fluoro. T-rigged and weightless plastics. that was it. caught plenty of fish. if i had to go out with only one rod though, i would take my 7'1 MH with 12 lb fluoro. i can use this for any piece of plastic i have in my bag and also throw a decently heavy jig as well. maybe a separate discussion, but i feel that starting off with T-rigged plastics made the jump to jig fishing pretty seamless for me. there's really not a whole lot of a difference in the way i fish the two right now except i'll maybe throw the jig in a little deeper. that's just where i'm at with my game. just a few years in. i really enjoy learning new things every time i'm out whether it's bass behavior or a different way to present a bait. 

[roadwarrior]

Keep in mind that all the stuff you read is based on generalities.

 

Let me be specific:

 

http://www.bassresource.com/bass-fishing-forums/topic/13845-guaranteed-to-catch-bass/

 

 

 

[Felix77]

When I first started learning I was fortunate enough to be able to get out on a charter with FLW pro John Cox.  I asked him this question back then and he did not hesitate with his ONE rod to start with.

 

6'6" MH Spinning Rod.  Because he fished Abu Garcia's I did too.  To this day I fish that one rod more often than I care to admit.  I can do it all with that thing.

 

To complete the set I filled it with 10lb Braided Line.

 

For faster baits I began with a Spinnerbait (Chartreuse/White 1/4 or 3/8 oz)

 

For finesse it was a senko - Green Pumpkin with a 4/0 EWG hook.

 

I would start there and leave the rest to when you acquire more confidence and knowledge.

 

I have been fishing for literally a year and a half now and with the help of this forum, DVD's and as much on the water as I can get I have become very proficient very fast.

 

Last but not least ... have fun with it!  If it's not fun it isn't worth doing!

[Zach Dunham]

Definitely listen to what everyone here is saying.

 

IMO, when you start getting into lure-specific rods and lure-specific lines to go with them, you are talking about tournament fishing. A lure-specific rod and line is not going to make you catch twice as many fish (usually). If you get into competitive fishing, where every bite and every minute count, that is when lure-specific rods/line come into play. They might help you land that extra two fish during a tournament that will make the difference, or give you an extra few minutes of time fishing because you landed one quicker.

[jhoffman]

I have 7 rods on deck for one reason only. Time, yes I fish tournaments. Think about it in that situation, lets say it takes you 2 mins to switch a bait, soon you find that bait didnt work either and the cycle continues. I pull up to down timber. I go strait to the heart of the tree with a soft plastic. I either hookup or I dont, then I start to work my way out with a different bait and mabye before I am done I chuck a buzzbait into it. I can do that as fast as I put the rod down and pick up the next. When you are fishing with friends, learning a technique or heck just fishing to relax(that happens too) then you have all the time in the world to ponder a next move. This becomes very apparent when you fish a tournament on a weekday after work. You might only have 3 hours to get it done. Thats including running the boat, managing fish....

 

If youre fishing for fun its not worth it to stress over it. Ive spent every day since December on one thing or another related to this season, jigs, rign boats, studying maps on google earth, changing boat hubs...

 

I am your every day guy, I work a full time job, I have a 20 month old son that I dont neglect for hobbies. It took me all winter to get done what I needed too. My point here is the world hopefully wont end tomorrow, you have time.

[Bladesmith,]

When I started fishing for bass I had 1 rod; a zebco 606, combo I bought at Wal Mart for less than $10.00. There was only 1 kind of line; mono-filament. A spinner bait was a "Snagless Sally or a "Hawaiian Wiggler". A topwater was a Zara Spook or Hula popper. I caught bass. The only plastic bait available was a worm with a propeller on front and 3 hooks buried in it. Was it the ideal set up? No,but I caught bass. That was more than 50 years ago. Since then bass fishin' has become such a specialized sport that it discourages a beginner because of all the expense. All this specialized and expensive equipment is handy and it makes the job easier but it is not necessary. Yup. Over the years I've collected more gear than an honest man has any business with (the Bait Monkey is a persistent little cuss), but it took years to collect it. There are some good recommendations on this thread. Pick out what applies to you and your budget and go for it. Remember one thing; All the best equipment in the world isn't going to catch you any fish. There is no substitute for time on the water and you can do that with a hand line if you have too. The moral to this is get your hook wet. Knowledge is the key to a successful bass fisherman and that knowledge is gained by experience (yours or someone else's that is willing to share it with you). The equipment is nice but it is after all, only an accessory.

[bullett 21]

It's an addicition that is hard to break .never have enough equipment for fishing .Always something that looks good .If you dont have it you can't use it.

Good luck .

[BassnChris]

The way I started was with 1 med/med action rod and a cheap open face spinning reel with mono too.

Determined the avg weight of my lures and picked a rod with that weight in the middle of the range(ie 1/4-5/8 oz)

That is how I did it way back when.........circa1985. Then in '93 my wife and I divorced and I lost interest in all of my hobbies and did not start fishing again until last year. So I got to start over again.

Now I am up to 3 rods and fair amount of tackle. Garage /estate sales and Craigslist are your friend.....that is what I did early on........Craigslist ........a great place to find stuff inexpensively .....but remember safety is always first and foremost. Meet in public places with a lot of traffic/people.......if they don't want to then something sounds 'fishy' and you are better off not dealing with hat person.

Welcome and good luck........take your time and enjoy the tackle building journey.

[papajoe222]

Welcome to the board.  Don't get discouraged about all the different gear, baits, presentations,etc. One decent combo will handle most situations as far as lures go.  This site is all about sharing information and learning.  You can see that we've shared valuable information (this sport can get expensive) and you've learned something (you'll need to take out a second mortgage once you're hooked)   Oh yea, a little humor helps when the credit card bill comes from all the stuff you'll be buying.  I love this site!

[SudburyBasser]

You can make fishing as simple or as complicated as you want it to be. 

 

Truer words have not been spoken.

 

For years I fished simple...one rod, one spinning reel, some lures. Had myself a fantastic time every time I went out whether I caught anything or not. It's only relatively recently that I made the expensive turn from hobby fisher to enthusiast. Still have a good time whether I catch anything or not. The point of fishing is to enjoy yourself, the camraderie of your friends and the completely untrue stories you tell of "the one that got away".

[strikequeentiff]

Welcome! ) 

 

I read your forum (obviously) along with everyone else's comments. I really like this topic. Overwhelmed. 

 

I know that you know at least a little something about fishing since you are using a baitcaster. Therefore, this post may seem novice for you - Perhaps not even information you are looking for. But, I thought this may help someone reading as I started out even more novice than you seem to be. 

 

My first rod was an ugly stick spinning reel from the bait shop up the road from where my parents live. I used worms. I thought I was pretty awesome catching bass... and of course blue gill. I caught some 0-2.5 lb fish that broke my generic line. I started looking into stronger line. I learned a bit about line - mono, braided... I learned about the different lb. tests. Line cost more than my ugly stick rod! LOL! I'm "frugal" so once I saw the price of line, I knew I'd be in trouble. I then got a nicer spinning reel from Bass pro. Then went from small hooks to larger ones. Lighter weights to heavier. Different baits. Frogs. 

 

Like a job, I learned best trying things out myself.

 

Senko's are great b/c they catch fish. I think everyone has senko's in their tackle box. 

 

Do you have a bathtub? Swim any and/or all baits in your bathtub. It'll help you understand each type of bait. You'll really understand weights this way. 

 

It's great having someone tell you, but it'll make you an even better angler testing and trying things out yourself. Even if you have strange setups on the end of your line, it's still fun and you'll learn a ton! You'll learn a lot about yourself and your fishing style. 

 

I was in a paddle boat paddling back to my families dock last year with my husband. I literally had my line dangling in the water as we were paddling back. I think my husband thought I was silly, but that's just me naturally. I felt a bite! I caught a 1.5 lb bass! I was thrilled b/c I was in open water, away from the docks where we were fishing. It was getting dark and fairly cool out. Maybe 60 or less, can't really remember. I was so proud of myself and my strange catch! )

 

Don't ever underestimate yourself or a fish! ) 

 

Hope this helps you... or perhaps someone else reading. 

[keith71]

We are all sick,sick people   Little green fish occupy our minds and time way more than we'll admit. Twenty something years ago I purchased a aluminum boat from a pawn shop for a hundred bucks. My future love for this sport was planted. I was so glad to just get off the bank.I had one rod and my partner had a cheap 10ft surf rod literally two bags of worms and some slider heads.We eased over to a lily pad field and we didn't know at the time but we were flipping . We caught a handful of small bass that day but we both knew in time that our skills and our equipment would improve. It did.

[mtaag3]

Thanks to everyone. I am a little OCD when it comes to preparedness all of the options available seemed crazy. However after reading all of your posts I've come to the conclusion I'm going to buy a spinning rod and a bc rod, a small selection of lures and go for it. This, along with a couple of crappie rigs for the kids, will get me started.

 

Now if I can get off the bank

 

Thanks again for everyones help.

[zip pow]

If your ever up g'ville way shoot me a pm and we will try and get you off the bank

[mtaag3]

If your ever up g'ville way shoot me a pm and we will try and get you off the bank

 

Thanks for the offer. I'll be more than happy to help with gas, sandwiches and drinks. I'll take you up on it.

[Ratherbfishing]

If your ever up g'ville way shoot me a pm and we will try and get you off the bank

 

If a shirtless hairy man offered to take me out in a boat with him, I'd politely decline.  JOKING!!!!!!!

[Trailer]

I wouldn't get discouraged. There's a ton of conversations that are way over my head! But I do learn a lot of useful stuff. Like guys using split shots for bass fishing. I used to think you only used those with crickets when fishing for bream!

[Hyrule Bass]

bass fishing can be as expensive or as cheap as you want to make it. it can also be as hard or as easy as you want to make it. most people dont run out and buy 15 rod and reel combos all at once. you will see a lot of stuff build up over time. starting with one or two combos is just fine as many here have said, maybe put small line on one and bigger line on the other. same with tackle, buy a few lures and a few bags of soft plastics, some various hooks and sinkers and you are good to go.

 

over the course of time you will pick up a few lures here or there, next thing you know you got stuff sitting around you have yet to fish with still in the original packaging. after a year or two you may want a new rod or a new reel or both, you will end up with a collection of them in a few years. some guys even sell some of their old equipment to help fund their new stuff.

 

also, as you start to settle in and learn what works for you and what kind of fishing presentations you prefer that will help you narrow things down a bit as to what you actually need/want to buy...

 

you can go out thinking youre prepared as ever. having studied the weather, the body of water, what presentations you think will work that day, and all that stuff...and still end up with no fish, so dont let that get you down because sometimes it just happens. even the elites dont get their 5 bass limit of keepers some days...