Bass Fishing For Beginners

[Basskicker44]

I'm new at this any tips on what gear i should use and techniques and stuff like that

[ItsTig]

Loaded question. You can use the forum search and find a lot of things that way. Under fishing articles it also has a long list of good information for beginners http://www.bassresource.com/how-to-fish/

 

Edit: Also, I have only been fishing for a year and a half. I have managed with a BPS Extreme Spincaster and a Zebco 33 Spincaster on a 6'6 medium Ugly Stik Lite and a 6'6 medium St. Croix Triumph so far. This winter I bought my first baitcaster and spinning rod/reel. Now that I am obsessed and a little more educated it's time to learn some new things. Good luck!

[ABW]

Your question is very vague. What do you want to start with? Spinning or baitcasting? What do you have so far?

[Darren.]

Welcome aboard! 

 

Probably the best thing you can do here 

is to avail yourself of the site's articles on

bass fishing, especially the link for 

beginners.

 

There is a gold mine of information there!

[roadwarrior]

"Just Getting Started"
Guaranteed To Catch Bass
I just cant catch bass
Learning to fish on your own

 

Also, spend some time in "Fishing Articles" and "Videos" at the top of the page.

We have an extensive library and you will ramp up much more quickly reading

those article and links than on the general forum. Read first, then ask questions.

 

 

 

 

[SirSnookalot]

I would start off using senkos, not only do they catch a lot of fish but you will learn to get your timing on hook setting.

[scaleface]

I'm new at this any tips on what gear i should use and techniques and stuff like that

 

 

When I first started bass fishing I caught some fish out of ponds .  Then when   I discovered Texas Rigged plastic worms  the size and numbers sky rocketed . I was now able to fish right in the middle of the  snags. Being able to fish in the cover was the single most important  skill I learned .

[Crestliner2008]

Welcome aboard! And yes, there is plenty of information that you are looking for right here. See roadwarriors post above. Once you start to absorb the basics from this information, then please do post more specific questions here. Lots of great folks more than willing to help you out here.

[WRB]

Welcome to bass fishing.

Everyone who bass fishes had to start at some point in time. There is only one way to begin and is to start with a rod, reel, line and a few lures and go fishing.

My advise is not to read too much about a wide variety of presentations and techniques because with all the information available it's easy to get overloaded and confused.

Start with the basics like any other sport and add to your skills slowly.

A few questions;

1. Do you own any fishing tackle?

2. Do you fish?

3. What region of the country do you live?

Tom

[Starchalopakis]

I would start off using senkos, not only do they catch a lot of fish but you will learn to get your timing on hook setting.

I would second this also, I am relatively new to bass fishing as well, and using senkos helped me catch a ton of fish when just starting out. I was almost too reliant on them , and I was hesitant to try other things because I was catching so many fish with them!

[tnt2671]

i'd start out w/ a decent 7" mh rod if your going bait casting route , good do it all rod. i just saw tackle warehouse has some great sales going on on certain rods, as for reel theres a bunch of recent posts on good affordable reels , i personally have had great luck w/ daiwa excelers and lexas for workhorse inexpensive reels that work great

then for tackle , some 5"senkos , a few lipless cranks , a couple spinnerbaits , a buzz bait ,a couple frogs( there just to much fun not to have) and a few jigs w/  a grub trailer .  some good ewg hooks from sizes 2-4, a pack of bullet weights , line of your choice i'd go 40 lb braid if i was only to have one setup and obviously something for tackle storage. that right there would get you going for a while until you fine tune as to what works in your area. i wouldn't get to caught up in all the technique specific talk. i fished  bass for years with one or 2 setups before there was a rod and line for every bait known to mankind and caught just as many fish as i do now with more stuff

[SirSnookalot]

What WRB said.

[Patrick Morrow]

Of course in the beginning there are all these tackle and spot questions, but if you kinda have these sorted out then my advice is less theoretical part and more actually experimenting and spending time on water.

[Matt car h]

for a beginner i would recommend a shakespeare uglystik combo, they are cheap (less than $40) and they are nearly indestructable. I started out with curl tail grubs and lead weighted jigheads, once i was more experienced, i started working with worms and hard baits. i would recommend mono filament. dont spend too much money as a beginner, start slow and make sure you like it.

[thomas15]

When I first started fishing for LM Bass, it took me probably 10 outings before I caught my fist. So be patient. Also, I caught my first bass using a inexpensive WalMart FLA crankbait. At the time it was about a $2.50 lure. Whatever bait you use to catch your first, retire it becuse you will lose it within a day or so if you don't but if you keep it in a safe place you can look at it during times of poor fishing to remind you to never give up.

 

Look for cover where bass hide and look for baitfish and bluegills, fish those areas. Give topwatters a try and also give small ponds a try. When I finally got my first boat it was like starting all over again skills wise. Instead I would recommend finding a small pond that you know has bass and walk around it trying a variety of baits and techniques.

 

One last thing, I not really a good basser, I know what to do and have all the gear. But for me just being out on the water is good enough and from time to time a fish will take the big ride on my line. My son on the other hand has a gift.

[new2BC4bass]

Welcome to the forum, and the wonderful world of fishing.  Like WRB said, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the number of techniques and lures available to you.  SirSnookalot's suggestion is a good one.  Start with a known producer.  Senkos require more patience than I normally have, but are great lures to not only start out with but to use at any level of experience.  My daughter fishes them almost exclusively.

 

I started with spinning gear and went to baitcast gear when I got back into fishing a few years ago.  I prefer baitcast gear, but it is a stiffer learning curve.  Something you might not want to deal with when first starting out.  I'd suggest a spinning combo to start with.  I assume you will initially be fishing from shore.  If there are trees and bushes next to the shore where you will be fishing, then I'd suggest a rod no longer than 6'6" long.  Nothing more aggravating than not being able to make a cast without getting hung up.

 

If your fishing area is open, then I personally prefer a 7' to 7'3" rod.  It helps lengthen the casting distance.  Regardless of length a Medium power, Fast action rod is probably the best compromise.

 

Do you have a budget?  At $40 the Berkley Lightning (or Lightning Shock) is a good value   At $100 I would be looking at the Fenwick HMG line.  There are plenty of other good options as well, but most I am not familiar with so could only give you hearsay advice on them.  I've read that Okuma offers a quality rod for the money, but have zero experience with them.  I hope to change that this year by getting one of their Helios baitcast rods.