Really Need Help For Spring

[bassinnoobie]

As my name implies I am a noob to say the least, and I need some help...... A LOT of help mainly lure selection, how to fish them,when and where. I live in Missouri, lake norfork and bull sholes area and I am 12 so I don't have I boat but I do have a kayak. My tackle consists of 5 lipless cranks 2 are strike king chrome sexy shad and gizzerd shad color.3 are BPS chrome black back, chrome chartreuse back and a Tennessee type color. A luck 'e' strike copper green shad square bill crack and a BPS splatter back square bill. 2 jerkbaits luck 'e' strike 4.5 cosmic shad color and a silver colorerd husky jerk. A bunch of rooster tails and a couple chartreuse finnese spinner baits and a PB&J jig and a black and blue. For soft baits yum pali craws, Z-MAN diezel minnowz, twin tail grubs, and bait fish flukes. That all being said I fish smaller 60- acre lakes and an upper creek channel that is about 20 feet deep and has lots of brush and stuff about 15 feet down. And remember I don't have fish finder but fish with a few guys that boats and fish finders and you are probably saying "talk to your Dad" I would but dosnt bass fish. So if you are still reading this PLEASE HELP!!!!

[Captain America]

There are plenty of great articles on this website to get you started. I would start in the bass fishing for beginners section. The people on this forum are great, so if after reading you need some clarifications many would be happy to help. Good luck.

[Matthew2000]

Basics

Jigs

Green pumpkin

Black and blue

Lipless I use Xcalibur

Sexy shad

Red craw

I believe I use the 50 size

Squarebills

Spro and Xcalibur

Sexy shad

Some type of blue gill

Soft plastics

All rage tail baits

Zoom trick worms

7 inch power worms

5 inch senkos

Top water

Poppers go with rebel for a easy and cheap start

Spook just hebdon super spook.

Boo yah pad crasher

Linker lure buzz shad

Mid cranks

Wiggle warts

Rapala DT-6 and DT-10

Terminal tackle

Learn shakey heads and Texas rigs

Wacky rig

That's just a start for some confidence baits that will help you get an idea. See what works for you the best and continue to fish that.

[bassinnoobie]

I thought about using an 8th ounce weeless tube jig head for wacky rigging in that brush

[Matthew2000]

You don't want to do that. It's way to heavy one. That will not fit the lure one bit.

Just use a octopus hook and let it sink very slowly. That the best way to fish a Senk with nice light taps. Don't rush it just slow down and twitch it.

[bassinnoobie]

At 20 feet?

[hawgenvy]

You could get a senko down there nicely on a little shaky head jig. Shake it but keep it subtle, on some fluoro line.

[bassinnoobie]

You could get a senko down there nicely on a little shaky head jig. Shake it but keep it subtle, on some fluoro line.

do they come weedless

[Crank Bait Nut]

Hey Noobie

 

I'm Mike Prine , Talk To Your Mom and Dad , Tell Them I'd Like To Send You Some Tackle , No Charge. Need For You To Get There Permission. If They Need My Phone Number To Touch Base That's Fine. Once That's Done , Send Me Your Address And I'll Get Some Tackle To You. Hope I Didn't Break Any Site Rules , If I Did (Sorry).

 

Mike P.

[Angry John]

Pay it forward badass. Helping the younger generation is where our sport rules.

[paul.]

all the lures you mentioned will catch fish just fine.  concentrate on learning seasonal movements and patterns and find a good solunar table to determine when you should be out there.  there are 3 important W's in fishing - where (location), when (timing), and what (bait selection).  people often want to focus on the last variable, but really it's the least important as long as you have a bait tied on that will work effectively in the given fishing situation. 

 

i would start my search by looking at the articles on seasonal patterns and movements on this site.  you gotta figure out where the fish should be before you can catch them. 

 

also, pick lures that are proven fish catchers to help boost your confidence.  a senko is a great choice for just flat catching a bunch of fish as is a rooster tail.  build on successes.  learn from failures.  go with someone who is better than you every chance you get and pay attention to what they do.  a good rule of thumb that came from one of the best fisherman ever on this site - "you become the sum of the 3 best fishermen you go with".  don't overthink things and remember, this is supposed to be fun so don't stress about it.  dedicate yourself to it and the knowledge and skill will come.  don't try to force it.

[Comfortably Numb]

If fish are 20' that is pretty early spring (prespawn)

 

Once the water warms they will move shallow and be much easier to catch near the bank. I highly reccoimend a weightless wacky rigged stickbait (like a Senko).

 

PM your address and I will send you some I make

[papajoe222]

The equipment and tackle you already have are well suited to spring fishing, including your kayak.  I'd target those smaller lakes as they'll likely warm up quicker than Bull Shoals. Read up some on pre and post-spawn habits of largemouth along with the fishing regulations and seasons of your area. Visit a local tackle shop when it isnt busy and ask some questions. If the staff doesn't try goating you into buying something, the information will likely be beneficial. Above all, remember what your main objective is and work toward that end.  Good luck and keep us informed in the fishing reports forum.

[Ozark_Basser]

I assume the twenty foot deep upper creek channel you are referring to is on Norfork? As far as that section of the lake goes, you should be able to find a good deal of fish there as the water starts to warm. I would just fish that whole area starting shallow then work my way deeper toward the channel if i wasn't catching fish. The water isn't as clear back there as the rest of the lake, so I'd pick up some wiggle warts for sure. Finesse jigs with a twin tail trailer and a worm on a shakey head up in the buck brush will get you a lot of bites as well.

[scaleface]

I fished Bull Shoals once. Had a fantastic week. Beautiful country you live at . You are lucky to have a lot of great places to fish. The wife and I were discussing where we would like to retire too   and Bull Shoals was top of my list. I may be your neighbor some day. 

 

The week I spent there , we caught lots of small mouths on tubes with 1/4 ounce jig heads 30 foot deep .

[Crestliner2008]

Back about 60 years ago when I started fishing, we were using Johnson Century reels and 5' hollow steel rods, so I know what you are up against. Do a lot of reading up at the top of this forum as stated. And get back to basics a bit. Get yourself some 1/8 oz. ball head jigs and a selection of 3" curly tailed grubs. You can cast and troll the shorelines quite effectively, with these tools, from your kayak and this presentation will catch you fish, as it has for me for many, many years. Once you get confident enough, then you can then branch out into using some of the more sophisticated lures you now have. But if you just go nuts on buying lures, without the basic bass knowledge, you will get discouraged. Don't go down that road!

 

You say you don't have a sonar. Well that's not a problem. Get yourself a 50' length of parachute cord or similar thin line. Tie a heavy nut & bolt on the end. Then, starting about 10' up from the bolt, tie an overhand knot ever 5', with a short piece of different colored ribbons in each knot. At the top end of the line, tie a simple loop to keep around your wrist. You can use this set-up to "map" the bottom depths you are fishing. If you don't have a map of each lake, then draw one as best as you see it when you are on the water. Then, as you "sound" each spot with depth finder I just described, mark the map accordingly. This is the way we did it way back before I got my first "Green Box" flasher.

 

And instead of buying a lot more lures, save your bucks up to get an inexpensive sonar. Doesn't have to be one made to be portable, as they tend to cost more. Any cheap sonar can be made portable with a little ingenuity and thought. Hope this is of some help.

[bassinnoobie]

I assume the twenty foot deep upper creek channel you are referring to is on Norfork? As far as that section of the lake goes, you should be able to find a good deal of fish there as the water starts to warm. I would just fish that whole area starting shallow then work my way deeper toward the channel if i wasn't catching fish. The water isn't as clear back there as the rest of the lake, so I'd pick up some wiggle warts for sure. Finesse jigs with a twin tail trailer and a worm on a shakey head up in the buck brush will get you a lot of bites as well.

it would be stump hole I'm talking about and Tecumseh.

[bassinnoobie]

OK Tecumseh No on google maps go down to river until you see bridges creek. I fish from the parking lot to about the the second send in lick creek that a couple miles down. If you have the time study the map and tell me about it and remember about 20 feet and vary brushy. the guys that do Friday night tournaments make a 10 or 15 mile run just to get there but still not the most Presser's spot.

[bassinnoobie]

OK Tecumseh No on google maps go down to river until you see bridges creek. I fish from the parking lot to about the the second send in lick creek that a couple miles down. If you have the time study the map and tell me about it and remember about 20 feet and vary brushy. the guys that do Friday night tournaments make a 10 or 15 mile run just to get there but still not the most Presser's spot.

Tecumseh Mo

[A-Jay]

 I Need Help Just Getting to Spring . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

[bassinnoobie]

 I Need Help Just Getting to Spring . . . .

 

 

A-Jay

You said it winter will NEVER end

[Miller's Ferry 8]

Once it gets into April you can flip a heavy jig around sandy areas that might be a spawning area or near one.  Color is dependent on your water clarity.  Black and blue works well in all water clarities.  Use a 3/4 ounce jig with a black and blue Netbait paca punch trailer.  Every time it hits bottom the heavy jig head kicks up sand much like a crawfish would moving across the bottom.  If theres any grass a black and blue chatterbait works well too.  

[Ozark_Basser]

I checked out the map on http://webapp.navionics.com/?lang=en#@36.554441,-92.260065,14zWhat I would do first is try to find some areas with gravel in Bridge's Creek or anywhere for that matter. Bass will use these areas to spawn and will stage in these areas before they spawn. Id start fishing where the bank changes from rock to gravel trying lots of different baits making sure i stay in contact with the bottom. On your first pass, take that square bill, lipless cranks, or spinnerbait and work it back to the boat making sure it grinds the bottom, bottom contact is very important. Cast whichever one you decide to use toward the bank and as soon as it hits the water start a steady retrieve. Don't be scared to reel any of those baits pretty fast. Mix up your retrieves and see what works, but more times than not they will want it pretty fast. It will be easier to keep the square bill on the bottom, but with lipless cranks, I would try more of a yo yo retrieve by ripping the bait up off the bottom and letting it fall back down doing this all the way back to the boat. I'd make a second pass with a jig with a twin tail trailer or Texas rigged soft plastic after that. The spinnerbait is something I would prefer around shallow wood cover, especially if that cover is found in one of those gravel areas. I like to cast spinnerbaits past the cover, if possible, then as it goes through the cover I like to deflect off of it. The deflection is what will get you bit. It will take a little while to get the hang of this before you can do it without losing a lot of spinnerbaits. It helps to keep the spinnerbait high in the water column or close to the surface.

The best looking spot is that submerged bridge with the road bed located around the mouth of Lick Creek. Use the link I gave you to check it out. That spot will hold fish all year long. I'd say it gets fished a lot though. Either way, you could spend all day there. I'd use some bottom contact baits like jigs etc. Learn to feel the bottom. It will be harder to do this in deeper water. All in all, you don't have a huge area to fish so I'd be hitting up every point, cove, or anything that looks different or "fishy."

I know this is a lot of information, but feel free to ask questions about something if you don't understand. Good Luck!!

[bassinnoobie]

Thanks for help

[Ben Eipert]

I would definitely look at tubes. They are cheap when you Texas rig them and extremely versatile. As for finding fish I would look in the back of pocket where other places cannot get. I started in a ten foot one and caught most of my fish in places a regular boat couldn't get. Backs of pockets and creeks will be your best friend once the water warms up.