Fish-Catching Method For My Girlfriend

[livemusic]

LOL, what a crazy post, but, I'd really like to know, I'd bet a bunch of guys have dealt with this. My gf had never been fishing until I took her couple of days ago. She caught a bass and two jackfish, so, that was awesome. I had her throw a very small white spinnerbait; it runs pretty shallow. The lake has a lot of moss in it, so, it can't run deep. I am looking for foolproof baits for her to throw. I have never fished a wacky worm, is that foolproof or do you have to set the hook. She doesn't "get it" as for setting the hook. If we did wacky worm, it would have to be fished with a weedless hook, there is a lot of cover in this lake, including the moss.

 

I bought a Zebco Z03 Pro Omega spincast reel for $65, then a rod, and she did great with it. Made a lot of good casts, rarely got hung up. I had her practice a couple of days before we went. I didn't know Zebco made a higher end spincast; it had real good reviews. I bought her a decent rod, too.

 

Anyway, looking for a way for her to fish to where technique does not matter so much. Any fish is a good fish for her. I would be bass fishing, using my troll motor to move along slowly. I think she wants to cast instead of using a stationary pole. Although, I am going to take her crappie fishing and bream fishing, and we might both use poles.

 

Ideas for lures for her for casting?

[a1712]

I have my Wife throw Spinnerbaits. Simple cast and reel, single hook so I don't worry so much about her sticking herself or getting in the boat carpet. She loves throwing Jitterbugs at dark, I think she likes the action and sound of the Bug chugging along. She also catches fish on both. Keep the hooks needle sharp, my Wife isn't a big fan of setting the hook also. Brian.

[Senko lover]

Senkos or lipless crankbaits. 

[Choporoz]

1. Cut-R worms rage-rigged, tex-posed...practically fool proof -- she can cast it out and either let it drop or swim it back or dead stick it or....rarely hangs up and WILL get bites

 

2.  Spinnerbaits are good.  But, teach her how to work them into cover.  Great cover learning bait - comes through most stuff pretty clean, but can learn to bump stuff, drag bottom, kill it...etc.

 

3.  Squarebills and floating lipless  are GREAT starter crankbaits - won't go too deep and will come off inadvertent grass/wood hits pretty well

[Delaware Valley Tackle]

If she's not a hook setter avoid senkos or you'll kill a lot of deep hooked fish. The rattle-trap is a great chuck and wind bait that can catch almost any day. 

[F14A-B]

My wife loved throwing a frog and popping it along. On spinning gear no less.. No matter, she bailed after a few trips... Back to Purses & Shoes.. No surprise there, lol

[DTack]

Some of the best times I've had have been while my girlfriend throws a horny toad on a spinning rod with braid.  She just casts it out and reels it, game over.  She really enjoys watching them bite, and I think anyone starting out enjoys that more. 

[livemusic]

Some of the best times I've had have been while my girlfriend throws a horny toad on a spinning rod with braid.  She just casts it out and reels it, game over.  She really enjoys watching them bite, and I think anyone starting out enjoys that more. 

 

She doesn't "work it" back, she just reels it in? And does she set the hook? I fished a frog bait like the horny toad a few days ago and I never did land a fish and had about five great hits. After a couple of misses, I tried to wait to set the hook; never did catch one. So, does she catch 'em on the horny toad or just enjoy watching them strike? It would drive me nuts to never catch one, lol. I am still investigating using a frog and not missing fish!

[HardcoreBassin]

I took my fiance out fishing for the first time last year.  I gave her a light spinning set-up and had her fishing a beetlespin.  After she felt what a bite feels like, and caught a few sunnies and perch, I switched her to a spinnerbait.  This year I'll put her onto crankbaits, spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and small paddletail swimbaits.  Once she gets better at accuracy and hook-setting, I'll have her try some t-rigs and such.

[5fishlimit]

Have her try a buzzbait.

[riverbasser13]

I always set my girl up with a 4 inch senko, she likes skipping 'em or doing this weird shake and reel move, they both work though. Sometimes she out fishes me, lol. She tries other baits but always goes back to the senko.. We also have a no treble hook policy because we are usually fishing in a canoe together. An EZ swimmer or swimming super fluke are good cast and wind baits also.

[Master Bait'r]

I'd say something with trebles that will stay up top.    

 

 

Maybe give her a wakebait or topwater of some kind so she can visually watch the fish strike it and learn from there.  Maybe a Roumba or a CL8 Mighty Mouse or jitterbug etc?  I'm thinking steady retrieve that will stay in sight and get hammered periodically.  I'd love to say a frog but if she's not a hook setter there's just no way she will enjoy that.    

[DTack]

She doesn't "work it" back, she just reels it in? And does she set the hook? I fished a frog bait like the horny toad a few days ago and I never did land a fish and had about five great hits. After a couple of misses, I tried to wait to set the hook; never did catch one. So, does she catch 'em on the horny toad or just enjoy watching them strike? It would drive me nuts to never catch one, lol. I am still investigating using a frog and not missing fish!

haha, she got the hang of it after a bit...  She does set the hook, I tell her to swing as hard as she can haha.  She did miss A LOT of fish at first... maybe hooked 1 in 5 or so.  Now it is up to about 2 or 3 out of 5.  Seems bad, but she really likes that better than gut-hooking every fish on a senko.  I just keep it that way as she enjoys it most that way. 

[wisconsin heat]

Take her to the topwater section of your local tackle store and let her pick out one! Let her pick out her favorite color senkos while your at it. If you are really worried about her not setting the hook ( which is pretty much just reeling when wacky rig fishing) in time, and deep-hooking fish, then use circle hooks!

[punch]

I know "live bait" can be dirty words around here but I've really had fun introducing people into fishing with simple slip bobber rigs + a fathead minnow (or leech). This works great on the wife/girlfriend and it's fantastic for kids. 

 

Bobber fishing means they don't have to worry about technique or gear, and they can sit back and chill with a beverage/snack and just wait for the action. I rig a few medium spinner setups with a slip bobbers, anchor the boat in a nice spot and wait for the fish to come. I do a rig as such: slip bobber <> bead <> swivel <> floro leader w/ some split shot <> hook.

 

Pro tip: I always push the barbs in on live bait hooks when going for bigger fish with noobies. Mostly because they don't react very quickly to a bobber going down so the chance of the fish swallowing the hook is a bit higher. I have a lot less fish fatalities with the barb down. 

 

You can hook into crappie, bass, pike, catfish, walleye, and the occasionally really hungry bluegil. It's a low key, fun way to get people fishing. 

 

Nothing's more entertaining than watching kids freaking out when the bobber goes down. 

[Cgrinder]

Wacky Senko under a float, as illustrated by Crestliner2008 in the Smallmouth forum.

[livemusic]

Have her watch Gene's video on drop shotting and see if she's down with that. That's another way to just reel it in and bring the fish to the boat- and a great way to teach her the basics too.

 

LOL, it's a big world, I have no idea who Gene is.

[livemusic]

Take her to the topwater section of your local tackle store and let her pick out one! Let her pick out her favorite color senkos while your at it. If you are really worried about her not setting the hook ( which is pretty much just reeling when wacky rig fishing) in time, and deep-hooking fish, then use circle hooks!

 

Hello Chris, I am newly back into fishing after fishing heavily for most of my life, but been out of it for quite a long time. I know the shape of a circle hook but why would a circle hook lessen deep-hooking fish?

[BrownBear]

I would suggest a topwater popper or spook. Teacher her how to "walk the dog".

[J Francho]

I like to start on moving baits - fish hook themselves. If bass aren't biting, then I go to a drop shot rig, but with hooks and baits a blue hill can take. Really, whatever will catch what is biting readily is the ticket.

[WIGuide]

I'm with Francho. Moving baits are the way to go aside from panfishing with live bait. I think the most important thing for someone new to the sport is that they get action. I know when I started as a little kid, I didn't get into it by sitting there for hours of not getting bit. Best of luck to keeping her interest! A couple that can fish together is awesome!

[Drew03cmc]

Have her use the Ned Rig. It is fool proof and she will catch bass.

[IDUTBass]

My girlfriend and I fished together all last year. It was her first complete season. She used senkos, as well as lots of other plastics, roboworms on a shaky head and some rattle traps. She really likes fishing soft plastics, but once we got on a good lipless bite I gave her a quick lesson and on her first day using them she schooled me. I try and find a moving bait that will get bit and if it's new to her I will teach her and let her try it. I think one thing helped her as well is I put yellow power pro on her rod. That definitely helped her feel the bites a lot better as well as helped her learn how to line watch.

[Bass2124]

The easiest, quickest, most userfriendly way to catch a bass that I have ever tried is trolling a Carolina rigged lizzard about 100-200 ft back from the boat using slow wide S turns.  I use a flyrod because the action and fight it is an absolute thrill for first timers. This is the only way my wife likes to fish.  When my kids bring their friends this is the method I use every time because I don't have to worry about a kid getting jarred up side the head with a crankbait full of treble hooks.  The bass inhale these things and there is no hook set required.   I have caught 1000's this way.

[corn-on-the-rob]

rapala floating minnow

 

reel or jerk it down for a second, let it float back up; repeat. Pond slayer.