New To Freshwater Fishing Need Help.

[Tunabrad]

Im an experienced socal saltwater angler but brand new to freshwater. I want to give freshwater a try because there is a lake close to my school so i could go there after school a few times a week. So far the freshwater gear i have bought is an abu garcia vengeance rod and black max baitcast reel. I also got a few sinkers, roboworms, senko worms, owner hooks for texas rig and carolina rig. And gamamatsu hooks to wacky rig the worms. Also got an all chrome super spook and a daiwa db minnow jerkbait. This was all sold to me(except rod and reel) from my local tackle shop. My question is basicly how to fish these and in what situation should i fish the following setups: wacky rig, texas rig, carolina rig and dropshot. When should i use one over the other? And what techniques should i use to fish these setups? I am hoping by the time i go this weekend and possibly even tomorrow i have enough info to at least have an idea of what i am doing and not just wing it. I will be fishing eldorado park lake if anyone can give me any tips about the lake. Thanks.

[gr8outdoorz]

Welcome to the forum!

It would take way too much typing to discuss the how, when, where, & why of all those techniques. Your best bet is to check out the 'Articles' section first. All of your questions about those techniques are answered in them and they are well organized & easy to find. If you still have questions after that, then the kind people on this forum will be happy to help you out. This whole website is a wealth of information. Take advantage!

I will say though, your first bit of reading should be about the seasonal habits of bass. You gotta know where bass are gonna be if you want to catch them.

[Tunabrad]

Welcome to the forum!

It would take way too much typing to discuss the how, when, where, & why of all those techniques. Your best bet is to check out the 'Articles' section first. All of your questions about those techniques are answered in them and they are well organized & easy to find. If you still have questions after that, then the kind people on this forum will be happy to help you out. This whole website is a wealth of information. Take advantage!

I will say though, your first bit of reading should be about the seasonal habits of bass. You gotta know where bass are gonna be if you want to catch them.

Thanks you! The habits of bass seem important...time to do some research

[the reel ess]

Im an experienced socal saltwater angler but brand new to freshwater. I want to give freshwater a try because there is a lake close to my school so i could go there after school a few times a week. So far the freshwater gear i have bought is an abu garcia vengeance rod and black max baitcast reel. I also got a few sinkers, roboworms, senko worms, owner hooks for texas rig and carolina rig. And gamamatsu hooks to wacky rig the worms. Also got an all chrome super spook and a daiwa db minnow jerkbait. This was all sold to me(except rod and reel) from my local tackle shop. My question is basicly how to fish these and in what situation should i fish the following setups: wacky rig, texas rig, carolina rig and dropshot. When should i use one over the other? And what techniques should i use to fish these setups? I am hoping by the time i go this weekend and possibly even tomorrow i have enough info to at least have an idea of what i am doing and not just wing it. I will be fishing eldorado park lake if anyone can give me any tips about the lake. Thanks.

Start searching the articles on this very site. Start with "beginner" and branch out. If you are on Facebook, like Bass Resource. It will send links to articles to your FB feed. I've learned a lot like that. Keep it simple to start with. Study what to use in different conditions. Good luck.

[monkeyman3dee]

For Me,

 

The Jerkbait is an awesome bait. It has increased my catch ratio. Just walk the bank (stealthily!!!) and cast out as far as you can. Burn the bait for a few winds then stop for 3-5 seconds. 

 

Twitch twitch pause. jerk pause. repeat. pretend you are a dying minnow, Be the bait. Catch fish.

 

 

 

-Joshua

[Mr Q]

  Learning while having no hands-on experience can be boring. Yes, definitely do a lot of research but have some fun while doing it. Can you describe the water conditions at the pond you mentioned? Such as water clarity, depth, plant life, etc.? Doing so can help us give you some useful tips to try if we know something about the pond such as where in the country...and welcome to the forums!

[garvin]

I would suggest picking one bait for your first outing. For me it would be a texas rigged worm since it is so versatile and effective. Learn how to rig it, learn the fundamental technique to present it - YouTube is your friend. Then go out and fish it. Then add another bait and learn the proper way to present it as you go, maybe even wait until the third or fourth outing before worrying about trying another bait. If you bring 5 different baits the first time you try freshwater fishing and are not comfortable with any of them, you're setting yourself up for disappointment. Good luck, and I hope you enjoy it!

[the reel ess]

Whenever they aren't biting, try something different. Different color, varied retrieve, new lure, new technique. If you succeed it'll give you confidence in that technique. If you don't, you'll learn something. Most people on this site think they know a good bit about bass fishing. And most do. But almost everybody has a technique they refuse to use or don't have faith in that others are successful at. Most have a lot of baits in the box that have never caught a fish because they've not been used. So keep an open mind.

 

My weakest areas are finesse plastics and jigs. I just haven't used them enough to feel good about them.