A Beginner's Fishing Journey

[Chris Butts]

Thought there might be some people like me (not life long fisherman) who would enjoy my journey. I'm 35 years old and I bet I only fished 10 times or less as a kid. And when I did, it was with people who assumed I knew what to do, so they weren't very good teachers. I was a city boy and I think they assumed I didn't really care about it anyway. That was the end of my fishing career until now. I literally did not pick up a rod from about 1990 until last fall. In November I moved to a neighborhood that has a pond behind my house, and I guess knowing I was a middle age man that didn't know how to fish bothered me enough to want to learn.

 

I didn't know anything. I didn't even know how to tie a knot to keep the lure on (you're laughing I know). I'd cast as far as I could with a $12 Zebco setup and drag nothing back. Then spring came here in Fort Worth, TX and the bass started biting. I didn't catch much, but a beginner who catches 2-3 bass over a couple days... well, you start thinking you're doing something right. I really wasn't though.

 

I went to the library, read online, watched youtube, and even bought books about fishing. A lot of the things I read and watched made sense and some of it even worked. So when June rolled around and temps were still unnaturally low here in TX I decided I needed something better than the Zebco. I upgraded to a $25 spinning combo from Academy. I had never thrown a spinning reel, but I practiced and got it to work. I caught a few on that thing and started landing bigger fish with 8 lb. mono. Then they started dragging me through the muck and grass and testing the limits of that rod and breaking my line. One day I watched what was most likely the biggest bass I had caught to date break my line as I was about to lip him and hoist him out of the water. I darn near cried.

 

By this time I'd spent hours, and days reading about fishing and trying new things on the pond. I'm a teacher, so with summers off I had time to kill. It got a little hotter and it seemed like the bass left the shallows so I got the notion that I needed a longer rod, and a decent baitcaster to get out there further and maybe deeper. I went to a local place and found a guy who took the time to talk to me about my pond and my needs instead of selling me something I didn't need. We settled on a Daiwa Tatula and saved some money by skimping on $30 Shimano rod on clearance. I thought for sure I'd catch more fish now. I was wrong. It was hot and I couldn't catch anything. Not even with top water lures at daybreak or around midnight.

 

And that pretty much brings us to where I am now. I've got a nice rod and reel and a decent amount of tackle, but I'm not catching much unless I hit the rock pile where the bluegill seem to always be. I think I could catch a lot more if I can really figure out how to fish a Texas Rig or a Carolina Rig. I tried them both but seem to always end up dragging back slime instead of fish. I think there's an art to those that I need to figure out. I still don't understand how to get the weight right on those set ups. I also don't know how to really use the weedless jigs I bought and I feel like they might work too. They seem to sink too fast and don't really seem to be very weedless at all. I've contemplated getting a kayak so I could get out in the middle, but I like bank fishing and I still have a LOT to learn.

 

Anyway, I know that's a lot of rambling but I figured maybe there's others out there like me that are still learning. I'm having fun and I appreciate this forum and everyone for sharing their thoughts about fishing. People really do read this stuff and try what you say. Big thanks to all those anglers who are patient with guys like me. I know I drive you crazy!

[Phu Man]

I'm with ya here. Just started bass fishing last year, pretty much the same way as you. You tube and reading on here. I still don't think I'm doing most of the stuff "right", but occasionally it works and I catch something. I enjoy the time on the water whether I'm catching anything not, it's a lot more fun catching though. Eventually we will figure it out though.

[Bruce424]

This website and youtube are your friend for learning. I think you want to learn a lot of things in short periods like me. Learning Alot of fishing techniques, tackle, lures, science take time. What I would do is pick one for a couple of weeks and get accustomed to it. Whether it be Texas rigs or carolina or knots or pitching and flipping baits.

[Bruce424]

Dragging Texas rigs and Carolina rigs with that slime that you say you pick up, don't go together! Haha. There is no way around it. Swim Texas rigs back to you slow or fast, experiment. Keep it off the bottom where the slime is. Videos on this website and youtube that will show you step by step the process for tying a carolina rig

[Pradopower]

I'm in my 2nd full year bass fishing and I was right where you are for a while. Lots of trial and error before I started consistently catching fish. I bought myself a kayak this spring and it makes a world of difference. I realized it might not be my choice of gear/lure, I might just be in the wrong place. Being able to pick and choose where you cast helps make it more fun I think. Most of the good bass ponds around me have very limited bank fishing access. Getting out on the water changed everything for me.

Keep reading, watching YouTube, reading this forum and experimenting to find what works for you. The fish will start coming.

[the reel ess]

One way of fishing in the summer slime without always being fouled is a weightless Zoom Trick Worm, Texas rigged. But that'll require a spinning combo.

 

May I suggest you start writing down what happened on your trips, what worked, what didn't and the results. Also include what to remember for next time. When the season rolls around next year, the details will give you a have a head start.

 

The summer doldrums can be really tough. You can fish all day for a couple bites-maybe. Everything you thought you knew from spring/early summer just is not working. Bass in ponds can find a spot in the vegetation on the bottom and hunker down for a long time without biting. You have to put a hook in their face to get one. They're being opportunistic and only eating what gets close to them.

 

I bought a kayak as well and use it to cover more water. I can tell you all the big fish I've caught this year came from the kayak, not from the back of my buddy's Bass Tracker. When they're not chasing bait, making a lot of casts to specific targets with slow-moving, bottom-bumping baits gets more bites. I also like the last couple hours before dark. I'll use a T rigged craw with 3/16 oz bullet weight and topwaters.

[thomas15]

The days of my youth were the opposite. We lived on the Jersey Shore and fished almost every day as long as it wasn't raining or snowing. Mostly salt water or if fresh, it was stocked trout in rivers. I didn't do any bass fishing until my kids were old enough to go so I had to teach myself how to do the bass thing. After a while I got to be fairly good a pounding the banks, I thought I knew how to do this.

 

Well, because of other things in life I stopped fishing for almost 15 years. In that time we moved to PA, too far to fish in the Manasquan River! So last summer we bought our little boat and off to the races for me. We started in late July last year and I fished from August till it was too cold (probably around the last week of October) without a single fish in the boat.

 

Over the winter I read everything I could and added much to my tackle collection. As soon as the ice melted last spring (literally three days after it actually melted) I was out there in search of a fish. I have done better this year, I mean how can you do worse than catching nothing? Generally though I get something for my efforts but in the last two or three outings nothing. I know the fish are out there and in my head I believe they are in deep. But for some reason I hesitate to go deeper than 16-18 feet.

 

It appears to me that Large Mouth Bass are particular, sort of like cats. If they are not interested then well, they are not interested. When they want to play then they play. Having a boat, nice as it is, hasn't increased the numbers of fishes I reel in. In fact, in the good old days I actually did better. But it's worth it because getting out on the water, with 6 fishing poles, three tackle bags stuffed with tackle and a dry livewell, is in fact, still better than being at work.

 

Just keep trying my brother, keep working that bait. You will get it.

[ClackerBuzz]

glad to hear a good fishing journey. there are plenty more good times to come.

try a drop shot when there's an algae bottom.  the weight drags in the muck while the soft plastic stays elevated and clean. typically you slow drag and pause on the bottom.  but always experiment and don't leave w/o swimming it along the bottom like a spinnerbait.   and bouncing it thru the tops of weeds.  1/4oz casts far but might be too heavy in a clear/stable/algae pond.  1/8 or less is better for still water ponds.  or if ur spinning rod is light enough tying on a 1/16 oz bullet weight can get you started today.

[A Hawk]

I would start with one method of soft plastics, and master that. Then just keep adding new tricks as you go.