Basic bass fishing advice?

[Palominoprincess]

Alright. I've always enjoyed fishing but never really got too into it because no one in my family did. That is, until I started dating this dude and we'd go fishing all the time. 

I love it. But I actually suck at fishing and he and I broke up and IVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CATCH ANY BASS SINCE. 

when he and i went fishing he'd like practically coach me through everything and I'm not afraid to admit that I need help. Any advice is welcome. 

[roadwarrior]

BassResource.com has an extensive library. Start with "Fishing Articles" at the top of the page:  http://www.bassresource.com/bass_fishing_articles.html . Read every article and links provided. "Best of Bass.Resource":is another thread with great information on both technique and equipment: 

Welcome aboard!

 

[Outdoor Zack]

33 minutes ago, Palominoprincess said:

Alright. I've always enjoyed fishing but never really got too into it because no one in my family did. That is, until I started dating this dude and we'd go fishing all the time. 

I love it. But I actually suck at fishing and he and I broke up and IVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO CATCH ANY BASS SINCE. 

when he and i went fishing he'd like practically coach me through everything and I'm not afraid to admit that I need help. Any advice is welcome. 

Be patient and confident.  You'll get to catching them soon enough

[Jtrout]

Welcome! Tons of info on here.What state are you in? Are you fishing ponds or lakes? Also what u got in your tackle box?

[thebillsman]

Try to fish as slow as your patience will allow.

Be open to other techniques, but make sure your equipment is suited for them.

[Fish4bigfish]

Choose one or two techniques and get good at them. Senkos, spinnerbaits and Texas rigs are a good start. Nothing teaches better than time on the water.

[WRB]

Welcome from BR and bass fishing.

What, if any, fishing tackle do you have; rod, reel, line? The reason for the question is to determine where to start.

The site has lots of informative vedio's to watch. 

Tom

[Palominoprincess]

15 hours ago, Jtrout said:

Welcome! Tons of info on here.What state are you in? Are you fishing ponds or lakes? Also what u got in your tackle box?

Washington, mostly lakes. I have a six foot rod and i use a spinning reel. Ive got some trout magnets, a few soft plastics, some roosters, a bunch of flies and some powerbait. 

[Bluebasser86]

Google "Ned Rig". It's a terrific bass catcher and very easy to use and catch fish with. I use it a lot myself but it's also the main bait I set up beginners with and my wife's favorite bait to use when she goes with me.

 

[Onvacation]

As Bluebasser86 suggested, my wife started with a Ned rig and it will catch fish.  Catching fish is the best way to build your confidence.  I also like the Ned rig because it trains you to observe the line and the feel of your gear.  Bass do not always slam the bait and I think there are a lot of people who miss fish because this is what they are waiting for.  Also, learn to tie knots and how to handle fish properly. Tons of videos on these subjects  

[Damn Yankee]

Hello and welcome, your fishing a spinning setup I would suggest using some plastic worms yum dinger 5"ect.on a 3/0 offset worm hook for starters.Learn a few knots that are easy to tie, they have apps for that.

Maybe someone you know also likes to fish, hook up with them.what pun? Good luck and don't be afraid to ask questions as that is what this site is for.

[crypt]

patience,pay attention to everything that's going on around you. spending more time outside and on the water will pay off. also remember to enjoy the time you spend fishing you will get so much out of it. the fish will come. and welcome to the fun.

[the reel ess]

When I was a kid my dad and I mostly fished for crappie. Then we started going with a guy who bass fished. He knew two baits: 6" T rigged worm and medium crankbait. These are still probably the two of the top producers in bass lures. As I got older, I branched out to spinnerbaits, topwaters and everything else that interested me. Now, if it looks like fun to me, I'll try it. If I were to  start over, I'd probably take the same approach.

Here's some advice on baits. After that, you have to find some fish. That's harder in a big lake than it is in a pond. I prefer to fish smaller bodies of water where at least you KNOW you're getting your bait in front of some fish. A pond you can walk around is even better. The less public it is, the better your odds as well. So ask people who you know own a pond for permission. You'll be surprised how many will say yes.

http://www.fieldandstream.com/articles/fishing/more-freshwater/1999/12/top-10-bass-lures

Or you could just look for another fisherman boyfriend. They make good mates. You know when they're away from you they're only thinking about catching fish.

[Bassun]

+1 for finding another fishing boyfriend.  To many fishermen have non fishing mates, lol.  But -- as for catching fish...

Regardless of "what" lure you use, try to think about where the fish may be.  I don't know where you are, but you can kind of use a simple rule of thumb -- fish don't like to be too hot, or too cold.  So spring and fall, they are often more shallow -- summer and winter they are often more deep.  Even during the day, same thing may happen.  You could find bass shallow early in June, but by mid-day much deeper, etc.  Once you have a general idea - look for "anything" that may attract a bass (or other fish).  A tree, a dock, a rock, a ledge, etc.  Most often fish relate to some sort of cover or structure.  Once you start getting a feel for where the fish are, the rest will start to fall in place.

Oh, and when you're just not finding fish - try down sizing your lures.  Something smaller opens up more of the food chain, and can often give you hint's on where the fish are etc.  Granted this is probably the most over-simplified advice I could ever give - but K.I.S.S. There's no point in learning the most advanced techniques until you have a good grasp on the basics.  Time on the water is huge...time on the web learning is very good too -- but doesn't hold a candle to actually doing it.  Good luck!

[Darren.]

You have plenty of great suggestions to 
get started, so I'll just say welcome aboard!

You're in the right place to learn the sport!