Tips for a beginner?

[Ryan Belfor]

Hello everyone, I am new to bass fishing and I have been reading how to's and watching tons of videos on how to get started in bass fishing and what lures to use when and where, etc. I have learned a ton but no matter what I do, using the right techniques and different lures, I can't seem to get even get a bite! I have gone to multiple different lakes and reservoirs in my area and I haven't gotten anything! I'll even have fish jumping everywhere even right in front me and I still can't get a bite. I have mostly been using plastics and crank baits. Senkos of carrying color, blue craws, missile baits and crank baits of different colors. If there are any tips you have for me as a beginner it would be greatly appreciated.

[Angry John]

try a 4" keitech shad impact on an owner weighted hook.  The good news is guys catch fish on those in salt and fresh so in your case it would be hard to beat.  I llike the green color but others work well.  Also try night fishing.  During the hot summer months a lot of fish shift to feeding at night,

[KTinman86]

Welcome to bass fishing, it's a great sport, so stick with it! The first thing that can help you is to keep it simple. There are a lot of shiny baits, rods, and reels out there, but you don't need all of it to catch fish. Get a medium power spinning rod in the 6-7ft range and load a 2000-3000 size reel with 8-10lb fluorocarbon or monofiliment line. Use it for you senkos and other plastics. Next, buy a medium-heavy powered baitcasting rod and fill a casting reel with 15-17lb mono, fluoro, or braid (30-40lb) and use it to cast cranks, spinners, jigs, etc. Next, and most importantly, keep reading and learning, specifically, about SEASONAL PATTERNS and MOVEMENTS of the bass. I promise you that there is nothing more valuable than understanding the movements of bass. Once you do, you can go anywhere in the world and catch bass. So, buy a couple decent rod and reel combos if you haven't already, and use the mentioned baits in the locations based upon the current seasonal pattern. Don't ever let anyone tell you anything is more important than being able to locate fish, and that starts with knowing seasonal patterns. Stay calm, confident, and focused and you'll become a good angler. 

[scaleface]

You fishing from bank or boat ?

[roadwarrior]

"Just Getting Started"
Guaranteed To Catch Bass
I just cant catch bass
Learning to fish on your own
 

[Rollincoal420]

10 hours ago, Ryan Belfor said:

I'll even have fish jumping everywhere even right in front me and I still can't get a bite. 

Im with this guy.  Blowing up everywhere as far as i can see.  Throw everything and get nothing.   I'd also like to hear some advise on this situation.  

 

I understand they may or may not be bass, but many times I can see it's a LMB.  If they arent bass, or your not sure, what would be the go to, if your just looking to get a bite, no matter the species?

[scaleface]

Ignore the jumping fish . Concentrate on casting to cover   . Cast past the cover and work your lure into it . A buzzbait , spinnerbait ,  Texas rigs ... can be  effective and fished through cover with minimum hang ups ..Do not make random cast  . If you're not casting at cover then cast at a depth . Sinking lures cast out in deep water work well . Let them hit the bottom then bring them in .That way they follow the contour of the bottom . Bass like to orient to cover or the bottom .   inexpensive lures like jig & grub  , Beetle Spins , pre rigged swim baits ,Texas rigged worms work good   plus they are easy on the wallet when hung and lost . One of the best places to fish like this are rip rap banks and dams .

 

A huge  difference between a novice fisherman and an experienced one is  the new guy  makes random cast and the veteran cast with purpose .

 

As far as the jumping fish , theres a good chance they are not bass .If you see bait fish fleeing by all means cast that direction . If you see a fish hit the top like a bass hits a top water throw at it . You will be able to identify  a feeding bass over time .

[SWVABass]

Try slowing down, I used to fish way to fast. When I started slowing down my catch rates went up. Let the activity tell you to speed up.

[WRB]

Too much internet info can easily overload a new bass angler.

I see you are from the Bay Area and more than likely fishing from shore at local lakes.

First make sure the lakes you are fishing have a largemouth bass population.

You have a new BPS near you, go talk to the bass anglers who shop there or the sales people and ask them where to go bass fish and what are the local bass anglers currently using.

The local public lakes get a lot day time fishing pressure, the pressure drops with sun.

This time of year the water is warm so the bass tend to go deeper for comfort during the bright sunny days and get more active at low light or night.

So let's start at the beginning, what type of rod/reel and line do you have?

Tom

[Pond fisher]

I would throw a Rooster Tail (black or silver) and you will catch something. Very possibly a bass.

[the reel ess]

A lot of bass fishing is learning the water. Every pond has a different personality. Some have different forage than others. Some are barren bowls and some are flooded stump fields. I fish one where the owner says they won't bite when the wind blows. He seems to be correct. I fish one where 20-plus fish is expected and one where I might only catch one, but there's a chance for it to be a 5 pounder or better. And the best tool I have for pond fishing is my kayak. I have access to almost every fish in the pond with it. You know what they say. It's more important to have the wrong lure in the right place than to have to right lure in the wrong place. So getting to the fish is most important. The next best weapon is a bottom bumping bait like a T rig. It will show you the depth, bottom composition and structure/cover on bottom. That's the poor man's electronics. And as a bonus, it catches bass!

 

If you're walking the bank, be stealthy, especially if it's open to the public. When you approach, take some casts before you get to the water's edge. There might be a bass right there. When you get to the edge take some casts parallel to the edge. Pond bass love the edge, especially in the low light periods.

 

That reminds me, pond bass are more likely to bite topwaters, so get a few like a buzzbait, Pop R and and Spook, Jr. Try to carry lures that cover the water column from bottom to top. 

 

And lastly, my secret weapon for ponds (don't let this get out) is the Zoom Trick Worm. I haven't found the pond where they won't bite this bait. You can use it weightless, on a T rig or a C rig, or you can wacky rig it. It's my Senko. And I have some Senkos.  Next best is the hollow body frog, but that can call for some specialized equipment like a hvy rod and heavier braid line.

[Dorado]

This ^

[SWVABass]

Seeing as your from cali @WRB has a wealth of knowledge to share. He personally has chimed in on some of my post and related directly to western bass fishing. Use him! Also what @the reel ess stated too. I would pick wrb brains about where your fishing then pick one style and get good at it. For me I started with square bills, then that morphed to tubes, drop shot, trig, deep cranks and such. Good luck man!

[Pro Logcatcher]

Chances are, you are fishing too fast. Yesterday, when I was fishing at a pond in my neighborhood, a kid with a wacky rig came and bombed it out there. He had the bait back in twenty seconds flat. If I had made a cast that long, I'd still be fishing it! Fish so slow it hurts, and then fish slower. Then you'll catch bass. 

Good luck!

[scaleface]

There are so may techniques now days ,that it is confusing for young anglers .If  they become proficient with a Texas rig and not worry about drop shots , wacky rigs , ned rigs... Then they would learn where and how bass relate to cover and how to detect strikes  . Learn the T-rig well  and fishing gets a heck of a lot easier .

[IndianaFinesse]

Focus less on lure choice (especially for now), don't pay any attention to lure color (they don't usually care), and focus more on seasonal patterns, daily/weakly movements, and finding catchable bass.  Start with only a couple versatile techniques, and remember that if the bass aren't eating your kvd 1.5 they aren't going to eat another brand of crank that dives to a similar depth.  The depth of your lure and the speed of it are the only thing you have to worry about, provided it is in front of catchable bass.  I assume you're shore fishing, and one of the only spots on the lake that will have bass on it year round is the causeway.  It can be the best spot on the entire lake, and it holds bass year round.  Concentrate on fishing them, and work the entire causeway thoroughly while experimenting with different depths and speeds.

 

[Sword of the Lord]

2 hours ago, Pro Logcatcher said:

Chances are, you are fishing too fast. Yesterday, when I was fishing at a pond in my neighborhood, a kid with a wacky rig came and bombed it out there. He had the bait back in twenty seconds flat. If I had made a cast that long, I'd still be fishing it! Fish so slow it hurts, and then fish slower. Then you'll catch bass. 

Good luck!

As you well know, most strikes come off the initial fall. A lot of people fish wacky like that. Cast to your spot, drop, no bite then bring it back. Otherwise a lot of times you're just wasting time and potentially getting hung up. That's pretty much how I fish wacky 90 percent of the time, and how I get more bites. I don't really mess with wacky after the initial fall.

[Pro Logcatcher]

4 hours ago, Sword of the Lord said:

As you well know, most strikes come off the initial fall. A lot of people fish wacky like that. Cast to your spot, drop, no bite then bring it back. Otherwise a lot of times you're just wasting time and potentially getting hung up. That's pretty much how I fish wacky 90 percent of the time, and how I get more bites. I don't really mess with wacky after the initial fall.

I don't know, it seems to work for me!

[soflabasser]

On 9/4/2017 at 0:05 AM, Ryan Belfor said:

Hello everyone, I am new to bass fishing and I have been reading how to's and watching tons of videos on how to get started in bass fishing and what lures to use when and where, etc. I have learned a ton but no matter what I do, using the right techniques and different lures, I can't seem to get even get a bite! I have gone to multiple different lakes and reservoirs in my area and I haven't gotten anything! I'll even have fish jumping everywhere even right in front me and I still can't get a bite. I have mostly been using plastics and crank baits. Senkos of carrying color, blue craws, missile baits and crank baits of different colors. If there are any tips you have for me as a beginner it would be greatly appreciated.

 

Welcome to the forum @Ryan Belfor. The most important thing in bass fishing is to make sure you are having fun while fishing. Don't stress the days you do not catch much, it happens to all of us regardless of our skill level. Try to learn from every single fishing trip you have and accept that bass fishing is a sport where you will learn for a lifetime. Try to find a fishing partner that is very good at bass fishing and fish with him/her as long as you can so you can learn as much as possible from them.Be open minded about fishing techniques and keep a fishing log of the places you fish, techniques that worked, when and where you caught big bass, etc so you can get better at reading any new body of water you encounter.

[Bluebasser86]

[Ryan Belfor]

On 9/4/2017 at 5:49 AM, scaleface said:

You fishing from bank or boat ?

Bank

On 9/4/2017 at 12:36 PM, WRB said:

Too much internet info can easily overload a new bass angler.

I see you are from the Bay Area and more than likely fishing from shore at local lakes.

First make sure the lakes you are fishing have a largemouth bass population.

You have a new BPS near you, go talk to the bass anglers who shop there or the sales people and ask them where to go bass fish and what are the local bass anglers currently using.

The local public lakes get a lot day time fishing pressure, the pressure drops with sun.

This time of year the water is warm so the bass tend to go deeper for comfort during the bright sunny days and get more active at low light or night.

So let's start at the beginning, what type of rod/reel and line do you have?

Tom

 

Hey Tom,

 

I have a 7' two piece ugly stick with a Shimano Syncopate 1000FG spinning reel. I have been using 8lb flouro.

[deep]

I have just one tip for you: Fish where (location and depth) the bass are hanging out when they're active.

[Ryan Belfor]

3 hours ago, deep said:

I have just one tip for you: Fish where (location and depth) the bass are hanging out when they're active.

and how do I find where that is? have been fishing mainly dams and coves. 

[Russ E]

You can get a  lot of good information from this forum, but you could also learn a lot by hiring a guide for a day, like @wrb just mentioned on another post.   $150.00-$200.00 might seem like a lot of money for a day, but you could learn a lot in a short amount of time.

if a guide is not available, watch other fishermen, see where they are fishing and what they are using . maybe get to know a few. some will be willing to help, others not so much.

on busy lakes you will see a parade of bass boats come and go, on certain areas.

[deep]

24 minutes ago, Ryan Belfor said:

and how do I find where that is? have been fishing mainly dams and coves. 

 

Maybe post a topo map.