Best advice for a new bass angler?

[Troy85]

GET OUT WHILE YOU STILL CAN!!!!!!  

 

Most other posts covered equipment and strategy.  I'll just add don't get discouraged.  You will have trips where you go out and zero, may even have multiple trips in a row.  As long as you enjoy it, keep at it.

 

I will second whoever said don't buy cheap equipment.  I take my buddy fishing and he buys those $20 rod and reel combos from Walmart, and he wonders why he spends half the day fixing his reel or his line.  You don't have to have the most expensive, just get something that is quality.

[desmobob]

Like any other hobby, once you get past the initial learning curve, it gets better and better.  Your own experience on your local water will be a big part of learning.  Depend on it as much as you depend on what you hear or read.  Start with quality equipment that you will enjoy using.  Have fun.  Take photos.  And, have fun.  And be sure to have lots of fun.

 

Tight lines,

Bob

 

 

[crypt]

19 hours ago, lo n slo said:

be patient 

this.................

above all else.....

[bigfruits]

buy quality the first time or you end up spending more.

 

id start with spinnerbaits, small soft paddletails, shallow cranks, small jigs and worms. the small whopper plopper at at sunrise/sunset. weightless senko (or other stickbait) wacky rigged.

 

dont worry too much about color of the lures. white or baitfish color for the moving baits and green pumpkin for the others will work fine to get started.

 

wear eye protection (sunglasses) against sun and treble hooks.

[The Short Fisherman]

medium action spinning rod combo, paired up with some mono or fluro line. I recommended using a curly tailed grub on a jig head for a beginner, since they require no skill and catch tons of fish. I also recommended the rebel wee frog. All You have to do is cast, reel it in, and you'll get hooked up in no time. Here's a link to it: https://www.basspro.com/shop/en/rebel-wee-frog?searchTerm=rebel wee frog

[Bankbeater]

Spend as much time out on the water as possible. 

[greentrout]

Not bad advice...this site is a gold mine for rookies...vets too...

 

https://www.bassresource.com/beginner/get-started-bass-fishing.html

[the reel ess]

Start with the old Texas rigged 6" worm for bottom. Get a spinnerbait for medium depths. And get a Pop R for the topwater. You've got the whole water column covered. I couldn't agree more with the fishing log. I wish I'd done it sooner. There was a time when I could remember the specifics of every bass I ever caught, but that was years ago.

When you go and get skunked, and you will, make it a learning experience. Read up and watch videos on every seasonal bass pattern you can. Information that we used to have to glean from magazines is now free on the interwebs. Read this board and search it for topics and don't be afraid to ask anything.

[scaleface]

Join a club as a non boater .My first bass tournament I learned an awful   lot . If you're friends with someone who fishes a lot , maybe try to get him to take you .

[the reel ess]

I would also add: Don't go too cheap with your equipment of you won't enjoy yourself as much. If spinning is you thing, decent reels start at about $40. The same is true of rods.

[loumonetti]

Simply put, be versatile. Don't get caught up with one or two techniques, try and spend time fishing many different techniques and lures and you'll be able to tackle anything that's thrown at you.

[Choporoz]

On 3/7/2018 at 2:11 PM, BryanSJ said:

what would be the number one tip that you would give someone new? 

Wear sunscreen.

[Will1248]

To keep it simple and just fish with universal basic colors such as green pumpkin/white/black soft plastics and shad/white/ghost colored hardbaits. That way you save money in the long run. 

P.s. you only need 1 to 2 rods a 6'6" Med F tip 6.2:1 spinning and a 7' Med.Heavy Fast tip 7.1:1 baitcaster. Everything else is extra. Just keep it simple.

[Whipper Plipper]

Here's a general rule. Use dark baits on dark days and lighter baits on brighter days.

[LadiMopar]

On 3/7/2018 at 2:11 PM, BryanSJ said:

Hey all! I know that there are tons of resources out there for folks just starting to get into bass fishing and a lot of it can be overwhelming for someone new. Many of the info and recommendations out there are split between fishing reaction type baits first, others swear by starting off with soft plastics to develop a "feel." Other sites talk about the importance of learning bass behavior and patterns first. But aside from just going out and fishing as much as possible, what would be the number one tip that you would give someone new? 

 

Hey Bryan,

Welcome to the forum! While I can agree that "Just get out there and do it" is great advice, as is joining a bass club, try to find a local Mom/Pop type of tackle shop in your area. I've worked for several in my area over the years and if you find a good one they can be an endless source of straight forward, useful information about the how, why, when and where questions most new comers have.

 

They're also great places to meet up with some old timers who, in my experience, are usually happy to take a newbie under their fin! And you'll not only get the benefit of their experience, you'll most likely get some highly entertaining stories to share! 

 

LM 

[iiTzChunky]

I've only been fishing for about a year or so maybe.but I'll share what helped me the most. 

 

Finding fish, look for cover. Don't just throw the lure out in the middle of nowhere and expect a bite. While It can happen its not increasing your odds of hooking up. Stumps, broken branches, patches of grass, etc. Anything a bass can push up against and sit there. The wind can push bait fish in a direction so pay attention to that. Also look for shade. The bass will like to sit right around the edge of it in the dog days of summer. Early morning and late evening are my best times to fish 

 

Go buy a 7$ bag of Yamamoto senkos. Don't buy the knock offs, the price difference may be appealing but the action of the worm cannot be replicated. I love bass pro but their worms are total trash imo. It's well worth the investment, this way you'll learn what a bite feels like, and what the line should look like when the bite hits. There's a thread with a video link on how to fish these. I prefer the Texas rigged style, wacky works well but I don't like getting caught up on stuff. 

 

Get a bait caster asap. Really stepped my game up. I have so much more control over my casts, if I throw it to far I can stop it easy. 

 

Most importantly don't give up. If took me over a month of fishing almost every day to land my first bass, he wasn't a pretty one but it was what I needed to start learning. 

 

Remeber I fan cast, the bass might not be right on cover, they can sit off a little and you want to make sure you completely fish an area so you're not missing out. 

 

After all this it's time to start getting hard baits. Worms are great but costly as they rip after, if you're lucky, 3 fish. And also top water is the most exciting way to catch bass imo. So that's somthing to look into once you start gearing up on tackle. 

[Shimano_1]

I would say it'd be almost too much to try and prepare yourself based on others advice as we all have our own opinions.  I would suggest watching everything you can on tv/Youtube.  Learn what the pros do on different bodies of water in different situations.  If you have any friends that are into bass fishing try to go with them as much as possible and have them show you what they can.  Be open minded and go into it with the attitude that you can learn something from anyone that fishes, but you will also put your own twist on things and learn new things as you go. Good luck and enjoy your endeavors! 

[fishwizzard]

On 07/03/2018 at 2:34 PM, J Francho said:

Just get out and fish!

 

This, but do everything about three times as slow as you think you should.  

[JustJames]

Form what I read all the recommendations here, it sums up like this.

1. just get out and fish

2. Buy a pack of Senko

3. Be patient

4. If you think you slow, let slow down more.

 

My story is, I got one of those Senko kit in a box and a nice spinning setup (crucial dropshot rod pair with symetre2500) mostly not for me but for my friend and family who wanna fish some bass with me. I remembered most of everyone I had to tell them to be very patient and slow down and then slow down even more.

[Wildbillb]

Just go fishing and pay attention.

[EGbassing]

Keep it simple. All you need starting out is a texas rig. (black trick worm works best for me) Just drag or hop it along the bottom with a 3/16 ounce tungsten worm weight. Watch the line where it enters the water and keep it taut, and if you see the line move, or you feel a little "tick", reel down and set the hook. Also, smash the barbs down with some pliers if you plan on releasing them. You may lose some, but it makes it much easier to remove the hook, and the bass has a much better chance at survival. Good luck!

[haggard]

As much as I love the idea of gathering and analyzing the data, my advice is (at first anyway) to experience the enjoyment of fishing by keeping it simple: Two rods (one to use, one as backup), 4" Texas rigged soft plastic worm with a bullet weight, no fish finder, and just go explore. If you start obsessing about every possible type and color of lure, line, rod, reel, etc. the magic might wear off. Then, if it does, you always have that reference; you know that it's possible to get back to the enjoyment.

 

Also: Fishing shallows, structure and close to shore will likely give better results than open water.