Advice for new anglers

[Big_T_65]

My dad, brother, and I are new to serious bass fishing. We have fished before occasionally, but never really with lures. I recently bought quite a few lures, but I'm wondering what lures and colors are best for different circumstances. Please let me know what info you guys have. I appreciate it!

[Finessegenics]

There are lots of other people on this site who can give much better and precise advise than me but a simple tip would be don’t overload yourself too much at first. There is so much information out there and it can be overwhelming for a newbie. You’ll end up with a pile of baits you won’t need, so I’d say start out with 1 or 2 techniques and get confidence on them. Then, branch out and take in as much info as you can. Good luck brother!

[Hammer 4]

My recommendation to all new bass anglers is this. Learn to fish a Texas rigged weighted worm, there are many videos on youtube that will help with the learning process. Get if you don't already have one a decent med, or med heavy spinning set up, use 8 lb mono, or copoly line, get some 1/8 and 3/16 oz bullet weights, 1/4 oz if you  have thicker vegetation.

 

Get good at casting to specific targets, learn to fish these SLOW, and get use to detecting bites. Doing this will pay dividends on the long run. Switching up lures all the time at this stage will just slow down the learning process. Be Patient..Even the best anglers get skunked now and then. Good luck, and have FUN. 

[jeffo21]

I was going to say learn plastics and either spinnerbait or chatterbaits.

[The Bassman]

Welcome to the forums. My first advice would be not to take bass fishing too seriously as you start out. I've had many memorable experiences with some fairly large fish over the years. That said, I just came in from a short outing where I caught a dozen or so 12-14 inchers and had a blast. It's all fun.

[Log Catcher]

Hello and welcome to the forum. You need to learn Texas rigged soft plastics. Ribbon tail worms and creature baits are good. For crankbaits in clearer water use more natural shad, bluegill, or crawfish patterns. In murky water chartreuse or firetiger are usually a good choice. 

[GreenPig]

Welcome. Be observant. It's not just about the fish.

[CrankFate]

It’s not a race. And it’s longer than a marathon. If you enjoy doing it, without catching anything, then you’ll be able to catch a lot of fish. 

[Hewhospeaksmuchbull]

Beware the Monkey!

 

Ned, ned, ned, ned learn it, nurture it, many fish!

[jimmyjoe]

   At the top of the site are several links. One is "videos". Click on it. You'll learn lots of things.     jj

   p.s. - "fishing articles" also.     jj

[basser27]

Time on the water is key. Don’t over think things like color. Don’t be afraid to throw topwater in cold water, especially shallow lakes
 

 

[Black Hawk Basser]

Don't just fish on the "nice" days.  Go when it's windy, spitting rain, etc.  That's when they can *sometimes* really be fired up to chase faster moving baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits.

[basser27]

2 hours ago, Pickle_Power said:

Don't just fish on the "nice" days.  Go when it's windy, spitting rain, etc.  That's when they can *sometimes* really be fired up to chase faster moving baits like spinnerbaits, chatterbaits and crankbaits.

Yes keyword sometimes. Ironically most of my biggest fish have came on bluebird sky days

[roadwarrior]

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

[MGF]

10 hours ago, basser27 said:

Yes keyword sometimes. Ironically most of my biggest fish have came on bluebird sky days

Isn't that the truth.

 

I've fished in all sorts of weather. You take a fishing vacation and end up with lousy weather, you fish anyway. Ia have caught fish in lousy weather but some of my best days have been sunny, calm and maybe hot.

 

To each their own but I think catching fish is a lot more fun on a nice day. 

[MGF]

As others have alluded to it isn't just about the bait or color. The real question is "Where are the fish?". The first order of business is getting a bait in front of them...what depth, type of cover etc.

 

Something that has paid off for me is time spent developing physical skills like casting. One might not be able to buy the best boat or travel to the best fishing holes but knoledge and skill enable you to make the most of where you are.  

[scaleface]

Fishing from boat ?

[t_bone_713]

When fishing from a bank I've recently started doing 2 things:

 

1 - Minimize tackle. Seriously. Take less, catch more. I have my 1 or 2 confidence baits (Texas Rig Worm, Squarebill Crankbait) in a color or 2, no more, and one bait or lure I am really working on (spinnerbait) that's it. I use the first two to see if I can get some bites. If the day is slow I'll switch to the bait I'm learning. I work on casting, retrieves, etc. Maybe I'll catch a few fish and I'll have a new confidence bait! Who knows?

 

2. When I arrive at a spot I divide the water into 3 zones. Not 1, not 6, 3. The bank itself, 45 degrees from the bank, and 90 degrees from the bank.

 

I'll start on the left bank with a worm, 5 good casts or so, working the nooks and crannies nice and slow. Switch to the right bank 5 good casts or so.

 

Next the 45's, I'll pick up the square bill here 5 good casts a few fast retrieves, a few slow retrieves, etc. Switch to the other side, repeat. If I have nothing I pick up the worm again, 5 good casts at this 45, 5 good casts at that 45. Nice and slow. 

 

Finally, I pick the squarebill and attack the 90, 5 good casts, some fast some slow. Nothing? I Pick up the worm, 5 good casts. Nothing? Time to move to a new spot.

 

I like switching back and forth because it breaks up the style and keeps me on my toes. Always thinking. Also notice I DIDN'T throw my treble hook baits down the immediate bank cause guess what really shines burning by banks and laydowns? The spinnerbait! (I also don't like losing crankbaits). If I haven't gotten anything after a good while then start practicing my new bait.

 

This is what has worked for me and has kept me moving and working and learning. Eventually (I promise) patterns will develop. Pick up a texas rig and ONE hard lure to learn (do some research and pick the one you like just not topwater... yet...). Then when you get confident, pick up another lure but ONLY when you're confident.

 

Someone once told me fishing is an upside down triangle. You start at the point and work your way into the wider base of knowledge and skills. Please don't make the mistake I did and try and learn 17 lures and baits all at once. Water color, wind conditions, cloud cover, off shore structure, did your dog poop before or after you went fishing. You'll get lost in the proverbial sauce and want to quit (I almost did, ask my post history). Stay focused and always learn something. Your PB is out there!

 

All it takes is one.

[Trox]

If y'all are new, all of the products and bait options out there WILL be overwhelming, and confidence is key. If you go out and buy everything, it will likely be impossible to be confident in anything. My suggestion (for your specific situation) would be that everyone gets three decent rod and reel combos, and each chooses a couple different types of baits/techniques to commit to, throw, and research for a week or so, and share information with each other about what y'all like and don't like about what y'all chose... 

 

Let's say that your Dad has been throwing soft plastics, you have been throwing spinnerbaits/chatterbaits/squarebills, and your brother has been throwing more finesse style baits, topwater, jerkbaits, whatever.... after a week. Share y'alls experiences with each other and what each has learned, then have each other share a bait for the other to try.

 

Keep doing that rotation every couple trips out. Eventually, each one of you will find confidence in a specific technique and make it their bread and butter. All the while having experience with a little bit of everything that you can eventually find confidence in as well. 

 

It will be a process, and may take as long as a year or so, depending on how often that y'all go out, but I wish I could have started out that way. Instead, I've had to go through all the stages by myself and has taken much longer. 

 

Oh, the YouTube videos out there regarding each specific technique can save y'all a ton of frustration, just like the written articles on this website.

 

...And lastly, BE PATIENT!